It wasn’t Alphabittle’s original house.

That was why it hadn’t felt as familiar as the sautéed ferns had tasted; it was all of the same items, but moved to the cottage attached to his new business. He had eventually given up the cottage on the edge of the Bridlewood forest. It had proven too painful, spending every night waiting for bird calls that never came.

Argyle shifted, and he felt Alphabittle shift behind him. They were coat to coat now, curled up on one edge of the sofa together, wrapped in a hoofmade quilt Bittle had won in a card game.

“I could go back,” Argyle whispered, bringing the argument back to the forefront. Bittle sighed, but it was a tired sound, not angry. “I could do it. It might work.”

“Lie to your daughter’s face, every day? For the rest of her life?”

Argyle’s eyes closed, pained. “It’s better than letting her think I’m dead.”

“It’s been a week, Argyle.”

“What? No, it’s only been - what, two -”

“You were asleep before that. For a long time. It took everything I knew to bring you back.”

“But you said unicorns had remedies to the Forgetting Rock. You said they were fixed in a day or two.”

“Yes, unicorns do,” Alphabittle explained, and where it might have been a sharply frustrated sound with anypony else, with Argyle there was patience, and a soft hoof stroking his mane. “It took time. I was lucky to be close enough to hear you when you called for help.”

Argyle shivered, and Alphabittle pulled him backwards, pressing him more snugly against his chest.

“She’s my daughter. I can’t leave my girl alone - she’s my whole world.”

“And her whole world is unicorns and pegasi. If she even gets one hint that we’re real, and her father knows us, she’ll …” Alphabittle frowned, and tried to imagine what might happen with his limited knowledge of Maretime Bay.

“She wouldn’t be able to keep it quiet. I couldn’t lie to her forever, and she couldn’t lie to everypony else. She wants to save the world, to make everypony believe. But the ponies in Maretime Bay… they’re not ready for that.” Argyle sighed, and pressed his face into Alphabittle’s broad neck. “And if Phyllis gets one hint about Bridlewood… I swear, she’d figure out how to arm the PTA if she could. Any little taste of power just makes her worse and worse.”

“Bridlewood wouldn’t go down without a fight,” Alphabittle agreed softly, and smoothed his hoof over Argyle’s side. When the quilt drooped, he gently lifted it back up, wrapping Argyle in its warmth.

“Would it really mean war if I went back to Maretime Bay?” Argyle whispered, and looked up at Alphabittle, pleading for reassurance that the unicorn couldn’t give.

Alphabittle’s gaze was sad where it rested on Argyle, and wordlessly, he buried his partner in his forelegs as the tears returned anew.

“How am I supposed to say goodbye?” Argyle whispered.

“Not forever. Only until she’s old enough. Only until she’s given up the fight, or until she can get better at lying?”

Argyle looked up at Bittle, and despite his tears, gave him a watery grin. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I’m a much better liar than you. I made you believe I didn’t remember the most important pony in my life, didn’t I?”

“Only for two days. And you were very suspicious,” Argyle sniffed, and despite everything, having Bittle’s warm forelegs wrapped around him made even the worst scenario feel more hopeful. “We’ll figure out a way to get her out safely. But, for now…”

“For now, you’ll die. She’ll be okay, Argyle; she’s old enough.”

“She’s just a baby. She’s my baby.” Argyle whispered as his voice cracked. “She’s not any bigger than that little filly at the market.”

“But twice as precocious, if anything you’ve told me about her is true,” Alphabittle countered, and rubbed his hoof over Argyle’s back as he huffed out a tearful sigh. “She’ll be alright. And you’ll be alright, too.”

“But she doesn’t have somepony like you to protect her,” Argyle whispered, and looked up at him.

“She’ll find somepony in time,” Alphabittle countered, and lowered his chin to press a kiss to Argyle’s lips. “You will find her again, and I will keep your heart safe until then.”

“Thank you, Bittle,” Argyle whispered, and snuggled himself down into his grip, closing his eyes as he hid his face in his neck once more. As he got comfortable, he could feel Alphabittle’s mouth begin kissing a trail down his neck and onto his shoulder. “I love you.”

“And I you.”

Argyle sniffled softly. He was trying to be quiet, to keep the tears from ruining what should have been a romantic reunion, but it was pointless.

“You remembered me.” Alphabittle reminded him softly, his nose whispering soft breaths at his nape.

“Every day,” Argyle agreed, swallowing thickly. “Everything Sunny loves about unicorns is what I love about you.”

Despite everything, Alphabittle smiled. “It is alright if you cry, Argyle.”

“I should be happy to be back by your side,” Argyle insisted, but his voice cracked. He tried to muffle himself by hiding his face in Alphabittle’s neck again. “And I am. I am, I’m so happy. I don’t want you to think I’m not -”

“I know,” Alphabittle whispered, and rubbed his back again. “It’s alright. I’ll make you some more hot chocolate when you’re done.”

“Thank you, Bittle,” Argyle sniffled, and finally let the tears take him.

The next day would dawn over Bridlewood, just as it did every day before and after. But in one corner in one specific forest in Equestria, the day would dawn just a little bit brighter, and Bridlewood became just a little less gray.