Kiwe’s grin when he saw his friend is class almost hurt his muzzle. “Jade! I’m ready to go to your home today after school, my parents said it was okay.”
Jade held a forced smile as he looked at Kiwe sitting in his seat beside him. “Uhm, about that. Can we talk about it at recess, in private?”
Kiwe’s ears fell slightly, but he nodded in understanding, hoping it wasn’t what he thought, again.
The first hours passed painfully slowly and it seemed like Miss Caramel was spending more time than she should have covering each of the topics. Kiwe looked at the clock constantly and when recess arrived he felt a nervous chill run through him. Jade waited for him beside his desk and they made their way to the yard in silence.
Kiwe, following an unspoken implication, led Jade to a spot under the slide where they could talk but nopony would care. He scuffed his forehoof across the ground. “So, you wanted to talk?”
“Yeah,” Jade said softly. “You see, about my home,” he swallowed loudly, “my parents aren’t going to be home until a couple hours after school and I don’t know if you’re going to be okay with that.”
Kiwe’s ears perked and he grinned, fighting the urge to hug the colt. “That’s all?” he barked a laugh, “of course it’s okay. I was worried it was something much worse.”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “It is kind of serious because when I was a baby King Sombra might take lone children from their homes for nefarious purposes, so anypony staying at home never stayed alone. It’s part of our culture, I guess, I’m sorry.”
Kiwe placed his left forehoof on Jade’s chest. “Those days are past and with me there you won’t be alone, there is no reason to feel you must atone. And don’t feel sorry, feel happy that you are with a friend like me,” Kiwe gave a playful shove and Jade smiled then quickly lowered his head.
Kiwe giggled and turned, running as his friend began to chase him in a game of tag. Before long other foals had joined in and half a dozen laughing and running ponies were playing with Kiwe and Jade through the rest of recess.
“Kiwe, my home’s just another block down, keep up.”
“I apologize, I’ve never been to this part of the city, it’s very nice. Nicer than my neighborhood in style, anyway. I haven’t met the ponies so about them I cannot say.”
Jade giggled and slowed to Kiwe’s side. “You still rhyme sometimes, I think that’s pretty cool. Uh, if I could do that the girls would drool.”
They shared a chuckle. “Girls are gross though, they have cooties and smell weird,” Kiwe said, bumping his shoulder into Jade’s.
“Well, duh. And they’re always trying to look pretty with makeup and stuff like perfume. It’s like they’re trying to be a mommy but only grownups wear that stuff so they’re so fake.”
“I know what you mean. They’re mean, too. Always talking about ponies behind their tails and being nice to their muzzles. Why can’t they just be honest more?”
Jade rolled his eyes. “Yeah, totally. It’s like crystal and gems, they might look the same but they’re not.”
Kiwe nodded. “Colts and fillies, I get it. Is that a bakery?” he pointed ahead of them to a large building.
“It’s a restaurant and bakery. My mother does the accounting and cooks, my father works for the city government. I told you already.”
“Ah, yes, I meant is that the bakery. I just am excited to finally see your home and your mother work.”
“Yeah, you’re gonna be a chef, right?”
“Yeah, the best in the world,” he stomped his last hoof in his pace to the ground and stood tall, puffing his chest. “The princesses will know me by name.”
Jade giggled into his forehoof. “I can’t wait to know the world’s best chef. C’mon, I’ll show you my room when we get in!”
The colts galloped ahead to the building and Jade had to stop Kiwe from entering the business, showing his a side door that led upstairs. Kiwe blushed and admitted he thought he lived in the restaurant and weathered his new friend’s laughter at his expense. “Welcome to my home, this is the den and this is the kitchen. It’s small but that’s cuz we can cook downstairs if we really need to.
“My room is this way, follow me,” Jade excitedly rambled as he led Kiwe through the very small apartment.
“Your home is smaller than mine, don’t you feel cramped at times?”
“Huh? This place is fine, we pretty much only sleep here so far. And this is my room,” Jade exclaimed loudly with a flourish of his foreleg, “as you can see I’ve got a bunch of videogames and a super bouncy bed we can jump on, cuz my parents are cool like that, the tv gets six channels, but there’s almost never anything on. So, what’d’ya wanna do first?”
Kiwe’s eyes wandered over the video games but shrugged them off instead choosing a boardgame. “What game is this? Memorex?”
“Oh, that one’s okay. It’s a trivia game, you know, like when was Equestria founded?”
“Technically year 0, but it was equal to two thousand six hundred and five years ago, in the spring.” Jade looked dubiously at Kiwe. “I like numbers and history.”
“When did the Gryphon Equestrian war start and end?” Jade asked cautiously.
“Six hundred fourteen years ago through six hundred ten years ago, but most of it was idle threats. The largest offense was the Gryphon Empire’s scouts would abduct ponies and spread rumors they were eating them, the war ended when it was discovered that the missing ponies were forced into servitude, mining gems and raising small livestock that the gryphons actually ate, when needed.
“Gryphons live on a diet primarily of-” Kiwe blinked and refocused his attention to Jade who had an awkward smile. “Sorry, I talk a lot sometimes.”
“No, no, no. It’s totally cool. That’s just a lot to know and I guess the game is more for my family to catch up on the time we were gone. I think you’re not going to have much fun with it. Have you played Eels and Escalators?”
“Um, no. How do we play?”
Jade bit a box in his mouth and moved it to the floor. “These are eels and these are the escalators. They go up and the eels are slippery so you slide down, spin the spinner thingie and move your pony the same number of spaces and try to get to the top. It’s really fun,” Jade looked at Kiwe and grinned.
“That sounds fun, I’ll try. Later, do you have mancala we can play?”
Jade opened the box and flicked an ear. “I don’t know that game, how many pieces are there?”
With a chuckle, Kiwe waved a forehoof. “Hakuna matata, I will show you when you come to my home. It is a zebra game about strategy and skill, with beans.”
“Beans?” Jade snickered as he set the board open on the floor and moved opposite Kiwe. “Sounds yummy and fun.”
“Not for eating beans. They taste gross,” Kiwe stuck his tongue out, “they’re spicy and tart and leave breath smelling of something gross.”
“Eyuck, I won’t eat them then. We’re ready, you can go first since you’re new.”
They played a couple rounds and by the third, Kiwe had a good understanding of the game but wanted to try something new. “So, how does the tv work? I’ve heard of them and the school has two of them as well on a cart. They’re just movie projectors in you home, in a box?”
Jade shook his head fervently with a grin. “Nope, it’s way cooler. Watch this,” he moved to the flat panel and flipped a switch on the side. With a quiet whistle and a slight tingle at the base of Kiwe’s horn, the tv came to life. “See, it’s on video game channel mode but I can turn this dial and we can watch tv. Channel five has shows for foals so I watch it a lot,” he turned a knob that silently shifted between stations.
A bright and colorful cartoon appeared and Kiwe was transfixed as the show played until commercial. “Huh? What happened to the movie, why’s that pony talking about brushing my teeth, I already did that this morning.”
Jade snickered and patted Kiwe’s back. “It’s a boring advertisement, like a billboard. It’ll be over soon and then it’ll be back on. Help me clean up?”
“Oh, sure,” Kiwe lit his horn and bit his tongue as his magic enveloped the pieces and moved them, shakily, to the box. Ending his magic he exhaled loudly.
“You okay? That looked tiring.”
“Yeah,” Kiwe rubbed his horn gently, “I’ve been practicing a lot lately and I’m getting much better. Let me try the game board.”
His magic began its task, then Jade pawed the carpet. “Kiwe, what’s hambluga matkakla mean?”
Kiwe laughed and the board fell just short of the box. “Hakuna matata, it means no worries. No problem to concern yourself with, silly colt. It’s a zebra word, my mother is a zebra, after all.”
“I remember, just I’ve never heard talk like that. I was just-”
“Oh, the show’s back on!” Kiwe turned and lay on his belly, facing the tv. He didn’t hear Jade ask him a question as the cartoon played. Once the episode was over, Jade turned the tv off. “Hey, why’d you do that?”
“Because, you’re just going to watch it the whole time if I leave it on. Let’s play something else, would you like to jump on my bed with me?”
“Yes! Mother and father don’t let me do that,” he stood, turned, then leapt at the bed, landing half on it with his hindlegs scrambling for purchase as Jade laughed. “Ha, get up. C’mon, slowpoke!” he squatted and leapt up, landed, and with a squeak of the springs, he rebounded and did a flip.
“Wow! That was so awesome, I can’t flip yet but mom says I’ll learn, probably,” Jade climbed onto the bed and joined in laughter and bouncing, bumping into Kiwe, and falling to the floor a couple times when their bounces went awry.
“I’m thirsty, can I have some water?”
“Sure, there’s also milk and soda in the fridge.”
Kiwe’s ears perked. “Soda? You have soda?! Show me!” he shook his friend who laughed at Kiwe’s eagerness.
“O-k-a-y, j-u-s-t s-t-o-p shaking, me. Thanks,” he led Kiwe to the fridge and when he opened it the inside seemed to glow as the zony looked in. Nearly shielding his eyes he beheld the beauty of dozens of bottles and cans of soda of all types. “You may have one.”
Kiwe’s mouth watered as he looked his options over. “J-just one?” he whispered and reached with a hoof to poke a purple bottle. Hearing his friend agree with his question, Kiwe took a purple bottle with his lips and moved back so Jade could close the door. “How do I open this thing?” He asked, fumbling with the bottle top.
“It’s a pop-top, you gotta have a special opener or magic. I don’t have magic so I use,” he paused to open a drawer and pulled out a can opener with accessories, “this. Here,” he opened the bottle and before the cap could hit the floor with it’s tink, Kiwe had the bottle to his lips.
“Oh, sweet goodness that’s yummy,” he sighed when he’d finished half the bottle in one go, “gah, my throat is freezing!”
Jade laughed and fell to his side when Kiwe started panting and breathing heavily to warm his chilled throat.
“Let’s go downstairs,” Jade offered as Kiwe exited the bathroom his forehooves still wet, “and you should dry your hooves because the carpet shouldn’t be wet,” he pointed to the hoofmark Kiwe’d left.
“I apologize, there was no towel for me to use.”
Jade opened his mouth then closed it with a roll of his eyes. “The bathroom’s too small for us to have towels so we keep them in our rooms. I’ll get you one of mine,” he hurried past Kiwe, “and don’t move or you’ll leave a wet path and my parents don’t like that.”
Kiwe took a step back into the wood floored room and waited a few seconds then dried his hooves on the provided towel. “Thank you, Jade. I didn’t understand your house rules and-”
“Hey, hablumba mankita, forget about it.”
Kiwe barked a coltish laugh and shook his head. “I should teach you some zebra words so you can say them right,” he gestured with his foreleg and a slight bow. “After you, to the kitchen.”
Jade stood taller and lifted his nose into the air. “Yes, however we shall not enter the kitchen as it’s not for foals when they’re using it. But maybe we can take a walkthrough. A quick one,” he reached the door and opened it with a bite and returned the gesture Kiwe’d offered him. Skipping the haughty aires, Kiwe pranced into the hall and then carefully descended the stairs and out the door into the street.
Jade led his friend into the restaurant and went to the host stand where a young stallion wearing a denim shirt with a nametag waited passively. “Welcome to Hosers, how many?”
“It’s me, Jade, and I’ve brought a friend to look at the kitchen and introduce to my mom.”
The stallion looked down between them and his gaze lingered on Kiwe. “Go ahead and try, it’s slow so I don’t think they’ll mind. Get some poutine while you’re back there, it’s awesome today.”
Jade waved a passing goodbye and showed Kiwe the front of house dining room as they passed tables, booths, a small bar in the center of it all, and many watchful eyes. “Don’t worry about them, they know I’m not supposed to be here yet.”
Kiwe kept pace and did his best to not speak too loudly. “I think they are watching me as I’m unique and ponies fear that which is different.”
“Then they’re dummies and shouldn’t be afraid of my new friend.”
Kiwe stopped Jade with a forehoof against the crystal pony’s chest. “What if your parents don’t approve of me?”
“My mother lived through Sombra’s reign from his rise until his fall. I really don’t think she’ll care that much about what you look like as long as you aren’t him.”
Kiwe gulped, nodded, and then followed Jade through a swinging door into the kitchen. “Wow,” Kiwe managed to say as he looked around at the open stoves holding dancing fire and two mares cooking something, then one looked at them and frowned.
“Hey, what’re you doing in here?! No foals allowed.”
“Hey, it’s me, Jade. This’ my friend Kiwe and I’m looking for mom, is she in the office?” The mare snorted and angled her head quickly before returning to her pans. “Follow me, don’t bug them, okay?”
Kiwe nodded and noticed his ears were pressed against his head. “She yelled at me,” he said softly, “why?”
“They always yell, it’s what they do. C’mon, this way… Mom?”
“Jade? What’re you doing here, you’re supposed to be playing with your,” she looked at Kiwe and hesitated, “friend. I didn’t know he was a zebra.”
Kiwe’s heart fell. “Is that a problem, miss?”
“Oh, by the Heart no. No, no, no. I was just taken back is all. I don’t care what you look like as long as you’re kind hearted. You are kind hearted, right?” she asked peering at him. Kiwe nodded nervously. “Good! Then you’re as good as family, Kawie?”
Jade snickered. “His name is Kiwe, it’s a zebra name and he’s gonna teach me some zebra words like handula maklabola.”
Kiwe grinned at his friend and relaxed visibly. “Hakuna matata. It means no worries,” he poked Jade’s side with his snout.
Jade’s mother giggled. “It’s nice to see Jade with a friend, he’s had such a difficult time since we came back,” she paused and shook her head, “but that’s over now! So, what’re you two here for? Burgers, salad, maybe some drinks?”
“Poutine and juice sound good,” Jade suggested in a more casual manner than he’d have used when asking an adult for something.
“And you, Kiwe? What’d you like?”
“Uhm, the same, I guess?”
“Oh no, you need something different so you two can try each other’s food and see what you like. You can’t learn flavors from across the land if you only get the same thing with your friend. I’ll make you a burger, it’s made with hay, beans, rice, and served with garnishments. Do you like burgers?”
Kiwe shrugged. “Perhaps.”
“Then you’ll love these,” she said and stood, offering a hoof to shake. “I’m Sparkling Water and I’ll be your cook.”
Kiwe sat in a chair at the table in the dining room, his tail curled around his flank as he flexed his hindquarter muscles. “These seats are strange, too firm for my comfort.”
“They’re from some place, uh, the style is, anyway. The users have really fatty docks and don’t need as much padding on their chairs.”
“This chair is a pain in my dock,” Kiwe grumbled and rotated so he was sitting on his flank. “Better, but now I feel like I’m just relaxing.”
“You aren’t relaxing? Why not, it’s not formal here.”
Kiwe looked around at the serving staff and then his gaze fell back on Jade. “They are dressed in clothes that are nice.”
“They are the workers and have to look that way. I’m naked, you’re naked. Most of the customers that come in here are gonna be naked,” Jade said leaning his chest onto the table, “so just go clear and take your mind with you.”
Kiwe’s eyebrow rose. “What?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s a crystal thing. It means just get over it and don’t think about, I guess.” Jade tapped his hooves on the table in a steady rhythm. Kiwe bobbed his head to the slow beat.
“When I was young I chose to cook, it was after I read it in a book. My mother and father told me to follow my dreams, now all I do is steam, steam, steam.”
The colts broke out into a laughing fit and continued to make impromptu music while their meal was prepared.
“Jade, Key-wey, am I saying that right?”
“Yes, Mrs. Water. My name is Azikiwe.”
The mare placed two plates with food on them on the table. “So why not call yourself Azi? I think it sounds nice.”
Kiwe sniffed the burger in front of him. It was a bit smaller than he’d expected but he thanked her and began answering her question. “In literal zebra, Azi means ‘know’, Kiwe means ‘yes’. My real name means ‘I know it’, because mother felt I would be a scholar or a very wise adult. However, I prefer to be called Kiwe, as the connotation implies ‘one who helps’, and I like to help.”
Sparkling Water looked at Kiwe with some surprise and blinked hard to clear her head of jumbled thoughts. “Are you sure you’re a colt and not a stallion under a spell?” Kiwe giggled and covered his mouth with a hoof to quiet himself. He shook his head. “Well, that was a lesson for me, and I thought I was done with school,” she winked at him and looked at Jade. “You make sure to share, young stallion. I won’t have a new friend of yours only try a boring burger when there’s poutine a reach away. Even if he does have magic,” she winked at Kiwe again then turned to give Jade a kiss on the cheek.”
“I will, mom. Thanks for cooking, it looks and smells really good.”
“Pshaw, it’s what any good mother would do, right Kiwe?”
“Oh, yes indeed. My mother will impress Jade with her cooking speed.”
Her brow furrowed a little and her head tilted slightly to the side slowly before she shook her wits back. “Ah, yes, anyway, enjoy you two. If you need anything, flag a server down, I’ll be in the back if you need me, but you should really spend time with your friend today, okay Jade?”
He nodded and leaned in, biting a few fries and eating them as his mother gave him an approving nod. “Jade, Kiwe, I’ll see you later. I have work to do,” she turned and trotted back through the swinging doors and out of sight.
Kiwe picked up his burger between his left and right hooves, balancing it carefully as he took a careful first bite. It was okay, but at least it wasn’t bad.
“So? How’s the burger, great, right?”
“It’s good, may I try some of your fries and cheese?”
“It’s poutine, it’s got all that plus gravy on it, too.”
Kiwe set the burger down and concentrated, lighting his horn as he took one fry from his friend’s plate and easily brought it to his face. Jade laughed until he nearly fell off his seat after the fry inserted itself in Kiwe’s nose and made the colt sneeze, causing a surge of magic that pulled the juice from his own glass onto his horn.
Kiwe sat still on the chair dripping of sweet lime juice with a surprised look plastered on his face, along with part of his mane, and a sauced fry in his nose. He registered his friend laughing and his breath hitched. His eyes watered and with a twist and blur of motion he was on his hooves running for the door.
Jade looked up as Kiwe left his seat and jumped from his own to chase his friend, his mirth gone the second he’d noticed the tears in Kiwe’s eyes just before he turned away. “Kiwe! Wait, I’m sorry, I thought it was funny,” he shouted as he chased Kiwe into the street.
A stallion neighed loudly at them, halting them where they were. “Stop playing in the street or you’ll get stepped on! Stupid foals, I swear,” he stomped his hooves and both colts ran back to the sidewalk.
Kiwe turned and sulked away, back towards his home, stopping when he felt a firm tug on his tail. “Kiwe, what happened? Are you leaving because I’m a bad friend, because I laughed at you?”
Kiwe sniffled and turned to face Jade. “I am a fool to have used my magic for something so fine as to eat, I made myself wet and look stupid in front of you and all the workers.”
Jade scrunched his muzzle. “So, you’re leaving because your magic messed up?”
A tear landed on the sidewalk between his legs when he nodded. “I shamed you by being foolish, I apologize for-” he went quiet when Jade hugged him, passing ponies’ hooves clopping on the streets and sidewalk seemed to fade away for him as he choked back a sob. “Wh-what are you doing?”
Jade held the hug as he spoke softly. “Forgiving you, silly. I don’t understand why you’re upset, but it’s okay. I’m not mad at all, it was an accident,” he pulled back and gave Kiwe a gentle look. “Accidents happen and it’s not like you’re a master of magic yet. Wanna go to my place and clean up?”
Kiwe’s reaction was very hesitant, mostly by lifting a foreleg and placing it down front and back, unsure of which way to go. “I… we’re still friends?”
Jade grinned. “Best friends!” It was Jade’s turn to be surprised at Kiwe jumped at him, enveloping him in a hug. “Ack!”
Several seconds passed before they separated. “I, apolo-”
A small green hoof planted itself on Kiwe’s lips. “Stop apologizing. You don’t need to be sorry for everything you do.” Kiwe nodded, blinking the fresh tears out of his eyes. “And can you stop crying?! Sheesh,” he smiled, implying it was a joke as he lowered his foreleg.
“Yeah,” Kiwe sniffled his nose as a little snot started to build up, “I apo- I will try to stop.”
“Good,” Jade patted Kiwe’s chest, “then let’s get you cleaned up and get back to our food. Go to the bathroom and I’ll be right there, I have to make sure they don’t throw it away.”
With a final nod, Kiwe moved past Jade and they separated for a minute. When Jade finally found Kiwe, he was in the bathroom, sitting in the bathtub with a towel rubbing vigorously on his head. He looked over at Jade when the colt’s hooves clacked on the wooden floor. “Jade, my head is sticky,” he pouted and pulled the towel away to show his mane, especially his forelocks in complete disarray.
Jade held back a laughing fit this time and snickered into a forehoof. “You can wash it off, just take a shower. I’ll get you a new towel from my room, I only have two so don’t get the other one sticky, okay?”
Kiwe nodded. “I apolo- Uh, I mean… thank you. Jade,” he spoke softly as the green colt turned to leave but stopped, “I’ve never had a friend before. I mean, a real friend,” he shook his head as Jade started to ask something, “I mean, I have had friends, but they were not kind to me, merely friends to play with. You’re my first real friend and I really do apologize for my behavior.”
“It’s alright, Kiwe.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t understand pony culture well enough to even eat a meal with you. It’s not only my magic that made all this happen, I was scared of embarrassing you so I tried to show off and ended up embarrassing us both, and you are still my friend,” Kiwe exhaled loudly. “Jade, can you teach me to be a pony?”
Jade laughed again, Kiwe flinched and sagged. “Kiwe, I’m technically one-thousand and nine years old. I have no idea how to be a modern pony. Let’s learn together! It’ll be fun.”
Kiwe perked up at the offer and seconds later nodded, a smile growing. “So, you’re a little older than me?”
They shared a chuckle that turned into a hearty set of laughter.
“Mrs. Sparkling, we finished the meal and it was very good.”
“Why thank you,” she blinked at the colts, ‘did you two take a bath?”
Jade snickered and shook his head. “No, a shower. Kiwe had a spill and I helped wash him up, we’re best friends now.”
“My, that was certainly… expected,” she winked, but the colts didn’t know which it was for, “Kiwe, Jade is a very good colt and you seem like a very good choice for a friend. Perhaps I can meet your parents tomorrow evening for supper here, my treat?”
“Treat? Mother likes candy.”
She grinned and looked at Jade, who silently told her Kiwe was like this. “Yes, however I meant I will pay for the meal. It’s not a problem, before you say it. It’s my way of saying hello to them. If they’re nice, maybe I’ll let them cook for me someday soon.”
Both colts looked at each other and broke into grins, shouted a hooray, and bumped shoulders. “Bye mom, I’m gonna play with Kiwe s’more before he has to go home.” They turned to rush out of the back office and kitchen.
“Okay, be a darling and make sure to stay clear of the cooks.”
“‘Kay, see ya later!”
“-and then we took a shower together and he helped wash my mane and did you know he’s one-thousand and nine years old? That’s like, way older than princess Luna I think. We toweled off and shared a towel because it was the last one and he let me dry off and he was still kinda wet but we went back and ate the meal and it was super yummy and then played tag and hide and seek and raced and went back to his room and ate some candy and played board games and then I came home!
“It was so much fun!”
His parents, sitting beside him on his bed in his room smiled. “We’re happy for you our son, that a friend has come into your life that you cherish. Your father and I will have supper with her tomorrow and meet their family. If they are as nice as you say I see many dates coming our way.”
“Yeah, and I think I can be really good friends with anypony that cooks food. Er, any one, right dear?”
She kissed Crunch’s cheek. “As long as you and your belly are happy. Azikiwe, have sweet dreams and tomorrow is a new day to make new memories.”
Kiwe nodded then yawned. “I love you both, ‘night.”
“Good night, our son.” They left him after a kiss and he heard them talking happily as he fell asleep.