Colgate could not remember ever having lived, felt, or thought so much in a single moment before. She was quick-witted of course. A good dentist had to be. Expedience was often the name of the game. You had to do the job as professionally as you could and cause the least amount of pain and discomfort. In working to uphold this edict, Colgate had learned a thing or two about acting and reacting as quickly as possible. However, nothing she’d ever done could compete with her surprise at being launched out a window.

The first image to race through her mind were the many stairs she’d seen Daemeon climb when they’d first come to the apartment. She remembered marveling at how many there had been. It was probably the tallest building she’d ever been in. That being said, it takes longer to run up a hill than to roll down it. And a vertical ascent takes much longer than a vertical drop. For the second time in the last hour, Colgate feared her death was imminent.

Even as the ground raced towards them though, Colgate did not cry. She knew she wasn’t safe, that death was right before her eyes, yet she did not worry. It would have been hard for the little blue unicorn to trust herself. Certainly, she would never have jumped through the window on her own. Were she alone, she’d have been screaming in terror. There was one thing that stopped her though.

Daemeon trusted her. He went so far as to entrust her with his life. He might have had no choice but to trust her, but that didn’t matter to Colgate right then. All that mattered right then was that she felt safe with him because he felt safe with her. Nopony had ever entrusted their life to her. It felt so nice and comforting to be so needed. It also came as a terrific responsibility she’d never had before, one that she vowed right then in the free fall through the inky black night that she would not fail to uphold.

With the conviction of all these new and powerful thoughts, she flared her horn to life. The man and the mare were instantly enveloped by a bright blue glow that shone brilliantly through the dark and cold night. Colgate smiled as she felt the rush of wind past her ears cease, and their deathly descent became like a feather falling to the ground. She heard Daemeon sigh in relief and loosen his vice-like grip around her. Colgate inhaled sharply, just then realizing that she hadn’t been able to breathe.

Daemeon watched in awe as the ground slowly closed in. His head was positioned towards it, and he would have certainly snapped his neck if they hadn’t slowed down. It was a four story fall, and he’d been in a hurry. Still though, he could hardly fathom why he’d been so rash. He could have at least slipped out feet first. At least then, if Colgate wasn’t able to save them, he wouldn’t have died. He would have scolded himself if it weren’t for the fact that it worked. All he did instead was sigh and marvel to himself, “Lady luck is here again.”

As they came to the ground, Daemeon extended a hand and rolled onto his back. When he felt himself settle flat, the blue glow dimmed. A quick scan revealed to Daemeon that they had come out in the back alleyway of the apartment building. They had just narrowly missed landing in a pile of garbage bags leaning against the wall. The tight space was dark save for the rows of windows intermittently emanating light. Daemeon glanced up at the window they had fallen from and was relieved to not see a head poking out to look for them yet. He would have to act quickly.

Daemeon lurched to his feet and stood. Colgate, finally coming out of the breathless state of awe the fall had put on her, shivered in the sudden chill of the night and asked, “What are we going to do now?”

“Run.”

“Run where?”

Daemeon’s hold of her tightened suddenly as he responded, “I don’t know yet, but we have to run fast, or they’ll catch us.”

Colgate’s eyes followed Daemeon’s to the window they’d jumped out of. She shivered again at the distance. What was only four stories to Daemeon seemed like forty to her. “Then why aren’t you running?” she asked softly.

Daemeon shook his head in frustration and held the small blue mare out at arms length. He gave her a quick look up and down and explained, “You can’t be seen. Someone will try to take you.”

With that, he dropped her to the ground and fell to the pile of garbage. Colgate watched curiously as her ape pushed through the bags as though he were searching for something. Her ears twitched in fearful anticipation as she looked back up at the window. While watching, she said, “You really weren’t lying about that, were you? People really will take me if they get the chance.”

Daemeon grunted through the bags until he found what he was looking for. A single garbage bag was filled to the brim with paper instead of the usual nastiness. He pulled it out of the stack while saying, “Yes. And frankly, even if they weren’t, I still wouldn’t risk losing you to anybody.”

Colgate eyed him curiously and asked, “Because you’d die if we were separated?”

Daemeon didn’t answer for a moment as he quickly emptied the contents of the garbage bag into the alleyway. The papers spewed about and were picked up by a small gust that tumbled through. Daemeon knelt to the ground and held the bag open for Colgate, gesturing in. Before she would jump in though, she looked right into his eyes and pressed, “Right?”

Daemeon’s eyes fell away as he answered roughly, “Yes. That’s why. Now get in so we can go. I’m surprised they haven’t looked out the window yet.”

Colgate was unconvinced by the answer but understood they didn’t have time to argue. She climbed into the bag and felt it close around her. Her eyes widened in fear as she suddenly found herself breathless inside the bag. She was quickly relieved though as Daemeon ripped a hole in front of her face. She stuck her snout out, and her face met Daemeon’s. With a deadly serious face, he said, “Do not say a word. You understand me? We can’t afford a repeat of what happened in the store.”

Colgate snorted and muttered, “I got you.”

“Good,” Daemeon answered roughly while swinging the mare over his shoulder. He took off running out of the alleyway and disappeared around the corner just as an officer stuck his head out the window and swore. He wasn’t as lucky as Daemeon.

Colgate grunted with almost every step Daemeon took. His hurrying through the alleyways and dashing across streets caused Colgate’s plastic prison to slap repeatedly against his back. She hated it but knew she’d have to put up with it. She knew they had to get away from the men chasing Daemeon, but it felt like they must be far behind them by now. They had been running through the dark maze of the night for better than ten minutes, coming into the light only when they would cross the brightly lit avenues. The mare was curious as to how they kept the road so bright in the dark. She was more curious however, as to where they were going.

When the monotony of the chase was fully lost on her, she asked, “Where are we going?”

On hearing the question, Daemeon decided to cease his running momentarily and ducked into another alleyway. He set the plastic bag containing Colgate on the icy black top and sat down panting beside her. He leaned back against the side of the building and wiped away a sheen of sweat that moistened his brow despite the chill breeze that blew through the city. He’d just run better than a mile through the city streets and was not the least bit used to the strenuous exercise. He was better acquainted with walking away from a sticky situation than running. He usually knew how to handle people if they ever confronted him and was almost never reduced to either fight or flight.

His heavy breathing was interrupted by a hoof placed on his arm. Daemeon looked down to see the unicorn’s face and injured hoof poking from the bag, a concerned look in her eyes. She shivered from the cold and asked again, “Can you tell me where we’re going?”

Still panting, Daemeon thought to himself, “I’d say this creature was to be the end of me if she hadn’t just saved my life.” He lifted a hand and ruffled her mane saying, “Someplace warm.”

“Good,” she said with a shaky voice. “I don’t know why, but I can’t tolerate the cold like I used to. There isn’t even snow on the ground, and I’m freezing.”

Daemeon reached over and picked her out of the plastic bag. He engulfed her tiny frame in his relatively massive arms and said, “I’m cold too.”

Colgate snuggled against his chest, thankful for the warmth. She didn’t quite feel like being left out of the loop though, so she pressed, “Where is this ‘warm place’?”

The handsome man’s hand slid down the length of the mare’s curving back. He relished the feel of her soft coat against his hand. It seemed like every hair on her body scraped every nerve on his to stimulate his senses. Her four hooves and belly were pressed against his chest, reminding him of just how small she was. He’d have to treat her gently to keep from breaking her. He winced a little as his mind went back to earlier that day when he’d thrown her against the wall. She was probably still in pain and just didn’t say anything about it.

At feeling Daemeon’s body suddenly tremble, Colgate asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t we going to the warm place?”

Daemeon again ran his hand down the length of her back and pressed her face against his chest. He curled his legs up to his chest and bent them around Colgate’s form to completely encapsulate her in a cocoon of warmth. Daemeon felt his heartbeat begin to settle down from his excursion. He whispered indecipherably, “We’re already there.”

“What?” Colgate asked in a muffled voice.

Daemeon cleared his throat and answered, “Nothing. Just give me a few moments to rest. Then we’ll be on our way and arrive at the cathedral in no time.”

Colgate thought absently, “What’s a cathedral?” She decided not to ask however as she was beginning to feel like that was all she was good for. Daemeon had a plan. She was sure of it. Whatever a cathedral was, it was going to be warm and safe and that was all she cared about. So, she contented herself to listen to Daemeon’s rapid heartbeats thumping noisily into her ear, echoing the rush of blood through her big ape’s body. “Then again,” she mused to herself, “it’s pretty warm right here too.”

The rest of their journey went without incident. A few heads were turned as Daemeon walked down the street with a bag slung over his shoulder, but nothing serious came of it. In a fairly dirty dress shirt and scraggly with a shadow that was well past five o'clock, he cut an unusual figure in a city brimming with unusual figures. In a sense, he was completely ordinary. Daemeon had always thrived on being ordinary, in the background. The less conspicuous he was, the less likely he was to get caught doing what he did best. After all, what good was his education if he couldn’t spread it because he was in prison or dead?

Colgate was more leery of the turned heads than Daemeon. She didn’t quite understand the concept of being just another stranger on the street. Every glance and pair of eyes seemed like they were searching for her and were going to steal her away should they see her. After the incident in the apartment, Colgate didn’t want to run the risk of getting separated from her Daemeon again. So, she kept her face sunk into the bag and hardly gave a glance to the many buildings they passed. She didn’t much want to look at them in any case. She’d get dizzy before her eyes could even follow to the tops of the tremendous buildings.

Her hidden solace ended when Daemeon stopped walking, slung her off his shoulder, and said, “We’re here.”

Colgate poked her nose through the hole in the bag. She was greeted with a terrific sight. The structure stood out in a sharp contrast against the surrounding buildings. Where the rest of the city stood tall and simple with little more to its shape than absurdly large, square towers that reached to touch the sky, the building before her was art by comparison. A tremendous pair of double doors stood at the top of some great, sweeping steps. They were positioned below a beautifully designed rose window that glinted in the city lights. To her left and her right, the blue mare was awed by two spires that ascended like towering spear points, giving the building both beauty and menace. The wonder was clear in her voice as she asked, “Is this the cathedral?”

Daemeon grimaced at the sight of the building and responded, “Yes.”

“It’s so beautiful and scary,” she said, her eyes twinkling at the sight. “What’s it used for? Is it a castle? Or is it somebody’s home? Is it this pretty on the inside too?”

He hugged the mare to his chest and explained, “It’s a house of lies.”

Colgate snorted and turned her head up, getting a good view of the inside of Daemeon’s nose, to say, “You’re always so dramatic. I bet whatever it is, it isn’t as bad as you say.”

“I suppose I never asked you about that.” Daemeon took a few steps and sat down on the cathedral’s steps. With the bag still wrapped around her, Daemeon positioned her in his lap facing him and asked, “Do you ponies believe in God?”

The small blue mare puckered her face and asked, “What’s god?”

Daemeon’s head fell back as he muttered, “Oh boy. Well, if that isn’t a question for the ages.” He slid his slender fingers through his sleek brown hair, noting how messy the day had made it. He sighed and looked down at his filthy shirt, his wet pants, the gauze wrapped around his cut hand, and his own breath, visible in the cold night air. He preferred to look his best but was used to his current state as well. “I must look damnably ugly right now.” He looked back into Colgate’s eyes poking through the hole in the garbage bag and explained, “A lot of the people in this world worship this entity they call God. They believe it created the world. They build buildings like these literally everywhere in the world.”

“Wow,” Colgate mouthed in awe, looking back up at the pointed spires. “This god thing must do everything for your people if they all worship him. Have you seen it before? Is it another person? Is it a he or a she?”

Daemeon held up a hand and said, “Whoa, whoa. Hold your horses, pardon the pun. One question at a time please. God, at least in the popular belief, does not have a gender. Most people refer to it as He, but that’s mostly because we don’t really have a gender neutral personal pronoun. People also say that it is a person and isn’t. They also say that it looks like us but doesn’t. People also say it is everywhere and is everything.”

The little mare’s face scrunched in disbelief, and she said, “Well, that sounds weird. People must have seen it though. Have you seen it? What do you think it looks like?”

Daemeon shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s the thing though. Nobody’s ever seen it. Most people don’t even pretend to have seen it. And the people who say they have are called either liars, crazies, or prophets, each more dangerous than the last. There is no actual proof to lend credence towards its existence aside from fanciful ideas that are most often as easily disproved as they are conceived.”

Colgate blinked her eyes at the absurdity of everything Daemeon was saying. She lifted a hoof inside her bag and scratched behind her ear as she said, “Wait. You’re saying none of you have seen this god thing, and not one of you has any actual proof that it exists. And not only do a lot of you believe in it, but you also worship it?”

Daemeon nodded solemnly and stated, “Not just a lot of people. Most people in the world believe in God. They might not all believe exactly the same things about God, but they more or less all agree that there is this single entity that created everything in the universe and controls pretty much everything everywhere; the sun and the stars, the creatures of the Earth, the tides, the weather, all life and death, and every situation that arises everywhere. They are also very much under the impression that this imagined being, in all his power, is extremely concerned with every little thing every little person does at every moment of every day. It’s only been a quite recent phenomenon in our history that there have come to be large numbers of people who have given up on the notion of God altogether.”

Not much caring for her open exposure to the cold, Colgate shivered and shimmied up to Daemeon’s chest. She thumped the side of her head against his breast and asked, “Don’t you take care of all that stuff yourselves? I suppose you might not if you don’t have magic. In Equestria, we ponies learned a long time ago that the world is propelled by magical energy. In time, unicorns such as myself grew more and more adept at harnessing it. Eventually, we took over the functions of the world. We raise the sun, moon, and stars. The night and the day are at the beck and call of our two princesses. The weather is controlled mostly by the pegasi, and the animals are the domain of the Earth ponies. Only in the most untamed corners of our world do we not have control. And we’ll eventually take control of those places too. It’s really just a matter of time.”

Daemeon wrapped an arm around the cold mare and said, “You really do come from a world of fairy tales don’t you?”

Colgate’s ears twitched at the feel of his warm breath as she stated, “You’ve said that before.”

“Have I?” Daemeon muttered, mostly to himself. “I suppose I have. It probably won’t be the last time I say it either. If I weren’t already talking to a little, blue unicorn, I’d call you a liar. I guess I’m hardly in the position to pass off judgments on your world though. I’ve never been there.”

Daemeon’s little, blue unicorn snorted and pressed harder against him as she said, “You creatures must be really smart. The buildings you build are huge and scary and those carriages can go really fast without anypony pulling. This god thing you believe in seems awfully silly to me though. I think your kind just has a much harder time understanding magic than we ponies, so you give it the name of god and try to reason its meanings out of nothing. If you humans think god is magic, then what do you think magic is?”

“Huh,” Daemeon mused aloud. “I guess we think it’s the same thing you think it is. Magic, for a believer, would be someone who is using the power of God to do things that are otherwise impossible, like all those things you say you ponies do.”

Despite the warmth of Daemeon’s body pressed against her’s, Colgate shivered and said, “I’ll admit, this thing called god that you humans believe in sounds pretty stupid to me. That being said, I have about as much right to pass judgment on your world as you do on mine. Do you think we could stop talking about it and go inside already? I’m freezing out here.”

Not at all a fan of the cold himself, Daemeon nodded and said, “Yes, but we can’t just walk right in. The cathedral is closed to visitors at night. The priest on duty, however, will usually let me in. I’m going to have to talk to him before we can enter. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as you stay quiet.”

“I’ll stay quiet,” she answered softly, “but why would we be staying at a place like this? I mean, you don’t believe in this god thing, and you say this is where humans come to worship it. Wouldn’t you rather stay anyplace else?”

Daemeon stood from the freezing stone steps and said with a dour voice, “Personal feelings aside, this is our best bet. Nobody else will be here except the priest, and we won’t have to pay. The old fool thinks that I’m some special soul he has to save and bring to God. All I have to do is entertain the goon for a few minutes, and he’ll leave us alone.”

Colgate whispered from Daemeon’s arms, “You’ve done this before?”

The mare felt Daemeon’s body stiffen at the question. He gave a somewhat exasperated sigh and answered, “More times than I’d care to admit. Being a free man on the streets, never residing, always squatting, has its benefits, but plans are always apt to fall through. When I have no place left to go, I come here. This cathedral has long been a convenience for me. I’ll use it for as long as I can. If I lose it, I’ll just go find someplace else.”

The pair stood in silence for a moment as Daemeon looked up at the massive double doors. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, but the church was lit up to show its splendor. Colgate had described it as beautiful and scary. Daemeon had never seen it as either of those things. All he saw in it was shame and ignorance. If there was anything beautiful or scary about it, it was how it could so easily dupe so many people into believing in something with no real proof.

The brief silence was interrupted when Colgate asked timidly, “How long have you been homeless?”

Daemeon flinched at the question. Instead of answering, he flung the mare over his shoulder and said, “Don’t say a word and don’t stick your nose out. If you are seen for any reason, pretend to be a stuffed animal again. That shouldn’t happen, but be careful anyways. I have to go talk to the priest.”

Without waiting for an answer, Daemeon ascended the steps and stopped before the massive door. He lifted his hand and brought it down heavily six times, each knock louder than the last. It was how he always knocked on the door, and it was how he knew it would even be answered. He and Colgate waited in the cold for a few more minutes before the door lurched open to reveal a small man wearing a black robe that fell to his feet. The only things that stood out to adorn the plain garment was a sash tied around the small man’s waist and a white collar that ran around his sagging neck. His impressive age was quite apparent in his stooped back and the many liver spots speckling his bald and wrinkled head.

While looking the part of a shadow on the cusp of death, it would come as a surprise to hear him loudly declare, “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son returned?” The old man shifted a pair of massively thick glasses up his nose and stated, “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it. I’m getting to be a bit of an older dog, so you’ll have to speak up this time. How are you doing, uhh, Victor is it? Or did you retire Victor? Are you back to Kurt? Or Justin? You never could keep a fake name straight. I suppose you mustn't spend a lot of time with a single stranger. Your memory isn’t nearly as good as you say it is.”

Daemeon flinched and bit his lip. He had in fact forgotten that the priest didn’t know his name. It had always been a minor point for him. He rarely ever told anybody his real name, even if he knew he’d never see that person again. Before, he would have shrugged off the joke and kept going. Now though, he had been keeping up the facade for Colgate. He sighed at the realization that he wasn’t going to be able to keep it up anymore, “Well, it was just a matter of time really.” He reached up his bandaged hand and swept his thin fingers through his messy hair, “What am I going to tell her now? She probably won’t let it go this time.”

With surprising agility, the old priest’s hand shot up and grabbed a hold of Daemeon’s wrist. Too stunned to argue, Daemeon watched as the old man brought the hand to his wrinkled face and said, “Cut up there, sunny boy? You’re in trouble again, aren’t you?” Daemeon pulled his hand away and the elderly cleric fell to laughing an ugly cackle that echoed in the night to disappear into the sounds of traffic. When the old man finally regained his composure, he stated, “It’s always trouble with you! What did you do this time?”

Daemeon’s eyes fell to the ground as he answered with some irritation, “Don’t worry about it old man. You know the drill. Just let me inside already. It’s freezing out here.”

The priest scowled and demanded, “Why should I let your sorry ass in here? Every time you knock on this door I bend the rules and let you in. Every time I give in. Why should I even bother anymore. You’ve clearly never learned anything from me.”

The old man moved to close the door, but Daemeon stopped him and said, “Fr. Allen, wait!”

While Daemeon wasn’t a strong man, the priest was hardly in a position to argue. Unable to close the door, he asked, “Give me one good reason why I should let you into God’s house!”

Daemeon responded by prodding a finger in Fr. Allen’s chest and saying, “Because that sermon was never about the Prodigal Son. It was always about the forgiving father, the father that took his son back despite all the terrible things he did. You’re going to let me in because, deep down, you really believe that I’m just some lost sheep and all you have to do is call my name softly enough, and I’ll just come back and get in with the rest of the poor fools who follow you, protected by you only because they are useful and can be eaten. You think that this is just a phase and that I’ll fall in line, even if I say I never will.”

Fr. Allen’s face softened a little. The little man stood proudly for several seconds before he gave a defeated sigh and said, “You sure know your Testaments. It might have been a better world if you hadn’t learned to read. Fine. You can come in. I’m sorry to say that it’s kinda chilly in here tonight too. Higher ups decided it didn’t make quite so much sense to keep an empty building heated up so well.”

The priest backed up and gestured the man and his mare in. Daemeon walked in, careful not to let Fr. Allen get a good look at the bag, and asked, “Do you think we can get some blankets or something? I’d like to just warm up in a pew.”

A bushy eyebrow rose over the thick frame of Fr. Allen’s glasses as he asked, “We?”

Making a quick save, Daemeon answered, “Yeah. Aren’t you cold too?”

“I’m always cold!” the old man bellowed with a laugh. “A blanket wouldn’t change that. Besides, if the chill bites me tonight, and I kick the bucket, it won’t matter much anyways.” He walked a bit to the nearest pew and took a grunting seat. Every bone and joint seemed to creak as he went down. When he felt himself situated, he went on, “I’m old, boy. I might not act it, but the Spirit’s closing in on me. Soon, my soul will leave this world, and this old body will be nothing but a pile of bones.”

Daemeon took a few steps forward and looked down on the frail man. He looked even worse in the night lighting of the cathedral. His eyelids were almost sagged shut and his neck no longer seemed strong enough to hold his head up appropriately, much like a child’s. In curiosity, Daemeon asked, “Why on Earth are you still working here? Why haven’t they retired you?”

The priest smiled and explained, “They tried to. I told them that I’d stop eating if they took me away from here.” He broke into another fit of laughing. This time however, it ended with him doubling over and coughing out some mucous. Daemeon watched, undisturbed, until the old man again righted himself. He didn’t take his eyes from the ground as he continued, “This is my home, boy. And there is no way in Heaven or Earth that they’re going to take me from my home. They tried to reason with me but gave up. They weren’t too worried in any case. All I am is a guard dog. I’ve been walking this dark cathedral for twenty-six years now. What was another two or three to them?”

Daemeon walked to the front of the man and knelt down. A serious frown besmirched his face as he asked, “Doesn’t it bother you that you’re going to die?”

Fr. Allen’s smile did not waver as he answered, “Not really. I did good. I lived the way God wanted me to. I met and worked with so many wonderful people in my life, and they’ve all taught me something. And I, in turn, have taught them.” With some effort, he raised a hand and placed it on Daemeon’s shoulder, right where the plastic bag was slung over, and said, “You see, child of God, death is a happy thing to conclude such a beautiful life with.”

Daemeon scowled in anger and demanded, “But what if you’re wrong? What if God doesn’t exist? How can you believe in what you haven’t seen? Wouldn’t you regret your entire life then? Wouldn’t it have all been a waste?”

The smile dimmed on Fr. Allen’s face. A twinkle of moisture peeked at the corner of an eye as he said, “Even if all that were true, there would only be one thing that I truly regret.”

With a face set like stone, Daemeon asked, “And just what would that be?”

Fr. Allen’s eyes closed as he whispered, “That I was never able to make you understand what life is really about.”

Rolling his eyes, Daemeon begged sarcastically, “And just what might that be?”

The priest lurched forward suddenly and struggled to his feet. Daemeon stood with him and waited until the old man had found his balance. Balancing himself against the pew, the priest answered, “If you haven’t figured it out yet, my telling you won’t make a lick of difference.” With that, he pushed forward and started walking away.

Daemeon puffed out his chest in indignation and bellowed, “Try me!”

The priest stopped his walking and turned towards Daemeon. He sighed heavily and stated, “I’m too old to argue with you anymore. However, I reckon this’ll probably be the last time you see me, so I’ll tell you this. Life is a journey. Whether the journey is good or bad depends entirely on how you travel. If you don’t think your life is good, then you’re doing something wrong.” The cleric bowed his head and continued, “I had a good journey. I only pray that, before the end, you can say the same thing.”

Daemeon took a step towards the retreating man to stop him but was halted by an upraised hand as Fr. Allen stated absently, “I’m going to bed. Would you be a dear and hold the night vigil for me? You can grab some robes from the sacristy to curl up in. It’s unlocked. There’s also some wafers under the sink if you’re hungry. I’d ask that you would stay away from the wine if you could. They’ll notice if that’s missing. I don’t think I have to tell you to be gone by the time the sun rises.” Daemeon stood still as the priest disappeared out a door, leaving the massive cathedral empty save for the man and his mare.

At the thought of his solitude, Daemeon whisked the bag from his shoulder and set it on the ground. He opened it up to reveal the massive hall to Colgate’s wide eyes. Her mouth fell wide open as she slowly did a full turn, trying to take in every inch of the massive cathedral. Daemeon left the mare to her moment of awe until she said, “It’s even prettier on the inside.”

Daemeon gave the familiar structure a once over himself. It was all exactly as he remembered it. The banners were different colors from the last time he’d been there. The seasons were always changing. He shivered at the thought of seasons. “Fr. Allen was right. It’s freezing in here.” He turned back to Colgate and said, “Come on. I’ll grab us some food.”

Colgate hopped out of her prison, glad to be free, and followed Daemeon into the sacristy at the far end of the Cathedral. Every step was filled with wonder as she marveled at the architecture. “I can’t believe they don’t have magic. Everything they build is so big.”

After having to prod the awestruck mare on several times, and dodging questions about the table in the center of the massive room, Daemeon brought the pair to the sacristy. He opened the door and walked in, not the least bit worried. He’d filched from the sacristy several times over the years with Fr. Allen. This wasn’t the first time he’d come in cold and hungry. The room was decently large for a sacristy and contained many of the trappings of the church. Dozens of jars of incense lined the shelves. Cabinets lined every wall containing the tools for worship.

Daemeon crossed the room and opened a large cabinet containing dozens of white cassocks. He snatched out a couple of the plus sizes and slipped them on over his clothes. Colgate sat back on her haunches and asked, “How come you humans wear so many clothes? Almost all of the ones I’ve seen have been covered from head to paws.”

Daemeon popped his head out of the large alb, already feeling quite a bit warmer, and explained, “Humans gave up their furry bodies for their intelligence. As we grew smarter, we learned how to make clothes and cover ourselves. We were then able to move from our warmer climates and flourish in the cold.” He walked across the sacristy to a large double basin sink and opened the doors beneath it. Several boxes of communion wafers, packaged by the thousand, sat together. Daemeon grabbed out one of the boxes and continued, “We have less need of clothing now with our conditioned homes and for those who live in warmer climates, but we still wear them. It’s considered indecent not to wear clothes in public.”

Colgate stood up on her hind legs, looking very much like a prairie cat, and asked, “Why would it be indecent to go outside without clothes? I mean, we ponies wear clothes, but that’s just to look nice. We don’t wear clothes most of the time.”

Daemeon bent down and picked up the mare. He tucked her into the nook of his arm and walked out of the sacristy, closing the door in his wake. He mulled over the question in his head as he brought them to a padded pew near the altar. He took a seat, setting the little, blue mare down beside him, and answered, “A lot of people believe it’s because the first man ever created ate the fruit from the tree of forbidden knowledge. They say God punished the man for trying to be like it, that mankind was not meant to be like God. So, as the story goes, we were kicked out of paradise and made to live in toil and shame, never again able to enjoy life as simply because we were no longer innocent.”

The mare curled her legs beneath her and rested her head against Daemeon’s lap. She silently yawned and interjected, “But you don’t believe in God. So, what do you think?”

Daemeon dropped an arm around his little mare and said, “I think, mostly, we like to be warm.”

Colgate smiled and curled in closer until the length of her body was pressed against her big ape’s leg. She sighed in contentment, glad to finally be resting in something other than a garbage bag. She couldn’t really remember a time she’d ever been so exhausted in her entire life. Sleep would have come over her right then if it weren’t for a nagging question that stood out in her mind. She had not met many humans, but it seemed like they were all very different from Daemeon. Each one seemed to know how to crack a smile or had a cheery demeanor. Fr. Allen seemed to laugh even with death on the horizon. So, with a tone that was both gentle and serious, Colgate asked, “Daemeon?”

“Yeah?”

The mare rolled onto her back and looked into his eyes. Daemeon couldn’t help but marvel at how crystal blue they were. She pressed a hoof against his belly and asked, “Can you tell me why you’re like this? Why do you see the world the way you do?”

Daemeon lifted his hand and ran it up and down her chest. He looked away and answered in a quivering voice, “It’s a long story.”

She gave him a smile and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

The moisture in his eyes was becoming evident as he said, “I suppose you’re not.”

Colgate responded by wrapping her hooves around the hand at her belly and saying, “I’m listening.”

“Okay,” he whispered, “here goes.”