My Filly, Nightshine

by The Abyss

First published 11th of January, 2016

Jason's life has grown dull. After months of living in Ponyville, he can't shake the feeling that there is a void in his life. Then, one day, as he watches a family play in the park, an idea sparks within his mind: why not adopt a pony of his own?

Jason's life has grown dull. While some may have thought that the weekly monster attacks might have kept him on his toes, he had grown to learn that as the norm around town. Now, after months of living in Ponyville, he can't shake the feeling that there is a void in his life. He follows his usual routine every day: breakfast, a quick shower, followed by a quick walk to the park to read the newspaper. One morning, he finds two parents playing with their filly in the playground. As he watches, an idea sparks within his mind: why not adopt a pony of his own?

Featured on Equestria Daily

Desperate for Change

Jason woke up with a low groan. Rolling over to lay flat on his back, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then tugged the comforter up to his shoulders. The sun was barely peeking over the tops of the surrounding houses in Ponyville, casting a steep shadow through the two windows in his bedroom. He ran a hand through his brown hair and scratched the side of his face as the sounds of ponies setting up shop for the day in the market came through the window. His house was a couple of buildings down from the entrance of the market, and while it was a very convenient place to live, he was never able to sleep in for as long as he was used to.

Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he saw that it was just after eight. Back in South Carolina, he would never get up before ten in the morning. After coming to Equestria, it had quickly become apparent that he wasn’t going to get to sleep in like he was used to. It didn’t matter anymore though, for he had made the commitment to go to bed early, a feat not easily accomplished by the night owl he was.

He sat up and blinked blearily. Unfortunately, since he was already awake, there was no way he’d be able to fall back asleep again. “Might as well take a shower and get that out of the way,” he muttered. The sheets slipped from his shoulders as he crossed the short distance across his room to the bathroom in the hall. Stripping the clothes from his back, he turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up.

His house was disappointingly empty, both of sound and decorations. He missed having a television, but he had gotten used to other ways of entertaining himself. He’d given reading a good shot but couldn’t find the patience to finish any book. The hoofwritten books that he always got from Twilight Sparkle had been interesting to try and read, but since he was used to typed words, it was more of a struggle than it was worth. The local newspaper was the most he ever read, and if he was lucky, it would be sitting on his doorstep by the time he got out of the shower.

As he stepped under the stream, he wondered what he was going to do that day. It was always the same old routine: take a shower, eat breakfast, and walk around town. After coming to Equestria, he found that sitting inside was incredibly boring, so he made it a point to spend as much time outside as possible. Back on Earth, he used to be a couch potato, playing video games all day.

After drying himself off, he put on his favorite pair of blue jeans and a green T-shirt. Silence met his ears, save for the ponies outside. He threw on his socks and shoes, then made his way through the small cottage to the front door. Throwing it open, he smiled and took a breath of fresh air.

Heh, sure is nice outside... Might be a good idea to open some windows later... Leaning against the door frame, he spotted Pinkie Pie walking to the market with a platter of sweets on her back. She looked his way, so he smiled and waved at her. She paused to wave back with a rather large smile on her face, then resumed walking towards the market with an extra pep in her step.

With a small chuckle, Jason snatched the newspaper from his doorstep and closed the door behind him. He sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table, then unrolled the newspaper. The front page held a large picture of Twilight Sparkle with Mayor Mare in front of the new library. He had heard from some ponies at the local watering hole that the old one had been destroyed a few months or so before his arrival when some terrible monster had tried to take over Equestria. Naturally, that had shocked him a little to hear such things, especially when he learned that the old library used to be Twilight’s home.

Jason grinned as he saw how happy Twilight was in the picture. He had been at the grand opening of the new library last week, and even had been mentioned in the list of those who had helped make it happen. In addition to filling in the role of a carpenter, he had also spent a lot of time cleaning up after the construction ponies, though he considered his contributions not big enough to warrant a thank you from the princess herself.

The new library was a work of art. A beautiful stained-glass window sat above the entryway of Princess Twilight herself, her wings spread wide as if she was inviting everyone inside. Cities from all around Equestria had donated books after they received word of Ponyville’s loss, and ponies in town had even given up their old books that they no longer read so that others could enjoy them as much as they did. Jason would have gladly donated some books, but sadly enough, he had not brought any back from his old home on Earth.

Flipping to the next page, he saw a coupon for half off any sweets at Sugarcube Corner. He made a mental note to save that, for he particularly liked the vanilla cupcakes that Pinkie made every Thursday. Whenever he came in, she’d always give him extra frosting, just how he liked. He saw a few articles that looked pretty interesting, but the rest of the newspaper was full of ads that he didn’t care about. So after ripping out the coupon, he folded up the rest of the newspaper and tossed it on the coffee table.

Once he had the usual breakfast of bland oatmeal and a fresh apple, Jason looked in the mirror, made sure his short hair wasn’t a mess, grabbed the newspaper, and stepped out onto the street. Due to habits that he brought back from Earth, he locked his front door. Knowing fully well that there wasn’t any crime in Ponyville, keeping his possessions secure gave him peace of mind.

Looking both ways, he wondered what he should do for the day. Taking another deep breath, he tucked the newspaper under his arm and turned right, walking away from the center of town. There was a nice park that he liked to frequent on the south side of Ponyville. It had a lot of benches, so he was almost always guaranteed a seat. This park was the only one in Ponyville that had a playground for all of the school fillies and colts, save for the one at the school.

Grateful that he lived near the center of town, the walk to the park took him just under five minutes. He had a lot of choices in terms of finding a good seat, so he simply picked his usual one and sat down. Unfolding the newspaper, he crossed his right leg over his left and lay the paper on top of them, then picked up from where he had left off from back home.

After he finished reading the article about how Minuette was moving her dentist business down to Ponyville to be closer to her family, Jason decided that he’d read the rest of the paper later. It was simply too nice of a day to keep his nose buried in the newspaper, so he folded it so that it’d fit in his pocket. He laid his arms on the back of the bench and looked around, wondering if there was anypony he could strike up a conversation with. He spied Bon Bon and Lyra cuddling on their usual bench, the farthest one to the right from his position, then glanced left to find a few mares whose names he could not remember. They waved at him, so he waved back.

Looking back ahead, he cocked his head to the side as he laid his gaze on a family of three ponies. The filly, a blue pegasus, was swinging back and forth while her father pushed her from behind. The mother simply sat to the side and out of the way, a loving smile upon her face. Jason smiled softly and watched as the filly’s wide smile grew the higher she went.

“Watch me fly, Daddy!” she called out. The filly swung back one more time, then when she swung forward and reached the highest point, she slipped from the swing and opened her wings wide. She held herself aloft for several seconds, then clumsily flew back over the top of the swing set and flew down in tight circles until she collided with her father’s chest. Both of them collapsed in a heap, giggling. Jason watched as the stallion ruffled his daughter’s mane lovingly, then let her slide off of his chest to the ground. The mother, a soft yellow unicorn, held out a hoof to help her daughter up. Once he stood back up, the stallion let his filly hop onto his back, then they trotted back towards town.

There were several other colts and fillies left on the playground, but Jason was only able to remember the names of a couple: Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. It was a lazy Thursday morning, and since it was near the end of summer break, he knew that they would all be back in school in a week or so.

His mind drifted back to his original problem. Waking up to an empty, silent house had grown old really fast. Back in the small city that he came from, he had had a few roommates that he shared an old, run-down apartment with, so he’d always had someone to hang out with. But here in Equestria, he had nobody that meant a lot to him.

After letting loose a yawn, he rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat. “What to do, what to do...” he said to himself, drumming his fingers on his leg. His mind drifted away as his eyes glazed over like they usually did whenever he daydreamed. He thought back to how happy that blue filly had looked when she was with her father. Jason had dated a few women, but never got anywhere close to getting married and having kids. From an early age, he’d always wanted to have a happy family, but because of him being in Equestria, he had lost that option.

“Heh, what if I just adopt a pony?” he asked to nobody in particular, joking to himself. “It sure would be interesting... but would they let me adopt a pony? How would I even go about doing something like that?” Jason shook his head and chuckled as he let his mind drift away.

So many possibilities played out in his mind. Hehe, let’s just think things through real quick... he thought with a shake of his head. If he chose to adopt and raise a unicorn, there was no doubt in his mind that they’d look to him for guidance on how to use magic. Naturally, that’d be a problem because he couldn’t use magic, though it wouldn’t stop him from trying his hardest to teach them with books and all that. If he chose to raise a pegasus, he was sure they’d be out in the park, having them practice flying.

And after a long day of playing, he imagined laying on the couch back in his little cottage, the imaginary filly curled up on his chest. Jason closed his eyes as he let his daydream play out, a small smile slipping onto his face.

In his mind’s eye, he scratched them behind their flicking ears, watching as they pushed their head into his hand. He toyed with the idea of an earth pony, then a unicorn. Part of him wondered how sensitive the horn was, then he imagined a pegasus. He blushed slightly as he imagined massaging the pegasus’ wings, scratching just where they’d like it.

Jason normally wasn’t one for thinking of such adorable things like that, but... he couldn’t help it. His smile widened as he imagined them snuggling closer to him, trying to wrap their short legs around his chest. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as his heart sped up. Jason opened his eyes and looked back at the playground, watching all the colts and fillies gleefully run around.

It was, at that moment, that he knew in his heart, that he wanted to adopt a pony.

The problem was that he had no idea how to even start such a process.

He knew of no orphanages in Ponyville, and Ponyville was the only place he really knew. Wondering who would really know that sort of stuff, his thoughts drifted straight to the top: Princess Twilight. The new library was only a few blocks away, so he stood up and set off, hoping that she would be there. He could think of no other pony, save for Mayor Mare, that could help him, but to see her, he’d have to set up an appointment that could take up to a week.

He simply could not wait that long.

Jason set off at a brisk pace. He tossed the newspaper into a nearby trash bin and found that he couldn’t stop smiling. The idea of adopting a pony was simply too great. He wouldn’t have to wake up to an empty house anymore, and raising somepony would surely fill the void that he’d felt for quite a while now. He had two bedrooms in his cottage. The one that he wasn’t using was empty, save for a couple boxes of things he hadn’t gotten around to unpacking.

The new library came into view. Jason made a beeline for the entrance and pushed open the front door. He found Twilight near the back of the first floor, hovering in midair as she placed some books back into their rightful place near the top of the bookshelf. As the door shut behind him with a loud click, Twilight turned to look at him.

“Oh, hey Jason! Give me a few seconds to finish up!” Twilight threw the last few books onto the shelf, then flew down to meet him. “You come to try a new book or three?”

“Actually, no.” Jason scratched the back of his head. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, and now that I think about it... it might sound a little strange. Is there somewhere we can sit?”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, I have a couple of couches on the second level. This way!” She turned around and walked to the left, then made her way up the staircase that hugged the wall.

Jason followed close behind her. They walked in the tight space between a couple of bookshelves before they emerged out in a more open area. Two small couches sat on either side of a coffee table, similar to the one that he had back home.

“Please, take a seat!” Twilight said, motioning with a wing for him to pick a couch.

Jason took a deep breath to calm his racing nerves, then chose the one on the right. He sat down and sat up straight, his posture rigid. Drumming his fingers on his leg again, he waited for Twilight to sit down across from him.

“So... what’s on your mind?” Twilight asked curiously. “I’d offer you some tea, but we don’t have a kitchen like the old library did.”

Jason bit his lip and failed to meet Twilight’s gaze. Now that he had to explain his idea to someone else, he realized that he should probably have prepared some more before coming here. “Well... life here in Ponyville is great and all, but things have gotten kinda... slow? I guess that’d be a word close to what I’m trying to say.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

Jason cleared his throat and looked back into Twilight’s eyes. He pushed a cushion behind his back and slumped down to make himself more comfortable. “It’s like... every single day is the same routine: I wake up, shower, have breakfast, then walk around town. I’ve already done quite a bit of exploring, and I’ve met a lot of ponies, but...”

“But what?”

“It’s hard for me to really explain this, but I feel like there’s a void in my life, like... there’s a hole that I can’t fill. And until today, I didn’t know how to get rid of that feeling.”

“Oh, really?” Twilight smiled. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Might I ask what you came up with?”

“Uh...” Jason chuckled and scratched his cheek. “How hard would it be for me to adopt a colt or a filly?”

A look of sheer surprise slid onto Twilight’s face. “A-adoption, huh? I can’t say I saw that one coming...”

“Hehe, yeah...” Jason chuckled again, his tone wavering slightly. “I was at the park a while ago, and I saw this really adorable filly on the swing set being pushed by her father, right? She looked so happy, and, uh... well, I kinda want to do that too. I’m just so tired of waking up to nothing every day, and I want some variety in my life. I don’t want to move or anything like that; I’m perfectly happy where I am now. And... um...”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow as her ears flicked up. “What?” she asked, her voice soft and caring.

“I know picking one out of the rest would leave the ones I didn’t choose depressed and all that. If I was in their place, I can’t imagine the pain of not being picked, but... if I can make a difference in at least one of their lives, then why shouldn’t I?” He finished with a determined look upon his face.

“Well... you are a completely different species, for one. I don’t know how the adoption process back from where you came from is like, but from what I can remember, you have to go get a background check, your household has to be inspected, plus a bunch of other things that I can’t remember right now. All of that can take a few weeks, sometimes up to a couple of months, but... Is this really what you want? I’ve heard that raising somepony is quite a lot of work.”

Jason didn’t even have to think twice. “Without a doubt in my mind, yes. How do I get started?”

Twilight grinned slyly at him as she slid from the couch. She trotted over to the wide desk that lay in front of the sole window on that wall, overlooking the street below with her castle off in the distance. She pulled out a piece of parchment, found a quill and a pot of ink, then shot a glance over her shoulder. “Gimme a few minutes to throw something together, okay?” Her smile widened as she turned back around.

As the soft sounds of a quill scratching against paper filled the room, Jason asked, “Uh... okay?” uncertain as to what Twilight had in mind. “What are you writing?”

“You’ll see!” came Twilight’s excited voice.

Jason glanced about the room as he waited for Twilight to finish writing. Another minute passed in silence before she finished.

“Aaaand done!” Twilight stamped her royal seal on the parchment, rolled it up, and tied it shut with a cute little purple ribbon that had her cutie mark every half inch or so on it. She used her magic to place it on the center of the coffee table, then she took her place back on the couch.

“Um... what is this?” Jason asked with a chuckle, looking down at the sealed scroll.

“Well, I’m glad you asked!” Twilight lay down on her stomach and crossed her forelegs. “So listen, remember how I mentioned you needing to get a background check and all that extra stuff? I’ve known you for a while, and I know you are of good character. As a Princess of Equestria, I am allowed by law, within reason of course, to make judgement calls like this. This document, signed by me, will bypass the necessary background check. I’m going out on a limb doing this for you, and I hope you know that I’m doing a really big favor for you, but I’m certain you won’t let me down.”

“I give you my word that I won’t.” Jason leaned forward to grab the document, but Twilight tugged it out of his reach with her magic. “Hey, what gives?”

Twilight levitated the scroll beside her. “Since it sounds like you just came up with this idea, I think it would be wise if you slept on it to see if that’s what you truly want.”

Jason lowered his outstretched arm and sat back, smiling sheepishly. “Oh, uh... yeah, I guess that makes sense. You kinda had me going there for a minute, though.” He chuckled, then laid his right arm across the back of the couch.

Twilight giggled, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Come back around five in the afternoon tomorrow and we’ll talk about this some more. That’ll give me time to do some research on the topic for you, and it’ll give you time to really think this out.” Sliding from the couch, Twilight tucked the scroll into a drawer in the desk and locked it with a key. “But in the meantime, would you like to accompany me to watch Rainbow Dash give Scootaloo flying lessons? I heard she’s becoming quite the flyer!”

Rain poured down from the heavens in thick sheets, though Nightshine was still able to see the shapes of three ponies close the door to the orphanage behind them. The mare lit her horn and opened up an umbrella, one large enough to shield them from the rain.

Her closest friend at the Canterlot Orphanage, Sea Stride, had just been adopted.

She hadn’t even been able to give him a proper goodbye earlier because she had been eating dinner with everypony else in the cafeteria. She wrapped her soaked forelegs around the rusty iron fence as tears streamed down her face. Nightshine pressed her face up against the bars as hard as she could, ignoring the pain as she tried to get one last look at her only friend before he disappeared forever to his happy new life.

If anypony saw her at that moment, they would not have been able to distinguish her tears from the rain.

She felt cold, though it wasn’t from the rain but from the knowledge that she had been passed up for adoption yet again. Nightshine had lost count of how many times ponies had ignored her. Every week was the same: a couple or two would come in looking to adopt somepony, and even though she tried her hardest to be the most perfect little filly in all of Equestria, most of them simply paid her no mind. Nightshine had no idea why nopony wanted her, and that cut right into her heart, a wound that never truly healed. All she wanted was to live a normal life, but her dreams of doing exactly that weakened each time somepony else was picked.

“Can I call you Mommy and Daddy?” she heard the newly-adopted colt ask, his words barely making it through the sound of rain hitting the street.

“Of course you can!” a deep, male voice replied. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Nightshine saw him ruffle her friend’s hair. She closed her eyes tightly and sobbed for several moments. Knowing that this was the last time she would ever see him again, she forced herself to open her eyes just in time to see them start walking down the street towards her. Her ears flicked to lay flat on her head as she laid her sodden tail around her flank, her eyes never leaving the three as they passed by her. Nightshine ruffled her wings a couple of times, then let loose a soft, pathetic-sounding whine as she watched the three of them disappear into the rain down the street.

She hit the fence with a hoof as tears streamed down her face. “Why does life have to be so unfair?” Nightshine slumped down to the ground in a heap, the side of her face still pressed up against the fence.

“Mom, Dad, can you... a minute?” she very faintly heard Sea Stride ask down the street. Her ears perked up as she heard hoofsteps approaching her, so she lifted her head. Nightshine stared in the direction of where the sound was coming from, and even though she couldn’t believe her eyes, Sea Stride came trotting into view. She sat up immediately, banging her head against the low, horizontal bar on the fence. Pain lanced through the side of her face, nearly making her close her eyes.

Doing her best to ignore the pain, Nightshine threw on a fake smile as Sea Stride stopped in front of her, mere inches separating them. She was so happy for him, though she couldn’t help but feel immensely jealous. If it wasn’t for the fence, Nightshine would have already pulled him into a fierce hug. She stuck her left hoof through the fence and smiled for real when he grabbed it with his own forelegs. He held onto her hoof tightly and gave her the most reassuring of smiles.

“Hey Nightshine...” A look of guilt slid onto his face. His ears flicked back, he bit the side of his cheek like he always did when he was nervous, though he never looked away from her. They stared at each other for a few moments in silence before he reached through the fence to wipe away her tears. “Listen, I’m really sorry that yo—”

“Thank you for coming to say goodbye... I thought I was never going to see you again...” Nightshine muttered, her gaze falling to the ground. She felt Sea’s hoof on her chin, gently lifting her head back up.

“Hey, buck up and never give up, okay?” Sea Stride briefly tightened his grasp on Nightshine’s hoof, then let her hoof slip from his. “Maybe we’ll see each other on the outside?” Nightshine nodded sullenly. “If I can be adopted, I know you can too! I’m just some earth pony, but you’re an awesome bat pony, the coolest around!”

Nightshine closed her eyes for a few seconds as fresh tears threatened to break loose. She had to look strong for her friend, for she surely didn’t want the last memory he would have of her was of her crying.

“And ‘Shine? You will get adopted; don’t ever forget that. I...” He heard his new parents calling his name. “I have to go now, so... Goodbye, Nightshine.”

Even though she desperately wanted to believe her friend’s words, part of her knew she’d never be adopted.

Author's Notes:

Jumping Through Hoops

Jason pulled the door to the library open and stood in the entryway, looking for Twilight. The door shut behind him, then a few moments later, he heard somepony muttering upstairs. “Twilight, that you up there?” he called out, cocking his head to the side.

“Yeah, come on up!” came Twilight’s voice.

Jason heard a particularly large book slam shut as he jogged up the stairs. He made his way to the back and found Twilight looking at him, sitting at the desk. “Mind if I sit down?” He gestured at the couch he sat on yesterday.

“Sure, go ahead.” As Jason sat down and relaxed, Twilight stood up and walked over to the other couch. She lay down on her side and let her front hooves dangle over the edge. “So after doing a good bit of research, I’ve formulated a list of questions that I need you to answer truthfully, okay?”

“Um... okay? To be honest, I wasn’t expecting an interview sort of dealio.” Jason chuckled and scratched his shoulder.

“Well, if you still plan to adopt a foal, you have to expect the unexpected. Also, I...” Twilight bit her lip and glanced off to the side for a few moments, her gaze resting on the scroll she had written for him yesterday. “I wrote that document for you rather hastily yesterday and...”

“Woah, hold on here... You going back on your word?” Jason asked, pursing his lips.

“No, no! Of course not, like I said, I just need to ask you some questions. I don’t know if you know anything about writing or not, but there’s this little phrase that says that showing is better than telling. Do you...” Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she inspected his face for any sign of recognition. “Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

Jason nodded and relaxed back into the couch. He crossed his right leg over his left, then said, “Yeah, I do. Back where I come from, we say that actions speak louder than words.”

Twilight smiled and let the tension melt from her shoulders. “Exactly. So here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to ask you some questions, and then we’re gonna go over to your house for a quick inspection.”

“An inspection of my house?” Jason sat up and rested his chin on his fists. He propped his elbows up on his legs and sighed. “Why do we have to do that?”

“Well... you have to show me that your house is suitable to raise a foal. If I’m to give you this document, I need to be one hundred and ten percent certain that you’re qualified to adopt somepony.” She slid off of her couch and started pacing. “In my research, I found a few issues that could prevent you from adopting. Your answers to my questions should clear things up.”
“Uh, okay?” Jason asked nervously. “Like what?”

Twilight lit her horn and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from her desk, then stopped in place and held it up before her. “Well, the first question I have on my list is pretty easy. Do you have a job with a steady income? Having a job with a steady income is crucial to be able to adopt somepony.” She lowered the document just enough to catch Jason’s eyes with her own. “Do you have a steady source of income?”

Jason nodded twice. “Sure do! Well, it’s not steady like a twice a week paycheck, but I do get some good business every now and then.”

“Define every now and then.”

Jason shrugged. “I mean, somepony always comes knockin’ on my door asking for help to repair something of theirs or to commission me to build something for them. I’ve built cabinets, shelves, bed frames... you name it, I’ve probably built it. I do get enough to live comfortably on, and I do have a significant amount of money saved up, too.”

“Okay. So would you say you’re a carpenter, then?”

“Yeah, I suppose. My friend had hooked me up with a construction job building houses back on Earth, and they started me off with some of the more easier things, like building the things I already mentioned. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at it, too.”

“Great, that sounds good.” Twilight checked off the first box. “Do know that Princess Celestia does give out a monthly stipend to help take care of the adopted foal, and even though it’s not a large amount of bits, it still helps. Now, this next one isn’t a question, but I still need you to answer nonetheless.” Twilight cleared her throat. “Adopting somepony is a big financial commitment. You should expect to pay double your grocery bill every time you go shopping for food.”

“Gotcha. I had already thought of that last night, and it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Perfect.” Twilight checked off another box. “So have you thought about schooling?”

“...No? Is that bad?” Jason laughed and scratched behind his ear. “You know, that is a good point. I probably would have to put them in school... The one here in Ponyville is good, right? I don’t know much about it.”

“Yeah, it is a good school. Miss Cheerilee, the teacher, does a wonderful job. Anyways...” Twilight glanced back down at the parchment for a brief moment. “So you’d put them in school?”

Jason scoffed at that. “Yeah, of course!”

“Alrighty... Now would you be able to be home when they’re done with school for the day, and on the weekends? They would need constant care and affection as they adjust to their new life, and you being absent from that would be detrimental to their development. They would need their own room, plus furniture. Are you able to provide all of the above?”

“Definitely,” Jason said with a smile. “So... what’s next?”

Twilight bit her lip and took a deep breath. She scribbled something down onto the parchment and looked Jason right in the eyes. “I already know how you got here, but could you please just reiterate it for me so I don’t make any mistakes please?”

“Uh... sure?” Jason folded his arms and thought for a moment. “Well, after a particularly long day of working, and lemme tell ya, we were out in the sun for the entire day. Heh, I was pretty roasted... anyways, let’s get back on topic. I didn’t have any form of transportation, and since I had offered to clean things up after everyone had left, I decided to just cut through the forest to see if I could get home faster. My feet were absolutely killing me from standing all day, and the weight of my toolbelt wasn’t helping things at all.” He scratched the back of his head. “Twilight, you have no idea how exhausted I was. It was really dark out, and I had left my flashlight back at home that day. I closed my eyes for just a few moments as I trudged through the forest, and when I opened them, I saw a bright flash of light suddenly appear in front of me. Something made me trip, and I fell into the light. I felt like I was falling from a fairly high distance, and then I felt nothing. I guess I either fell asleep, or something knocked me out. You know the rest after that.”

“Yeah... I’m still sorry that I couldn’t figure out a way to send you home,” Twilight said with no small amount of regret. “The portal you came from, which has rarely been documented in our history, only appears at random times in strange locations. At least, that’s what one of the oldest books in Celestia’s library said...” Twilight bit her lip and glanced away for a moment. “I just wish I was able to see it.”

“I’m just glad I didn’t appear in the bottom of the ocean,” Jason said with a laugh. “Anyways, my home is here now. I didn’t have much back on Earth anyways, but here? I own an actual house, I get paid pretty well for what I like to do, so... I guess things turned out okay in the end. Have any more questions?”

“Actually no, that’s it for the questions. Just give me a couple of minutes to write this all down. Even though I know how you came here, the adoption agency has to know as well.” Twilight stayed silent as her quill darted all across the parchment. “Now we have to go to your place. Part of this background check requires a household check as well. Since I’m a princess, I can technically perform this household check for you. Since my word can be trusted, my document will get you past the first inspection, which could take months before the orphanage would be able to send somepony out to inspect your home. If you still want to adopt somepony, you could take this document into any orphanage and walk out the same day with a foal of your own. However! The orphanage will still send somepony down to your home at the end of the first month, and then three months after that to check up on things.”

“Gotcha. So how long is this inspection of yours gonna take?”

“Oh, not long at all, I promise.” With that said, Twilight turned and trotted towards the stairs leading down to the first floor of the library, levitating her saddlebag onto her back. She tucked the document and her checklist inside of it, then buckled the strap. “You coming?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Yup!” Jason stood up and followed Twilight out of the library. “Is the library going to be alright with you gone? I mean, what if someone needs help or something?”

“Spike’ll take care of it. He’s off cleaning the back room. So... which way is your house again?”

“This way,” Jason said as he pointed behind him. “Come on, it’s not far.”

The two of them walked in silence for a minute before Twilight spoke up again. “So are you sure about this? Making the commitment to adopt somepony is a really big decision.”

“Yeah, I gave it a lot of thought. Wondering what it would actually be like to have someone else living at my home kept me up pretty late last night. I know that I want this because I’ve never felt so strongly about something in my life before, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I did a lot of cleaning, and after doing some calculations with my finances, I saw that I have enough money saved up to live for two full months without working, and that’s with me and a pony.”

“That’s good to hear.” Twilight said as she and Jason stepped up to his house. Jason unlocked the door, and the two of them walked inside.

“If I knew that I’d have company over, I’d have done a better job,” Jason said sheepishly. He hurried over to his couch and straightened the pillows that sat in each corner.

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine!” Twilight closed the door behind her and glanced around. “Now, could you please give me a little tour? Like I said, this shouldn’t take long. All I have to see is that your home looks suitable for a foal.”

“Yeah, sure. As you can see, this is the living room. I got a comfy couch, a solid coffee table, and that’s about it for this room. The kitchen is just through that entryway, and further down the hall is the bathroom, then the two bedrooms.”

“Can we start in the bedrooms first and work our way back?” Twilight set her saddlebag on the floor and retrieved her checklist and quill.

Jason shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” As they stepped down the hall to the master bedroom, Jason heard Twilight’s quill scratching against the parchment. “Say, how are you writing without an inkwell?”

“Oh, I placed a spell on this so that it’d never run out of ink. Funnily enough, the spell wears off after a day or two, so it’s not like I have unlimited ink at my disposal.”

“Heh, I was gonna say...” Jason opened his bedroom door and gestured for Twilight to go first.

“Say what?” Twilight cocked her head to the side as she stepped in.

“Never mind, it was just a saying us humans use back home.” Jason leaned against the open door and crossed his arms. “So yeah, this is my bedroom. The closet is pretty empty, save for some old clothes of mine. All of the windows in my house have locks, same with the front door.”

“Good, good... The inspector would be happy to see that when they come down.” Twilight checked off another box on her checklist. “I’m curious... Why is your house so empty? You don’t have any pictures, you don’t have any rugs... I guess you don’t really like to decorate, huh?”

“Actually, I’ve just been trying to save up as much money as possible. Living frugally was something that my parents taught me from an early age, and it’s been a bit of a hard habit to break. I think it’d be fun to have some help decorating the place with a foal to raise, ya know?”

Twilight smiled and chuckled. “Totally. So what about the second bedroom?”

Jason pointed back down the hall and to the right. “Yeah, right here.” He uncrossed his arms, took a few steps, and opened the door for her to stick her head in. “I don’t really have anything in here. No furniture, the closet is empty, and, well... yeah,” he finished lamely.

“Hm... okay. I would suggest outfitting this room with the proper furniture before you adopt. Bringing somepony to their new home, only to give them an empty room would be a little... cruel. Getting their hopes up only to have them dashed when they see this wouldn’t be fair, and it’d be a bad start to your relationship with them.”

Jason frowned, then smiled a couple of moments later. “Hey, what about this? What if, when I get back from Canterlot or wherever there’s an orphanage, I take them furniture shopping so that they can pick and choose what sort of furniture they’d like for their room? It wouldn’t just be a present, it would show them, without any doubt, that they’re about to embark on a new, better life. I think the thought of actually being in a family would mean so much more than getting some present.”

“Yeah, I like that! I’d do that as the very first thing you do when you get back to Ponyville, though. Having the colt or filly sleep on the couch would most likely make them feel like a guest in a stranger’s home, and we definitely do not want them to feel like that.”

“Exactly. And if we can’t find something that they need, I can just build it myself!” Jason lifted his hands up and wiggled his fingers. “Also, I think it’d be a good idea if I included them in the building process, too. Probably’d be a good way to bond, right?”

“Yeah, that can work...” Twilight rubbed her jaw as she sat down. She looked up at him with a smile and used her magic to check the last box off on her checklist. “Now, I think I owe you a certain piece of parchment!” She trotted back to her saddlebag near the front door, opened it up, pulled out the rolled-up document, and held it up in the air for Jason to grab. “Well, after careful consideration, Jason, I am pleased to say that you have passed my inspection. Just be sure to buy some furniture for them as soon as possible,” she said with a small giggle.

“So all I have to do is show this to the pony in charge at the orphanage, and everything’ll be taken care of?”

“Well, not everything, but yeah, it’ll get you through the more tedious parts. And...” Twilight turned to look back at her saddlebag, then pulled out another piece of parchment. “Pack your bags, because you’re going to Canterlot! The train leaves in a half hour.”

“Oh wow, uh... you serious?” Jason asked in disbelief. He grabbed the train ticket and saw that it was indeed for the train scheduled to leave in a half hour, just like Twilight had said.

“Yup! There’s only one orphanage in Canterlot, and since it’s already late in the day, I was thinking it’d be a good idea for you to go and find a hotel there tonight, and then go check out the orphanage tomorrow morning!”

“Huh... yeah, okay.” Jason glanced between the train ticket and the document, then looked back at Twilight. “Looks like I’m going to Canterlot!”

Author's Notes:

First Contact

Nightshine sat by herself in the cafeteria, one of a few other ponies that were taking their time eating. A half-empty cup of applesauce sat neglected next to the small salad on her tray. Her head was laying on her hoof as she absentmindedly played with the salad, twirling the fork back and forth as she thought about Sea Stride. He was the last of her orphan friends to get adopted, leaving her with all of the other younger foals. To her knowledge, she was the oldest orphan there at the institution, leaving her with no peers to relate to.

She had never felt more alone in her life.

“Nightshine, please report to the headmistress's office at once!” she heard somepony bark out over the intercom.

Nightshine groaned and dropped her fork, burying her face into her foreleg. After a few moments, she slid from the bench with her head hung low. She trudged down the hallway as slowly as she possibly could, her ears flicked back. Part of her wanted to get there as quickly as possible to get this over with while the other part of her feared for what was to come, making her push meeting with the headmistress off for as long as possible.

Even though she would rather have been doing anything else than meeting with the headmistress, Nightshine knew that she’d have to do it sooner or later. So, after a particularly nervous gulp, she ran a hoof through her mane and shuffled her wings a bit, then knocked on the worn, oak door.

“Come in!” she heard Serenity, the headmistress, call out.

Nightshine licked her lips and pushed the door open. “Y-you called for me, Miss Serenity?” she asked softly, poking her head around the door. She prayed that it was just a mistake. She saw the headmistress writing something, not even bothering to look at her.

“Yes, I did. Can’t you hear?” Serenity asked, her voice high-pitched and gravelly. She was an older unicorn, and a grumpy one at that. Time had not treated her well, for her face held too many wrinkles to count. Her graying mane hid some, but not all. She placed the quill down and placed her right hoof on top of her left, now focusing her attention on Nightshine.

“I... yes, I can, but...”

“But what? And why are you hiding from me? Come in, shut the door, and sit down. We need to have a talk.”

“Okay...” Nightshine squeaked out. Her hind legs trembled, and as much as she tried to keep them from doing so, she could not hide her fear. She swallowed her nervousness, stepped the rest of the way inside, and following the headmistress’s order, she closed the door and sat down on the left cushion in front of the desk. Nightshine was now old enough to see over the top of her desk, though just barely. She knew that none of the other colts and fillies here could do the same. Her heart warmed ever so slightly with that knowledge, for it felt like a small achievement to her in a world that got darker each day.

“So listen...” Serenity pursed her lips and frowned.

Nightshine cocked her head to the side and flicked her ears up. “What is it?” Her tail swished back and forth behind her in nervous apprehension.

Serenity pushed what she had been writing on to the side. She took a deep breath and looked Nightshine dead in the eyes. “How old are you now?”

“Twelve and a half, ma’am!” Nightshine chirped. “I’ll be thirteen in—”

“I don't care. I don’t have much time for this, so I’ll be blunt.” Serenity ran a hoof between her eyes and sighed. “Fillies and colts your age don’t get adopted. Typically, they get adopted between the ages of two and ten, which means that you’re past your prime adopting age, and, well...”

“W-what are you s-saying?” Nightshine’s ears flicked back as her lower lip began to tremble.

“I take no pleasure in saying this, but the chances of you getting adopted are slim to none at this point, Nightshine. I’ve seen too many couples pass you by without even so much as a second thought. You’re just too different from what ponies want in a potential adoptee.”

“B-but I’m special...” Nightshine’s ears fell flat on her head as she flicked her tail to lay around her flank. She grabbed her tail with a hoof and held it tightly.

“If you were as special as you think you are, Nightshine, somepony would have adopted you by now!” Serenity snapped at her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she saw tears bead up in Nightshine’s eyes. “So with that being said, when you become of legal age to leave the orphanage, we can set you up with a job.”

Nightshine tuned out everything Serenity said after that. Several minutes passed as she stared ahead with nothing more than a blank stare on her face, simply nodding whenever she heard Serenity pause. She wanted nothing more than to leave to go wallow in self-pity, but she didn’t want to get punished for blowing off Serenity.

“I’m sorry, but this is how things are around here,” Nightshine heard Serenity say, her tone changing enough to show that she was wrapping things up. “Now, off to bed with you! Lights out is in ten minutes.”

“Y-yes, Miss Serenity.” Nightshine could not bear to look the headmistress in the eyes, for the pain in her heart was much too great. She dragged her hooves along the old wood floor, her muzzle nearly touching the ground. Nightshine walked past the cafeteria and stopped to look inside. Her stomach grumbled, for she hadn’t eaten nearly enough to sate her hunger. All of the benches had been cleared and the lights were off, which only meant one thing: dinner was over. As she mentally kicked herself for not eating more, she started walking again.

As she neared the double doors that led to the sleeping quarters, Nightshine pushed open the one on the right and stepped inside. Nopony acknowledged her presence as they all slid under the worn-out sheets on their beds. Nightshine shut the door behind her with a little more force than necessary and walked to her bed, avoiding making eye contact with anypony else.

Nightshine stopped in front of her bunk bed that she used to share with Sea Stride. She stared at the bottom bunk where he used to sleep, eyeing the neatly-made bed. Wondering when she was going to get a new bedmate, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the door was shut and to see if there were any supervisors around. When Nightshine saw that the coast was clear, she opened her wings and flapped them awkwardly, barely getting any lift. “Woah!” Nightshine flew too close to the bed frame, and when she saw that there was nothing she could do, she closed her eyes and braced for impact.

Her right shoulder slammed into the metal bedpost halfway between the two beds. She flapped as hard as she could to try and right herself, but that only resulted in her right wing smacking against the same bar, making her tumble to the ground. She landed on the hardwood floor in a heap, her shoulder and wing tingling with pain. Nightshine stood up, shook her head, then looked around to see if anypony had noticed her. She saw a few ponies look away from her, neutral expressions on their faces.

One of the biggest rules of the orphanage was to not use any magic outside of the classroom. The headmistress didn’t want things going all crazy in her business, after all. Furthermore, flying was outright banned. Being caught doing, or attempting to do so, was met with the worst of punishments: having recess being taken away for a week.

Nightshine winced as she flexed her shoulder. She rubbed it with her left hoof and opened her hurting wing. Thankfully, it wasn’t bleeding and nothing was broken. It looked the same as it always did, though she knew it was going to be sore for the next couple of days. Eyeing the ladder on the side of the bed with disdain, Nightshine clambered up to her bed and collapsed on the creaky, lumpy mattress. The day had been very emotionally draining, and all she wanted to do right now was to fall asleep so that she could escape from this cruel world.

Unfolding her wings, Nightshine wrapped them around herself, pinning her curled-up forelegs to her chest. She desperately wished that she had someone to hold her, to comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. As tears began to drip down her face, she wiggled under the sheets and used her teeth to pull them up past her shoulders. Lifting her right wing just a little bit, Nightshine flicked her tail around her flank so that she could hold it in her forelegs, like she always did when she was nervous.

Nightshine buried her face into her sole pillow, silently pretending that it was an actual pony who unconditionally loved her. She tried to imagine a mare holding her close in a tight, secure, warm winghug, but even though she tried as hard as she ever had, the headmistress’s words kept ringing in her head. As sleep tugged at her weary mind, Nightshine rolled over and groaned loudly, knowing that she’d be crying herself to sleep that night.

It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last.

“Nightshine, what are you still doing in bed?!” The harsh voice of the headmistress pierced through her dreams, making Nightshine sit up in a flash. “I have just received a letter from Princess Twilight herself that someone is coming early today, and they have plans to adopt somepony!”

“Huh?” Nightshine groaned and rubbed her eyes with her front hooves. Morning already? Her mane was a mess, and her tail needed a good brushing, too. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the fact that she had barely slept at all that night. “But you just told me yesterday that...” A small yawn forced itself past her lips. “That I’m too old to be adopted...” Her ears flicked back and she glanced away from the headmistress as her shoulder tingled with pain.

“Yes, well, be that as it may, I still can’t have anypony lazing about in my orphanage, especially when those who potentially want to adopt are coming!” Serenity tightened her grasp on the metal bar she held in her hoof and started to hit it against the bed frame. “It’ll make me and the orphanage as a whole look bad, and I will not have that!”

Serenity’s shrill voice, combined with the sounds of metal banging on metal, was starting to give Nightshine a headache. “Okay, okay! I’ll be there in a minute!”

Serenity stopped banging on the bedpost. “Good! Even though there’s a big chance of you not getting adopted, I still expect to have you there to make the other orphans look good!”

“Fine...” Nightshine muttered, avoiding Serenity’s harsh gaze. “I just need to brush my mane and tail first, and I’ll be there.”

“Good.” Serenity smiled in a sickly sweet way that made Nightshine want to throw up. She turned, tucked the metal bar into her saddlebag, and promptly trotted from the room.

Nightshine slumped back down and sighed. She rolled over onto her legs and stood up, and after she made sure that the headmistress was truly gone, she opened up her wings and moved to the end of the bed. She sat perched on the metal railing at the foot of the bed, and once she was reasonably sure that the coast was clear, she jumped into the air with her wings spread wide. Nightshine banked sharply to the right and glided down to the floor, landing several feet away from the dresser. She touched down rather smoothly and folded her wings as quickly as she could in case somepony came back.

As she cracked a small smile at her achievement, she sat down in front of the dresser and opened up the top drawer. Flicking her tail over her right hind leg, Nightshine pulled out one of the many brushes and ran it through her tail until she’d pulled out all of the knots. She flicked her tail a few times, and when she was satisfied with the results, she ran the brush through her mane. Looking over to the floor mirror in the corner, she tossed the brush back in the drawer and pushed it shut.

Nightshine stood up and moved to sit in front of the mirror. She placed her forelegs between her hind legs and flicked her mane so that it fell around her shoulders, just the way she liked it. Happy that she looked decent enough, Nightshine stood up and flared her wings, then folded them back to her side.

She trotted from the sleeping quarters and passed the cafeteria. Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her that she had missed breakfast. With her head hung low, she stopped in front of the closed door that led to the viewing room and listened. She heard a bunch of the colts and fillies clamoring for attention, and as the headmistress’s words about not getting adopted rung in her head yet again, she sighed and walked away. The door leading outside to the playground was unlocked, so she pushed it open, wistfully glanced over her shoulder one last time and walked outside, giving up on the thought of getting adopted for good.

Jason paused right outside the orphanage’s door, his hand resting on the handle. He knew that opening this door would open up a new chapter in his life, and of course, if he found somepony to adopt, a new chapter would begin in their life as well. Unlike most of Canterlot’s structures, this building was rather run down. Old, rotting wood made up most of the one-story building. A playground sat behind a fence to his right, and what looked like an abandoned warehouse lay mere feet from the orphanage’s left wall.

Feeling rather giddy, he looked down at the document in his left hand, took a deep breath, then stepped inside. A small door chime sounded off above him, making him glance up. A moment later, he heard a chorus of tiny hooves galloping, coming closer by the second. He shut the door behind him and grinned, knowing exactly what was to come.

Jason walked forward and through the only doorway to find at least thirty or so colts and fillies of varying ages. They all screeched to a halt and looked up at him in awe. Jason heard a bunch of hushed, excited whispers from the group, making him feel rather embarrassed. “H-hey there,” he said with a little wave.

Wide smiles broke out from every single pony in the group. They all rushed him at once, making him take a step back in mild shock. A light brown colt with an orange mane and tail hopped in place right next to his right foot, his gaze running all over his body. “What are you? You definitely aren’t a pony!”

“Quite right, little one,” Serenity said as she trotted from further down the hallway. Looking up at Jason, she smiled lightly and made her way around the horde. “Hello, good sir! My name is Serenity, and I welcome you to my orphanage.” She dipped her head in a light bow, then stepped up to him, extending her right hoof.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Serenity.” Jason stuck out his right hand and shook Serenity’s. “Believe it or not, but I am here to potentially adopt one of these adorable little ponies.”

Serenity’s eyes lit up at that. “We’ll have to have a small discussion before I allow you to make a decision, you and I.” Her smile grew as she turned around to face everypony. She cleared her throat and tapped her right hoof on the floor three times, making the crowd of colts and fillies grow silent. “So we are in for a little treat, everyone! Does anyone here know what species Mr. Jason is?”

“Please, just Jason.” Jason laughed lightly. “That’s what everyone calls me back in Ponyville, at least.”

“Fair enough.” Serenity nodded once and looked back at everypony. “So? Does anyone know the answer to my question?” She waited for several moments, seeing nothing but blank, curious stares. “He’s a human. From what I’ve heard, humans hold no magical ability. They cannot fly, nor can they use magic. However, they are just as intelligent as you and I, and Jason must be treated with the same level of respect that you would show anypony else. Is that understood?” The crowd nodded. “Good. Now, before I let you all interact with Jason, I must first have a word with him.”

Jason smiled inwardly as he watched everypony grow excited. “I, uh... I look forward to speaking with you all.”

“This way, Jason.” Serenity nudged his leg with a hoof and nodded in the direction she had come from. “My office is just down the hallway.”

“Gotcha.” Jason followed Serenity down the hallway and into a rather sparse office. A large desk sat near a broad window. Two thick, worn cushions sat before the desk. “Um... may I sit?” he asked.

“Of course you can!” Serenity moved behind her desk and sat down, waiting for Jason to do the same. “So... I received a letter from Princess Twilight herself this morning through the overnight express saying that I should expect a human to come today. Is this true?” Jason nodded once, sitting down on the right cushion. “Excellent. She said you had a document with you, detailing that she herself performed the house inspection for us, which is a huge load off of my shoulders. She also vouched for you, saying that you were of good moral character, and that you have just as much right to adopt somepony as a, well... a pony. May I see this document she spoke of in her letter?”

“Yeah, it's right here.” Jason leaned forward and placed the sealed document on her desk.

“Thank you...” Serenity used her magic to undo the ribbon holding it shut, then unfurled the parchment. She laid it down on her desk and took several moments to read it. “Well, everything does appear to be in order. I’ve never had an actual princess vouch for anyone before, so this is definitely a first.”

“Heh, yeah, I bet.”

Serenity let go of the document, letting it curl up on its own as she pushed it aside. “So, I assume you already have a species of pony in mind that you’d like to adopt? We have all three here. We have earth ponies who’ll grow up to be strong, unicorns that’ll become experts at magic, and pegasi who’ll be able to fly like the wind!” She thought to mention her one exception, Nightshine the bat pony, but decided to leave her out. “At my orphanage, we have both colts and fillies, as I’m sure you were able to see, ranging in age from two years old to nearly ten years old. Now, did you have anything in mind? I would be pleased to hear your preferences.”

“Well...” Jason scratched the back of his head. “To be honest, I don’t really have any preference.”

“Maybe I could help you weed out some of the options? Surely talking to each and every colt and filly in here would take a lot of time.”

“Actually, I was sorta looking forward to talking to all of them.”

Serenity pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Okay. So there’s this trend for those wishing to adopt. Usually, couples like to adopt foals that haven’t developed their own personality yet, shaping them as they wish as they grow up. On the other hoof, some couples wish for somepony who already has their own unique personality. Do you prefer either option?”

Jason shrugged. “Not really.”

“Very well, then! Let us get started!” Serenity stood up and trotted to the door. With a flash from her horn, she pulled open the door and stepped aside. “All of the little ones are waiting for you, Jason. Shall we not keep them waiting?”

“Let’s not.” Jason stood up and followed Serenity from the room. “Um... where are they all?” The hallway was devoid of both ponies and sound.

“Oh, they’re just in the next room. That’s where we let them socialize with those who wish to adopt. They’re just through this door here!” Serenity walked a short distance further into the orphanage, stopped in front of a closed door, and stood aside. “I’ll be with you the entire time to supervise things.”

“Ah, okay then.” Jason took the last step towards the door and pulled it open to find all the colts and fillies running about in what looked to be a game of tag. “Hey everyone!” he said, making everypony stop in their tracks. Every single head turned to look at him a moment before they all ran at him, begging for attention. “Woah, woah, one at a time, okay?” He saw several smiles turn to frowns. Thinking quickly, he smiled and said, “Okay fine, five at a time! So, who wants to go first?”

A few hours later, Jason stepped outside the room and wiped his brow. “Phew! They sure do have a lot of energy, don’t they?”

“More than you know...” Serenity sighed, smiled gently, and stuck her head around the door. “Jason and I will be back in a little bit, little ones!” she said in a sing-song voice. She closed the door and glanced up at Jason. “So have you come to a decision?”

“Sorta. I only want to adopt one, but I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of them. A colt and a filly... I only remember one of their names though. Is one of them named Short Stroke?”

“Ah, yes, the brown earth pony. He sure is a lively one, bound to grow up strong! Do you remember the name of the other one?”

“Um... I know it starts with an ‘H’...”

“Was it Honeycomb? The sweet little pegasus that didn’t want to leave your lap?”

“Yeah, that’s the one! She sure loves ear scratches, doesn’t she? Whenever I stopped, she just pushed her head back into my hand, and I could have sworn I heard her whimper a couple of times.”

“Oh yes, they’ll... do that from time to time.”

“What, whimper?”

Serenity nodded slowly. “You see, they don’t get much love around here, so whenever anybody shows them any sort of affection, they can’t get enough of it.”

“Huh...” Jason frowned and thought for a couple of seconds. “Why don’t you show them affection?”

Serenity rubbed her eyes and groaned. “Celestia knows I want to...” she muttered. “I simply can’t show affection to all of them. If I showed affection to a few, I know that would make those few feel good, like they were loved. I know that’s what they all want, but here’s the thing... if I show affection to a few, then the rest would feel left out. I don’t want that at all. On top of that, if they get attached to me, then they won’t want to leave if they get picked for adoption! It pains me greatly, but...” She looked up into Jason’s eyes. “It’s all worth it to see the smiling faces of those that get adopted. It makes my heart warm to know that they get to have a better life. You must understand that by not showering them with affection, I am able to let them live a decent life without any false hopes.”

“Yeah, I understand. Hopefully, I’ll be able to adopt somepony, but first... Do you have files on each pony? I’d like to go over them if that’s alright with you.”

Serenity glanced up as she thought for a moment. “I... suppose that can be arranged. Follow me back to my office, please!” Serenity trotted back to her office with Jason following close behind. She opened up the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a ton of manila folders. “Here you are! I’ll be watching over the colts and fillies in the other room, and I’ll be back in, say... fifteen minutes?”

“Sounds good!” Jason grabbed the first folder and opened it as Serenity left him alone. He looked at it for a couple of seconds, then placed it back on top of the stack. He grabbed them all, sat down on one of the cushions, and set his back against the front of the desk. As he tuned out the sounds of happy foals from the neighboring room, he went through each of the files, setting aside the ones he liked the most to his right.

As he neared the bottom of the stack. Jason opened up yet another file and saw a picture of a filly that he hadn’t seen yet. Nightshine... he read at the top. The attached photo showed her sitting in front of a light blue backdrop with a soft smile on her face. She was blushing and her wings were held wide. She had a grey coat with a beautiful dark green mane and tail that went well with her coat color.

Jason looked closer. “Her wings... they’re not feathery like other pegasi...” His interest piqued, he set her folder on top of his other top pick, Short Stroke, and tossed Honeycomb’s folder with the rest of the remaining folders back on Serenity’s desk. With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Jason opened up the two files and spread them out in front of him, hoping that he’d be able to come to a decision before Serenity came back.

The sound of hoofsteps stopped outside of the door. “Jason?” Serenity poked her head around the door and stepped inside. “Have you made your choice yet?”

“I’m sad to say that I have not.” Jason closed the folders, stood up, and handed them to Serenity. She sat down and lifted them from his grasp with her magic, eyeing the names on the top of each folder. “I was wondering... Would it be too much trouble to talk to those each of them separately? I think that’d help me make a choice better than looking at their files.” He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “Also... I noticed that a filly named Nightshine wasn’t included in the viewing a while ago. Was she adopted already?” he asked with a small amount of nervousness in his voice.

“Actually, no. She was supposed to be in the viewing, but I’m not sure where she went after I woke her up this morning... Nightshine’s probably outside or something.” Serenity cocked her head to the side as she looked up at Jason. “I see you’ve also picked Short Stroke. He’s a mighty fine choice, which makes me wonder why you’d want somepony like Nightshine...”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Short Stroke is obviously the better choice. He’s half her age, which means that he’s still impressionable. He is a very smart colt, outperforming nearly everypony else, including Nightshine, in all of the classes I teach. He is well-mannered and will be a very good colt. I can assure you that he won’t cause you any problems.”

“Okay... and what about Nightshine?” Jason rubbed his chin, already knowing where this was going.

“She’s very... different. She isn’t like any other pony here, for she is a bat pony. She’s an outcast, she’s unsociable, and she is depressed all the time. Where any other colt or filly would smile, she doesn’t. I don’t know what her issue is, but I know from first-hoof experience that she can be quite the burden at times. Besides, ponies don’t go for colts or fillies that old.”

“Well, I’m not a pony.” Jason didn’t like how she described both ponies. It was more than obvious that she was trying her hardest to get him to pick Short Stroke, making him curious as to what she was hiding from him. “Nevertheless, I would still like to talk to both of them in private.”

“Very well. If you could wait here a moment, I’ll let them get some fresh air out in the playground, then I’ll be back with your first pick, Short Stroke. How long were you wanting to talk to them?”

“Oh, only five to ten minutes at most.” Jason tried as hard as he could to keep his neutral face from turning into a scowl. He particularly didn’t like how she had worded that. My first pick, Short Stroke... As Serenity left him alone again, he leaned against the desk and sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

A couple of minutes later, he heard two sets of hoofsteps approaching him. He threw a confident smile on his face and crossed his arms as he waited. At the last moment, he sat down, thinking that it would put the colt more at ease rather than looking up at someone who dwarfed them in comparison.

Short Stroke and Serenity walked through the office door a couple of seconds later. “Is it true you’re going to adopt me?!” Short Stroke bounced all over the room, running about as if someone had just given him an entire pot of coffee to drink.

Crap... how do I handle this? Jason looked up at Serenity who just stared back at him with a look of expectation on her face. One of her eyebrows was raised, and as he held her gaze, she nodded down towards the colt as if to ask, Well?

“Um... hey there! I’m thinking about it, yeah. I haven’t decided between you and Nightshine, though.” Jason leaned forward and folded his legs. As Serenity sat down in the doorway, Jason asked, “So why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

“Okay!” Short Stroke jumped in front of Jason and placed his front hooves on his shoes, propping himself up. “I like to play soccer, board games, and I love to take naps! I’m super duper awesome at everything, and I love playing outside! Do you wanna go play outside? Like right now? Huh? Huh? Huh??”

“Calm down, Short Stroke, I think you’re frightening our guest,” Serenity said, her voice stone-cold.

“Nah, nah... it’s alright.” Jason beckoned for Short Stroke to sit beside him. He lifted his hand up and scratched Short Stroke under his chin.

“Mmm...” Short Stroke’s right hind leg started thumping the floor. He pressed his head down into Jason’s hand and smiled as he closed his eyes. “That feels so good! Please don’t stop, sir!”

“Hehe, you guys really like getting scratched, huh?” Jason laughed and scratched him behind his ears for a few moments, then let his hands fall to his lap. Short Stroke’s smile faded almost instantly. He lay down next to Jason’s leg and laid his head down on it. Jason felt rather uncomfortable as the colt put on his best version of puppy dog eyes. He smiled sheepishly and glanced up at Serenity, rubbing the back of his neck.

“So do we have a match? It seems he really likes you!” Serenity stepped forward with a hopeful smile.

I wonder if she says that to every couple that comes in. “Uh, I’d still like to meet Nightshine first, if that’s alright with you.”

Serenity’s expression hardened. She pursed her lips and sighed. “Very well. Come with me, Short Stroke! Time to go out to the playground.”

“Okay...” Short Stroke took his time getting back up. He trudged from the room, his tail tucked in between his hind legs. As he passed through the doorway, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. He looked Jason straight in the eyes for a couple of moments, then sighed. “See ya...” he said with a little wave of his hoof.

“It was n-nice meeting you!” Jason said. He waved back at Short Stroke, then watched as he trudged around the corner.

Serenity nudged Short Stroke along with her muzzle. “Go on, little one. I’ll be there in a second!” She looked at Jason. “I’ll be back shortly with... Nightshine.” And with that, she was gone.

Jason twiddled his thumbs for a few minutes while he waited. He glanced at Nightshine’s file and read through it again, and as he heard another set of hoofsteps approaching, he set it aside and glanced up just in time to see Nightshine.

Their eyes met. Nightshine paused in the doorway, her right hoof held up in the middle of a step. Her lips formed a small ‘O’ as her eyes widened. “H-Hello...” she ventured, sheepishly hiding behind her mane for just a moment. She flicked it out of her face and cracked a small smile at him. She stood up a bit straighter, fluffed her wings, and said, “I’m Nightshine! What’s your name?” Nightshine approached him cautiously with no small amount of curiosity.

“I’m Jason!” He smiled and beckoned for her to come closer.

Nightshine stopped a few feet from him and sat down, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. “So...” She blushed and flicked her tail and mindlessly started twirling it around her hoof. “What are you?”

“Well, I’m a human. If you don’t mind, what species of pony are you?”

Nightshine licked her lips and fluffed her wings again. “I’m a thestral, but most ponies just call me a bat pony!” She smiled and flared her wings for him to see. “See? I love flying, but we’re not allowed to here at the orphanage.” Her smile faded as she folded her wings. Nightshine glanced over her shoulder at Serenity, then looked back at Jason.

“Wait, why not? If I had wings, I’d be flying everyday!” Jason saw Nightshine smile wistfully at that, but she stayed silent.

Serenity took a step forward and cleared her throat rather obnoxiously. “The rules here are pretty strict on that. I cannot risk any pegasi, or in Nightshine’s case, any thestrals, flying away from the orphanage. They are not allowed to leave the premises without my direct supervision, and I will not allow them to risk hurting themselves. The same goes for unicorns, too. I do not allow them to use any sort of magic outside of class. It just isn’t safe for everypony else.”

“Huh... okay, I guess that makes sense,” Jason said slowly, his eyes never leaving Nightshine. She was staring at the floor, her head hung low. It was quite obvious to Jason that she loved flying. “So how old are you, little one?” he asked softly.

“I’m, um... twelve, sir,” Nightshine said, glancing up at his face. His smile was infectious, making her forget about Serenity’s strict rules. Her heart warmed as she let a smile slip on her face, and she felt butterflies start to flit about in her stomach.

“Please, just call me Jason.” He held out his right hand, his palm facing upwards. “That’s what my friends call me, at least.”

Nightshine looked at it out of curiosity for a few moments, eyeing his fingers. She stood up and took the last few steps to sit beside him and held out her right hoof, then she tentatively placed it in his hand. His fingers tickled her hoof as they curled around it. Jason shook her hoof twice, then let go. Nightshine opened her mouth to ask a question, but was cut off by a light cough from Serenity.

“Well, I think it’s about time we wrapped things up!” Serenity said as she stepped forward. “I have a lot of work to do, and I can see that you two are pretty much done talking.”

“Huh?” Nightshine’s ears flicked back and her smile quickly faded. She turned around and looked up at Serenity, tears brimming in her eyes. “But we were just—”

“Jason’s been here for most of the day, and I think he might be getting hungry.” Serenity jerked her head towards the door and shot a stern look at Nightshine. “Now, go off and play, Nightshine. We’re done here.”

Nightshine sighed as her shoulders slumped. Why? Why do you have to do this to me? She couldn’t bear to look at Jason, for she did not want him to see her crying. As the tears began to fall down her face, she sullenly walked from the room, her head hung low.

“Hey, Nightshine?” Jason asked as she crossed through the doorway. He stood up as she looked back over her shoulder at him. He threw on the most reassuring smile he could. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Yes, yes it was...” Nightshine whispered. She turned and walked out into the hallway.

A couple of seconds passed before Jason heard her start to cry, fading as she walked away from them. His throat tightened up as he bit his bottom lip. “You know, I really would have liked to have talked with her some more,” he said, his voice dripping with as much disappointment as he could muster.

“Yes, well, she would have just talked your ear off for hours and hours and hours if you’d let her. Trust me, I helped you out.”

Jason shook his head. “Whatever.” He took several moments to think, then said, “Tell you what... I’m gonna go get something to eat, since you think I’m so hungry, and I’ll be back in the morning with my decision.”

Serenity sighed heavily and looked away. “Listen, it’s fine if you don’t want to adopt somepony. I hear couples say that they’ll be back all the time, but they never do.”

Nightshine tuned out everypony else as she walked outside. Her heart boiled with rage from what Serenity did to her, keeping her from making a real connection with Jason. She had really felt the beginning of a bond with him, and to have her chance at being adopted torn away like that was crippling.

As the tears streamed down her face, Nightshine walked all the way to the farthest corner away from the orphanage. The road, freedom in her eyes, sat mere inches on the other side. She slumped down in a heap and buried her head in her hooves. Nopony came to comfort her, for nopony had any comfort to give. Everypony who’d spent a good deal of time at the orphanage knew the pain would come and go, but now, Nightshine knew that pain would last for quite a while. Knowing that she’d come so close only to have Serenity rip away her biggest chance of getting adopted, only cemented her words, and the fact that she’d never get adopted, into her brain.

Nightshine could not bear to spend another day in this horrid place.

A minute later, she heard footsteps come close, then they started to fade. Nightshine looked up to see Jason walking away, already a good distance down the road. Nightshine whimpered as she sat up and wrapped her forelegs around the bars in the fence. Jason stopped and looked behind him, their gazes locking for a few moments. Nightshine stared back breathlessly, then lifted a hoof to wave goodbye, knowing that this would be the last time she’d ever get to see him.

Much to her disbelief, Jason smiled, winked at her, and waved back.

Endless Possibilities

Jason stood at the front door to the orphanage, his hand resting on the doorknob. He had taken the long way there so that he could think through his options, and in that time, his mind had come to the same conclusion that his heart had made yesterday. Since he had come up from the south, nopony had seen him coming, making his arrival a complete surprise to those at the orphanage. He wondered if Serenity would be shocked that he came back.

Closing his eyes, Jason took in a deep breath and held it in, then relaxed. His heart raced in his chest much like the time that he had first stepped into Equestria. He knew that in making this big decision, he was about to change his life and that of the orphan he picked. Jason lifted his hand from the door and held it up in front of him. Even though he tried as hard as he could, he could not stop it from shaking.

So after a few moments, Jason ran that same hand through his hair and chuckled. He wiggled his arms and threw on a small yet confident smile. As he wondered what his pick’s reaction was going to be like, he figured that he shouldn’t waste any more time. He stepped inside and pushed the door shut with a little more force than what was necessary. The bell chime was much louder than the time he had walked inside yesterday, making him feel a bit self-conscious.

A few moments passed before he heard hoofsteps coming from further inside the orphanage. Serenity emerged from around the corner a second later, and as she looked up at him, she paused.

“Told you I’d be back, didn’t I?” Jason asked.

“I, well... yes, you did, but... Nobody’s ever come back after saying what you did.” Serenity smiled and moved to stand in front of him. “So...” She cocked her head to the side and looked up at him with a hopeful smile. “Have you made a decision?”

Jason grinned widely. “I have.”

“Excellent! Everypony’s playing outside, so I think we should go and see everypony. It’d be a treat for them to see you again.” She turned around and began walking away.

Jason caught up to her, staying silent as they walked down the main hallway. They came up to a small door set in the right-hand side of the wall which Serenity laid a hoof on. “Before we go out, might I ask who you have picked to adopt? I think I already know the answer, but I would like to hear it from you.”

“Short Stroke seems like a fine little colt, full of energy and all that. I have no doubt that someone will come and adopt him, but he isn’t the one that I want. I want to adopt Nightshine, and I feel it would be both a pleasure and an honor to call her my daughter.” Jason leaned against the wall and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Heh, I can only wonder how she’d react when I tell her I’d like to adopt her.”

“Well, why don’t we find out? I’m sure she’d be happy to see you again.” Serenity smiled and threw open the door, then trotted just outside with Jason right behind her.

Nightshine lay on her back on the thickest, lowest branch of the tree out in the playground. In stark contrast to the past few days, the sun shined brightly. A few clouds hung in the sky, making Nightshine wonder what it would be like to nap on them. Her favorite branch was just about as comfortable as her bed, though at least she had a nice breeze to keep her cool here.

All of the other colts and fillies ran about beneath her, playing a game of tag that she had no interest in. She had grown tired of that many months ago, for her eyes had always been set on the open sky above her. Her heart yearned to fly, to be amongst the birds and the clouds, but the fear of punishment had always kept her grounded. There was no escaping the piercing gaze of Miss Serenity, who usually lay near the door to the orphanage with a book. She had thought that she had heard the bell above the door to the orphanage ring, but the cacophony below her had drowned it out rather quickly, making her wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her.

Her tail swished back and forth as it hung over the right-hoof side of the branch. She peered up through the leaves of the tree, her eyes locked on a nearby cloud. As Nightshine closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted to that of Jason, and what life could have been if he had picked her yesterday. Even though he wasn’t a pony, he had been able to make her feel something that she hadn’t felt in years: hope.

Having that hope ripped away had been one of the worst things she had felt in her life, far outweighing the times that she had been passed over for adoption. Getting adopted meant that she would be able to fly as much as she wanted to, so long as she got some proper practice in. Getting adopted meant that she would finally get to live her life, but that wasn’t the most important thing to her. What truly meant the most was that she would finally have someone to love her, and she had so much love to give.

Nightshine sighed as her tail stilled. Several moments passed before she noticed that everypony running around the yard was galloping back towards the orphanage. We have to go back inside already? But I didn’t hear the whistle... Instead of hearing all of them groan like they usually did when it was time to go back inside, Nightshine heard cries of surprise and joy. Curious as to what all the commotion was about, Nightshine carefully rolled over and let her legs dangle over the branch, hanging loosely in the wind. She glanced up just in time to see Jason step outside as everypony rushed up to him, clamoring for attention.

She lifted her head up from the branch, her ears flicking up and her eyes going wide. Nightshine stared breathlessly, unable to believe her eyes. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves, then looked again. Her heart sank as she saw him reach down to scratch the ears of several of her fellow orphans.

Then, right as she was about to give up hope for what felt like the hundredth time, Jason looked around the yard until their eyes met. Nightshine stared at him, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Much to her disbelief, Jason ignored the rest of the other orphans and started walking towards her. Her mind went blank and her tongue felt as dry as sandpaper as he finally stood beneath her, looking up at her with the most comforting of smiles.

“Y-you came back?” Nightshine asked softly. She saw Serenity move to stand beside Jason. Nightshine tore her gaze away from him and glanced at her, her eyes pleading the question that danced on the tip of her tongue. Serenity smiled warmly at her, which was quite the surprise in and of itself, then nodded once.

“Yes,” Jason said, making Nightshine look back at him. “I came back for you.”

Nightshine’s vision turned blurry as tears formed up in her eyes. Her ears flicked back and her muscles went slack. “I... I...” She pushed herself up with her front legs to get off of the tree, and as she opened her wings to glide down, the tip of her right wing hit a branch and threw her off balance. Nightshine tried to grab onto the branch that she was just laying on, but it was just out of reach.

Resigning herself to a painful fate, she tensed up, waiting to hit the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jason lunge forward, his arms outstretched. She fell into his arms mere inches before she hit the rocky ground with a slight ‘oomph’, her stomach facing upwards. Her forelegs curled up to her chest. She flicked her gaze up to meet his as he pulled her against his chest, his arms curling upward. His right arm held her rump while his other arm wrapped around her shoulders.

As he held her against his chest, she got a whiff of his scent. Slight earthy tones filled her nose. “Th-thanks for catching me...” Nightshine murmured as a slight blush turned her cheeks pink.

“Nightshine, you should have been more careful!” Serenity barked as she stepped around in front of them. As Jason put Nightshine down, her tone became softer. “I really wouldn’t want to see you, or anypony else for that matter, get hurt under my watch.”

“Sorry, Miss Serenity, I promise it won’t happen again.” Nightshine brushed herself off and looked up at Jason. She sat down, flicked her tail around her flank, and rubbed her right foreleg with her left hoof. “So... are you really going to adopt me?” she asked, putting the smallest amount of hopefulness into her tone.

Jason kneeled down and brushed a few hairs out of her face, tucking them behind her right ear. “Yeah. That is, if you would like for me to adopt you.”

Nightshine nodded as tears of joy dripped down her cheeks. Her ears flicked back as she stepped up to him. She stood up on her hind legs, and as she closed her eyes, she wrapped her forelegs around him and pulled him into as tight a hug as she could. Nightshine nuzzled him over and over as relief soared through her. Endless possibilities of what her new life would be like flew through her mind, and even though she had no idea what the future held for her, she knew that she couldn’t wait.

She felt Jason scratch her behind her ears as he rubbed her back, just like she had always imagined her adoptive parents would. “Are we leaving now?” Nightshine finally asked as she let him go. “I... I don’t have anything to pack.”

Serenity cleared her throat in that obnoxious way that meant that she had something to say. “He has to sign some documents first, and it’ll take a while. Why don’t you go on and play with everypony else while Jason and I wrap things up?”

Nightshine glanced between Serenity and Jason a few times, then looked up at Jason. “If it is okay... c-can I stay with you, Jason? P-please?” I don’t want you to leave me again...

Jason chuckled at that. “Of course you can. You might get bored, though, and like Serenity said, it might take a while.”

Nightshine smiled and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter! As long as you’re there, I’ll always be happy.” As they started walking back to the orphanage, Nightshine nuzzled his leg and whispered, “Thank you...”

Going Home

Jason stepped out of the orphanage with Nightshine a couple of hours later, glad that he’d signed out of the hotel that morning. The sun was already beginning to set, leaving them with only a few hours left of daylight. Serenity had informed Jason that a representative from the orphanage would be down in a month, give or take a few days, to inspect their home, giving him more than enough time to get everything sorted.

Nightshine smiled as she closed her eyes, standing on the front steps of the orphanage. She took a deep breath and tilted her head back, then let it out as she opened her eyes. The sun at her back and Jason at her side, she felt like nothing in the world could hold her back anymore.

“You coming?” Jason stood at the bottom of the steps and looked back at Nightshine. “Surely you want to get to your new home as quickly as possible, hm? Come on, maybe we can catch the next train home!” He beckoned for her to follow him.

“Okay!” Nightshine trotted to keep up with Jason, a noticeable pep in her step.

Jason grinned as he looked down at her. She beamed with a radiance that he’d never seen before, and he hoped that he could replicate that in the future. So many ideas of what they could do together swirled around in his mind, but as much as he would have liked to keep fantasizing, he forced them back so that he could focus on the task at hand: getting them home.

Eyeing the open sky above her, Nightshine fluffed her wings as the urge to soar through the clouds popped into her mind. “Hey... can I fly real quick? It’s been way too long since I’ve had any fun.”

Jason felt a rather strong breeze come from behind, helping him make up his mind. “You know... I’d rather wait until we got back to m—our house.” He saw Nightshine’s shoulders slump in disappointment. “However, if you’re still up for it when we get back home, I’ll take you to the biggest field we can find and let you fly as much as you want, okay?”

“Okay!” Nightshine perked up at that.

“And if you want, I can get you flying lessons. I just so happen to know a certain pony who claims to be the fastest flier in all of Equestria, so maybe we can have her show you some pointers? How’s that sound?”

“That sounds awesome!”

As they made their way down the streets, Nightshine’s stomach grumbled. She’d missed lunch because she had been adamant in staying at Jason’s side all throughout the finalization of her adoption. She didn’t regret her decision in the slightest, but as they passed a bakery that had the most delectable of scents wafting out, Nightshine paused.

Jason didn’t notice that she’d stopped until he was four paces ahead of her. He saw her gazing into the bakery, biting her lower lip. With a chuckle, he asked, “Hungry?”

Nightshine glanced between Jason and the bakery a couple of times, then walked back to his side, her head hung low. She didn’t want to upset him minutes after getting adopted, so she pushed her hunger pangs out of her mind and threw on a fake smile. “N-no, I’m fine, sir. I, uh... I heard something strange, that’s all.”

Jason stepped up to her and kneeled down. Nightshine sat down and held his gaze, and even though she had said that she was fine, Jason saw the longing in her eyes. “Really?” He heard Nightshine’s stomach grumble, making him grin in realization. “Aww, you heard your stomach grumble, eh? Come on, let’s get something to eat.” Jason lifted Nightshine up and cradled her in her in his arms just like how he had caught her. “Before we do, though, I just want to make a couple of things clear...”

Nightshine curled her forelegs up to her chest and flicked her tail once, wriggling to get more comfortable. “W-what?” she asked rather meekly.

“You can just call me Jason, or, uh... Dad, if you want to, I guess.” Jason walked up to the bakery’s entrance and crossed through the threshold. As he made his way up to the counter, he threw on the most reassuring smile he could and told her, “And you don’t have to lie to me. If you need something, or if you need to talk about something, you can always come to me. Okay? I promise I won’t get angry.”

Nightshine relaxed in Jason’s grasp. “Okay. I’m sorry about lying to you, Jason, but... I just really want you to like me...”

“Haha, I already do! I think you’re as cute as a button, and...” He dropped his voice down to a whisper. “I liked you more than everyone else at the orphanage.” Jason angled his left hand so that he could scratch her behind her ears, knowing that she’d like that.

“Thanks...” Nightshine nuzzled Jason’s chest, then noticed that they were already at the counter. The mare working in the back saw them and started trotting up to them.

“So whatcha want? It looks like they have muffins, cookies, and a bunch of other yummy-looking stuff.” Jason let go of her hind legs and wrapped his free arm under her forelegs, letting her see all that the display case had to offer as she dangled in his grasp.

“Oh, they have chocolate chip muffins?” Nightshine’s eyes went wide as she spotted her favorite treat. “Can I have one? Pretty please? I haven’t had one in years!” She pointed at the treat with a hoof as she looked up at him.

“Of course!” Jason lowered Nightshine down to the ground. “Wait, years? How often do they take you guys outside of the orphanage?”

“Um, maybe twice a year? But it’s always for dumb stuff like old dusty art museums.”

“I... see.” Jason looked up to see the mare working the bakery waiting patiently with a smile on her face. “Hey, how’s it going?” he asked, returning her smile.

“Very well, thank you! What can I get ya?” The baker was a light-cream unicorn with a pink mane that just barely reached her shoulders. She looked rather young, though she was easily old enough to hold a job.

Jason looked down at Nightshine. “Hey, what else do you like? You can have anything you want.”

Nightshine stared at Jason in shock. “R-really?” Jason nodded. “Well... I do like chocolate chip and sugar cookies, too.”

Perfect! My favorites... Jason looked back at the mare and said, “We’ll take six of those big chocolate chip muffins, a dozen chocolate chip cookies, and a dozen sugar cookies!”

“Alrighty then! Give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll have them all ready for you! Will this order be for here or to go?” The baker turned and paused as she waited for his answer.

“Um... can we have the two dozen cookies and four of the muffins to go, please? The little one here is pretty hungry.”

“Of course! Your total is twenty-seven bits, by the way.”

“Cool...” Jason shoved his hand in his right pocket to grab the bag of bits, but stopped when he felt Nightshine tug on his pants. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing the look of regret on her face.

“That’s way too much money, Jason... I just, um... I just wanted a muffin.” Nightshine grimaced as she looked at his feet.

“Hey... it’s all right.” Jason kneeled down so that they could see eye-to-eye better. “I like to treat myself from time to time. Besides...” He placed a finger on the bottom of Nightshine’s chin and gently lifted her head up. “You’re worth it.”

Nightshine stared into Jason’s eyes before she closed her eyes and nuzzled into his hand. She felt the beginnings of tears form up in the corners of her eyes, but she forced herself to keep herself from breaking down. She smiled as the urge to hug him overcame her. “Th-thank you...” Nightshine had not known what to expect, but being showered in love and affection just minutes from leaving the orphanage made her heart warm, even if it was in the shape of expensive treats.

“No problem, sweetie.” Jason tousled her mane before he stood up to pay.

Nightshine shifted closer to him until only an inch separated them. He had a way of making all of her fears and shortcomings simply fade away into nothingness, a sensation she had never felt before. She felt the beginning of a bond form between them as she started to trust him, letting her drop her guard even more.

“Twenty-seven bits, right?” Jason asked as he counted the bits out.

“Yup!” The baker nodded as she pushed three boxes tied shut with a soft-pink ribbon. She took Jason’s bits and put them in the cash register, then smiled at them. “Thanks for your business! See you two next time!”

“Yea—” A train whistle cut Jason off. “Uh-oh...”

“You two getting on the last train of the day?” The baker asked. “If you go through the alley just outside and to the right, you should make it! You have about a couple minutes before they leave.” She took the two chocolate chip muffins that she hadn’t packed and put them into a separate bag.

“Thanks!” Jason tossed a couple of extra bits down to show his gratitude, grabbed the baked goods, then jogged outside, Nightshine hot on his heels.

“Are we gonna make it?” Nightshine asked with a hint of worry in her tone.

“I hope so!” Jason broke out into a run as the train station came into view around the corner. Nightshine had to gallop to keep up with him, and as the buildings flew past them, the thought to fly popped into her mind. She opened her wings to take flight, but Jason’s words from before popped into her mind, making her fold them back to her side.

The two of them hopped onto the train just as it was leaving the station. Jason collapsed into the closest seat in the nearly-empty train car and placed the boxes of goods on the empty seat in front of him. Nightshine hopped up next to him, picking the seat by the window.

“Hey, don’t we have to pay for tickets? I don’t want us to get thrown off...” Nightshine frowned as she saw the conductor punch a pony’s ticket further up the train car.

“Yeah, but we can just buy the tickets from the conductor. Don’t worry, I’ve done it before.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his bag of bits, then when the conductor asked for their tickets, he simply handed him eight bits for the two of them.

Nightshine stared out of the window as the last few buildings of Canterlot passed them by. They went through the final wall of the city, then a vast amount of space opened up. Her eyes went wide as she stood up to get a better view. “Woah... I never knew there was so much space...”

“Well, you guys were up on the side of a mountain.” Jason reached for the bag containing the two muffins and opened it up.

“Yeah, but... I’ve never been outside Canterlot before...” Nightshine sat back and fluffed her wings, itching to go and take flight.

“Here.” Jason held out one of the muffins for Nightshine, already free of the wrapper. “So I take it you haven’t travelled much?”

Nightshine shook her head as she took the muffin from Jason’s hand. “Thanks. And no, Miss Serenity never took us out of the city. I think it was because there were just too many of us.” She bit into the muffin with gusto, making crumbs fly all over the place. It only took her a few seconds to devour the entire thing, and that was no small feat, for the muffin was bigger than her hoof. “That was so good...” she said with a satisfied sigh.

“Dang, you’re already done?” Jason hadn’t even taken the first bite out of his own muffin. He chuckled and grabbed the box of chocolate chip cookies and placed it down between them. “Here, have as many as you want!”

Nightshine ate to her heart’s content, cramming so many cookies into her mouth that both of her cheeks bulged out. After swallowing what was in her mouth, she eyed the last cookie like a predator would look at their prey. She had just devoured the first eleven without taking a moment to think about Jason. As guilt made her shrink in her seat, she guiltily offered the last cookie to Jason, holding up the box for him with an apologetic smile on her face. “Want the last one? Sorry I ate the rest...” Her ears flicked back as she waited for him to be disappointed with her.

“Nah, you can have it.” Jason propped his legs up on the seat across from him, the other box of cookies on his lap. “Thanks though.”

“Y-you sure?” Nightshine asked, unable to keep a bit of hopefulness out of her tone. She really wanted that last cookie, for they simply melted in her mouth in the best of ways.

“Of course! I bought these for you, remember?”

Nightshine smiled her thanks and set the box down, then took the last cookie. She looked at Jason, then at the cookie, then back at Jason. Then, Nightshine split the cookie in half and offered the left half to him. “Would you at least share it with me? I don’t feel good eating an entire box of cookies that you bought.”

“Yeah, sure, but only if you help me eat this sugar cookie.” Jason split a cookie of his own in half and held it out for her. They exchanged their halves and promptly ate both halves at the same time. “Woah... that’s pretty good, right?”

Nightshine nodded with a large grin on her face. “Yeah, that really was good! Too bad we don’t have anymore of those awesome chocolate chip cookies left...”

“Hm... well, we could bake some when we get back home! I love cooking, and I’d be happy to teach ya if you want.”

“Okay.” With a full tummy, Nightshine pushed the empty cookie box onto the floor. The sun was beginning to set off in the distance, and after years of being made to go to bed nearly immediately after sundown, Nightshine felt herself become sleepy. As a yawn forced itself past her lips, she curled up into a ball on her seat and laid her head on her hooves.

“Getting sleepy?” Jason rubbed her back with his hand, scratching her between her wings as she nodded. “Probably would be a good idea. We’ve got at least another three hours before we get back to Ponyville...”

Nightshine cracked her eyes open and looked up at him. “Oh, really?” As she felt Jason’s hand travel up her neck, she laid her head on his right leg and gently nuzzled his belly. She curled her forelegs up and shifted so that she could sleep on her side. Her ears occasionally flicked as she felt his fingers massage each one.

Jason smiled down at her as she shifted again, this time flicking her tail around her flank. “I can’t wait to show you your new home, Nightshine... I don’t have your new bedroom set up yet, but the first thing on the list, after getting breakfast at one of the best little restaurants in Ponyville, is to go to the furniture store. I’m gonna let you pick out whatever you want.” He heard her hum in satisfaction. “You can get a desk, as big a bed as you want... anything. And believe it or not, but I heard that you can buy a mattress made out of clouds! Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

Nightshine nodded again as she felt sleep starting to tug at her weary mind. She snuggled a bit closer to Jason, then sighed happily as she felt him rest his hand on her side, right next to her wing. The swaying of the train car mixed with Jason’s warmth lulled her into the world of dreams a few moments later, leaving her with a small smile on her face.

Dreams

A few hours later, the train slowed to a halt back at Ponyville’s train station. Jason had stayed awake throughout the ride home, always keeping an eye on his new daughter. Nightshine was still fast asleep, her head still on his lap. As the other passengers began to stand up and gather their belongings, Jason scratched Nightshine behind her left ear and wiggled his right leg, trying to rouse her. “Hey little one, time to get up...” he murmured. Nightshine groaned and simply curled up into a ball, then mumbled something inaudible.

Jason gathered the rest of the treats and tossed everything back inside of his backpack. Then, noticing that they were the last ones left in the train car, he lifted Nightshine up and held her so that her head was laying against the front of his shoulder. He cradled her in his arms as she instinctively snuggled closer to his warm body, a small smile tugging her lips upward. Jason took great care to not wake her up as he left the train car.

Leaving the dimly-lit train station behind, he felt a cool breeze welcome him back home. He took a deep breath and grinned as he felt Nightshine wiggle about in her sleep until her head was resting under his chin. Jason tightened his grasp on her, for dropping so precious a filly while they slept would be a horrible way to start their new life, especially when they trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms.

A couple of minutes passed in silence as he walked through the empty streets. He met nopony, even though it really wasn’t that late. His house came into view after passing through the market, and as he neared his front door, he stopped. “Hey...” He tickled her belly with the tip of his index finger, but she pushed it away with a light groan. “We’re home.”

Nightshine’s eyes flew open as she tensed up. Her ears flicked straight up, smacking against Jason’s jaw. “R-really?” She pulled her head out from under Jason’s and peered up at him. Nightshine twisted her head around until her gaze fell upon the building in front of them. They were standing in front of a single-story house. The front door sat near the left side. One window sat on either side of it, though it was too dark inside for her to see. More of the house lay to the right, nearly equal in size to the portion in front of them.

“Want to go inside?” Jason asked softly. When he felt her nod, he set her down as gently as he could.

Nightshine stepped up to the door, her legs trembling from nervous excitement. As she heard the sound of Jason’s keys jingling as he unlocked the door for them, she closed her eyes, fighting to hold back the tears of joy that threatened to slip down her face at any moment.

She was about to see her new home.

The door swung open a couple of seconds later. Nightshine slowly stepped inside, struggling to remember how to walk. She saw a light-green couch decorated with a pair of blue fancy-looking pillows, then saw a coffee table that held a couple of magazines. Off to the right lay a kitchen, complete with a refrigerator and a full table set. Past that was a hallway that led deeper into the house, no doubt to the bedrooms. Unable to hold herself up, Nightshine shakily sat down, wiped her eyes, then sniffled. She heard the door close behind them, then heard Jason step up to her.

“So what do you think?” he softly asked, his voice light and comforting.

Nightshine looked up at him right before her forelegs collapsed out from under her. She curled up and covered her face with her front hooves as her tears soaked into her fur. Nightshine heard Jason gasp in shock from her sudden outburst, but she couldn’t help herself. A few moments passed before she felt his soft, gentle hands caress her, then he lifted her up into his embrace. She cracked her eyes open to see him sitting down on the floor with her, his legs folded. He cradled her in his arms and rocked from side to side ever so slightly. Nightshine curled up in his arms and nuzzled him over and over before she wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

“What’s wrong, Nightshine?” he asked. His voice, though light and gentle, was full of concern. His hand came to rest on the back of her head as she pulled away from his chest, wiping her muzzle with a hoof.

“It’s just so... so... so p-perfect!” Nightshine’s ears flicked back as she buried her muzzle into his chest, just under his neck. Her forelegs curled up as her tears soaked into his shirt.

“I’m so glad you think so...” Jason said, feeling rather relieved. For a moment, he had feared that she regretted being adopted by him, but he had realized that that was a silly fear. He gave her as much time as she needed to calm down, then when her sobs faded out, he asked, “So... want to get ready for bed? You’ve had such a long day...” When Nightshine didn’t respond, he looked down to find her fast asleep. “Oh, hehe.”

Making his way through the dark house, he opened his bedroom door and walked over to the bed. Jason pulled back his sheets and placed Nightshine down in the middle, laying her head down on his favorite, softest pillow. He tucked her in, then gently tousled her mane as she rolled over onto her side. “Sweet dreams, little one...” A small part of him wanted to plant a loving goodnight kiss on her head, but he decided against it. There would be time for more affectionate displays in the future, but for now, he just wanted her to get accustomed to her new home.

Jason went over to his closet, grabbed his spare blanket, then tip-toed out of the room. He wondered if he should close the door all the way like he always did, but decided to just leave it cracked open. After walking back to the living room, he double-checked that the front door was locked, made himself comfortable on the couch, then fell asleep.

Nightshine woke up in the middle of the night. She yawned and stretched her wings, then her legs. She rolled over onto her other side and smiled as she remembered Jason adopting her. Wondering where he was, she opened her eyes and immediately tensed up.

She was back in the orphanage.

Rows and rows of bunk beds met her eyes, full of sleeping colts and fillies. Nightshine looked down at her blanket in shock, recognizing it as the one that she’d used her entire life at the orphanage. Everything smelled the same, and she even heard the familiar sound of a foal crying out of hopelessness near the other end of the room.

W-was it all just a... dream? Nightshine stood up and glided to the floor. Nopony looked up at her, for surprisingly, they were all fast asleep. “No...” she whispered as she looked around. Instead of seeing her new home, she saw the same thing that she’d seen her entire life: walls that kept her from living a life filled with joy and love. “No!” she yelled.

Nightshine darted from the sleeping quarters and ran down the hallway. She stopped in front of the door leading outside and stared at it, her bottom lip trembling. “Jason!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Where are you?!” Nightshine tried to open the front door, but it would not open. If I could just open it, I could fly to Ponyville and find him! Her hooves scraped against the door as she tried to open it.

“Nightshine...” she heard Serenity’s voice come from the other side of the room, but she paid her no mind. Nightshine backed up, then ran at the door as fast as she could, ramming her shoulder against it. “Ow...” she muttered. As tears streamed down her face, she took a few steps back, then ran at the door again only to be stopped by Serenity’s magic. Her magic hit her right on the chest, knocking most of the breath from her lungs. A moment passed before she was lifted into the air, floating in front of the headmistress.

After she caught her breath, Nightshine looked up to see Serenity staring down at her. “What the heck are you doing, Nightshine? And why are you up so late?!” she heard Serenity demand of her.

“I... I... was adopted!” Nightshine spat out. “Jason came and adopted me, and we were going to live in Ponyville!”

“Oh, not this again...” Serenity ran a hoof over her muzzle as she let Nightshine stand on her own. “Nightshine, you were just dreaming again!”

“Huh?” Nightshine shrunk down and bit her lip. “W-what do you mean?”

“Come on, we both know that you were just dreaming! This ‘Jason’ doesn’t exist, and—”

“Yes he does!” Nightshine stomped on the floor and glared at Serenity with narrowed eyes. “He’s a human, and... and...”

“And what, pray tell, is a human?” Serenity asked with a sneer. “Come now, let’s stop making up fantasy creatures and go back to bed, okay?” Her voice lost a bit of its edge as she nudged Nightshine’s side, guiding her back towards the sleeping quarters. “Go on, before I decide to take away your recess privileges for a month for waking me up!”

“B-but... but Jason is real, I promise! He’s tall—”

“Nightshine...”

“He stands on two le—”

“Nightshine.”

“And he has a smile that just makes you feel all happy ins—”

“That’s it, you! Detention for a month!” Serenity barked. “Now go back to bed before I make it two months!”

Nightshine stared at Serenity in shock, her mouth agape. “I... I...” Her head drooped down towards the ground. “Yes, ma’am...” Ignoring Serenity’s huff of disapproval, Nightshine closed her eyes and wept openly, trudging through the hallway. She heard Serenity’s bedroom door slam shut, surprising her just enough to trip over her forelegs.

Right before her head hit the ground, Nightshine woke up with a start. Her chest heaving up and down, her head whipped around to see not the walls of the orphanage, but an unfamiliar bedroom. She took a deep breath and immediately recognized Jason’s scent. That was... just a dream? Standing up on shaky legs, Nightshine pushed the sheets off of her and trotted to the door.

She pulled the door open, wincing as it creaked. Nightshine saw nothing but darkness, but her need to see Jason outweighed her fears of the unknown. With a shake of her mane, she stepped out of the bedroom and heard someone snoring straight ahead, further down the hallway. Her ears flicked up as she paused for a moment, then she kept going.

Jason came into view out of the darkness as she entered the living room. He was fast asleep on his side with his back to her, snoring softly. Nightshine bit her lip as she moved to sit between the coffee table and the couch. Her right hind leg thumped against the carpet as she flicked her tail back and forth. She did not want to anger him by waking him up in the middle of the night, but she so desperately wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Nightshine laid her head on the edge of the couch and whined softly. Her bottom lip stuck out as she pouted, listening to Jason snore.

As she felt a shiver run up her back, she made up her mind. Praying that he’d forgive her if she woke him up, Nightshine moved to the far right side of the couch where his feet were and used her wings to help her get up on the couch’s arm. Eyeing the small space between the back of the couch and Jason, she froze as he rolled over onto his back. She saw him scratch his stomach with his left hand, then he placed it behind his pillow.

Seeing what might be her only opportunity, Nightshine crept forward. Her hooves sank into the couch cushions as she placed each one in front of the other. As soon as she reached his chest, his left leg pushed up against the back of the couch, cutting her off if, for some reason, she wanted to leave him be. With bated breath, Nightshine stared at Jason and bit her cheek. She pushed her side into the back of the couch, then lay down as gently as she could, hoping that she wouldn’t wake him up.

Nightshine laid her head on Jason’s chest, tucking herself into the crook of his arm. She took comfort simply from feeling his chest rise and fall with each of his breaths. A few moments passed in silence, making her think that she got away without disturbing him, but she noticed with a hint of regret that he wasn’t snoring anymore. Nightshine lifted her head from his warm chest and looked up to see a look of confusion on his face. “H-hey...” she whispered as a frown formed on her face. “I, um... I had a bad nightmare and... I just wanted to see you.” She laid her head back down on his chest, though her eyes never left his.

Jason scooted over a bit to give her a little more room. He used his left hand to rub her back, then asked, “What was it about? Everybody knows you always feel better after talking about nightmares...”

Nightshine whimpered. “It was... I woke up back in the orphanage...”

A look of realization slid onto Jason’s face. “Oh...” he murmured. “Was it really bad?”

Nightshine nodded and snuggled closer. “Miss Serenity told me that I should stop making up fantasy creatures or something like that when I told her about you adopting me.” A sole tear formed in her left eye. “Just to think, even for a second, that getting adopted was just a dream, it... it...”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay...” Jason wiped away Nightshine’s tear with his right thumb, then pulled her onto his chest. He sat up a little, pulled the blanket over her back, then wrapped his arms around her.

Nightshine smiled gratefully at him before she tucked her head back under his chin. She took a deep breath and let it out, sighing happily. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

“Yeah, I can definitely get that... “ Jason chuckled. “Tell you what... After we get some breakfast tomorrow morning, we can spend as long as you want flying out in the park like I said a bit earlier, okay? And after that, we would go shopping for all sorts of stuff.”

“Like what?” Nightshine asked softly, already feeling her exhaustion pulling her back to sleep.

“Oh... ya know, furniture, sheets, toys, all that good stuff.” Jason tousled her mane. “And then there’s somepony special I want you to meet...”

A Small Setback

Nightshine woke up to Jason scratching her behind her right ear. Still on the verge of falling asleep again, she grinned as she pushed her head up into his hand. The scratches stopped, making her crack open an eye. She saw Jason yawning as he stretched with a groan. Nightshine couldn’t help but giggle as she felt his chest vibrate from the low sound. After he stopped yawning, she slid off of his chest, then wiggled up into the crook of his arm and drew her forelegs up to her chest.

“Morning, Nightshine…” Jason said, his voice low and coarse. He cleared his throat and saw that Nightshine had slipped out from under the blanket. He glanced at the clock. “Geez… it’s already ten. We should probably get up.” He started to sit up, but Nightshine laid her head on his chest and pushed him back down.

“Uh-uh... five more minutes…” Nightshine mumbled with a small grin. This was the first time that she had slept next to anybody before, and it sure beat sleeping alone in a beat-up mattress. She simply couldn’t get enough of it, and she wanted for it to last a heck of a lot longer than just five measly minutes. Maybe we’ll just fall asleep again.

I guess five more minutes can’t hurt. “Yeah, alright. We did get back pretty late last night.” Jason rolled over onto his side and let loose another yawn. As he watched Nightshine drift back off to sleep, he murmured, “It sure looks like a beautiful day to go flying, though…”

Nightshine’s ears perked up in an instant. She rolled onto her belly and gazed up at him with a cocked eyebrow. “N-now? You mean it?”

“If you want to go now, sure. I do want to take a quick shower, though.” Jason sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch. “You want to go first? Or do you want those extra five minutes?”

Nightshine bit her lip as Jason sat up. She glanced away and flicked her tail once, the words to ask him to lay back down dancing on the tip of her tongue. After a few moments of thought, she slumped back down onto Jason’s warm pillow and cracked a smile. “I think I’ll take those extra five minutes. I mean, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it is.” Jason tousled her hair, stood up, and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom. “Oh, and when we’re done, I’m gonna take us to a nice little bakery just down the street.” He ducked inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

“A bakery?” Nightshine’s stomach grumbled. She pulled the blanket over her head and curled up, trying to ignore her stomach. I must have been pretty tired from the trip… home? Nightshine used a hoof to push the blanket off of her head. “Home…” she whispered to herself as she looked around the room. “This is my home…” I’ve waited too long to hear myself say those words. Nightshine felt a tear well up in her right eye, but she paid it no mind. “I can’t believe I actually have a home now...”

She heard some fillies run past outside, laughing as they went. I wonder where Sea Stride ended up… I hope he’s doing okay with his new family. Nightshine heard the shower turn on, so knowing that she’d have a few minutes to herself, she closed her eyes and flicked her tail up between her legs to hold onto. She let her mind drift away to all of the fun times that they had shared back at the orphanage. While she was ecstatic that she had been adopted, she realized that she had absolutely no friends in this new town, save for Jason. “Eh… I’ll find some friends later… I hope,” she said as she started to doze off.

Jason washed himself as quickly as he could, and as he grabbed his towel, he froze. Not only did he just have one towel, he had forgotten to bring some clean clothes into the bathroom to change into. “Darn it all…” he muttered, looking back and forth between his old T-shirt and his towel. With a roll of his eyes, he decided to dry himself off with his shirt. Once he was as dry as he could make himself, he pulled on his pants, eased open the bathroom door, and poked his head out, praying that Nightshine wasn’t looking in his direction.

When he saw the back of her head, Jason whipped open the door and darted inside his bedroom. He locked the door behind him and blew a sigh of relief, slumping against the wall. As his racing heart slowed, he went to the closet and threw on some clothes. Walking back over to his door, he made his way down the hallway and shook Nightshine’s shoulder. “Time to take your shower, Nightshine,” he said with a warm tone.

“I don’t wanna…” Nightshine yawned. “get up…”

“Not even for a fresh muffin and an open field to fly in?” Jason chuckled as he fell onto the couch next to Nightshine. He pulled the blanket off of her and tickled her belly.

Nightshine’s eyes flew wide open as a surprised squeak left her lips. She tried to roll onto her stomach to escape Jason’s ticklish fingers, but she only succeeded in letting him tickle her just under her left foreleg. Doing the only thing she could think of, she flapped her wings and ended up rapping Jason on the arm.

“Ow!” Jason recoiled and rubbed his stinging arm, his eyebrows furrowing as he sat back. As the pain started to fade away, he glanced over at Nightshine and saw her on the verge of crying.

“I-I didn’t m-mean it...” Nightshine choked out, her eyes wide with fear. She slinked up to him and settled down on his lap, then nuzzled him where she’d hit him. “I’m really so-sorry, Jason!” Please don’t send me back to the orphanage...

“Hey... it’s alright. It was just an accident.” Nightshine nodded vehemently. “There’s no reason to get upset,” Jason said. He held up his arm and turned it so she could see where she had hit him. “See? No mark at all!” He grinned and rubbed her back. “Sorry for that surprise tickle attack. My mom always did that to me when I didn’t get up in time for school when I was younger, so... yeah. I guess I’m not too good at being a parent, eh?”

“No!” Nightshine shook her head from side to side. “It’s not that at all! I was just, um... surprised is all. You sure you’re okay?” she asked, her bottom lip quivering.

“Yeah, I’m good. Come on, now, the sooner you take a shower, the sooner we can get your bedroom set up!” Jason wrapped his arms around Nightshine and walked her over to the bathroom. The last remaining wisps of steam drifted out from the door as he set her down. “I only have one towel, so... we’ll have to buy you one when we go shopping today.”

“Okay!” Nightshine trotted inside the bathroom with Jason right behind her.

Stepping past her, Jason reached into the tub and turned on the water. “You like it warm or cold?”

“Hot!” Nightshine chirped with a hop. “Really hot!”

Jason chuckled at that. “Alright then.” He turned the water on and waited several moments as it got to a good temperature. He held his fingers underneath the stream and waited till it got to the temperature he usually used. “This good?’

Nightshine tentatively stuck a hoof under the stream and jumped inside the tub. “Perfect! Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll just be outside if you need me.”

“Okay!”

Nightshine hopped from side to side as she watched Jason lock the door to their home. “How far away is the park?”

“It’s really not that far away.” Jason turned and nodded down the road leading out of Ponyville. “Just follow me, okay?”

“Got it!” Nightshine trotted beside Jason as they made their way out of Ponyville. She noticed some ponies stopping in their tracks to look at her, but she ignored them, her thoughts focused solely on what they were going to do. Soon enough, the buildings gave way to dense thickets of trees, then a large field opened up just a little ways further down the road. With a wide grin, Nightshine galloped away towards the middle of the field and spread her wings wide, the sun’s rays soaking and warming her leathery wings. She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt the wind run under her wings. To be as free as a bird was exhilarating, and now that she was allowed to fly whenever she wanted to, she’d be able to soar with the birds that flew with a grace she could only dream of.

Opening her eyes, Nightshine flapped her wings and ran as fast as she could, trying to get enough lift. Her front legs lifted off of the ground for a few feet, then dropped back down. She skidded to a halt in the middle of the open field, her head held low as she fought to catch her breath.

Jason caught up to her several moments later. “Dang, you can run pretty fast!” he said, panting slightly.

“Y-yeah...” Nightshine murmured, her wings clamping back to her sides. She tensed up as her confidence and excitement left her as barren as a drop of water in the desert. Her fears had been proven: the years of not being allowed to fly to her heart’s content had left her with a gift she could not use. Her tail swept down between her hind legs as they began to quiver. Nightshine closed her eyes and took a slow, shuddering breath, then bit her lower lip as she waited for her racing heart to slow down.

Jason frowned after several seconds passed in silence. “You alright?”

“Y-yeah,” Nightshine said, throwing on a fake smile as she sheepishly looked up at Jason. “I just...” She sat down, glanced away, and mindlessly ran her hoof through the dirt.

Jason sat down next to Nightshine and propped himself up with his arms. “So whatcha waiting for? I thought you said you couldn’t wait to get out to fly! You looked like you were about to take off like an airplane for a second there.”

Nightshine cocked her head to the side. “What’s an airplane?”

Jason sat up and brushed the dirt from his hands. “Well... in short, it’s a big machine that lets us humans fly. It’s kinda like the trains here, but it has wings and goes a lot faster. That make sense?”

“You have trains that can fly?” Nightshine asked, hiding her grin with a hoof. “That sounds silly!”

Jason chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t explain it that well, huh?” Nightshine nodded. “So now that we’re here, why don’t you show me what you got?”

Nightshine’s smile faltered at that. “Um... can we maybe come back some other time? I, er... you know...” She flicked her tail around her flank and held onto it, looking anywhere but Jason.

“No, I don’t know. What’s wrong? Stage fright?”

Such an easy excuse... Should I take it? He said I could tell him anything, though! But would he... understand that I can’t fly? Nightshine rubbed her left foreleg with a hoof as she flicked her eyes up to meet Jason’s. “N-no, it’s...”

“What?”

Nightshine took another shuddering breath. “I don’t think I can fly,” she said, her voice so soft she barely heard herself say it.

Jason scooted closer. “Um, sorry. I didn’t catch that.”

Many moments passed in silence, then she felt Jason scratch her ears for a brief second. She smiled at that small sign of affection, giving her just enough strength to say, “I can’t fly. I never could.” She looked up at Jason and smiled wistfully. “Remember how pegasi aren’t allowed to fly at the orphanage? Yeah, well... I was so afraid of getting in trouble that I never really practiced any.”

“Oh...” Jason’s smile faded. “So nopony ever taught you how to fly?” Nightshine shook her head. “Huh... Why didn’t you say so?”

Nightshine laid her head on Jason’s legs and shrugged. “I just thought I’d be able to fly like I had dreamed about for so long. I mean, I can glide and stuff, but that’s about it...”

“So it just sounds like you need to get stronger, then, right? My dad told me if I wanted to have big muscles like him, I’d have to work at it nearly every single day for the rest of my life. I worked out a ton for one summer, and my arms got pretty thick. I loved the way I looked, and... I stopped working out. Over time, I went right back to square one because I was just being lazy. Now... hey! I have an idea!”

Nightshine lifted her head from Jason’s leg and gazed up at him with a hopeful look upon her face. “What is it?” Her tail swished back and forth in the dirt behind her.

“What if we work out together? I’d love to get strong again, and I think it’d be great if you could build up some wing strength. We can keep each other on track, too, so when one of us feels like quitting, the other can steer them back on course. So whatcha think? Deal?” He held out his fist for Nightshine to bump. It might be a good idea to get her a check-up at the doctor soon.

Nightshine gazed at his outstretched arm, then bumped his fist with her hoof. “Deal!”

First Steps

Brushing some stray hairs of Nightshine’s face, Jason took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry that you never got to learn how to fly...” He tousled her mane, then scratched her underneath her chin.

“It’s okay, I guess.” Nightshine laid her head back on Jason’s thigh. A cool breeze made her shiver, so she pressed herself up against his warm leg. She closed her eyes as she listened to the birds chirp as they flew overhead, and in her mind’s eye, she imagined herself soaring through the skies. Nightshine couldn’t help but let off a happy hum.

Hearing Jason clear his throat, she cracked an eye open and saw him looking at her with a soft smile on his face. “What?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow in question. Nightshine felt her cheeks warm as he chuckled.

“Nothin’. I was just thinking that you look cute taking a nap on my leg.” Jason felt his stomach grumble. “So listen... I know how much flying means to you. It’s a part of who you are, so why don’t I help you glide for a bit?” He gestured at the many trees around them. “I can help you up on one of these if you want!”

Nightshine’s eyes lit up at that. “You’d do that for me?” Her ears went straight up as her tail started flicking back and forth.

“Sure!” Jason stood up and lifted Nightshine, holding her under her forelegs. “I can even run below you in case you fall.”

Nightshine squeed, her hind legs wiggling as Jason walked her over to the closest tree. He held her up as high as he could, letting her climb onto the lowest branch. She brushed aside a few leafy branches and climbed up several feet until she found a perfect perch. “You ready down there?” she squeaked out, her legs trembling.

“Yeah, go for it!” Jason said.

“O-okay!” Nightshine spread her wings wide, took a deep breath, and when she was just about to throw herself off of the branch, she heard several chirps from below her. Looking down, she spotted a nest a foot below her as she folded her wings. “Aww... there’s a nest of baby birds up here, Jason!” She sat down on the branch and lowered her head to get a better look. “They’re so cute!” Hearing a screech come from above, her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she looked up, a bird flying at her full speed. It pecked her back, hitting her with its wings as it poked her over and over. “Ah! Stop that!”

Nightshine stood up and spread her wings again, then leapt off of the branch to get away from the angry bird. Wanting to escape its wrath, Nightshine flapped her wings as hard as she could, but found herself falling instead of flying. Her eyes going wide in fear, she plummeted like a rock.

“Don’t worry, I gotcha!” Jason yelled, holding out his arms. He stepped to the side and caught Nightshine, her wing clipping his shoulder. Jason winced as it stung. “You okay?”

“Stupid bird...” Nightshine muttered before she smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know why it attacked me, though. I wasn’t gonna hurt its babies, I swear!”

Jason eyed the bird as it hopped from branch to branch, squawking all the while. “Well, it doesn’t know that. It saw you as a threat to its babies, so it defended them. It still looks pretty angry, so we should leave it be.” He turned around and started walking back towards the road.

“Oh... I guess that makes sense,” Nightshine said. She climbed up Jason and wrapped her forelegs over his right shoulder, then as she folded her wings, she looked at the bird and blew a raspberry.

“So tell ya what... Since you didn’t get to glide from the tree, why don’t you do it from my shoulders on the way back? I’ll get us a good running start, and when I get going fast enough, just spread your wings and jump. I’ll be beneath you the whole time.”

“Okay!” Nightshine gingerly climbed up onto Jason’s shoulders, then sat down. She felt Jason hold onto her hind legs as she propped her head up on his. “Still kinda wanted to do it from the tree, though.”

“Heh, I bet. Too bad we picked the wrong one,” Jason said with a chuckle. “We’ll just have to buy you an extra muffin.”

“Awesome.” Nightshine nuzzled Jason’s head.

As they made it onto the road, Jason stopped. “You ready up there?” he asked, letting go of Nightshine’s legs.

Nightshine stood up as best she could, leaned forward, then spread her wings. As she felt her heart speed up, she nodded. “Yep! Full speed ahead!”

“You got it!” Jason started jogging, then broke into a mad dash.

When she felt the wind underneath her wings, Nightshine jumped up, gliding for just a few brief moments before she fell back onto Jason’s head. “Hehe, that was fun!” she said as he slowed down.

“Wanna do it again?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Nightshine asked with a giggle. After opening her wings again, she tapped Jason’s shoulder. “Come on already, let’s go!”

“You got it!” Jason took a deep breath, then took off running down the path. “This time... fold your legs... when you jump! It’ll... make you... more aerodynamic!” Eyeing the hill in front of him, he yelled, “Wait till we get to the top, then go!”

Nightshine nodded, then placed her forelegs on Jason’s head as she stood up. As they reached the top of the hill, she leaned forward then jumped up and folded her legs. Clenching her eyes shut, several seconds passed as she soared through the air. Nightshine cracked an eye open and peered down. Jason was a good ten feet below her and was easily keeping pace with her. A wide smile broke out on her face as she opened her other eye. As her airspeed began to drop, her eyes went wide in fear. Part of her mind screamed at her to start flapping so that she wouldn’t fall again, but she forced herself to keep her wings level.

Nightshine lowered her head, her speed increasing as she sped towards the ground. Noticing that she was going to hit the ground several yards in front of Jason, she lifted her head and leveled out. She saw Jason speed up to keep pace with her, then when he was a few feet in front of her, she angled down again. Her wing joints were starting to feel sore, making her struggle to keep her wings spread. Nightshine smiled as an idea popped into her mind. Instead of landing on the ground, Nightshine glided just behind him, and when she felt herself start to lose speed, she wrapped her forelegs around Jason’s neck and folded her wings. As her body fell from the air, she wrapped her hind legs around his stomach and held onto him as tightly as she could.

Jason looked over his shoulder. “Have fun up there?”

“You have no idea,” Nightshine said with a squee. She nuzzled Jason’s neck, then let go, falling to her hooves. “Thank you so much for that. It... it means a lot that you would do that for me.” Nightshine smiled and nuzzled Jason’s leg as he scratched her behind the ears, just how she liked.

“No problem, sweetie... Now how about we go get some breakfast?”

Jason held open the door to Quills and Sofas, letting Nightshine trot inside. “Hey Jason? Why is this place called Quills and Sofas if they sell more than just quills and sofas?” She looked up at Jason as the door shut behind them.

“Well, you can’t expect every store to list all of their goods in their title, silly.” Jason looked around the store, wondering how he was going to get what they needed back home. “So...” Somepony opened the door behind him, so he and Nightshine stepped aside. He knelt down and smiled. “I was thinking that we get the furniture first. I can’t imagine that the couch was comfy, so we should get you a bed first.”

“It was comfy enough with you there,” Nightshine said with a grin. “You were so warm that I had to keep pushing the blanket off in the middle of the night!” She followed Jason down the first aisle to the right.

“Hehe, that was me. Whenever I woke up last night, I saw that you weren’t covered by the blanket anymore, so I made sure to tuck it back in. I didn’t know that you were trying to keep it off,” Jason said with a grin and a shake of his head.

“It’s okay. Hey, how about this bed?” She clambered up onto the first bed she saw and hopped up and down, the springy mattress becoming an impromptu trampoline.

“Hey, don’t do that!” Jason said. “I don’t mind you doing that, but let’s at least buy the bed before we jump all over it. How would you feel if somepony came and started jumping on your bed?”

“I’d join them!” Nightshine said with a giggle, but when Jason’s smile faded away, she smiled apologetically and sat down on the bed. “S-sorry, Jason. I’m just so super duper excited to get stuff of my own!”

“I can tell,” Jason waved for Nightshine to get off the bed. “Anyways, that one’s too small. I think we should get you one that’ll last a while, so it has to be pretty big. What if I wanted to read you a bedtime story, hm? I wouldn’t be able to lay next to you at all! One of us would either have to sit on top of the other, or one of us would have to be sitting on the edge of the bed, about to slip off. I’ve already thought of a few good books that I can read to you, too!”

Nightshine’s legs trembled. A sole tear formed in her left eye. “Why are you being... so nice to me?” Nightshine squeaked out, her ears laying flat on her head. She flicked her tail around her flank and latched onto it as she stared up at Jason.

“Because we’re family now.” Jason knelt down and wiped the tear out of Nightshine’s eye, then scratched her chin. “Come on, now, let’s get you some nice stuff.” Standing back up, he walked a few beds down and asked, “What about this one? It’s got enough room for you to grow into, and it’s not too tall for you to climb onto.”

Nightshine climbed up the white wood frame at the foot of the bed and curled up. She sunk so low into the mattress that she didn’t even have to lay her head on a hoof. “Woah... what is this?”

“That right there is one of the best cloud mattresses we got in stock!” the store owner said as he stepped up to them. “The name’s Davenport! And you two are...?”

“I’m Jason, and this is my daughter, Nightshine.” He heard her hum in content from the bed. “We’re here to buy an entire bedroom set of furniture, if you have it.”

“Hm...” Davenport scratched his chin as he looked around his store. “So what are you two looking for?”

Jason cleared his throat and motioned at the bed that Nightshine was laying on. “Well, we need a bed and a bed frame, sheets for the bed, and a matching nightstand, desk, and dresser. There any chance that you could offer us any sort of discount? I’d like to buy all that I mentioned if you have it, and I would need it delivered to my house.”

“Sure, we can work something out.” Davenport stepped up to Jason and nodded deeper in the store. “Just follow me and I’ll show you the rest of the set.”

“Great! Oh, hold on a sec... Hey, Nightshine?” Jason asked, watching as Nightshine lifted her head from the mattress, her ears flicking up. “Feel free to chill out for a bit. This might take a while.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jason sat up and said, “Hand me that yellow screwdriver, Nightshine.” Jason pointed at his tool belt that lay out of his reach. Next time I order furniture, I’m so gonna make sure it’s pre-built...

He and Nightshine had spent the past several hours putting together her new dresser and desk. Thankfully, the nightstand came in one piece, but it was pretty darn heavy. The desk was the hardest to put together, so they had tackled that one first. Nightshine had organized all of the screws, holding out the ones he needed, making the process go faster than he had thought.

The sun was already beginning to set, its light quickly fading from Nightshine’s room. “This one?” Nightshine asked, her hoof resting on a screwdriver.

“Yep, that’s the one! Bring over the last set of screws, too, and then we can finally finish everything up!” Jason held out his hand.

“Cool!” Nightshine grinned, picked up the screwdriver in her mouth, and brought it to Jason. She spat it out into his hand and looked around for the screws. “Um... where’d they go? I thought there were right next to you.”

“Huh?” Jason looked behind him and saw the set of screws he needed. “Oh, hehe, I think I just misplaced them.” He snatched them up and tore the little bag apart, then dumped the screws into his hand. He got back on his hands and knees, held up the last part of the bed frame to the headboard, then screwed them together. “And there we go!” Standing up, he stretched then walked across the room to where the cloud mattress sat propped up against the wall. “Want to help me put it on the frame, Nightshine? It shouldn’t be that heavy.”

Nightshine nodded, then trotted up to him. She placed her front left hoof on one side while Jason got the other. “Ready?” she asked. “On three! One... two... three!” Jason tipped the mattress over onto her hoof. Nightshine winced as she prepared herself for a lot of weight, but she opened her eyes when she just felt the sheets upon her hoof. “Huh?”

“I told you it wasn’t going to be that heavy.” Jason stepped back and placed his hands on his hips. “You’re holding up the entire mattress!”

“Woah...” Nightshine hefted her bed with her hoof. It floated into the air and sat there a couple of feet above the ground. Her rump wiggling about in excitement, she flapped her wings once and jumped, landing on top of the mattress. It floated towards the bed and bounced off of the wall before Jason stopped it with his legs.

“Having fun?” he asked as he secured it to the bed frame.

“So soft...” Nightshine mumbled as she rolled onto her back. Jason didn’t respond, instead choosing to throw the sheets on top of her. She wiggled her way out until her head popped out, a wide smile threatening to split her face in half. “What’re we gonna do for dinner? I’m getting a little hungry.” She rolled over onto her stomach.

“Well, now that everything’s done, I figured that I can let you in on a little secret, a rare delicacy from where I came from.” Jason picked her up and set her on the floor beside him. “Come on, we can make it together, but you gotta promise to not tell anybody about it!”

“What is it?” Nightshine asked, peering up at Jason as they walked to the kitchen. “And I promise!”

“A cheese pizza!” Jason said as he pulled open the refrigerator.

“Huh?” Nightshine lifted a hoof and cocked her head to the side. “But we already have pizza here!”

“Yeah, I know, but this recipe is special! It’s loaded with so much cheese that my Mom...”

Nightshine noticed something was wrong almost immediately. “Jason?” she asked, her voice soft. Nightshine stepped around in front of him and stood up on her hind legs, her front hooves resting on his waist. Peering up at his face, she saw him try to wipe away tears. Her ears flicked back as her smile vanished. “Wanna sit down and talk?” She gingerly returned to all four hooves. Jason didn’t respond, but he sat down and pressed his back up against the cabinets, his eyes closed.

Nightshine clambered up onto his lap and propped herself up against his chest, her head laying underneath his chin. She smiled, then purred and nuzzled his neck. Jason wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

A couple of minutes passed in silence before he spoke. “Sorry about breaking down, Nightshine... It’s just, well...”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Nightshine pushed herself up and slid off of his lap. “Wanna just make the pizza instead?”

“She died when I was sixteen,” Jason blurted out. “We were in an accident with a drunk driver. Some guy in a truck ran a red light and slammed into my Mom’s side, killing her instantly. I was in the hospital for a few days, always hoping my Mom would just walk through the door and tell me that everything would be okay, but... she never did.” He looked off to the side and ran a hand through his hair before sighing, his breaths stuttering.

“Hey... I don’t even know my parents, so...” Nightshine lay down and laid her forelegs over Jason’s leg. She paused for a few moments, and after her ears flicked to lay flat on her head, she murmured, “I’ve always been by myself. Nopony’s ever looked out for me, or did nice things for me. I never thought that I would get adopted, but then you came.” She poked Jason’s leg with a hoof, making him look at her. A small grin slid on her face. “When I first saw you, I had a feeling that you wouldn’t just pass over me without a second thought, and...” She blinked as she felt tears well up in her eyes. “And when you came back and told me that you wanted to give me a home?” Tears dripped down her face.

Jason reached out to her and stroked her cheek, wiping away her tears. “I know...” he whispered.

“You gave me a home. You gave me my own bedroom, and more love in the past couple of days that I’ve had in my entire life. You took me away from that awful place, and you made me feel like I actually mean something.” Nightshine climbed back up onto his lap and threw her forelegs around Jason’s neck, nuzzling him all the while. “I love you so much, Jason...”

“I love you too, Nightshine...” Jason croaked out.

“I know it’s only been a couple of days, but... is it okay if I start calling you Dad? I’ve never used that word before, and... I think you’ve earned it,” she said with a sheepish smile, her cheeks flushing a deep, rosy pink.

“Of c-course it is, sweetie.” Jason smiled and rubbed her back. “Of course it is...”

Nightshine squeed, though she took care to keep her voice soft. Pulling back, she said, “You know, even though Miss Serenity was pretty harsh on us, she did teach us a few good lessons.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Remember the good times, and don’t reflect on the bad ones,” Nightshine recited from memory. “It helped me get through living at the orphanage, and, you know... Just remember all the fun times you had with your mom. Thinking about the bad things only makes you feel depressed, and trust me, I know from first-hoof experience.” She stood up and started hopping in place. “So how about we make that awesome pizza your Mom used to make, Dad? Wouldn’t she like that?”

Jason chuckled. “Yeah, Nightshine... That she would.”

“...and then Daring Do swung from tree to tree, slowly but surely leaving her pursuers in her dust. Once she was certain that she was in the clear, she took flight, the emerald tucked safely in her saddlebag, safe from the claws of the enemy. Though just before she was able to clear the canopy, a rope came out of nowhere and wrapped around her right wing, throwing her off balance. With a cry of shock, Daring Do plummeted to the ground,” Jason read from the book. “And that’s the end of chapter two! I think this is a good place to wrap things up for the night,” he said with a yawn. “Dang, you sure do have a comfy bed! Totally comfier than mine...”

“Oh, come on! Can’t you read me just one more chapter?” Nightshine asked as she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out.

“For you? Sure, I’ll read one more chapter, but I want to rest my eyes first. We have had a long day, after all.” Jason stretched himself out on the bed, keeping his finger inside the book to mark their place. He let loose a big yawn as he laid his head down on Nightshine’s pillow. “Man, you even got a better pillow than me! Lucky...”

“Good thing it’s big enough for the both of us... right, Dad?” Nightshine rolled over onto her side.

“That’s right, sweetie.” Jason closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I’m just gonna close my eyes for a few minutes, and then I’ll read you just one more chapter, okay?”

“Okay,” Nightshine murmured. Nearly a minute passed before she heard Jason start to snore. “Jason?” She prodded him with a hoof. “Jason? Did you really fall asleep?” When he didn’t respond, she rolled her eyes and giggled. “Hehe, when he wakes up tomorrow, I’ll just have to make him read me the next three chapters!” she whispered to herself.

After flicking off the lights with the tip of her wing, she wiggled underneath Jason’s arm. Then, before she knew what was happening, he rolled over in his sleep onto his side and pulled her up against his chest. Nightshine hummed happily as she snuggled up with him, and as she felt sleep start to tug at her weary mind, she whispered, “Thank you, Dad...”

Becoming Closer

Jason woke up in the middle of the night, his neck stiff. Nightshine was nestled safely in his arms, sleeping contentedly with her head resting on his arm. I should get back to my own bed and let her sleep on her own... Heh, it’s a wonder that I haven’t woken her up with my snoring... He rolled over onto his back and sat up, gently moving Nightshine’s head from his arm to the pillow. The moon’s light pierced through the thin curtains, lighting up the floor in a faint silver glow. Jason pulled the sheets off of him, making sure that they never left Nightshine’s body as he crawled over to the foot of the bed.

He grimaced as his feet touched the cold floor. What warmth they held dissipated in mere moments, making him want to get to the warmth of his own bed. Walking up to the door, he looked over his shoulder and watched as Nightshine rolled over in her sleep, her forelegs reaching out, searching for something that wasn’t there. He licked his lips as the seconds dragged on, knowing that she was searching for him. His feet growing colder with each second, he tip-toed up to the bed and scratched Nightshine behind the ear. Her right hind leg twitched and a content smile grew on her face as her forelegs stilled.

Jason withdrew his hand and walked back to the door. Nightshine rolled over again, this time facing him. Her smile was gone, and her ears were laying flat on her head. Wanting to make sure that Nightshine slept well, Jason started to pull the door shut, but a particularly loud squeak from one of the door’s hinges made him wince. He cracked open an eye to find Nightshine rubbing her eyes. Staring through the crack between the door and the door frame, he watched her roll over, reaching around the empty bed as she tried to find him.

“Jason?” she meekly asked as she looked around, her voice soft and timid. “Where are you?”

Jason froze, unsure of what to do.

“D-Daddy?”

Okay... I can’t take the cuteness anymore... Jason pushed the door back open and took a step inside, his hand still resting on the doorknob. “Hey, sweetie... everything okay?”

Nightshine’s shoulders drooped a little as her head whipped around. She bit her bottom lip and stared up at him, the sheets covering her hind legs. “Why’d you leave? I thought you liked snuggles with me...” She pouted, sticking her bottom lip out.

Jason chuckled as he stepped back up to the bed. He sat down beside Nightshine, who clambered up onto his lap, nuzzling into his neck. “Please don’t go... I’ve spent so much time alone that not being next to you... it’s... it’s just scary. I don’t like being alone.”

“Shhh... it’s okay, Nightshine, I’m not going anywhere...” Jason stroked Nightshine’s mane while he used his other hand to hold her against his chest. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, honestly. I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your bed, and I was planning on going back to my own after I finished reading to you. That’s what I was in the middle of doing, but I forgot that your door has some pretty squeaky hinges.”

“So... you do like snuggling with me?” Nightshine asked hopefully.

“Of course I do. But I don’t think we can do it every single night.” Jason felt Nightshine tense up in his arms.

“W-why not?” Nightshine stammered out.

“Well, I didn’t buy you all of this nice furniture just to have you snuggling with me in my bed!” Jason said with a short laugh. “It did cost me a good amount of bits, after all.”

Nightshine looked up at him. “But what if we snuggled in my bed? It’s so big that both of us could totally fit on it!” A wide grin broke out on her face. “Isn’t that why you bought such a big one?”

“Actually...” Jason scratched the back of his neck. “I bought it so that you could grow into it. It’s just another way of showing that I want you to stick around, ya know?” He scratched her behind the ear, letting a grin slip on his face when he saw her smile.

“I guess, but... I’ll stay only on one condition!” Nightshine giggled, sitting down on Jason’s lap.

“Oh? And what might that be?” Jason asked with a lifted eyebrow. “A lifetime supply of sugar cookies?”

“Nuh-uh!” She placed her forelegs on Jason’s chest and pushed him down onto her bed. Before he could sit back up, she curled up into a ball on his chest, then said, “I just wanna snuggle tonight. Hm...” When she was sure that he wasn’t getting back up, she stretched out and wrapped her wings around him, just under his shoulders. “See how comfy this is, Dad?” She felt him run a hand through her mane again, prompting her to relax. “You know, I always fantasized about sleeping under my future mom or dad’s wing. I used to tuck a pillow behind my back, then pull the sheets over me to fake it. That’s what helped me fall asleep most nights...”

“Huh... really?” Jason felt his chest warm, much faster than a blanket would have done. “Oh, I think I see what you mean, but I think I’m a little tall for this.” He scooted back until his head was touching the pillow. “Hey, if you let me get up, I have an idea I think we’ll both like.”

Nightshine’s ears perked up at that. She lifted her head and stared at him for a few moments, then slid off of his chest, falling onto her side. After folding her wings, she watched Jason sit up, then walk out of the room. She heard him fumble about somewhere in his bedroom, and when he came back, he was wearing a loose-fitting gray sweater. She sat up, placing her forelegs between her hind legs and scooted over for him. He settled down on his back, then held up the bottom of his sweater. With a smile, he said, “Here, try this. My mother used to do this with me when I was about your size, so I think it’ll work out fine.”

“You.. want me to get under your sweater?” Nightshine asked, her head cocked to the side. “But won’t you get hot underneath the covers wearing all of your clothes?”

“Nah, this sweater will keep me warm.” Jason motioned for Nightshine to come in. “I won’t have to use the blankets wearing this.”

Nightshine tentatively stepped onto his chest, then settled down onto her belly. She scooted herself up, the soft fibers of the sweater pushing her ears back. Her head popped out just under Jason’s neck, so she nuzzled into it as she felt herself warm up. “Wow...” she murmured, wrapping her forelegs over Jason’s shoulders. “I think this is better than getting a wing-hug.”

“Heh, is that what it’s called?” Jason pulled the rest of Nightshine’s mane out from under the sweater for her, then wrapped his arms around her back. He slowly rolled over onto his side, letting Nightshine pull her forelegs back under the sweater. “I know my sweater is gonna get stretched out from this, but hey, it’s old, and I couldn’t think of a better use for it.”

“I...” Nightshine yawned, then licked her lips. “I think so too...”

“Glad ya think so...” Jason whispered. “Oh, and first thing tomorrow, we’re gonna start working out. We’re gonna get you so strong that you’re gonna be able to fly for days...” He felt Nightshine kiss the bottom of his chin.

“Too bad you can’t fly with me... I’d love to fly with you.”

Jason sighed, then relaxed as he fluffed the pillow. “Me too, sweetie... me too.”

Twilight's Technicality

Twilight rubbed her eyes. Her throat was dry, and the faint light emitted from the many candles strained her vision badly enough to make her want to give up and retreat to the comforting warmth of her bed. But she couldn’t, not now. She had spent the last five hours researching wormholes and other such oddities, working on her promise to figure out a way for Jason to get back to Earth. She’d been putting this work off in lieu of other more pressing matters, but as the Princess of Friendship, she felt it her duty to not go back on her promises, no matter how large or small.

Now that he’s probably adopted a pony already, would he even want to go back to Earth? Twilight thought, rubbing her eyes. He has his own house, he has a job, and it finally seems like he’s settled in for the long haul. I know I told him that I’d work to find a way for him to get home, but all of these books are telling me that these portals are highly randomized, both in their duration and at the locations that they show up at. Who knows when, or even where, a portal to Earth would open?

Now rubbing her temples, Twilight groaned and pushed the book that lay before her away, pushing away the one that she’d been reading earlier. She crossed her forelegs, flicked her tail once, then collapsed upon her legs, letting her eyes close for a few moments. “Why does this have to be so hard?” she muttered to herself.

“Uh, I don’t know,” she heard Spike’s voice directly behind her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up straight.

“Gah!” Her head whipped around, staring at Spike with bloodshot eyes as her heart raced in her chest. “You know I don’t like it when you sneak up on me, especially when I’m studying, Spike!”

Spike deadpanned. “Twilight, I knocked on the door twice, said your name three times, and I asked if you wanted some hot cocoa. When I heard you mumble something, I figured that you said yes, because who in their right mind says no to hot cocoa?” He held out one of two mugs in his claws, then smiled when Twilight gratefully took it from him with her magic. “So... whatcha studying? And is there anything I can do to help?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

“I’m afraid not, Spike.” Twilight took a sip from her mug, grabbed it from her magic, then let a weary smile slip on her face as she felt it warm her hooves. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way for Jason to get back to Earth, but... now that he’s chosen to adopt somepony, I’m starting to think that doing so might not be a good idea.”

“Hm...” Spike scratched his head. “I think I see what you’re getting at. He’s got a life here now, and when you find out how to get him home to his own planet, he’d be faced with a dilemma: give up his life here to go home, or stay here and start a family...” He licked his lips and shook his head. “That’d be one heck of a decision...”

“Mhm.” Twilight sipped from her mug, groaning in content as she felt it warm her up. “Thanks for making this, Spike. I sure needed it.” She flicked her tail and stood up for a moment, stretching her legs. “So... yeah. My books show me that the portal he came through are totally randomized. Finding one is nearly impossible, and I don’t know if it’d even send him back to his own planet, much less his own time! And now that he has adopted somepony, should I even keep trying?”

Spike took a large gulp from his mug. “Why don’t you let him decide?”

Twilight shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I could do that. If he really wanted to still go back to his own world, then I would have to spend the next several weeks trying to figure out how to make my own portal. We already know that we can travel back in time, but... what would we do about the pony he adopted? Sending them back to an orphanage...” Twilight shuddered. “No, we’d figure something else out. So... I guess talking to Jason first would be a good idea, but I think I already know his answer.”

“Sounds like a plan! So what’s keeping you up so late, huh? You’re usually in bed by now.”

“I know, I know... I just feel like the answer to his problem keeps eluding me, and no matter how much research I do... ugh.” Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes.

“So, I’m guessing you haven’t heard?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow at him. “He adopted a bat pony,” Spike said, draining the rest of his drink in one large gulp. He let loose a large belch.

“No, I haven’t heard anything about him adopting a bat pon—” Twilight nearly choked on her hot cocoa, though she managed to swallow most of it. “Wait, what did you just say?” She placed her mug on her desk and used her magic to lift Spike up in the air. She held him up so that they were staring eye-to-eye. “Did you say that he adopted a bat pony?! Not a pegasus, a unicorn, or an earth pony, but a bat pony?”

“Uh...” Spike raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Yeah? I don’t see what the big deal is, Twilight. You gave him your approval to go adopt whoever he wanted, and he came back with a bat pony filly. She looked to be around Scootaloo’s age, too.”

“Where did you see this?” Twilight demanded. “Or did you just hear about it?”

“I saw them earlier today, Twilight. I was in the market buying some apples from Applejack to restock the kitchen for you when I saw Jason walking by. I wanted to say hi, but then I saw a filly I’ve never seen before trotting beside him! She had a dark green mane and a dark gray coat.”

Twilight’s eyebrows scrunched together. “But... were there any discernible markings or features on her?”

“Oh, you mean like leathery wings and those cute tufted ears? Yeah, she had those. I thought I saw a little fang, but there were too many ponies walking around for me to get a good look.”

“Um... any chance that you thought you saw a bat pony by Jason’s side?” Twilight asked with a wince.

“Nope!” Spike shook his head with a smile. “He totally adopted a bat pony.”

“...Of all the ponies he could have adopted, he had to choose a bat pony...” Twilight groaned and spun around, letting Spike fall onto her cushion.

“What’s the problem?” Spike crawled up onto Twilight’s desk and peered down at her books.

Twilight sighed. “I thought I was giving him permission to adopt one of Equestria’s three races, not a foreign one. As for how Jason managed to adopt a bat filly, I... I have no idea how he managed to do that. I don’t even know if that’s allowed! An entirely different species raising a bat filly is unheard of!”

“So... hang on a second.” Spike sat down and stared up at Twilight. “I heard them talking about how they were going to spend the rest of the day building furniture for her new room, so are you saying that Jason might have to give up the filly even though he just adopted her?”

Twilight stayed silent as she thought things through. “I... I hope not,” she muttered, glancing away from Spike.

“Can you imagine how it would be from her point of view?” Spike poked Twilight’s leg as she stared off into the distance, making her look back at him. “She’s probably spent most of her life in that orphanage, Twilight. I have no idea how it must feel to have ponies looking to adopt somepony pick someone other than you. She’s missed out on so much, and you and I both know that Jason can give her a better life than she could ever have at the orphanage.”

Spike sighed, then stood up and wrapped his little arms around Twilight. He nuzzled her soft neck as she felt Twilight wrap a hoof around his back, and after a few tender moments of silence, he asked, “Do you remember when I hatched from my egg?” He felt Twilight nod, so he continued speaking. “Remember the first week that we spent together, and how Celestia gave you that whole week off? Well, I don’t remember much, other than the pictures you have, but I remember feeling something I had never felt before: a parent’s love. I consider you my mom because you raised me, and even though we aren’t related by blood, I think of us as family.” He sniffled and wiped a tear from his right eye. “I... I know I don’t say this enough, Twilight, but I love you.” Spike tightened his grip around Twilight’s neck and buried his face into her neck, using her fur to wipe away his tears. “You’ve been a great mom.”

“Aww, I love you too, Spike,” Twilight cooed, rubbing his back with a hoof. “And yeah, that first week was a blast. I think I showered you with more love and affection than I ever gave Smarty Pants,” she said with a light giggle. She lowered her head to nuzzle Spike, but felt him push her away. She cocked her head to the side, wondering why he did that as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I know you do, Twilight.” Spike’s voice grew hard and cold. “Now imagine this...” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then looked Twilight straight in the eye. “How you would feel if I was ripped away from your care after a week because of some stupid technicality? Look at it from the filly’s point of view, too.”

Twilight’s ears flicked back and she wilted in her seat. “I... oh my gosh, I’d feel—” She tasted bile in the back of her mouth.

“Like crap, right?”

“Don’t talk like that; you know better,” Twilight snapped at Spike. “But... yeah. I’d feel depressed, but knowing both of them, I’d feel alone, and feeling alone is the worst.” Twilight nodded slowly, then bit her lip as she glanced away. “I see what you’re trying to say, Spike. Sometimes I forget you aren’t that adorable baby that followed me everywhere I went.” She pulled him into a hug, wrapping her wings around his back as she nuzzled him. “You’ve grown up so much since we moved from Canterlot.”

“Yeah, I know... If you want, we can snuggle like we used to when we lived back in Canterlot if it’ll make you feel better. As for Jason and his adopted... daughter? I guess that’s the correct term for her... anyways, as for them, if you went and talked with the princesses about this, I think that there’s a big chance that Jason could lose that filly he just adopted. They looked really happy together when I saw them earlier, too. So, I guess what I’m really trying to say is... could you live with yourself if you were the reason that they got separated?”

Twilight glanced away again as she let Spike go. “I... I don’t know...” she muttered. She looked back at Spike and gave him a warm smile. “I’ll have to talk with the princesses tomorrow and see what we can do about this filly, and then see if we can make a special exception for Jason. First thing tomorrow, though, I’m going to talk with him and let him know what’s going on. He needs to know that I’m on his side, and that I won’t let his newly-adopted daughter be taken away from him without a fight. I just need to find out what he knows about her, because if this bat filly was in an orphanage for most, if not all of her life, then something is really messed up in the system. And if there is, then that’s another thing I have to take care of.”

“Would you like for me to come along?” Spike asked. “I’m sure you would like the company!”

Twilight smiled at him, then used her magic to toss him onto her back. “Yes, Spike, I’d like that a lot. Now, let’s go get some sleep; I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a very long day.”

“We’re gonna snuggle, right?” Spike asked hopefully.

Twilight giggled. “Yes, Spike... we’re gonna snuggle tonight.”

The Brewing Storm

As a skein of geese flew overhead, squawking like geese usually do, Jason wiped his brow as he watched Nightshine finish up another set of wing-ups. He was sitting with his back up against the only tree in his yard, his chest heaving up and down. Nightshine was sweating just as much, if not more than him, but he knew that her desire to fly was making her push herself harder than she’d ever done so before. The morning sun shined down upon them, bleeding through the leaves of the tree that they were working out under. Jason’s stomach was sore from doing so many sit-ups and his arms burned from the sheer amount of push-ups he’d done along with his daughter.

Nightshine strained as she lowered herself back down, her wings trembling from over-exertion. Jason had asked her to take a break thirteen wing-ups ago, but she still had a lot of energy left in her to keep going. Part of her wanted to use her legs to push her back up for this last one, but her innate need to impress Jason pushed that thought right out of her mind. The joints of her wings screamed as she pushed herself back up, inch by inch, until she was all the way back up. As soon as she reached that point, she let her legs support her weight, letting her fold her trembling wings back to her side.

With a satisfied smile, she walked over to Jason and collapsed upon his lap with a happy sigh. “See? I told you I... I could do more!” she panted

“You sure did, sweetie...” Jason held up a glass of water for her and let her chug the entire thing down. She panted a little softer now, a little bit of water slipping down her cheek. Jason wiped it away with his thumb, then as he sat back, Nightshine laid down on his chest, sprawling out on him like he was her soft bed. He ran his fingers through her mane, smiling as she hummed in content.

As he listened to the leaves rustling in the tree above, Jason scratched Nightshine’s lower back, then rubbed her back as he asked, “So... what was it like being an orphan?” Nightshine stopped humming abruptly, tensing up in his grasp. He saw her ears droop as she laid her head on his chest.

After she let out a deep breath, she stayed silent for several moments, then said, “It wasn’t fun. I feel like I had to grow up a lot faster than everypony else because I lived in an orphanage. So many couples looking to start a family passed over me, making me think that I’d never be adopted. But then you came...” Nightshine planted a tiny kiss on his chin, then laid her head back down as his fingers ran through her mane. “I had a friend, a filly a couple of years younger than me, who was almost adopted. I remember her being so happy, and even though I was happy for her, I was still really, really jealous.”

“That’s pretty mature of you to realize that, especially given your age...” Jason said softly.

“I guess... But you know what happened? The inspector found something out about the couple that was going to adopt her in the final inspection stage, which made it not possible for them to adopt her. She was... different after that. She stopped eating, stopped playing with me, and after a while, she’d lost so much weight that the headmistress had to take her to the hospital. I wanted to go with her just so that she wouldn’t have to be alone, but the headmistress would not let me go. She came back a week later, and a couple of months later, a new couple came around. The headmistress told me that they were trying to choose between me and her, so even though I really wanted to be adopted, I felt like she deserved it more. I acted like a brat the next time I saw the couple, knowing that I could be giving up my only chance, and... she was adopted.” She felt Jason kiss the top of her head.

As he wrapped his arms around her, Jason whispered, “That was very sweet of you.”

“Yeah, I know, but... I still cried myself to sleep that night,” Nightshine murmured. She fluffed her wings and wrapped her forelegs around his neck, ignoring the smell of his sweat as she nuzzled the side of his neck. “You made me the happiest filly in all of the land when you adopted me... I hope you know that.”

“Oh, I do, little one. Anyways...” Jason chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “By waiting, you ended up with a better choice: me! Right?”

Nightshine let a wide grin slide onto her face as she pulled back, folding her forelegs under her chest. “Right!” She rolled onto her back and slid back down into his lap, letting her head rest just beneath his chin. Nightshine closed her eyes as the breeze ran through her mane, cooling her off from the warmth of the sun. She hummed happily as she felt him wrap his arms around her belly.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Jason looked up, eyeing the only branch thick enough to support their weight. “Hey, Nightshine?”

“Yeah?” Nightshine lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him.

“You know, since you’re a bat pony and all, does your species ever hang upside down?” Jason asked, massaging the area where her wings met her body.

“Huh? Why would I do that?” Nightshine asked with a light giggle. She cocked her head to the side as she peered up at him with a cocked eyebrow.

“Well, where I’m from, regular bats hang upside down to sleep. And seeing that you’re a pony, I sorta figured that you’d sleep like any other pony. So after seeing that you sleep in a bed, I’m a little curious as to if you ever hang upside down.”

“Oh. Um... I dunno!” Nightshine shrugged. “I guess I never thought about it. Why do bats sleep upside down, anyways? That seems like a silly way to sleep if you ask me! You wouldn’t be able to snuggle or use your favorite pillow!”

“Well, from what I remember from elementary school, they sleep upside down to avoid predators. They weigh so much that they can’t just start flying just like pegasi, and...”

“Hey, are you calling me fat?” Nightshine asked with a pout. She tried to hold a straight face, but a small giggle slipped past her lips.

“Heh, nah, I’m not. You see, these bats hang upside down so that when they want to fly, they just let go and fall, and that gives them the speed they need to give them lift. They also sleep in hard to reach places, too, so that their natural predators won’t be able to find them.” Jason looked up at the branch again. “So yeah! Wanna give it a shot?”

“Sleeping upside down?” Nightshine looked up at the branch he was staring at. “But we just woke up, silly!”

Jason tousled Nightshine’s mane. “I know, sweetie, I was talking about just the hanging upside down part. I’m still waking up, after all, and I haven’t even had my cup of coffee yet!”

“Coffee... that’s what the headmistress used to drink all day! She said it was just for older ponies like her, and she wouldn’t let me and my friends have any. Can I try some? I wanna see if I like it or not!”

“Sure, I can give you a little when I make some later! Too much and it’d give you a tummy-ache, though.” Jason motioned for Nightshine to get up, and after she slid off of him, he stood up, wondering what would be the easiest way to climb up. He noticed that the tree’s base didn’t have any footholds, so he did the next best thing.

He jumped up and was just able to grab onto the branch. Jason hung there, his arms feeling like they were about to snap off when he felt Nightshine wrap her legs around his feet. He chuckled as he felt her climb up him, and as she stood on his head, he groaned as he lifted himself up, letting her clamber up onto the branch. With his chin resting on the branch, he saw Nightshine bite down on the back of his sweaty shirt, pulling with all of her might, giving him just enough help to let him swing a leg up onto the branch.

Jason panted, sitting next to his daughter. They were high enough to see over the top of their fence, though it was just a view of his next-door neighbor’s backyard and the surrounding buildings. After he caught his breath, he asked, “So uh... I guess I didn’t really think this through, but... how would a pony hang upside down? With the way your legs are, I don’t really see a way for you to do this!” Making sure the backs of his knees were locked around the branch, Jason leaned back all the way, letting himself swing back and forth upside down.

“With my tail, duh!” Nightshine said with a giggle. She wrapped the end of her tail around the branch and threw herself back before Jason could catch her.

Jason watched her fall from the branch in slow motion. His eyes went wide as he tried to reach out to catch her, but it was too late. Nightshine swung back and forth, just like him, with a wide grin on her face. “Ugh...” Jason relaxed with a deep sigh. “Can you not scare me like that? I really thought you were going to fall and hit your head.”

“Oh... sorry! I guess I was too excited.” Nightshine giggled again as she swung back and forth. “Hehe, this is fun! I don’t know why I didn’t do this before!”

“Doesn’t that hurt your tail? The horses back home hated it when someone tugged on their tails, and more often than not, the tugger got bucked!”

“You know, I didn’t think about that.” Nightshine unfolded her wings and flapped them, propelling herself forward, then folded them as she swung back. “Whee! This is fun, Daddy!”

“Yeah, it sure is!” He heard somepony knocking on his front door, so he yelled, “Out here!” He heard his front door open, then shut, and as they waited to see whoever it was that came knocking, Nightshine started swinging back and forth again a few moments before Twilight and Spike emerged from his house.

“Oh, hey guys!” Jason leaned up, grabbed the branch with his left hand, then unhooked his legs, letting him fall to the ground. Wiping his hands on his shirt, he stopped Nightshine from swinging, then let her grab onto his arms. She unlooped her tail from the branch with a quick flick, then looked over at their guests. Jason leaned down and let Nightshine stand on her own, who promptly shuffled behind him. “How’s it going?” He noticed a lack of a smile on Twilight’s face.

“Well enough,” Twilight said as she sat down. She looked at Nightshine and smiled. “Ah, you must be Nightshine!”

“Um, yeah...” Nightshine half-hid behind Jason’s legs, only sticking her head out. She cautiously came out with a sheepish smile, then sat in front of Jason, flicking her tail around her legs. Her eyes flicked between Twilight’s wings, then her horn, then back to her wings. Her eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh, are you a princess?” she asked so quickly her question sounded as if it was all one word. She stood up, then bowed, her muzzle nearly touching the dirt.

“That I am!” She lowered her head to look Nightshine in the face. “And aren’t you a cute little filly!” She giggled as she saw Nightshine blush. Glancing up at Jason, she asked, “I trust you didn’t have any problems adopting her?”

“Nah, not at all! I really cannot thank you enough for your help.” Jason sat down beside Nightshine and scratched her behind her ears. As she clambered into his lap, he said, “There were so many ponies to choose from, but she stood out from the rest.”

“Just like how you stand out as a human amongst ponies, right?” Spike asked, sliding from Twilight’s back.

“Yeah, I guess so!” Jason said with a laugh. “I never thought of it like that.” He looked down at his daughter. “Nightshine? This is Spike!”

“Huh?” Nightshine lifted her head from his leg and looked over to find a small dragon, standing on his two back legs much like Jason did. “Woah, a baby dragon? That can talk?” She jumped up from Jason’s lap and walked up to him, then cocked her head to the side, eyeing him up and down with a curious gaze.

“Heh, I’m not a baby anymore, but yeah, I’m a dragon! The name’s Spike!” He held out a closed fist for her to bump, which she did in record time. “I saw you yesterday in the market, but you guys looked so busy that I felt it wasn’t a good time to introduce myself.”

“That’s fine!” Nightshine giggled. “So are you Twilight’s friend or something?”

“Actually, she’s my mom, but that story’s for a later time.”

“Woah, that’s so cool!” Nightshine’s smile widened. “You wanna play sometime? I haven’t made any friends here yet, so do you wanna be my first?”

“Sure, that sounds great!” Spike looked up at Twilight and asked, “Say... is it okay if we go to Sugarcube Corner for some treats so you can talk with Jason?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Spike.” Twilight fished out a few bits from her bag and levitated them to him. “Can you be back here in a half hour?”

“Sure can! Come on, Nightshine, I heard Pinkie’s got some freshly-baked cookies!” He and Nightshine walked back into the house with a pep in their steps, leaving Twilight and Jason all alone.

“So... the reason for my coming was to talk about some... things with you. Can we go back inside?” Twilight asked as she stood up.

“Sure, what about?”

“...A few things, but I’d like for us to have some privacy back inside, if that’s okay.” Twilight’s smile faded from her face as she looked away. “I don’t want anybody else other than us to overhear what I need to tell you.”

“Yeah, okay.” He followed Twilight back inside, then sat down on his couch. “So what’s up?” he asked as Twilight climbed up next to him. She bit her lip, then looked up at him.

“I stayed up really late last night doing some research about finding you a way back home. The portal you came through was highly randomized, and it’s a wonder that you didn’t appear on top of a freezing cold mountain all the way up in the northern reaches. To have you appear on the outskirts of town was a blessing, but... anyways, to find a portal that would send you back to your planet is just not feasible. There’s no way to predict when and where it’ll show up, and for how long. I wouldn’t even know if it’d send you back to your planet, either.”

“So what you’re saying is that I’m pretty much stuck here?” Jason chuckled as he spread his arms out on the back of his couch. “It’s been so long that I’ve already accepted that. It’s also one of the reasons why I bought this house and chose to adopt someone.”

“I see.” Twilight rubbed her foreleg, then let her shoulders droop as she relaxed. “That‘s good to hear. I think Nightshine would hate to see you go if I did somehow find a way back home for you, and taking her with you, away from her home, friends, and her life here, probably wouldn’t work out too well.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it would. My life is here now, and I’m loving it so far. It is still a little weird not being a pony in a land of, well, ponies, after all. I can only hope that they won’t think less of me for choosing to raise one of their own species. I know you’re fine with it, but what about everyone else? I’m sure word spreads fast in a small town like this.”

“I doubt most would have any issue with it, but there might be some.”

“I figured as much. I’ve made a few friends around town, but I don’t get out much, so I can’t really say how comfortable they are around me.”

“Well, we’ve seen stranger things, so you needn’t worry about being the odd one out. In time, ponies will accept you, especially when they see how well you do in raising your new daughter.”

“Yeah, about that...” Jason scratched the back of his neck as he licked his dry lips. “I’ve never been a parent before, and I’ve never been married. I’ve always been good with kids, though, so I think I’ll do alright. It’s not like I’m raising an itty bitty foal, though. Nightshine’s already a little old, so... yeah,” he finished rather lamely.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Twilight shifted on the couch, then let her forelegs swing out over the edge. “So...”

“What?” Jason noticed that Twilight’s tone changed, making a small pit of worry form in his stomach.

Twilight stared at the floor for several moments, then said, “When I said you could adopt anypony you wanted to, I intended for you to adopt one of Equestria’s three races, not a foreign one.”

“Wait, huh?” Jason sat up. “Is Nightshine not from Equestria?”

“...No. Bat ponies come from a land far away from Equestria, and I have no idea how a filly so young could end up in Canterlot’s orphanage. As a foreigner yourself, the law states that you can’t adopt someone from a race not indigenous to Equestria. Even if you were a pony, the result would be the same.”

Jason frowned as he quelled a growl from deep within his chest. “I’m not giving her up. Hell’d freeze over before that happens.”

“Oh, of course!” Twilight sat up and held out her hooves, doing her best to reassure him. “And I’m on your side! Since I let this happen, I feel that it is my responsibility to make sure that things work out, but...”

“But what?” Jason nearly snarled, his upper lip trembling as he stared at Twilight.

“What should I do?” Twilight asked, pleading with him as they stared into each other’s eyes. “These laws are so old that it would take a ton of work and a lot of time to get them changed, time we do not have. I fear that if I keep this from my fellow princesses that I might lose their trust, but if I tell them what has happened, they might send Nightshine back to her country. I don’t know why the pony running the orphanage let you adopt a bat pony, because if Nightshine was there for any number of years, then I think we need to send somepony out there. Maybe she didn’t know about this law, or maybe she chose to ignore it, but nevertheless, she needs to be made aware of her mistake.”

“Fine. Why would the princesses send Nightshine back to her country? You saw how much she loves being here with me.”

Twilight bit her bottom lip. “Well, after some research this morning, I found that many generations ago, Princess Celestia signed into law that if a youngling from one race ends up in another’s land, like... a young gryphon ending up in Equestria, that we would be obligated to send them back no matter what. In the spirit of cooperation, each species signed this agreement, including us Equestrians. Princess Celestia asking for me to try and find you a way home was part of that, but since you can’t get home...” Twilight shrugged. “So... what would you have me do?” she asked, her voice trembling just a little.

Jason’s lips pursed. “I... don’t want to be breaking any laws, especially given the fact that I’ve only been here for such a short while, but on the other hand, I really care for Nightshine, even though it’s only been a few days. I’ve never smiled so much in such a short time, either. If I am found to be breaking this law, there’s probably a good chance that I’d be thrown in jail, right?”

Twilight nodded. “Well, there’d be a trial, yes, but I do not know what would happen to Nightshine in the meantime. If Foal Protective Services found out that you were being charged with breaking the law, they’d take her away from you in a heartbeat, even if you did win.”

“I figured as much. Hm... So if you talked to Princess Celestia on my behalf, I’d probably have a better chance of keeping Nightshine, so... I think you should t-talk to them,” Jason said, his throat becoming tighter with every word he spoke.

Twilight sighed, then grabbed Jason’s hand with a hoof. “If that is what you wish for me to do... I cannot promise anything, but I swear to you, as both your princess and your friend, that I will do my best to help you keep Nightshine.” Twilight grasped Jason’s hand tighter for just a moment. “I’ll talk to Celestia first, and I’ll try to make her see things our way. She can sometimes be stuck in her old ways, but if anypony has a chance of winning her over to our side, it’d be me. And Jason?” She let go of his hand as she slid from the couch. “I wouldn’t tell Nightshine about this... If I am able to make sure that you can keep custody of her, then she would have spent a couple of days worrying over nothing.”

“But what if you fail? Surely it’d be better for her to know that she could be going back to her country if Celestia says so,” Jason said, tasting bile in the back of his mouth as he remembered what Nightshine had told him earlier about her being an orphan. “It’d devastate her if she had to leave...” he murmured. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. “Hey! If Nightshine has to go back to her country, why don’t I move there so we could live together?”

“That’s... an interesting idea, but the process of you getting dual-citizenship in a different country in a completely different society as a species unknown to the rest of the world would take a long, long time to get approved. Life is very different over there, as I hope you know. You’d have to get a new home, a new job, a new everything... and that’s if you somehow got approved.” Twilight glanced at the floor, then looked back up. “I’ll talk to Celestia about it, and I’ll see if we can come up with some better solutions.”

As Twilight walked over to the door, Jason stood up and opened it for her. “Yeah, okay then. So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, probably in the late morning. So...” Twilight sighed. “Are you going to tell Nightshine what I just told you?” Twilight asked softly as she spotted Nightshine and Spike walking towards them from further up the road.

“...I don’t know,” Jason said equally as soft. “I’ll figure that out later.”

“I trust you’ll do what’s best for her, Jason,” Twilight said, looking over towards Nightshine and Spike. “She looks so happy...” she whispered.

As Nightshine watched Twilight trot away, she left Spike’s side and walked up to Jason. She noticed that he was looking rather glum. Her ears flicked back, and as she sat before him, she tugged the bottom of his pants with her hoof. “What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Looking down at her, Jason knelt down and scratched her under her chin. He forced himself to smile, then as he picked her up, he said, “Nothing, sweetie... nothing at all.”

Thunder in the Night Sky

As Jason washed the dishes from their dinner of a light salad and some bread rolls, Nightshine pushed their chairs back into place at the kitchen table. She flicked her tail in annoyance as she peered up at Jason wiping down the plates. Cocking her head to the side, she sat down next to the counter and managed to get a look of his face. Gone was the familiar smile that his face normally held, and he had been oddly quiet through most of the dinner, answering her questions with simple, one-sentence replies. What’s wrong with him? Does he have a tummy-ache or something? I get kinda quiet sometimes when my tummy hurts, so… that might be it… Licking her lips, she opened her wings and hopped up onto the counter. Sitting down on what little space she had, she folded her wings and let her tail hang off the counter as she pointedly stared at him.

Jason paused for a couple of moments, then glanced at her. He placed the rag and the plate back on the counter, then crossed his arms as he leaned against it. After he let out a sigh, he forced himself to smile and asked, “There something I can help you with, sweetie?”

Nightshine bit her bottom lip, then flicked her tail once as she used her right hoof to stomp on the counter. “You’ve been acting weird ever since the princess came by earlier today. Before she came over, you and I were having so much fun!” She couldn’t help but smile as she remembered swinging with Jason out in the backyard. “But when I came back from that bakery, you were… different. Even though it’s only been a few days… I can tell when you’re upset,” she said, her voice as soft as a feather.

“Already?” Jason chuckled as he propped himself up with his hands. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Well…” Nightshine hopped off of the counter and wrapped a hoof around Jason’s leg, then tugged him out of the kitchen. He followed her to the couch in the living room, and she waited for him to sit down. As soon as he sat down, she hopped up next to him, and to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to get up, she draped her forelegs over his legs, keeping him pinned until she got her answers. “You were really happy after we left the orphanage, so I kinda know how you look when you’re happy. But now?” She pushed herself up onto his lap. Nightshine let her forelegs curl up underneath her, then sighed as she laid her head on his chest, looking up at him. Jason wrapped an arm around her back, then used his other hand to scratch her behind the ears, just how she liked. She smiled and closed her eyes as she pushed up into his hand, then tilted her head to the right, allowing him to get her favorite spot: right at the base of her ear. “You don’t really look so happy…”

Jason sighed as he let his hand still. He let it fall back to his side, then laid his head on the back of the couch. After a few seconds, he felt Nightshine lay her head back down on his chest.

“How about this?” Nightshine lifted her head again and waited until Jason looked back down at her. “I promise I’ll never lie to you if you promise you’ll never lie to me, okay?” she asked.

If I say no… Jason glanced away as he ran a hand through his hair, feeling his stomach twist itself into a knot. She’d probably never trust me again. If I agree, then… ugh. I already know what she’s going to ask, but still… even if there’s a small chance of us staying together… “Alright, that... sounds fair,” Jason said carefully. “I promise I’ll never lie to you,” he said, looking down at Nightshine with a little smile.

“Good!” Nightshine chirped as a smile broke out on her face. “And I promise I’ll never lie to you, so…” Her ears flicked up as she sat up in his lap. “What did that princess tell you while I was gone?”

Knew it… “I... don’t think you’re old enough, little one,” Jason said softly as he lifted his hand to scratch her ears again, hoping that she’d just drop it.

“It can’t be that bad, right?” Nightshine asked as she pushed away his hand, even though a small part of her didn’t want to. “I am twelve years old, after all; I’m practically a grown-up like you!”

“Heh, you’ve still got a lot of growing up to do, Nightshine,” Jason said with a chuckle, glancing away for a moment. When he looked back at her, he saw her glaring up at him with her forelegs crossed. He held her gaze for a few seconds, then relented. “Alright... Twilight, she… told me something troubling about you,” Jason said softly. “The issue is that Princess Twilight said I could adopt anypony I wanted to, but what she didn’t say is that I had to adopt a pony that’s native to Equestria.”

“What do you mean? I am from Equestria!” Nightshine said, poking his chest with a hoof to emphasize her point. “I spent so much time in the orphanage, so… how can I not be a legal resident?”

“Yeah, well, Twilight intended for me to adopt an earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus. She told me that your species is from a country far away from Equestria, and that you aren’t native to these parts. On top of that, there’s this law that says that if a youngling of a species foreign to Equestria ends up here, that Equestria is obligated to send them back. They might have parents that are worried sick, so… you see where I’m going with this?” Nightshine nodded. “But since you were in an orphanage, you might have been overlooked. Now that Twilight is on her way to talk to the other princesses about this, you and I might…” He couldn’t look Nightshine in the eyes as he whispered, “not be a father and a daughter for much longer.” Many seconds passed in silence before he murmured, “She also told me that a foreigner, like me, wouldn’t be able to legally adopt a foreigner like…”

“Me?” Nightshine asked, her ears flicking down to lay flat on her head. Her bottom lip began to tremble, but she licked her lips to hide it.

“Uh…” There’s really no better way of putting this, so… “Yeah, like you,” Jason said softly. Before he could start speaking again, Nightshine lunged forward, startling him. Before he could react, he realized that she was hugging him, wrapping her hind legs as far around his chest as she could. He placed a hand underneath her rump to get some of the pressure off of his neck, holding her up as she nuzzled the side of his neck over and over. He opened his mouth to say something, but felt a little bit of wetness graze against the side of his neck, and with the way that Nightshine’s chest was heaving, there was no doubt in his mind that she was crying. “Hey…” He wrapped his other arm around her back and placed his hand on the back of her head, making her grow still as he heard her breath come in short, stuttering bursts. Jason rocked from side to side as he held her close, only feeling her grip tighten. “Everything’s going to be alright, Nightshine, I promise you that…”

Nightshine only whimpered in response, tightening her grip around his neck so much that he could have sworn he saw stars for a brief moment. “You remember what we just promised each other?” Jason asked as he slowly pulled her off of him so he could look her dead in the eyes. He wiped her tears away with his thumb, then placed her back on his lap. “I swore that I would never lie to you, so believe me when I tell you that I’ll do anything to keep you by my side.”

Nightshine couldn’t help but crack a small smile. “I-I know. It’s just… the idea of going back to the orphanage is…”

“Shh… I know,” Jason whispered as he grabbed her front hooves with his hands. “I have no idea what the laws are in regards to foreign species being born in Equestria, but if it’s anything like back where I come from, then technically, you’d be a legal citizen of Equestria if you were born here. That could work in our favor, but…” He stretched himself out on the couch, placing his hands behind his head. Nightshine slid off of his chest and settled down between him and the back of the couch. “I don’t know for sure if you were born here or not. When I was doing the paperwork to adopt you, the space where that little tidbit of information was supposed to be was… blank.”

“Huh…” Nightshine rolled over onto her back, propping her head up on Jason’s shoulder. “Are you a citizen of Equestria?”

“I think so, yeah.” Jason chuckled as he tickled Nightshine’s belly for a few seconds. “If I wasn’t, then how could I buy this house? And if you think about it, if I’m not a legal citizen of Equestria, how was I able to adopt you from an Equestrian orphanage?”

“Well, you did have that scroll from the princess to help you, right?” Nightshine asked.

“Yeah, I did, but from what I can tell, Twilight plays by the rules. She wouldn’t knowingly break a law just to help me out.” Would she? Jason let out a deep sigh, then felt a smile slip onto his face. “I wonder if, since I adopted you, you would gain legal residency in Equestria since I’m a legal resident. On top of that, if you were a legal resident, then this wouldn’t really be a big issue, but… if you aren’t a legal citizen, then… we might have a pretty big problem.”

“Yeah, maybe…” Nightshine peeked up at him for just a moment before she climbed back up onto his chest. “But you’d be able to work it out, right?”

“I sure hope so, Nightshine… I sure hope so.” Jason glanced at the clock and saw that it was getting close to Nightshine’s bedtime. “Well, I think that’s enough drama for one night,” he said, yawning as he stretched. “Worrying about this all day has left me kinda tired. What about you?”

“A little, yeah, but after you told me what might happen?” Nightshine slid off of his chest and sat down next to him, then reached out for him as he stood up. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest as they walked to her bedroom.

“Yeah, I know, but just try to get some rest, okay?” Jason set her down on the bed, then sat down next to her, rubbing her back with his hand. “Twilight is going to come back tomorrow, so I want to make sure that we’re not walking around like zombies in the morning.” He planted a kiss on her forehead, then lay down on her bed, pushing himself near the wall as he rolled over onto his side. “I can tell you don’t want to be alone, especially after I just told you all of that, so… we can snuggle if you want to,” Jason said, holding up the covers for her as he slid his legs in underneath them.

“Okay,” Nightshine murmured, carefully walking across the bed as she settled down next to his side. Instead of pressing her back against him, she curled up into a ball and laid her head on his outstretched arm, tucking her head underneath his. She felt the sheets settle down over her body, so she flicked her tail a couple of times in content as Jason flicked off the light.

“Hey, remember how I said that Twilight told me about the law talking about how they send younglings back to their country?” Jason asked, letting his arm rest on Nightshine’s side. He ran the tip of his finger across her wing, making her giggle softly.

“Y-Yeah?”

“Maybe you’re old enough for that law to not apply to you...” Jason murmured, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. But Twilight did try to find me a way home, even after all of this time... Could she have been ordered by the other princesses to find me a way home like that law says? Jason gulped. Earth never formed an agreement with this world’s governments, so... hm... I dunno, but I’m sure that Twilight’s gonna figure out a way for all of... this, to work... I hope.

“Maybe...” Nightshine whispered back. She blinked, already feeling her eyelids starting to feel heavy. She gently nuzzled Jason’s neck, then felt a yawn force itself past her lips. “Goodnight, Daddy...” She felt Jason plant a kiss on her head, making her blush and smile a teensy bit.

“Goodnight, Nightshine...” Jason pulled his legs up, curling up into the fetal position as he felt Nightshine stretch her legs with another yawn. When he felt his legs bump against hers, he let himself relax. As he heard thunder rumble far off in the distance, he glanced at the window and saw not a bit of moonlight streaming through the open curtains, so with a shrug, he closed his eyes for the last time that night.

A Strike of Lightning

Jason woke up with a start when he heard the sounds of somepony banging on his front door. Lifting his head from the pillow, he heard the sound of rain smacking against Nightshine’s window, thunder rumbling off in the distance. He felt Nightshine stir in his grasp, latching onto his arm with her legs as she snuggled closer to him. “Hey sweetie...” Jason whispered as he sat up, his throat feeling rather dry. He scratched his messy hair with his other hand, choosing to let Nightshine hold onto the other. When her hold on his arm tightened, he lifted it up, letting Nightshine dangle beneath it. “Time to get up, Nightshine,” he said, smiling as he watched her loop her tail around his arm.

Cracking her eyes open, she licked her lips and let go with her legs, only to fall half a foot back to the bed. “Huh?” she asked as she lay on her back, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. “Where am I?” she asked, peering around the room.

“We’re in your bedroom, silly,” Jason said as he unlooped her tail from his arm. He tickled her belly with the tips of his fingers for a few moments before he slid his legs over the edge of the bed. “Were you dreaming about something?”

“Actually, yeah...” Nightshine rolled over onto her belly and laid her forelegs over Jason’s lap. “I was in the middle of a dream where we were hanging upside down on a tree in the middle of a wide open field. It felt so real...” She shivered as the sheets slipped from her back, so she scooted closer to Jason’s side for warmth. “Almost as if I was having a vision, but... you weren’t you.” She rolled over onto her back and laid her head in his lap as she stared up into his eyes.

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed at that. “What do you mean?” With his right hand, he opened Nightshine’s left wing and scratched her side normally protected by it, making her squirm away from his ticklish fingers with a surprised squeal.

With a giggle, she pushed his hand away and folded her wing back up against her side. “You were...” The sounds of insistent knocking on the front door broke her concentration. “Oh, is that what woke us up?” she asked with a frown, a fang slipping past her lips as she glared at her bedroom door.

“Yeah, and I think it might be Twilight... C’mere, you!” As he stood up, he pulled Nightshine into his arms and held her like he would a human baby as he walked down the hall and into the living room. With his free hand, he pulled open the front door to find Twilight standing by herself, shivering from the cold, wet rain. He looked past her for just a moment, wondering if the other princesses or guards were around, and when he saw that they were in the clear, he pulled the door the rest of the way open with a small sigh of relief. “Hey, Twilight,” he said, standing aside to let her in from the rain. After closing the door, he asked, “So... did everything go alright up there?”

Twilight lit her horn and purged all of the water from her coat as she walked past him to collapse on the couch. She pulled her hind legs up onto it and slid them underneath her. She glanced up at him, then patted the couch with a hoof. “Things went... well, they didn’t go so good.”

Great start to a morning... Jason set Nightshine down on the couch as he walked into the kitchen.

Nightshine folded her forelegs in front of her as she peered up at Twilight, who was avoiding her gaze. She cleared her throat once, then twice, but still, she did not look at her. Nightshine’s tail started flicking about back and forth as she fought to keep her ears from flopping down, but instead ended up making them perk up, then fall flat over and over again. With a sigh of defeat, she laid her head on her forelegs and let her ears flop down, her eyes never leaving Princess Twilight.

“Water okay for you two?” Jason asked from the kitchen, grabbing a few glasses from the cupboard.

“Yeah, I suppose that’d be fine, but do you have any coffee?” Twilight called back.

Jason paused, then put the glasses back. “Yeah, I can make some. Just gimme a few minutes!” He filled up his coffee maker with a few scoops of coffee grinds, filled it up with the right amount of water, then hit the button on the machine. In the time that the coffee was being made, he grabbed a few mugs and reached into the fridge for the creamer. He poured a little bit into each mug, then poured a little extra into Nightshine’s mug so that her coffee wouldn’t have any trace of bitterness in it. When the coffee was done being made, he poured equal amounts into each cup, then picked them all up as he walked back to the couch.

“Thanks,” Twilight said gratefully as she accepted a mug from Jason. She let it warm her hooves before she took a sip. “Ah...” she said with a content sigh. “I came right over from the train station, so I didn’t get to have my morning coffee.” She took another sip. “What brand is this? It’s actually pretty good! Well, better than the stuff I buy.”

“I don’t know, I just buy the most expensive brand at the shop.” Jason handed Nightshine a mug, watching her mimic how Twilight held her own mug. When Twilight lit her horn to bring it up to her lips, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself when he saw Nightshine’s shoulder’s slump. Nightshine held it tightly between her two front hooves, then slowly brought it up to her lips while leaning down. “How is it, sweetie?” he asked.

Nightshine glanced at Twilight, then at Jason. “Well, I think it’s pretty good. Isn’t it supposed to be bitter, though? And a lot darker?”

“Yeah, if you drink it straight. I put in some creamer, just like I always do. Without it, it’s just too bitter for me to drink.” He sat back in the couch and took a sip from his own mug. “So, Twilight...” Her ears perked up at that. “What happened when you were talking with the other princesses?”

Twilight’s ears flopped down. “Well... I talked to them on your behalf, and things were... divided, to put it simply. Princess Celestia was fine with you adopting a pony of your own, as it shows her that you’ve accepted living here and that you’re making strides to become part of our community. The part she wasn’t fine with, though, was the part where I told her that you adopted a thestral. Princess Luna was shocked that a thestral filly as old as Nightshine was in an Equestrian orphanage, and she wanted to know all about you.” She looked down at Nightshine and smiled gently. “In a good way, I promise,” she said. “Anyways, I did my best to convince Princess Celestia that Nightshine was better off in your care. She wanted to contact the thestral embassy in Canterlot to invoke that law I told you about, but I managed to convince her to not do that, and trust me, that was hard.”

“So... can you get to the end?” Jason asked, trying not to sound mean. “You’ve got me sitting on pins and needles here.”

“Sorry!” Twilight blushed as she took another sip of coffee. “I can draw things out sometimes. After much discussion, Celestia let me study the law books for as long as I needed to, and halfway through, Luna even came to help me out. When I asked why, she felt like she had failed Nightshine by not being able to sense her presence in the dream realm or something like that. She thought it might be because of her being a thestral, but she told me that she’d been able to get into the dreams of her guards before, but not often...” She rubbed her chin, then took another sip. The hoof she was holding her mug in started to shake as she set it back on the couch. She fluffed her wings, then licked her lips. Twilight looked Jason dead in the eyes, then said, “The laws were clear. A foreigner cannot adopt a pony from another race, even if you are a legal citizen here in Equestria. I checked up on that and made sure that your papers went through from several months ago. Even though you’re not a pony, you’re still a citizen of Equestria.”

Nightshine couldn’t help but whimper. As tears formed in the corners of her eyes, she shoved her mug off the couch with her hoof. She saw Twilight’s horn light up, stopping the mug from shattering on the floor, though a little bit of coffee did spill onto the floor. Nightshine blinked many times as she struggled to find Jason’s leg through her blurry vision. When her hoof found it, she curled up next to him and buried her muzzle into his belly, trying to escape Twilight’s words that kept swirling through her head.

Jason felt bile rise up in his throat. He laid a hand on Nightshine’s head, then ran his fingers through her mane as his shirt grew wet with her tears. “What about Nightshine? Is she a legal citizen of Equestria?” he asked, struggling to keep himself calm.

“Actually, I couldn’t find anything about that when I was looking through the records up at the castle. I should have stopped by the orphanage to find out, but I had very little time. If the castle doesn’t have that information, I doubt the orphanage would.”

“Okay...” Jason said slowly. “So since I’m a citizen, does my adopting Nightshine make her a citizen automatically?”

“Technically, no, even though it’d be nice. She’d have to apply for citizenship just like you had to do, but if she doesn’t have a legal guardian here in Equestria, that cannot happen. And since the law says that a foreigner cannot adopt another foreigner, Nightshine would be taken from your care, and another agency that I can’t remember the name of right now would temporarily take care of her until they figured out what to do with her. With her age, she’s in a gray area when it comes to the law. Technically, since she’s under eighteen, she’s still considered a minor, and even though the law concerning sending younglings back to their own countries mentions only fillies and colts, it doesn’t specifically name an age.” Twilight sighed again. “Celestia still thinks it would be best to send her back to her own country. Since we don’t have proof that she was born here, Celestia wants to consider her as a foreigner in regards to the law. I thought that would be the end of it, but Luna spoke up against her, in our favor.”

“She... she did?” Jason asked with wide eyes. “I always thought they agreed on everything.”

“Most of the time, yeah, they do, but Luna felt so strongly about this that she felt like she had no choice but to oppose her sister. Much to my disbelief, Luna made a compromise with Celestia, but... I’m not sure if you’re going to like it,” she said, finishing her last sentence in a soft voice as she glanced away.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Nightshine by my side, Twilight,” Jason said, his voice firm and strong. “Anything...” He picked Nightshine up and held her against his chest, letting her wrap her forelegs around his neck.

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’d be surprised at what Celestia agreed to. It’d require a massive sacrifice from you, but she said that if you agreed to her terms, the law in question would no longer have any effect.” She took another deep breath, then finished the rest of her coffee in one go. “Remember how I said that a foreigner cannot adopt another foreigner?” Jason nodded at her, his eyes locked on hers. “Well... if you weren’t a foreigner, then your adoption of Nightshine would be of no issue.” She bit her bottom lip as her eyes searched for any signs of realization on Jason’s face. “And then we could put all of this behind us.”

Nightshine’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes went wide and her ears shot up straight. She trembled as she remembered her dream from earlier that morning. Oh... my... gosh... was my dream really a vision? She wiped her wet eyes with a hoof and sat back on Jason’s lap, then slid down onto the other side of his legs, keeping her forelegs on top of his thighs as she stared right at Twilight, trying to stop her smile from growing. Her tail swished back and forth against the arm of the couch as she waited for Twilight to finish revealing the solution to their problem.

“Twilight, what exactly are you saying?” Jason asked. When he felt a Nightshine poke his leg with an insistent hoof, he looked down at her. She was no longer crying, instead, she looked like she was waiting to hear if she’d won the winning numbers for the lottery. She stared up at him with beaming eyes, so couldn’t help but smile at her. When she smiled back, her fangs slipped passed her lips. He felt just how tense she was just from how her forelegs were trembling resting upon his legs. A bright flash of light shined through the windows for the briefest of moments, followed by a particularly loud clap of thunder that made him jump a little.

“Well...” Twilight cleared her throat and coughed softly. “Believe me when I say that this is the only option available if you want to keep Nightshine. I tried to offer Celestia other solutions, but she was adamant that this was the only option. So...” She rubbed her forelegs together, biting her bottom lip as the words rested on the tip of her tongue. “If you want to stay together, you would have to let me turn you into a thestral.”

I was right! Nightshine thought as her head whipped up to look at Jason’s face. She nearly giggled as she saw his mouth hanging open wide. He stayed stock-still as he stared at Twilight, so she laid her head on his chest and nuzzled him until he looked down at her with a similar look. Her ears flicked up to stand tall and rigid as she shot her biggest, most reassuring smile at him, praying with all of her heart that he’d say yes.

Jason's Decision

“Uh... what?” Jason asked with wide eyes as he stared at Twilight. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m afraid that I am,” Twilight said slowly.

“But what about my job? I can’t really fix things for ponies if I’m a pony, now can I?” he asked, trying to hold back his anger. “How would I support myself and Nightshine if I can’t make any money?”

“That’s... actually a good point, though I’m sure we could find you something around town, but... this is the only option available to us.” Twilight sighed as she crossed her forelegs. “I know that you weren’t expecting something like this, but there are a couple of positives.”

“Yeah?” Jason scoffed. “Like what?”

Nightshine’s ears perked up at that. As a smile formed on her face, she licked her lips, then bit her bottom lip as she poked at his chest with a hoof. Jason looked down at her with a lifted eyebrow, staying silent. “Um... I can think of one,” Nightshine squeaked out with a light blush, her ears laying flat on her head. She glanced away as her rump wiggled in excitement.

Jason sighed and relaxed a little bit. He smiled down at her and scratched her between her wings. “Oh? And what might that be, little one?”

Nightshine glanced at Twilight for a second, then looked back up into Jason’s eyes. “Winghugs!” she said, pushing herself up off of his chest. Her tail swished back and forth behind her. “Back at the orphanage, I always had dreams of sleeping under the wings of my future parents. Every time I woke up, though... there was nobody there,” she said, her smile faltering a little bit. “But then you adopted me! I never thought someone like you would adopt me, so...” she trailed off as her smile returned in full force.

“So you’d like for me to become a thestral, like you, so that we could snuggle some more? But we already snuggle a ton, sweetie!” Jason said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, but I just know winghugs would be so much better!” Nightshine hopped in place on his lap, her wings spread wide. “Snuggling with you is still awesome, though. Oh! I just thought of another reason!”

“Do tell,” Twilight said with a small smile and a fluff of her wings.

“You and I can learn how to fly together!” Nightshine said, her voice filled with utter glee. “Just imagine us flying! Wouldn’t that be really awesome?”

“Huh... yeah, that would be pretty cool,” Jason said. He scratched his chin as he slumped in his spot on the couch. He closed his eyes as he imagined soaring through the clouds with Nightshine right beside him. “Say, Twilight?” he asked, looking at her. “Can thestrals stand on clouds?”

“Yeah, they can.” Twilight pushed herself up with her forelegs until she was sitting up. She flicked her tail over the side of the couch, then cleared her throat. “Another perk of becoming a pony.”

“Can I... have some time to think it over? This isn’t a decision I can make on the spot,” Jason said.

“Of course.” Twilight nodded once and slid off the couch. “I’ll be at my castle, okay? I’m going to do some research on how to actually do this; it is a complicated spell, after all.” As she opened the front door with a spell, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Can you come by when you make up your mind? I’m sure I’ll have something figured out by then; I just need to reread my books about transformation spells.”

“Yeah, sure...” Jason said, standing up. Once the door was closed, he groaned and shook his head. “I... need some time to think about this.” After helping Nightshine off of his lap, he placed her on the couch and stood up. “If it’s okay, I’d like to think... alone,” he said, avoiding Nightshine’s gaze.

“Um... okay,” Nightshine said, her ears once again falling flat on her head. As Jason walked away, she hopped off the couch, a foreleg raised to go follow him into his bedroom. His door shut with a soft click, leaving her alone in the living room.

All was dead silent. The sounds of the market faded away as Nightshine felt her heart sink into her stomach. With a sigh, she slowly clambered back up on the couch and curled up into a ball, holding her tail between her forelegs. What if he says no? Then I’d have to go back to the orphanage for sure... She clenched her eyes shut as a single tear slipped from the corner of her right eye. What would the other ponies say when they see me again? If I was an outcast before, I’d be even more of one then... She buried her muzzle into her forelegs as a sob slipped past her lips, letting her tail slip over the edge of the couch. And just when I thought everything was going to be okay, too...

She felt anger grow within her heart. No! I’m not going to let some stupid law ruin my life! She lifted her head from under her legs and smacked the couch with a hoof. Wiping the tears from her face, she slid off of the couch again and took a few steps towards Jason’s room. “We could run away...” she whispered to her herself, her eyes going wide at the new idea. “But... I’d lose all of that nice stuff that he just bought me.” She sat down and scratched her left foreleg with a hoof as she bit her lip. “And he’d lose his house...” Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she felt more tears slip down her face.

With her head hanging low, she walked up to Jason’s door and stood up on her hind legs, just barely able to reach the handle. She wrapped a hoof around it and pulled it down, opening the door. As it swung open wide, she saw Jason laying on his bed, his head under a pillow. Trying her hardest to muffle her choked sobs, she took a couple of steps into the room and paused. What if... me bothering him makes him want to not turn into a pony? she thought. Nightshine licked her lips and looked back out through the open door, wondering if she should just let Jason spend some time alone, just like he’d said he needed. With a soft whimper, she turned around and crept out of his room and into hers.

Walking into the middle of the room, she sat down and looked all around. Even though it’d only been a few days since she’d been adopted, it felt as if this was her home now. Everything felt right, and above all, it felt as if all of this stuff was truly hers. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to take any of this if she was to be sent back to the orphanage, so as her shoulders slumped, she used her bed sheets to wipe the tears from her eyes.

But more kept coming.

As the worry of what might come to pass grew within her mind, she wanted nothing more than for someone to tell her that everything was going to be alright, and there was only one person that could do so. With her cheeks wet with fresh tears, Nightshine turned and walked out of her bedroom and back into Jason’s. She used the low-hanging sheets as a makeshift ladder to climb up onto his bed. Standing by his side, she spotted Jason’s right arm and figured that that would be the best spot for her to get his attention. She lay down and scooted forward, pushing his arm up with her muzzle as she felt an innate need to be held grow within her heart. She pushed the rest of her body up against his side and nuzzled his cheek incessantly as more tears streamed from her eyes, praying for a miracle. She felt Jason wrap his arm around her, holding her tight against his side as he rolled over onto his back, pulling her onto his chest. With her vision blurry with tears, she wrapped her forelegs around his neck and wrapped her wings around him, right under his armpits. He held her close as she nuzzled his neck.

“Hey... don’t cry, sweetie...” Jason murmured, his throat feeling a bit tight. Nightshine’s cries only got louder. “What’s got you so upset?”

Nightshine only held on to him tighter as she felt his grip loosen on her. “I... I know what you’re going to choose! W-Why would you want to change into a different s-species just to keep me? I’ve only been here for a few days, s-so I know you wouldn't want to turn into a pony just so we could stay to-together...” More tears slid down her face as she gazed at the sheets, unable to look Jason in the eyes.

“C’mere, you...” Jason wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back in, then rolled onto his side. He curled up into the fetal position, holding Nightshine in his arms. “You don’t need to worry about a thing, okay? I’d be some kind of a horrible person if I adopted you, then gave up when things got tough. I’m not a horrible person, am I?”

“No!” Nightshine said forcefully. “Of course not; why would you say that?” She wrapped her forelegs around his lower arm and held onto it tightly. “So...”

“Yeah?”

“Did you make up your mind?” Nightshine asked softly. “I know it’s only been a couple of minutes since Twilight left, but...”

“Nightshine, when I adopted you, I made a commitment to better your life, and I am not going to give up on you because of an unexpected twist. While this wasn’t something that I expected, I guess I’m sorta looking forward to seeing what it’d be like being a pony. It can’t be that hard walking on four legs, right?”

“Nope! It’s super easy!” Nightshine said with a small giggle. She wiped her tears away with a hoof.

“Glad to hear it; I think it’d be fun to see how it’d work out for me,” Jason said softly. He took in a deep breath, but before he could let it out, Nightshine leapt from his arms.

“You mean it?” Nightshine stared at Jason with wide eyes, her tail wiggling back and forth as she let her forelegs bend. She opened her wings and threw on a huge smile that made her fang become exposed.

“Yeah, I—oomph!” Nightshine tackled him, wrapping her legs around him as they rolled over in the sheets. “Heh, so I guess you’re pretty happy about this, huh?”

Standing before Twilight in her castle’s library, Jason looked down at Nightshine and saw her beaming up at him. He tousled her mane, making her hum happily in content as she nuzzled his leg. Looking up at Twilight, he asked, “So, uh... this isn’t going to hurt, is it?”

“I don’t think so; my books never said anything about this being painful,” Twilight said as she reread the spell one more time. Lighting her horn, she threw up a soundproof seal around the room, locking them in for the moment. When she noticed Jason’s and Nightshine’s perplexed expressions, she sat down and grinned. “Believe it or not, but after I left your house, I came up with something that’ll allow you to retain your human form, though not in the way that you might think. Before you ask any questions, though, I feel as if I must make it clear that your natural state will be a pony, but whenever necessary, you can temporarily become a human again for a short while.” She lit her horn again and lifted up a hoof-sized ring that held a thick, clear crystal, letting it hover in front of her. “If you put this on, you will revert to your human form, if you so wish, though once you become like one of us, you might actually come to like living as a pony.”

“Huh...” Jason scratched his chin as he stepped up to the ring. “So what happens to it if I put it on? Wouldn’t it be too big for my finger?”

“Actually, it’d stay on your arm, near your shoulder to be exact. Your clothes would cover it up, and when you want to go back to being a pony, just undo the latch, let it fall off, then you’ll revert to what will soon be your natural state.”

“Okay, I get that, but... would there be any side effects?” Jason asked. “And would I still be wearing clothes if I put the ring on as a pony?

“I don’t think so, but if you notice any, I would like it if you told me about them so that I could make note of them for future research. Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“As for your clothes... you’d essentially be naked like the rest of us, so... you ready for this?”

“If there’s no way to get out of this, then yeah, I am,” Jason said, looking down at Nightshine with a small smile. No clothes? Ugh... that’s gonna take some getting used to!

“Nightshine, you need to step away for this to work,” Twilight said, waving her over with a hoof. “We wouldn’t want you to get caught up in the spell, right?”

“I guess not.” Nightshine nuzzled Jason’s leg, then whispered, “Good luck, Daddy.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Jason stretched his arms, then wiggled his fingers. “Heh, gonna miss these,” he said with a chuckle.

“Okay, here we go!” Twilight lit her horn and lowered her head, pointing her horn directly at Jason’s chest.

A bright purple light surrounded Jason as he rose into the air. His entire body went numb, then all went black. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Nightshine’s worried face as he fell to the floor in a heap.

Jason's First Steps

Nightshine rushed forward, her wings bristling in fear. “Daddy!” she cried out, nuzzling his head as she tried to get him to wake up. When he failed to move, or show any signs of life for that matter, her heart turned to ice as she feared the worst. “D-D-Daddy?” she squeaked out, her ears falling flat on her head. “What did you do to him?” she yelled, turning her attention towards Twilight.

Twilight’s eyes went wide as she stared on in shock. “I... I...” She took a step forward, but Nightshine hissed at her, making her stop in place.

Nightshine bared her fangs as she flicked her tail. She spread her wings open wide, planting her forelegs firmly on the floor. “Don’t you dare touch him!” she screamed as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Nightshine lay down behind Jason, laying her forelegs over his chest and covering him with her wings as she kept her steely gaze locked on Twilight. Her upper lip trembled as she failed to bite back a snarl.

“Nightshine, please! I need to make sure he’s okay!” Twilight pleaded as she took another cautious step closer. “This shouldn’t have happened...”

“Yeah, but it did!” Nightshine nuzzled Jason’s listless form, then lifted his head up with her muzzle, only for it to slip back down onto the floor with a dull thud. Her throat tightened up, and the possibility of Jason dying in front of her made her want to puke, for even though they’d known each other for a very short time, he’d given her a chance at life that nobody had offered before.

“Please, at the very least, let me move him to the couch,” Twilight said. “You can stay by his side the whole time, okay? Trust me, as your friend and as a Princess of Equestria, I would do nothing that would harm either of you.”

Nightshine glared at Twilight for a few seconds, then her ears flicked back. She wiped the tears from her eyes, then stood up on trembling legs. “F-Fine,” she muttered, glancing away.

“Thanks.” Twilight lit her horn, then lifted Jason up into the air. As he floated by her, she couldn’t help but notice the two fangs that poked out from between his lips. She set him down on the couch, but before she could even approach him, Nightshine leapt up in front of her and curled up on top of his side, gazing at her with suspicious eyes. “Can I at least check to see if he’s alive?” Twilight asked in a strained voice.

Nightshine glanced at Jason’s head, then looked back up at Twilight. She flicked her tail up into her forelegs, and after a few seconds of deliberation, she nodded slowly.

Twilight walked forward and sat down next to the couch. She lowered her head and placed an ear right at his lips and held her breath, praying that he was still alive. When she felt the sensitive hairs in her ear begin to tickle, her shoulders drooped in relief. “He’s alive,” she said with a sigh of relief, shooting a reassuring smile at Nightshine.

“Good,” she muttered back. “So, uh... is he sleeping or something?”

“I think he’s unconscious. Changing species like that is a bit drastic, and I guess his body wasn’t able to handle the sudden change. I’m pretty sure humans don’t have any magic in them, so transforming them into a species with magic probably caused him to pass out like this.” Twilight stood up and took a deep breath. “He should be fine, but nevertheless, I think we should keep an eye on him until he wakes up.”

What, does she think I’m just gonna leave him here? Nightshine rolled her eyes. “Probably a good idea, yeah.”

Jason blearily cracked an eye open, then closed it as the sunlight nearly blinded him. Ugh... what happened? And why do I have such a bad headache? he thought, laying stock-still. Oh, yeah... the transformation... He tried to move his fingers, but found that nothing in what used to be his arms moved whatsoever. Figuring that it’d be the same way with his toes, he flexed his neck. mentally balking at the feeling of it being much longer. A wondrous warmth covered his side, making him want to just go back to sleep to hopefully get rid of his headache, but a small part of him knew that Twilight and Nightshine would be worried about him. He licked his dry lips and gingerly lifted his head from the pillow. “N-Nightshine? You there?” he croaked out, his mouth and throat terribly dry.

“Daddy!” Nightshine squeed as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “You’re okay!”

“Ugh... sorta...” Jason coughed, then rolled over onto his stomach. He began to look over his shoulder, but paused halfway as his vision started to go blurry. Even though his headache felt like it was starting to get worse, he finished looking over his shoulder to shoot Nightshine a reassuring smile. “Hey there, sweetie. I didn’t worry you too much, did I?”

Nightshine’s ears flopped down. “Um... kinda. When you fainted, I thought that...”

“We thought that something had gone terribly wrong,” Twilight said, sitting down in front of the couch. “Thankfully, that is not the case. So, uh... how are you feeling, Jason?” she asked, biting the bottom of her lip.

Nightshine pushed herself off of Jason’s back and slipped down to lay belly-up between his forelegs. Jason smiled again as he looked down upon her, stroking her mane with a tentative hoof. His first few strokes were a little rough, so he took a deep breath, concentrated really hard, then as gently as he could, brushed a small bit of her mane behind her ear. Glancing up at Twilight, he said, “Well, I have a pretty bad headache. Other than not being able to feel my fingers and toes, I think I’m fine.”

“Okay... while the headache was unexpected, I don’t think you should face any other side effects. Is your headache kinda small, or is it something like a migraine? Did you get those while you were a human? Does your family history have any sort of issues like that?” Twilight levitated a scroll and a quill over and started scribbling down some notes.

“It just feels like a regular headache.” Jason licked his lips and pulled Nightshine up against his breast. “So, what do you think of me as a bat pony?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I think you look perfect; exactly how I imagined my daddy would look like back when I was at the orphanage! But...” Nightshine glanced away as she fidgeted in his grasp. She tried to hold back a smile, but couldn’t help let it slide onto her face.

“What is it?”

“I... might miss your fingers for ear scritches,” Nightshine admitted with a light blush. “So maybe when I want them, could you change back into a human?”

“Heh, yeah, I think we can do that.”

Twilight stood up, then paused as she swayed from side to side. “Um, if it’s okay with you guys, I think I’m gonna go take a nap. That transformation spell took a lot more out of me than I thought it would,” she said, wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow. “Is that alright? I’d like to come over in the next day or two to study how well you adapt to your new body, by the way.”

“Sure, that’s fine with me. Ready to go, Nightshine?” Jason asked, pushing his hind legs off of the couch.. His hind legs wobbled back and forth, and he dared not take a step back for fear of falling. “Uh... wanna give me lessons on how to walk?” he asked rather sheepishly.

“I got this!” Nightshine said with a squee.

Jason lifted a hoof to block the sun’s bright light as he stepped out of Twilight’s castle. He squinted as he let his eyes get adjusted to the light. “Heh, everything feels a lot weirder...” he muttered under his breath. Never thought I’d get lessons on how to walk as a pony from a pony...

“Huh?” Nightshine cocked her head to the side as she sat down in front of him, her tail swishing back and forth on the steps behind her.

“Well, I never had to walk on four legs, for starters.” Jason set his leg back down and moved to sit beside Nightshine as he looked towards Ponyville. Glancing over his shoulder, he wiggled his butt, trying to make his tail swish like Nightshine’s, but it barely moved. “Humph...” He focused with all his might, but he still failed to make his tail move. With a roll of his eyes, he gave up and looked back as Nightshine sat down between his forelegs. She pushed her rump back until her back rested against his belly, and then she laid her head against his right leg.

“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this,” Nightshine whispered. “When I was a foal, Serenity never let any of the orphans get attached to her. She... didn’t like it when I tried to do this, and I...” She felt her throat tighten up.

“What?” Jason asked, wrapping his left foreleg around her.

Nightshine cast her gaze towards the ground. “I’m sorry I brought that up. Can we not talk about it?” she muttered.

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed. Feeling his neck grow rather stiff, he let go of her and lay down next to her. “Hey...” he whispered, leaning in close. He nuzzled her cheek and pulled her close with a hoof, making her sit down between his forelegs. “What’s wrong?” he murmured, resting his head on top of hers as he rubbed her left foreleg with his.

Nightshine bit her cheek and squirmed. She watched as a few chirping birds flew by, giving her a few moments of peace before she sighed. “Serenity had some pretty mean rules. She told us all that we weren’t allowed to grow attached to her, and even though I tried to follow her rules, I... couldn’t help myself sometimes.” She twitched as a shiver ran down her back.

“Oh, I see.” Jason lay there for several seconds, keeping his mouth shut tight as he felt Nightshine tense up. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’d you try to do?”

Nightshine scoffed. “This, actually. She told me that if she let me do this with her, then the other foals would feel sad because she wouldn’t show them affection. So...” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “She made an example of me one time after lunch in the yard... made me sit in timeout for an hour in the farthest corner where I could see families walking by. I... never did that again.” Nightshine curled up in between Jason’s forelegs and laid her head on his foreleg. “So... thank you,” she whispered.

“Good thing I adopted you, huh?” Jason asked, feeling Nightshine nod on his leg. “You wanna go get some ice cream?”

“Is it okay if we go home?” Nightshine squeaked out. She stood up and glanced over her shoulder. “You know... I’ve waited years to see how awesome wing hugs are while snuggling, and it’d give you a chance to learn how to use your new wings!”

“What, you don’t want to go and immediately start teaching me how to fly?” Jason stood up and took his time walking down the steps that Nightshine so easily trotted down.

“Nope, not yet! We gotta take foal-steps first!”

Jason chuckled at that. “Heh, fair enough. So now that I’m a bat pony, do you think I should change my name to something more normal?”

Nightshine paused as she cocked her head to the side. “Nah, I think your name is cute enough!”

Bat Snuggles

“Grr... how do I get this darned thing open?” Jason muttered, his hoof fumbling with the knob on his front door. His eyebrows furrowed as he bit back another growl, the knob barely turning from his efforts. “Uh... Nightshine?” he asked, looking down between his two forelegs.

“Yes, Daddy?” Nightshine shot a smirk up at him as she tried to stifle a giggle.

“...How do ponies open doors with their hooves?” Jason asked with a small chuckle.

“Well, this kind of door knob is usually meant for unicorns. They can just grab it and twist it with their magic, so it’s not a problem for them. Did a unicorn use to live here or something?”

“I wouldn’t know. I got the house when it was empty, and they didn’t tell me anything about the previous owners, so you’re probably right about them being unicorns..” He rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof, trying to scratch an itchy spot with his fingers. “Oh, heh...” His eyes went wide. “Hey, Nightshine? Guess who forgot to grab the ring that turns me back into a human back at Twilight’s?”

“You? Hehe, it’s okay though!” Nightshine nuzzled his left foreleg and purred, loving how his soft fur felt against her cheek. Her eyes drifted shut as she let a soft smile slide onto her face. “I’ve waited too long for this...” she whispered. “Wait...” Nightshine grinned as she turned to face him. “You forgot your clothes at Twilight’s, too.”

Jason’s entire world screeched to a standstill. All of the noise from the market and from ponies trotting by faded away in a split-second. His ears flopped down of their own accord as his eyes went as wide as they could. Jason glanced over his shoulder, his head whipping back and forth as he searched the faces of ponies walking by, searching for any of them giving him odd looks. A few ponies were looking his way, some with inquisitive looks upon their faces. He heard soft murmurs of, “Is that a bat pony?” and, “Woah, no way! Look at him!”

Picking up Nightshine with a hoof, he hastily made his way to the door in the fence, then pushed Nightshine on top of it. “Quick, hop down and open the latch! I gotta get inside before more ponies see me naked!” he said in a hushed voice.

“Huh?” Nightshine cocked her head to the side as she balanced herself on the fence. “But all ponies are already—”

“Nightshine, I don’t have time to argue, and I can’t fly over the fence! Please, can you just open the dang door?!” Jason hit the door with a hoof, ignoring the bit of pain that exploded from the soft part of his leg.

“Hmph! Fine...” Nightshine said, rolling her eyes as she spread her wings wide. She glided down to the ground, then trotted back to the door. Spotting a little bit of rope hanging down from the handle, she wiggled her butt and crouched, then jumped up, biting down on the rope with all the strength she had. She dangled back and forth, then after a ferocious yank, the latch popped open.

As soon as he heard the latch click, Jason pushed the door open, letting it slam against the fence, walked as fast as he could into the backyard, and went straight for the sliding glass door. “God, I hope it’s unlocked...” he muttered, though right before he lifted a hoof up to the handle, he heard a sound that made his heart freeze.

Nightshine was crying.

His ears perking up, his head whipped around and found Nightshine sitting near the corner of the fence in the dirt. “Nightshine!” he cried out. Throwing caution to the winds, he tried to gallop, but tripped over his own hooves and fell flat on his face. Pain erupted from his tongue as his vision grew slightly blurry, but he ignored that. He forced himself back up on shaky legs, then walked as quickly as he could to where Nightshine sat. “N-Nightshine... I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he flopped down beside her. Each of her sobs pierced his heart, feeling as if someone was driving a hundred needles into it. He ran a hoof through her dirty hair, brushing away as much of the dirt and dust as he could. “C’mere, you...” he whispered, spreading his forelegs.

Nightshine lowered a hoof from her tear-filled eyes and saw a sweet, loving, and caring smile upon Daddy’s face. After a couple moments of hesitation, she pushed herself up on trembling legs, and after she shot a wobbly smile back up at Jason, she buried her face into his chest as she curled up in his forelegs. She wiped her tears on his soft fur and tucked her head in the crook between his leg and chest. Moments later, she felt something wet and prickly run down her back, making her jump a little. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Jason licking her back clean of all the dirt. When his tongue brushed against her folded wings, she couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “H-Hey, that tickles!” she said, playfully swatting his leg with a hoof.

“I wouldn’t know, sorry. Isn’t this what daddy ponies do, though? Licking their little ones clean?”

“Well yeah, when they’re little itty bitty babies! But when you get around my age, they just toss us in the bath tub. Speaking of which...” She stood up and brushed herself off. “Can we go take a bath? I don’t wanna snuggle with you all dirty and icky like this!” She trotted away and sat down by their back door. “Waiting on you, silly!”

“Uh, you sure you’re okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you, really. I guess ponies are a lot stronger than humans, huh?”

Nightshine shrugged. “Sure looks like it, and I was just a little surprised. It didn’t hurt that bad. Besides, I’ve taken harder hits falling out of the tree at the orphanage!”

Jason lifted an eyebrow as he cocked his head to the side. “And what were you doing up in that tree, hm? Didn’t Serenity tell you not to do that?”

“Uh... yeah, but she got tired of telling me that over and over when I just kept doing it.” Nightshine snickered. “So she kinda just glared at me, but... maybe that was why she didn’t like me that much...” She glanced at the ground, her ears folding flat on her head. “Oh well! Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“Yeah, I guess not.” Jason pushed open the back door, letting Nightshine scamper inside. She hopped up on the couch and patted the seat next to her. “What?”

“We need to have a little chit-chat,” Nightshine said with a giggle.

“Alright, just give me a few minutes to throw on some clothes. I can’t believe I walked home completely naked...” He managed to take just one step before Nightshine cleared her throat rather obviously. He glanced over his shoulder, his right leg raised to take another step.

“That’s what we need to talk about, Daddy!” Nightshine said with a light smile. “Now, come on, stop dilly-dallying!” She waited until Jason hopped up onto the couch beside her, and as soon as he settled down, she pushed herself between his forelegs. Letting her own forelegs curl up on her chest, she snuggled a little bit deeper into his embrace as he pushed his legs together, holding her tight.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly, nuzzling her cheek with his own.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think you just wanted to get inside quicker so we could snuggle!”

“Heh, sure, let’s go with that...”

“Yeah... Anyways...” Nightshine laid her head against the side of his left leg. “Haven’t you noticed that ponies don’t wear clothes? That’s why I was a little confused when you were acting so nervous.”

Jason’s words caught in his throat as Nightshine’s words clicked in his mind. “Uh... Yeah... I guess you’re right.” He looked down at his butt and sighed. “How am I gonna get used to this?” he asked, gazing down upon his daughter.

“I dunno, in foal-steps? Maybe we can have you just walk around town tomorrow morning when everypony is still waking up or something...” Nightshine murmured, her eyes already drifting shut. Daddy’s warm legs were gently lulling her to sleep, but as she rolled over onto her side, laying a hoof on his foreleg to pull it in and snuggle with, her eyes shot open. “Hey!”

“What?” Jason cocked his head to the side.

“You were gonna let me fall asleep like this, weren’t you?” Nightshine demanded, letting loose a short yawn as she pushed herself up. “You know I wanted to try snuggling with wings tonight!” With that being said, she hopped off of the couch and gently bit down on Jason’s hoof. “C’mon!” she said with glee, a smile forcing its way onto her lips as she struggled to pull Jason off of the couch.

“Oh, okay then.” Jason gently pulled his hoof free from Nightshine’s mouth, then slipped from the couch. He lifted his left leg, and nearly lost his balance as Nightshine jumped onto it, wrapping all of her legs around it. Steadying himself, he grinned as he slowly walked across the room, listening to Nightshine squee with every step he took. Pushing open the door to her bedroom, he held his leg above the bed and let Nightshine fall onto the soft sheets. He jumped up onto the bed, then lay down beside his daughter. “So, uh... how can we make this work if I don’t know how to use my wings yet?”

“Hm...” Nightshine rubbed her chin as she squinted at Jason’s wings. “Well first, which wing would you want me to snuggle with, Daddy?”

“Whichever one you want, sweetie,” Jason said, rubbing her back with a hoof. Frantic knocking on his front door made him pause for a moment, his ears flicking up in the direction of the sound. “Looks like we’re gonna have to put snuggling on hold for a couple minutes... You want to get comfy? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Okay!” Nightshine chirped, wiggling beneath the sheets.

With a soft sigh, Jason pushed himself off of the bed and walked to his front door. More insistent knocking came, making him hurry up. “I’m coming... Jeez...” Now standing in front of the door, he tried to grab the knob, but found the same problem from just a few minutes ago. “Uh... It’s open!” he said loudly, taking a couple of steps back. The door swung open a second later. “Ah, Twilight!” Jason said with a smile. He bowed before her, then lifted his head. “Care to come in for some coffee? I think I have decaf around here somewhere.”

“No thanks, I’m just here for a couple of things. I was rudely woken up by Spike saying that an urgent letter from Princess Luna had come in concerning you,” Twilight said, a small shiver running down the back of her neck. A small breeze ran through her mane, making her wish that she’d grabbed a scarf before coming over.

“How did you guys know it was for me? Isn’t it like, kinda rude to read other ponies’ mail or something? It’s against the law where I’m from.”

“Well...” Twilight blushed a little bit as she glanced away. “Spike just thought it was another letter from Celestia asking when she wanted to spend some time together, but it was the complete opposite. I do not know why Princess Luna sent you a letter through Spike, though my best guess is that she wanted it to reach you as quickly as possible. Short of delivering it herself, sending it through my assistant was the quickest way to send a letter, so... yeah.” Twilight paused to take a breath. “I don’t know what you’ll think of this, but...” She fished a rolled-up scroll from her saddlebag and held it up, letting Jason read it. “Turns out that that FPS inspector is going to be here by the end of the week. Seeing that it’s only Tuesday, that means that they’re going to be here on either Thursday or Friday.”

“I see...” Jason let Twilight roll the scroll back up, bit down on it, then placed it on the small table beside him. “Is there anything I should know about this inspection? My place is already kinda clean, though I could maybe do a little sweeping and tidying things up here and there... You think my place looks okay?”

“It’s not just how your place looks, Jason, it’s a bunch of other things, like how well you can provide for them, how your financials look like... all that kind of stuff.” Twilight fluffed her wings and idly kicked a single rock from his front porch before looking back up. “So in the interests of giving you the best chance of passing, I asked Princess Luna to send down one of her guards to help you become accustomed to being a thestral, and even though I thought she wasn’t going to do it, she sent me another letter saying that she’s sending down one of her best! Isn’t that awesome?”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed at the thought. “Yeah, I guess... But what about when I signed Nightshine’s adoption forms? I mentioned that I was a human, not a thestral, and they still let me adopt her. Are we going to have an issue if the inspector shows up and finds a bat pony instead of a human?”

“Uh... We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, I suppose. I’m pretty sure it won’t be an issue. Speaking of which...” She looked back at her saddlebag as she pulled out the ring that would let him turn back into a human. “You forgot this at my place when you left earlier. You want to try it on now?”

“Actually, I want to spend as much time as a pony so I can get used to it. If I’m to learn how to be a thestral, I don’t want to have the motor skills of a newborn foal when this guard shows up!” Jason said with a light chuckle. “Thanks for bringing it by, though. We can run some tests on it after the guard and the inspector leaves.”

“That sounds fine to me,” Twilight said, placing it next to the scroll, then smacked her forehead with a hoof. “Uh!” She looked up at him with a sheepish smile. “I kinda forgot to bring your clothes back with the ring, so maybe you can come by and pick them up later in the week?”

“Yeah, that’s cool. I don’t really need them right now,” Jason said with a smirk.

“Yes, well...” Twilight blushed as she realized what he was implying. “So... I guess I’ll see you around? It is getting rather late, after all.”

“Yeah, okay. See ya.” Right before Jason closed the door, he said, “Oh, hey! Wait a minute!”

Twilight looked over her shoulder with a warm smile. “Yes, Jason?” she asked rather quickly.

“Any idea how I can open my front door? The handle is, uh... round, and I can’t really open it on my own,” Jason admitted with a sheepish smile. “If I can’t do it, then I’m sure Nightshine would have some trouble getting back in, too.”

Twilight’s ears flicked down. “Oh, sure, I can handle it. Just gimme a few seconds, and...” She lit her horn and focused her magic on the door knob. “Good pun, right?” she asked, pausing for just a moment.

“Yeah, it was pretty solid.” Idiot! Surely you could have come up with something better... Jason took a step back as the knob slowly turned into a handle, the metal flowing like water as it assumed its new form. As Twilight’s magic faded away, he tested the new handle and grinned. “Hey, thanks! That’s exactly what I had in mind. Seriously, thank you. I, uh... had a bit of a freak out when I realized that I was naked in public. We had a bit of an accident trying to get back inside, but we’re totally fine now.”

Twilight forced herself to smile. “I’m sure. Well... good night. I’ll be back with Luna and her guard to help things along tomorrow, okay?”

“Sounds good! You know what time? Nightshine wants to snuggle with my wing or something like that tonight, so I don’t think that she’s gonna want to get up bright and early.”

“Probably around noon, if I had to guess.” Twilight felt another shiver run down her back, the tips of her wings trembling in the cold breeze. She looked up at the bright full moon and shot it a wistful smile. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Getting kinda cold out, so I think I’ll be heading back to bed,” Twilight said, opening her wings to fly back home.

“Yeah, probably a good idea. Sure is getting cold out, yeah?” Jason asked. Twilight smiled at him, nodded once, then shot away into the night sky. He pushed the door shut with a soft click and turned around to find Nightshine standing behind him with a smug smile on her face. “Uh...” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “What’s up?” he asked, speaking the first words that came to his mind.

“Oh, nothing...” Nightshine giggled as she turned back around to go back to bed. “You wanna snuggle? You were kinda taking a while, so I came to see what was keeping us from snuggling.”

Jason grinned. “You have no idea, sweetie. C’mere, you wittle cutie!” He scooped her up with a gentle hoof, then walked back to her bed. Jason tossed her down on the sheets, eliciting a squee mixed in with a soft giggle. “Ya know you make the cutest noises when you want snuggles, right?”

“I... I do?” Nightshine asked with wide eyes, her cheeks turning a furious red. Her ears flicked down as her forelegs curled up.

“Kinda, yeah,” Jason said as he flopped down next to her. “So, uh... you said something about wing snuggles?”

“Yeah!” Nightshine shot up like a rocket, her two forelegs placed between her hind legs as she beamed up at him.

“Heh, okay. So... how we gonna do this? I have no idea how to open my wings, after all.” Jason glanced over his shoulder, looking down at his leathery, dark gray appendages.”I, uh... What are you doing?” he asked, watching Nightshine as she climbed onto his back.

“Just getting into position!” Nightshine squeaked out, her legs trembling from excitement. She slipped down his other side, her tail brushing against his haunch. “So... hm.” She squinted as she cocked her head to the side. With a smile and a quick shrug, she pushed herself forward, nuzzling his right wing away from his body. It came away after a few insistent nuzzles, giving her the opportunity she was looking for. She slid in, nuzzling her way further and further until her head popped out on the other side of his wing. “Hm... almost there, Daddy!” she said with a loud squee.

“Good, because I just found out that I’m pretty ticklish right there!” Jason said with a laugh. “There anything you need me to do? Maybe roll over or something?” Please say yes... Please say yes...

“Nah, I think I’m good. Well... almost!” She pushed herself up a little more, used the rest of her strength to push a hoof out, tucked the tip of Jason’s wing below her belly, then finally snuggled in for the night.

“Um... Nightshine?” He felt his daughter’s ears flick against the tip of his wing as they perked up. “How do ponies usually sleep? I always slept on my side when I was a human, so sleeping on my belly might be a bit of a problem...” He bit his lip, worrying what Nightshine would say next. She was wondrously warm against his side, not too hot to make him sweat, and after a few moments of silence, he felt his eyelids starting to droop.

“With their eyes closed, silly...” Nightshine mumbled, already half asleep with a soft smile upon her face.

“...Fair enough. I guess it won’t hurt to try sleeping like this,” Jason said, nuzzling the top of Nightshine’s head. “Sweet dreams, little one...” He pulled a pillow over and plopped his head down upon it, letting his eyes drift shut as he placed his right hoof over his left leg.

“Love you, Daddy...” Nightshine whispered, nuzzling the inside of his wing.

“Love you too, Nightshine...” Jason murmured back. He turned off the light, letting the moon illuminate the room in a soft glow. Settling back down, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but after a minute, he felt something wet upon the inside of his wing, tickling him as it trickled down to the sheets. He blearily cracked his eyes open, suddenly feeling Nightshine’s breaths come in stuttering bursts. With his eyebrows furrowing, his head whipped up. “Hey...” he whispered, nuzzling her cheek. Ignoring her tears upon his cheek, he threw on a gentle smile and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Nightshine took a few moments to sniffle and wipe some tears from her eyes with a hoof, then looked up at him with a shaky smile. “N-N-Nothing, Daddy... I’m just so... happy!” She nuzzled his side insistently, as if this was the last time she was ever going to see him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Aww... C’mere, you!” Jason pulled her out from under his wing, then rolled over onto his back, pulling her into a ferocious bear hug. She wrapped her forelegs around his neck and laid a firm kiss on his neck, then nuzzled it in with a soft squee. “I think it’s time we get some sleep, don’tcha think?”

“Yeah... but what about the wing snuggles? I had it all set up!” Nightshine said with a giggle.

“Hm... hang on a second... I got this.” Jason let go of her, then pulled his right wing up over Nightshine’s back, then his left. He held them in place with his right hoof, then rolled over onto his left side. “How’s this? It’s not the most comfortable position, but for you, we can try it out for a night and work on better snuggling positions later.”

“Perfect...” Nightshine whispered in awe. “Better than I’ve ever dreamed of...” She rolled over and pressed her back against his chest, then snuggled up against his left foreleg.

“Awesome...” Jason whispered back, letting his eyes drift shut again. “Night, little one...”

“Night, Daddy!” Nightshine chirped back. Right before she fell asleep, she laid a gentle kiss on his foreleg, then nuzzled it in for good measure. Best Daddy ever...

Lily

Jason spent all morning tidying up as best he could. Washing the dishes and putting them away was much harder than he had anticipated, so he was relieved when Nightshine had stepped up to the task. As the clock neared noon, he became more and more frantic, doing the easiest things first.

Suddenly, he heard somepony knock on his front door. His head whipped up, a few stray hairs from his mane blurring his vision. He pushed them away with his hoof, then waved Nightshine over. She scampered over to him with an excited smile, then climbed up his hind leg, using her wings to help her up. He felt her stand up on his back, then felt her two front hooves on the back of his head. “Heh, excited?” he asked, peering out the window next to the door.

“To meet another princess and another bat pony? How can I not be super excited?” Nightshine asked, followed by a quick squee. Wait... where’s the bat pony? She jumped off of his back and hopped in place, her eyes wide. “So what’re you waiting for? Open the door and let them in!” She breathlessly watched Jason trot across the room. “Wait!” she cried out with an outstretched hoof. Nightshine walked up to him, her tail tucked in between her hind legs. “How do I look?” she asked with a sheepish blush.

“Lovely, little one... fit for a princess!” Jason said with a chuckle as he tousled Nightshine’s mane.

“Hey, stop that!” Nightshine said with a giggle. “You’re going to mess my mane up!”

“Oh, you look fine.” Jason’s ears perked up as he heard knocking again. “Can’t dilly-dally any longer...” He placed a hoof on the door’s handle, took a deep breath, then pulled open the door. Looking up, he found himself face to face with Princess Luna. “My princess...” he said with a deep bow. “You have my deepest thanks for your assistance with my daughter.”

“Rise, my little pony,” Princess Luna said, lifting Jason’s head with a gentle hoof. “While I appreciate the gesture, I’m not here on business. May we come in?” she asked with a soft smile.

“Of course, of course!” Jason stepped aside and pulled the door all the way open. He nodded at Twilight as she walked in, and when he didn’t see the last member of their group, he asked, “Uh, Twilight? Didn’t you say that there would be some kind of guard or something?” He stuck his head outside and glanced around.

“My guard is securing the area, even though we are in what’s probably the safest place in Equestria,” Luna said. “She’s very committed to her job. May I sit down?”

“Please, make yourself at home!” Jason gestured at his couch with a hoof. “Would you like some tea? I made some about twenty minutes ago...”

“That would be splendid, as I am rather parched, but first.... might I ask where little Nightshine is?” Luna settled down on the couch, letting her tail and half of her forelegs lay over the edge.

Jason glanced towards the kitchen, then cocked his head to the side as he looked back. “She was here a second ago,” he muttered. Jason felt something tap the back of his right hind leg, then heard something rustle behind him. With a knowing chuckle, he looked back over his shoulder and spotted Nightshine running her two front hooves through her tail as she bit her lip. She was quivering, her ears were flicked back, and above all, she had her back pinned against the wall, using the door to hide from their guests. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight. “Hey... what’s wrong?” he asked in a hushed voice, lowering his head to her height. “What happened to you being all excited?”

“Did you... see that bat pony?” Nightshine asked, her voice a bit shaky. “She looks so scary!”

“Does she? I didn’t get a good look.”

“Yeah, I think I saw her walking around a second ago... She’s not coming inside, is she?” Nightshine whispered, peering between Jason’s legs as she used his tail for cover.

“Of course she is; don’t be silly. I’m sure she’s really nice. Why else would she be in charge of guarding a princess?”

“I... I dunno,” Nightshine said, her voice full of uncertainty.

“You wanna say hello to Princess Luna?” Jason threw on a comforting grin. “I’m sure she’s very eager to meet you.” He looked back and saw Luna pushing herself up and off the couch. “Matter of fact, she’s coming over right now!” Jason stepped back and sat down, letting Princess Luna get a good look at his daughter.

Nightshine stared up at Princess Luna with wide eyes, her breath caught in her throat. Licking her dry lips, she realized that she was in front of royalty, so she jumped to her hooves and bowed, her legs trembling from sheer nervousness.

“My, my, aren’t you a little precious pony, hm?” Luna sat down and lowered her head. “It is quite the honor to finally meet you, little one.”

“T-Thank you, Princess Luna!” Nightshine said with glee. She was about to compliment her sheer beauty when she heard somepony walk up to the front door and cough lightly. She’s back! she thought with a whimper. Her ears flicked back as she scooted behind Jason’s tail again.

“Hm?” Jason looked up and finally laid eyes on the last member of their party. His jaw nearly dropped open wide as a stunning mare in full armor casually walked past him, looking him up and down with an inquisitive expression on her face. She had a silky lilac mane that glimmered in the light and had a gray coat a couple of shades lighter than Nightshine’s. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of magenta, vibrant and full of energy. Her mane was short, though it wasn’t short like a woman’s military haircut would be like back on Earth. “H-Heya,” he said rather weakly, a nervous grin on his face. “I’m Jason!” Her tufted ears perked up at that, and he saw a small shiver run through her wings. He extended a hoof as if he was going for a handshake, and right when he was about to drop it, she bumped his hoof with her own.

“Hello there,” she said, her voice light and sweet. “My name is Lily Nymph, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Jason.” She looked at Luna, stood at attention, then said, “Area secure, my princess!”

“Thank you, Lily, but that was not necessary, and please, relax and be yourself; I would prefer if our visit was purely casual,” Luna said with a small grin.

“Heh, okay!” Lily walked inside, letting Jason close the door behind her. She took off her armor, stored it near the door, then stretched, pushing her wings out as wide as they would go. She looked around for a couple moments and spotted Nightshine cowering behind Jason’s hind legs, her eyes lighting up with joy as she flopped down in front of her. “Oh my gosh, you’re so adorable!” she said, her rump and tail wiggling back and forth. Lily shook her head, letting her mane regain its usual shape. “Aww... did my armor frighten you, little one?” she asked, her smile faltering a little bit. “I know it can be pretty scary,” she admitted, her ears flicking back as a blush formed on her cheeks.

“M-Maybe...” Nightshine murmured as she hesitantly looked up at her. “Do you really think I’m adorable?” she asked, her voice gaining a bit of its usual confidence back.

“Of course I do!” Lily laughed. “Just look at your mane; what kind of product do you use in it? It’s so shiny!”

“Um...” Nightshine looked up at Jason, then back at Lily. “I just use the stuff that Jason buys from the store. It’s nothing special, really. I don’t remember what brand it is.”

“What?!” Lily sat back in shock as her ears flicked back. “No no no, that won’t do at all!” she said, shaking her head as she waved a dismissive hoof in the air. “We must absolutely go shopping and get you some product! A pretty young mare like yourself cannot go without!” She leapt to her hooves and looked at Luna. “Princess, can we—” She paused upon seeing both Luna and Twilight trying to stifle their giggles with their hooves.

“Yes, Lily, you and Nightshine may go. I will be fine here with Twilight and Jason.” Luna nodded at the door. “Well, what are you two waiting for?”

Lily pranced in place with glee. “Well, what do you say, Nightshine? Wanna go have a girl’s day out on the town?” she asked with a gentle, yet very excited smile.

Nightshine perked up, her wings bristling in excitement. “I’d love to! But... I don’t have any money...” She flicked her tail around and grabbed it between her forelegs.

“Oh, pshaw! It’s on me, cutie!” She glanced at Jason, unable to keep a sheepish smile from sliding on her face. “That is, if it’s okay with you, of course. I kinda brought a lot of bits for this very reason.”

“Uh...” Jason cleared his throat, then shot a look at Twilight, hoping she’d say something to help him out.

“I trust Lily with my life, Jason. Nightshine is perfectly safe with her,” Luna said, her voice soft yet powerful. “I think it would be wonderful for her to spend some time with another thestral, too, especially given her circumstances, but only if you feel if it is okay.”

“Dad?” Nightshine tugged on Jason’s tail and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Please can I go?”

Jason sighed, then smiled down at her. “I... I guess,” he said after a few moments. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof, then sat down. “Don’t drive her too crazy, okay? She’s here to help us out, after all. And please, for the love of all that is holy, be safe.”

“Thanks a lot, Daddy!” Nightshine leapt up, wrapping her legs around his neck as she ferociously nuzzled him into submission.

As he watched Nightshine and Lily trot outside, Jason looked at Twilight and sighed. “Can’t help but feel a little over protective of her,” he said with a sheepish shrug. As he watched them trot away, he chewed on his lip, feeling rather antsy about letting Nightshine go shopping with a stranger. “Maybe I should keep an eye on them...” he said, a hoof raised to go follow them.

“Well... I did bring a bag of bits to go shopping,” Luna said. “Could be fun to see if Rarity is up to the task of designing my next Grand Galloping Gala dress. Speaking of which...” She glanced between Twilight and Jason, then fished a couple of scrolls out of her saddlebag. “You are all invited!” Luna lit her horn and levitated both of them to Jason. “Even little Nightshine is invited,” she said with a soft smile.

“Sorry for being clueless, but... what’s the Grand Galloping Gala?” Jason asked, unrolling one of the scrolls. “You are cordially invited to the Grand Galloping Gala on... this weekend?”

“I am sorry that it took so long for you to receive the invitation, but I want to see Nightshine’s expression. I am certain that she knows of this special event, and I thought it would make her day to allow her the privilege of attending.” She poked Twilight’s side with a sole feather. “You can thank Twilight for that; it was her idea, after all.”

“Wow... thank you, really. I’m honored.” Jason noticed two golden tickets at the bottom of the scroll. “Wait, why two?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. “Oh, is one for Nightshine?”

“No, actually,” Twilight spoke up. “The other ticket is for your plus one, if you so choose to bring somepony else as your date.” She glanced away, crossing her forelegs. “I already got my ticket a couple of weeks ago; same with all of my close friends.” Twilight looked back up at Jason, her tail swishing ever so slightly. “Any idea who you want to bring as your plus one?”

Jason paused, looking at the scroll again. “I have no idea. I haven’t really made any friends that are that close,” Jason said with a chuckle. “Inviting somepony to the Gala is pretty much like asking them on a super special first date, right? I haven’t looked at anyone in that kind of light since I got here, so... is it okay if I don’t bring anypony? I am still getting used to being a pony, after all. It hasn’t even been a full twenty-four hours.”

“Well... while it is tradition to bring a plus one, it is alright if you don’t have anypony to bring,” Twilight said, her ears flicking back as her gaze slipped to the floor. Luna shot her an odd look, but she ignored it, biting her bottom lip as she fought to not look at her.

“I see... Well, I think it’d be pretty fun to go!” Jason said as he placed his scroll and the two tickets down on the coffee table. “Lemme go grab my saddlebag to throw Nightshine’s invitation into, and then we can go keep an eye on those two...” As he trotted past the kitchen, he realized that he had forgotten to pour some tea for his guests. “Uh... about the tea...” he said with a nervous chuckle. “Lunch is on me, okay?”

“He should not have said that,” Luna said, stifling a giggle with her hoof as she heard Jason walk further into his home.

“And why might that be, hm?” Twilight asked with a knowing smirk.

“I am going to positively eat everything at the Cakes’ bakery. Pinkie does have a knack for cooking tasty treats, and I am going to clean... them... out!”

Getting Closer

“So where are we going first?” Nightshine asked, looking up at Lily with an excited grin.

“Well, on our way into the town, I spotted a cute little shop meant for just us girls. If I remember correctly...” They walked around a corner, the shop falling into sight a few buildings down on the left side of the road. “Aha! There it is!”

“Prissy Products?” Nightshine giggled. “That’s a funny name for a store!”

“Hehe, I agree, but they have a lot of good stuff! There’s one up in Canterlot that I go to at least once a week to replenish my supplies, and it’s a very nice place with lots of smart salesponies.” Lily trotted up to the door and opened it for Nightshine. “So whatcha waiting for? Let’s buy you some product!”

“Okay!” Nightshine walked inside the store, her nose immediately assaulted by several strong perfumes. Her nose crinkled up as she paused. “Smells kinda funny in here...” she muttered.

“It always does, but that’s to keep the boys out!”

Nightshine giggled as they walked into the store. “But what if the boys wanna buy us some nice stuff from here?” she asked, nudging the side of Lily’s leg with her shoulder.

“Then... huh.” Lily paused and rubbed her chin with a hoof as her eyebrows furrowed. “Good point. So, uh... wanna start with mane products first?” She gabbed a basket with a hoof.

“Sure!” Nightshine chirped. She glanced around, seeing nothing but shelves of various perfumes.

“They’re in the back, sweetie,” Lily said, trotting deeper into the store with Nightshine following right behind her. “Ah, here we are!” Her eyes ran over the assortment of bottles before her. “Here we go!” She pulled a big, dark green bottle off the shelf and showed it to Nightshine. “Smell this one; it’s my go-to shampoo, and the cool thing is that I can also use it on my coat!” She screwed off the cap, then let Nightshine smell it.

Nightshine looked at the label before she smelled it. “Woah... tea tree shampoo? I don’t smell any tea, but I do smell mints! They’re one of my favorite candies.” She looked at the price tag, her eyes going wide as her shoulders drooped. “But it’s fourteen bits... That’s too expensive for me!” Nightshine looked at the bottles on the shelves for several seconds, then pointed at the cheapest one. “What about this one? It’s only six bits.” She lifted a hoof to grab it, but Lily’s wing blocked her from touching it.

“Hey now, no cheap stuff for you!” Lily screwed the cap back on the nice bottle of shampoo, then tossed it in her basket.

“Heh, thanks,” Nightshine said with a sheepish smile. “So... what next?” she asked, her voice full of unbridled excitement.

“Well, since we got a mane and coat shampoo... next is some conditioner!” Lily turned and trotted further down the aisle, then stopped as she peered at the bottles in front of her. “There it is! Same brand, same scent... perfect!” She grabbed a bottle, this one slightly larger than the last, and tossed it into her basket. Lily sat down and cocked her head to the side. “Hm... there anything else a young mare like you needs to look pretty?”

Nightshine shook her head, a happy grin nearly splitting her face in half.

Lily smirked. “Come on now, don’t be so humble! What about... a mane brushing kit? Do you have one of those by any chance?”

Nightshine chuckled. “Yeah, a brush would be a nice thing to have! The orphanage only had like, maybe five brushes? The colts never used them, so us girls got to use them a lot, but... they were super old by the time I left.” Nightshine’s tail swished back and forth. “Having my own would be so cool!”

Orphanage? Oh, right... “Glad to hear it, little one.” She lifted a wing and pointed down the aisle. “I think I saw the brushes near the entrance.”

“Okay!” This time, Nightshine took the lead, finding a ton of brushes in all shapes and sizes. “What would you pick, Ms. Lily?”

“Please, Lily is just fine, but you can call me Ms. Lily when I’m on duty.” She picked up a couple of different kits, comparing the contents in each one. “Hm... any preference? The brands are about the same in quality, so it really just depends on what you want.”

“Uh... which would you pick?”

“This one for sure!” Lily tossed the kit in her left hoof back on the shelf. “It has curlers, a blow dryer, a brush for your coat, and a brush for your mane and tail. The other one has the same stuff, but the bristles are kinda rough on the brushes, and we can’t have your pretty little mane looking like somepony dragged nails through it.” She tossed the kit into her basket, then fished out her bag of bits. “Looks like we have the basics, right?”

Nightshine nodded, a wide grin on her face.

“Sweet. Let’s check out the perfumes real quick; I wanna get something for myself while we’re here.” She stood up to walk over to the perfumes, but then she heard a small grumble from behind her. “Was that you?” she asked with a light smile, watching as Nightshine’s ears flicked back. “Heh, wanna go get lunch after this? I’m getting a little hungry myself.”

Nightshine’s ears perked up at that. “Sure! There a bakery nearby or something? I feel like snacking on something sweet!”

If I know Princess Luna, and I do... She’d be at that shop that Pinkie Pie works at... We’d be lucky if there was anything left! “Yeah, there’s one so awesome that even Princess Luna and Princess Celestia know about it, and it’s right here in Ponyville! Somewhere...” She paid for the stuff and led Nightshine outside. Making sure the strap on her saddlebag was tight, she opened her wings and shot a glance at Nightshine. “Let’s see how fast you are!” she said, an excited grin on her face.

“I... I don’t want to,” Nightshine said, unable to look Lily in the eyes as she sat down, rubbing her left foreleg with a hoof.

Lily pursed her lips, folding her wings back in. “How come? Your wings are big enough, at least, mine were about that size when I was your age.”

“It’s because, well...” Nightshine beckoned her in with a hoof and waited until she lowered her head. “The pony running the orphanage never let pegasi or me fly because she was afraid that we would hurt ourselves or fly away, and she would send us to bed without dinner if she ever caught us trying to fly,” she whispered into Lily’s ear.

“Hehe, she didn’t catch you, right?” Lily asked with a smirk.

“No, because I didn’t want to break her rules. We never really got enough food as it was.” Nightshine looked up at her as Lily sat down, then glanced around to make sure that nopony was within earshot. “When Jason adopted me about a week ago, our first stop was at a bakery on the way to the train station,” she said, her voice gaining a little bit of its usual confidence back. “He bought us a ton of sweets.”

“Aww, that was really sweet of him,” Lily said with an obnoxious wink, making Nightshine giggle at her cheap joke. “So only about a week, huh? How do you like living with him?”

“He’s really nice, and he’s done more for me than I could have ever dreamed!”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Well... when he first came to the orphanage to see if he could find somepony to adopt and I saw him, I felt all these butterflies appear in my stomach. He was different, and I was different.” She stood up and started walking down the street. “When he left without picking anypony, I was... I...” Nightshine stopped to quickly wipe her eyes with a hoof. “I thought that he was gonna pick somepony else...” Her ears flicked back as she cleared her throat. “When he came back the next day, I was hanging out in a tree. He wasn’t looking at anypony else but me. Believe it or not, but it felt like my heart stopped for a few seconds then! I didn’t want to hope that he was there to adopt me and take me away from the orphanage because then I’d feel let down again.”

“How’d you feel when he said he wanted to take you home?” Lily asked softly, wondering if Nightshine needed a hug.

“I, well...” Nightshine stopped walking and sat down. “I cried. All of those bad memories of me getting ignored or passed over just disappeared, and I couldn’t believe that he wanted to adopt me. I almost thought it was a dream...”

“Aww... Well like you said, you were both different, so it was only natural for him to pick you, and I’m sure your pretty looks just sealed the deal!” Lily said. “So you don’t know how to fly, huh?” Nightshine shook her head. “Has Jason done anything to help you in that regard?”

“Sorta! He started teaching me how to fly by helping me climb a tree, and I’d just glide down into his arms. That was a lot of fun, but... I want to fly.”

“We’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?” Lily shot her a comforting smile.

“You’ll teach me how to fly? Really?” Nightshine asked with wide eyes.

“Of course! After all, us thestrals absolutely need to be in the sky!”

“What about Jason? He can’t fly at all!” Nightshine licked her lips. “Can you teach us both to fly?” she asked with bated breath. "It’d be awesome if he and I can fly together!”

Teaching an adult thestral how to fly? Oh boy, that’s gonna be a tough one... “I promise I’ll do my best!”

The Flicker of a Flame

No, no, no! Jason thought as his wings lost their rhythm. He struggled with all his might to keep himself aloft, but ultimately failed like he had been doing all day. “Oof!” he grunted as he slammed into the ground yet again. Lily stifled a giggle with a hoof before she trotted up to him, holding out the same hoof for him. Jason grabbed it, letting her help him up, then brushed the dirt from his face.

“I thought teaching you to fly would be pretty easy, especially since you have the body of a full grown pony,” Lily said. She licked her hoof and rubbed Jason’s cheek, wiping away some dirt that he’d missed. He shied away from her touch, making her pause. “Heh, sorry,” she said. “I can get a little carried away sometimes.”

“It’s, uh... fine, I guess,” Jason said, rubbing his cheek where she’d just touched him, hoping to hide his rather obvious blush. “It still there?” Lily giggled, his heart fluttering from her beautiful, light laughter. He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Guess so, huh?”

“Hehe, yeah! You’re gonna need a shower after we’re done for sure! It’s kinda funny to see an adult crash again and again, especially when Nightshine is learning a lot faster than you are!” She looked behind her and saw Nightshine hovering a few feet above the ground, a wide grin on her face. “Be careful, sweetie!” she called out. “You’re getting a little close to that tree. Angle the tips of your wings forward so you don’t hit it!”

“O-Okay!” Nightshine yelled back, struggling a little as she tried to do what Lily said. After a full day of flying practice, her muscles were very, very sore, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and take a nap. She stumbled a little bit as she landed, panting heavily. With her legs trembling, she eyed the tree above her, looking for a branch thick enough to hold her weight. “Hm... Aha!” she exclaimed with glee, her eyes going wide. Mustering the rest of her strength, she wiggled her butt as she prepared to fly up, and though it was just a short distance, she hoped that she’d be able to make it. She flapped her wings down as hard as she could, propelling herself up.

The tips of her forelegs wrapped around the branch, making a wide grin break out on her face. “There we go!” she said. Pulling herself up, she looped her tail around the branch and let go, swinging back and forth. “Much better...” she murmured to herself as her eyelids drifted shut, her forelegs curling up against her chest. “Time for a...” A yawn broke her sentence in half as a smile slid on her face. “A quick nap...” she finished, her ears flicking back and forth.

Jason chuckled, hearing Nightshine softly snoring away. “I think that’s enough practice for one day. Maybe we can pick things up after that guy comes to inspect my house tomorrow?”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Lily chirped. “Come on, let’s go get her. I’m sure she’d like some dinner before bed,” she said, trotting towards Nightshine.

“Now that’s the best thing I’ve heard you say all day!” Jason chuckled and followed Lily down the path. His eyes drifted down to her swishing tail, mesmerized by its rhythm. A few butterflies appeared in his stomach, flitting about as they searched for a way out. He shook his head, realizing that he had just been staring at her rear end, conflicted thoughts running throughout his mind. She is kinda cute... “So, uh... what were you thinking? I can cook a little bit, but I’ve never had to cook as a stallion before.”

“That’ll come with time, and I can teach you a little bit if we have time later in the week; it all really just depends on what Luna’s plans are. So... I was thinking we could go out for dinner and get something quick to eat. Know any good places around here?” Lily shot a glance over her shoulder and noticed that his cheeks were a tad bit rosy, shining a light pink through his gray coat. “Not as a date, silly!” She swished her tail back and forth at him, then gestured for him to catch up to her with a wing. Though I wouldn’t mind him asking me out... He is kinda cute, but... work always gets in the way.

She didn’t notice Jason’s shoulders slump down.

Jason trotted past Lily and sat below Nightshine. He gently booped her muzzle with a hoof, chuckling as she wiped her eyes with her little hoovsies in the most adorable of ways. “Come on, little one, we’re gonna go get some dinner!”

“Aww, already? But I was about to take a nap!” Nightshine pouted and crossed her forelegs as her ears flicked back. The wind brushed against her left side, turning her away from Jason.

“Heh, I can see that, but Daddy has crashed too many times today.” He held out his forelegs, then said, “Lily is gonna come, too!”

“Really?” Nightshine’s eyes went wide as a grin slid on her face. “Awesome!” She unlooped her tail from the branch and fell into Jason’s waiting legs. She wriggled about in his grasp until he let her down. Her legs still trembled, and her wings were very, very sore. “Um... can one of you guys carry me back into town?” she asked with a sheepish, hopeful grin.

“Do you even need to ask?” Jason lay down on the ground, letting Nightshine clamber onto his back. She settled down on his upper back, her head resting against the back of his neck. “Ready?”

“Mhm...” Nightshine murmured as she closed her eyes. She nuzzled the side of his neck and latched onto his mane, her tail hanging off of his left side.

“Alrighty... here we go!” Jason stood up with a grunt, then looked up at Lily. “What are you in the mood for?”

“I dunno, something light? We have been working out all day, after all.”

“Fair enough.” He nodded back towards town. “Shall we?”

Lily grinned, feeling her stomach grumble. “Yeah, let’s get a move on! Can’t believe you made me skip lunch...” she said, nudging his side with a wing. “But hey, it was worth it, even if you didn’t make that much progress.”

“I didn’t make you stick around,” Jason said, nudging her back, the tip of his wing grazing against her cutie mark. His mouth instantly went dry, as if he’d just eaten a bag of sand. Her eyes shot up to his. “S-Sorry! Still getting used to these darned things...” he said.

Lily’s eyes narrowed for a few seconds, then she relaxed, letting a smile grace her lips. “That’s perfectly understandable.”

Phew! “Thanks.” He shot her a grateful smile, then heard Nightshine giggle.

“Hehe, you touched her butt!” Nightshine snickered, hiding her grin with a hoof. “You must really like her, huh?”

Jason’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “What? No, it’s not like that at all, I, uh... I mean, I do like her, but it’s not like that!” His shoulders slumped in defeat as he sighed. He lifted his head, seeing Twilight and Princess Luna sitting on a bench near the edge of the park. Jason’s eyes locked with Twilight’s, who waved him over with a wing. “Oh great, I think Twilight and Luna were watching me fail at flying...” he muttered.

“Oh?” Lily giggled. “Maybe they were just watching Nightshine learn how to fly; she is the cuter one after all!” She waved back at the princesses with a wing. “Come on, let’s go see what they want!”

After dinner, Jason sighed, a smile tugging his lips upwards as he stretched his sore wings. “How’re you feeling, little one?” he asked, feeling Nightshine scurry up his right hind leg and onto his back.

“Sleepy...” she murmured, burying her muzzle into his mane. Nightshine wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

“So, uh...” Lily rubbed the back of her neck as she shivered, a cool breeze tickling the nape of her neck. “Wanna practice some more after your house gets inspected tomorrow? Princess Luna and Twilight both wish to go shopping all day tomorrow, and Twilight said that she wants to meet us somewhere for lunch.” A yawn forced itself past her lips. “As for your flying, you did okay for somepony who never flew before. I’m sure we can make some improvements after you’ve got some shut-eye!” she chirped.

“Yeah, that sounds fine to me,” Jason said, trying his hardest not to yawn, but as always, they were always so darn infectious. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then? Want to just meet at my place?” She smiled at him, making it hard for him to hold her gaze.

Lily giggled. “Yeah, for sure! Can’t wait!” she said, flying off in the direction of Twilight’s castle.

Jason watched her until she flew out of view, then sighed, already missing her company. “You ready for bed, little one?” he asked, trotting towards their home.

“I’m ready for snuggles!” Nightshine corrected him with a light nuzzle.

“Haha, yeah, for sure.” Jason made quick time back to their home, and after letting himself in, he gently closed the door. He walked through the living room, down the hallway, and into Nightshine’s room. He flopped down onto the bed, letting Nightshine slide under the covers. “Wanna make room for me?” Jason asked as he yawned again.

“Mhm!” Nightshine scooted over, then snuggled up against Jason’s side as soon as he pulled the covers up. “Just gotta...” She squirmed against his side, pushing herself under his wing. “There!” she said as she curled up against his side, using his wing like a blanket.

“Comfy?” he asked.

“Yup!” Nightshine said, curling up under his wing. “And warm...”

Jason let out a content sigh, then pulled a pillow over for himself. Minutes passed as Nightshine’s warmth seeped into his coat, and right as he was about to fall asleep, somepony knocked on his front door. “Now who the heck thinks it’s okay to knock on my door this late?” he asked, grumbling as he pushed himself up, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep.

“I dunno. Maybe go check?” Nightshine mumbled, wrapping herself up in her blanket.

Jason chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Nah, I think ignoring them would be the best idea.” He laid a gentle kiss on the back of her head and trotted of her out bedroom. His eyebrows furrowed as he wondered who could possibly be at his front door, but he knew he’d find out soon enough. Letting his hoof rest on the door handle, he pushed it down and cracked the door open. “Lily?” he asked, opening the door the rest of the way. “Something wrong?”

“Heh, kinda.” Lily rubbed her right foreleg with a hoof as she took a hesitant step forward. “Twilight’s castle is all locked up, and I can’t get in.

“Isn’t it usually unlocked?”

“I mean, yeah, it is, but... Luna likes to sleep with her door locked. I guess she wanted to lock everything up tight? She can get a little weird sometimes.” She shrugged. “So... I know we just met, but...” She bit her bottom lip as she flicked her eyes up to his. “Any chance I can crash here for the night?” she asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Uh... yeah, I guess that’s fine.” Jason stepped aside and let her in. “Welcome to the Thestral Inn, where the blankets and snuggles are complementary,” he said in a funny voice, not even taking a second to think before he spoke.

“Awesome!” Lily trotted inside and sat down, looking about his place. “So where are we gonna snuggle?” she asked, a blush sitting plainly on her face. “I hope your bed is big enough for the both of us.”

“I, um...” Jason blushed furiously as he froze in place. “I was joking.”

“...Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Daddy?” came Nightshine’s voice.

“What is it, sweetie?”

“If she wants snuggles, then you should give her snuggles. I don’t mind letting you snuggle with her tonight,” she said. “Besides...” Nightshine looked up at Lily and grinned. “He’s the best snuggler around!”

“Heh, that’s a pretty big claim.” Lily flicked her tail around herself as she looked him up and down. “I’m a pretty good snuggler myself, but I’m a little rusty...”

Jason gulped. I hate being put on the spot, but... should I? She seems open to the idea... “I guess we could give it a shot,” he said.

“Great!” Lily chirped. “It’s been too long since I snuggled with someone as cute as you!”

Jason’s eyes went wide, his tail swishing about behind him. “Uh...”

“Is he blushing again?” Nightshine giggled. “He’s been doing that all day around you!”

“Nightshine!” Jason exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “Come on...”

“What?” Nightshine cocked her head to the side. “You are the best snuggler! And you like her! What’s stopping you?” She ruffled her wings.

“Okay, that’s enough out of you, little one,” Jason said, chuckling nervously as he gently pushed her back towards her room.

“Fiiiiine,” Nightshine said, retreating back to her room. She closed the door until there was nothing but a sliver for her to peek through, then she lay down, her eyes locked on them both.

“So... we don’t have to snuggle if you don’t want to,” Lily said, casting her gaze to the floor as her shoulders slumped.

“N-No, it’s fine.” Jason stood up and nodded past Nightshine’s room. “My room’s at the end of the hall.” He heard Nightshine squee. “And little fillies should go to bed!” he called out.

Nightshine giggled, then pushed her door the rest of the way shut.

Lily rubbed her left foreleg with a hoof, then sighed, letting a soft smile slide onto her face. “I can tell you’re nervous. Heh, I know I’d be if I was put in the same situation,” she said softly. “Tell you what...” She flopped down on his couch, then yawned, flicking her mane to the other side of her neck. “If you really like me as much as Nightshine says, wouldn’t it be best for you to ask me out on a date first? After all, snuggling like lovers before we were even dating? Even Princess Luna would consider that scandalous,” she said with a giggle. “So whatcha say? Wanna ask me out on a date?”

Put on the spot twice in a matter of minutes? “Uh...” Jason gulped.

“You don’t have to decide just yet. I’m a patient mare.” She laid her head down on one of the couch cushions and pulled the blanket off of the top of the couch. “I’ll be fine here for the night.”

“So...” Jason licked his dry lips. “You need anything else?”

“Nah, I think I’m good.” Lily used her forelegs to unfold the blanket, then draped it over herself.

“Cool. I guess I’ll see you in the morning?”

“I suppose so. You want me gone before the inspector shows up? I can help you spruce the place up a little if you want me to in the morning.”

Jason yawned. “Sure, I bet Nightshine would love to have you stick around a little bit longer,” he said, walking back to his bedroom. He walked through the doorway, then paused when he heard Lily cough like she had something to say.

“J-Jason?” Lily felt herself blush as her gaze momentarily flicked to the floor. “Thanks for letting me stay the night,” she murmured.

Jason returned her smile. “No problem.”

As she watched his door click shut, she sighed. He really does like me... she thought, knowing all too well that Twilight’s castle wasn’t locked at all.

Snuggles in the Storm

Lily squirmed on the couch for what felt like the umpteenth time. A thunderstorm had appeared out of nowhere a few hours ago, and even though she would hate to admit it to anypony, she was deathly afraid of thunder and lightning. She pulled the blanket over her head as she buried her muzzle in between the couch cushions, trying her hardest to block out the terrifying sounds. A whimper escaped past her lips as a particularly loud thunderclap rang out from above, making the tips of her wings tremble.

About a minute later, she heard a door further down the hall click open, making her ears cock towards the sound. Jason? she thought as she lifted her head up, the blanket falling from her head to rest on her back. Soft hoofsteps came from further down the hallway, a brief flash of lightning illuminating the pony walking towards her. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, a sheepish smile sliding onto her face. She hoped that he hadn’t seen her squirming in fear, for such a thing was unbecoming of a guard, after all.

“Yeah. I heard someone whimper and I thought it was Nightshine.” Jason stopped in front of Nightshine’s door and pressed an ear against it. When he heard her snoring, he grinned and shook his head as he walked forward, stopping when he reached the living room. He leaned against the wall as he yawned. “She’s still getting used to living here, after all. I don’t think she likes storms that much.” He pushed himself off of the wall and rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh... was it you I heard? Were you having a nightmare or something?”

“Yeah, it was me,” Lily admitted with a blush. Her ears flicked back as she glanced away, unable to hold his gaze. “I don’t like storms either.”

“Oh, I see...” Jason turned back around towards his bedroom. “It should be gone in a little bit, and then we can all get some shut-eye.” He took a couple of steps back towards his room before he heard Lily cough. Glancing over his shoulder, he waited for her to speak.

“Um... any chance we could stay up and talk for a little bit?” Lily asked hopefully, a light smile pulling the sides of her lips upwards.

“Heh, sure. I don’t see why not.” Jason turned around again and walked over to the couch, treading as lightly as he could so as to not wake Nightshine up. He jumped up on the couch and settled down next to Lily, letting his forelegs drape over the edge. “So you don’t really like thunderstorms all that much, huh?”

Lily shook her head as she squirmed on the couch, her wings fluttering at her sides. “Nuh-uh, and you better not tell anypony about that, either.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Jason said with a chuckle. “So... what’s on your mind?”

“I don’t know, I just wanted some company. I don’t really like being alone; that’s why I live in the barracks instead of my own place. Living in Canterlot is way too expensive, even on a royal guard’s salary, so it kinda just works out.”

“I’m sure. That’s why I chose to live down here. The food is good, the house was relatively cheap compared to what was offered up in Canterlot, and everypony down here is pretty nice. It did take a while for them to get used to me, though. I only became a pony like, a few days ago.”

“Yeah, Luna said something about that. What were you before you were a pony?” Lily curiously asked.

“A human,” Jason said, his gaze settling down on the ring by the door. “Would you like to see?” he asked softly, wondering how she’d react.

“Kinda, yeah, but... you can change back?” Lily cocked her head to the side. “How?”

“Well... Twilight made this ring for me, so that whenever I want to be a human again, I can simply put it on my hoof, and I’ll change back to a human, or... something like that.” He looked back at her. “I have no idea how it works, but if she says it’ll do it, then I have to trust her.”

“Wait, you haven’t tried it out yet?” Lily perked up.

“Nah, just haven’t felt the need. I think it would be best for Nightshine if I stayed a pony for her. While she acts like a normal filly, I can’t help but treat her like she’s the most fragile thing in the universe. She’s been my daughter for a little while now, and while it already feels like it’s been forever, we’re still learning how to mesh as a family. I think that being a pony would help that process move along faster.”

Lily grinned. “It sounds like you’re doing a splendid job so far. Luna sure seems to think so.”

“Yeah? Was Twilight sending her letters or something?”

Lily nodded. “Mhm. So... you said something about a ring?”

“Oh, yeah. Lemme grab it real quick.” Jason pushed himself off of the couch and trotted over towards the table near the door. Wondering what would happen, and if it would make a sound to wake Nightshine up, he bit down on the ring and walked back towards the couch. He suddenly stopped in place as he realized something, something that would have been extremely embarrassing. “Uh... be right back!” he said, trotting back into his bedroom. He shut the door with a hoof, then sat down near his bed, his heart pounding in his chest.

Lifting his right foreleg up, he threaded it through the ring and let it slide down. A bright white flash of light made his eyes clench shut as he felt his body change shape. With bated breath, he glanced down, affirming his fears.

He was completely naked.

“Heh, sure dodged that bullet...” he muttered to himself as he pushed himself back up on his feet. “Woah...this is a little weird.” He felt a little dizzy, making him grab onto the edge of the bed to steady himself. He walked over to his closet, pulled out some of his favorite clothes, then made quick time in getting dressed. He rubbed the ring that was locked onto his upper arm, hidden by his T-shirt. It wouldn’t budge an inch. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, then stepped back out into the hallway. “Now, don’t freak out, but... this is what I look like,” he said, stopping in front of the couch as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Lily looked him up and down, her mouth forming a small, tight ‘O’. “Why, uh... why are you standing on two legs?” she asked.

“It’s just how we are,” Jason said as he sat back down on the couch. Lily scooted closer to him, looking up at his face with a curious gaze. “So... you’re not weirded out? Not even a little bit?”

“Why would I be? Sure, you’re a different species that I’ve never seen before, but I trust you.” She scooted closer to him and lifted up one of his arms, peering down at his hand. “What are these?” she asked with wide eyes, watching as his fingers wriggled about. “No fur, huh? So that must mean—Oh!” Her blush deepened significantly, then she shot him a sly grin. “So that’s why you bolted back into your room, eh?”

Jason couldn’t stop himself from blushing. “Heh, yeah, and it was a good thing I did that, too. As for your question... they’re called fingers. They’re pretty similar to Spike’s claws.” Jason laughed. “Believe it or not, but Nightshine loves these little things. Trust me when I say that she can not get enough ear scritches.” He waggled his fingers about for emphasis.

“Ear scritches?” Lily cocked her head to the side as she let go of his arm. “What are those?”

“I can show you if you want.” Another loud thunderclap sounded out from right above his house, making him jump a little bit. Lily let loose a loud ‘eep’ as she jerked forward, pressing up against his side. Jason’s breath caught in his throat as he felt her tremble against him. “You okay?” he asked, placing his left hand on the small of her back.

“Y-Yeah,” Lily said. Feeling his body’s warmth seep into her right wing and coat, her eyes went wide. With an awkward giggle, she scooted back a little bit, unable to look up at him for fear of him seeing how hard she was blushing. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. You were just scared. Hehe, it even scared me, and I like loud thunderstorms!” Jason stretched his arms out along the back of the couch and relaxed, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.

“Ugh! I hate them!” Lily’s muzzle scrunched up as she shook her head to and fro, like she’d just eaten a piece of sour candy. “I don’t know why anypony would like them.”

Jason shrugged. “I just think they make cool sounds,” he said.

“They make scary sounds,” Lily said, correcting him. Feeling her blush subside, she nudged his leg with a hoof and glanced back up at him. “So... you were saying something about ear scritches?”

“Oh, yeah, that. Just lay your head down on my leg and I’ll show you.”

“O...kay...” Lily said, shooting him an inquisitive gaze. “This better not be a trick.”

“It’s not a trick, I swear. Like I said, Nightshine likes them a lot.”

Lily stared into his eyes for a few more seconds, then laid her head on his leg. “So what are you going to—Oh!” She felt the tips of his fingers run through her mane, the palm of his hand running down the back of her neck. “This actually feels pretty good; almost like I’m getting a massage.”

“Heh, we’re not even at the best part,” Jason said, scratching the side of her neck. He pushed her mane aside as his hand drifted upwards, back up to her ears.

“Mmmm...” A soft smile grew on her face as her ears flopped from side to side, his fingers scratching the base of her ears. Lily’s eyes drifted shut, her left hind leg thumping against the couch cushions as his fingers worked their magic. “I can see why Nightshine loves these so-called ear scritches.”

“Yeah? They must be pretty awesome if it can get your leg thumping like that.”

Lily’s eyes shot open wide as she realized that was exactly what she was doing. Her cheeks burned a crimson red as her mouth went dry. “Uh...” She forced her hind leg to lay still, but the urge to let it thump grew from a little noise to a raging inferno in her mind.

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” Jason said. He flexed his wrist, then laid his arms on the back of the couch again. “Nopony needs to know you’re a little leg thumper,” he said, hiding his grin with a hand. “Except me, of course.”

Lily pouted as she rolled her eyes. “Good, but why’d you stop? Don’t tell me that you’re already tired out!” She laid her forelegs up on his leg, her tail swishing about on the couch. “Come on... a little more?” she asked, shooting him a hopeful grin.

“Oh, alright...” Jason said, waggling his fingers about as he reached for the back of her head again. Lily bit back a squee, then laid her head back down on his leg, settling down between her forelegs as she hummed softly in content. Her ears flopped down as she nuzzled his leg, feeling his fingers return to the spot that they never should have left in the first place. She scooted closer to him, curling up against his side as she pushed the blanket back up to her shoulders with her wings. “Sure could get used to this...” she whispered, letting her eyes slide shut.

A few minutes passed in silence as Jason kept it up. As he felt his fingers start to grow weary, he paused, scratched the side of her neck again, then relaxed. “So how was that, eh?” he asked.

Lily didn’t respond.

Jason peered down at her, listening as hard as he could. She was breathing steadily. “Lily, you still up?” he asked softly. When she didn’t budge an inch, he chuckled. “You didn’t fall asleep on my leg, did you?” Warmth from Lily’s body seeped into his legs. He grinned at the adorable sight. He wanted to get up and go back to his bed, but he figured that if she was scared of thunderstorms, she probably hadn’t got any sleep yet. Wanting to let her get some rest, he made himself comfortable on the couch, propped a pillow behind his head, then let sleep take him away to the wonderful world of dreams.

After several minutes, Lily cracked an eye open, glancing up at his face. Perfect... she thought, feeling butterflies flit about in her stomach when her eyes confirmed that he was already fast asleep. She tossed some of her blanket over his chest, then lightly nuzzled his leg, hoping that it wouldn’t wake him up. Why’s he gotta look cute as a human? Those fingers of his are to die for, too... Her ears flicked down as she grinned, wishing for more ear scritches. I wonder if he’s going to invite me to the Grand Galloping Gala... Dear Celestia... please... I’ve never been. She heard another loud thunderclap a little ways off in the distance, and instead of it making her shiver in fright, she simply snuggled closer and closed her eyes, feeling secure and content laying next to him. At least thunderstorms have one thing going for them!

A Hopeful Heart

Lily stirred, her ears flicking about as she awoke from a dreamless, yet satisfying sleep. A yawn forced her muzzle apart as she lifted her head from Jason’s leg. She blinked a few times, then shielded her eyes with a wing as the sun’s light streamed in through the windows. Lowering her wing after a few moments, she found Nightshine sitting in front of the couch, a wide smirk plastered on her face. Lily tensed up, then relaxed a little bit. “Hey, little one...” she said softly, shooting her a warm smile. “You sleep well?”

“Yeah, but it looks like you slept better!” Nightshine chirped back. “Told ya snuggling with him was awesome!” She hopped up on the couch and jumped on top of Jason, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. “Morning, Daddy!” she said, nuzzling his cheek over and over.

“Ugh...” Jason opened his eyes, staring right up at the ceiling. He looked down, immediately wishing that he hadn’t fallen asleep with his head tilted back. Rubbing his sore neck with his left hand, he wrapped his other arm around Nightshine and held her close. “Good morning, Nightshine.” He glanced down to his left and noticed that Lily was pointedly staring at the coffee table, unable to meet his gaze. “Hey Lily...” he said, reaching up into the air as he stretched. Nightshine slid down into his lap, only to push her head under his hand.

Nightshine started squirming. “Come on, Daddy! Ear scritches?”

Jason chuckled. “What’s the magic word, sweetie?”

Nightshine rolled her eyes. “Pretty please?”

“Heh, there ya go...” Jason said, scratching his daughter between the ears. NIghtshine hummed happily in content as she pushed her head deeper into his hand. “Geez, you really like these, huh?”

“Mhm...” Nightshine murmured, her eyes sliding shut as her tail swished around.

“You weren’t lying when you said she loved those,” Lily said as she pushed herself off of the couch. “Don’t tell anyone else, but... I loved getting my ears scratched. You could probably open up a business just for that!” She stretched herself out like a cat as she yawned again. “I know of several guards that could definitely use that kind of relaxation and pampering.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah, and they would pay handsomely, too.” Lily shot him a hopeful grin. “You know, you sure could get a lot of business up in Canterlot.”

“That’s true, but I dunno. You really think ponies would pay to get their ears scratched?” Jason asked. “What do you think, Nightshine?”

“I think it’s an awesome idea!” Nightshine said. “But I have an even better idea!”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“Breakfast! I’m starving.”

Lily coughed lightly. “You two happen to have any pancake mix around here? I can whip us up some killer pancakes if you do!” she said, turning towards the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we do,” Jason said. “You know how to cook?”

“Jason, please. I’m a mare; all mares know how to cook,” Lily said with a scoff.

“Heh, alright then. If you wanna make us some breakfast, that’d be awesome. I should start cleaning up around here if I want this place to be presentable by the time that inspector guy comes around.” Jason stood up and looked around. “Well, all we really need to do is make sure that the kitchen is cleaned up,” he said, folding the blanket that he and Lily had shared. “And the beds have to be made. Guess I’ll start in my room.”

“Okay! I’ll let you know when breakfast is ready!” Lily called out after Jason as he walked past. Nightshine trotted after him, but stopped in front of the entryway to the kitchen. “Something on your mind, little one?” Lily asked.

“Um...” Nightshine rubbed her foreleg with a hoof as a nervous grin broke out on her face. “I know I’m only a filly, and I know I’m gonna be a mare eventually, but...” Her head drooped a little.

“What is it?” Lily asked, cocking her head to the side. She turned on the burner and rifled around in one of Jason’s cabinets until she found a large pan.

“Well... nopony ever taught me how to cook before,” Nightshine said, hesitantly flicking her gaze up to meet Lily’s. “C-Can you maybe show me how to make pancakes?”

“Oh, but of course!” Lily pushed a chair over from the table next to the stove. “Here you go! Just hop on up and I’ll show you how simple it is to cook these delectable delights!” A sudden knocking on the front door made her pause.

“I’ll get it!” Jason said as he hurried over to the front door. “Everything clean over there?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Uh... yep!” Lily called back.

After taking a deep breath, Jason turned the door handle and opened the door. “Oh, it’s just you two,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, it’s just two of the four princesses of Equestria,” Twilight shot back with a grin. “Mind letting us in?”

“Of course!” Jason stepped aside, then closed the door behind them.

“Good to see that you tried out the ring. Were there any side effects?” Twilight asked, her tone holding no small amount of curiosity.

Jason chuckled. “Kinda. I, uh... I wasn’t wearing any clothes when I put it on, so, um... let’s just say that it was a good thing I put it on in my room instead of in front of Lily or Nightshine.”

“So? Us ponies only wear clothes when—” Twilight laughed. “Oh, right. You always wear clothes.”

“Yeah. Gotta stay decent, unlike—”

“All of Equestria?” Luna smirked, trotted past him, and promptly flopped down on the couch, spreading herself out across the cushions. “Lily?” she asked, burying her muzzle underneath a cushion. “When we get back home, pease remind me that I need a couch such as this for my bedroom.”

“Huh? Why is that?” Twilight asked. “It’s just a couch.”

“Yes, it is, my dear Twilight, but it is a comfy couch! We do not have such comforts back home. All of the couches and chairs look pretty and fancy, yes, but they are not comfy. I wouldn’t even care if it was the ugliest color so long as it was this comfy.” Luna giggled as she finally pushed herself up into a more respectable position, a light blush tinting her cheeks a rosy pink. “Pray tell, Jason, where did you happen to acquire this couch?”

“Uh... I got it used from some family that bought a new one. They gave me a good deal, so I couldn’t really turn it down.”

“Oh, I see... Hmph! It is of no matter; it is comfy nonetheless, and I require one to replace that awful thing Celestia gave me for my birthday a while ago.” She prodded the couch with a hoof, then lay back against it. “It’s pretty warm, too, not like like just one pony was using it...” Her eyes narrowed as the cogs turned in her head.

“Jason and Lily snuggled on it last night!” Nightshine chirped with glee. “I woke up and saw Lily’s head on his leg, and even though I didn’t think it could happen, she was smiling in her sleep! I didn’t even know you could do that! Isn’t that cool?” Silence filled the room, making her smile slowly fade away. “Um... did I say something wrong, Daddy?” she asked, looking up at Jason.

“Uh...” Jason rubbed the back of his neck as he felt every mare’s gaze fall on him. “It’s a long story.”

“One that I would be most curious to hear back on the train ride back up to Canterlot,” Luna said, shooting Lily a deep, knowing smirk. “Wait, what are you cooking over there?” she asked, her ears perking up as she sniffed the air.

“Well, I’m just about to start making some pancakes, and Nightshine here was gonna help me! Everypony want some?” she asked. A chorus of yesses filled the room, Luna’s reply drowning out most of the others. “Awesome! I’ll let you know when they’re ready, okay?” Looking down at Nightshine, she said, “Hey, can you go and grab some blueberries from the fridge? Blueberry pancakes are Luna’s favorite!”

“You got it!”

Luna cleared her throat. “Anyways, how’d the inspection go?”

“He hasn’t arrived yet. To be honest, I’m expecting him to be here any min—” A soft knock came from his front door. “Well, like I was saying, any minute. I guess this is him, so... act natural, I guess?” He ran his hands through his hair, wishing that he had taken a shower, knowing that first impressions were everything.

Letting his hand rest on the doorknob, he took another deep breath to steady his nerves and opened the door, revealing a tan earth pony. “Hello there!” he said, standing aside to let him in. “I take it that you’re the home inspector?”

They nodded once as they took a couple steps inside. “I sure am. The name is Ba—Oh my heavens, Princess Twilight and Princess Luna!” He bowed low, his right foreleg curling up a little bit as his muzzle brushed against the floor. “It is quite the honor to meet you,” he said, standing back up. “My name is Bartholomeus, and I am here to inspect this home to see if it is suitable for... uh, hang on a tic.” He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a clipboard. “Uh... Nightshine? Yeah, that’s the one!”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Luna said, nodding once. “We came hoping to hear whether or not Jason had passed your examination, but it appears we came a little early.”

“Yes, well, be that as it may, the train was running a little late. I was supposed to be here half an hour ago,” Bartholomeus said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jason closed the door and crossed his arms. “So how do we go about this home inspection? Do you just have to look around or what?”

“That is a part of it, yes, but I do have to interview both you and Nightshine.” He flipped a couple pages over and peered down, pushing his spectacles up. “Hm... would it be okay with you if I start with the home inspection?”

“That’s fine with me,” Jason said. “As you can see, this is the living room, the kitchen is over to your right, where Nightshine and our new friend, Lily, is showing her how to make pancakes, and if you look further to the ri—”

“Ahem! New friend?” Bartholomeus’ eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that, good sir?”

“Uh... Well, Lily is one of Princess Luna’s guards. She and Luna came down to help out around here, and Lily has been absolutely wonderful to Nightshine; almost like the mother she never had.”

“Hmph. I see... Very well, then! Let us move on.” He walked up to the entrance of the kitchen and paused. “Well, hello there, little one!” he said, a wide grin on his face as his eyes fell upon a young bat pony pouring a cup full of blueberries onto a half-cooked pancake. “You must be Nightshine!”

“Y-Yeah, that’s me,” Nightshine said, shooting him a cautious glance. “Are you that inspector pony?”

“I sure am!”

“Well, it’s, uh... it’s nice to meet you, sir!” Nightshine said, letting a little smile grace her lips.

“Well-mannered, and seems to be happy here...” Bartholomeus said, scribbling that down on his clipboard.

“I sure am! Daddy taught me that you’re supposed to be kind to strangers, too,” she said.

“Already calling him Daddy? That’s odd... Hasn’t it been a week or so since your adoption?”

“Uh... I think so. He’s my daddy, though; I just know it!” Nightshine said with glee. “When we first met, I just knew in my heart that he would take me away and give me a home! And I—” She felt Lily nudge her side with a hoof, making her look up at her with an inquisitive gaze.

“That is good to hear! Anyways, I assume the pantry is well-stocked?” he asked, pulling it open and peering inside. “Hm... a little low.”

“W-We have been rather busy preparing for your visit, and, uh...” Jason felt a pit in his stomach grow as he followed the inspector down the hallway.

Lily coughed to get Nightshine’s attention. “You were laying it on a little thick there at the end, sweetie,” she said, feeling a tad bit uneasy. I hope that doesn’t hurt her chances of staying with Jason...

“Oh, I know!” Nightshine said with a giggle.

“You’re a little devil, you know that?” Lily asked, returning Nightshine’s giggle as she ruffled her mane with a hoof. “So... did Jason really teach you to be nice to strangers?”

“Nope! I just said that to make him look better,” Nightshine said, her smile faltering. “Some of my friends at the orphanage actually came back because their new parents failed the home inspection. They, um... they were sad for weeks. Barely ate anything, too, and...” A shiver ran down her back as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t want Jason to fail...” she muttered, her ears flicking back. Barely a moment passed before she felt Lily wrap her forelegs around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

“That’s never gonna happen, Nightshine, and don’t you dare speak another word of that. Banish those thoughts from your mind and don’t ever let them return,” Lily said, rubbing Nightshine’s back.

“O-Okay,” Nightshine said, sniffling a little bit.

“You promise?” Lily sat back, then wiped the tears from Nightshine’s eyes as she nodded. “Come on, shall we go see how things are going? I’m sure that everything is going smoothly.”

“Alright, and... thanks,” Nightshine said.

“Anytime, sweetie.”

“Thank you for your time, Jason, Nightshine,” Bartholomeus said, tucking his clipboard back into his saddlebag. He grinned as he watched Nightshine climb up Jason’s leg, using her wings to give her an extra boost to latch her forelegs around his neck. She pulled herself up, her head appearing over his shoulder, a wide grin on her face.

“It was our pleasure, Bartholomeus,” Jason said. “Thank you for being understanding about my little situation with the ring. Would you care to share breakfast with us?”

“Heh, while I would enjoy that, I must be off to Trottingham on the very next train to get to my next appointment!” Bartholomeus said, walking towards the front door. “I wish you two the best of luck!” he said as he let himself out.

A heavy silence filled the room, one that Twilight broke after many seconds. “So?! Did you pass?” she asked.

‘We sure did!” Jason said. “And Nightshine? I have a surprise for you!”

“Oh?” She draped herself over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“We’re going to the Grand Galloping Gala!”

Nightshine gasped. “Really?!” Nightshine asked, her eyes wide. “Eeeee!” She launched herself off of Jason’s shoulders, spreading her wings wide. She flew around the room a couple of times, then headed straight for Jason with her forelegs outstretched. She hit him hard, making him stumble back as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Jason lost his balance and fell down, his back hitting the front door, but Nightshine was too focused on nuzzling him to notice.

“The pancakes are ready!” Lily called out from the kitchen. “Come and get ‘em!”

Nightshine’s ears perked up at that. She took a few sniffs, then bolted towards the kitchen like a dog chasing a cat.

“Congratulations, Jason,” Luna said, slipping off of the couch. She held out a hoof to help him up. “I did not have a shred of doubt that you wouldn’t be able to pass the inspection.”

“Heh, thanks. I was worried sick throughout the entire thing; it felt like I was walking on pins and needles.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You think that his decision was influenced by yours and Twilight’s presence?” he asked.

Luna simply smirked at him. “Oh, I don’t know...” A grin slowly grew on her face before she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Don’t tell anypony I said this, but I think he almost peed himself when he saw me and Twilight.”

“Ha! I’m sure anypony would, given the circumstances. Anyways... there’s not enough chairs in the kitchen for all five of us, so would it be okay if you and Twilight ate out here in the living room? You could sit on my comfy couch again, as you so eloquently put it.”

“You know me too well, Jason; I was going to ask if it was alright to eat there,” Luna said with a giggle. “Celestia hates it when I do that!”

“My mom was the same way, but I still did it anyways,” Jason said. “You wanna go lay down again? I can bring you a plate.”

“That sounds lovely, thank you,” she said. “By the way, Lily and I need to get going after breakfast. I need to help my sister prepare for the Gala, and I told her that I would be back early this afternoon to assist her.”

“What, so soon? I guess it has been a few days...” He shot a forlorn glance Lily’s way.

Luna’s eyes softened. “Well, if it is any consolation, I do not think this will be the last time you and Lily will meet.”

“Yeah... One can only hope.” Stepping into the kitchen, Jason grabbed a couple of plates of pancakes, a bottle of syrup, and set it all on the coffee table. “Enjoy; I heard that Lily is a good cook,” he said as he walked back towards the kitchen. He sat down at the small table where Lily was placing their plates on the table for them. As soon as Lily sat down, Nightshine immediately started scarfing down her pancake, almost as if she was inhaling it. “Woah, slow down there; you really should take little bites so you can enjoy it more,” he said with a chuckle.

Nightshine grinned. “But it’s so good!” she said, squeezing no small amount of syrup onto the remains of her pancake. “You want some?” Nightshine asked, holding out the bottle for him between her two front hooves.

“I would love some, thanks.” Jason poured some of the syrup onto his pancake, then passed it to Lily.

Nightshine suddenly gasped. “Lily! Are you going to the Grand Galloping Gala too?” she asked, staring up at her with wide eyes. “A mare as pretty as you should definitely be there!”

Lily rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. “Uh... to be honest, I don’t know. The schedule for the guards was posted yesterday, and I’ve been here for the last few days, so... yeah.” She forced herself to smile. “I sure hope I don’t have to work, though! I’ve always been scheduled to work the Gala in the past several years, though, so... I don’t think my chances are good.”

“Oh, uh... I’m sorry to hear that,” Jason said, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. “Any chance you could get somepony to take your place?”

“I really doubt that anypony would want to take an extra shift, even if it’s for the Gala. I do have a bit of seniority, though, so... there might be a chance that I’m free,” she said hopefully.

“I see, so... Luna said you two are leaving after this,” he said softly.

Lily’s shoulders drooped as her ears flicked back. She set her fork back down on the plate and glanced off to the side. “Yeah... I heard her tell you that.” She licked her lips, then glanced back up at him, her cheeks a soft, rosy pink. “I’m, uh... I’m gonna miss you guys. I’ve had a blast hanging out with you two, and... about last night, I’m sor—”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Jason said. “I didn’t mind it one bit.”

Lily perked up at that. “Y-Yeah?”

“Yeah. You’re always welcome to stop by when you can! I’m sure that Nightshine would love that, right, little one?” he asked, tousling his daughter’s mane.

“Sure would!” Nightshine said through the half-chewed food in her mouth.

“I am very glad to hear that,” Lily said with a soft smile. Their conversation lapsed into silence as she stared at her mostly-untouched pancake. Should I ask him? This could be the last time I see him in weeks... Her heart throbbed in her chest, screaming at her to make the first move. She felt Nightshine poke her side, wrenching her from her thoughts. “Hm? What’d you say?”

“I asked if you were gonna finish that pancake,” Nightshine said. “So... are you? They’re only good for a few minutes before they get all soggy; they’re really yummy!” She wiggled in her seat, praying for a positive answer.

“Yeah, sure. I usually don’t eat breakfast anyways,” Lily lied.

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Uh... you sure?” he asked as he watched Lily push her plate towards Nightshine.

“I’m fine,” Lily said, “I’m honestly not really hungry right now.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed further, then he relented. “Okay then. Thanks for making these; they’re great,” he said over the sounds of Nightshine gobbling up the pancake. He finished the last few bites of his own and stood up, taking away their empty plates. After he placed them in the kitchen sink, he poked his head out of the kitchen and asked, “You two finished out here?”

“Yep, and I am afraid we must get going,” Luna said, licking a bit of syrup from her lips. “Shall we, Lily?”

Lily sighed. “Yeah, but we need to stop by Twilight’s castle to get my armor; I left it in my room.”

“Very well, but we should hurry. The train to Canterlot leaves in twenty minutes, and I had them hook up my personal train car to the end so that we could relax in private,” Luna said. “And it’s stocked with your favorite snack, too!” She slipped off the couch, stretched, then used her magic to open the front door. Twilight followed her outside, though she did shoot a warm smile Jason’s way.

“Wait, you have mangos?” Lily asked breathlessly.

“What’s a mango?” Nightshine asked, cocking her head to the side.

Lily chuckled. “It’s only the bestest, most tastiest fruit imaginable! I’ll be sure to bring you some the next time I’m around, okay? They might actually have some around town down here, though they can be rather hard to find sometimes.”

“Awesome; I can’t wait!”

“Great. Well, it was really nice getting to know you two. Would you like to walk me out?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“Thanks.” Lily stood up and walked past Jason, feeling her muscles tense up as her tail brushed against his leg. A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she walked towards the front door, following Luna and Twilight outside. A light breeze blew her mane to the other side of her neck as she stepped out onto his small front porch. She felt little pinpricks form on her neck, making her wings tremble at her sides as she watched Luna and Twilight walk away.

“Are you coming, Lily?” Luna asked, pausing when she realized that Lily wasn’t with her and Twilight.

Lily’s heart throbbed in her chest. “J-Just a minute, Princess!” she called out. Taking a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, she flicked her tail a couple of times and turned around. “Hey, Jason?” she asked, looking up into his eyes, her mouth feeling incredibly dry. “I know this is a bit of a long shot, but... um... would you maybe want to go on a date with me sometime soon?” she squeaked out.

Jason’s eyes went wide, though he regained control after a couple of seconds. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he said, blinking a few times. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Really?” Lily’s eyes lit up with glee as she pranced in place. Yay! She darted forward and hugged his legs, nuzzling him for a few seconds before she realized what she was doing. “Heh, sorry. I think I got a little carried away there...” she said. “Anyways, I...”

“Lily!” Luna yelled from further down the road.

“Coming!” Lily yelled back. She smiled sheepishly as she looked back up at Jason. “Guess I gotta go, huh?” Nightshine trotted up to her, stood up on her hind legs, then wrapped her forelegs around her neck.

“Promise you’ll come back soon?” Nightshine asked, tightening her grip for a few moments before she let go.

“I promise,” Lily said.

Jason took a deep breath, then licked his lips, hoping that the question that sit on the tip of his tongue wasn’t too forward. “Hey, so, uh... if you’re not working during the Grand Galloping Gala, would you like to be my plus one? I don’t have anyone else to bring, and I think that’d be a really fun first date.”

“If I’m not working, I would absolutely love to go with you, Jason,” Lily said, her rump wiggling about in excitement. “Anyways, I really gotta go now. Goodbye, you two!” She opened her wings and flew off in the direction of Twilight’s castle, waving at them until she disappeared from sight.

Jason waved back, then stepped back inside. “Heh, sure didn’t expect that coming.”

Nightshine laughed. “You kidding? I saw it a mile away!” she said, playfully nudging his side.

“What? How?” Jason asked, puzzled.

“Daddy, I’m a filly. All fillies can tell when somepony has a crush on somepony!” Nightshine said with a giggle. “You two look so cute together!” She gasped. “You think she could be my mommy one day?!”

Lily trotted back inside the barracks, a gleeful pep in her step. Making her way over to her bunk bed, she kicked open her trunk, unceremoniously dropped her saddlebag and armor inside, then shut it. She flopped down on her bed and let loose a heavy sigh of content, unable to keep a smile off her face.

“What, you’re not even going to say hello?” her friend’s voice came from the bunk above her.

“Abigale?” Lily glanced up to find her friend looking down upon her with a smirk. She pushed herself up. “Sorry, I didn’t even see you when I came in.”

“Yeah, I was sleeping; my shift was this morning,” Abigale said as she swung down to land on Lily’s bed. She lay down on the other end of the rather small bed and let her smirk deepen.

“Uh... what is it?”

“Something happened down in Ponyville, right? I can see it all over your face!” Abigale said, nudging her best friend with a hoof. Her fangs glistened in the fading sunlight streaming in through the windows. “Come on, we’re besties; we tell each other everything! Spill the beans already!” She brushed a bit of her light purple mane out of her eyes and waited with unwavering attention.

Lily giggled nervously, then leaned in close. “I met a stallion down there, and...” she said, keeping her voice soft. “I asked him out!”

“Eeee! I knew it!” Abigale screeched, her tail swishing about behind her.

“That’s not the best part; he’s a thestral, and he invited me to the Gala!” Lily said, smiling at her friend’s excitement. “He’s got a really cute daughter, too!”

Abigale’s smile faltered. “Wait, what?” Her eyebrows furrowed that. “Hold on, hun, you want to get involved with a stallion who already has a filly?” She shook her head. “No, no, and no! That’s a horrible idea! What if he gets tired of you and wants to get back with the mother? Would you really want to get hitched to him and have to deal with that in the future? Every time he looks at his daughter, he’s gonna think of his ex-wife! You really should break things off as soon as you can.”

Lily’s mouth hung open wide. “Okay... I’m gonna stop you right there. His daughter was just recently adopted from an orphanage here in Canterlot, and I really, really like this guy. I am not going to break things off.”

Abigale blinked in shock, unable to speak for a few seconds. “Oh, wow. That changes everything, then,” she said, a small smile returning to her lips. “I apologize for making those assumptions about him.”

“Thanks,” Lily said, relaxing a little bit. She returned Abigale’s smile, then said, “I really would like for you to meet him, Abi; he’s really sweet, and he’s pretty much everything I’m looking for in a coltfriend.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m glad to hear that! Now I just gotta find a coltfriend of my own! Oh hey, did you see the schedule for this weekend when you came in? I’m off this weekend!”

“Really? Lucky!” Lily hopped off her bed. “If you’re off, then that must mean that Celestia’s guards will be watching over the event instead of Luna’s again!” She trotted away from her friend, heading towards the front of the barracks, her eyes locked on a piece of parchment nailed to the far wall.

“Yeah, but Luna always likes to have some of her guards there, remember?” Abigale asked from across the room. “I think she likes to show us off...” she said, followed by a short chuckle.

Lily screeched to a halt in front of the schedule, her eyes darting across the page until she found her name. Her heart dropped into her stomach, unable to believe her eyes. I have to work during the Gala? B-But why? Why?? With tears brimming in her eyes, she shouldered open the doors leading outside and took to the skies.

“Lily, wait!” Abigale said, leaping up from the bed. She galloped towards the doors and kicked them open. She looked up, praying that Lily was still within eyeshot, but she was long gone.

Nightshine's Question

“Alright little one, time for bed,” Jason said, fighting to keep his eyelids from sliding shut, for if that happened, he had no doubt in his mind that he would fall asleep on the couch. Nightshine was already fast asleep on his chest, her head tucked underneath his chin. Her body’s warmth kept trying to lull him to sleep, so knowing that if he didn’t get up right now, he was surely going to wake up with a sore neck just like that morning. With a low groan, he scooped Nightshine up in his arms and stood up, feeling her nuzzle him as she woke up.

“Daddy? Oh.” Nightshine blinked a few times, then rubbed her eyes with her front hooves. “Was I sleeping?” she asked with a giggle. As Jason carried her into her bedroom, she let her forelegs curl up against her chest as she wiggled into a more comfortable position, though that was all for naught as he set her down on the bed. “You know what I’m gonna ask, right?” she asked, shooting him a grin.

“If we can snuggle?” Jason asked.

“Well, duh! Of course I was gonna ask if we can snuggle! Gotta make up for all those years in the orphanage after all.”

“You have a good point.” Jason lay down on her bed and pulled the sheets open for them. He smiled at her as he patted the empty spot beside him. “I really should get a bed this comfy for myself.”

“You totally should! I really feel like snuggling with you as a pony tonight, if that’s okay,” she said with no small amount of hopefulness in her tone. “So... can we?”

“I don’t see why not,” Jason said. He grabbed the ring and pulled it off, and after a bright flash of light, he transformed back into a bat pony.

Nightshine squeed.

With a chuckle, Jason wiggled out of his clothes and kicked them off of the bed with the ring, then rolled over onto his stomach. Nightshine squirmed underneath his right wing with glee, then let loose another yawn. “We had a pretty good day, didn’t we?” he asked.

“Mhm...” Nightshine yawned and nuzzled his leg into a better position, then laid her head upon it. “Night, Daddy.”

“Goodnight, little one...”

A few hours later, Nightshine stirred awake. It was still the middle of the night, but she felt wide awake for some odd reason. She cracked her eyes open, feeling Jason’s chest rise and fall against her wing. The moonlight was shining in through the window, its light gracing her vision. Wanting to get a better look due to the fact that the orphans were never allowed out of bed after hours, she wiggled her way out from Jason’s wing as carefully as she could, then walked over to the window.

Once she was sure that she hadn’t woken him up, she laid her head on the windowsill and stared up at the moon, letting her thoughts drift about, eventually settling upon her friend, Sea Stride. I wonder how he’s been doing... she thought, her ears flicking back. He was my only friend back at the orphanage, and I don’t have any friends here, well... at least not yet. Maybe I can ask Jason if we can go looking for him? I don’t know where we could start, though... He might not even be in Canterlot.

Nightshine glanced back at Jason. Out of all the ponies at the orphanage, why did he pick me? After so many families passed me up, why did he pick me? That question gnawed at her heart and mind for countless minutes, the urge to wake him up and ask him growing ever stronger until she couldn’t bear to sit there and stir in her inner turmoil. Hoping that he wouldn’t be upset that she woke him up, she hopped back up on the bed and nuzzled Jason awake. “Daddy?” she asked. “I wanna ask you something.”

“Huh? What’s up?” Jason asked, rubbing his eyes with a hoof.

Nightshine lay down next to him, her tail swishing around. Her question danced on the tip of her tongue, and she wondered if she should even dare to ask him. She had to know, though. “Why did you adopt me?” she asked softly, unable to meet his questioning gaze. His hoof came to rest on her chin, gently lifting her head up. She glanced up at him and saw the most comforting smile sitting plainly upon his face.

“Because you’re special, little one,” Jason said. He rolled over and nuzzled her cheek. “How could I even think to adopt anypony else?”

Nightshine giggled a little bit, but a feeling in her gut told her that he was holding back. “That’s a good point, but... why me? Why not some other regular pony?”

“Uh...” Jason sat up a little straighter, feeling Nightshine’s gaze pierce his very essence. “Well...” He rubbed the back of his neck as he cleared his throat. “To be blunt, I’m an outcast here. I was born on a different planet, one similar to this one but different in so many ways. There was nopony else like you at the orphanage, and I never knew thestrals even existed, so... I felt that you were an outcast, just like me, and when we first met, I felt something right here in my chest,” he said, poking just below his neck. “And I know you felt it, too.” He poked Nightshine’s chest with the same hoof. “Right there; I saw it in your eyes the moment we met. Serenity tried to convince me to adopt another pony, but my mind was already made up. I knew I made the right choice back then, and I know I made the right choice even now. I think you’re the perfect filly, Nightshine... My only regret is that I didn’t adopt you sooner.”

He opened his wing again for Nightshine to scoot under, but Nightshine folded it back against his side with a hoof. She nuzzled it for a couple of seconds, then draped her left wing over his back. It didn’t reach all the way around, but that didn’t matter; her message rang true. She snuggled closer to him, then laid her head on one of his forelegs again.

“Thank you,” Nightshine whispered as she closed her eyes, trying to keep her tears of happiness at bay. She felt her cheeks grow wet with her tears, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t care if he saw, either, though part of her wanted him to know just how much his words made her heart thump harder with the purest of joy.

Lily's Confrontation

With the sun rising up over the horizon, Lily could not wait any longer. As the sun’s warmth graced her wings, she spread them wide and flew from the top of the highest tower, flying down in wide circles until she landed in the castle’s courtyard. The tears had long since dried on her cheeks, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of anger and confusion. She had to find out why Princess Luna had scheduled her to work at the Gala, and there was only one place Luna could be at this time of day: the kitchens.

After taking a slow, shuddering breath to calm her nerves, Lily found that such a simple act did nothing to sate her anger; only one thing could fix that: a confrontation with Princess Luna herself. She flew down in tight circles, feeling an updraft try to push her upwards, but she tilted her wings further down towards the ground, accelerating her descent.

As she neared the ground, she flapped hard a few times, stirring up some dust and dead leaves. Her hooves finally touched upon the ground just outside the main entrance to the castle. She stormed up the steps to the castle’s doors, paying little mind to the two guards that snapped to attention and saluted her as she neared the top. She outranked them, but since she was in Luna’s service, they technically did not have to salute her. Still though, she appreciated the gesture, so she snapped a quick salute back with her right wing as she walked past them.

Though while she loved her job, it kept her from starting a family, an idea that had tugged at her heartstrings for the most part of last year. And now, after over twelve years of service, and twelve years of being single due to her job, she was wholeheartedly determined to change her life for the better.

And hopefully keep her job.

Lily quickened her pace, the words that she had practiced all night long dancing on the tip of her tongue. Nearing the kitchens, she felt her stomach twist itself into a knot as it grumbled; she had skipped dinner last night. She spotted Luna turn the corner at the end of the hallway, walking in her direction. Lily’s steps faltered, though she recovered as she set her jaw. With a quick flick of her tail, she slowed down to a brisk walk, her gaze locked on Luna. As they neared each other, she cleared her throat, making her look up at her.

“Lily, I have been looking for—”

Lily hissed as she blocked Luna’s path. “How could you schedule me for the Gala?” she asked, her tone full of unrestrained anger. She needed Luna to know how badly she messed up. “I thought we were friends.” She started pacing back and forth as she spoke. “I told you Jason asked me out while we were on the train back up here yesterday, and when I got back to the barracks, I saw that you had scheduled me to work the Gala! Ugh!” She flapped her wings once out of frustration as she ground her teeth, her fangs nearly puncturing her bottom lip. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. “Why? Why? Why?” she demanded, stomping her right hoof onto the cold marble floor as she stopped pacing, standing right in front of Luna.

Luna stared at her for several seconds, her gaze stone-cold. “Walk with me, Lily,” she said, her tone neutral. She took a few steps forward, but Lily blocked her way with her wings spread.

“No! I’ve given you over a decade of impeccable service! I’ve worked every Gala ensuring your safety for the entire time I’ve been a guard, and never has a stallion asked me to go. Never! And now that one finally has, I can’t go because I have to work; the overtime isn’t worth it! Not this time!”

“But I thought you weren’t the type of pony to enjoy the—”

Lily scoffed. “Why, because I look fearsome?” she asked, baring her fangs as she let the side of her upper lip curl up. She tried to fight back a snarl with little success.

“Will you let me speak?” Luna asked with a soft smile as she sat down.

Lily took in her relaxed posture, her smile, and the way that her expression changed. “I... uh... Sure.” She sat down and flicked her tail around her side, then bit down on her tongue to keep herself from speaking, even though her heart yearned to expel her anger in the most glorious of ways. She wondered if she had already gone too far, though Luna’s soft smile soothed her worries about being kicked out of the guard.

Which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing; she’d be free to pursue her romantic interests with Jason.

Luna cleared her throat. “First and foremost, I make those schedules weeks in advance. I wasn’t certain if you were scheduled you to work the Gala or not, but if memory serves, as it usually does, I recall that you volunteered to work this year’s Gala.” She paused as Lily’s ears flicked down. “However...” Lily’s ears perked back up. Luna took a couple of steps forward and laid a gentle wing on Lily’s left shoulder. “I think I can make an exception. You have been an exceptional guard, so I think it’s high time that you deserve a little fun.”

“R-Really?” Lily breathlessly asked.

“Mhm. You should have seen Abigale last night; she was looking all over for you. You should probably go find her and let her know everything is okay. And given the circumstances, I shall forgive your outburst. You of all ponies should know the proper etiquette when addressing a princess,” Luna said with a relaxed smirk.

“I was speaking with my friend, not my princess,” Lily shot back with a grin.

“There is one condition, however,” Luna licked her lips as she folded her wing back to her side. “If you do not attend as my personal guard, we would be one guard position short. If you can find somepony to cover for you, that would be great, but if not, then I suppose we can make do with what we have.”

“Okay! Thank you!” Lily spread her wings wide and flew out an open window, making a beeline for the barracks. She nearly tripped and fell flat on her face from her excitement as she landed, but she recovered by flapping an extra time. “Abi?” she called out as she pushed open the doors leading inside the barracks. “Abi, you in here?”

“Lily!” Abigale scrambled from her bed and trotted towards her. “Where were you? I was worried sick!” She briefly embraced her friend and sat down with a soft smile on her face.

“Sorry about that, I...” Lily pranced in place. “Oh, I just can’t hold it back anymore! Luna said I can go to the Gala, but I have to find somepony to take my place, and I—”

Abigale pressed a hoof against Lily’s lips. “I’ll do it; it’s what I wanted to tell you before you ran out of here.”

“Seriously? You’d do that? But you have that night off!” Lily said, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Well, duh! I’m your friend, and Celestia knows that you need a cute, strong stallion in your life. I do too, but that conversation is for another time and place, and—oof!”

Lily tightened her grasp on her friend and ferociously nuzzled her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

“Heh, you’re welcome,” she said, patting Lily on the back. “You covered for me and took the heat when I snuck those mangos into the barracks all of those years ago, so I got this.”

Lily laughed as she sat back. “Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of that in years! The look on the captain’s face was priceless when I told him I put them in your locker,” she said. “You probably would have been kicked out of the guard if I didn’t take the blame.”

“Probably? More like definitely! That was going to be my third offense, and the captain never did like me.”

“Yeah, because you put a few bad bananas in his armor after exercising one night and let them rot in there till the next day!” Lily shot back with a snicker. “You really should have put the peels somewhere else, and I mean this in the nicest way, but you could have hidden them anywhere else than under your mattress. That wasn’t the smartest thing.”

“No, it wasn’t, was it?” Abigale shot a grin at her friend. “After this, though, you can’t mention that to anybody. I think everypony’s forgotten about what I did, and I don’t want it hanging over me anymore. Nopony’s mentioned it for at least a couple of years now, so... yeah,” she said, rubbing her foreleg with a hoof as she fought back a giggle. “I don’t wanna be known as the banana mare anymore.”

“Then it might be a good idea if you stopped eating bananas altogether,” Lily said. “Wouldn’t want to remind anyone of your little stunt.”

“Ugh, but I love them so much!” Abigale said as she pouted. “They’re so tasty!”

“They sure are, so...” Lily flicked her eyes up to meet her friend’s. “Are you sure that you want to take my shift at the Gala? It’s a ton of work.”

“A ton of work? Come on, it’s not that bad! All you do is stand around looking straight ahead for a few hours, and don’t forget, I’ve done the Gala before.”

Lily rolled her eyes with a grin. “Yeah, that’s what a regular guard does, but you’d be taking my place at Luna’s side for the night. My job is not as easy as you think.”

“...Oh. Guess I’ll find out what I have to do when I report for duty, eh?”

Lily nodded. “Yep! Thanks so much again.” She stood up and flexed her wings. “I’ll be sure to bring you some food and say hi this weekend. Anyways... I need to tell Jason I can go, and the mail isn’t gonna be fast enough!”

“So you’re gonna fly all the way to Ponyville?” Abigale cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure about that?” she asked as she watched Lily yawn. “Did you even get any sleep last night?”

“Nope! I’ll be fine, though, and I can get some sleep when I get there; he’s a really good snuggler,” Lily said, averting her gaze as she blushed. “And I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a little company, either.” She trotted to the doors leading back outside, then glanced over her shoulder. “I hope Luna doesn’t make you do the thing at the Gala,” she said with a wink. She pushed open the doors and took to the skies.

Abigale darted outside. “Wait, what do you mean by the thing? Lily!” She stomped her hoof in the dirt and huffed as she grinned, shaking her head. “She’d totally pull something like that; why didn’t I see it coming?”

Home

Of course there has to be a storm... Lily thought as she glided along for a few moments, letting an updraft send her soaring high. She only had fifteen minutes of flying left, a fact she was thankful for. Relief pulsed through her sore wings as she let them rest, then she felt that familiar feeling of weightlessness take hold of her as the updraft disappeared. She leaned forward, feeling the wind push her ears back as her gaze settled on Ponyville, the small town partially blocked by tall, dark clouds that drenched everything underneath.

A loud thunderclap startled her, but just for a moment. She shook her head and slowed down to a hover as she rolled her eyes. Well, I do need a shower. I’m sure my mane’s a mess, and I probably don’t smell all that good, either. I really should have taken a shower before I left, but I guess this storm will just have to do. She banked to the right a little bit, delaying the inevitable. “Might as well get through it,” she grumbled as she flew downwards. “Let’s just hope Jason is home!”

“Geez, this is one heck of a storm,” Jason said, peering out the window. He felt Nightshine clamber up his hind leg, her forelegs pushing his head down as she planted them on it to get a good look outside.

“Yeah, I’d hate to try and fly in something like that,” Nightshine said as she sat down on Jason’s back, watching as a mare galloped down the street outside. She laid her head on his, grinning as she felt his ears tickle her cheeks. “You think we’re gonna see Lily anytime soon?” she asked hopefully. Her eyes searched the skies when a small dot off way off in the distance caught her attention. “Hey, wait! Is that her?” she asked, pointing with a hoof as the dot grew ever closer.

Jason laughed. “Don’t be silly, Nightshine. There’s no way that she’d be flying in a storm this bad.”

“Then what’s that?” Nightshine asked, gesturing at the dot.

Jason looked in the direction that Nightshine pointed out and narrowed his eyes. “Okay, I see what you’re pointing at, but I think that’s a bird. Why would she be back so soon, anyways? It hasn’t even been a full day, and the train ride to Canterlot and back takes a long time.”

“For snuggles?” Nightshine giggled as she nuzzled Jason between his ears.

“Well... I can’t really argue against that. She did seem to like them, almost as much as you.”

“Of course she did, everypony loves snuggles! You’re the snuggle king, and you need a queen!” Nightshine said with a squee. “So... wouldn’t it be faster to fly here from Canterlot than riding the train? It’d make sense for her to fly back instead of taking the train, right?”

Jason shrugged. “Probably. I’ve never flown any kind of distance before, and I don’t know how long it’d take to fly from there to here. I think pegasi just take the train because it’s easier. Can you imagine having to fly for hours straight? And Canterlot is so high up, too. You can’t be afraid of heights if you want to go up there, after all.”

Nightshine cocked an eyebrow as she felt a shiver run down Jason’s back. “Daddy? Are you afraid of heights?” she asked, puzzled.

Jason felt his mouth go dry; he was glad that she couldn’t see his face. “Uh... no? Don’t be silly, of course I’m not afraid of heights,” he said, feeling sweat drip down the back of his neck.

Nightshine hopped off of him and sat down in front of him, cocking her head to the side as she pointedly stared at him. “Daddy, it’s okay to be afraid of heights,” she said, standing up on her little hind legs to wrap her forelegs around his neck. She hummed softly in content as she nuzzled his soft fur, then she sat back, a light blush on her cheeks. “But you’re a bat pony now, and bat ponies aren’t afraid of anything!”

“I mean, yeah, that’s true, but... well...” He licked his lips as he nodded at the couch. He took a few steps towards it, then flopped down on the soft cushions. Patting the spot beside him, he lifted a wing and let Nightshine snuggle up against his side. “So... back where I came from, I was always terrified of heights,” he said with a nervous laugh. “My legs would feel like they had turned into jelly and I was so scared that I couldn’t budge an inch; everything just locked up.” Nightshine nuzzled his side as she prompted him to go on. Jason sighed, then rubbed Nightshine’s side with a hoof. “Since you’ve always had wings, you have always had something to stop you from falling. Humans don’t have wings, or horns for that matter, so if we fell, we’d get hurt pretty bad.”

“Oh... so you were scared of getting hurt?” Nightshine murmured.

Jason nodded slowly. “Yeah, pretty much. But now that I have wings?” He unfurled the wing that was draped over his daughter and eyed it for a few seconds before returning it to its rightful place. “I guess I’m gonna have to get over that fear. Like you said, bat ponies aren’t afraid of anything, right?” he asked with a chuckle.

Nightshine’s eyes lit up. “Right!” she said, nudging his shoulder with her own. “So you wanna go outside and show that storm who’s boss?!” she asked, pushing herself up under Jason’s wing. She spread her wings wide and shot him a confident smile.

“Yeah... that’s gonna be a no.” Jason’s ears perked up as he heard the rain come down harder, pelting his roof as the wind grew louder. A loud thunderclap exploded above the house, making Nightshine’s ears flick back.

“Uh, I think I change my mind!” Nightshine squeaked out.

“Probably for the best, sweetie,” Jason said as he rolled off the couch, feeling his stomach growl. “Wanna help me make some lunch? I think we have enough ingredients to make another pizza!”

Nightshine gasped with joy. “Yay!” she said as she scrambled over towards the kitchen. I’ll get the dough ready if you wanna grate some cheese!”

With her mane thoroughly drenched, Lily landed a block away from Jason’s house, her hooves sliding in the mud. She lifted her right wing over her head and glanced around as she got her bearings. Spotting Jason’s house just a little further down the road, an excited smile grew on her lips as she galloped down the road, taking care to not slip and fall. Showing up wet was one thing, but showing up covered in mud was something that Lily simply didn’t want to do.

As she neared the house, Lily slowed down from a gallop to a hurried trot. She rapped on the door with a hoof, flicking her tail from side to side. Many seconds later, she heard somepony fumble with the door’s handle right before the door swung open wide. “Jason!” she said with a wide grin. “Mind if I come in?” she asked, blushing a little bit as she panted softly. She folded her wings back in, glad that she had finally arrived.

“Y-Yeah, sure,” Jason stammered out, stepping back to let her in.

“Is that Lily?!” Nightshine yelled from the kitchen, her voice filled with barely-restrained joy.

“Yeah, she’s back!” Jason yelled back. An ear-splitting screech of excitement bolted from the kitchen, making him wince. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Nightshine speed past him to wrap her little legs around Lily’s. Noticing the rain starting to make its way inside his house, he shut the door and locked it.

“Hehe, hey there, cutie,” Lily said as she rubbed Nightshine’s mane with a hoof. “Betcha you’re glad I’m back?”

“Totally!” Nightshine said with glee, nuzzling Lily’s legs. “I saw you flying here, and Daddy didn’t think it was you, but I knew!”

“I’ll be right back with some towels,” Jason whispered with a soft smile as he trotted towards the bathroom.

“Thanks!” Lily said before looking back down at Nightshine. “So you saw me coming, huh?”

“Yep!” Nightshine sat back with that same endearing grin. “How did you manage to fly through that? The storm looks so scary!” she said.

“Well... to be a guard in Luna’s service, they put you through a ton of super hard trials and exercises to make sure that any of her guards can handle anything and everything,” Lily said, squeezing the water from her mane and tail. “Some ponies had it easier than others, but we all stuck together and got through it as a team. Storms can be very unpredictable, especially the windier ones, so you have to already be a good flyer if you want to make it through.”

“Woah... can you teach me how to fly like that?” Nightshine asked, her eyes going wide in awe.

“Yeah, in time, and when you get a lot older. Those trials are really hard!” Lily said, looking up as Jason returned. She shot him a warm smile as he held out a couple of large, fluffy towels for her. “Thanks, Jason.” Lily wrapped one of them around her mane, then squeezed the rest of the water out of it with her hooves before doing the same thing with her tail. She wiped herself down with the other towel, then handed both back to Jason, who walked them back to the bathroom. “So anything new?” she called out after him.

“Daddy’s afraid of heights!” Nightshine blurted out with a giggle.

“Oh, is that so?” Lily laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nope!” Nightshine giggled again as she shook her head.

“Yeah... she’s not joking,” Jason said. “Back where I come from, when I was young, I was afraid of heights because I was scared of getting hurt,” he said, pointedly staring at Nightshine. “She just left out that little detail.” He tousled her mane. “I guess I can’t be afraid anymore because of these bad boys, though,” he said, spreading his wings wide. “Got something to catch me if I fall now.”

“That’s true.” Lily covered her mouth with a hoof as she let loose a long yawn. “So...” She blinked a few times, the warm air in the house making her feel a bit drowsy. “About going to the Gala for our first date, I—”

“You can’t go?” Nightshine asked with fear, her ears flicking back and her shoulders drooping.

“What? No.” Lily cocked her head to the side. “Gotta let me finish my story, little one,” she said. “Princess Luna had scheduled me to work the Gala, but... let’s just say we had a civil... discussion, and she said that I could go.”

“A civil discussion?” Jason couldn’t help but grin as he lifted an eyebrow. “Something tells me that you’re not telling us the whole story.”

Lily rubbed the back of her neck, then squeaked out, “Well, I... sorta kinda yelled at her when I saw that I was scheduled to work the Gala. And I mean I really screamed at her. I had stayed up all night fuming, and I, um... I don’t know. I was worried that you’d get to go to the Gala, and I’d have to stand guard and watch you two have the time of your lives, and...” Lily sighed as she glanced away. “Now that I have a chance to be happy, I felt that it was the only course of action.”

“You could have lost your job, though! What if Princess Luna banned you from going to the Gala?” Jason asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “I’m not worth that.”

But I think you are... Lily thought, biting her bottom lip as she stared into his eyes. She glanced away a moment later. “Nopony’s asked me to go to the Gala before, and I’ve always wanted to go; as a guest, not a guard. Everypony looks like they’re having so much fun, and as a guard, I just get to stay on the sidelines and watch. It’s not like there’s some horrible threat out there; I would know! Luna briefs us all on possible threats days before each Gala, and she always says to keep our guard up just in case, and... ugh!” She ran a hoof over her face as she groaned.

“What is it?”

“The Gala is this weekend and I don’t even have a dress!” she said. “It’d take too long for a dressmaker to even tailor one to my size!” She stood up and started pacing around the room. “I don’t have the foggiest clue of where we could even find a dressmaker!” she said with a snort. “I haven’t had to wear a dress in years!”

“Don’t worry, I don’t have one either!” Nightshine piped up. “Do we even need dresses? Like, we’re all bat ponies! We’re supposed to be fearsome and scary, right?” She spread her forelegs wide and bared her cute little fangs, shooting a grin up at the both of them.

Lily couldn’t help but grin. She stopped and sat down beside them, rubbing Nightshine’s back with a hoof. “Yeah, we do,” she said softly. “And while we might look fearsome, the princesses expect everypony to dress up for the event.”

Nightshine glanced at Jason, then looked back at Lily. “What about Daddy? He can’t wear a dress; he’s a stallion! He’d look silly in a dress!”

“Ha! Yeah, you’re definitely right about that,” Lily said with a short laugh, imagining Jason in a light pink form-fitting gown, long stockings, complete with a matching bow in his styled mane. She snickered at the thought, covering her grin with a hoof again as she glanced up at him.

“Hehe, uh... what’s so funny?” he asked, glancing back and forth between Lily and Nightshine.

“It’s nothing; I just imagined you wearing a dress, is all,” Lily said, her snickers turning into laughter. As her laughter died down, she lowered her hoof and cleared her throat. “So... shot in the dark here, but... any ideas where we could find some dresses?”

The Day Before the Gala

With the storm still thundering off in the distance, Jason flopped on the couch with a groan then pulled a couple of pillows over his head, letting his new sport coat, dress shirt, and Nightshine’s dress fall onto the coffee table. “I had no idea that getting fitted for clothes would take that long,” he said, his words muffled by the couch cushions. “My fee—, uh... hooves are so sore I don’t think I can stand for the next few days. Plus the headache isn’t helping, either.”

“But Daddy, you gotta!” Nightshine squeed and used her wings to propel herself on top of Jason, making him groan from the impact. She slid down between his side and the back of the couch, wiggling her way forward until her snoot found his cheek somewhere under the cushions. She planted a sloppy smooch on his cheek as she settled into a comfy spot, then sighed. “Thanks for the cute dress. I know I’ve already said it like, a thousand times, but I love it!”

“Anything for you, sweetie,” Jason said.

Lily gently laid her dress on top of Jason’s clothes, then sat down next to the snuggle pile. “Well, it was worth it. My dress looks amazing. I’m glad that she was able to tailor it to my size, but... I didn’t think that it would take all day. At least it stopped raining long enough for us to get back home!”

“Heh, yeah, getting our brand new clothes soaked wouldn’t be a good thing,” Jason said with a chuckle. “I don’t think Rarity would have liked us if we let her beautiful work be damaged in any way.”

Lily leaned against the back of the couch, letting a loud and ferocious yawn escape her lips. She eyed the two, wondering if the last bit of space remaining on the couch was big enough for her to join in on the snuggle pile. With the lack of sleep trying to drag her down all day, there was nothing that she wanted more in all of Equestria than to fall asleep, but her stomach grumbled in protest, reminding her that she hadn’t had anything to eat all day. “You two as hungry as I am?” she asked, prodding Jason’s back leg with her hoof as she watched Nightshine lay her head on his back, eyeing her. “Because I could definitely go for a big ‘ol hayburger right now!” She turned her head and looked outside. “Pretty sure I saw a hayburger joint when Luna and I first came here the other day on the other side of town...”

Nightshine’s ears perked up. “Daddy, Daddy, can we go? I haven’t had a hayburger in years!” she said, her mouth salivating at the thought. She scrambled off of the couch, stepping on Jason’s leg in the process. A loud thunderclap made the pictures on the walls rattle, making each of them jump.

“Geez, that sounded pretty close. You think we should get going before it starts raining again?” Lily asked, biting back another yawn. She stood up and stretched, then bounced on the tips of her hooves to keep herself awake.

“Guys, come on!” Nightshine yelled. She looked out the window and saw dark gray clouds rolling in. “It’s looking like it’s gonna start raining soon, and I don’t wanna get wet!” She flicked her mane to the other side of her neck and leaned down, as if she was preparing to pounce. Remembering how Serenity used to count down from three to make everypony do whatever she wanted them to do, a sly grin grew on her face. “Oh Daddy...” She straightened back up and cleared her throat.

“Yes, pumpkin?” came Jason’s muffled reply.

“I’m going to give you to the count of three to get up and take your beautiful date...” Nightshine winked at Lily, who promptly stifled a giggle with her hoof. “...and your hungry daughter out to get some dinner.”

“I’ll pay if that’s the issue,” Lily offered.

“No, no, I’ll pay,” Jason said, flicking his tail.

Nightshine waited a few seconds, idly tapping her hoof against the floor. “One...” Jason didn’t budge an inch. “Two...” She crept up beside him, eyeing his exposed right foreleg. Nightshine bared her fangs and got into position, then sunk her itty bitty little fangs into his leg. “Tree!” she exclaimed, her words muffled by Jason’s leg.

Jason lifted his head and lifted Nightshine up, holding her at eye level. “Really?” he asked with a soft, warm smile. Nightshine nodded, making him wince a bit as her fangs sunk a little deeper. Another loud thunderclap, this time closer than ever before, made him glance out the window. “Yeah, probably a good idea.” He looked back down at Nightshine. “You know you’re going to have to let my leg go if you want me to get up, right?”

“Mhm!” Nightshine let go of him and took a few steps back, then sat down next to Lily as she watched Jason push himself up off of the couch. She trotted over to the door then pulled it open. “Daddy, my tummy is all rumbly!”

“Heh, yeah, mine is too, little one,” Jason said as he shook his head. He glanced at Lily, then beckoned for her to go first. She smiled at him, brushed her mane with a hoof, then walked towards the door. He noticed that Lily was putting a bit more sway into her hips than usual.

“Daddy, stop looking at Lily’s butt and get a move on!” Nightshine exclaimed with a giggle before she bolted outside.

Jason’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes went wide. His ears instinctively flopped back as his cheeks burned with the strength of a thousand suns. His eyes locked with Lily’s as she looked over her shoulders, shooting him a playful, knowing smirk, her eyes telling him she knew what she was doing.

Lily beckoned him forward with a wing, then softly said, “It’s okay, Jason.” She flicked her tail at him and smiled. “I know what the stallions like...” With a short giggle, she pranced outside.

Jason stepped forward, following her out of the house. He locked the door, then said, “I-It’s not that at all, it’s this headache that I have, and I promise I wasn—”

Lily planted a light kiss on his cheek, making his words drift away in the wind. “Does that make your headache feel better?” She draped a wing over his back, letting it come to rest near his neck as she guided him down the road. When Jason didn’t respond, she slowed down, then stopped in front of him. “Um... I’m not overdoing it, am I?” She rubbed the back of her neck as she giggled sheepishly. “I don’t care if you were looking at my butt; I sometimes do or say silly things when I’m deprived of sleep.”

Jason saw Nightshine sitting on the end of the block, waving at them to hurry up. “Huh? Oh, no, you’re totally fine, Lily.” He felt a few small raindrops hit the back of his neck, making him glance up at the rather ominous-looking clouds. “We... should probably get a move on,” he said.

“Yeah, okay.” Lily settled into a trot next to him. “So you sure that I’m not making you uncomfortable?” She stepped a bit closer to him as they finally reached Nightshine, who promptly fell into step beside Jason.

“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s not you, really. I haven’t, uh... what’s the word I’m looking for?” His muzzle scrunched up as he thought for a few moments. “Oh, courted. Yeah, I haven’t really courted anyone in a while, much less a pony.”

“A beautiful pony,” Nightshine corrected him with a giggle.

“Hehe, yeah, a beautiful pony,” Jason said, nudging Lily’s shoulder. “And I think I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I think you’re the prettiest in town, too.”

“Aside from me, of course!” Nightshine exclaimed, shouldering his front right leg.

“Oh, but of course, little one!” Lily said, lowering her head to Nightshine’s level. She quickened her pace so that Jason’s front legs wouldn’t block her vision, then she playfully stuck her tongue out at her while making a funny face. “So have you tried those products I bought you yet? Your mane and coat look a lot better!”

“Yeah, I know, right? I used everything you got me when I took a shower this morning; I can’t wait to use them again!” she said, shooting her a wide, thankful smile.

“Great, glad to hear it!” Lily returned Nightshine’s infectious smile, though before she could lift her head back up, the heavens released what they had been holding back, the sound of rain hitting the cobblestone road filling her ears. She stopped walking as she looked around for cover, but there wasn’t enough room for three ponies to sit under and wait for the rain to pass, and after a few seconds, she, just like Jason and Nightshine, was soaked from the tip of her snoot to the end of her tail.

Jason felt Nightshine scramble underneath him, trying to stay dry. She wrapped her forelegs around his and peered up at him through his legs. He lifted a hoof to shield his eyes from the rain, but Lily gently placed her hoof on his. She unfurled her right wing and held it over his head, keeping it shielded from the rain.

“That better?” Lily asked. “I saw a pegasus try to do this with his marefriend up in Canterlot a few moons ago, but she ended up soaked; her dress was totally wrecked, too.”

“Yeah, but what about Nightshine? I can’t exactly walk with her under me.”

“Hm...” Lily wiggled the tip of her wing under Jason’s and pulled it out, then let hers come to rest under his. She blushed a bit and avoided his gaze for a few moments, simply enjoying the warmth that his wing provided hers. “How’s that, little one?” she asked, motioning for Nightshine to try out their makeshift umbrella with her hoof.

Nightshine cautiously stepped out from under Jason, then said, “Works fine for me! Onward!” she said in a silly tone before she proceeded to march forward as if she was in the Royal Guard. She glanced up at the wings that shielded her from the elements, unable to keep an excited grin off of her face. Is this what it feels like to have a Mommy and a Daddy?

They rounded the corner, the restaurant finally falling into view. “Aha! There it is!” Lily exclaimed. She quickened her pace, her wing slipping from underneath Jason’s. “Come on, I’ll race you there!” she said as she galloped forward, leaving the other two in her dust. Nightshine followed close behind with Jason bringing up the rear, stopping when she got under the awning of the establishment.

“Daddy, why didn’t you run?” Nightshine asked, cocking her head to the side. She shook herself like a dog, then shot him a sly grin. “Oh, is it because you wanted to look at Lily’s butt some more?” she asked with a snicker, pushing her way through the front doors.

Lily shook herself like Nightshine, flicking her mane and tail every which way to get most of the water out of her coat while Jason futilely tried to dry himself off with his forelegs. “Hey, you just gotta shake yourself like how Nightshine and I just did,” she said, poking him with a hoof.

“Yeah, but I think I’d look kinda silly,” he said.

“But everyone else is doing it,” she shot back. “See?” She pointed down the street where a couple of other ponies were doing the exact same thing that she’d been doing moments ago.

Wondering if she was just playing a trick on him, he stared at her for a few moments before he did his best imitation of what they’d done, flinging water all over Lily. “Heh, sorry about that,” he said with a chuckle.

“No worries! It’s just water, after all.” She pushed the door open and walked inside, the smell of freshly-cooked hayburgers filling her nostrils. “Ah... been a while since I’ve had some junk food.”

“Wish I could say the same, but... where’s Nightshine at?” he asked, spotting her waving at them from a booth near the back. “Ah, there she is." He and Lily wove their way through the tables and sat down. “So on a scale of one to ten, how hungry are you guys? I think I’m at a solid eight and a half.”

A mare wearing a red apron showed up, levitating a small pad and quill beside her. “Hey there! What can I getcha tonight?” she asked with a smile.

“Three waters and three of your biggest burgers with all the trimmings, please,” Jason said.

“No pickles on mine, please,” Lily said.

“Extra onions on mine, pretty please!” Nightshine piped up.

The waitress scribbled down their orders, then said, “Gotcha! I’ll be right back with your drinks and I’ll put your order in at once!” before she trotted away to the kitchen.

“You know... You’re going to have to brush your teeth extra good tonight if you don’t wanna kill us with your onion breath,” Jason said, nudging Nightshine.

“But Daddy, I’m not tired!” Nightshine protested, pushing the sheets off of her. “I wanna stay up with you and Lily!” she said with a pout, crossing her forelegs over her chest floof.

“That might be, but we have a long day tomorrow. We gotta get up to Canterlot, find a hotel, get dressed, and make sure that we don’t get our clothes all dirty. Hopefully it won’t rain tomorrow evening...” he said, pulling the sheets back up with his mouth. “And Lily and I are going to go to bed as soon as you promise that you’re going to go to sleep, too.”

Nightshine’s muzzle scrunched up as she thought. “So if I don’t promise to go to sleep, then I can stay up with you guys?” she asked hopefully.

“Hehe, nope, it doesn’t work that way,” Jason said as he let loose a ferocious yawn, making Nightshine follow suit. “See? You’re getting tired just like me; that yawn proved it.”

“But you made me yawn!” Nightshine stared at him for a few seconds, then humphed. “And we’re not gonna snuggle tonight?”

“That’s up to Lily, but I have a feeling she’s going to ask if we can snuggle, so... how about we snuggle on the train ride up to Canterlot tomorrow morning? That sound fair?” He held out his hoof for her. “Deal?”

“Deal!” Nightshine bumped her hoof against his, then rolled over onto her side. “Goodnight, Daddy...” she said with another yawn and a smile.

“Goodnight, little one,” Jason said, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. Before he closed the door, he heard Nightshine clear her throat as if she had something to say. “Yes?” he asked with a warm smile as he poked his head back through the doorway.

“I love you...” she murmured, pulling the covers up to her neck.

“I love you more,” he shot back.

Nightshine perked up. “Nuh-uh! I love you more!”

“Hm... I dunno about that; I infinity love you!”

“I infinity plus one love you!”

“Dang it, you got me there!” He started pulling the door shut but he paused, saying, “Get some sleep, kiddo. We’ll make an awesome breakfast tomorrow and we’re going to need your help making it, okay? Plus I don’t want you to be a walking zombie tomorrow night at the Gala.”

“Hehe, I wouldn’t be a zombie! Zombies smell!”

“Speaking of smelly zombies, did you brush your teeth?”

“Yep yep! See?” Nightshine bared her fangs.

“Onion breath all gone?”

“Uh...” Nightshine exhaled through her mouth, then inhaled through her nose. “I have no idea,” she said with a giggle. “Wanna check for me?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “Alrighty, good night, cutie pie.”

“Night!”

Jason gently closed her bedroom door and walked back out to the living room where Lily had already set up a makeshift bed on the couch where they’d first snuggled. “So...” he sat down on the other side of the coffee table, his tail swishing about behind him. “I can take the couch if you want the bed; it’s a lot comfier.”

“But I thought you and I were gonna...” Lily’s voice faltered as she glanced away, a light blush tinting her cheeks. Reign it back, girl... He’ll snuggle with you when he’s ready; don’t want to push him away because I’m feeling needy... she thought, biting her bottom lip as her ears flicked back.

What, snuggle? he thought, trying to figure out what was on her mind. “We can, uh... we can snuggle if you want to,” he said, rubbing his foreleg with a hoof. “But only on one condition.”

“Anything!” Lily blurted out, her ears perking up hopefully. “Um...” Geez girl, chill out for a darn second! “What’s the condition?”

“We can only snuggle in my bed. I woke up really sore the last time we snuggled on the couch, and I really don’t wanna go to the Gala with a sore back or neck,” he said.

“Okay!” Lily said. She stood up and sauntered past him, flicking her tail against his side as she quietly walked down the hall past Nightshine’s bedroom. She sat down next to the bed, waiting for Jason to catch up. He shut the door behind them, then sat down across from her, looking anywhere but her. “Have you ever snuggled with a mare before?” she softly asked, brushing her mane behind her right ear. “And Nightshine doesn’t count; she’s just a filly.”

“N-No, I haven’t,” he admitted.

“You nervous?”

Jason shrugged, then said, “Yeah, a little bit. I guess I’m afraid that I’m gonna do something dumb and screw things up.”

Guess I’ll have to take the lead then... “Don’t be. You’ve been great so far, Jason,” she said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “I have a good feeling about you, too.”

“Thanks.” Jason glanced up into her eyes, momentarily admiring their beauty before he glanced at the bed. “So how do you wanna do this?”

“Um... well, that depends. Do you want to sleep as a pony or a human?” she asked, letting her hoof drop back down to her side.

Jason chuckled. “Well, I suppose that would depend on if you wanted to snuggle with a pony or a human.”

“I already know how awesome it is to snuggle with a human, so why don’t we see if you’re as good a snuggler as a pony as you are a human?” Lily asked. Knowing she had to take the lead, she hopped up onto the bed, pulled open the covers, then wiggled her way underneath them. She flipped over onto her other side, facing him as she used a hoof to fluff the pillow her head lay upon. “So whatcha waiting for, hot stuff?” she asked, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.

“I dunno,” he said as he turned off the lamp on his nightstand. He climbed into bed beside her, then lay down on his stomach a few inches away from her. Once he wiggled underneath the covers, he asked, “So... you wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?”

Lily pushed her snoot under Jason’s left foreleg and lifted it up, gently pushing him onto his side. She wiggled her way into his embrace, nuzzling his jaw as she hummed softly in content. “Does this answer your question?” she asked.

“Mhm...” Jason draped a foreleg over her side and tugged her closer. “You know, Nightshine likes it when I do this,” he murmured, pushing out his wing. He laid it over her, feeling a little self-conscious as he used his hoof to awkwardly tuck it in around her. His eyebrows furrowed as he felt Lily tense up.

“The Thestral’s Embrace?” Lily pushed herself out of his grasp, rolled over onto her belly, then looked down at him with a curious gaze. “H-How do you know what that is?” she asked in a flat tone that revealed little of her intentions.

“Uh...” Jason rolled over onto his belly as well. “Nightshine showed it to me; she calls it a wing hug.” He straightened up and looked her up and down. “Did I do something to offend you?” he cautiously asked. “I honestly don’t know that much about thestral culture and how it differs from pony culture, and I really—”

Lily pressed a hoof against his lips and shook her head, then dropped her hoof. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just...” Lily took a deep breath and haltingly let it out. She looked back into his eyes and placed her hoof over his, then said, “What you did, it’s kinda meant for those that want to show their loved one that they truly and deeply care for them. Many, many moons ago, it was commonplace for families to do so. You see...” She ran her hoof along his upper back and side. “When you put your wing over another in this case, it acts as a barrier between your vital organs and whoever or whatever is trying to do you harm while you sleep. Life wasn’t all relaxed and perfect back then as today is; us ponies have really made great strides in building a civilization here in Equestria. Most of us thestrals like to keep those old traditions alive.”

“Oh, wow...” Jason shot her a warm smile, then placed his other hoof on top of hers. “What other traditions do thestrals have?” he asked, interested in hearing what she had to say.

“I’d be more than happy to tell you all about it, but can we do it on the train ride tomorrow? I didn’t get any sleep last night because I was so furious at Princess Luna scheduling me for the Gala,” she said with an exhausted chuckle. Lily pulled a pillow close, then let her head drop on top of it with a soft thump, making sure that Jason had enough room.

“Well... even though we aren’t in danger, I’m down to try this embrace if you are. It sounds pretty cozy to me,” he said, settling down next to her.

“Y-Yeah, it is.” She extended a wing over his back and wiggled back in, smiling as she felt Jason do the same. Feeling sleep start to take hold of her body, mostly from the warmth of Jason’s wing, she let herself go limp. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but before she finally gave up to drift away into Luna’s dreamland, she placed a light smooch on Jason’s cheek, then nuzzled it in for good measure. “Thanks, cutie,” she whispered, feeling her heart thump in her chest as she rested her head on his cheek.

“What was that kiss for?” he whispered back.

“For being awesome, and...” Lily yawned again, then licked her lips. “And because you have cute fangs.”