True to his word, Sam let Luna go visit a friend in Ponyville which was about two hours ago. It was little Pipsqueak of all ponies and Fluttershy went to make sure Luna didn't do anything bad while there. It was jut protocol that Luna insisted was followed anyway so Sam and Fluttershy decided to play along. While that was happening, Sam escorted Umbra and Chrysalis home. Not a word was spoken as Umbra stomped the ground beneath her hooves and slammed the door to her room. Sam even offered to treat Chrysalis's injury but the former queen refused, insulted him just because and then locked herself in her room as well.
With not much to do until Fluttershy and Luna return, Sam lounged on the couch with a Daring Do book in his hands. He noted how there weren't books like these back home and thoroughly enjoyed them. Imagine his surprise when Sam actually met the author, went on an adventure with her and managed to defeat the infamous Sphinx by giving her an imposible riddle. Now that was an adventure worthy of a book! Daring Do, or rather, A.K. Yearling, promised to bring him the first draft as soon as it was finished. This was a few months ago so Sam thought it would be a while until she comes knocking on his door.
Speaking of knocking on his door, before leaving with Fluttershy, Luna swore by her Moon that nopony else will be joining them in the program. Which was perfectly fine with him, two nutjobs was enough. Sam was even thinking about asking Fluttershy to move in with him, or the other way around, he didn't mind, so this program just accelerated things a little. And now there was Luna. Granted, it was Fluttershy who found him in the Everfree before he was sent to Canterlot for evaluation but he did spend quite some time there and bonded with the Princess of the night. Luna became his envoy to this new world and checked in on a regular basis to see how he was doing. But Sam's words were true. Had he stayed in Canterlot their conversation from this morning would never had happened. Sam loved Fluttershy and he was happy with her. Luna was his best friend and he felt he loved her too for a time. And with Luna's confession it only got complicated as some old feelings began to resurface.
Ponies are a very emotional species, they stick close together and lean on each other. It was not uncommon that there were multiple ponies in a relationship, a herd they called it. It was even encouraged because of the male to female ratio so the population could keep growing. And finally, ponies are beings filled with love, a stark contrast to what he was used to. There was a reason he doesn't talk about his world, feeling as it would somehow taint this beautiful and peaceful land that he has come to call his new home. Luna saw glimpses of it during his stay in the palace, but luckily nothing horrifying, and from that point on he explicitly forbid her to look into his dreams no matter what. Sam even went so far that he didn't sleep for days and seeing his health deteriorate, Luna made an oath to never enter his dreams without permission.
"We're back! " Sam was roused from his thought's by Fluttershy's voice coming from the front door.
"In here. " he called and sat down the book down on the table just as Luna and Fluttershy entered the living room. Fluttershy plopped down next to him on the couch and pecked him on the cheek. Luna looked at the book and picked it up.
"Again? What is this, the fourth time? " she asked with a raised brow.
"What? It's a really good book! " Sam defended and snatched said item from her hands "And it's a signed copy. " he showed her the first page that indeed had Daring Do's autograph "Rainbow Dash would give anything to have it. "
"It's true. " Fluttershy nodded "She offered him her house in Cloudsdale just last week. "
"Wow. " Luna blinked in surprise "I've heard of collectors going to great lengths to obtain rare items, but a house for a book? "
"It's not just any book. " Sam flipped through the pages "It's the first one she wrote, on her personal... What's the thing called again? "
"Typewriter. " Fluttershy patted his shoulder and smiled.
"Yes, typewriter. And! It's way better than the official release, has some extra parts that really tie the story together and it's the only one in existence! "Sam held the book triumphantly as if it was an ancient relic "And that's why I decided to give it to Rainbow for her birthday next week. "
"That is very nice of you. " Luna smiled and took the book from his hands to examine it "I still can't believe you actually beat Sphinx and Daring gave you this book as thank you. That is no easy task mind you. "
"A warrior needs to train his mind and his body. " Sam said with a tap to his temple "I just hope she doesn't come knocking on my door to join the program. " all three looked at each other uncertainly "She's not, right Luna? " the alicorn remained silent "Absolutely n- " and when Luna burst into laughter even Fluttershy joined her, leaving Sam scowling at his friend "Not funny. "
"You should have seen your face! " Luna was laughing so hard her ribs hurt. Fluttershy wiped a tear away from her eye.
"Don't be like that honey. " she rubbed Sam's shoulder in comfort "And I'm sure Sphinx would be a lovely guest if she could, um, fit inside the house, that is. " oh yeah, Sphinx was big. Not fat big but generally big, at least 14 feet tall.
"We could use her as another couch! " Luna added before continuing to laugh and even Fluttershy giggled at the thought of Sphinx acting as their new couch. Their laughter was, however, cut short as there was a knock on the door. Both Luna's and Fluttershy's eyes reduced to pinpricks as they looked at the door.
"If that's her, you're- " Sam pointed at Luna "-on hairball duty. " he rose from the couch and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves, he opened the door "Oh thank the gods. " he exhaled deeply, feeling a weight drop from his shoulders. It was Depry, the resident mailmare.
"Hey Sam! " she greeted him with a smile, her one eye not looking in his direction as it should "Got some mail for you! Oh, and a muffin! " she dumped a hefty pile letters in his extended hands and set a muffin on top of them "I would like to stay but duty calls! " and with a quick salute she flew off, a little wobbly and uncertainly, towards Ponyville. Sam chuckled and used his leg to close the front door and returned to the living room.
"That's a lot of mail. " Luna commented as Sam dumped the pile on the coffee table. She took one and her mouth parted in shock "It's for Umbra. " both Sam and Fluttershy reached for more letters.
"This one too. " Sam said and went through the pile and found some more letters addressed to the unicorn.
"Oh my. " Fluttershy said while holding up at least a dozen letters "These are for Chrysalis. " all three stared at each other in disbelief.
"Should we open them? " Sam asked uncerainly.
"I... Don't know. " Luna answered in the same tone.
"That would be rude. I mean, the letters are for them. " Fluttershy looked towards the hallway that lead to their rooms "Should we call them? "
"Umbra! Chrysalis! " Luna's call startled both Sam and Fluttershy "You've got mail! " and for a moment there was nothing but doors soon began to open.
"What? " Chrysalis's voice could be heard "Mail? "
"Is this a joke? " Umbra's followed and soon both of them were in the living room. Sam handed Umbra her letters while Fluttershy did the same with Chrysalis.
"Who sent them? " the changeling asked while inspecting the envelopes, noticing there was no information on the senders "I bet it's hate mail. Ooh I love those! " Chrysalis opened one and began reading it.
"Figures. " Umbra scoffed and tore open one envelope "Spineless cretins fear we might seek vengeance and- " she stopped mid sentence, her eyes slowly opening wide.
"What's it say? " Sam asked but Umbra threw the letter to the ground and tore open another one. She continued this process until there were no more left "This can't be good. " Sam commented when he saw Chrysalis had the same shocked expression as Umbra. He picked up one letter from the wooden floor and read it.
I am sorry for throwing rocks at you.
Good luck with your program!
Sam blinked in surprise before picking up another letter, and another, and another until he got through all of them. They were all apology letters.
"This was not what I expected. " Luna commented once she read a letter on her own "This is a good sign I'd say. "
"Good sign? " all eyes turned to Umbra who was trembling in silent rage "Good sign?! " she stomped on the letters that littered the floor "They're just scared of what me might do to them! " Fluttershy winced at her outburst and Sam held quickly grasped her hand for comfort "Don't patronize me with fake apology letters! Trying to act sooo nice like they're any better than us! "
"Calm down. " Sam said with a calm tone but it only enraged her further.
"I will not calm down! " Umbra snapped at him and Fluttershy tried to make herself smaller by his side. Sam, however, remained calm "You! " she turned to look at Luna "You all think you're so good and you can do nothing wrong! But let me tell you something, princess, your little ponies are the real monsters! "
"Real monsters? " Luna barked in anger "It was you who enslaved an entire Empire! Brought it's citizens to the brink if starvation! It was you who almost killed me and my sister! You're the last pony to pass judgement on others! "
"Who do you think is to blame for that? " all eyes then turned to Chrysalis who held a crumpled letter in her hand. And without another word she threw it on the ground and stomped towards her room.
"You never asked yourself why things are the way they are? " Umbra began quietly and chuckled "I should've known you wouldn't. " and as Chrysalis did before, Umbra, albeit more gently, walked away.
"What is she talking about? " Sam asked and looked at Luna who had a perplexed expression on her face.
"I... I have no idea. " she sat down and stared at the apology letters, her brows scrunching in thought "It almost sounds like- "
"You're to blame. " Sam finished and Luna nodded slowly.
"Are you? " Fluttershy asked timidly.
"No. " the alicorn shook her head "At least... I think we aren't. "
"How long have you known them? " Sam asked and Luna shut her eyes.
"Ages. Ever since they came to power. " her eyes snapped open in realization "You can't possibly think that our- "
"Maybe. " Sam interrupted "But it's not our place to pry. They'll tell us when they're ready. " he sighed and stood up "If they'll ever be. "
Night had fallen over Ponyville, courtesy of Luna raising her moon, and things got quiet. As was custom, Umbra and Chrysalis remained in their rooms for the remained of the day. Sam was currently lying in his large bed, just about to finish that Daring Do book for the first time, and Fluttershy was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Toothpaste was one of the things Sam didn't understand the use for but since Fluttershy insisted he brushed them it quickly became part of his daily routine.
He could hear she was done and closed the book before setting it on the night counter. Fluttershy came out of the bathroom holding a very familiar comb in her hand. Sam smiled and motioned her to come sit on the bed. It was also part of the daily routine for Sam to brush Fluttershy's mane before going to sleep. The process made her mane less messy in the morning and for Sam it was a therapeutic experience. She had even done it to his hair, silently mourning the day Sam decided to cut it down to half it's length.
She sat cross-legged on the bed with Sam behind her. Handing him the brush over her shoulder, Sam began the task of long strokes with the brush and untangling any knots he could find. Fluttersshy sighed happily as Sam gently went through her mane.
"Sam? " she called softly.
"Hm? " Sam replied, completely focused on the task at hand.
"I, um, have this friend- " and the brushing immediately stopped. Peeking over her shoulder she saw Sam with a bemused expression.
"Alright, spit it out. " he said with a chuckle.
"What? " she tried acting all coy.
"Honey, the last time you said I have this friend was when you told me you liked me. " Fluttershy blushed fondly at the memory of that night. Particularly at the part how she jumped him and the mess they made of her room.
"I... May recall something like tha-EEP! " she jumped on the spot when Sam poked her ribs with his finger.
"Let's hear it. " he spun the comb with his fingers and smirked "Time's wasting. "
"I heard your conversation this morning. With Luna, that is. " she answered softly and turned around to face him, Sam dropping the comb in the process.
"Oh... " all was good, he could explain.
"I had a talk today with her. "
"Honey, let me explain- " Sam raised his arms in a calming manner.
"I would like her to join us. Start a herd. " he did not expect that "If it's okay with you. " Sam remained quiet, a look of silent shock on his face "Sam, I know the concept is foreign to you but being in a herd is a wonderful thing! Especially when they all love each other. " he wanted to speak but Fluttershy slapped him playfully on the shoulder "Don't try to deny it, I know you love her. " Sam looked to the side, not really knowing what to say "A herd is about ponies who love each other coming together to support each other. Lean on each other. It's a wonderful bond that makes us stronger. Not many know this, but my family is part of a herd as well and it's a wonderful experience. "
"Fluttershy- " she put a finger over his lips to silence him.
"We're not forcing you to anything, it's up to you to decide. " she removed her finger and smiled warmly "If you agree, she will take us out on a date and we can go from there. Does that sound alright? " now there were a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. He loved Luna almost as much as Fluttershy but could he really do it? Could he love them both the same and not favor one over the other? Would it work? Well, they're already living together so that makes things simpler to handle.
"I guess... " Fluttershy looked at him expectantly "We could try? " she squee'd in happiness and tackled Sam to the bed "Whoa! Easy, easy! The date first, alright? "
"Oh, um, sorry. " she laughed sheepishly and returned to her mane combing position "Um, if you're ready. " Sam chuckled and got back up, resuming his combing duties "It does help that she has a cute butt. " the combing stopped and Fluttershy turned to look at Sam's slack-jawed expression "What? I look too you know. "
Umbra was restless. Those damned letters infuriated her more that she thought they could and she's been tossing and turning in her bed for hours but sleep eluded her. The more she thought about them, the more angry she got. What was she thinking? Villain Reformation Program? It was a joke! Tartarus would have been better than this!
"I can't stay here. " Umbra said decisively and got out of bed. Slowly opening the door she made sure the coast was clear before sneaking towards the front door. Slowly making her way towards it, she finally grabbed the door knob.
"Can't sleep? " she froze on the spot, Sam's voice crushing all hopes of escape. Without magic she was powerless against his strength. Umbra gritted her teeth in anger.
"I'm leaving. "
"Oh. Okay. " she blinked in surprise and looked at Sam who was leaning on the door frame to the living room. It was the first time she saw him shirtless and her mouth parted slightly. His body was littered with scars. And not just small scrapes, no, more like sword slashes, impalement's and other nasty injuries. She shook her head and glare at him again.
"You're not going to stop me? "
"You're not a prisoner here. " Sam shrugged "You were given a choice and came of your own free will. "
"It wasn't much of a choice. " Umbra replied with a hiss.
"Still, can't make you stay if you don't want to. " he turned and went to the living room. Umbra stood there with a confused look, wondering what his deal was. Against her better judgement, she followed him to the living room and soon into the kitchen where Sam was getting himself some juice from the fridge.
"Why are you even awake? " she asked as Sam poured himself some juice into a glass
"I got thirsty. " Sam replied as if it was the most obvious thing ever. He downed the drink in one go and sighed in delight "These refrigerators are the greatest invention ever. " Umbra raised a curious brow.
"You don't have refrigerator's where you're from? " Sam shook his head "What kind of backwater dump did you live in? "
"Exactly. " Sam put the glass into the sink and Umbra huffed in annoyance "Well, good night. " he smiled briefly and took one step, ready to leave.
"That's it? " Umbra asked in disbelief "You're not going to try and stop me? Ask me why I'm leaving? Why the letters made me angry? What kind of therapist are you? "
"Like I said, I can't make you stay. " Sam yawned loudly, making Umbra scowl "And I'm more like a guardian, I think, so if you want a therapist you'll have to look elsewhere. " Umbra was ready to give him a piece of her mind before Sam continued "But, If you want somebody to talk to, in a friendly manner, you know where to find me. " he yawned once again, stretching himself and giving Umbra a good look of his muscles.
"You're infuriating, you know that? " Umbra asked with a deadpan look.
"So I've been told. " Sam shrugged "Well, good night, oh queen. " Sam bowed curtly, making Umbra roll her eyes. Once Sam was out of earshot she smirked.
"Nice abs though. "