//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Twilight and Spike's Visit // Story: The Hearth's Warming Gift // by origami //------------------------------// I sat in the drawing room watching the royal family continue opening their presents. Shining had given Cadance a tiara in a similar design to the necklace that he'd given her earlier, and Cadance had given him a framed photograph of himself as a younger stallion with a group of other young stallions, all of them wearing the same simple armor as one another. According to him, it was from when he was still a rookie in the ranks of the guard, and just shortly after he and Cadance had began dating. Sunburst had given Shining some new defensive spells that were meant to be much less energy-consuming than the ones he had been using before. A quick demonstration of one spell showed that it was a modification of the same shield spell he'd used to protect Canterlot during his wedding. I shivered a little upon recognizing it; being hit by that blast of energy had not been a comfortable experience. Shining took notice of my reaction, but didn't show any malice towards me for it. Honestly, I thought he would've smiled upon seeing me cower slightly at his casting of the spell. Sunburst then gave Cadance a gift as well. It was a bottle of amber liquid that had the word brandy written on the outside. I was familiar with the liquid, and understood that if a pony were to consume too much of it at one time, it could have some very negative effects on them, or at the very least make them act like a complete idiot. Cadance thanked him for the gift and placed the bottle into a cabinet, where several other bottles were residing. Sunburst had given Flurry a present as well. The foal tore open the wrapping paper and discovered a book inside. It was a pop-up book, where some cardboard fixtures would spring up when the page was opened, and some even had little tabs or wheels that could be interacted with. This particular book was about animals living in the forest. Flurry received several more gifts as well, including a plush bear, a ring-stacking toy, a simple wooden puzzle, and blanket that appeared to be made from a very soft material. The little foal babbled happily upon receiving the presents, eagerly playing with the toys and plush bear. Cadance and Shining both sat there watching the filly play, smiling happily as their daughter enjoyed her presents. Part of me wished that I had thought to bring her a present as well, but I was unsure of what kind of gift I could give her. Another part of me felt that Shining Armor wouldn't allow her to have any gift I would think to give her, so my failure to obtain a present for the little filly may have been a moot point anyways. "Gah?" I was snapped from my thoughts by the little princess. I looked down to see her sitting with her wooden puzzle. She was looking up at me expectantly. "Aww!" I heard Cadance say as she looked at her daughter. "I believe Flurry wants you to play with her." I suddenly felt nervous. Shining had not been keen on me interacting with his daughter, surely believing that I might try to drain her or otherwise cause her harm. I looked at the stallion to see his reaction. He considered me for a moment, and then his daughter. I expected him to discourage her choice in playmate, but he surprised me when he gave me a simple nod. Was he actually giving me permission to interact with her? "Well, Thorax," Cadance said so as to get my attention, "are you going to help her with her puzzle?" I sat still for a moment before nodding and sliding off of the chair. Almost immediately, I began to miss the warm sensation it left on my carapace, but the room was quite comfortable with the fire going, so it wasn't as if I was in some great discomfort being away from it. Looking down, I took stock of the puzzle. It was shaped like both a heart and a flame; the fire of friendship, I assumed. There were twenty total pieces, which Flurry had scattered about on the floor.    Each piece had a small wooden knob in the center, likely so earth ponies and pegasi could manipulate the pieces and play with the puzzle as well. I didn't see any of the interlocking teeth on the pieces like the puzzles that Sunburst and I would do every now and again; that was likely because this was a puzzle meant for foals, and they would likely break the pieces in frustration if they were too complex to fit together. Flurry took a few pieces in her magic and began trying to fit them together. After she had managed to put a few into what appeared to be their proper place, she then looked at me expectantly. "Right," I said to myself. "She wants me to do the puzzle with her." Electing to use my magic, I took a piece in my grasp and set it down into the appropriate place. Flurry giggled happily as she got more pieces and set about trying to put them in place. We played with the puzzle for a few more minutes until we completed it. Flurry made some excited babbling noises, clearly delighted that we'd finished the puzzle together. As she was celebrating, my eyes found their way over to Shining Armor, who had a look I wasn't expecting. He looked happy, but that couldn't be right. How was he suddenly okay with letting his daughter play with a changeling? A member of the palace staff knocked on the door and entered the room. "I apologize for the interruption," the mare said to them, "but Princess Twilight and Spike have just arrived." Hearing the news got me quite excited again, so much that my wings once again started buzzing. Shining gave me a look, and I offered an apology before getting my wings under control again. "Thorax," Cadance said, "would you like to come down and greet our guests?" I knew that she knew I wanted to, as she asked me that question with a knowing smile on her face. "Yes, I would," was my response. Shining took Flurry in his magic and the five of us left the drawing room and walked down to the palace entrance. As we walked, I kept thinking about Shining's reactions to me interacting with his daughter. I had been surprised that he allowed me to interact with her at all, but his being okay with it might simply have been because he was there to keep an eye on me as I played with her. But how come he hadn't made a comment about me using my magic? Surely he would've been suspicious and thought I might've been trying to feed on Flurry. I took a chance and glanced over at the stallion as we walked. He didn't acknowledge my look, or at least he didn't show any awareness of it outwardly. I decided to try and feel his emotions, and upon doing so found them to be rather conflicted. There was animosity, but also confusion. The strange combination baffled me; it didn't surprise me that he still felt anger towards me, but where had the confusion come from? My thoughts on the matter were pushed to the back of my mind as we neared the entrance to the palace.   Inside the entryway waiting for us were two creatures. The first was an alicorn mare, with purple body, a dark bluish mane and tail with purple and pink streaks, and a cutie mark of a star with six smaller stars surrounding it. Next to her was a dragon, who was also a purple color, but adorned with green fins and spines. As soon as the two saw us, they broke into a trot. "Shiny!" the alicorn shouted as she took the stallion into a hug. "Twily!" he returned, wrapping his hooves around his sister. After their hug, Cadance greeted Twilight with their special dance. Something about sunshine and ladybugs. I honestly found it a little amusing, and I guess one could say a little cute as well. As Twilight greeted her brother and sister-in-law, I looked down to see the dragon who had become my first friend approaching me. "Hey, Thorax," he greeted me. "Hi, Spike," I returned, then knelt down so that he and I could share a hug. He radiated love towards me, and I did my best to return it. After a moment, we broke from the hug and I stood back up. "Sorry we couldn't be here this morning," Twilight told everyone, "but I haven't spent Hearth's Warming with my parents in so long that I really wanted to do it this year." "That's okay, Twily," Shining replied. "I haven't spent a Hearth's Warming with them in a while either." "Perhaps we could invite everypony here for Hearth's Warming next year?" Cadance offered. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Twilight agreed enthusiastically. After an exchange of a few stories and Twilight briefly fawning over her niece, we returned to the drawing room, where Flurry returned to her toys. "I can't believe how much she's growing!" Twilight remarked as she watched the filly play. "Hopefully she'll be grown enough to use the potty soon," Cadance said in half-reply as she smiled at her filly playing. "I don't think the royal budget can afford to spend anymore on diapers." "I'm sure they can't be that expensive," Twilight said a little dismissively. Cadance shot her a little bit of a look. "Twilight, it's not uncommon for Flurry to go through an entire package of diapers in one day. You can ask the palace staff if you don't believe me." Twilight wanted to say something in rebuttal, but could see the serious look on her sister in law's face. She changed the subject. "So, Sunburst," she addressed the other pony stallion in the room, "did my brother and sister-in-law get you any good presents?" "They sure did!" he said enthusiastically, then produced the spell book he'd received earlier. Twilight saw the cover and became ecstatic. "Mage Meridian's Medical Magics for Malignant Maladies?!" she shouted in excitement. "Mhm," Sunburst replied, "but that's not all." He then opened the cover, and Twilight saw the writing on the inside page, and let out a sound that was like an excited squeaking. "She even signed it!" Twilight said through a large grin. "Oh, I am so jealous of you right now!" As Twilight and Sunburst fawned over his book, Spike took notice of the Hearth's Warming dolls on the mantle. "Did you make this one yourself?" he asked me as he gestured to the doll made in my likeness. "No I didn't," I answered. "Princess Cadance had it made for me as a surprise." "Well, whoever made it did a really good job," he remarked, then made his way over to a cushion on the floor and sat down. "So," he continued, "did you get any presents for Hearth's Warming?" "Actually, I did," I answered, then retrieved the box that held my gift from Cadance. He took it and then removed the top. "Wow," was all he could say as he lifted the doll out of the box. Seeing it against him now, I could tell the plushie had been made life-size. "This is amazing!" Spike said as he examined his fabric doppelgänger. "Who got this for you?" "Princess Cadance gave that to me," I replied. "She said it was for me to feel like you were here, even when you really aren't." "Well, this is an amazing gift," he said as he began hugging the doll tightly. "I better put a bunch of my love into this so it feels even more like me." I smiled at the thought, but I was interrupted by a gasp from Twilight. "What an amazing portrait!" she said aloud. I looked over and saw both Twilight and Cadance looking at the portrait of the royal family I'd painted. Twilight looked very impressed by it, while Cadance simply smiled at her sister-in-law's reaction. "It really is," Cadance beamed, "and we have our new friend Thorax here to thank for it." Twilight looked at Cadance in disbelief for a moment before looking at me. "You painted this?" she asked. I nodded. "I finished it just before Hearth's Warming. It was my present to Cadance and Shining, and I guess to Flurry as well." Twilight thought over what I had said for a moment and smiled. "This is a truly amazing painting, and an equally wonderful gift," she remarked. I could feel the happiness radiating off of her, and it made me feel equally as good inside. It was nice to have your hard work appreciated. "Thorax painted a nice portrait for me too," Sunburst chimed in as he showed off the portrait I'd made for him. Twilight looked it over and I again felt the happiness and appreciation for my talent, but she again went wide eyed as she looked at some details in the painting. "I didn't know you liked Ruby Mares!" Sunburst blushed at that remark. "Well, I don't drink them regularly, but I do like to have one every now and again." "Yeah, sure you do," Twilight replied in a teasing manner. Sunburst's response was to blush and laugh a bit. I could tell he was embarrassed, even without my changeling senses. "So, Shining," Twilight said as she faced her brother, "did you like Thorax's portrait?" Shining, who was enjoying some of the tea that had been brought in by some of the palace staff, nearly spit it out as his sister spoke to him. After wiping his muzzle, he paused for a moment to both consider his words AND the painting. "He... did a very good job with it," he finally answered. "Didn't you like it, though?" Twilight asked again. Shining was again trying to put the words together, but having trouble. He was being put on the spot, and felt like he had to answer in a specific way to avoid trouble. I didn't much care to see the stallion in his current state, so I tried to relieve some of the tension on him. "I think he's a little confused on how to feel about it," I told Twilight as I approached her and Cadance. "I don't think he expected me to actually participate in Hearth's Warming by giving him and his family gifts." What I said was what I believed to be the honest truth. Shining didn't trust changelings, and was certain that everything they did was a ruse to get close and steal love from ponies. I was certain he thought my participation in the day's events would be to just sit in the room and soak up the love from the ponies there. Me actually giving presents, and ones I'd made myself, had thrown his expectations for a loop. Shining's reaction was to look at me in disbelief; not with any kind of hostility, but with a sense of surprise and... appreciation? That couldn't be right. "I guess it is a bit of a shock for all of us," Twilight did finally admit, "this being the first confirmed time a changeling has been seen celebrating a pony holiday. I honestly didn't know if you were familiar with all of the traditions." "Sunburst did a great job teaching me about Hearth's Warming," I told her honestly, "and I was pretty eager to get involved in the festivities." "Maybe next year you could be part of the Crystal Empire's pageant," she suggested. "Perhaps," I responded, "but I've never been a good actor." "You had us all believing you were a pony named Crystal Hoof," Cadance pointed out. "That only worked because I had Spike helping me," I countered, "and even with his help, it only worked for so long." "Regardless," Cadance continued, "I invite you to audition for the play next year, if you wish to do so." "I'll think about it," I offered as a sort of compromise; I didn't want to be rude, and it was possible I may wish to try for a role when it came time for the pageant next year. Cadance and Twilight said nothing more for a few moments. I looked over to see Sunburst sitting with Flurry and going trough her new pop-up book, something the little filly enjoyed a great deal. My senses directed my vision to Shining Armor again, who was watching me with a sense of curiosity. As my eyes found his, he looked away, his focus appeared to be the portrait I had made. I could sense his emotions were a jumbled mess, but strangely enough, the anger within him seemed to be diminishing, albeit slowly. The two princesses had been talking among themselves and decided we should select a location inside the palace for my artwork to be put on display. I was caught by surprise when they asked me to come and help find a location for the portrait; it was their painting to do with as they wished, so I didn't think my input on where to place it was needed. Nevertheless, they insisted, and after some time, we'd all decided that the best place for it was just outside the entrance to the throne room. With the painting having found its new home, we returned to the drawing room for about an hour or so before a member of the palace staff told us that dinner was ready to be served. The ponies began to file out of the room and down the hall before Princess Cadance stopped and looked back at me. "Aren't you going to join us?" she asked. I blinked in confusion for a few moments. "I... suppose," I finally answered, unsure of whether or not I should follow. A quick glance at Shining had found no disapproving glare; in fact, he didn't have any kind of expression on his face, and the emotions around him were still a jumble, but with the anger and hate dying out more than it had before. I decided to stop stalling for time and followed the group out of the room and down to the dining hall. Inside the dining hall was an ornate table, and a set of serving stations were set up on one side. On the first was a selection of plates, glasses and silverware, all of which had the insignia of the Crystal Empire, which was basically a fancier version of Princess Cadance's cutie mark. On the next was an appetizer course, with things like mozzarella sticks, Neighpon vegetable dumplings, stuffed cabbage with tomatoes and peppers, and about a dozen other items I didn't readily recognize. The last two servers featured the main course and some desserts. There were several main courses, including a vegetable lasagna, long sandwiches made with portabella mushrooms, onions, peppers and cheese, and several different dishes that all resembled pies.  I thought Sunburst had told me about them once.   What had he called them?   Keeshes? I shook that thought from my mind as I examined the dessert courses, which were a selection of pies and cakes, as well as some fruits which I assumed were to be placed atop some of the desserts for some extra flavor. I recognized one of the desserts as an apple pie from Applejack's farm in Ponyville; Twilight must've brought it with her so we could enjoy it. The ponies all sat down at the table and the servants began plating up the different courses for the ponies. I eventually sat down between Spike and Sunburst after Princess Cadance invited me to do so. Interestingly, Shining Armor had no opposition to this; she'd invited me to sit at a table for a meal once before, but he'd been adamant about how bad an idea he thought it was. After I had sat down, I was approached by a member of the palace staff that I had met a time or two before. "What would you like to try first?" Creme Puff asked as she gestured to the server with the appetizer course. I looked over at the server and thought about whether or not I should try anything.  I could enjoy the taste of food, but I wouldn't get much nourishment from it, if any, but I didn't want to appear rude; there were ponies away from their families today who worked to make this meal, and it would be offensive to simply refuse sampling some of the food. I looked over at the server and decided to try one of the dishes I was unfamiliar with. I was then informed it was called Cous Cous, a dish from New Denghi and one that apparently had a good bit of spice to it. Creme gave me a small portion to try, and I found the flavor to be quite enjoyable. There was a small amount of love in the dish as well, so I was able to feel a bit satisfied by eating it. As we ate, Twilight then told me that she and Spike had received my gifts the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. She really liked the book I had given her, and left her seat to give me a hug. Spike also showed his appreciation for the gems I had sent him, giving me a hug as well. As they resumed eating, I got a strange feeling coming from the direction of Shining Armor. As I looked over, I caught him staring at me. "Is something wrong?" I asked innocently. The reaction I got was not what I was expecting. The stallion had a look on his face I could only put with one other emotion: remorse. But what did he have to feel guilty about? "Shining," Cadance said, "you've been awfully quiet since the meal started. Is something the matter?" The white stallion looked at his wife and shook his head. "I've been thinking about some things," he admitted, "so I guess I'm kinda not with it at the moment?" "Do you want to talk about it?" she offered. "You have friends here, and your sister as well." Shining again shook his head. "It's some stuff I have to sort out for myself," he told her, "but let's not worry about that. We have a very delicious meal in front of us and we shouldn't let it get cold." Cadance wore a slight frown and her emotions conveyed worry, but she didn't push the subject. We continued eating, with light conversation resuming after a few moments. Spike and Twilight both told me about the adventures they had together with the other girls in Ponyville. Sunburst asked about Starlight as well, with Twilight informing him of how well she was doing. I could feel love welling up inside the stallion, but not the kind one would feel for a special somepony.   It was the kind of love that one has for a friend, like I shared with Spike, or at least I hoped that I was sharing it.   He was happy to hear that his old friend was doing well, and I could also tell he wanted to see her again and spend time with her.   Maybe if Princess Twilight could convince the ponies in Ponyville to let me come there, he could tag along as well? "So, what do you think, Thorax?" I shook my head and looked at Twilight, who looked at me expecting an answer. "Sorry," I told her. "I was distracted by my thoughts and didn't hear what you asked me." "That's okay," she reassured me. "I've gotten lost in thought and didn't hear what somepony said to me more times than I can count. What I was asking is if you'd be interested in visiting Ponyville, as yourself?" I blinked at her and then stared in disbelief. "You mean, go there and not be disguised?" Twilight nodded. "I've been talking to almost everypony in town, telling them about you and showing them pictures so they know I'm telling the truth. Some are still skeptical of the idea of a changeling actually wanting to be friends with ponies, but more than a few actually want to entertain the idea. In fact, the mayor said she'd like to introduce you to the whole town and, if you're willing, hold a question-and-answer session so ponies can have their curiosity about changelings satisfied." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The ponies in Ponyville actually wanted to meet me, and I could actually go there and not have to be in a disguise. I remembered Twilight making the promise before, but hadn't expected her to have such success as she did. She indeed deserved her title as Princess of Friendship for accomplishing such a feat. "I would love to," I told her, "but I should probably ask the princess and your brother if that would be okay." I looked over at the two ponies, who glanced at each other for a moment. Princess Cadance adopted a warm smile and nodded. "I have no problem with you going to Ponyville," she said. "It'll give you the chance to make new friends, as well as help with your goal of bringing ponies and changelings closer together." All the eyes in the room went to Shining. The stallion felt put on the spot, but didn't show it outwardly. He let out a breath and looked at me, his expression stern, but not outright hostile. "If he promises not to cause a panic in Ponyville, or on the train there and back, then I have no objection." "I promise to do no such thing," I told him, my body language doing the best it could to convey honesty. Shining considered me for a moment, but then nodded. "However," he added, "I would still like a guard to travel with you, as a precaution." The suggestion appeared to irk Princess Cadance, but a moment later, she thought about her husband's suggestion and agreed. Twilight didn't understand their reasoning. "You're going to have a guard escort him," she said in disbelief, "like he's a common criminal?" "No, Twilight," Cadance answered. "Having a guard with Thorax will help make sure he is kept safe, as well as having a pony to vouch for him if something were to go wrong. It would be like him having a bodyguard more than anything." Twilight's objections were silenced and she gave a very simple ‘oh’ before returning to her meal. The rest of the meal was fairly quiet, with the exception of some fairly benign conversation. I elected to try one of the quiches; of course I would get the spelling wrong, but it was sort of a weird way to spell it.   The one I tried had a variety of peppers, onions, mushrooms and garnishes baked into it, as well as some love I could only assume came from the kitchen staff.  It was honestly rather good, both in the flavor of the dish, and the love that came from it. We quickly moved on to the dessert course, where I had a piece of marble cake with white icing that was topped with some fresh blueberries. That was one secret that I had not yet told my pony friends; sugars were one of the few things that changelings could actually get some nourishment from besides emotions. I hadn't kept it a secret for any malicious reason; it simply hadn't come up in conversation before, though I was sure it would at some point. Besides, consumption of sugar for a changeling would only go so far, and we often reacted in a similar fashion to foals who consumed large quantities of the substance: high levels of energy for short periods of time followed immediately by crashing and feeling sick. That's why sugar intake was closely regulated in the hive, so no changeling would burn themselves out and end up feeling ill. Once the food was finished, we returned to the drawing room for a bit to listen to a radio broadcast.  It was a radio-drama version of the Hearth's Warming Pageant. I listened intently, even going as far as to find a spot close to the radio to sit down. I heard Princess Cadance and Twilight giggle as I picked out my spot, but I didn't care; it was my first ever Hearth's Warming, and I wanted to enjoy it to the fullest. Soon enough, the radio program concluded and the station signed off for the evening. I took notice of the clock on the wall and saw it was almost ten. Flurry let out a yawn and began to fall asleep in her mother's grasp. Princess Cadance also let out a yawn of her own. "Well," she said with a tired voice, "I suppose we should all head to bed now." Twilight yawned and nodded in agreement. "We should too," she said to Cadance. "We're going to stay and have breakfast, but then we'll need to get to the train station so we can head back to Ponyville."  She then turned to me and gave a smile. "We'll have to send you a letter to tell you when the mayor would want to have you come for a visit." "I would love to hear from her and you guys," I responded, and then followed up with my own yawn. Sunburst excused himself and went to his bed chambers in the palace; he still lived in his own house, but he would stay in the palace if he was too tired to travel home for the night. The princess and captain both left with their filly, and then Twilight and Spike went to find their guest rooms for the night. I followed Twilight and Spike out and went to my room for some much-needed sleep. I was washing up in the bathroom when I heard a knock on my door. Curious as to who would be visiting me at this time of night, I wiped my face with a towel and went to see who it was. When I opened the door, Shining Armor was looking back at me. My frill stood up reflexively in fear. "I'd like to speak with you privately, if I may." I wasn't sure what to think, but knew refusing him would probably not end well. "...okay," I reluctantly answered, then moved out of the way so that he could enter the room. Shining walked in and then turned to face me. I could feel his emotions were jumbled, perhaps more so than at any other point during the day. He also looked as though he wanted to say something, but was having a hard time putting the words together. Eventually, he began speaking. "What I'm doing," he began, "is something I've always had a hard time with, especially when I've been so sure of being right about something for so long and then finding out that I was either completely wrong about it, or I got the wrong first impression of it." He took a moment to collect his thoughts before he started speaking again. "I... would like to apologize for how I've been treating you since you started living with us." My ears must've been lying to me. There was no way the captain of the royal guard was apologizing to a changeling, one of the creatures that had ruined one of the most special days in his life, for treating it poorly. "I can understand if you don't believe me," he continued. "Hay, I don't even believe I'm doing this myself, but I am, and my wife isn't putting me up to this either." "I've been skeptical of your behavior all morning. I admit to it because it's my job to be skeptical and watch out for threats, both to the ponies of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, as well as my own family." "When my wife unwrapped your present this morning, I had no idea what to think. Part of me was certain you took it from a pony and claimed credit for painting it yourself, but the guard was telling the truth, and... I may have seen you painting part of it before." That caught me off guard; changeling senses, such as hearing and vision, were much sharper than a normal pony. It was a little unsettling to know that Shining had managed to spy on me without me knowing. Of course, I was pretty well distracted by my efforts in making the portrait, so it was not hard to believe that I had been so focused on my work that I didn't take notice of him. My thoughts were interrupted as Shining continued speaking. "Part of my point is that I didn't give credit where credit was due. Really, I didn't do that for a lot of things. The painting was very well done, and the image of myself and my family are so lifelike that it feels almost like looking at a photograph." "That portrait is only the tip of the iceberg, though. You've been with us for going on three months, and in that time, you've basically been a model citizen. You've not lied about anything, at least to the best of my knowledge. You've treated everypony you've met with kindness and courtesy, and have been patient as they've adjusted to your presence here. Hay, you've put up with me for how big a pain in the flank I've been." I wanted to tell Shining that it was okay, and that I understood his attitude and opinions over the last three months, but his raised hoof stopped me. "Don't make excuses for me, Thorax," he said, "because as much as you can say you can see things from my side, that doesn't make any of my behavior excusable." "It's a bit late, but I'm going to work on how I treat you. The road ahead won't be easy for me, but I can promise to do my best, which is all the more anypony can really expect of anypony else." Shining headed toward the door, but then stopped and looked back at me. "When I said it this morning, I kinda didn't really mean it. The painting is quite beautiful, and thank you for giving it to us." With that, he left my room and went out into the hallway. I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, and questioned whether or not all this had just happened. In the end, I thought back to what I felt coming from the stallion. They'd started out a jumble and confused mess, but by the time he had left, they were more positive, and perhaps a small part of him was happy. In that moment, I felt a twinge of my own happiness welling up inside me. Shining Armor, the stallion who had been the biggest opponent of my staying here, was finally starting to come around to the idea that I wasn't some enemy to have to keep an eye on. Perhaps one day, we could even become friends and set all of our differences aside. For now, I decided to let him go at his own pace; trying to push him in that direction could undo what progress had been made. I finished cleaning up and tucked myself into bed. As I laid there, I thought back to what Princess Twilight told me, and wondered what my potential trip to Ponyville would be like.