"Come on in," came a familiar voice from behind the door.

Jim turned the handle to the office of the source of his dread. "Hey."

The landlord didn't even look up from some paperwork he was busily running a pen over. "Something break?"

Jim paused a moment. "Yeah, basically."

"Heater? Toilet?"

Jim rolled a hand. "Not exactly." The landlord looked up at him suspiciously. "The front door is in so many pieces."

The landlord started at the news. "How in hell did you manage that?! Those doors aren't that old. I'm not covering that!"

Jim held up his hands defensively. "Hey hey, I know. It's completely on me. How much is it going to cost to get a new one up?"

He seemed to relax a bit when Jim accepted financial responsibility. "I'll give the contractor a call and he'll swing by as soon as he can. Good guy, does most of the upkeep around here. He'll come with the bill too."

Jim cringed at that. "Say, uh, if it's more than a few hundred, can we split it up in a few months' rent? I'll pay, I swear! Just, you know, not all at once? That's rough."

"That's between you and the contractor." His eyes lowered back to his papers. "He's a good guy, just don't try to scam him. He tells me you're dicking him around and I'll have you out of here."

Jim got the impression the two were friends. He wasn't sure if that helped his case. He'd have to work it out with the other guy, alright. "Any idea how much it's going to be?"

"It's been quite a while since we had to put in any doors. I don't have that memorized." He flipped to the next page. "Anything else?"

Jim took a step back towards the door. "Guess not. Try and get him over as soon as you can. I can't exactly rest easy without a door."

"Then you shouldn't break them. Jesus, what did you even do?" He looked back up. "Is the door frame intact? It better be."

"Unharmed." It had been a bit odd, on both worlds. The door was exploded, but the frame? Untouched.

He let out a sigh of relief. "Shouldn't be so bad then. Thousand, top."

Jim cringed. A thousand?! That wasn't an unfathomable amount of money, but it was more than he could casually write off without severe financial pain. Oh well... "Thanks."

"Take it easy."

Jim departed the office and headed back towards his apartment. That could have gone a lot worse.

A pony with the shaggiest eyebrows laid a clipboard on Tabitha's desk. "Survey's done on the exterior," he said in a gruff voice, even if Tabitha still thought he was a cute thing despite his manly attributes. "Interior shouldn't take too long. You have a few available units for us to examine?"

Tabitha nodded lightly. "Sure thing, just schedule it in normal business hours and it shouldn't be an issue at all."

They shook on it, and he was off. She settled back on her haunches, looking over her tax forms. She'd have to have an accurate and up-to-date number on how much the building was worth to pay the proper tax on the land, hence the survey. It wasn't that big of a deal, in the end, just something that needed doing.

Tabitha smiled a little. "That's what I'm here for, getting what needs done, done."

Her office door was suddenly occupied by a biped. "Alpha! I've come to report a grave infraction of your contract." Coco came wandering in nervously after Spring.

Tabitha blinked at the whole thing. "Alpha?"

Spring gestured at Tabitha. "The largest, proudest, most dominant of beasts. The strongest, smartest of them." She gave a bright smile. "Is that not a fitting title?"

Tabitha applied a palm to her face. That was far from the most insulting way she'd been referred to. "Right, so, contract?"

Spring slid up, sitting on the desk. "Horpip the insolent dared to intrude on the living space of dear Coco." She gestured at the nervous-looking mare. "Even after being told to depart. It grows worse! He used magic to bypass her security, an obvious breach of your contract."

Tabitha frowned. Her eyes settled on Coco. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Coco quickly shook her head. "He didn't hurt me, but he did do as Spring said. It was very rude, and a little frightening. He did leave after I shouted at him."

Tabitha slapped the top of her desk. "I will not have my tenants terrorizing each other, especially not you, Coco. You don't deserve any of that."

Spring leaned forward on the desk towards Tabitha. "It is past time you learned your powers, as Caretaker."

Tabitha raised a brow. "You want to share now? You weren't very helpful with that before."

"We were not... family, before." She lifted her shoulders. "Now you are my alpha, and Coco is a sort of sister. You accept me and my quirks, and I tolerate your peculiarities." A smile spread. "We have both learned. Now, alpha, may I instruct you?"

Tabitha glanced between her two visitors. Spring was still a frustrating enigma. A sexy puzzle. "Alright, lay it out. What can a 'Caretaker' do, besides being a landlord or lady?"

Coco sat and watched Spring, seeming curious as well.

Spring lifted her shoulders. "Us, visitors, we have no inherent right to... exist here. Even you, my proud alpha, at least until I rewove your essence with natives and brought you close enough to belong here. Without a place, such as this, to be, we are banished. It is not optional. I could not stay at some other dwelling, not if I wish to be in this world, or at least anywhere close to here." She tapped the desk lightly. "If you banish a tenant, as a result, they are stricken from this world and sent back to their place of origin. They can try to force their way in, but you've dealt with those before."

Tabitha nodded slowly along with the words. They seemed logical enough, from what she had gathered. "And you're hoping I banish Horpip, I gather?"

Spring raised both brows together. "Is there a reason not to? He's insufferably rude to me, and has violated the contract. Banish him and be done with it."

Tabitha got the idea that Horpip was rude to anyone that didn't have significant power over him. She got to see some of his 'better' side, since he needed her approval. "Aren't you two related?" Spring's expression became one of foul disgust. "Not literally. I mean you know each other, right?"

Spring let out a tiny huff. "We were students together. That matters not one whit to this affair, alpha."

Tabitha let out a little sigh. Kicking Horpip out certainly seemed like the easy answer, but... How often was the easy answer also the right one? "Coco?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel he was attacking you?"

Coco blinked softly. "I actually thought he was trying to get to Spring. My apartment just happened to be in the way. Trying to harass a pre--"

"I knew it!" A form faded into existence. Horpip was grinning like a loon. "You've gone native in the most depraved manner possible, and it isn't even like some people. We know who you're the student of. If you didn't want to have that filthy creation in your belly, you wouldn't. Ha! Go ahead, banish me, if that makes you feel better. I can't wait to inform everyone of just how far their precious little flower has fallen from grace."

Tabitha hopped to her hooves. "Holy fucking Christ! Why the hell are you snooping in my office?"

Horpip raised a shaggy brow from behind his thick goggles. He didn't seem nearly as cute as the pony had. "How else am I going to hear the many sins of this true whore?"

Tabitha frowned. "Ugh. Figures slut shaming would be a thing with magical fey."

"Slut what now?" Horpip seemed disarmed a moment. "Begone with your foreign tongue. What's it going to be, am I packing my bags?"

Spring crossed her arms tightly under her chest. "You'd better! Right, alpha?"

Tabitha let out a bestial growl. She felt certain Spring enjoyed it. "Before we go jumping to more conclusions. Horpip, why are you here?"

"Didn't I just explain that?"

"No, not here, in the office." She pointed down, then waved more broadly. "Here, in Equestria. What's your business?"

He seemed disarmed a moment. "What? I wouldn't have figured you'd care. I'm threatening your depraved harlot."

"Humor me."

There was a tense silence before he pulled out a small book, maybe six inches by four. "The master demanded I learn the fate of his pupil, which I've done. I was also to examine the inhabitants of this world and their, and I quote, 'Fascinating spiritual and biological makeup.'"

Tabitha snorted at that. "I don't doubt your abilities, but he would have been better served sending someone more... sociable to deal with ponies."

Horpip hiked a thumb at Spring. "Like her?"

Tabitha glanced at Spring and back to Horpip. "Why not her?"

"Besides her being irredeemably compromised? She couldn't be trusted to give an impartial accounting of anything involving the ponies."

Coco raised a hoof to her chin. "She's learned a lot about us, and she's learning to respect us. I'd rather her be the source of your master's information than you, sir."

Horpip threw up his hands. "Be that as it may. I was asked. She was busy running away, so too bad. You got me, unless you're banishing me now? Can we get on with this in either direction?"

Tabitha flashed a smile. She had it, she hoped. "You will not be banished. I will, however, be writing that teacher of yours a letter."

Horpip seemed surprised at that. "You're gonna do my job for me? I don't need the help, thanks."

Tabitha pointed to the door. "You can go now." It was not a suggestion.

There was an uneasy moment before he did take his leave, leaving the three females behind.

Spring leaned closer to Tabitha, her breasts dangling distractingly at that angle. "What clever idea is brewing in your mind, alpha?"

Tabitha flashed a bright grin. "I'm going to put these secrets to rest."

"To rest?"

Tabitha waved at Spring. "I will tell him that you've not only met the Caretaker, but won her affection and support, and that I wish you to have Horpip's position, and that you are eager to learn more about ponies and their curious ways, both physically and socially. I will also inform him that Horpip has earned my ire and is a hair's width from banishment, but I wish to give him the chance to recall his student before then, to avoid embarrassment."

Spring's face slowly brightened with every word uttered, even if telling her teacher anything did have a scary edge to it. "Clever beast." She flopped onto the desk and pressed in against Tabitha. Their lips met and she hugged the pony centaur close.

Coco coughed gently. "I hope this works..."

Author's Notes:

In two worlds, landlords are put in uncomfortable situations.

In both, resolutions are found.

In both, typos are revealed.