Login

My Little House Guests

by Spazzy Jamz

Chapter 17: Fast Forward to the Last Day on Earth

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

The next few weeks seemed to have went by in a blur. As the Equestrians were given more and more opportunities to explore the human world, the effects of Twilight's spell grew stronger. After a while, she was able to transform multiple ponies, and the occasional baby dragon, all at the same time. This opened the door to many new activities.

Tristan found that the task he had been given by Princess Celestia didn't feel at all like a task anymore. If anything, having talking ponies walk around his house started feeling like a new normal to him. His bond with the others strengthened, as well. Spike had became Tristan's new little brother, and all the others became the close friends he never had. All of them but one.

Since the night of Twilight's first day out, Tristan had sensed that the two had almost grew apart. She became more reserved, hardly talking to him at all outside of necessary conversation. She had stopped joining Tristan when he would sit out on his back porch at nights, which caused Tristan to pick up smoking again since no one was destroying his cigarettes.

Tristan awoke one morning and groggily checked his phone. It was eight thirty in the morning. As his focus enhanced, he noticed the date in smaller print just beneath the time. A knot grew in his stomach as he made a mental discovery: it had been twenty nine days since the Equestrians' arrival. Today was their last day on Earth, and tomorrow they would be sent back to their dimension, leaving Tristan all alone once again.

Tristan felt his heart sink in his chest. He almost didn't want to leave his bed, hoping time could stand still as long as he stayed underneath the covers. After several minutes of staring at his cell phone's screen, Tristan let out a sigh and threw the covers off of him. He climbed out of bed and shuffled off into the bathroom to begin his morning routine.

Showered and dressed, Tristan dragged himself into the living room to see that all the ponies were not only awake, but were standing in the middle of the living room, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash holding a large parchment banner that read "Thank You, Tristan!" in crayons and ink. It was adorned with hearts and hoofprints, each with their owner's name scribbled next to them. He cocked his head to the side, pleasantly surprised yet completely lost.

"What's all this?" he asked. Applejack stepped forward.

"We just wanted to do somethin' special for ya, sugarcube." she replied. "Ya know, for takin' care of us these past few weeks."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie added. "We've all had so much fun! And look!" She pulled a baking sheet from behind her and laid it down on the coffee table. "I made cupcakes!" More chatter erupted from the group, each one excitedly gushing their gratitude. Tristan rubbed his shoulder and looked downward, blushing.

"You guys didn't have to do this, you know." Tristan said. Rarity stepped forward, joining Applejack.

"Oh, but darling, you deserve it." she said. "We want today to be all about you."

"Exactly." joined Rainbow Dash, dropping her part of the banner. "Whatever you wanna do, we're game for it. Right, everypony?" The others confirmed Rainbow Dash's claim. Tristan noticed that Twilight Sparkle had been quiet and reserved since he had arrived in the living room. He sighed and hoped that things between the two could be patched up before they left.

"Sooo..." Pinkie Pie began, "Whatcha wanna do?" The others watched Tristan as he furrowed his brow in thought.

"Well," he started, "How about after breakfast, we all go out and we'll just plan it from there." Spike's eyes widened.

"All of us?" he repeated. Tristan nodded.

"Alright." Twilight yawned. She proceeded towards the kitchen. "I'm going to need some coffee first, though." Everyone else followed Twilight into the kitchen, where a quick breakfast was served and, between Tristan and Twilight, much coffee was drunk. The Equestrians then retrieved their newly washed human clothes and stepped inside them. They gathered in the middle of the living room and Twilight cast a cloud of magenta magic all around them. Tristan slipped his shoes on and grabbed his keys while the transformation finished.

As the other's were making last minute preparations, a thought came across Fluttershy's mind.

"U-Um, Tristan?" she said softly, "I-Is there enough room for all of us in your car?" Tristan's face drew a blank, not having thought of this earlier. He scratched his head, thinking of a way he could get eight people to the city.

"What about the bus?" Tristan asked. "There's one that runs right through here." Tristan checked his phone again for the time. "Which is any minute now. We should get outside by the bus stop."

The others quickly followed Tristan outside, where, the bus was already stopping to allow other passengers to board. They joined the line that was formed at the bus door. Tristan fished out the necessary fare for the eight of them and tossed it into the box. The bus driver stared incredulously as the colorful group boarded and took seats near the back.

The Equestrians immediately engaged in excited chatter. Twilight kept to herself and simply sat staring out of the window, watching the passing scenery. It was all she could do to keep from thinking of Tristan. She let out a small sigh, which was picked up on by Spike.

"You okay, Twi?" he asked. Twilight glanced over at him, then returned her attention to the world outside the bus window.

"I'm fine." she lied. Spike furrowed his brow.

"I don't know." he said. "You just aren't acting like yourself."

"I'm fine, Spike." she replied harshly. The boy huffed and shook his head. He was about to press further, but he felt a tap on the shoulder from behind. He peeked over the seat at Applejack, who was shaking her head. Spike wore an expression of confusion, but heeded Applejack's warning and decided that he should just leave the conversation be. He faced forwards and sighed. Pinkie Pie, however, shakily occupied a seat with Tristan. Her jitters raised concern with him.

"You didn't get into the coffee, did you?" Tristan asked, already sure of the answer.

Pinkie furiously nodded, her pink hair bouncing every which way. Tristan exhaled deeply and ran his fingers through his hair. The other passengers had already started staring.

"This'll be a long ride."


One by one, they stepped off of the bus and into the bright sunlight that was cast over the city. The bus driver rolled his eyes as he shut the door and put the bus in drive. Tristan shielded the blinding rays with his hand and surveyed his surroundings while the others stood behind him.

"Where to?" Applejack asked. After another moment of thought, Tristan turned back to the group and smiled.

"We're going bowling!" he beamed.

"Bowling?!" the Equestrians asked in unison.

"Yes, bowling." Tristan confirmed. "I think you guys will love it."

PInkie Pie giggled. "Silly filly! We have that back in Equestria!"

Tristan cocked his head. "You do?" he asked, dumbfounded. "But how do you grip the ball?"

Applejack smiled. "Oh, we normally just push it with our heads." she replied, giving it a couple light taps. Tristan shook his head and returned his focus back to the street.

"Okay..." he mumbled, mentally mapping out the route to the bowling alley. He looked left and right before pointing down the sidewalk. "That way."

Pinkie Pie let out a squeal of delight as the group began the four block trek to the bowling alley. The temperature that day was the highest the city had seen the whole year, and everyone was beginning to feel it. Sweat dripped from what felt like every pore on Tristan's face as he panted from the heat.

After several long minutes of walking, the group finally reached the bowling alley, a short building placed right between two much higher ones. The cool air from the building's air conditioning hit them with relief, vocalized by a collective sigh. Tristan stepped up to the counter and bought three games and rented eight pairs of shoes. The man behind the counter stared the group down before accepting Tristan's payment and moving over to the counter where the bowling shoes were kept.

Pinkie Pie bounced up to the counter to get first pick. The man eyeballed the eccentric, pink-haired woman before finally asking her shoe size.

"I dunno." she said cheerfully. Tristan hurried up next to her and removed her pink flats and reading the number on the insole.

"Six and a half." he answered quickly. He handed Pinkie Pie back her shoe while awkwardly smiling at the man. The man rolled his eyes and pulled a pair of red and blue shoes from behind the counter. Everyone else pulled off their shoes to read off their numbers as the man pulled pair after pair of crusty bowling shoes from under the counter. Tristan was the last to retrieve his shoes.

"Twelve, please." he said. The man fished around behind the counter and tossed a pair of green and cream colored shoes to him.

"I'm surprised you didn't have to check your shoe." The man replied harshly. He rolled his eyes and moved back to the register to serve another customer.

Tristan shook off the man's distasteful attitude and joined the others at lane nine. Everyone had already changed shoes and picked out their bowling balls. Tristan divided everyone into two teams. The first consisted of himself, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight. Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity composed the opposition and after their names were entered into the computer, the games began.


Spike threw his hands up in annoyance as the ball finished it's trip down the gutter. The tenth frame of the third game was drawing to a close with only two bowlers left: Tristan and Pinkie Pie. Tristan picked up his ball and proceeded towards the beginning of the lane. He held the ball up to his face as he stared intensely down the polished wood. His team had won the first game, but took a loss in the second. His team was down by just a bit, so a win was possible. After a few moments of mental preparation, he shuffled forward, brought his arm back, and threw the ball forward with all his might.

The ball blazed down the alley with tremendous speed, only a short couple of seconds separating its departure and its collision with the pins. The ball smashed through the front pin and continued its course of destruction all the way through the back of the set. The pins were sent flying. Strike.

Tristan threw a fist into the air as his teammates cheered, even Twilight Sparkle, who was beginning to come out of her depression. Tristan strutted back to the seats with the rest of his teammates.

"You rock!" Fluttershy softly cheered. "Woo-hoo!"

Tristan laughed a little, looking back towards the alley, Pinkie Pie had grabbed her ball and was standing next to the foul line, tossing the ball in her hands. Tristan smirked.

She has been doing terrible this whole game, he thought to himself, This game is ours!

Pinkie Pie twirled around, took a step back, skipped, and launched the ball with a speed that rivaled Tristan's. The ball veered right in the direction of the gutter.

Yes! he thought again.

The ball was on the edge of the wood before it made a sharp turn at the last second, it zipped back across the alley and straight into the first pin. The others exploded around it, sending some pins into the adjacent lanes. A red "X" appeared on the overhead screen.

Tristan's jaw dropped, as did all of Pinkie Pie's teammates. After a moment of speechlessness, Rainbow Dash jumped into the air.

"YES!" she screamed. There was an eruption of cheering from her team as Tristan and Twilight simply glared their direction.

"That was a great game," Fluttershy interrupted. "Good job!" She beamed a wide smile at them.

"Eeyup." Applejack added. "That there was a close one." Rainbow Dash began to walk their way, followed by the others from her team.

"Winners get to pick lunch!" Rainbow Dash called. Her claim was met by Rarity's bemused expression.

"Now, Rainbow, this is Tristan's day." she reminded. "Shouldn't he get to pick where to eat lunch?" Tristan rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter to me," he corrected. "Today should be just as much about you guys as it is me." He looked over to Rainbow Dash. "What did you have in mind?"

"Pizza!" she quickly answered.

"Pizza?" Tristan repeated.

"Pizza!" Spike cheered.

Tristan chuckled as he removed his shoes and replaced them with his high-tops. Everyone else switched their shoes and they bolted to the counter to drop them off. The man behind the counter stared at the group as they exit the bowling alley and entered the sunlight once again. The temperature outside had dropped down a bit. It was still warm, but not scorching as before.Tristan led the group a block further down the street then across to Papa Domino's Pizzeria.

Once inside, they were immediately seated and their drink order was taken. The waiter left and everyone skimmed the menu, excitedly discussing their topping options. Tristan sat back against his seat and sighed, watching the others laugh and talk. His mood sank, catching the eye of one of his fellow diners.

"Is everything okay?" Twilight Sparkle asked. She had tried to avoid talking to Tristan for most of the day in fear of making her already complicated situation even more so, but she couldn't stand seeing him this way. Applejack gave a concerned glance, but resumed in conversation with the others.

"Yeah, its okay." Tristan lied. "Just doing some thinking." Twilight nodded silently. Tristan looked towards her.

"Can I talk to you later?" he asked. "You know, just us?" Twilight's heart began racing.

"U-Um, yeah, sure." she shakily replied. The waiter had come back just in time to take her mind off of Tristan's request. After finally agreeing on toppings, Tristan ordered a large pizza with extra cheese, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and peppers. The waiter nodded and hurried the away, yelling something in Italian to the man in the kitchen.


After a pleasant, and filling, lunch, the group emerged from the pizzeria, smiles of content stretching across each of their faces. It had only been a few hours since they left, but since it was Twilight's first time transforming everyone, they weren't sure of how much time they had left. Tristan sighed as he checked his phone for the time, then he gathered everyone's attention.

"I think I want to spend the rest of the day at home." he said. "Not that I'm not having fun with you guys out here. I just want to just be with you guys for a while before..."

"Ah understand, sugarcube." Applejack interjected. The farmhand smiled warmly at him, as did everyone else. Together, they made the walk back across the street and then headed south, passing the bowling alley once again and reaching the bus stop. Thankfully for Tristan, there was a change in drivers. He paid the fare and the group claimed the seats they had earlier.

It took much less time for the group to return home, seeing as how they were the only passengers this time. The bus stopped near Tristan's house and the driver, with a friendly smile, waved them goodbye as they exited. They walked down the sidewalk and up the driveway, where Tristan tossed Rainbow Dash the house key.

"I'm going to take some of the others to pick up a few groceries." he stated. "We'll be back after a bit." He glanced over at a select few. "Pinkie? AJ? Twilight? You guys wanna come with me?"

Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded. Twilight simply shrugged, not wanting to offend Tristan. Rainbow Dash looked at the key for a second, then nodded to Tristan. Fluttershy waved to everyone as she followed Rainbow Dash into the house, followed by Spike and Rarity. Twilight sighed,

The ride to the retail store was a quick one, as the structure was only a few minutes outside of the city. Inside, Tristan pushed the shopping cart while the others hastily tossed cake mix, vegetables, soda, and a few other things into the cart's basket. Tristan tried ignoring the unfriendly looks of the other shoppers that came as a result to his five overly eager companions. Pinkie Pie had been prancing about the whole time, shouting things about having a party while adding balloons and streamers to the items in the cart.

The process of checking out was painstaking for Tristan, as the cashier also gave odd looks to his brightly colored entourage. She brought up the total and Tristan handed over the necessary payment. While getting change, the cashier gives another look to the group.

"Looks like you guys are throwing a party." She said sarcastically. Pinkie Pie bounded up in front of Tristan and flashed a humungous grin.

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed. "We're having a big party! It's kind of like a going away party because my friends and I leaving tomorrow to go back to E-"

"Europe!" Tristan interjected. He slapped a hand over Pinkie's mouth, which was still mumbling at full speed. "They're going back to Europe tomorrow! Gotta have a big party!" He smiled weakly as he used his free hand to place the rest of the items in the cart. The cashier just stared.

"Yeah, whatever." she sighed. Tristan, once assured that Pinkie Pie had finished her rant, pushed the cart out of the front doors. The group hurriedly made their way back to the car, where Tristan loaded the groceries into the trunk while the others got seated and buckled.

Tristan slammed the trunk shut and slid into the driver's seat. As they began the trip home, Twilight Sparkle looked over at Tristan, watching him as he drove. She sighed to herself. Twilight could no longer deny that over the past month, despite Applejack's advice, she had fallen more in love with Tristan, and she wasn't quite sure how much longer she could go without telling him. Twilight was then reminded of Tristan's request at lunch.

"Can I talk to you later? You know, just us?"

That was it. Twilight's opportunity had made itself known. She took her attention off of Tristan and focused on the road ahead. Thoughts raced through her head as the blood in her veins raced through her body from her heart's relentless beating. The house came into view and Twilight made up her mind.

Tonight, she thought. "I'll tell him tonight."

"What was that?" Pinkie Pie asked. Twilight's face grew red.

"Nothing, forget it."


The sun was beginning to set as Pinkie Pie hung the final streamer from the ceiling. In less than an hour after dinner, she had transformed the living room and kitchen from their dull, normal existence into an energetic atmosphere. A large punch bowl was surrounded with brightly colored cupcakes on the kitchen table and various other baked goods, courtesy of Applejack, lined the counters.

Tristan pulled up his music player on the computer screen and double-clicked a playlist he had made. As the first song thumped its way through the computer's large speakers, the Equestrians cheered and began to dance in the middle of the living room. Tristan quickly moved the coffee table and recliner off to the far sides of the room, creating a larger space for the makeshift dance floor. The music progressed through the playlist and the celebration was now in full swing.

It was about the sixth song in when Applejack noticed that some of her friends were missing. She quietly excused herself from the group of dancers and walked into the kitchen. Pinkie Pie stood by the refrigerator, drinking a plastic cup of her specialty punch.

"Pinkie," Applejack said, her voice reflecting her concern, "Have ya seen Spike an' Rarity?"

Pinkie Pie shrugged her shoulders. "Not since they walked outside onto the back porch." she replied. She took another drink.

Applejack rolled her eyes and quickly walked through the living room. Her approach slowed as she reached the back door. She went to grab the doorknob, but was stopped by Rarity's barely audible voice.

"I'm more than flattered that you feel that way, Spike, but I'm looking for someone... oh, how do i put this gently..."

"I think I know where this is going... You don't have to explain it..."

"You'll always be my Spikey-Wikey, no matter what. I hope you remember that. And who knows? Maybe someday you'll have someone swooning over you, too."

"Yeah..."

Applejack jumped when the back door opened. Rarity closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh. After taking a moment to recollect composure, she noticed her friend standing next to the doorway.

"Applejack!" she acknowledged, "Catching some fresh air, I assume?" Applejack looked out of the door frame to see the green-haired boy slouching as he sat on the top step of the porch.

"Uh, yeah, sure." she replied. Rarity quickly rejoined the group, a tinge of guilt still lingering inside. After she had gone, Applejack exhaled and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. She slowly made her way to Spike, who sat silently and was staring at the steps below him. She stood behind him for a second before making her presence known.

"Hey, there, sugarcube." she said softly. Applejack waited for an answer from him, but the silence continued. She took it upon herself to sit down next to him, hoping she could at least get a glance. Her wish was fulfilled as Spike's green eyes met hers. Applejack smiled.

"Rarity's right, ya know?" she said, catching Spike's attention. He was bewildered by Applejack's sudden knowledge of the heartbreaking event that just took place. He said nothing, but waited intently on her next words.

"Shoot," she began, "You're kind, hardworkin', loyal... Anypony would be plum crazy to not take an interest in ya!" Spike huffed in disbelief and returned to his slouching state. Applejack's smile disappeared for a second, but reappeared as she inched closer to him and placed an arm over his shoulders.

"In fact," she continued, "Ah bet there's somepony back home waiting for ya right now."

Spike lifted his head a little, once again making eye contact. "You really think so?" he asked shakily. Applejack squeezed the boy against her side for an instant, then stood, offering her hand.

"Ah'm positive." she replied. Spike smiled and took Applejack's hand. She pulled him to his feet and the two walked back inside to join the others,


The party had rode into the late hours of the night, which at this time, the Equestrians had reverted back into their original forms. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew about the house, collecting the balloons and streamers from the ceilings. Everyone else assisted with clean-up on the ground, which consisted of moving back furniture, setting up the bed, and, in Pinkie Pie and Spike's case, disposing of the leftover snacks.

"How are we gonna get rid of all this?" Spike asked. Pinkie pie simply winked at the confused baby dragon before sticking out a wildly oversized tongue that scooped up the remaining treats and tossed them into the mouth of the pink party pony. Spike simply shrugged, not the least bit surprised.

Twilight Sparkle had finished her cleaning task and was preparing for bed when she remembered that she was supposed to meet with Tristan. She nervously walked out onto the back porch, which seemed to be a popular place to escape earlier that night. Sure enough, Tristan sat on the top step, as he always did on certain nights during the visit. Twilight nervously shut the door behind her, causing Tristan to look back.

"Hey." he said. The simple word rolled off his tongue in a nonchalant manner, almost like this meeting wasn't phasing him at all. It was drastically different for the purple unicorn as she softly returned the greeting and slowly paced over to join him. There was a silence between the two for a few minutes before Twilight finally spoke.

"Tristan, I have something to tell you..." she carefully informed.

Tristan shifted his attention back to Twilight. "Yeah," he responded, "Me too, actually."

Twilight swallowed, knowing she couldn't keep back her words anymore. In her mind, the statement was like a bandage. She just had to rip it off quickly, even though the pain will surely ensue afterwards, no matter the outcome. Twilight took a deep breath. "Tristan.... I-"

"I love you, too."

Twilight's heart stopped. "W-What?"

Tristan sighed. "When you fought Trixie," he began, "And she made that bold accusation, I overlooked it. I was told myself that it was just an attempt for Trixie to mess with our heads, but as the day went on, I began to question if you really held those feelings for me. So when you went back to talk to Applejack that night..."

"You eavesdropped on us?!" Twilight interrupted. She was furious that he had invaded her privacy like that, but decided that now wouldn't be the best time to start an argument.

"I had to!" Tristan quickly answered. "I tried asking you about it that whole day, but every time I did, something would happen and it would derail the conversation completely. Eavesdropping was my only option."

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you say anything before? Why am I only finding out now, the night before I go home and never see you again?"

Tristan dropped his head. "I was told not to. Applejack didn't want me to act on it for the sake of you not being hurt once you left. I tried my best to not do that, but the more we were together, the more I realized myself that I harbored the same feelings. I kept flashing back to every time you flicked my cigarette away, every time we had our little heart-to-hearts, and especially everything you said to Trixie that day. No one has showed so much care for me for a long time now. I just didn't want us to part ways and have to wonder 'what if' for the rest of our lives, ya know?"

Twilight nodded solemnly. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thrusted her head into Tristan's shoulder. Tristan turned and fully embraced Twilight, feeling a tear of his own form. The two sat silently holding each for a little while, letting their hearts talk amongst themselves. Tristan finally cleared his throat to speak and Twilight leaned back just far enough to see his face.

"I'm sorry it's ending like this." he concluded. Twilight thought she would burst into tears, but managed to keep the waterworks back.

"Yeah, me too." she said softly. She sniffled a bit and stood up. "We better get to bed."

Tristan nodded and stood up. The purple unicorn went inside, but he lingered on the porch for a bit longer. He glanced up at the bright moon and the stars that speckled the black sky. Tomorrow was going to be rough a rough day for him, but there was nothing he could do about it. They have to go back to their world, and he has to stay in this one. A tear fell to the broken wood of the porch as he walked back into the house and shut the door.


AUTHOR'S NOTES

Holy balls. I'm glad I got this one through.

Plenty of feels, here. My fiance actually got pissed that I had Rarity reject Spike. But it's all for the better, I'll promise you. In fact, I'll have to reveal a few things after I finish the final chapter, which, sadly, the next one.

The Twistan (yes, shitty shipping name) scene was one that I had anticipated doing since I started the chapter. I'm sure you guys were, in return, anticipating how it goes down. It seems grim right now, but I have a feeling that once I finish the final chapter, you guys won't hate me entirely.

Then again, I could be wrong.

But, as always, keep being awesome by leaving comments and such. The epic(ish) conclusion to My Little House Guests is finally upon us! Stick around for the grand finale! And some big news! See you guys in Chapter Eighteen: The Departure.

Next Chapter: The Departure Estimated time remaining: 14 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch