My 'roommate' was calling...

My 'roommate' was calling!

Something had happened to Etherea! Fuck! This was bad... She could be lying on the floor after her spell backfired, barely conscious from pain and shock, and with her horn an irreparable shattered ruin. I could imagine in vivid color the blood pouring from her forehead to spill all over my carpet, she pawing weakly at my phone with a hoof while trying to croak out a message for help.

She might need immediate emergency medical attention! But shit, that was something Craig and I were completely unequipped to handle! We would have to contact someone else now! Maybe that's where I came in; Craig was already doing what he could to help her and I needed to figure out the rest.

A veterinarian maybe? My friend Tristan had spent time working in an animal hospital though I didn't know how medically-involved he had been. He'd never gone in to detail about any procedures so he might have just done other things around the place. But at least it was an 'in,' and with a person I could trust.

No... What was I thinking? Etherea wasn't an animal! She would need a full-on doctor. But a human doctor would be just as clueless when it came to Ponies, wouldn't they? Actually, maybe more so. At least vets might have had experience with an equine body, and Etherea's...

"Alex? Hey, are you alright?" The slow, concerned tones broke through my reverie.

Oh, right, Reggie. And I was still just staring at the phone in his hand.

I didn't want to take that phone. My heart was already hammering steadily and it felt like my breathing was doing its best to keep pace. Etherea could be a cripple for the rest of her life and I was too scared to take that phone. I was...

Maybe I was overreacting. I'd immediately jumped to the worst case scenario like always. Short of her dying... No! Not going there!

So maybe there was a perfectly mundane reason for Etherea to call. Like maybe they'd run out of peanut butter at lunch and needed me to pick some up. Or...

And that wasn't helping either. We'd agreed this only was for a real emergency so something was wrong. It was possible Etherea was in grave physical danger, but there were other, more mundane things this could also be. I think. She could just be mostly gravely injured. Something bad enough to require medical attention but not actually life-threatening.

Maybe her magic had given her a horrible headache. Hornache? After her stunt with the towels I could imagine her blowing the direness of a hornache far out of proportion... Okay, that was probably just plain stupid - she hadn't complained about her forehead yet so she wasn't so weak as to start using our emergency line for a simple headache. Plus if her horn hurt then she wouldn't be trying to contact me via magic.

Then it hit me. She'd been trying to contact Equestria. Maybe she'd gotten in touch with Luna. Maybe she was going home. Even if I repressed every other reason for wanting to spend time with her, we were still talking about my one chance to hang out with a pony. 'Goodbye' was reason enough for me to be disappointed.

"Alex...?" Of course Reggie was still there. Lines of concern creased his bushy-browed face as he peered up at me. Thank God all my mental gymnastics hadn't taken that long or he might've been really worried.

My hand darted out and swiped the phone from his grasp. As I cradled the device in my fingers I brought my eyes down to the blinking on-hold line. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry! I, um, might need a moment here."

He didn't say anything for a long moment, simply staring at me around his slightly hooked nose. Why wasn't he going away? I needed some privacy here!

"If it's really that bad, you know you can always talk to me Alex. If it's... Well, I've lost a few family members myself," his shoulders and face fell as one, making him look every one of his seventy-some years, "and I'll do what I can, even if it's just listening."

My sigh was born from my sudden regret that he thought someone close to me was dying, though I couldn't fault him. Calling out of work, being on edge, receiving mysterious and unpleasant phone calls...? Just about everyone went through something like this at some point. The only problem was that Reggie really was a nice guy - one of the few coworkers in my life who I would actually consider hanging out with - and I didn't like leading him to false conclusions. It felt like I was abusing his trust.

But there was really nothing for it.

"Yeah. Thanks Reg. I don't think it'll come to that," at least some kind of truth could cover my bases, "but if it does, I'll take you up on that."

That brought a cautious, knowing smile to his face. "Optimism, huh? Just keep that attitude and you'll be all right." I was half afraid he'd try to pat my cheek. "Well, let me get out of your hair. I still need to find a quart of oil enamel for an outside metal door."

I didn't really have to think as I turned to seek an even more secluded corner. "Out front actually. In the red labels by the spray cans."

"Oh, right! Thanks." And he finally trundled away.

Leaving me with the phone, the held line still blinking ominously. My heart picked up where it had left off a moment ago and I worried that my fingers were shaking. A quick check revealed that they weren't, but the feeling persisted. A single eternal moment passed of me staring before I realized that the problem wouldn't go away - even if Etherea eventually hung up - and in a sudden rush I forced my trepidation down and brought the now active line to my ear.

"Hello?" What would it be like? Would she just start speaking out of thin air near me or would there be a small portal? Would it be all in my head? Maybe she'd do a fully interactive and visible illusion of herself, like 3D hologram. Well shit, I needed to get farther away from the front of the store! The defunct shakers, ancient tinters, cabinets of random crap, and towers of boxes jammed with old audit reports and transaction registers in the remote reaches of the (not that large) store would be perfect cover.

"Yo, Alex," My feet came to a screeching halt and I had catch myself by grabbing a nearby shelf. That voice was far too deep and masculine. And too calm.

"Craig...?" I drew out his name to keep myself from instantly snapping at him. "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong with the princess," the return of ice to my veins was needed in the same way as a swift kick to the balls, "she's gone and locked herself in your room and won't come out."

That... didn't sound very dire. "Okay... And...?"

"Dude, she yelled some gibberish then slammed your door so fucking hard your cat is hiding under my bed. Heard her crying for a little too. She's fuckin' pissed... oops... Wait, she can't hear me. Yeah, she's pissed about something, dude, and won't talk to me."

"That's it," I growled, "she's just locked herself in my room?" Stay calm Alex.

"Yeah. I guess. Wh...?"

It was impossible to not snap. "But she's okay?!"

"Huh?" An uncharacteristic pause ambled through from the other end. "I guess? I dunno'. Why wouldn't she be?"

"Didn't you two have lunch together?"

"Yeah, she made me eat lunch with her. Bossy chicks really suck." His flippancy almost made me punch one of the nearby metal and very solid objects.

"And..."

"And...? And what?"

"She didn't say anything at all about what she was going to do today?" I didn't really know what I was after. Craig using the emergency line to call me over this... apparently miniscule 'problem' was just taunting my already bad mood. I needed to vent and I guess that violently kickstarting his brain seemed like a good way to do it.

"Dude, don't be this way. I dunno' what's up, but you're flippin' out bad. You need to calm the hell down."

Really, Craig? I already know that! I almost snarled at him. Almost. An actual wordless growl was crouched in the back of my throat. But he was right. I needed to know what was going on and attacking Craig was going to get me nowhere. Swallowing was almost painful and in the time it took to alleviate my throat Craig started going again.

"...she was excited but just asked a lot of questions, like about being a DJ and about my Mom and Dad. Didn't say a whole lot though. Kinda' like her better that way. Did I tell you that she's really bossy when she talks? But she's your pony, you got..." I was afforded only the tiniest moment to even think about responding. "Hehe. 'Your pony'... Anyway, any ideas what's up with her?"

"Fuck you Craig." He was always so goddamned cheerful. Hell, even when angry he sounded upbeat. I paced around trying to find something within the nearby junk that could safely be punched. Disappointment welled up when I didn't find Craig there. "She's not my..."

Fuck! I hadn't meant...!

Craig's laughter could probably be heard by the customers out front. "Dude! You keep saying 'no,' but I all I hear is 'yes.' I wonder what Princess back there would think..."

"No Craig. Just no." That was all I felt safe saying as I tried to bore my fingers through to the aching in my skull. If I could just remove the part of me that cared and made me upset like this...

"Yeah, I get it man, she could go all 'Choke-a-Bitch the Wonder Horse' on us." What the fuck?! I choked as my brain stumbled; a sentiment, funnily enough, echoed from the other end of the call.

"Hah! Choke-a-Bitch..." Naturally Craig recovered first. "Just, uhhh, don't tell her I said that, k? And look, I like me too much to let her be that way. And you too, man, no homo. Oh, and you know your phone's still in your room? Tried calling you."

"Damnit Craig! I know my phone's at home because I fucking gave it to her." The words smashed against my gritted teeth before slipping through with the hiss of compressed air. I kept solid control of my volume on the off chance of nearby coworkers, though the effort to to compose myself left me shaking. "She was going to try and get in touch with... her home and I wanted her to have a way to reach me if something bad happened. If she needed to call then she was going to say she was my roommate. Get it? You scared the shit out of me! And I'm guessing that it didn't go very well. The big fucking question is: is she fucking hurt?"

"She won't come out, so how would I know?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

"Ugh! Sec." I assumed the silence from Craig's end meant he was moving closer to my room. I took to pacing around the assorted junk and a nearby broken shaker earned a swift love tap from my foot for its impertinence. When Craig asked if Etherea was okay, his voice faint and distant, the world outside my wandering feet seemed to fade. I held my thoughts tight - and nearly my breath - to prevent them from perusing even more worst-case possibilities.

"Yeah, she's okay."

Again my feet came to an unintended stop. "How...?"

"She just told me to leave her alone. Was all quiet and had that 'I'm sad but don't wanna' talk about it right now' vibe. 'S got a completely different sound to it, y'know?"

"You're sure?" Then it struck me that I was relying on the assessment of a person from whom I hadn't seen any medical sense or ability before two nights ago. It's not that I didn't trust him... Okay, I didn't. What choice did I have though? I wasn't at home to see for myself. At least he was right about one thing; simple distress did not sound at all like real pain.

"Yeah, 'course I'm sure. Sucks to see, but she's sad about something. And y'know man, it's like the perfect setup." He'd lost me. My head angled to the right as my brain poured far too much processing into anticipating his intent. "She's probably crying and all alone in there; bet it would be easy to go in, give her a shoulder to cry on, spend some time and show her some care, and probably get some of the best comfort sex ever. Y'know, the slow, soft kind where..."

"CRAIG!" This was fucking insane! He'd just planned out how to get in Etherea's pants - under her tail (thanks brain...) - using one of the most horrible and cliché tricks. I knew Craig and it was horrifying to think that he was the one guy who might actually follow through on it!

And he was talking about a pony. I thought I'd get in trouble for simple kidnapping or harboring a potentially dangerous alien, but if Craig went and made a move on the Princess...

"Dude, what the FUCK!? Didn't you just call her..." I caught myself first, cutting the volume out of my voice just in case. Still, I found I just could not call her the same fucked up name he'd come up with a moment ago so I opted for a classic response. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Oh, hehe, right. Pony. Whoops." I couldn't believe him. A short bout of silence reigned as I tried to figure out what I could say after that. I needed a verbal tirade capable of flensing this motherfucker... "Hey, I guess she's all set for you..."

"Shut the fuck up." Yeah, I wasn't letting that continue. Unfortunately yelling at Craig hardly ever worked. At least for me. Plus even as unfair as the whole situation was, this conversation had been going nowhere slowly. Swallowing my emotions a second time was like choking down a quarter - an experience I'd hoped to never repeat. "Please tell me you moved away from my room..."

"Er..." It was gloriously satisfying to hear him scrounging for words. "Yeah. I'm not an idiot."

My bark of laughter carried a fun combination of all my mirth and derision.

"Fine, glad to hear you're not in any danger of sudden, violent death at the hooves of an enraged pony." I gleefully imagined him gulping at that. "Now, why exactly did you call?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, so she's in your room, doesn't want to talk to anyone, and I'm thinking she needs something to cheer her up..."

I couldn't believe him! "Craig..."

"Dude, just hold up a sec. I've got a plan here and it's not like that." I guess I could hear him out first. I'm just glad that I wasn't sharing this part of the store with anyone; the death glare I was freely passing about probably would have brought my continued sanity to question. "Here's the thing, Princess back there really needs some cheering up. Now most girls like getting sweet, sappy things, and if I'm right Princess is one too. You wouldn't believe how fast they come around if you just give them a little something nice. Now I know what you're thinking," I shut my mouth, "but all I'm saying is we get her a movie. Y'know, a chick flick. Real simple."

I hesitated, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Craig also remained silent. He'd called just to ask for me to get something to cheer up Etherea? My mind struggled with the idea that everything over the past few minutes had been leading up to that one point - Craig being considerate. I couldn't do it; it was just too surreal.

And yet there it was. His entire plan had been to cheer Etherea up with a lighthearted movie? That was... reasonable, I guess. If I was right about her failing to contact Equestria then she was probably crushed. I knew I would be if I were completely cut off and stuck in a frighteningly alien world. I shuddered at the thought, a phantom chill spilling over my shoulders as I tried wrapping my imagination around what it would be like to be in her position.

Which left me with one conclusion: Craig was right, though I hated to admit it - I was still fucking pissed at him for this entire call. "Yeah, okay. I guess I can get somethi..."

"Great! Make it something sweet and happy. Like something where the girl falls in love and lives happily ever after with the guy of her dreams." A tiny pause left my mind churning over my options but without any solution. "And it needs to be a little funny too. Can't forget that."

"So, a romantic comedy of some kind..." I deadpanned.

"Yeah! You got it."

I found my thoughts switching gears toward discerning how he was going to turn this into a 'pony-lover' joke at my expense. Me coming home with a romantic movie for Etherea? It wouldn't be hard. But Craig was still right about cheering her up and he'd repeatedly demonstrated an alarming instinct for how to get exactly the reaction he wanted from a girl. It's just the how and why of it were generally deplorable. Though I was pretty sure that this time he wasn't after what lay between this girl's legs.

"Alright, I'll bite. Anything in particular you're thinking of?"

"Not really. Normally I just wing it." Of course... "Shouldn't be too hard to find something. They only make like a hundred a month. You can do this; I trust you dude." Another pregnant pause niggled at my attention. "Just think how happy she'll be when her knight in shining armor comes home to sh..."

Nope. The phone mysteriously lost all connection to the transmission tower that was less than five hundred yards from the store. My finger had absolutely nothing to do with it and I would defend that story with its life.

Very quickly I found myself slumping to sit atop a pallet I wasn't paying any attention to. There was a whole lot of nothing in my head, yet a general, directionless outrage still agitated it in to an unpleasant froth. But without Craig on the phone as an easy target, my anger slowly bled away while I languished. My heart was suffering from three days of these constant ups and downs and I found myself just tired. Not angry or even all that scared, just tired.

At least Etherea was okay. Mostly. Probably.

I found that a certain weight had lifted when I finally convinced my body that it needed to move. My limbs still felt like they were dragging ever closer to the floor as I wandered back to the front of the store, so my exhaustion remained, but at least I wasn't as worried any more. I'm sure that had something to do with resignation seeping in to replace my anxiety - I just didn't feel like fighting any more after trying to keep up with Craig. Giving up meant letting go, so at least some part of me was relaxing.

Now if only there was some way I could sneak in a nap or something. A second one in as many days? I sighed. I really wasn't feeling like myself.

As I stepped through the doorway to the sales floor I found myself the center of all my coworkers' attention. The expressions were a bit mixed. Carl's was unreadable but the piece of wood he was holding hung half-forgotten while his stare lingered. Reggie caught my eye from the other side of a frumpy elderly lady who was holding far too many color samples before he tilted his head down, looking around at everything but me. Dave stopped what he was doing for a moment before going back to collecting paper from the printer and harshly banging them in to proper neatness against the counter. I felt the need to fidget but standing there and doing so would only make my unease worse. I needed something to do.

I wasn't sure where to begin; the two customers were already taken care of. Like always there were also a number open orders and numerous menial tasks that we never quite fully finished. I guess I could take my pick.

"Hey Alex. C'mere." Or I could go talk to my boss. Great, just what I wanted to do. I hesitated as the portly man began trundling quickly toward the office, the papers flapping furiously as they tried to escape whatever fate he had for them. He turned just before the hallway leading to the other end of the store's back and noticed I hadn't budged.

"Cooome onnn Aleeeex, I don't... biiiite." The way he drew out the syllables was made even more creepy by a smile that was all teeth. It was so very nice that everyone in the store had probably heard him too. "Need to talk to you." His commanding beckon turned into pointing toward the office.

I knew that tone of his. Each word had an unhappy force behind it. He was stressed out, though that was nothing unusual. Hardly a day went by without some customer, employee, or, as was most likely, his family setting him off. Today's bout of anxiety was definitely my doing, and my steps were no lighter than when I'd come out of the stock room as I dutifully followed him.

But there was little I could do - I was wedged firmly between the life I was living for the moment and the image I had to convince everyone still remained. It pissed me off that I couldn't help but do this to him.

On the other side of the office door was about what I expected. Dave was leaning back in the tiny room's one good chair and there was no solace from his piercing stare in the ocean of scribbled orders, faxes, and corporate motivational paraphernalia. The chair creaked as he indicated that I should take one of the other two.

"Have a seat." I took the (slightly) less worn down option and settled gingerly.

His slow, deep breath before speaking forced his chin up. "Alright. I need you to tell me what the fuck's going on so I can start planning next week's schedule around your skinny ass. Are you going to be calling out again?"

It was nice that he'd asked so nicely. "I don't know." His face scrunched unpleasantly. Oh now he was even less happy. "That call was a false alarm. My roommate just wanted me to pick up some shit after work." Close enough. I forced my hands to remain stationary in my lap. "I guess just schedule me same as normal for the moment, but I don't know right now if or when this might come up again. Right now I'm just waiting."

He sighed, grumbling at the same time. "So... nothing?' I shook my head. "Goddamnit Alex. Well alright. At least I've already got Nace down for this weekend so you'll have a couple of days. Use them. And let me know the moment anything changes. I'll be off on Tuesday visiting family and Carl's got an appointment Wednesday so I'll need to know whether you can close on those days or not. The sooner, the better. Got it?"

"Yeah. Hadn't had any other plan."

"Good. Now get back to work. Deckman," our numbers-oriented, company-man of a district manager, "keeps sending me shit asking why we don't have all our calls in yet. Guess what I'll be doing this afternoon instead of going home to my beautiful, ever-loving wife."

I was more than happy to follow his order and get my ass out of there.

Despite a creeping tiredness and customers I really had no desire to face, I still did my best to wholeheartedly do whatever needed doing. How else was I supposed get through the rest of the day? I suppose I could have skipped out again, since I really wasn't in the best condition, but that would just piss of everyone else at the store. I didn't want to do that to Dave through that and have to hear about it later.

Plus closing would probably fall on Carl again. He might not be the friendliest of people, and tended to anger far too easily, but I got along with him well enough that I didn't feel right doing that to him. And then Reggie would have to spend the rest of the afternoon working with an upset Carl and I just couldn't do that to the old man.

It was kind of nice that both of my other coworkers came up to me separately to offer their sympathies. I was really surprised when Carl insisted that if the worst came to pass - God, I hated deceiving them all like this - that he would be more than happy to cover for me. I'd occasionally had to do the same for him since he had some chronic health problems from a 'carefree' youth. Friends helped each other out when needed, right?

Still, that didn't stop me from spending as much time slinging cases of paint into place in the warehouse as I dared. Doing so actually had two benefits. The first was that the adrenaline from working hard beat down and drove off any desire for a nap. The other was that the heavy work was a perfect furnace to chuck any of my excess frustration in to; neatly sidestepping a return to my earlier moodiness.

Plus sometimes it's just kind of fun to mindlessly work your ass off.

I think it was because of all the constant, simple work that the afternoon passed as quickly as it did. Before I knew it my boss and assistant boss had left for the day - the former pre-emptively cursing at me half-heartedly for any disruptions I might make to his precious schedule. Reggie left after an awkward (for me) pat on the arm and another assurance that he would be more than happy to listen to my troubles. I didn't blow him off - not really - but there was just no way. The pony at home was my problem, and mine alone.

And speaking of which, I found that now that I was alone in the store, I could no longer evade the things I'd repressed after Craig had called. In less than an hour I'd be free of work, which should be a happy thing, but I wasn't looking forward to actually getting home. I needed to figure out what to do about Etherea. Despite what seemed like a good suggestion from Craig I had no idea what to get. Sci Fi or Fantasy were more my choice for entertainment after all.

In the longer term there was also the issue of Etherea's ability to get herself home. Was her potential inability to contact Equestria indicative of a bigger problem? What if... What if the solar flare had been integral to Earth-Equestria communication? Shit... She might be stuck here for a lot longer than either of us had thought!

The thrill of having an actual pony as a houseguest was again subsumed under all the difficulties I'd have if she hung around for long. Feeding her... Hiding her... And I also couldn't just place her under house arrest because that would drive everyone nuts. I didn't want to add a stir-crazy alicorn to my list of woes!

There were also the consequences of exposure to each other. I still didn't know if I could get sick. What if she got sick?! There was no way we could care for a seriously-hurt pony!

And what about the way I felt about her...?

I badly needed this arrangement to be temporary! The longer she was around, the more problems it would cause and the worse they would be. I shuddered at the thought of her being stuck here until the next major solar storm. That could mean years trying to hide a pony princess from the rest of the world!

This wasn't happening. This was...

This was me starting to freak out again.

All these worries were things that not only could I not do anything about right now, but all of which were still lacking a key piece of information: I didn't know what had actually happened to Etherea. I couldn't let myself jump so far ahead without first finding out what was really happening.

With that I found purchase on my worries and was able to dump them back into the recesses of my mind. They lurked, and I couldn't help but worry over their presence, but I was able to finish the last hour of the day in relative peace. If only I knew what movie to get.

I didn't actually chase my last customer away - a half bent-over old man - but I locked the front door so fast that I nearly took off his left foot. For a moment I worried I might have upset him... But who as I kidding? Getting out of there was more important than life itself, much less some guy's poor feelings. I rushed through closing as fast as shaking hands would let me, fumbling the deposit bags a few times and with my handwriting reduced to an atrocious mess. But fuck it! I was getting the hell out of here!

My car welcomed me like the old friend it was. It purred happily as the key slid home and had already set the seat to just where I liked it, the AC to just the right temperature, and the radio to just the right station. I twisted the volume and was bathed from head to toe in my favorite music. The road called at last and my car gleefully answered.

Okay, I might have been laying it on a bit thick. But the drive was everything I needed right now: a time when I was surrounded by some of my favorite things and couldn't be bothered by anything.

Except that I had to make a couple of stops first... Damnit.

First the bank and then... For Your Entertainment? Sure. Why not. They had lots of movies.

Too many in fact. The romance section was several tables long. Shelves...? Whatever. There were hundreds of options ranging from silly/stupid, to straight serious, to foreign and strange. I needed something simple. Something I wouldn't have trouble explaining to Etherea because I was sure Craig wouldn't be any help.

Not knowing my roommates' (it was so weird to pluralize that) reactions didn't make the decision any easier. Other than some bad, half-cocked stereotypes, there was no way to guess what Etherea's interests actually were. Craig, though, would definitely share his thoughts. If the movie was too lovey-dovey I'd never hear the end of it, and probably while referencing Etherea. That ruled movies like "Sleepless in Seattle." However, things like "Me, Myself, and Irene" were just too... out there.

After a few minutes of staring futilely at the smorgasbord before me I gave up. I wasn't ever going to find the perfect movie to cheer up a pony. I snagged the first one I was familiar with, had caught my eye, and didn't strike me as a choice I'd regret. "The Wedding Singer" might be a bit too much on the comedy but it was certainly the kind of upbeat that I needed. Hopefully that was good enough.

With my hopes for a better evening in hand I was greeted at the exit by a misty drizzle. The weather had stayed overcast and cool all day, but now it seemed that the evening had collected the scattered sprinkles and assembled an actual shower. Not that I really minded. Weather was fun, and the worse the better. Despite my earlier rush to get driving, my steps back across the lot were lazy. I couldn't very well pass up the chance to directly enjoy the rain when it was still light enough to avoid drenching me. Even so, as the road carried me home the rain began cutting in and out like it was getting bad reception. It was a bit disappointing that the sky couldn't seem to make up its damned mind. I would have loved an actual storm.

My brain saw fit to remind me when I was just a couple of miles away from a certain place, and it was enough to make my breath hitch as images of horses and a familiar yellow alicorn played out side by side. Etherea was a horse as far as appearances went. Or at least so close that the few differences were easy to overlook. And I thought she was... pretty.

Did that mean I was attracted to horses?

The shudder that ran through me was hardly confirmation or denial, but it also wasn't at all reassuring. The answer should be a straight-up 'NO,' but I couldn't bring myself to feel that with any conviction.

And just like before, I found a strong urge to just run from my problems. As though that would actually help anything... Nothing would be resolved if I did, and even worse was there was no way I could actually escape all the little reminders. Every time I met Etherea I would remember. Every trip to and from work would pass the stable. Every conversation with Craig might bring those thoughts to the fore. Every look at the My Little Pony poster at home, glance through my doodles, perusal of my internet favorites...

I made a snap decision as my car crested the last small rise between me and the stretch of road beside the horse track. I was tired (No, Alex, don't yawn!) but determined to face this head on. My car slowly bled its speed as I let off the gas and I flipped on the turn signal. There was a slight creak as I pressed the brake - I should probably get that looked at - and I came to a gentle stop on the shoulder next to one of the paddocks. For good measure, and just in case, I switched to the emergency blinkers.

Apparently my timing was spot on too; it didn't look like there had been much rain here and someone was leading a horse to the stables. Two more watched with obvious interest from within the paddock while waiting their turn.

I just let myself stare while leaning forward with my cheek resting on top of forearms that were draped over the steering wheel. Yeah, what I was doing was probably weird as hell, but I was pretty sure I was too far away to be clearly seen. Also, anyone on the road would be flying by too fast to see what I was up to.

My eyes were naturally drawn to the solid black horse who was a little taller and a hair slimmer in profile. I couldn't help sarcastically noting that my preference for tall, leggy girls remained strong. Not that I had any idea whether either horse was a mare.

And anyway, I had more important things to think about.

I mentally stepped back to watch as I freed my eyes to wander where they would. Left to their own devices they began at the horse's extended, slightly arched neck. Sure it was on a horse, but men had fought wars, and women would kill, for such a long, elegant feature. In fact, some African - I think that's where they're from - tribes did more than that; their women used a series of rings to jack up their heads and give themselves necks like that!

So I guess I was in good company. Maybe. Comparing myself to native Africans felt just plain weird. Plus I wasn't staring at a human female...

My attention wasn't held long before my eyes slipped down past the horse's back and zeroed in on the real prize. Over the crest of its haunches to follow its long legs down, down, down... For a long, quiet moment I just basked in the vision - its shapely rear, the power and tone of its upper leg, and the way its legs slimmed down as they descended. Hooves and tall ankles - was that what they were called? - meant that no horse or pony would ever need heels. 'Leggy' indeed...

The black horse shifted impatiently and I couldn't help but notice the dance of the dimming light across its coat. And that wasn't the only thing either. Behind those legs was a smooth waving that formed a pleasant counterpoint to its movements. Tails were so nice to watch. Lovely like a flowing skirt, except built right in.

Yeah some equine features were... almost... sexy.

I shook slightly as I sucked in a ragged breath. I wasn't done yet; I had to go all the way. I had to know. Was I really, truly gone?

Could I see myself having sex with a horse?

Something wedged in the back of my throat and my eyes snapped back to the road. Well I could imagine myself getting up behind a mare and putting my dick in it, but that was the peril of a vivid, overactive imagination. I could imagine myself doing a great many things. The real question was whether I actually wanted to. My brain's automatic refusal, though weaker than I'd liked, was an immense relief. I could take some comfort in not particularly wanting to fuck an actual horse, but there still had to be something seriously wrong with me for having to ask in the first place!

I should be disgusted. Horrified. Revolted! But I wasn't nearly as much as I should be which was the really distressing part. But I had hesitated a little, so I couldn't be all lost, could I?

I dragged my eyes kicking and screaming back to the horses as the handler came back for the next. Yeah, they had attractive features but there were others that I just didn't like. Even the 'slimmer' horse was still far too thick about the middle and lacked the... relative elegance of Etherea's form. Heavier chests, 'stumpier' hooves, and, well, that face.

The faces really broke it for me. Their ears might be adorable, and their manes a pretty good stand-in for a head of long hair, but the long, bulbous nose and expressive-less, animal mouths just weren't attractive at all. And though I was too far away to see, I knew that there was just something about their eyes that cried 'unintelligent.' Those small, dumb eyes. It marked them as animals.

And then there was the issue of (lacking) personal hygiene. Well, I suppose not completely lacking, but there was still a huge difference between putting in the effort to be clean and simply getting the occasional scrub down. Who knows what they were covered in? I didn't know where those horses had been!

I chuckled at the stupidity of my own joke. But it helped. I felt a little... lighter, I suppose.

Not that everything was entirely fine - I was attracted to horses, even if it was mostly just certain features. Kind of like seeing an ugly person with pretty eyes; just because you liked some part didn't mean you actually wanted the whole thing.

I guess I should add 'shallow' to my ever expanding list of personal faults.

Not that shallowness should be my main concern. I mean, come on! Horses?! I... just couldn't let go of that. And I was reminded that there was one waiting for me at home. Lovely.

My forehead smacked harshly against my forearms and a jolt of pain reminded me that I was still tender from doing something similar yesterday. I was almost literally beating myself up over an attraction to horses. And all the back and forth within myself was leaving me mentally exhausted - a sneaky yawn showed that my body sympathized.

As the ache in my arm slipped away I found that it was rather nice to just sit here with my head down...

I needed to get home. I doubted that I could actually fall asleep here on the side of the highway, but I also didn't want to tempt fate. Getting something to eat was also high on my to-do list, and that wasn't happening as long as I was ogling horses through my passenger window. I'd certainly had my fill of that for today.

The rest of the drive was somber despite the harsh, energetic music filling my car. I was practically moping after what I'd just put myself through and couldn't decide whether the tenseness in my stomach was good or bad. Would I even be able to eat? I'd find out in a bit.

Which reminded me I'd still need to cook something. I didn't feel at all like doing anything, and that definitely included picking out and making a meal. So a short detour later had a pair of pizzas - one cheese and one veggie - stashed in my trunk. Cheap, quick, and probably far too unhealthy for a pony princess, but at least they were the higher end ones that should be less slathered in grease.

Once parked in front of my wonderful home I eased myself out of the car and into a moderate, pleasantly cool sprinkle - yay for rain! The three-story, flat-topped tan building that contained my apartment had been built sometime in the 1950's, and was as large and bland as any high volume, mass-produced residential construction. It was as though some deity had been flying by one day and decided that this particular spot need a giant brick box on it. Then, seeing that it was good, had scattered nearly a dozen more copies throughout the immediate area. That they were able to house a number of people was just a happy side effect.

Even though Craig and I had invested our lives here solely because it happened to be the cheapest option for several miles in any direction, I actually had more good to say about it than bad. Sure it took management a while to fix anything, but that was a rule written into the background fabric of the universe. It was nice that, due to the solid construction and close neighbors, some utilities cost next to nothing. Hell, I'd once turned the heat completely off when the weather had been cold enough to freeze piss, and the place had only gotten down to about fifty five degrees. Talk about well-insulated.

Plus the apartments themselves were plenty cozy once you'd arranged the interior to your liking. Well, as long as you didn't pay much attention to the occasional rowdy neighbor or shady passersby.

With a stressed heart and increasingly heavy footsteps I plodded my way closer to the looming edifice. The idea of going inside to my roommate and an attractive... pony guest was an unpleasant one. But I knew I couldn't stay out here forever. If nothing else I would eventually get soaked completely through which would be even more unpleasant.

The building's size seemed to grow disproportionately as I approached, as though it was trying to get me to flee whatever horrors surely lurked within. As eternal as the trek seemed I still reached my door far too quickly.

Again I hesitated, the dread in me surging and leaving my hand stationary on the doorknob. What would I find? How bad was Etherea? What new torments would Craig concoct? What about...?

I was doing it again! A sudden burst of anger ran roughshod over my fears and I viciously twisted the knob, swinging the door in and taking that first step before I could waffle any more. My other foot joined the first and I let the door go as I carefully scanned every inch of the apartment, desperately searching to catch whatever was going to jump out at me before it could.

TV, furniture, carpet, walls, and windows; the living area was just as I remembered it. It even had a familiar person draped over the couch length-wise, one leg cocked and the other straight, one arm behind his head and the other hanging out toward the TV with a beer dangling from his fingers. Everything was... normal. The kitchen was no less mundane. There was even the usual untidy stack of unwashed dishes occupying the sink.

Almost as soon as I'd planted my feet a gray bolt was fired at me by the couch. The projectile zipped through the intervening space, careened past the island, and at the last moment, instead of impacting my legs, wrapped itself around them. It was an impressive way for the lord of the apartment to make his presence known. When I didn't instantly present him with food the sounds of his displeasure at my laxness began rising to greet me. So ever eager to please, I let my cat direct me into the kitchen.

"Yo, Alex." Craig saluted with his beer.

"'Sup?" I waved vaguely in his direction.

"Little turd's been driving me nuts, dude. After Etherea kicked him out he hid for a while and then wouldn't stop bothering me."

"Awww. Did you give Craig a hard time?" Dimble leaned into an ear-scratching. "Good for you. I'm sure he deserved it."

"Like your mom."

Seriously? The obvious bait wasn't worth it. Instead I pushed back at the small welling of frustration, dropped the movie next to the half-eaten roses on the counter, fed my cat, and deposited the pizzas into the freezer. The oven came next. And after that...

Well, a twisting in my gut told me I wasn't quite ready to face Craig. I needed a moment to think and scratching behind Dimble's ears as he ate was soothing for the both of us. Unfortunately the most important thing was still Etherea and whatever was going on with her. I needed to find out what that was and simply asking was the easiest way. Eventually I sucked in a deep breath, stood, and turned.

"So... How is she?"

Craig didn't even look away from the TV as that stupid grin leapt into place on his face. I narrowed my eyes in advance of whatever was coming. "I knew it dude, you couldn't stop thinking about getting home to some sweet, pony, pu..."

"Craig! Shut the fuck up!" He snorted, completely ignoring the threat in my voice. I stole a glance toward the hallway. "You wanna' die? What if she's listening right now?"

That got his attention. His head still faced the TV but his eyes met mine before quickly turning on the empty hall entrance across the room. For a moment - just one - he seemed to blanche. I would have smiled in self-satisfaction at bringing him down a peg if I wasn't still so angry at the situation. The first feeling remained in the background though.

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

He rolled his eyes. Great... Old Craig was back. "Look, dude, not much has happened. She's been in your room since she told me to go away. I'm not gonna' bother a girl who really doesn't want to be bothered. I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid."

I couldn't help but laugh derisively at that! I mean come on, here he is blurting vulgarities involving her and completely unafraid! We're not talking about some human girl here where the worst she's capable of is throwing something or kicking him in the balls - something I think Craig seriously needed. No, we already knew telekinesis was the least of her tricks.

"You willing to bet she'd let it go after hearing you talking about her like that?"

That got just a slow shrug. "I'm not worried." I choked as shock and disbelief overwhelmed me. "Look, if she's anything, she's a nice girl, dude. She's kinda' freaked out, I get it, but I know her type. I don't think she'd hurt us 'cause she's just nice like that. She hasn't hurt us yet, right?" He finally looked firmly in my direction, the smile replaced by solid earnestness. "And you did worse to her the other day."

Rage surged but I was losing focus on why because there was too much. For a moment I was simply too angry to do anything about it. Yeah, I'd fucked up the other day, but that was completely different from what he was in danger of doing right now! A mistake versus willfully kicking a hornet's nest! Completely different! Wasn't it?

"What I think you need to do is relax and give her a chance. Treat her like she can handle herself. Even if you aren't out to get anything from them, girls don't like it if you treat them like they can't do shit." He turned back to the TV, dismissing the entire conversation with a wave. "I think she can take it."

That was insane! He... He...

I was suddenly cold as my anger bled away in the space of moments. It wasn't wholly gone, but I could tell when I was fighting a hopeless battle. Craig was going to be Craig whether I accepted it or not. It pissed me the hell off that I couldn't be completely sure that he was wrong. Treating Etherea like a strong, capable... mare was the right thing to do, but doing so by shoving the extent of Craig's personality in her face was a horrible idea!

Plus I wanted to avoid anything that might have to do with my attraction to horses and by extension Equestrian ponies, no matter how tenuous that connection might be. And him possibly teasing me about Etherea right in front of her was far too direct. I could not handle that right now. I didn't want to deal with that at all!

I sighed. Now I really just wanted a corner to curl up and sulk in for a week or so. When pissed off or upset my normal reaction would be to find a safe place to hide until I felt better. Too bad there was a princess occupying my sanctuary.

And I still didn't have my answer.

"Craig." He raised his chin and quirked and eyebrow. "How. Is. She?"

He shrugged again. "Fine enough, I guess. Dunno' what you want. She hasn't talked to me so I'd say she's probably still bummed out." He suddenly perked up, his entire attention switching to me as he sat up. "Oh right, we were going to do something about that. So what'd you get anyways?"

I looked down at the case on the counter, hesitating a moment before lifting it and sending it whirring through the air with a flick of my hand. He flinched, turning his head and flinging his beer-less hand in the way, fortunately deflecting the projectile sideways and down where it disappeared between him and the back of the couch. In hindsight throwing it probably hadn't been the smartest way to show it to him.

"What the hell, dude!" He slowly lowered his hand, shooting an angry glance back at me. "Coulda' hit my beer!" In fact I could see a few new damp spots on the carpet under where the can hovered in his grip. Now I felt bad.

"Shi..." Nope! Not gonna' risk her hearing that! "Er, sorry. Didn't really think that one through."

"No shit." Craig on the other hand, who was fishing the DVD out from between the cushions, apparently didn't care one bit about offending the princess.

For a moment after retrieving the movie he just held it and stared. "Dude! 'The Wedding Singer?' Really?" The movie was flapped in my general direction.

"What's wrong with it?" My brows furrowed. Was he really going to critique my choice after giving me nothing to go on? "It's a little romantic and a little funny, just like you wanted. I tried to avoid getting anything too sappy or suggestive, and I think that," I nodded my chin in at object in his hand, "fits those criteria." Craig just stared, which made me fidget. "They had a lot of..." a glance toward the hallway, "choices. You want me to pick out something better, then you have to give me more to go on. Especially after working my ass off all day."

He just shook his head while rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. "What'm I going to do with you? You..."

I jabbed a finger at him. "Look, I don't know what you wanted me to do. If you aren't gonna' like what I pick, then you should go get it yourself!"

"Sheesh. Calm down dude. She needs something sweet and... and, um... and romantic-touchy? That's it, right? Touchy?"

Fuck, he was dumb! "Romantically-touching." I explained. His version was something completely different and wholly inappropriate for a pony princess.

"Yeah. That. This," he waggled the DVD, "is Adam Sandler. He doesn't do 'touching'. She'll probably be too weirded out by the shit he does."

I shook my head slowly without breaking my glare. "Well fine then. You do it!"

He froze, his mouth open just a little and his eyes seeking mine out. He'd lost his easy grin somewhere along the line and seemed to look almost... concerned. For a second he said nothing. "Oh wow. Day was that bad, huh?"

"You think?" I hadn't really meant to snap at him right then but I couldn't really help it. Not with him constantly pushing my buttons.

"Well, alright then, dude. I guess I can get something for us." He swiftly downed the last of his beer before rolling upwards and getting off the couch.

"Sheesh. I guess I have to do everything around here." He muttered while eyeing me as he collected his hat, keys, an old Ravens windbreaker. That grin was tugging at the corners of his mouth again, and though he looked like he was trying to hide it, he clearly wasn't trying very hard. My level, unamused stare made him throw up his hands and give an exaggerated groan of exasperation. "Oh come on dude, that was a joke."

I didn't smile - it hadn't been that funny - but I did shake my head slowly. Craig would always be Craig. As he made his way to the door I leaned back against the fridge and kept an eye on him. This was Craig after all and I fully expected a parting shot.

Sure enough, he paused with the front door open and his foot set to carry him through, his head cocking sideways so he could look at me out of the corner of his eye. "You know I've got a 'Do Not Disturb' sign sitting near my bed you can borrow if you need..."

I was going to kill him! I was back upright in a flash and groping around with my hands for something to throw. Where was that DVD when I needed a convenient projectile?!

His retreating laughter was cut off as the door closed with a loud click. Goddamn him! I did not need that kind of shit right now. I should go out there and...

And what? Chase him down? Beat him? Try to force an apology? I was angry, sure, but I wasn't going to get anywhere by pressing the issue. In my current state I'd only be alienating the one person whose cooperation I needed more than anything, and if I really let myself go I'd probably be involving a whole lot of people who I really did not want around the apartment right now. The thought of getting the police involved over a 'domestic dispute' made me cringe.

And incidentally made it easier to push back my growing frustrations with the whole situation. I still needed a few minutes of quiet to collect myself, the occasional quiet ticking of the oven heating up as my only company. It felt good to be alone. Well, mostly alone.

I looked down at the cat who was eagerly awaiting the possibility of more food. "Well, just you, me, and..." My eyes traced across the room toward the hallway.

The princess. I really should go check on her shouldn't I? All we knew was that she was in my room. Sulking? Hurt? Playing World of Warcraft after figuring out my computer and hacking my password? Neither of us actually knew!

At the same time I didn't want to spend all night in my work clothes. It's not like I'd worked up a real sweat inside the air-conditioned store, but the work I'd done was still heavy enough to leave me feeling rather grungy. The store was also several decades old so it was far from the cleanest place. The boxes, cans, and pallets I'd spent much of my time hauling about weren't exactly sterile either and my pants bore the smudges to prove it.

Then there was Etherea herself; I did kind of want to see her. First and foremost among my thoughts was actually to see if she was okay. If nothing else it was the right thing to do, though I did want her to feel better about being here - I was kind of her host after all.

There was also my earlier admission to myself. About horses... I had to take a deep breath and steady myself just from thinking about it. I had to admit that I wanted to see what my reaction to Etherea would be. To her as a pony. Could I... Could I see myself getting... intimate with her? I wasn't sure what I'd do with what I found, and I was pretty sure of the answer, but again I felt that I needed to ask the question.

And that sounded so wrong in my head! I did just want to check her out, didn't I? Unfortunately denial wouldn't make it any less true.

As I trudged quietly down the hall I found every possible scenario for Etherea's reclusion blurring together in my head like some demented flashback. Unfortunately it was all phantasm and there wasn't any way to know what had happened. Half guessed-at possibilities weren't reassuring since each was no less likely than the last. So when I reached my own door all I had to go on was a desire to help and my waning confidence that I actually could.

Because really, what could I offer except more reminders of everything she was probably avoiding.

So I hesitated. Which turned in to full-on waiting. For how long I don't know, but...

Goddamned yawn! I didn't want to be tired. Not now! I still had important things I needed to do tonight. Things I was standing here in front of my own door lamely procrastinating. With another surge of frustration-fueled determination I knocked lightly.

"Etherea? It's Alex. May I come in?"

I waited. And waited some more as the silence dragged on. Was she...?

"I'd just like to use my room for a..."

The knob creaked, turned itself about, and the door swung away from me. I found myself in front of a golden-yellow alicorn who had a forehoof swung wide to let the door complete its motion. Her mane rippled as her head jerked back so her widening eyes could rise to meet mine.

"Oh!" Her free hoof met the floor again so she could take a hasty step backwards. "Alex! I, um, thought you would... be Craig again. I... I must have... lost track... of the time. I have been... preoccupied." Her head swung down and to the side as she took another step back, her nearest hoof quickly rising to cover and rub at her cheek.

I followed the gesture as I tried to make sense of it. Sure it could be innocuous, though I highly doubted it - especially since there had been some heavy emotion alongside the subtle secondary tone of her voice. But if she had been crying at some point what do I do about it now? But when I asked myself for ideas my mind came back empty-handed. How do I cheer up someone I can't touch and for whom I'm probably just a reminder of all her problems?

But the longer I debate this, the less actually gets done! It's lose-lose and I'm getting no...

"So... Can... can I help you... with anything?"

"Uhhh, no, I don't think so. I kinda' wanted to get out of my work clothes but you don't need to help with that..." Oh, God that was lame! I couldn't get any worse if I tried! There had to be something more. Something kind and supportive. Something just better.

"Very well then. Do not let... me bother you." She switched hooves to hastily brush the other side of her face. Her cheeks might not be wet but they were now thoroughly mussed, and well, shit, now I had to do something!

"I... also came to check up on you." A quick breath and everything spilled out. "Craig called me earlier and said... um, something had happened. Scared the hell out of me. I worried you'd been hurt again so I wanted to know; are you alright?"

She'd moved back toward my bed and placed a hoof on it before my words reached her. Her ears twitched as she stopped and turned sideways. My brain quickly began noting the similarities between her profile and the horse's from earlier, but I stamped down on that - now wasn't the time. "I'm fine." Her head came around as she answered but her muzzle remained down and her eyes never quite made it all the way up.

She clearly wasn't fine. Up until now, even at her worst, I'd always seen a certain level of energy that just wasn't there right now. The short hop up onto the bed was spry enough but she immediately flopped to one side, one foreleg extended and standing in as a pillow for her muzzle, while she used her free hoof to poke at her device. Most telling was that she didn't take even a single moment to arrange herself, her mane and tail falling however they wished and leaving bright blue strands streaming randomly across much of the bed.

Etherea also clearly didn't want to be bothered. I knew the feeling - hell, after today I was feeling much the same. But I also knew that feeling only worsened if I was unable to be left alone. Again, the same thing I had to put up with earlier!

I could at least give her what she probably wanted most - to be left alone. But... was that what she needed?

Doubtful. Even when I was depressed and wanted to be left alone, I always held on to the idea that someone, anyone, would magically notice my mood and make the effort to comfort me. Was Etherea feeling the same way? I looked at her again.

There was a horse on my bed - a jarring thought. Or at least Etherea had the shape of a horse. She also moved like one and lay on my bed like one - her hind legs folded against her belly in a way that made her knees stick up and away from her haunches. It looked incredibly awkward, honestly, but I guess she was comfortable. She was just so strikingly similar to an Earth horse! But there's a line between calling horses beautiful creatures and actually being attracted to them.

Ponies could be sexy though. Or at least they could be in art. Was I okay combining the two - horses and attractiveness? I just wasn't sure. When it came to Etherea, I couldn't shake a feeling of revulsion because there was a line that should have been clear, but in her it was instead twisting and blurring.

Yet as I looked at Etherea it was also different. Sure she was attractive, and she might look dismayingly similar to a horse, but this wasn't a horse before me. Not with her large violet eyes fixed listlessly on the screen lying under and softly lighting her muzzle. Nor with the now-scruffy patches on her cheeks that broke the normal luster of her coat. This was a person who was very alone, scared, and in desperate need of comfort.

It was the perfect opportunity to be the one to step up and offer that secretly-desired comfort, but I was... scared. I knew only too well the conflict that waged between wanting that comfort and wanting to lash out because of the hurt. Etherea hadn't responded very positively to physical contact so far so I doubted any at all would go over well, much less a 'comforting' hand or even a full hug.

At the upper periphery of my sight something shifted. I don't remember looking down but clearly I had. The movement brought my eyes darting back up and I realized my predicament - I'd been standing there silently for some time and Etherea had noticed. My feet started moving in a desperate bid to make my actions seem legitimate and I took a jerky step toward my dresser.

"Alex?" I flinched and couldn't help meeting those beautiful eyes, frozen like I'd been caught in headlights of an onrushing truck. For a moment nothing happened, but then her ears, which had been pointed my way, slowly rotated backward. "Are you...? You are... still scared of me."

My heart lurched like it'd been holding its breath along with me before hammering furiously at me in a vain attempt to get me to move. But as Etherea recoiled slowly I knew there was no dodging it; she'd already seen the truth.

"I... it's not... you..." Brilliant Alex. "Yes." Hardly better, but by inches and degrees it kind of was.

She blinked a couple of times, her eyes getting tighter with each, and her lips quivered slightly. Again I'd upset her, and this time when she was already down! In my head I gave a vicious spike-booted kick to my own ass. I was doing exactly the opposite of what I'd meant to.

"It's just that I don't know what to..."

"I'm sorry." She blurted softly. "I-I do not mean to-o be. It... I..." She seemed to struggle with an uncooperative throat. Her nostrils flared with the effort before she managed to swallow. "I want... No. I understand... what you mean. I..." Her head panned back and forth once before she shifted sideways and tried to smile at me, though it nearly faltered. "You m-may come sit... beside me. I will not bite."

I froze. Was this really happening?! She'd just invited me over! Some part of me leapt at the chance to be closer to her just because she was pretty, but that quickly got trampled by the more rational part of me that wanted to comfort her. And it seemed that either way there was no possibility I wasn't going over there now. Still, for good measure, my feet were hesitant even as they gradually placed me closer to the distraught princess on my bed.

Her eyes remained on me and she pulled her wing in to make sure I had room as I placed a hand near her. Her smile managed to live through me sitting at what I hoped were respectful inches away.

"See? I am not going... to hurt you, so... please do not be afraid."

I let myself smile back. "Yeah." So far, so good Alex. You can do this. "I'm just getting used to what I can and can't do."

"I understand." Her voice softened as her smile faded. She looked away and set her head back down on her foreleg, her mane all but hiding her face from this angle. My own smile faded somewhat as I noticed the smell of lilacs gently wafting up around me. I was here for reasons other than 'enjoying' the princess, damnit!

"I have... not been the best houseguest today, and I am sorry for... that as well." Her voice was so sad that my reaction was perfectly natural: my left hand came down gently across her back between her main wing joints. Short, smooth, and soft hair caressed my palm in the split second before an electric jolt of adrenaline yanked my hand away.

"Sorry!" It sounded so hollow but there was nothing else I could offer.

She had made an indistinct sound as her whole body seized up. My eyes fixed on her head but I kept those hind hooves at the edge of my vision, ready to dive whichever direction felt safest. Instead of yelling and screaming, bucking me into the next room, or magically throttling me, she just curled her neck around to rest across both forelegs and looked at me sideways. I could see a tightness around her eye through the sheer wall of vibrant blue that hid the rest of her face. My palms - especially Lefty, the actual culprit - went clammy as she drew a deep breath.

Her voice, though tight, was surprisingly level. "It is..." The rest of her breath left her as she relaxed back in to the bed. "It is all right Alex."

I'd just been given free rein to touch her? She was not going to explode because of this! I needed a moment; I was not going to screw up any worse than I already had!

A quick glance over her back let me realize two things. The first was that I was not about to put a sweaty hand on her. My left hand again met the sheets. The second thing was that I needed to make sure I did this just right.

I probably had some leeway down to the middle of her back, but going too high would probably be too personal and too low would be even worse. Despite what many fanfics had said, it seemed like the safest option was still the spot above her withers and between her wings. The similar area on humans was normally safe enough after all.

'Normally.' My mind made sure to point out that that didn't mean it was the same for Ponies. My mind could go fuck itself.

I gently laid my hand back where it had been a moment before, her coat prickling my skin as it stood on end. In fact, her entire coat was standing up and giving her an almost furry look. She must not have been completely sold on me doing this. But still, she was willing to trust me and that sent a whole different kind of thrill through me. I was touching a real, live pony and it was more than just casual contact! This was almost friendly!

And she was the daughter of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor to boot. How cool was that?!

She looked a little silly with all her hair sticking straight out but it began to settle back down soon enough. And while her ears remained folded, there was also a subtle releasing of tension from the muscles along her spine.

"Is this a... way that humans show compassion?"

I nodded dumbly, being too mesmerized by all the messages being relayed through my hand. Beneath my the tips of my fingers and the base of my palm were the gentle ridges of her wing's shoulder muscles. I couldn't feel too much of them, but even in a relatively relaxed state there was an incredible feeling of power. But then again, these were wings; they had to be strong.

In between her... wing shoulders - I guess they were - should have been her spine. It's not that it wasn't there, but down the shallow valley between her wings and running across the center of my palm was a very distinctive ridge of bones. It was yet another thing that made sense after I thought about it; her wings' muscles would need something more than just normal vertebrae to attach to. Did birds have this too?

I desperately wanted to run my hand down her back to see what else I could find, though despite that one dark corner of my mind that I was not paying attention to, my intentions were completely innocent. But that kind of thing would definitely push this too far. So while my hand was nearly shaking with the need to learn more, I managed to keep it stationary.

By the time I drew my attention away from my hand, Etherea had already shifted back to resting her head on the one foreleg. "Today... has been such a... horrible day." She suddenly said softly, like she'd been waiting just for me start paying attention again. "Why did your people... have to make it rain... today of all days? I really needed some sunshine to... cheer me up."

"Umm... We don't control the weather either."

A shiver ran beneath my hand and she took another shuddering inhale. I just couldn't stop poking holes in her worldview, could I?

"O-of c-course you-u do n-not..." She was silent for a little and I was more than happy to give her some time. "Why...? Why would... you be able to? You humans do not control anything... else in your world. Is... Are we safe... here?"

I had no idea what she was asking about. Of course we were safe here in the bottom floor of a sturdy apartment building that was set on top of a hill, why wouldn't we be? "Safe from what?"

She lifted her head to wave a hoof in the direction of one of the windows. "From wild weather! Without any control what... is there to stop it from... getting worse and worse until it's capable of doing... serious damage or..." another shiver, "or worse."

Oh. Of course. Again I fought the urge to stroke her back. "Well, like everything else in our world the weather can be predictable." Her head came back around and she fixed me with a critical eye. "Okay, there is more variation to the weather than things like planetary orbits, but it's still reasonably consistent. Us humans have also gotten very good at identifying how air pressure, humidity, temperatures, and wind patterns make the weather." Now I really wished I'd seen the day's weather report. "The weather here is normally rather mild and if this were anything but a simple rainstorm we'd get warnings. I haven't checked the reports today, so I don't know if it'll be around a while or not, but we're perfectly safe."

I put on a small but hopefully disarming smile. Just as I was becoming uncomfortable under her stare she put her head back down. Another deep breath seemed to steady her and I quietly took one as well.

"I have... to trust you; this is your world and I... do not know it as... well as you. But uncontrolled weather?" For a moment she tensed. I sympathized that literally everything seemed to work contrarily to how she was used to. "I'm not sure I want to learn too... much more. I do not know... that I want to know what else... just doesn't work normally. Still, I would have preferred some sun."

"Sorry." I said jokingly.

"Alex, what did I say... about not needing to constantly apologize?"

The mental self-slapping I gave myself was well-deserved. "No, I meant that as a joke. For not moving the clouds to help cheer you up. Something I can't do. Y'know...?" I sighed in defeat. "Was a stupid joke anyway."

That got me a derisive snort. She could have at least tried to disagree despite me completely deserving it. And after that I really just wanted to move on despite having no real desire to start talking again.

"So how are you doing? What happened earlier?"

"I failed, what else? I... just couldn't do it." I could only see the front of her muzzle around the intervening mane, but her sneer was very clear. "It was like nothing... was there! I tried putting more into... the spell than I should have but it was still like Equestria just wasn't there. I... I had to stop wasting my Harmony... to a useless spell before... before I injured myself again." The accompanying sniffle was heartbreaking but I was resolute in keeping my hand still.

And right then I remembered a question I really didn't want to ask. One which I worried might break her. But... I couldn't not. It was just that important. Not knowing might be placing her in needless danger.

"D-do..." There was no way to discretely cough to dislodge the lump in my throat, and her ears twitched at me. "Do you think a solar flare is required for the connection?"

She flinched again and my heart pounded in my ears. Every moment that she didn't say anything made it worse, and eventually I began wondering when she'd notice a steady pulsing in the fingers resting on her back.

"No." Oh, thank God! But my anxiety rebounded immediately. How could she be certain? "At least I do not think so." Exactly... "By the time I... teleported to here, there had been no flares for a... hooffull of hours. I was relying solely on your, um, messages to... guide me. Clearly it still worked." Well that was reassuring. A little.

"So you can try again right? Maybe it was just too soon."

Her mane shifted slightly a couple times with what seemed to be a nod. "Yes. I can try again. But how... long will that take? I... I just don't know. Do I have to wait until I am fully... recovered to even try? That could be a week or more!" Her voice dropped to a sad whisper. "A week here..."

And then she hit me. Hard.

"And tomorrow... was supposed to be my birthday."

Right. The reason the we'd been texting in the first place was her birthday being this weekend. I'd completely forgotten. As my brain rushed to fill the gap with something - anything - that might make up for doing this to her the bottom dropped out of my stomach. But my thoughts, centered so firmly on things like hiding and sheltering a pony I found attractive, revealed nothing promising before slipping away like water through my fingers. There was nothing I could do to make up for this.

"I'm sorry."

"Alex!" She snarled as her head whipped around. "What did I..!"

"No. Etherea, that right there deserves an apology. It deserves more! But an apology is the best I can do until I think of something better." And then I realized that I was staring down an angry alicorn over something she'd told me not to do. My hand fell away from her back. I just about quailed under those narrowed violet eyes, but whether she liked it or not it was simply right for me to do, so I held on for dear life.

Then her face softened and the thin line of her lips became a gentle smile. Even her ears reappeared from under her mane. "I guess I can accept... that. But really, do not worry... over much about it; it was an accident on... all our parts. I will be fine."

The mattress shifted subtly and I heard a soft whisping sound from beside me. I nearly leapt off of the bed as something oblong and a little lumpy gently came to rest on my shoulder. On finding an expanse of golden-yellow feathers extending from her side and up behind me, I managed to confine myself to only an alarmed bounce. What I couldn't help was my wide eyes when I looked back at her. It was so strange feeling feathers resting against the back of my shirt.

"This is how humans show... comfort, right?"

"Y-yeah. One way." My smile was probably very shaky but I was busy waiting for my heart to return to its proper place. At least my voice was nicely level. "Though we usually just use our hands."

She blinked before looking down. "Well, I do not think I... can reach your withers from here with my hooves."

"We normally call them 'shoulders' 'cause they aren't built quite the same way." I took a chance and reached across with my right hand to pat the 'wing-hand' on my shoulder. The sheer softness of even her smallest feathers was amazing. And I now needed to look up both horse and bird anatomy so I could start calling everything by its proper name.

"Oh." She leaned back a bit to curl her neck far enough to see her own withers with one eye. "I can see why."

"It's okay." It was more than just okay. Her wing on my shoulder, me patting it, and her gradual shift away from depression were all wonderful progress to me. For a long moment I was more than happy to just bask in those victories. Etherea also seemed fine with the companionable silence, eventually taking her wing off my shoulder and laying her head back down on her foreleg.

That naturally brought my attention out and down to the soft glow coming from my pillow. Her device was flat, rectangular, and a little larger than an iPad. And still very pink. It was a bit thicker though - much like a really thin laptop. I still couldn't see any obvious buttons. Maybe it was turned on and off with magic. Harmony? Would such a thing qualify as a spell and therefore be magic?

My examination brought out a detail I hadn't noticed until seeing it from this angle; the display was actually lifted very slightly from the actual surface of the device. So it was almost like a science fiction hologram being projected in the air. That was a big point toward it being largely magical since I doubted Ponies had micro 3D projectors.

On the screen itself was a different picture than I'd seen. This one seemed to be taken at some kind of carnival because there was a veritable ocean of colorful ponies in the background, some stalls around the area decorated in an even more retina-burning riot of colors, and there were what looked to be various rides in the distance. Front and center was a white unicorn stallion with blue-on-darker-blue mane and tail that were cut short, and who was looking very put-upon in a four-pronged jester's cap. He might not have been in uniform, but even without seeing the shield and stars cutie mark I could tell this was Shining Armor.

For the first time in my life I was looking - really looking - at a male pony. Stallions actually did have taller, thicker muzzles than mares. And if Shining Armor was anything to go by they were more heavily-built around the barrel, chest area, and upper legs.

There was a grayness creeping in to his coat and faint lines were visible under the hair next to his eyes and muzzle so my first impression was that he looked old. However, much of him still showed well-defined muscle, so there was still very obvious power in his neck, barrel, and haunches. He honestly looked like he could drop-kick a moose. Drop-buck? I can't say I wasn't all that surprised; soldiers, even many former ones, seemed to take pride in staying in top shape even long after their service ended.

So it was still possible that Shining's body type wasn't indicative of stallion dimorphism. I'd have to compare what I was seeing to any other stallions I got to see.

Standing on Shining Armor's far side with both forehooves draped across his back was a slightly younger-looking Etherea. She was laughing so hard that tears were staining her cheeks all the way to her chin. I could almost see her hind legs trembling with the effort of not letting her fall on her rump.

It was adorable.

"So," I had so many questions; best to start simple, "is this what you've been doing all afternoon."

Etherea shifted in place, running her free hoof across the near edge of her device. "No. I did other things as well. I spent some time just... moping, looking out your windows... while wishing the sun would... come out, and I..." She turned her head, pressing a cheek against bed so she could look back at me with one eye. "...took a look around your room."

Took a look around my room? Oh no! She'd found my porn or something! She was horrified that I...

"You have done quite a few drawings... of Princess Celestia." My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I utterly failed to follow the direction she taken. With nothing to say I just gaped at her. "You said she... was your favorite character?"

"Um... yes?" She'd found that? Of course she had! I hadn't hid my doodles well enough.

"It shows." Some errant strands of mane puffed up off the bed as she snorted. "It's so weird that you... know her well enough to do such accurate... caricatures! I don't think I will ever get over that. I would ask you to... stop, but I think that's best left to the Princess herself."

Speaking of terrible ideas, let's tell Celestia about all this!

"... all. You have some very, um, detailed drawings... of human internal anatomy. Are you... sure your talent isn't in artistry?"

"Uhhhh..." I shook my head while rubbing my forehead. It wasn't denial, I was just trying to derail my thoughts away from where it sounded like she had been going with this. "I don't think so. I did the anatomy sketches for a class by copying out of a book. They're the next best things to tracings."

"Well they're... still very well done. They are fascinating and I'm sure the... ponies at home," I caught the almost silent sigh as her voice got slightly quieter, "would love to see them if they are as accurate... as they seem."

Again we lapsed in to silence. It took a minute for me to be reasonably sure of the tangents she'd gone off on and to double-check that I hadn't totally screwed up any of my responses. Well, I hadn't really responded at all, so I still could have done better. Etherea, for her part, seemed to be back in an unhappy silence, spending the time staring aimlessly away after breaking eye contact.

I wasn't sure I was prepared to say anything after so little time to figure it out, but I also didn't think an endless silence was a better option. Especially if she was falling back toward depression.

"So what's going on in the picture?" I pointed where she was sure to catch the gesture toward her device.

"Hmmmm?" Her visible eye shifted toward my pillow. "Oh. It was a Summer Sun Festival... a few years back."

I waited, but she didn't seem about to offer more. "And...? That's your dad, right?"

"Mmhmm. Prince Consort to the Crown of the Crystal Empire and former Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard, Essiya Reshua. My dad." She sighed and a golden glow overtook her horn. Her stylus floated in to view supported by a matching glow, tapped the image, and border popped in to view around it. I had enough time to see that there were several unidentifiable icons on the top before the stylus swiped sideways and another image slid in to view.

"And this is mom and dad." The new picture was a different angle yet clearly the same carnival. Next to and being kissed on the cheek by Shining Armor was a very recognizable smiling pink alicorn, her long violet, rose, and pale yellow mane showing a slight wave before curling back on itself at about knee height. She had the biggest doe eyes I'd ever seen, but her face and build were much like Etherea's. It was honestly hard to tell she was older - I would have believed it if Etherea had told me that she and Cadance were sisters.

I couldn't help but laugh at the image; Shining Armor still had his jester's cap, but Cadance was wearing a grey cap - her horn poking through a convenient hole - with a set of giant elephant ears hanging off each side. I found a blank look directed my way from where Etherea was laying her head.

"Sorry..." Etherea grimaced, "but it's funny! Why the hats?" I nodded toward her device.

"Heh. The Summer Sun Festival is full... of them; I don't remember why it became tradition. Everypony either brings one to put... on after the ceremonies or they get one at the festivals. You can... win them from just about every game stall." A small smile grew as she talked and I felt good seeing her happier.

"How about your hat?"

Her nostrils flared slightly as she harrumphed and rolled her eyes, but still the stylus flicked again and a new picture moved in to place. Etherea was standing in the space next to a stall, her face scrunched in determination as she struggled with the strap under her jaw. On her head... More laughter burst from me at the sight of a giant upside-down waffle cone sitting awkwardly on her head with several multicolored puffballs poking out from underneath above her ears.

The stylus flicked again to reveal another picture, but this time of all three of them. Each had their ridiculous hats on and were posing rigidly for the camera, eyes averted to the left and nose high in the air like good pompous nobles. Even Etherea laughed at the sight and I felt wonderful for it. This was probably just what she needed.

Still, I noticed a couple things about the picture. The first was their relative sizes - Shining and Etherea were pretty comparable in height, but Cadance was actually a hair taller than either of them. Were alicorns just naturally taller? Etherea had mentioned Luna and Celestia being tall so maybe they were.

Another thing was that there always seemed to be space around the family despite the crowd. Sure enough, when I checked the background, it was possible to see a guard at the edge. The last thing I noticed was that, while some ponies were paying attention, most were going about their business. It wasn't at all like I'd expect when royalty showed up to a gathering. Where were the mobs of eager hangers-on and those desperate just to get a glimpse? It was hard to imagine that ponies were just so used to royalty that it wasn't a big deal - Equestria really must be different.

But Summer Sun Festival... I suddenly needed to know another thing. But should I even ask...? "Got any pictures of C... Princess Celestia?" Too late. Damn my mouth!

I managed to keep myself from flinching when Etherea lifted her head off the bed, but all I got was a raised eyebrow. "Um. Probably not. Only official state recorders are... allowed to take pictures and, um... videos during the ceremonies - it's distracting... for both her and those who take them. I don't remember the last... time I may have had the chance to take one of her. Most of mine are of friends... and family."

I tried shrugging to cover my disappointment but that earned me another eye roll. Now I needed a distraction! "Your friends? Like the picture that was on your device..."

"It's a Serat'yen."

I just stared at her blankly. Just because I knew its name in Equestrian didn't mean I understood exactly what it was. "Okay then, your Seratyen."

She rolled her eyes again! Had I gotten it wrong or something?!

"I think you... must have seen my mural." She grinned and turned away, dipping her nose toward her Sera... device. The stylus twitched, hitting one of the icons and the whole screen - 'window?' - slid off to one side. Again the picture of a group of ponies in a park and a distant brilliant white wall to one side was revealed.

"This is from a couple months... back. We all met up in Eyures Park for a friend's engagement party. I didn't know Nesdireh and Kois Entiren personally, but they are good friends of Emi Laeso, and since she's my ayn aia aia aia I couldn't not go. Quite a few of my friends were there and we took this separately from the party."

That was a lot of Equestrian thrown in there. I felt like I'd caught maybe a third of what Etherea had said even if they all seemed to be names. "Um... Emi Laeso?" she nodded, "is your what now?"

"Ayn aia aia aia. Best Filly Friend Forever." She blinked and looked around in surprise, fortunately she completely missed my valiant struggle to avoid laughing at that ridiculous acronym. Ponies actually used those kinds of designations. I was going to be in trouble if I ever went to Equestria. Hell, any human would be. "Wow. It works out in your language as well! Best Filly Friends Forever!"

"What, the abbreviation?"

"Yes!" She giggled. I bit my lower lip hard enough to hurt.

"So this is my Ayn Aia Aia Aia. Emi Laeso." She tapped the stylus on a pale pink unicorn mare with a long, curly white and silver mane whose cheek was pressed against Etherea's. At least she seemed to be a unicorn - I couldn't see the flanks of most of the ponies.

"On my other side is Kewenarn Eshan," a unicorn stallion whose coat was dark gray with a hint of purple, and who had a short, wavy charcoal mane, "next to him is Daeslir Oresna," an orange-gold hornless stallion with a short, differently-wavy - it was the best I could come up with quickly - pale green mane, "and Namerril is beside him." a vibrant blue unicorn mare with medium length, straight light teal mane. "On the other side of Emi Laeso is Nenliries Sehea," the stylus moved over to a pale blue unicorn mare with a tied-back dark purple mane, "then there's Mol Elterea," that was a red unicorn mare with a shockingly white and elaborately woven mane to one side of her head, "and behind those two is Dounillaen Sesrief the third." the last was a pale golden-brown - almost antique white, really - unicorn stallion with a slicked-back khaki mane.

The last was also up above the mares in front of him so much so that I could see part of his chest and shoulders. The rest of the ponies were tightly clustered together for the picture like any good group of friends, but the only way the 'antique white' stallion could have gotten that pose was to stand on the two mares in front of him. They must be really good friends.

Now I was even more sure of my assessment of the ponies' genders based on facial structure. At least eighty percent sure. But another problem was quickly taking precedence.

"Yeah. There's no way I'm ever going to remember all that." I explained while looking back and forth among the ponies and promptly forgetting most of them.

Etherea's mane was disturbed yet again as her head came around so she could roll her eyes at me. I shrugged, but at least her smile somewhat curbed my embarrassment. It's not like she hadn't just thrown a ton of random information at me.

"Do not worry, I can help with that." She said, the stylus wagging in the air before she turned back to the screen. She missed out on the eyebrow I raised at her choice of words. 'Help me out' huh? I furiously shook some unnecessary thoughts from my head before they could take root again.

The glowing pen-like object darted around, causing screens and images to whip past on their way to nowhere as she dug into her device's memory. I tried to catch solid looks at, well, everything, but they were just too fast. Etherea clearly had some experience with the operating system and except for glimpses of unidentifiable faces and places I was left eating her dust. It was actually frustrating. I might not be a computer geek, but I still would have liked to actually see some details.

Finally the stylus jerked upward and let the screen catch its breath. On its slightly levitated surface was the pale pink unicorn mare again and caught mid-conversation with her mouth open and surprised yellow-green eyes just having turned on the camera. Instead of a long and curly silver and white mane, her hair was done in a mass of tiny ringlets. She was sitting on her haunches like a cat, one hoof in the air mid gesture, in what looked like a booth backed by deep purple fabric and dark polished wood. At the very edge of the screen were the barest hints of the pony she was talking to - the dark grey stallion friend if I were to guess.

"This is Emi Laeso. We have known each other... since primary school and have been... best friends for most of that time. She works with the Canterlot... airship docks as an inspector of and... coordinator for the airships, but... she's like a sister to me. I think she spent nearly as much time running... around the palace as I did." Etherea's smile grew into a full-on nostalgic grin. "We got in to so much trouble once... we teamed up. Once, when we were seven, we got into the palace... jam stores while trying to figure out if stained glass was really... made with real fruit. I'm surprised the Princesses... did not banish us or something. I still... don't know where we got the notion in... the first place"

I could only imagine and it certainly wasn't pretty. I tried to keep my amusement subdued, confining myself to pinching the bridge of my nose. Etherea didn't try nearly as hard and ended up laughing softly.

After a moment to settle down she flicked past a couple more images before settling on another one of Emi Laeso. This time the unicorn was standing near some kind of polished stone wall with a largely empty wineglass floating nearby in a pale pink aura. She was talking with a light lavender unicorn mare who had a straight mane and tail of dark blue, each sporting a light blue stripe. For the first time I could see some cutie marks. I guessed Emi Laeso's to be a trio of soaring albatrosses - they looked too thin and long in their wings to be gulls - while the other pony had a pair of dolphins wrapped around each other in a colorful yin yang. The mare with the dolphins cutie mark had her nose pointed slightly downward and seemed to be shyly looking away.

"The other picture was taken a couple... of days ago when we went out to... a restaurant, but this one is much better. You can even... see her cutie mark. The other pony..." Etherea's mane shifted as her head tilted. "I... think she's Emi Laeso's cousin. Emi Ethelei if I... remember correctly. I think she's the one whose mother got... pregnant from, um..."

One of Etherea's ears rotated toward me and I caught a searching backward glance. "Never mind, it's not... important." Being evasive? How disharmonious of you, Princess! Now I really wanted to know what this other pony's story was; too bad Etherea had already gone back to skimming through images. Though I could have sworn I heard her whisper, "Poor filly."

Then something clicked. Emi Laeso and Emi Ethelei. The same 'words' made up part of both names. And now that I thought about it, the second part of the other pony's name sounded oddly familiar.

"Hey Etherea?" I guess my tone was thoughtful because she brought her head around and cocked it at me. "Um, those two names - your friend and her cousin - do they mean anything?"

"Well, yes. But I... don't understand."

"What do the words mean outside of their names?"

Her brows knit as she considered. When she finally opened her mouth she suddenly froze and her eyes widened. For a moment nothing came out. "Augh!" I recoiled from her shout. "I am such an idiot! 'Sea breeze' and 'sea swirl.' My friend's name translates to 'sea breeze' in your language." Her forehead impacted the pillow with a muted thump and I think she mumbled something about missing the obvious.

I chuckled and patted Etherea's withers. She flinched only a little this time around.

"Well that might... make remembering them easier for you." She said as she finally dragged her muzzle out of its pillow-y burrow. I couldn't help but let my smile linger. "Ugh. I cannot believe... it's that simple. Anyway! Let us see what else I... can find." Her stylus went back to work.

Only a moment later she paused. "Oh, Alex!" My eyes snapped down to find her tapping a picture of several of her friends in an opulent corridor. "Here is a picture of... the Princess for you." Her tone was far too amused. Sure enough, when I followed the wiggling stylus I found a white but very blurry pony-like shape in the distance and half hidden by a corner of an intersection. There seemed to be some cool pastel colors near it, but really, it could have been anyone. Anypony.

I shook my head at the alicorn on my bed but that only made her grin larger.

"Well, let's see..." She hummed to herself while turning her attention back to the (apparently) endless procession of pictures. I felt like I was at home movie night, but if it made her feel better then I wasn't going to argue.

The stylus froze as the dark gray unicorn stallion, wearing a white and gold suit coat-like piece of clothing, popped up front and center in the screen. His outfit had blue trimming that showed faint but ornate silver designs. With bright sunlight streaming all around from the large windows in the background and his tall, powerful pose he looked impressively heroic. And like he was posing on purpose. The somewhat casual grin he's turned on the camera ruined the effect just a little - made him seem a little more normal.

Etherea sighed, breaking me away from the picture. "Kewenarn Eshan..."

When she offered nothing more I 'hmmmed' at her.

"Oh. Um... His name would translate to 'gilded stair.'"

There was something weird about her reaction. I raised an eyebrow and examined her face as well as I could from my position. A sigh followed by staring? Interrupted thoughts? A wonderfully idealistic picture that showed off all his best attributes? Bar one, of course. Was he...?

I almost couldn't ask it. "Special, um, somepony?"

"Hmmm?" Etherea lifted her head but quickly lay it back down without looking at me. "Oh. Special somepony. Yeah..." She fell silent while continuing to stare.

Well, that did it. Etherea had a boyfriend. She was now completely off the market. It was a reaction that I'd always had, and one that I'd always hated, but trying to fight against and break an existing relationship was something I avoided. It was very much a part of why I considered myself too nice. Who was I to try ruining a good thing just for my own enjoyment? At least in the princess' case it was actually for the best; it would put a very firm dampener on any attraction I had to her.

At least in theory.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt. "Alright, so that's Gilded Stair? Neat. And your other friends?" She was just staring dreamily at the screen after all.

"Oh, yeah. Let me see..." I caught her lips pursing as she rolled her head away and more firmly onto her left cheek.

She gasped and the bed shifted with her body-shaking jerk. The stylus was vibrating in her magical grip above an image of...

I had no idea. But I also recoiled. Something had opened its mouth wide and was trying to swallow the camera. Dominating the top and bottom of the frame were narrow jaws lined with thin, needle-like teeth. Connecting those jaws at each side in the rear were expanses of flesh stretched taut with the effort to devour the camera whole. The upper jaw seemed to have a black shell encasing it. The lower jaw... it looked like a pair of similarly-black mandibles connected to the rear and were spread off-frame to either side, more stretched flesh connecting them to the jaw itself. The tongue was long and thin, crawling up from the rear of a throat and disappearing out of the bottom of the frame before it could fully taper. Everything fleshy was an ashen gray tinged with pink and much of it glistened wetly in the light of the flash. It looked kind someone had shoved a camera into the mouth of the creature from the movie 'Alien.'

Perfect for scaring prissy princesses. Hell, I was a bit scared.

Speaking of which, I pulled my gaze over to Etherea. Surprisingly she was only covering her face with a hoof and shaking her head. Something was wrong here. My eyes darted back to the horrific picture before zeroing in on Etherea again, my brows furrowing as my brain failed to explain the things I was seeing.

"Um... What is that?"

All I got was an indistinct mumble.

"Sorry. Didn't catch that."

"That's Namerril... playing with my Serat'yen."

I asked my brain if it had any answers but got nothing back. I voiced the entirety of my thoughts for Etherea's benefit. "What?"

"That," she lifted her head to glare at the image, tapping her device with a hoof, "is my friend Namerril. Um. Her name means 'amaranth' - the flower, you know. She's the azure unicorn... you saw in the first picture. She's actually a..." she paused briefly, "changeling."

We were looking down the gullet of... a changeling? I now knew far more about the inside of a changeling than I'd ever wanted to. And not just any changeling; one who was both known by and friends with the pony first in line to rule the Crystal Empire. And judging by the picture earlier she must have pretty free reign to move about Canterlot. Which meant that the other princesses would know. And that meant Cadance and Shining Armor were probably fine with this. Surely they had some say in it.

Well they had to be okay with it - their daughter didn't seem overly concerned. So what about Queen Chrysalis? Etherea knew her. Or at least knew of her. I know that the events of the wedding were over two decades old, but what the hell had happened?!

I returned from my internal sorting to Etherea's violet eyes already being on me. She wore a smirk and her ears were perked. At least some... pony was feeling better.

"That shocking?" She teased when it was clear I was paying attention again.

And yes, princess, it was. This wasn't your standard cutesy-wootsey pony wearing a bug suit like in much of the changeling fan art. This was a creature with a very alien mouth, and one that looked like it could do horrific damage. I was kind of curious, but honestly that mouth was just a bit disgusting.

I nodded as an answer Etherea's question but waved her to continue. I wanted to get on to something that wasn't the maw of a changeling.

She grinned cheekily before turning back to her device. "You have only seen... their invasion. The princesses put a lot of effort... in to pursuing any remaining changelings after the attack... on Canterlot, and most were forced to flee outside Equestria. Also, Equestria has many... allies and the changelings quickly... found themselves on the bad side of both the griffins and several dragons. About eight... years after the attack on Canterlot the Celestial princesses were... approached by another queen under a banner of truce. The changelings... were in real danger of wholesale starvation and had... fallen to fighting amongst each other."

I was more than happy to just listen. A history lesson like this? I wanted to say it was awesome, because in some sense it was, but a changeling civil war? That couldn't have been 'awesome' in the least. Etherea hadn't sounded all that happy about it either, but my fears settled into the background when Etherea turned back to her device and began paging through pictures again.

"When Queen Aculuss showed up out... of the clear, everypony was all set to drag her off because of... her resemblance to, um, 'Chrysalis' as you know her. Nopony could tell the difference... at first. But she had her changelings stand... aside and didn't resist when the Celestial princesses went out... to meet her - effectively surrendering her, um, people... on the spot. She did ask that the princesses treat the rest... of the changelings kindly."

There was some kind of changeling on the screen under Etherea's nose for a moment but before I could get a good look she swiped it away, though in a different direction than she had been scrolling. "Queen Aculuss was apparently very... cooperative. She immediately submitted... to questioning by the princesses, opened her remaining... hives to inspection, and offered to support whatever... integration policy... the princesses felt was fair. She was the leader of a beaten... people and I think she was desperate."

"Then three years later the princesses announced that... they wanted to set up an exchange program." Etherea's stylus froze as the next image popped in to view. "Quite a few ponies... weren't happy with this, but... the changelings had largely been cooperative except for a minority who were condemned... by even their queen. So there was little... the ponies could really object to. The princesses invited the... queen to meet with them and bring along several... dozen changelings who she felt would represent her people well."

The new image, naturally enough, was of the blue unicorn with the straight teal mane. She was sitting on her haunches in the shaded grass under a large tree, a boulevard in the background lined on the far side by tall hedges. With her wide cerulean eyes she looked surprised to be the subject of a photo. I couldn't help but cock my head at what I was seeing. Not only was she wearing a form-fitting leotard-like piece of clothing that was nearly the same color of her coat, but she also had a pair of iridescent green dragonfly-like wings partially extended from her withers.

I cocked my head the other way because I couldn't be seeing this right. It looked like Equestria actually had flutterponies. There was no fucking way.

"I can tell you that... my parents were not exactly happy to have changelings... around Canterlot, especially when Princess Celestia suggested... to them that it would do everypony a lot of good... if I were to befriend one of them. However, after getting... to know Namerril I'm thankful that Princess Celestia was... so adamant. We have been friends ever since."

With my head full of flutterponies I discovered Etherea's violet eyes turned back toward me. With ears perked and one eyebrow raised she was clearly awaiting my thoughts on the matter. Bluntly asking about flutterponies didn't seem like it would work well, especially since this was apparently a changeling friend of hers. I needed something else.

"So..." You can come up with something better than flutterponies Alex! "What happened to Chrysalis?"

Etherea's expression darkened as she tilted her head away. Fuck... Yeah, that question was a huge mistake.

"Actually... nopony really knows. Well, if anypony does, it's... the Celestial princesses. Queen Aculuss would only say that us... ponies would not need to worry about her anymore, and the princesses have said... they trust the queen. Considering that the... remaining changeling hives showed signs of heavy infighting it seems likely that... that she was... killed."

I'd done a wonderful job of killing the mood with yet another stupid comment! Etherea's withdrawn look was proof of that. "Look, Etherea," she actually did look up, thank goodness, "I really didn't mean to bring up something so unpleasant." Her frown deepened.

"I'm..."

"Don't you dare." Her order left my mouth hanging open as I quickly stopped everything I was doing. What had I...? "I said to stop apologizing so... much and I meant it."

Oh.

I'd still ruined the mood. "But..."

"It's fine, Alex. What happened was not... anypony's fault but Chrysalis'. I think everypony would... agree that the things she did were utterly horrible, and she would... have been severely punished. But Equestria is the land of friendship and... Harmony; I'm just disappointed that we... never got the chance to help her."

Oh, wow... Even faced with a decidedly evil creature like Chrysalis... Okay, I didn't really know how bad she had been - Etherea hadn't told me yet. That was something ask about some time later. Or maybe never.

"You're a better... um, pony than most of the people in my world." I said earnestly.

Etherea acknowledged it with a shrug and a quirk at the corner of her mouth. "I will admit that my... opinion has changed a lot from knowing Namerril. It has been rough for her - living through the failed... invasion, the infighting, and then leaving for a place where... almost everypony did not like her - but she has been a wonderful friend."

This pony was a changeling? Well, I didn't really doubt it; those wings were very out of place. But I just couldn't see this rather normal-looking pony also being the horror movie creature I'd seen earlier. In fact, with that look on her face the blue pony - 'amaranth' apparently - was kind of cute.

That thought brought a shudder, though I managed to fight it mostly down. No! I was not going there! It was bad enough that I found one pony attractive, but now I was looking at more?! And this one apparently wasn't even a pony!

I needed something to distract myself. "If she's a changeling, then why this?" I reached out to point at the wings. "I'm assuming those are normal changeling wings, but why isn't she disguising them too?"

"Because she has to." I couldn't get a good read on Etherea's expression. The oblique angle I was at certainly didn't help. "Without special dispensation it is... illegal to use magic to fully conceal one's... identity, and nopony wanted to change that even after things resolved peacefully. But the changelings feared our reaction... to them in their natural forms so they wanted to be allowed to shapeshift into something more acceptable. It was a good idea to have a less 'offensive' option," Etherea's eye roll told me just what she thought of the changelings being considered offensive, "so a compromise... was reached; changelings could shapeshift in to whatever they wanted... as long as each picked a single form to be theirs and left their wings undisguised."

"That seems like a really smart idea."

"Right? The look is different but works... surprisingly well. In fact, some ponies find it exotic." She cocked her head and her ears twitched rearward. "A surprising number actually. Namerril is the friend I mentioned... earlier who would probably get along well... with Craig. It seems like every month she... has a new coltfriend."

I looked at the picture again, trying to find the promiscuousness Etherea seemed to be hinting at. It was stupid - of course it wouldn't just be visible like that. I still looked.

Though with the surprised blue pony staring back at me I wondered how well she and Craig would actually get along. Would they hit it off like Craig always seemed to? He'd been teasing me about liking ponies, but how deep did his willingness to experiment run? He'd talked up some of the really kinky stuff he'd tried, and hadn't mentioned anything he'd definitely not do, but I suspected that a changeling-as-a-pony would be a bit far even for him.

But changelings could shapeshift so she could probably be whoever and whatever he wanted. That seemed like it would be something he could get behind. Get behind... I slapped a hand to my forehead as the image of Craig wrapping himself around this pony in post-coital snuggling infiltrated my thoughts.

When I opened my eyes again Etherea was looking back at me with one eyebrow riding high on her forehead.

"Don't mind me. Just trying to imagining Craig meeting your friends. I don't think we want to risk it."

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "You are probably right. After talking with him I'm sure... he would horrify or embarrass them in to hysteria." We both laughed, though mine was a bit more subdued - I had to expunge a certain unwanted image from my head after all.

When Etherea collected herself, the picture she'd hidden earlier was flicked back onto the screen. "And this is Namerril in her natural form."

Now I was able to get a good look at a changeling. It was about what I'd expected, and also so much that I hadn't. It - she, I had to assume - was pony-shaped and lying on her back atop a bed with the edges or her wings showing at her sides. The pink satin sheets had been pushed in to random small hills and valleys by the bodies of her and two ponies that were mostly off-screen to either side. Her head was toward the camera and off the bed just enough for her horn to clear the edge, and her body was matte black, but not segmented like I'd kind of expected. Instead she was covered almost completely in overlapping thin, form-fitting plates of various sizes. It almost looked like she was wearing a catsuit of very light plate mail.

Her upside down pose gave me a perfect view of the underside of her chin and allowed me to see the seam dividing the two mandibles that had been in the close-up. Not that I could pick up much detail because she had her mouth closed, but I couldn't see how she could speak with those mandibles and that shell wrapping over her muzzle.

And there was so much else to look at - I'd at least seen pony-like creatures before, but this was something completely new and alien. I noticed that her horn wasn't curved like a drone's or wickedly crooked like Chrysalis', it was more of a mild corkscrew shape. I supposed that from the side it probably looked like it was crooked. Solid cerulean eyes were turned on the camera and stringy hair of the same teal color of her other form's mane spread out near her. She definitely was not a 'drone,' though I needed to ask how well My Little Pony actually represented changelings.

Before I knew it my eyes had made their way over the rest of the creature, traveling over her chest and down the concentric plates of her belly as it tapered toward her hind legs. I nearly jerked my head away as I realized how far back I was looking, but I did not find any teats on this creature to embarrass myself with - of course I didn't, she didn't look mammalian at all - and a teal tail was flicked between her rear legs to preserve some modesty.

Thank heavens! I wasn't ready to see whatever changelings had back there. Even if it probably wasn't possible from this angle.

Her legs though... They were curled above her in a way that I'd normally call cute, but I couldn't help but shudder. There weren't any holes in them. Instead, though the overall shape was like a regular horse's, in place of fetlocks and hooves was a series of segments that ended in pads with a pair of wicked hooks. Very insect-like. Very... creepy.

And even beyond that, the overall form had harsher angles and a much skinnier profile than a pony's. I could see why ponies would want changelings to 'cover up.' I kind of wanted her to.

"I take it you are."

Etherea's voice brought me back with a jerk. All my analyses hadn't actually taken very long - it was mostly snap impressions. I guess my feelings showed because Etherea was frowning at me.

"It's not... I don't mean..." I sighed. "It's exciting to see the first real, live alien any human has ever seen..." Etherea's incredulous look stopped me hard. "Well, I guess you would be, but you look a lot like things I've seen before. She," I motioned toward the image, "is just so different. You know?"

After a moment she nodded faintly. "I think I understand."

"Actually, I should say I've seen things vaguely like her before." Shit! I hadn't meant for that to come out! But now Etherea was looking at me again, her interest piqued. "Umm... She... um, shares a few features with things in a lot of horror movies."

I cringed at Etherea's blank look, waiting for the angry slap that would catapult me in to the far wall. But she just sighed. "Do not worry; I do not hold... that against you. Many ponies still have the... same reaction. It is why changelings wanted to... work out a way to shapeshift in to other forms." Her eyes rose back to mine, those pretty violet irises fixing me with a needy stare. "Just promise me... that if you ever get to meet a changeling, that you will give yourself the chance to learn... who they actually are."

Well damn. I considered myself pretty accepting and I would like to think I'd give a changeling a chance anyway. With Etherea asking like that? "Yeah, I can do that."

The grateful smile I received was heartwarming. It was amazing that normal human expressions like that seemed to work just fine on her so different anatomy. But the grin wrapped around her muzzle looked entirely natural as it puffed her cheeks slightly and created neat little creases under and around her eyes. Her happily perked ears only helped the look. Even if her muzzle and ears were equine, and the size and set of her eyes weren't human, with her face lit up happily she was still quite pretty.

While that last sentiment didn't feel like one I should be having, at the moment I was too high on happiness to give it much care. For at least a moment I suppose I could let myself just be happy. Plus there could be more!

"Alright then. Who's next?"

For a second Etherea's grin was even wider. "I'm not sure. Let me see... who else is in here." With a flourish she rolled her head in an arc and brought her attention back to the screen. The stylus went back about its business as she gathered her hooves under herself, shifting to a more upright and collected pose.

I tried to follow as images seemed to flicker across my pillow. Impressions of various colorful ponies in poses too indistinct to identify whisked by as locations I couldn't catch teased me from the background. Etherea continued at her game a little - showing the epilepsy resistance of a hardened video gamer as the screen flashed through every color - and I wondered who she might be looking for.

Then the screen suddenly froze, the stylus lifting away, and I found that my lungs had gone on strike. Staring back at me with deep purple eyes, head tilted to the left and one eyebrow raised, was a lavender unicorn wearing a pair of half-circle reading glasses. She - there was no doubt in my mind of that - had a book levitated at the base of the screen and there was a golden-yellow hoof pressing it down to give the camera a good view. Several more books were open and floating in the background within their own violet halos.

That face... That straight-cut navy blue mane with purple and magenta highlights... That casual power... The stars peeking over the curve of her flank...

Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle!

I couldn't believe I was actually looking at a picture of her. There were no thoughts powerful enough to encompass the whole of my shock and awe right then. I was lucky that my brain still had enough processing capacity to keep my body running.

I was looking at an actual picture of Twilight Sparkle!

Sure she had a spreading web of lines lining the edges of her muzzle and the corners of her eyes, so she was older than I'd been expecting, but it was her. She had a quirky frown - like she couldn't decide whether to laugh or pelt me with her book - that was all Twilight.

It was her in the flesh! Sort of. But still...!

There is no way anyone in their right mind could ever be prepared for something like this. Imagine the bank showing up at your door with your lottery winnings. Or your favorite movie star showing up at your front door for tea. Or your favorite rock star wanting to jam in your garage. Or... Or Jesus? No, that would be going too far.

I had to control myself. A steady thrumming shook the insides of my arms and legs and I probably could have done a spot-on recreation of Pinkie Pie's ability to bounce from wall to ceiling and back. My brain was in danger of developing a short as my thoughts got weirder and weirder while trying to comprehend the magnitude of the picture before.

I might have been aware that I was the first person to make contact with aliens, and been awed that I already idolized some of them, but now the whole situation hammered itself home with relativistic force. I could actually meet the ponies that had inspired My Little Pony! Holy shit...! This was too much.

No, this really was too much. I was suddenly very aware that my lungs had reversed their earlier reluctance and switched to overdrive. The world was getting distant and it felt like my head was lifting off. This wasn't good!

Straining against myself, I managed to force a single deep breath. That seemed to be good enough to regain some control and I managed to gradually settle back in to a more normal breathing cycle. As my excitement returned to more manageable levels, other feelings were finally allowed to voice their opinions again and some nervousness crept back. I mean I had made first alien contact.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the alien I'd met was attractive.

Thanks brain, I really needed a reminder of that little fact.

Though speaking of Etherea... She was watching me with eyes brimming with barely contained tears and a hoof over her muzzle. In fact she was actively shaking - the wing that was lying forgotten against my leg was vibrating almost in time with my own excitement. But hers wasn't an expression of anticipation. Her cheeks bulged and the happy creases at the corners of her eyes looked fit to split her face in two.

And then the world got hot. Of course I would blush, and... And then Etherea exploded, her laughter all but ignoring the inadequately-intervening hoof.

"O-ho-oh m-my-y! I di-id... did no-ho-ot-t think y-you-ou wou-uld-d r-re-ea-act qu-ui-i-ite like th-tha-a-a-...!" She finished by rolling away from me onto her side and burying her muzzle in the covers near my pillow.

For a moment I was torn. I was still excited about seeing a real picture of the Twilight Sparkle, but I didn't like being laughed at. Even if I deserved every ounce of her reaction and would probably do the same if I were in her place. Embarrassment at the attention was an uncomfortable undertone slipping in around the edges. It made me kind of want to just be somewhere else.

"Hmmmmph!" Was all I could think to say. Figures that nothing good would come to my mind.

That got her attention though. She cracked an eye that was awash with tears, though of a different sort than I suspected she'd had earlier. When she was finally able focus on me her giggles gradually faded away, and thank God for that.

"S-sorry, Alex. It's just that- HIC!" She jolted, her eyes widening, and we both tensed.

Absolute silence filled the space between us so suddenly I was left wondering what kind of calamity was sneaking up on us. Etherea seemed to be having the same kinds of thoughts if her wide eyes were any indication. Her hoof lifted from the covers just in time to...

"HIC!" Her carefully guarded expression fell into a slight frown. "Oh..."

Pressure suddenly welled up within my throat and I fought against my own traitorous face as it decided that I should laugh right back at her. Despite my best efforts to hide it she still noticed, clamping her jaw tight and fixing her eyes on me in a silent challenge. When an errant hiccup broke through and ruined her serious face, a drawn out snort finally slipped out, the noise grating against the back of my throat.

Etherea was less than amused and maintained a harsh look, her lips pressed into a thin irregular line, and a gradually rising discomfort eventually overtook my amusement. Seriously, did it have to feel like I screwed up every time things were going well? I lapsed back into silence. Apparently yes, and now I was even more convinced that small let-downs like this were going to be the universe's payback for screwing with alternate dimensions. And still those violet irises continued to bore through me.

Maybe I should apologize. No! She'd laughed at me first. I wasn't in the wrong here.

Then her nostrils flared, her mouth opening to blast a breathy exhale that pressed against my shirt. We blinked nearly in tandem and she shook her head slowly.

"Ugh. Cursed hiccups! At least they are... gone now." She held completely still for a moment as though waiting for them to jump out at her. Nothing happened for a while so they seemed to have fled. She had simply willed them out of existence! Or maybe she'd just been holding her breath. "Whew. Well, I suppose I deserved that. It wasn't very... nice of me to laugh like that. Though..." Her eyes met mine and her head tilted ever so slightly as a faint smirk crept along the edges of her muzzle.

"I wonder what would... have happened if I had managed to find you a picture of... Princess Celestia."

Why would that...? Oh. Celestia was my favorite character while Twilight was 'just' some famous pony I knew of. She thought my reaction would be much stronger. I quickly decided that no, it probably wouldn't have. The worst of it had actually come from finally realizing that these ponies actually exist somewhere, not from who I'd seen. Well, not entirely.

I looked directly into Etherea's eyes. "Well, as befitting the Princess' elevated station I would react with all due decorum, compose myself properly... and then give the loudest, girliest shriek any guy has ever made."

For a moment Etherea's brows descended together and her ears flipped back and forth. A smile began to build as she seemed to catch on and she opened her mouth.

"Oh now that I gotta' hear!"

Wait. That didn't sound at all like a pony princess! In the corner of my vision I caught the motion of Etherea's mane whipping about even as my eyes joined her in staring at the door to my room. A face topped by a mop of dark, unruly hair and one shoulder were leaned out around the frame. For a split second my blood ran hot at Craig's sudden interruption before flipping completely around as his goofy grin grew even wider.

Right. I was practically sitting close enough to be cuddling with Etherea. Despite my sudden need to distance myself from the scene I found myself in, I also noted that fleeing would only make it look like something had actually happened. I was not going to give him the satisfaction. I know he knew more or less what I had actually have been up to. His eyes met mine briefly as they bounced between the two of us, his grin trying eke out just a little more tooth when I failed to not blush.

"Craig..." Don't you dare make a joke about this right now. Please for the love of everything get that message!

"Hello Craig. Where have you been?" Etherea's oblivious and somewhat more chipper tone clashed uncomfortably with my need to guard the situation from my roommate.

"Oh sorry." Craig stepped more fully in to view and rapped his knuckles twice against the side of the doorway. "Am I interrupting? Should I come back later...?" I nearly facepalmed at him. I was going to kill him. Later though. When Etherea wasn't watching.

Etherea's head swung back and forth. "Oh no. We were just looking at some of my pictures. Would you care to join us?"

Just remember, this is a pony princess here. Oh God, if you exist, let Craig remember that! Unfortunately I couldn't be in his head to mind him; not with Etherea right beside me.

"Um. Sounds like you two... are having fun an all but, um, not to be a dick or anything, I don't do family picture night. I just got back and wanted to let Alex know he left the oven running. 'Cause, y'know, food and all."

I'd forgotten all about the oven! It had been just sitting out there pretending to be a space heater for quite a while now. That reminded me of a feeling in my gut that had been quietly begging my attention for a few hours now. And now that it had my attention it gained a whole new power.

"Oh yeah, I need to put the pizzas in."

Craig rolled his eyes and groaned theatrically. "Yeah, I saw. What's the hold up?"

Seriously?! Craig should be glad that I wasn't the one with the ability to slam him against the wall with a thought, but I still tried my best with a withering glare. Not that it had any effect. "I was going to get to it after changing, but I had more important things to do."

"I believe that was... my fault," came quietly from beside me, "I distracted Alex from preparing dinner for us. Do not blame him." Thanks princess.

"Distracted huh?" I couldn't believe Craig! My face was definitely twitching as I struggled to hold down a resurgent desire to tear his head off. Judging by Craig's look, the fucker knew it too. Though when he saw my expression his grin kind of... shrank. "Speaking of you, how's it going princess? Haven't seen you all afternoon."

"I'm doing better. Thank you." The bed protested softly as the pony beside me shifted. "I did not mean to be... such a poor houseguest today but it had not been a very... good afternoon. I hope you will forgive me for being so curt with you earlier..."

"Don't worry about it." Craig threw a dismissive hand over his shoulder. "I've had worse than an angry chick yelling at me through a door. What happened anyway?"

Etherea's sigh carried a weight that I thought I'd lifted. "I tried to get... in touch with my home and... and was unable to. And if I can't even send a simple message it means... that I will probably be here for some time yet."

"Oh right. Alex mentioned something about that. And hey, that's actually what we've been up to." Etherea lifted her head back up but one ear remained off to the side even as the other focused on Craig. The flick of her eyes my way was definitely a question. "We got you a movie to help cheer you up. So whenever you two are ready I'll be out in the other room," he jerked his head back toward the hall, "but don't take too long. I'm hungry, dude."

He turned and left without waiting for a response. The way his eyes lingered on mine let me know exactly what he was thinking. The self-satisfied smile of his sealed the impression and breathed new life into the coals that I'd been letting cool. Why the fuck did he have to keep pushing like that? Well, the answer was obvious. I was an easy target.

But so help me, I really wanted to punch him.

While I decided how best to get away with murder, Etherea rubbed the side of her head with hoof before upturning it and indicating the now-empty doorway. "Thank... you? And he simply leaves. I cannot... make sense of him at all! One moment he is thoughtful, but in the next he throws any... and all decorum to the wind. So rude! Is he always like this?" Those gorgeous eyes were once again brought to bear on me, seeking answers.

"Yeah... Pretty much." I decided not to mention how fast he could switch to 'enticing' when it came to girls in bars. "He doesn't actually mean to be rude, he's just thoughtless." No wait! "No, wait! That's not right. I mean..." That hadn't come out well at all! I wasn't even sure what I meant now, except that I hadn't meant to sound like an ass.

"It's alright, Alex." My pony companion shook her head slowly while hiding a smile behind her mane. "I think I understand what you meant. I just wish he was more... aware of how his actions... are perceived." There was the proper princess we all knew and loved. Well, as long as she didn't return to being mightier-than-thou.

"Oh well." She heaved an even greater sigh. "I should not... let myself get too worked up about such a small thing. Plus his idea is a... good one - I am hungry as well. And he said you two brought home something... for me?"

"Yeah. Craig had the idea for a feel-good movie to cheer you up." I flexed my back one way and then the other as I got up, trying to get it to limber up a little and pop. It happily did so. Such a wonderful feeling!

"Human entertainment? Sounds interesting." Her device followed beside her head as first her front hooves and then her rear ones slipped over the edge of the bed to carry her fluidly to standing. As I finished stretching she shook out each hoof in turn and rolled her back. That motion also shifted her wings about and I lamented that I hadn't yet gotten to see them fully. I still had no idea what their span actually was.

But it was better this way. It was far too soon to be asking her if I could check her out. Not that I wasn't going to do that anyway. Sexy female pony after all...

I rolled my eyes and firmly shifted that thought to the side. I needed to focus on the fact she had a coltfriend. That would help keep myself on track. And she was just visiting after all, which would make her a diplomat or envoy or something. Yeah, no dirty thoughts about foreign dignitaries Alex!

Etherea's expression had fallen at some point while looking at the picture of Twilight on her device. Drooping ears and wings accented the backward slide the current good mood as the reminder of home floated before her. She'd stepped away when leaving the bed so I was a bit far away to reach her and a missed heartbeat kept me where I was.

That was the wrong choice wasn't it? I... didn't know. Even after the relative closeness we'd shared, it was hard to tell whether giving her some space from all the strangeness or a trying to be a comforting but alien presence would be better received.

Eventually her stylus zipped over from her far side, tapped a couple of things, and the screen winked out. She started to turn toward me but then she twitched and her head swung the other way. I followed the direction of her muzzle toward one dark window where various splotches of distant light illuminating a kaleidoscope of tiny water droplets. A faint shudder ran down her back and she took a small step away from the outside wall.

Much like the sunlight earlier, I guess it was unreasonable that her fear of "wild weather" would be gone just because I'd told her not to worry. But those folded ears and clenched wings... Both my heart and a good chuck of my thoughts protested valiantly as I took the step closer to her. By the time my hand came to rest just forward from her wing shoulders small tremors were wracking it to let me know I wasn't being nearly cautious enough.

But it was the right thing to do.

She jerked and ducked her head as soft, fine hair met my skin and I nearly pulled my hand back again. Nearly. Yet even as I tried to wait for my own adrenaline to dissipate I felt her coat settling back down under my fingers. She let out the breath she'd sucked in and turned her head to look up at me with a sad smile.

"So, this must... mean you are no longer scared of me."

I know my hesitation spoke my answer long before I could ever say it. Her smile began slipping. "I wouldn't, um, say that." Oh fuck me! Honest though I was, eloquently disarming I was not. "You can do things I can only dream about and well... I, well... This has been very hard on you. I'm cautious 'cause I still feel much safer playing it... safe. Y'know, until you are more comfortable with, um, everything."

I smiled hesitantly as my heart began racing again in a vain attempt to flee my fumbling words. However she just stood there, staring blankly.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to do nothing." Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?! Wait, that wasn't so bad. "I told you I'd help to make up for my part in all this and I meant it." I finally clamped down on my mouth. I'd pulled something worthy to finish and I wasn't going to risk ruining it.

Her absence of expression remained for another moment before a faint smile broke through. "Thank you, Alex." Her words were simple but I could tell they were so very heartfelt. Her wing shifted at the same time, her feathers whispering softly as it unfurled toward me. I remained stock-still as she touched the same 'palm' area of her wing to my shoulder. Those things really had some reach.

But that really wasn't important at the moment. The relief shocking my system was much more so, and this time my own grin was much more genuine, though it was more an expression of my feelings than anything meant for her. But she still smiled back, tilting her head as her ears drew forward.

"I understand where you are... coming from. But you have been... a good friend and I can promise that I will not do anything to... harm you."

Caution born of fear can't simply be dispelled by saying that there is nothing to worry about; it has to be allowed to run its course. I wasn't going to tell her that, though I'm sure she knew. In the interest of progress I simply nodded. "Thanks."

"Well, I know that you wanted to remove... your work attire. I keep... delaying that so let me get out of your mane." With a dip of her muzzle and a tiny blush, her smile turned sheepish as the feathered appendage receded back to her flank.

She turned and made her way to the doorway, every motion familiarly fluid in ways that an actual horse could never match. Before I knew it the natural sway in her hips and the resulting swing of her tail was the center of my attention. As a guy, and from this position, I couldn't really help it. No! I snapped my attention up. I was just in time. She looked back at me from the entrance to the hall and flashed another smile before disappearing.

Thank God for the omnipresence of her tail. I don't know how I could handle constantly taking peeks at horse vagina while feeling these things.

Again, no! She wasn't a horse. That'd been made painfully apparent today. She was a person in all but form. But that form... It was just too horse-like. I felt dirty just thinking like this. No, I didn't feel dirty. I felt like I should feel dirty. Though the difference was subtle and confusing, it wasn't nearly the same thing. I didn't like it.

At least she had a coltfriend. Though it was a little disappointing that someone I found attractive was taken, I could take comfort and resolve from that. I really did need to not think about the pony princess that way.

Author's Notes:

Blam!

Sleep is for the weak. Right, readers?

If you're wondering, the section I accidentally deleted was Alex and Craig talking just after Alex got home. While editing this the first time I realized that one line ended with Alex in the car looking at the apartment building and the next began with him thinking about him being alone in the apartment with Dimble and Etherea. The section naturally isn't quite the same. Oh well.

And I know the ending is abrupt. There isn't nearly as good a break here as there was in chapter 5. So, scene a scene change will have to suffice. I didn't really want to dump (what is now) close to 40k words in one chapter even if I'm breaking it apart rather strangely. The next half of the chapter is ready for editing (as far as I'm aware) and will pick up right where this leaves off. It shouldn't take a huge amount of time.

There's also lots of Equestrian in here. I need to start separating it into a spreadsheet or something.

And I just realized that I've gone a F'd up most every Equestrian name in my story. "Shining Armor" is NOT Equestrian... Now I have to figure out how to fix all that. (I'm clearly insane!)