//------------------------------// // A letter // Story: Phoenix blood // by Mikoyose //------------------------------// Groaning, I laid in bed a little longer as I held my head. Hangovers were one of the worst things to happen, waking up in a completely different location on a bed in the nude with three women. But thinking on it I am technically naked, the fur is a welcome addition although. There was a knock on the door, "James? Are you awake?" It was Bon bon. I groaned in response and she opened the door, thankfully I was facing away so the light didn't hurt as much. "Bad hangover? You did drink a lot yesterday and it looked like you were already drunk so I'm not surprised." "I'm never drinking again..." I could practically hear her roll her eyes before she told me that breakfast was ready and somepony left a letter for me downstairs as well. "I'll be down in... a few minutes." I kept staring at the wall as she left and closed the door. Back in thankful darkness I sat up slowly and dragged myself into the bathroom to take a shower, staying under the water for a while before actually washing up. Once I was dry I walked downstairs and greeted Lyra and Bon bon. They smiled and greeted me back, Lyra with a mouthful of oatmeal. "So where's that letter?" I asked and the mint mare levitated it over and opened it for me. "Thank you," I told her, muttering to myself, "Stupid hooves can't hold anything." "You're welcome James." she replied as I went to work on reading it. I could feel an eyebrow raising in suspicion. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "No, just this letter is very strange..." I got to the bottom and my eyes widened as I read the name, "Rosemary..." Before they could say anything I threw the door open and flew away. This can't be real. This is just a coincidence, not the real Rosemary. It has to be some strange pony is all. I tried to keep my hopes down as I sped across the sky towards the location it had on the letter. Near the White tail woods in a small house surrounded by blue flowers. Twilight had told me about the Poison Joke so I'd rather not end up having my bones turn into glass or have my wings on my stomach. I shot past Rainbow while she was working and I landed at the edge of the home and looked at the mailbox, no name on it. I trotted to the door and knocked, I could feel my wings shaking, I wasn't sure whether it was from fear or excitement. Either way my face stayed as emotionless as always. The door slowly opened up to show a dark yellow mare with emerald eyes and a scarlet mane. She smiled widely at me before hugging me. I tensed up, jaw dropping as she spoke in a voice that made my wings extend with a loud pompf, "I missed you James." I pushed her back to get a good look at her. She gave me a large smile, there was no doubt in my mind. I hugged her tightly with a smile, this was Rosemary. I barely registered feeling slightly weaker after the embrace. I heard flapping and let her go to see Rainbow Dash land. "Hi James, who's this mare? Your girlfriend?" the cyan mare teased. "No, this is my wife Rosemary." I smiled at her and she smiled back, nuzzling me. Her jaw dropped. "This is Rosemary?" she asked and I nodded. "Rosemary this is a friend of mine, Rainbow Dash." "Hello Miss Dash." She held out a hoof, Dash shook it. "Uh... Nice to meet you Rose." Rosemary gave her a bemused expression. "I don't like being called Rose." "Sorry Rosemary." she looked at her for a second, "I... got to go, see you later James." she shot off, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. I ignored her and hugged Rosemary. "I missed you so much Rosemary." She returned the hug, I felt myself weakening again. I would've ignored it if my gut wasn't telling me it was a bad sign. She petted my mane until I let go several minutes later, telling me that she needed to get some sleep. She said that she'd been looking for days and hadn't gotten much sleep, I nodded and gave her a kiss before flying away. Glancing back, I watched her go into the home and smiled, She's actually here! I need to tell the Doctor. "Shining, why don't you like James? He's just a pony who's had a bad past." Cadence said. He looked at his wife. "That doesn't excuse his actions." he stated, taking off his helmet. "I know you want me to be nice to him but nopony knows where he came from, he just appeared in the Canterlot gardens. There's something strange about him." He looked out the window and rubbed his horn, it was smooth where the blood landed on it. Cadence put a hoof on his shoulder. "You can at least give him a chance, who knows maybe you two will end up being friends." He looked at her and sighed, at least Celestia wasn't sending him off to become friends with me. He began writing a letter to Twilight, asking her to tell him anything about my blood. Just then a soldier came in and saluted, "Important letter from the Princesses." he gave held out the scroll and Shining took it, opened it, and read it and told the soldier he could leave. Cadence walked over and asked about it. "Celestia wants me to go to ponyville to relax and get to know James. She clearly wants me to keep an eye on him just in case he does something strange." he nodded at his 'clever' realization of her letters hidden meaning. His wife rolled her eyes. "Maybe she just wanted you to just relax, as a vacation not some mission. I asked her to, we can go visit Twily and her friends." she continued to talk to him, trying to convince him that he shouldn't stalk James. He told her that it wasn't stalking and he was ordered to essentially. She finally managed to convince him, after several minutes of arguing, with a promise of letting him train the Crystal empire guards. I strolled into town with a big grin on my face, feeling happier than I have been. Ponies stared at me, not used to seeing me smile. Pinkie saw me smiling and shot over to me in a pink blur with a massive smile that stretched across her face, making it look like her jaw and skull were two rows of teeth and he could just lift the top of her head off. "Did you find your wife in a cabin on the edge of the town?" she asked, I felt an eyebrow raise and was about to ask how she knew but she stopped me with the answer, "Just a hunch." I just shook my head and watched her bounce away, Jordan would have a field day here. I continued my little stroll, nothing could ruin my mood now. I saw the Doctor in the distance and flew towards him, "Doctor!" He turned, he was walking with Ditzy and DInky. "James, you're actually smiling!" he said with clear awe. I stopped in front of them and told him about finding Rosemary, the letter, her home on the edge of town and everything. He blinked as he processed what I had told him before smiling, "Congratulations James. It seems I was wrong." I walked past him and towards the home I was currently in, I heard Ditzy say something strange though. "But that house was empty Doctor. I haven't seen anypony new." I looked back to tell her she probably didn't notice but they were galloping away. I rolled my eyes and continued to Bon bon's home.