Tabitha's dreams were... troubling. She was back on Earth, she knew that much with the cars going past and the blimp in the air, but...

She came out of the shower, fresh and frisky. "Are you here, hon?" She had called out, to her romantic partner of course. Dream logic demanded it, and so it was.

"Right here," Razz had called back, tail wagging eagerly. "Today promises to be a crazy day." He didn't go into details, but he didn't have to. She knew what he meant thanks to dream logic. "You're looking good!"

She was also entirely undressed, a fact that she only just noticed, and cared not one whit about. Damn dream logic. She settled beside Razz and kissed his cheek.

"Who's hungry?" asked a third voice. Spring bounced out from behind that counter from where she hadn't been before, but had appeared. Again, dream logic. She set down a bowl of mac and cheese that was certainly no elven fare, or breakfast food.

A new voice spoke. "Do humans always have such interesting dreams?"

Tabitha looked behind her to see a dark blue po--horse. She was definitely large enough to qualify as a horse. She lowered her horn and the dream logic melted away and she knew she was dreaming.

With a fierce blush, Tabitha raced off to get dressed.

The horse was just behind her without moving. "It seems being garbed is also a human peculiarity. Greetings. I am Princess Luna."

"H-hey." She turned to face the intruder. "Why are you in my dream?" She wasn't like the others, still enjoying a nice and dreamy breakfast. "Did you say princess?"

"We did," agreed Luna. "You have done naught wrong, so please don't fear us."

The horse wasn't making a move to attack, and she was acting nice enough. "Alright, so... what brings you here?"

"Curiosity. I have only visited the dreams of humans a few times prior, and yours is delightfully ordered in comparison."

She thought of the two outside. That was ordered?

"Honey?" called out her dreamy elf friend. "Are you done in there?"

Luna extended a wing and banished the dream. They were standing on nothing, but it hardly seemed to matter. "May we speak with you? If you would have us gone, we will take our leave."

"At least you asked," she grumbled out as she considered the princess. Compared to the elf, she was practically a pillar of cordiality. "What's on your mind?"

"Currently, yours, but also the place you reside in." She gave a soft tsk as she looked around, the halls of the apartment building becoming clear. "I will be in the area shortly. I would stop by to see this place that baffles us so completely."

Tabitha looked around her home, or at least the vision of her home as brought to life by her own memories.

Luna approached a dream door and her horn glowed as it opened, revealing a familiar starscape in which an octopus dwelled. It made a surprised noise as it fixed its dreadful attention on Luna.

She raised a brow. "I would see any place that would harbor such unfortunate presences in our kingdom, and there is the little--" She kept talking even as she closed the door with her magic long before the creature arrived, ignoring it entirely it seemed. "--matter of your proper immigration. We are curious how such a creature came to be in possession of real estate so easily."

Tabitha felt a new chill grip her. Would that royal horse see her evicted from their land and her building stripped away? She took a cautious step back, but Luna advanced with her.

"Hold there, potential friend. We have heard little issue with your building. If you are a good and proper neighbor, I would not be the monster that-- I must go. Be ready to receive me, and we will speak. I look forward to meeting you in person." She faded away with a soft pop, simply not being there anymore.

Tabitha woke up.

She opened her eyes and saw two other eyes looking down at her. Spring's eyes.

"You awaken, good. There is a matter we must speak of and I will not tolerate it being ignored a moment longer."

Tabitha sat up carefully to not crash into her new roomie, even if her bedroom had been violated. There were too many things going on! "What matter is that? What time is it?" With the door closed and the blind drawn, she couldn't get a good and quick accounting of it.

"You have a promise out of me, Caretaker. Do you mean to hold it over me, waiting to spring at an inopportune time? If we were to become bound, it would matter little, but we're not."

"Promise?" Tabitha was bleary and still clawing to full functionality.

Spring had no such problem, peering at her with bright eyes. "A boon. I swore to you a boon. Any one thing if it is within my means."

That hadn't been a joke? Just... what could Spring do? She asked as much as she slid to her feet. "So what can you do? I mean, what are your, uh, means?"

She smiled, seemingly pleased at the question. "That is an intelligent question." She crossed her arms under her chest. "I have served under a great wizard whose name you couldn't hope to pronounce. Translated, his name comes to Cosmic Life Bright."

"That's great." Tabitha rose up and started getting dressed for the day. She doubted she would get any additional sleep. "So what can you do?"

"I am constantly reminded of our differences..." Spring sighed out. "Very well. I can place an arrow accurately from up to four hundred meters away. I can scout through forests without being seen. I can also cast spells. Healing a disease, child's play. I can turn the fury of nature on someone, or even pervert the natural shell of a person. He was a master of living spells, and I learned well, so you can count on me to cast any such spell." She gestured at Tabitha. "Do you envy my beauty? You are always looking. I could enhance that, if you like."

Tabitha went a bright red. She'd been noticed?! Well, if she hadn't, her response likely gave it away. "I-I'm fine being human, thanks." She wasn't ugly! Why the--

"Perhaps you find more kinship with the equines?" She raised a brow. "It would be a lowering, but if you wished it, fine. I can put you on all fours, or perhaps you'd just like a tail and scent to draw their bestial urgings."

The way she said that sounded like an insult, and her expression wasn't much better as she sneered at the idea even as she looked ready to do just that if Tabitha selected it. "Just name your boon and let's be over with it. I will not owe anyone anything for long, least not a human, Caretaker or no."

Tabitha waved a hand at her 'guest'. "Alright, enough. I get what you can do, now let me consider it. I'll let you know as soon as I know."

"Make the choice quickly, please..." She drew a slow breath then let it free in a sigh. "I have prepared breakfast, mentor. Shall we eat and begin instructions?"

The sharp turn left Tabitha reeling. Were they really going to go from that to friendly le--Spring was already walking out like nothing had happened. They really were... Tabitha followed after with a soft grumbling for a new scent to strike her nose. It was a bit nutty and a little like pine needles.

Spring gestured at a wood tray topped with something green and brown that emitted the scent. It didn't smell bad, if Tabitha was honest with herself, but she had no idea what it was.

She fetched two plates and offered one to Spring, which was accepted, thank god. Tabitha cut out a piece of the gooey breakfast food and went at it with a fork. Spring had cutlery too, but they were all made of wood, not metal.

Spring was also watching her eat as she did so more slowly and sedately. "How do you stand to eat with metal like that? Metal is for killing, not eating."

Tabitha felt the urge to hotly defend her right to use metal cutlery, but remembered that she was a teacher, in theory. How did she get that job?! "It's not uncommon for humans, ponies, and many other sapient species I imagine to use metal if they have a good amount of it around to use. While I see you prefer wood, and that's fine, questioning someone on their choice of cutlery is a challenge, even if you find it distasteful."

"I see..." She took another bite. "Do you favor this food?"

It was... It was new. New and good. "I've never had it before," she admitted with a soft shrug. "Still, it tastes good. I feel like I'm eating a pine tree, without the hard bits."

"That is not far from the truth." Spring nodded. "There are other additives. Pine alone would not sustain, especially the robust demands of the human body."

"Do elves need different things?" She raised a brow. She figured most living things needed about the same thing, it was just a matter of digestion.

"We elves--" she said, her voice tilting as if speaking of an obviously superior thing. "--require more than base materials. We are magical creatures, so we must take in a certain amount of magic and for ideal health, the right variety and amount."

Tabitha glanced down at her food and across at her shapely breakfast-mate. "This has magic in it?" It didn't taste like magic, but what did magic taste like exactly? She didn't know...

"Of course. Have no fear, Caretaker. It should cause no harm to your constitution. You will harmlessly... pass most of it."

Most? "Most?" Her thoughts and words ran concurrently.

"There are tales of humans that have come to live among the elves, becoming more attuned to nature and our ways. This takes quite a while. Again, have no fear." She pointed with a wooden fork over at the computer. "What does that artifact do exactly?"

That was a loaded question.

Tabitha spent the rest of the breakfast explaining the extreme basics of what a computer could do before they were both sated and the day could begin.

"I have things to do." Spring strode from the room purposefully, leaving the apartment.

Tabitha cleaned the plates and left things clean before she went out herself, just to practically trip over a pony.

"Miss Tabitha!" It was a surprised Coco. "A pleasure to see you."

Tabitha smiled. Of everyone she had met, Coco had been one of the easier to deal with and the least demanding. "Hey there. Off to your new job?" A lot of her pony friends had new jobs as she thought about it.

"That isn't until next week," assured Coco as she smiled, walking along with Tabitha towards the elevator. "Thank you."

"For?"

"For... everything. This building is lovely, and you've been a good friend, so thank you."

Tabitha felt a little blush forming as she smiled. It was a good kind of blush. "You're a good friend too." She'd find out how good when it came time to pay rent promptly. "Getting used to ponies has been quite a trek."

"We're not that bad, I hope?" She stepped into the elevator with Tabitha. "I haven't been a problem, have I? I'm sorry if so."

"No no!" Tabitha shook her head at the worried-looking Coco. "You're fine, honest. It's still a bit..."

"Hasn't this always been your, um, I'm prying." She stepped out of the elevator without further questions and trotted away, keeping her questions to herself.

Author's Notes:

Some people just hate owing things. It's like a typo they haven't fixed!