Perchance to Dream

by David Silver

26 - Coming Clean

Work was finally over. It had been a busy day with frustratingly little progress. Still, there was some progress. The pieces were as much in place as they could be for the time, and the office was closing up. Besides, I was tired and ready to go home.

And there was Kevin. He was just outside. "Hey, Linnie!" A little nickname there. "Let's get something to eat, maybe talk?"

Dinner sounded great, but... "Maybe it would be better if we actually ate at home, all things considered."

He looked disappointed a moment before he got it. "Oh! I'll meet you at your place, sure. Dinner's on me!"

We moved for our cars even as I waved it off. "We can split the bill, but thanks for the offer." I didn't feel right accepting that, considering I'd soon be charging him rent. "See you there."

A short jaunt across a bit of highway and we were at my house. I had the door open with a quick twist of the key and I waved him in.

Inside, he was already tapping at his phone. "I have an app for this."

That hardly seemed surprising. What wasn't there an app for? "Let's keep it simple." I sat on the easy chair and turned it slightly to face the sofa. "We have things to chat about."

Food was ordered, then he sat down across from me. "So... I've been thinking." His fingers remained still. He wasn't a stranger to communication, and he wasn't looking aimless or meandering with nervous fingers. "First, we're going to be around each other more, and I think trust is an important thing."

"Alright." I couldn't argue that, but it felt like a dead end.

"So... I didn't come in randomly." I raised a brow at him, and he continued. "I've heard you talking a few times. Your office is far from sound proofed. The others probably thought you were on a phone call, but I heard Twilight. I had to see what it was, so when I heard you chatting again today, I--"

"--You came rushing in," I finished for him with a little sigh. "I see." I frowned a little, but it eased away. None of what he had done was, inherently, a crime. Perhaps a touch rude, barging into my office, but there I was in clear violation of the rules. I had no real leg to stand on to be angry at him. "And now?"

He smiled. "Now I... get to meet Twilight? Can you call her, or does she just decide when she shows up? I mean, how'd you even meet her?!"

"The latter." I stood up and went for a glass of water. "It's complicated." I considered whether I should mention I visited pony land in my sleep, and decided against it, for the moment. "She comes when she wants to. She's very curious about our world and how it works."

"That is, pardon the French, fucking amazing." He stood up and followed after me, taking a glass as well. "You realize that makes you the ambassador between two entire worlds, right?"

Oh boy... "Let's not go down that road. She's not trying to open any grand--"

"Have you asked?" He tipped his glass at me. "You're so used to making what other people want done smoother."

I hadn't asked, but... "Even if she did, which I still doubt, what would I do with it, besides being laughed at?"

He went quiet a moment. "Can she come here?" he queried just before the doorbell rang.

The food had arrived. We paid up and sent the delivery man on his way. As I sat down in the dining room, I shook my head at Kevin. "So far as I know, no. Before you ask, that goes both ways. Twilight said without a mirror portal, whatever that is, it isn't happening."

"That's canon?" He raised a brow. "If they have those, can't they make one pointed in the right direction?"

I had no idea, and admitted as such. "What even is a mirror portal?"

So he told me. While he did so, he casually flipped on Equestria Girls on my TV, which had Netflix built in and ready to go.

So we watched some of that as we ate, and I had some idea of how Twilight saw people, though... "She mentioned the video she saw of her wasn't a hundred percent accurate."

He shrugged at that. "The fact that it's even recognizable is, itself, a miracle beyond calculating. So, yeah, there's a mirror portal. Pony goes in, human comes out, and vice versa. Everyone comes out looking right for the world they're going into." He put his fork down. "Sorry, but, really, this is happening?"

Kevin sounded excited, and I couldn't entirely blame him. "Let me repeat, no one. Not your best friend. Not your mother. Not your dog."

"I don't have one of those. I have a cat?"

"Don't tell them," I said harshly. "You've watched enough movies to know how it goes. You tell just one person, suddenly everyone knows. Can I trust you to handle this like a state secret?"

He gave the smallest nod. "Y-yeah, so... You just talk to her?"

I gave a smile at that. "I've met the others."

He slapped down a hand. "All of them?!"

I counted on my fingers as I went. "Well, Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash--"

"Jesus." He stood up. "Jesus Christ... Can... can I meet them too? They can all pop up on your monitor?"

I thought back quickly. "With Twilight's help. I can't make any promises for them, but we can ask Twilight, next time she visits. Look, for now, relax. I know that's basically the opposite of what you feel right now, but, really, relax. This will be a lot easier to tackle once we're settled in." Something bothered me. "Didn't you say you watched for your niece?"

"Ssssorta?" He gave a sheepish smile. "Don't get me wrong, I do watch with her, but maybe also without her? I like it, alright? Besides, this is real now!" He started cleaning up the clutter of dinner, one point for him. "Look, I'm serious. Like you said, I've seen enough movies. How about we both be adults and not mess this up the dozens of obvious ways we could mess it up, alright? She clearly knows and trusts you, so you're in charge. I just want the chance to be a part, that's all." He put the trash in the trash and the dishes in the sink. "No crazy blabbing or backstabbing."

That sounded comforting, but it didn't put it all to rest. There were too many variables. "So, in theory, let's say Twilight did get a mirror working. What then?" I rolled a hand at him. "We both have lives here. I don't plan to give mine up, and even implying we might have such a thing to the world will end that life quickly, possibly violently. So what would you even do with it?"

He lifted his shoulders a bit as he washed dishes, another little point for him. "Have the best vacations ever? Are they as cute in person? She looked a bit more like a horse than she did in the cartoons."

I almost blew my story. I caught myself. "That would require us being in the same room, instead of looking through a screen. You saw her. Besides, aren't they horses? She's just not a cartoon cutesy horse." A thought occurred. "Would you want to spend a weekend on hooves?"

"I think only a coward would say no to the chance to try it." He shrugged. "Not like I couldn't hop back to the human world when I was tired of being on all fours."

Only a coward? "I imagine a lot of people would hesitate before making that call. Having your body change is a classic horror trope for a reason. It's no small thing." I felt a little silly giving that speech, leading the double life I was leading. "What we see in the mirror is one of the anchors of our lives."

"Anchors are made for drawing up once in a while." He turned off the water and wiped his hands dry. "Look, we're doing that right now. I don't like it, but I'm doing it. We're leaving most of what I, at least, knew behind. Compared to that, a weekend of being a horse sounds charmingly novel."

I decided to stop grilling him about that part. It matched what I had predicted, by and large. "Kevin... Let's do this smart."

He smiled at that. "I plan to. Thank you, Linda, for not freaking out. I want to be a part of this, a good part, promise." He tossed the towel he had used into the laundry basket. "So, boss, what's next?"

What was next... That was a great question. "Right now, nothing. You go home. I stay home. This gets paused until we do the move. We successfully relocate, and Twilight will probably come to visit at our new home. That's likely the best time for you two to meet, and we can plan from there."

"Right!" He thrust a hand at me and gave a firm shake when I met it. "It's a plan. I will pretend nothing is happening until then, even if I'm freaking out a little on the inside. Just promise me we will handle this, and I'll keep myself waiting until then, okay?"

"Okay." I let out a little breath and smiled. "I bet this wasn't what you were expecting to be a part of."

"Not complaining." He held up a hand. "Only the waiting part, but not complaining. I'll do right by you, and Twilight." Suddenly he was hugging me. It was a firm hug, and his hands never went to places deserving of a slap. "Thank you!" He released me just as quickly, thankfully. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

We said our goodbyes and off he went, practically bouncing in his steps. He was excited, and there was plenty of reason to be. I couldn't blame him for that. I just hoped he would keep his word and we wouldn't fall for the obvious pitfalls along the way.

"Is he gone?"

I spun to see Twilight on my television screen, looking at me and glancing towards the door. "I didn't want to interrupt your meeting."

I closed the door and locked the deadbolt just to be sure. "I didn't expect you here."

"I thought I'd try, but I did it while standing away from the pool, so my reflection wouldn't immediately show." Twilight came closer, dominating the screen. "This one feels different. Is this a computer?" She reached forward and tinked on the inside of my LCD.

"It's about the same thing, just not connected to a computer," I assured.

"I was wondering why the moving picture seemed to dominate the screen. You normally had it in a corner while you were drafting your correspondence. Was the meeting successful?"

I caught Twilight up on things as I tidied up and prepared for winding down and bed. "I'll see you in person, Twilight."

"Looking forward to it." She faded away.

Author's Note:

Mysteries illuminated, and the plot proceeds!

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Comments

[tsaukpaetra]

Boundaries established, plans made!
Twilight learned from her blunder, good on her!
At least he didn't try pushing the issue, he probably suspects Linda to have had more personal contact than mere pictures...
Keep going! ;)

[Booster Spice]

At this rate, Twilights going to try the mirror portal using an 8k o some such, and Kevins going to end up the other side, as Kevin.

[StormDancer]

Heh... imagine Twilight's reaction to a projector screen... or heck, one of those water screens they use at Epcot.

o.o

Actually.... don't. I'm not sure that's a good idea.

[Daremo]

too many variable - too many variables

accepting that considering - accepting that, considering

---

Just a couple of typos today, technically just one since a missing comma is barely a nibble.

Kevin seems to be handing things maturely, better than maturely as he's just been handed strong evidence that the universe has real magic in it... or he's gone completely insane.

---

"You're so used to making what other people want done smoother."

One might say that she eases the entry for her clients... into new markets and business opportunities, but there I go being less mature than the protagonist again.

[David Silver]

7915770 Tweaked to approval. Can you hop on Discord a sec?

[Warrior Kitten]

7915810
I don't think Discord would appreciate that.

I'm sorry. It's a bad joke, but I couldn't resist making it.

[Drunk Thoughts]

Hnngg, I don't know about this Kevin guy, I'm trying to be an optimist and see where his character go. You have turned uninteresting(to me anyway) character into well established and like able character before, I'm sure you can do it again. Well, I wouldn't say his character is as bad as I make it seems, but there still an itch, a big itch that just make me don't like him. Maybe it's just fatigue from other character like him. Maybe he is rushed. Guess I just have to see.

[RadicalDishonesty]

"Potentially becoming a horse once will shock and destroy everything in your world! Yes, I seem to totally own it, after a short episode that might even be more about ghosts than trauma... but if you could do it it could collapse your whole identity!"

I dunno if I wanna compliment Linda on caring about others or frown at her for having no confidence other people could handle it.

[wlam]

8132858
She does come across as a bit of a randomly too concerned and randomly too unconcerned little shit at this point anyway.

[Ephedianroyalty]

I like the fact that the ‘petrification’ at random times only happens in mlp. It works better than her turning into an unfortunate insomniac, a d is much more enjoyable to read.