Tabitha returned to her room, spent from a full day, to find it was far from empty. Spring reclined on her bed, and Razz was in front of her. They were speaking, but that came to a halt as she entered the room.

She let out a weary sigh. "Is this something I have to manage?" She was done with managing, at least for that day.

Razz sat up on his haunches. "Spring was telling me what happened. Are you alright?" He held out a hoof. "Come here, lay down. I'll take care of the cooking and cleaning today."

Tabitha felt a smile forcing its way out. Having a doting husband could have its perks. She approached the two of them and stepped up onto the bed before settling down. "I'm in the mood for some spaghetti, and fries. I know they don't belong together, I don't care. Comfort food, now please."

Spring reached out and stroked over Tabitha's back. "My proud alpha, you were magnificent today. I have never been prouder to be a member of your family."

Tabitha jumped at that. That was subtly different... "You're not a 'captive damsel' anymore?"

Spring snorted. "A child's game, and we both knew it, inside. Coco has shown me things... I would never have believed a pony would be the source of such wisdom, but, yes... I am part of your family, and I revel in it. You are not my captor, even if you have captured my heart."

Razz tilted his head at Spring and cracked a smile. "That was goofy and adorable." His tail was wagging eagerly. "You give Tabitha some love while I make the food she wants." He hopped to the floor. "Welcome to the family, Spring."

Tabitha leaned into the elf. "It scared you, didn't it?"

Spring frowned a moment, a hand gently stroking over Tabitha's furry lower body. "Only a fool wouldn't feel fear at an aberration of such power." She leaned in and kissed Tabitha's closer cheek. "You moved with conviction, even in the face of a fate worse than death."

Tabitha let out a little laugh at that, strained. "And now we have Cthulhu pony as a tenant."

Spring raised a brow. "Such beings are not known to make pacts lightly, but once given, they are bound to it like a physical law. It will not break the terms unless you do first." She trailed a hand up along Tabitha's side across where fur turned to soft flesh, teasing her belly. "I should imagine you will be good for your word."

Tabitha thought about arguing. She thought about a lot of things, but something else came up. She was cuddling with the elf she had wanted so long before. They were close and intimate, with no baggage between them. She felt a smile coming on. "So... No more of this 'oh, you vicious brute' business?"

Spring raised a brow. "If you wish to be my vicious brute, I would not resist you, much..." She nestled in closer with Tabby. "But I have accepted that you are, first, the alpha of our family, beloved and respected because of your practical wisdom and bold tact, not for being a brute. You are also the father of my child, impure blood as it may be. I will love them, as I love you."

Razz looked over his shoulder at the two, darkened faintly. "You two are making me jealous," he admitted guilelessly. "But then, I didn't go fighting crazy space monsters today, so I'll deal with it."

Tabitha held out a hand. "Well finish that so we can all be together. Razzy, are you alright with Spring?"

Razz blinked. "We were just talking about, um, us, all of us." His tail lowered a little. "She... I'm not a beta, am I?"

Tabitha could hear the worry in his voice. The stallion was in a sensitive place. "Rather than answer that, an alternate question. Who cares if you are or not?" She raised a brow. "You're Razz Berry, a lovely stallion. You've grown, as a person. You have a job, you take responsibilities. If word has it right, you led the charge back into the building even."

Razz smiled and turned, hot water dripping from a colander held in a wing. "I'm also an expert spaghetti chef!" He turned back to what he was doing. "It shouldn't be long now... So... you don't think I'm weak?"

Spring leaned over Tabitha, hugging the taur gently, though her eyes were on Razz. "Strength is relative. Are you stronger than Tabitha? No, I made her too well for that."

Razz's ears perked suddenly. "You could make me strong, right?"

Tabitha shook her head. "None of that. You're fine the way your mother made you, Razz."

"Pfft." He continued his cooking work even as he frowned a little. "A pony puts on a pair of glasses, that isn't an insult to their mom. If we can get stronger or better, how is that bad?"

Spring flashed a sudden smile. "I could... but then you'd owe me a boon, Mister Berry. I'll be sure to make you work off that debt."

Razz shivered from head to tail. Something in him warned that may not be a wise move. "But we're family..."

Spring rolled a hand. "And if you needed my magic, it would be yours without question. This is not a need. This is vanity. You are as strong and healthy as you need to be."

Tabitha wrinkled her nose a little. "And I was made just 'as' strong as I needed to be?"

Spring snorted at that. "Of course not. Yours was a boon repaid." She wrapped a hand under Tabitha's furry lower torso. "Are you not pleased with my end of the bargain? I am generous in repaying my debts. Wonderful alpha, please tell me you appreciate this work."

Tabitha was enjoying the attention, but some small part of her was still riled at her forceful species adjustment. Still... "You've made a fine, hm, body." She couldn't argue that, even if she would not have asked for it, if asked ahead of time.

"You still haven't discovered the extent of it." Spring pecked Tabitha's cheek before she slid smoothly to her feet. "A shame my magic could not... succeed today."

Razz twitched an ear back at her. "What happened?"

Tabitha knew all too well. "We lost the yeti. Spring and Horpip tried to save him and it went south." She shook her head. "I'd rather not think about that right this moment."

Razz plucked up a plate on either wing and walked with a third in his mouth. Despite all that, he spoke, "Well, put that sadness aside. It's time to eat!"

All three settled around the table and dinner was on. They ate in companionable quiet. To Razz's pleasure, Tabitha reached over and began petting him halfway through the meal, teasing his sensitive ears and getting at every little spot a pony could normally never hope to reach on their own.

Spring was watching. She didn't seem jealous. She seemed plotting. "I'll know where to focus on you, alpha."

Tabitha warmed a little at that. "You really have changed, Spring. You seem... more of a girlfriend now, instead of an..." She faltered. Saying truthfully what she thought of Spring's past actions might ruin the good mood. "Thank you."

"You should thank Miss Pommell."

As if summoned, a gentle knock came from the door. It was Coco, smiling demurely. "I was actually hoping you'd all be here... I have... an announcement. I apologize, but it may be one that is taken very poorly, but I say it without ill intent. I like you all very much, as friends, and hope that never changes."

Razz sat up straight. He'd heard that line before. He'd said that line before. "Are you dumping us?"

Coco went dark. "Y-yes..."

Tabitha sat up straight. "What's wrong?" Surely there had to be something wrong. Perhaps something they could fix.

"Nothing..." Coco scuffed the ground lightly, hoof clopping against the wood floor. "You're all wonderful ponies, and I feel blessed to know you all, but I don't think this is the family for me." Her eyes settled on Spring. "Be good to them, please."

Even as Spring nodded with certainty, Tabitha sank back a little. Had she done something wrong?

Razz nuzzled into her side. "Sometimes you love somepony, but not that way." He looked back to Coco. "I hope we can be friends." Tail wagging, he smiled. "Getting to know you, I'd really like that. You're a good pony, Coco."

Coco returned the smile thinly. "As are you, Razz. Looks like you won in the end." She turned back towards the door. "Be good to them. I hope this family stands strong and lovingly."

It was quiet as Coco departed, closing the door behind herself. The soft sounds of retreating hooves echoed through the otherwise silent room.

Spring frowned. "Love and family are vexingly confusing." She looked to Tabitha. "Swear to me that we will never part that way."

Tabitha got a wry smile. "I won't make oaths with fey I can't be sure of. I will promise to speak when I have a problem."

Razz bobbed his head. "Me too. Let's stick together, and work through our problems."

Spring offered out a hand. "A pact, between us."

A hand and a hoof reached out to join hers before they finished dinner.

Their family had shrunk, but felt stronger than ever.

Bubbles sat on her couch. Trap was across from her, and Dark to the right. They were all in Bubbles' living room, looking at one another.

Dark nodded towards Trap. "So, you're her brother?"

Trap nodded in kind. "And you're her flame. Far out. I didn't think she was into that."

Bubbles sighed gently. "Trap here is a free thinker. He loves coming up with ideas and inventions, but they never quite work out."

Dark raised a brow at Trap. "What was the last?"

Trap hopped down from the couch and trotted off and back with a bit of shiny metal in his snout. He set it down in front of Dark. "My hoof cleaner. It works great on my hooves, but anypony else it nicks 'em right on the frog." Both of the other ponies winced at the idea of an injury on such a sensitive place. "I thought I had it, too, but I guess not."

Dark reached for the item with her magic, hefting it up and turning it slowly as she examined it. A thought came to her. Was it Paul? She wasn't sure, but she could see a flaw in its mechanism. It was subtle, but it was there. Her magic reached deep into it and began tugging and pushing to get it aligned.

Trap's eyes slowly widened. "What? How? Why didn't I think of that!? Sis, your crush's alright in my book."

Bubbles looked baffled. "All she did was pick it up. Why are you so excited all of a sudden?"

Trap hopped up and down. "You didn't see?! She fixed it! I saw it." He hopped forward suddenly and hugged Dark tightly around the neck. "Thank you!"

Dark smiled a little. The male was being quite presumptuous, but it was with giddy relief and happiness. Besides, the stallion was the brother of Bubbles. She wouldn't scold him too badly. Her magic gently pushed him back as she rose and presented a hoof. "Time to test."

Trap swallowed audibly. "Are you sure? You're, like, a secret agent. I don't wanna hurt your hoof."

Dark held out the hoof, unflinching and resolved.

Trap picked up his hoof pick in his mouth and brought it in, trembling a little. "Here goes."

There was a loud snick of metal on metal.

Author's Notes:

A chapter without death and mayhem? We need a few of those...

Dark meets Trap. Is this a typo, or the start of something good?