Sniff.
Sniff.
Something slowly broke through into my sleepy mind and pulled me from the dream realm and back into reality. I sleepily blinked my eyes open and pushed the blanket off myself with a yawn before sitting up and looking around.
A steaming hot cup of tea was sitting on the living room table which explained why I woke up and sounds were coming from the kitchen along with a very enticing scent.
Taking the cup in one hoof, I took a sip before slipping off the couch and heading for the kitchen only to see Minuette reloading a waffle iron.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, "How many waffles?"
"...Three please," I said and sipped my tea, "Good morning. And thanks again for letting me sleep here."
"Don't worry about it," she said with a grin, "Family stuff?"
"Family stuff," I admitted, "No different than other ponies."
"Wouldn't expect it to be," she admitted, "Ponies are ponies, alicorns or not," and she slid a plate with strawberry jam and waffles onto the table before me, "Dig in!"
I was mostly through one waffle before I frowned in thought, "Wait, shouldn't you be at work right now?"
"You're in luck, it's my day off," she said cheerfully and completely ignored my request for three waffles by adding a fourth to my plate.
"Oh," I said and then flicked one ear, "Where's Rising and Swift? I don't remember seeing them when I showed up either."
Minuette smiled and went back to making waffles, "Deep asleep, they had a date night last night and got back even later than you did. They should start to wake up soon enough."
I blinked at her, "You didn't go with them?"
"Nope. We rotate," she said with a smile as she plated a waffle for herself, "One on one attention is important in a relationship and so is time alone. Next week, I have a date with Rising and Swift gets the house all for himself. And then we have a date the week after and Rising has the house."
I nodded, "We do something similar," I agreed with a smile, "And not everypony likes the same things."
Minuette grinned, "Nope! I can take Rising to musicals where Swift would just fall asleep."
"That too," I agreed and nibbled at a bit of waffle.
Sparks did like reading a book together a lot more than Sunny did and our reading speed matched a lot better too.
I glanced out the window. Luna. Celestia.
...Well, Canterlot was still here, so things could not have gone too much out of control. I still wasn't sure that leaving like that had been the right move, but hopefully it got both of them thinking rather than reacting. And they really needed to have a talk where my presence would only complicate matters.
There was a knock on the door and Minuette slipped off her chair and trotted out to open it. I heard muffled voices before Midnight of all ponies followed Minuette inside.
"Midnight," I said in surprise with a smile, "I didn't even know you were in Centerlot!"
"Been for awhile, I helped Luna out a bit," she said and then smiled, "Actually planning to return to Nocturnis with you if that's alright."
"Of course it is," I said with a frown, "You know you will always have a place there."
She nodded, "...It's not permanent, I just need to visit Tempest."
Minuette grabbed a plate, loaded it with waffles and jam for Midnight before taking her own and making a retreat to the other room with her own plate, giving us privacy.
I looked after her before turning back to Midnight, "She misses you, you know. As does Talon."
"We have been exchanging letters," Midnight admitted, "With Tempest. Talon still won't answer mine."
"I'll talk to him."
"No, give him some room," Midnight said, shaking her head and trying a waffle, "But I want to ask Tempest to join me for a journey."
"Where to?"
Midnight shook her head again, this time with a smile, "No idea yet. I got thinking a while after I returned to Canterlot. About thestrals."
"Oh? In which way?"
"That they were hidden," she said, "And if there were other kinds of ponies forgotten by everypony else. It took some digging, but I found two in old books and stories. After digging through old myths and such, I managed to verify two."
I blinked at her in surprise, "Like thestrals?"
Midnight shrugged slightly, "Not quite. But assuming thestrals and pegasi are related, these two are related to unicorns and earth ponies respectively. Have you ever heard of Kirin or Kelpies?"
"Can't say I have," I admitted with a headshake.
"Kirin are similar to unicorns, but their horns are completely different and are said to be able to control fire. Kelpies are like earth ponies, but... strange. Not a lot about them, not even descriptions but they are said according to legends to be able to live under water," Midnight explained, "I asked Princess Celestia, and she said it was well over a thousand years since she met a Kirin. And that she had only met a Kelpie once when she was young."
I slowly nodded as I finished my waffles, "And you want to find them."
"I want to find them," Midnight agreed, "Easier said than done, but I feel like I need to do something. What if they have the same problems as your thestrals did?"
Sipping my tea, I spent a couple of moments considering that. Could she be right? Could there be more than thestrals hidden out there? Away from other ponies?
"I wish I could help you," I said and put my cup down, "But without an example, there is no way for me to find them through dreams. And their populations have to be small or Luna or myself would have been bound to stumble upon them already. Unless they are in a completely different phase from other ponies."
"Luna said as much," Midnight agreed, "But I feel like I have to try."
I just nodded, "I wish you luck."
"Thank you," she said before she looked at me, "And speaking of Luna..."
"They sent you to find me, huh?"
Midnight shook her head, "I offered."
Sighing, I slipped off my chair, "I best get going then. Thanks Midnight,” I said before moving to find Minuette to thank her.