“Well, make yourself at home.” Sky Star said, standing with Berry in the entrance of his guest room. There was a bed against the wall in the center of the room, it’s blanket black and covered in silver sequined stars. The room’s walls were decorated in a long line of posters that went all the way around. Each poster was navy blue with a constellation and the name underneath it. Scorpio, Leo, Taurus, Sagittarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, Pisces, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor… Berry couldn’t believe anypony could have so many posters. On the far left there was a break in the posters where a doorway stood. The door was half closed, but Berry could see that it lead to a small private bathroom. The ceiling was black and depicted expertly painted stars, planets, and one or two comets.

“Whoa, did you paint that?” Berry asked, gaping at the ceiling as she walked farther into the room. Looking at it closely, it seemed to come to life before her eyes. It was as if she herself was floating in space, the painted objects spinning around her. She shook her head, clearing her mind, and all was still once more.

“Oh, that? No, I had a professional artist come in to do that. She did a really great job, and worked quickly too! I was surprised when she finished in 2 hours.” Sky Star told her, still standing in the entrance. Berry noticed that in the corner of the ceiling the artist had signed her name, ‘Fingerpaints’. “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled.” He said to Berry before turning to walk down the hallway. Berry looked out the window at the night sky. She thought she saw one of the constellations depicted on one of the posters, but she couldn’t be sure- not that it really mattered.

She walked into the bathroom. It’s walls and floor were covered in white square tiles. The sink basin was also white, while the counter around it was made of marble, smooth and gray, speckled with black. Berry was somewhat surprised, she expected the bathroom to be decorated like the rest of the house, but it seemed to be an ordinary bathroom. There was a tall, rectangular mirror just above the sink. Berry gasped in utter shock when she saw her own reflection. Her mane was matted and stained with substances unknown. Her fur was the same, and her chest and chin were colored an odd yellowish color from years of vomiting in the streets. Berry Punch hadn’t seen her own reflection clearly in 3 years, only seeing blurry glimpses of herself as she walked past filthy, greasy puddles. She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. Every time Sky Star had looked at her, he had seen a disgusting, unkempt mare, stained with vomit and other things. There was a shower in the corner of the bathroom, the curtain was a pale blue. On a shelf nearby there were towels of different colors, folded neatly. Berry decided to take a shower. She wanted to look presentable. The generous Sky Star deserved at least that if Berry was going to be a guest in his home.

Berry had finished drying herself off and sat on the bed in the guest room. There had been a hairbrush on the nightstand that had not been there before, and she had brushed herself thoroughly. By now her coat was glossy and smooth, like it had been before she developed her drinking problem, and was no longer discolored by stains of any sort. When she had lived in the alley, though she was filthy, she had grown used to it, and never noticed it. Now she felt better than she had for a long time. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so clean. Berry looked at the small red clock that was sitting at the corner of the nightstand. It said 9:36, the sky was pitch black, flecked by stars. It was late, Princess Celestia had long ago lowered the sun, and now Princess Luna held Equestria with her powers of the night. Berry got off the bed and stood beside it, pulling the covers off on that side before sliding into the bed. As she covered herself, she had been shocked by how comfortable it was. After laying on that cold, crinkly pile of newspapers for so long, she had almost forgotten how warm and soft a proper bed was. The bed felt divine, and sleep overtook her quickly.

Berry woke up the next morning, feeling more refreshed and happy than she had been in a very long time. She slept well, a feeling that had abandoned her for years. With a loud, deep yawn, she climbed out of bed. She gazed at the covers, wrinkled. She was just about to make the bed when she realized that she hadn’t made a bed for years. She wasn’t sure she would remember exactly how to go about it, but she knew she couldn’t leave it like that. A good guest cleaned up after themselves. Putting on her game face, she grabbed the blanket with her teeth and pulled it down to the foot of the bed, where it bunched up and dangled towards the floor. She bit down on one corner of the sheet and pulled it carefully into place, then went to the other side of the bed and proceeded to do the same thing with the other corner.

Soon the sheet was perfect, and she moved to the pillow. Berry grabbed the corner of the pillow in her mouth and shook it up and down, fluffing it effectively, then placed it back on the bed. Sheet and pillow taken care of, Berry Punch fixed the blanket, pulling it up to the pillow and smoothing it out with her hoof. She looked at the bed, perfectly made, and smiled at her accomplishment. She had been so focused with her work, that she had not noticed the smell coming from downstairs, and decided to investigate. Berry walked out of the room and turned towards the hallway. She came to the stairs after a few moments and walked down them, straight into the kitchen. She saw Sky Star standing in front of the stove, his back to her. She said a quick good morning, and the blue stallion turned to her, eyes warm in welcome.

“Good morning, Berry!” He greeted her. “Did you have a nice-” He broke off, staring at her glossy coat. “Wow. You- you look great!” He exclaimed, still staring at her fur.

“Thanks, I feel great.” She said sheepishly. Sky Star finally broke his gaze away from her and turned back to the stove, but soon turned back with a skillet, stacked with pancakes. At the table were 2 plates, and he stacked each one with 3 large pancakes each. Berry sat down in the seat across from him. While she was eating, she got an awkward feeling and looked up to see Sky Star gazing at her, his pancakes untouched, as if in some sort of trance. “Um… Sky Star? Are you okay?” Berry asked, tilting her head.

“Huh?” He shook his head as if he had been woken from a dream. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. And please, call me Sky.”