Anastasia was all alone in the mansion. The sun had set, the darkness took its reign. The cold set in, slowly creeping up her spine as she closed the windows for the night. Soon, she managed to light the fireplace, warming herself as well as the whole mansion up. Moving the sofa closer to the fireplace, she lay on it, covering herself with a blanket, enjoying the gentle heat of the fire as it crackled and danced, relaxing her. She adjusted her position slightly and rested, a pillow supporting her weary head.

Unfortunately, the day was rather boring for her. She slept in until past noon, woke up with an annoying headache that disrupted her thoughts for the most of the day. She proceeded to walk around the garden, enjoying the smell of various flowers, especially those that were foreign to her. Each of them had a unique scent, some of which were recognizable, and some weren't. There was also the visual side of things — while some flowers seemed plain and simple, others had gradients, some of them even glowed. One of the plants caught her eye — a big red leaf. However, it was not the somewhat unusual color that brought it to her attention. The main thing was that the leaf was in quite a bad shape: tattered, torn, in some places broken. Purple juice seeped from its "wounds", dropping on the ground and quickly evaporating. As Anastasia walked closer to it, the plant seemed to turn to her. And yet, despite its poor state, the girl didn't pity it. However, a sticky sensation of fear and a certain wrongness appeared inside her, making her quickly retreat, leaving the leaf.

She spent the rest of the day studying the language, browsing through the TV, and playing around with random things she could find in the mansion. She would like to take a walk but no one but Flora was nearby. The girl also didn't have any means of contacting others, making her wish that phones would someday become a thing in Equestria like they did on Earth. This world seemed peaceful but it was technologically behind what Anastasia was used to, making her wonder just how she would be able to kill the time without the electronic wonders such as a smartphone and internet. Even then, by the end of the day, she was tired, and that was when she lit the fireplace.

Unfortunately, her rest was disturbed by a gentle yet firm knock on the entrance door. Startled by the sudden seemingly loud sound, she almost jumped, her eyes opening wide. After she calmed down a bit, she slowly moved to the door, hesitation in her every step. Closer and closer, she stepped softer, trying to hear what was going on outside. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Then, out of nowhere, she heard... meowing.

With less fear, she finally reached the door and opened it just a bit to see what was on the other side. To her great surprise, there was a simple box with a black kitten inside it. As soon as Anastasia appeared in its views, the kitten looked at her with its green eyes and meowed softly. Seeing no harm in it, the girl opened the door fully and looked inside the box. Along with the kitten, there were multiple items for taking care of it: a litter box, a few bags of cat litter itself, a few bowls, another few bags, this time filled with cat food, some toys, a scratcher, and a small, soft bed in which the kitten was currently in. Along with all those items, there was a letter.

Sorry for all the troubles we caused you and your friends. Here is our gift to you, full of love.

Changelings

Understanding little of it, Anastasia could only get the apologetic part of the letter and that it was a gift. She smiled at the kitten, and moved the whole box inside the mansion, closing the door. She unpacked the box, placing different cat care items where she thought they would belong. The kitten was free, and the first thing it did was rub itself against Anastasia's leg, making her smile even wider. She awkwardly petted the kitten with her hoof and then returned to her place on the sofa. The kitten, too small to be able to jump up, meowed until the girl picked it up and let it nestle near her.

A few more minutes passed in almost complete silence. The flames crackled, the kitten purred — it was truly peaceful. In a short while, both the girl and the kitten fell asleep, warming by the fire.

Sirius and Iclyn finally got back to the mansion. Slightly wet from the rain, they walked in, deep in thought about what had happened to them not so long ago. However, it didn't go unnoticed that there was a new thing in the mansion — a box that wasn't there before. Frowning, Sirius looked inside, only to find the letter that Anastasia got. He read it and then reread it, his frown deepening.

"What is it?" Iclyn asked with interest. Silently, her loved one passed the letter to her. "Oh my... That's actually pretty nice of them!"

"I doubt that a single kitten would earn them my forgive," the former human shook his head, a hint of anger in his voice. "If they want it so... They're too forceful."

"I think it was more for Nastya than you or me," Iclyn shook her head. "Tomorrow, we'll find out if Wind Rider got anything as an apology. Just think of it — you and I suffered the worst, so they're offering us the best they have. But for Wind and Nastya, it didn't go nearly as bad."

"Maybe you're right," Sirius nodded with some hesitation. "We'll see tomorrow, I guess."

As the two passed the sleeping duo on the sofa, Iclyn giggled slightly, commenting on how cute the sight was. The former human looked at the kitten, and while it was cute, he didn't voice anything, having no idea what to feel about the situation. Not to mention that his mind was still occupied by the thought of becoming the king of changelings. Would he take it? If he does, then what should he do? Should he punish them, should he just be a fair ruler? There were many similar questions in his mind, none of them having answers just yet.

On one hand, he wanted to have nothing with the changelings anymore. Never see them again, never hear from them again, and certainly not being bribed by them with their so-called gifts. On the other hand, however, he thought that maybe, just maybe it could become something better. Chrysalis was gone for good, her followers banished, and everything seemed like the perfect time to make things right. However, he wouldn't dare become king without consulting Equestrian Royalty, primarily Luna, with whom he managed to establish a more warm relationship. Her sister Celestia was another option to go to, of course, but Sirius didn't know her much if at all. So, the only real choice left was the nightly alicorn. He did remember that there was a third princess, Cadance, but it seemed like she didn't have nearly as much power as the first two. Besides, he had already spoken to her about his other, more intimate problems. It was a rather awkward moment, and Sirius would rather not have to speak to Cadance anytime soon.

After taking a shower with his loved one, the former human went to bed and quickly fell asleep, heeding the wise Russian proverb his mother used to tell him when he faced difficult situations — morning is wiser than evening.

Blinking groggily, Sirius woke up in the morning, the day coming in slowly. He yawned, stretched, and closed his eyes, still feeling mentally tired. However, the call of nature prevented him from falling back asleep, and so he stood up from the bed and went to relieve himself. When he returned, Iclyn was already waking up.

"Morning," she said sleepily, noticing Sirius as he entered. "How's sleep?"

"Mh..." he replied just as sleepily, taking some time to register her question. "All's fine."

Suddenly, to his surprise, he heard meowing. He looked down and noticed the kitten rubbing itself against his legs, looking up at him with its innocent expression. For a second, he thought about pushing it away, knowing well where the kitten came from. However, the cute meowing, as well as the physical affection the kitten showed towards him, made him reconsider. Instead, he softly petted it, releasing a sigh of defeat.

"You'll certainly get along with it just fine," Iclyn commented, watching the scene with a smile on her face. "You see? Not bad."

"I guess..." he sighed again. "I still need talking to Luna. It's not just a cat to worry about, you know."

"Yeah. But how about we have breakfast first?" the pegasus suggested. "Wait for me downstairs, I'll be there in a moment."

Nodding, Sirius proceeded to make his way to the stairs. Unfortunately, the kitten stumbled, almost rolling down the stairs. It would be painful if not for the former human, who caught the kitten before it could hit the step. With yet another sigh, he placed it on his back, allowing it to ride him as he walked down to the first floor. Once he was there, however, he took the kitten off his back and placed it on the floor.

Suddenly, it hissed, looking at something to the right. Sirius quickly turned and saw a terrifying scene: Anastasia was sleeping on the sofa, unaware that above her, a pale humanoid stood with a kitchen knife in its hands. The former human was quick to catch the blade in his magic, preventing it from moving. The humanoid looked at him with its glowing purple eyes, a grin forming on its face.

"Very well, then," the Figure said, stepping to the side, the kitchen knife fading from existence. "You can resist. That is good," it looked at Anastasia. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be interesting or fun."

"You..." Sirius growled, a sword teleported right to him. He pointed it at the Figure menacingly, his eyes fixated on the nightmarish creature. "Get out."

"I am in your head. I can't," the Figure let out a short, dry laugh. "But even then..." it took a few steps to the left. "I can hurt. You know it very well, don't you?"

"I will kill you," the former human said coldly.

"Go on, then," the nightmare mocked him. "Stab yourself again. Shoot yourself again. You can only kill me if you kill yourself. Oh, you've already tried that, haven't you?" it took a few steps towards Sirius. "You can't. You know what will happen to those you hold dear if you try suicide again. It will crush them, it will destroy them. They won't understand your decision. They might know that I exist, but... They won't understand why you'd want to kill yourself when you have everything," it paused for a moment. "Your loved one. Friends. All this..." it gestured around. "This... mansion. Face it, you have everything you'd ever wanted... except for one thing," its grin widened unnaturally. "Freedom. You will never get rid of me and you know it. No amount of struggle can bring me down. Luna tried to kill me... and here I am."

"You're lying," Sirius stated firmly. "I will destroy you."

The grin of the Figure faltered, turning into a frown. Soon, the nightmarish creature faded into nothing, along with the sword and everything else that would've suggested that the Figure was even there in the first place.

Sirius let out a sigh of relief, his tensed body relaxing.

"Sirius?" Iclyn called him from behind. "Is everything alright?"

"...It's complicated," he replied as he turned around to face her. "When you were in mine head... Do you remember a, uh... a pale... thing with purple eyes?"

"I do," the pegasus frowned deeply. "Sirius... is it here?"

"...I don't know," he admitted. "What I know is, I must fight it. I must get rid of it... somehow."

"You will, trust me," Iclyn walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're strong. You have my support, too," she put a hoof on his shoulder. "I know it's difficult, I feel that... struggle inside you. I know it, I've seen it with my eyes," she looked him in the eyes. "Whatever that thing is, I can say that you will fuck it up real bad," she chuckled, making him chuckle as well. "Now, c'mon, time for some food. You can't fight if you don't eat, we need to get those skinny sides gain some weight," she lightly punched his foreleg. "You know, how about a trade? I'll cook some meat for you, and then you'll give some 'meat' to me, alright?"

Getting the implication, Sirius' cheeks got a pink tint, thoughts about the Figure gone from his mind. Whatever fight he had to fight would come later, and now he could and should spend his time with those he held dear, especially Iclyn. After all, a good warrior needs good food and good exercise. The latter could be especially pleasant if done with a loved one, preferably on a bed or in other places that would allow for personal, intimate training that would certainly be efficient.

Sometime later, Anastasia finally woke up to the smell of freshly-cooked food. She licked her lips and stood up from the sofa. She glanced at the fireplace and noticed that the logs had all burnt up by the time of her awakening. Remembering to replenish the fuel later, probably during the evening or just in the afternoon.

"Good morning, Nastya," Iclyn greeted her. "Food's ready, come join us!"

Mumbling something in her native Russian, the girl groggily made her way to the bathroom. Once she was done there, she returned to the two lovers and joined them for breakfast. The morning was slow, pleasant, and peaceful. Shielded by the windows from the outside chill, the mansion was warm and comfortable to be in. Thankfully, this was a weekend, and that meant that no one had to go anywhere. At the very least, Anastasia didn't — Sirius and Iclyn still had to deal with the changeling's proposal, and that meant seeking Luna's advice. In any case, the breakfast was pleasant and enjoyable, delicious and, most importantly, nutritious.

After the breakfast was done and the dishes were washed and put back in the cupboards, Sirius and Iclyn went upstairs. Anastasia could immediately figure out what they were up to just by looking at their faces alone, and it made hers blush. Deciding not to stay to listen to the incoming moans and groans, she headed outside.

This day, another surprise was waiting for her. As soon as she exited the mansion, she saw a familiar shape at the gates. While it did remind her of Sirius due to a similar color scheme, it was, in fact, Wind Rider. However, it was not the colt that surprised her the most. It was what he held in front of him — a bouquet of flowers. It reminded her of the same move Sirius did a long time ago. However, this time, it happened more quickly.

"Um, hello, Nastya," Wind Rider greeted her with a bright smile, a very apparent pink tint on his cheeks. "I was just, uh, thinking about, uh..." he paused, trying to collect his thoughts. "Well, I like you," he said bluntly. "And, uh... I hope you like these flowers I brought for you!"

"...Uh, I not know what do with them," Nastya replied awkwardly. "I, uhm... hold them... uh... can't."

"Ah," the colt said just as awkwardly, having no idea where to place the flowers. "Well, uh..."

And so, a new day began. Despite what might wait in the future, life went on, even for Anastasia. Despite how foreign everything was to her, she was slowly adapting, and maybe Wind Rider would greatly help her. Perhaps, a new relationship will bloom just like one between Sirius and Iclyn. After all, the two were greatly enjoying themselves at the moment, spending their time during certain pleasant activities, acts of love both of them cherished.

For now, however... Anastasia and Wave Rider needed to figure out what to do with the flowers.