I had another dream about that man again. He seemed to just be there in the background watching. I didn't know exactly what to say to him but I know I didn't dream him up. He had too much of a personality to just be fake. Just as he was about to talk I woke up. The first thing I saw when I moved my head up was Stephan looking at me awkwardly.

"You do realize you cuddle up like a kitten."

"Shut it!" I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "Why are you watching me sleep?"

"I just woke up and I heard you mumbling in your sleep."

"That's embarrassing." He moved his hooves on his belly and made a circular motion. "I'll cook in a minute."

"Thanks." He left the door open when he walked away. I got up, made coffee and pancakes, and took a quick bath.

"*sigh of relief* Oh I love baths..." I told myself as I laid in the tub.

"How about surprises!" said a pink pony who appeared right beside me with a cotton candy mane.

"Gah AAAAAHHHHHH! Get out!" she ran away and closed the door. "Oh...my lord... oh man. That's just wrong." I quickly finished and left. "What are you doing here Pinkie Pie?" I asked her.

"I heard there were new ponies so I wanted to meet them! But when i realized it was you I wanted to trick you."

Flashback...Ponyville...

"Just keep quiet." whispered Stephan. We were trying to leave the town as quickly as possible. This was before we went to Appleloosa. I got inside of the train and was putting our luggage in our cabin when just then...she came after us.

"You guys BROKE A PINKIE PROMISE!" she was getting closer by the second. When we all got in I closed and locked the door and she tried yelling at us through the window. "How dare you brake a Pinkie Promise."

"You don't understand Pinkie." I told her truthfully.

"I do understand! You pinkie promised!."

"But I can't!" I told her. "Yell at us later." I told her as the train took off. She was forced to jump off. "Phew..." I wiped the sweat from my forehead at relaxed in the train seat.

End of flashback...

"So you can make it up to me Elizabeth."

"*sigh* Fine. Tell me what time and where to meet you please."

"How about... the markets at 6 p.m.?"

"Sounds good." I closed my eyes for one second and she was gone.

After the whole ordeal I went outside and checked the mail. "Sally Reynold. Sally, Sally, Charity Vanes. Stephan Malinowski. Aha! Liz! How come I only get one letter and they get packages?" when I was about to open it I saw that same pony Sally was talking to yesterday. Now I had a better look at him. He had this cool old fashioned outfit like an 18th century blouse (like the sexy blouse.) and he had fire on his ears. Yeah. Actual fire.

"Hey." he said when he walked by.

"Uh... hello? Excuse me."

"Yes."

"Your the pony who was getting my friend Sally drunk yesterday."

"I apologize about that. It got out of hand. I'm Split Second." So he's a pony? Not a human but in fact a pony? Or maybe a human with a pony name.

"I'm Elizabeth." I offered a bro-hoof and he accepted it.

"Sorry. I got to go." Well it was nice while it lasted. Then my phone went off. "Hello?"

"Hey Liz."

"Sal?"

"I see you..."

"Are you still hungover?"

"A little."

"Okay. Do you want me to get you some medicine?"

"Do you want to steal my man?"

"No."

"Liz."

"No. Sally you know he's not my type."

"How do you know?!"

"He told me. He also said you got out of hand with the alcohol and he isn't to blame."

"...Shut up."

"Do you want some medicine?"

"Yes please."

"Now was that so hard?"

"You'd be surprised." She hung up. *sigh* She says the meanest things when she get's drunk. Then in about 30 minutes she'll say she's sorry about a hundred times. I looked over at that Second guy again and got another good look. Man's he is kinda attractive but best if I don't tell anybody.

"Young love is rare these days." said King David.

"You really need to stop reading my mind man." I told him with a blush.

"Hahaha... Oh Dustin gave me the same lecture. So he got this power so every time I read his mind I would be jolted."

"Then you should have stopped."

"It was Celestia's fault."

"Uh huh."

"I'm not kidding!"

"Sure."

"Hahaha... oh you remind me of him Elizabeth. Except your a lot better looking and nicer."

"I appreciate that."

"Well I was going on my daily beach walk when I saw you. So your the lucky pony who got this place?"

"Yeah."

"Nice nice. Well I had better be off. See ya."

"Bye!" He's an pretty awesome dude for a king. I guess I can understand how someone as mean and violent as Grimm would have a friend like that. Then I went up the hill to the pharmacy where they told me they would have Sally's medicine ready in a half an hour. So I took a seat in the park bench and started reading my book again.

"What are you reading?" asked a little girl. I turned my book down and looked at her. It was Celestia's kid. The one followed by paparazzi. So if I do something bad here then everyone will know about it.

"Oh... uh... The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

"Sounds boring."

"But it's the exact opposite in my opinion."

"Your boring."

"And that's YOUR opinion."

"Your funny."

"How is that even funny? In what way?"

"My dad said he met a red-head and that she's pretty cool."

"That was nice of him."

"Sunlight? Are you over here?" asked a tall dark grey pony. He had yellow zebra stripes, yellow hair with purple in it, bracelets and a watch. He had a horn but he was as tall as Celestia! I couldn't tell if he was an alicorn or not. He was also pretty muscular. "There you are. Sorry if she bothered you Ms...?"

"I'm Elizabeth."

"Knightly?"

"Yes."

"Oh your parents told me about how happy they were since you moved here!"

"I can believe that. Do you... babysit Mr...?"

"Lightning. And yes I do." Well... that explains the yellow. He seems nice enough. "So your a human?"

"Yes I am. You?"

"Well... sort of. But I came here long before the apocalypse."

"But your name is? What?"

"Hmm?"

"Human name?"

"Lightning."

"No no no... who names their kid Lightning?"

"It's just the name I came up with. My parents passed away when I was a kid."

"Oh... no no no I'm so so sorry!" I looked to my left and saw the kid was gone. "Hey... your kid is missing."

"What? Oh no!" he took off again. What's with me and all these awkward conversations all of a sudden? 30 minutes went by so I went to the store and got the medicine for a fair price. I teleported it to Sally and she called me.

"Thanks. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Sally."

"No it's not. I am so sorry! I shouldn't have yelled at you! Please forgive me!"

"I forgive you."

"I'm really sorry." What did I say? She'd say she was sorry a lot. I hung up on her. Then when I walked outside I bumped into another pony.

"Hey watch it lady!" he called out. Someone has a temper. He was a brown pony with white hair and didn't have a cutie mark.

"OH please forgive me!" I picked up all his belongings and organized them inside his bag that he dropped and handed it to him.

"Thanks and... I'm sorry." he was starting to quiet down.

"It's okay. Really. What's your name?"

"...Cold....s....l"

"Can you speak up please? There's nothing to be worried about." I placed my hoof on his making him blush. Oopsies. I just made it worse.

"Cold Steel."

"That's a... nice name..."

"Sorry."

"Oh no no! I've heard enough apologies today. Come on and get up." I pulled him off the ground and handed him his bags. "Here you go."

"Thank...you..." he doesn't have a problem talking to girls does he? Maybe he's just side. "So um... see you around?"

"Yes. That would be nice." he ran off. Nice kid or nice enough. Seriously it's like something new will happen everyday in Canterlot. I guess that's why it had the most random city tag on the house. But things have been off to a nice start lately... so... when's the bad stuff going to happen? I don't care. I made my way home and left Sally her medicine by her bed. She passed out again. I decided this would be the best time for me to get relaxed on the beach. I grabbed my shades, a beach towel, a chair, an umbrella, a radio, and a book.

"Peace and quiet. *sigh* At last..." This might be the first time I can just sit back and do nothing after 3 years. I need to stop working sometimes. I cut on the radio to play classic rock and metal which was awesome. I placed the towel down, my chair, the parasol, and laid back. Nothing is going to ruin this for me.

1 hour later

"And... done." I finished my book. Again. Oh this was relaxing. Too relaxing. I need to get back inside. I cut the radio off and packed up and made my way uphill. I put my stuff in the storage closet. When I closed it Stephan stood where the door was. "*gasp* Stephan! Oh jeez... Hah hah... don't do that."

"You still get scared of that kind of stuff?"

"It's not my fault you traumatize me a lot more than you think."

"Your still smiling though."

"It gets fun. So what did you do today?"

"Well... Charity and I went and saw the zoo."

"How was that?"

"It's so cool! They have....these...-" I spaced him out like I always do. I mean yeah he's smart but he's too smart. He can't simplify details like me. "...what do you think?"

"That sounds really cool!"

"I know! So did Sally get better?"

"She's sleeping again. I went out and got medicine for her and then I took a break down at the beach."

"Sounds boring."

"Well I need to relax more."

"Whatever. Do you know what time it is?"

"No."

"It's almost 2 and you haven't even cooked lunch."

"Stephan how hard could it be to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

"You'd be surprised?"

"Yeah?"

"No." I went into the kitchen and quickly made him some lunch.

"There! Stop bitching!"

"Thank you." he walked away. They may be a nuisance but I love them anyways.

"Liz. Can you help me up?" called Sally from her room. I walked in and pulled her out of bed. She just grumbled and drank the bottle of medicine.

"Sally no!"

"Relax. I feel better already."

"You were only suppose to take a teaspoon. How much did you drink?"

"Big deal..." she slowly fainted again. I laid her back down and wrapped her up. Do you see this? This is the kind of shit I have to work with everyday!

"Stephan? What time is it?" I asked him.

"Almost half past 5. Why?" They weren't awake to meet Pinkie this morning.

"I have to go meet somepony."

"Who?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"Pinkie Pie."

"She found us?"

"You missed what happened this morning." I said closing the door behind me. Oh jeez... where are the markets?

Half an hour later...

Oh thank god... Oh I found it. And I'm on time.

"Elizabeth!" said Pinkie jumping on top of me.

"What did I say about scaring me?"

"Sorry. Old habit." I held my heart as it pumped with frightening pain.

"I can't handle being scared so much in one day."

"So your going to help me today?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what your going to do?"

"Do I care?"

"You should." she walked to a little market stall and removed the cloth showing a mini bakery. "Your going to help me cook!"

"Oh I think I do enough cooking in one day."

"Come on! It will be fun!" Looks like I don't have a choice.

"First you grab the crust!"

"I know how to make a pie."

"Come on Liz. You need to smile smile smile..."

"Please no songs."

"Did you never get laid?" This brought a blush to my face. "I heard once from a human that if you get 'laid', whatever that means, then you'll feel a lot better."

"Can we not ever have this conversation again? Like forever?"

"Oki doki loki!"

"How long do you want me to work with you?"

"Until I say your done! Get cooking!" she changed from her nice usual attitude into a dictator.

"Okay!"

"Okay what?"

"Okay ma'am!" I began filling the oven with pies and everything else she told me to bake.

4 hours later...

"Wow Elizabeth! Your pies have been selling like crazy! Do you want a permanent job here?"

"Please no..."

"But you were moving like you were having fun!"

"Right...fun..."

"Well you completed your part of the bargain! So I'll complete mine. No more scaring you. Does that include surprise parties?"

"Yes."

"How about holidays?"

"If it's related to a surprise then yes."

"Nightmare Night?"

"What do you think?"

"Yes. Okay. Jeez your no fun."

"What a wonderful pun."

"Did you just make a rhyme?"

"That's right. Don't waste my time." She looked at me with determination.

"It's on."

"From Dusk 'til Dawn." I couldn't help but smile.

"Nice to see you smile. It's very cute."

"Thanks Pinkie."

"You stopped rhyming! I win!" she hopped off somewhere happily. I need to get home. Today was physically and emotionally exhausting.

"'Sup Liz." said Stephan as I walked in. They ordered a pizza? Really? "You don't need to worry about dinner tonight."

"I appreciate that." I did cook a pie for them though. So I'll just leave it on the counter. I'm still thinking about that kid I bumped into. He said Cold Steel was his name. I read all the reports about the battles here. There was a man named Cold Iron who had a Dark Steel form or whatever that means. I know I'm just blowing nonsense out of my brain but it's still something to think about. I'll ask him about it.

"So Liz. Did you have a good day with Pinkie Pie?" asked Charity.

"No. She got revenge on me for the entire year we ran away from her. I had to bake thousands of pies. In 4 hours."

"We saw that new action movie today." said Sally.

"I thought you were sick!"

"I got better."

"I like action movies too."

"Elizabeth I know that we seem to be doing fun things without you and truthfully we have been. We'll make it up to you soon." said Stephan.

"It's fine with me but I'd appreciate an offer every now or then."

"Right. Like I said we're sorry."

"It's okay guys. I mean at least I got Pinkie off our backs." Oh today has just been random. I bet tomorrow will be better though. But man am I tired. "Goodnight guys."

"Night."

I was tired today. Like I typed this... then I went back and re-typed it. Then I re re-typed it. Then I passed out. Then my lab-top crashed. Then I re-typed it with what I could remember. And I just now posted it. So don't hate. I'm too tired to fight back anyways...

Okay I published it. Thought about it. Unpublished it. Fixed the story. Re-publish. Now bed.