The train comes to a halt, and I crack one eye open to see my wife snoozing peacefully beside me. I gently brush a stray lock of her mane aside, and my smile falters slightly when I see the faint scar from the Battle of Canterlot when she fought, well, me, I guess.
Does it count as pre-spousal abuse if we weren't dating yet, and it wasn't really me? I don't know. I think everyone would probably say no.
I hear the commotion of the passengers departing the train, and decide that it's time to wake her up. I run my fingers through her mane, causing her to groan and shift in the bed. She opens one eye and sees me awake, so she smiles and nuzzles my arm.
"Good morning, Mr. Powell. Did you sleep well?"
I nod and sit up in bed. "I'd like to think so, Mrs. Powell. But now is the time for us to get up, I think. We have arrived at our destination. Saddle Arabia awaits."
Cheerilee makes a noise of contentment and leans her head against me. "Sounds wonderful."
The two of us reluctantly slide out of our surprisingly comfortable bed, and I go to the storage container to grab our stuff. I take our suitcases out and lead Cheerilee through the crowded hallways of the train out into the blazing, humid land of Saddle Arabia. She flinches when the hot air rolls over her, obviously not used to this kind of humidity. Ponyville, and even Equestria as a whole, tends to be kind of low key in that regard. I guess that's what happens when you have pegasi controlling the weather.
"Ugh, it's hot out here," she groans. "I didn't expect that."
I shrug and grab the rest of our luggage from the porter. "After a few hours at most you'll barely notice it. There were a lot of places on Earth where the humidity and temperature changed drastically from place to place, so this is kind of normal for me. Being this hot during the day does mean that it'll be pretty cold at night."
Cheerilee gives me a sultry grin and swats my leg with her tail. "Well, then, I guess we'll need to snuggle up to keep each other warm, won't we?"
I grin and nod. "Sounds about right. However, until that time comes, we have a lot of Saddle Arabia to see, and we need to go find our hotel so we can drop off our stuff and go see the sights." Now that the crowd is starting to disperse, we have a lot more room to move around, allowing me to try to find some sort of map of the city to find our hotel. It shouldn't be far from the train station. "I think it's right about--"
"HALT!"
In my shock I nearly drop the suitcases, but I manage to hold on to them as I turn to see two Saddle Arabian soldiers armed with spears walking towards us. Cheerilee and I exchange an uneasy look, but I put the suitcases down and face them directly.
"Yes?" I say. "Can I help you?"
"What is your business in Saddle Arabia?" one asks as they stop in front of us.
"We're on our honeymoon," I respond calmly. "We were just looking for our hotel so we could get that going, actually."
The two soldiers exchange a look of disbelief before they turn back to me. "And you have proof of this?" one asks.
I shrug and reach into one of the pockets of the suitcase closest to me. I pull out both of our passports, itinerary, train tickets, and hotel reservations. I take a step forward and offer them to the soldiers, who look at them suspiciously. I had figured that I would be known a little bit around here, since, you know, I was a personal guest of their sultan, who does still rule Saddle Arabia. I suppose not all of the soldiers got the memo about who I am. Really, though, it hadn't even been four years since I was last here. Maybe these guys are new?
"Her passport checks out," the first soldier says, handing Cheerilee's passport back to me. "As for you, I don't even know what the heck you are."
I sigh and rub my temples. Here we go again. "I'm a human. I've lived in this world for around ten years now. I spent some of that time in this country, if you recall. Do you remember the whole incident with the Griffonian leaders that came to a head here? Yeah, I was caught in the middle of that."
The soldiers flinch and their spears lower in my direction a few inches, something that makes me take a step backwards. I could fight them if I had any of my weapons on me, but I left my knives and Reginald back in Manderley, and I am nowhere near as good at hand-to-hoof, or whatever, combat to compensate. Not to mention that Saddle Arabia was a friendly country to Equestria. It would be a rather poor idea to start something here, especially on my honeymoon. I'd prefer not to spend it in a jail cell, especially if Cheerilee got thrown into a separate one.
After a few moments, the soldier holding my papers grunts and hoofs them back to me, allowing me to put them back in the suitcase.
"Sir, I'm afraid that you'll need to come with me. Your passport is no good, nor are your hotel papers."
I back up another inch and raise my hands. "Whoa, whoa, they're legit, I promise! Celestia herself had that made for me!"
The other soldier snorts. "Yeah, and Sultan Mesud personally made my spear for me."
"Speaking of," I say through gritted teeth, "if you talk to Sultan Mesud and tell him that TD is back in the country, he will be most pleased, and displeased with whomever arrested me."
"Yes, quite." The soldiers lower their spears towards me, causing me to back up even further. "You'll have to come with us until we get this all sorted out. We assure you that failure to comply will be met with force."
"Oh for..." I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "It isn't enough that I was almost assassinated in this country? You gotta arrest me now, too?"
"TD, maybe we should just do what they say," Cheerilee says nervously, putting a hoof on my leg. "Sultan Mesud can get it settled for us, okay?"
"Yeah..." I grimace and look down at my visibly nervous, bordering on scared, wife, but as a husband, I now have to do what's best for her, you know? Getting the two of us in more trouble would be the opposite of that. "Alright," I say after a moment. "We'll come along peacefully."
"Glad you're seeing things our way." The soldier motions to one of the station's exits. "Now, if you'll follow us to the carriage that Sultan Mesud has sent for you."
"Yeah, I..." I freeze and blink once, not really sure I heard that right. "Say again?"
"A carriage is waiting for you. Sultan Mesud sent it for you. I wasn't lying when I said that your hotel reservations were no good." The first soldier grins at me. "After all, Sultan Mesud cancelled it, refunded it and the train ticket here, and moved you to one of the royal suites in his palace for the duration of your honeymoon. He called it a wedding present."
I roll my eyes and shake my head. "He can't help himself, can he? He pulled a similar kind of prank the first time I met him. Said that because I ate at his table I had to marry one of his eligible daughters."
"What?" Cheerilee says flatly.
"That's his sense of humor, I'm afraid," I say with a sigh. "But hey, I'd take him over Purgle any day of the week." I pick up our suitcases and nod to the soldiers. "Lead the way."
The two nod and lead us out of the station, where a simple carriage is waiting for us outside. The biggest feature about it is that each of the windows have the sign "Just Married" hanging from it. Cute. The soldiers take our suitcases and load them into the storage compartment, allowing me to open the door for Cheerilee so she can get in. Once she's settled, I quickly follow and close the door behind us. I sit down on one of the velvet seats, and she lays down and puts her head in my lap as the carriage starts moving towards Mesud's palace.
"You know, TD, I really thought we were going to have a problem there," Cheerilee groans.
I snort and roll my eyes as I begin running my fingers through her mane. "Yeah, me too. I mean, what else is new for me, right? Our wedding went so well that the universe had to balance it out somehow."
"Which is why you need me around to lean on whenever the universe decides to continue its 'I Hate TD' campaign." Cheerilee grins and pokes my nose. "I don't know how you survived without me in the first place."
"Honestly? Neither do I." I smirk and lean my head back in my seat. "This is going to sound overly sentimental, but the moments in my life when I was the most successful, especially during my journey, were when I had somebody to lean on. The people made sure that I would get out alive, sometimes putting themselves at risk to do so. I definitely wouldn't be alive if it weren't for some of them." I look back down at my wife and rub behind her ear. "And now I have someone like that forever, don't I?"
Cheerilee gives a noise of contentment and nuzzles my leg. "So do I."
* * * *
We reach the palace of Sultan Mesud after a two hour trip, which Cheerilee and I spend just relaxing with each other, something that we both need after the whirlwind of work that is wedding preparations. When we pull up, Cheerilee sits back up, and I exit our carriage so that I can open up the door for her, allowing her to hop out. I grab the suitcases from the back of the carriage before turning to the steps of the palace, where Sultan Mesud and his wife Naida are waiting for us, flanked by many guards. I cannot help but notice that Mesud has a large, mischievous grin on his face. Gee, I wonder why.
Cheerilee and I walk up the steps of the palace, her with a little trepidation. Princess Celestia is one thing, but she's an Equestrian citizen in a foreign country meeting that country's monarch. That's a lot of pressure, I'm sure. Thankfully her husband has met this tricky sultan before, so I am quite aware of his personality. As we get closer to Mesud, I smirk at him and shake my head.
"You really did have us going there," I say as the two of us stop and give him a quick bow. "After all, it wouldn't be the first time I'd been given that kind of a welcome."
Mesud gives a hearty laugh and walks up to me to slap me on the shoulder. "I do apologize if you felt legitimate fear, but I did not feel that I could help myself."
I roll my eyes. "Of course you didn't."
"Naturally." Mesud turns his grin to Cheerilee, and walks up to her. He takes her hoof and kisses it. "And you must be TD's darling wife Cheerilee. I welcome you to my country. You will always be welcome here."
Kiss my wife on the hoof, does he? Okay, two can play at that game. I smile at Naida, put our suitcases down, walk up to her, take her hoof, and kiss it. "Sultana Naida. It is delightful to see you again. I trust you are well?"
Naida giggles and nods. "Indeed I am. And you?"
"Delightful." I turn around to see Mesud rolling his eyes and Cheerilee giving me a slight glare. I return her glare by having my smile not falter an inch. I go back to the suitcases and pick them up. "Now, then, if it's okay with you, I would like to drop off our stuff so that Cheerilee and I may get our honeymoon going."
Mesud nods and motions to the entrance of the castle. "Of course I do not mind, TD. This is the time for the two of you to be together as husband and wife. I will lead you personally to our best room in the palace."
I thank Mesud, and the entire group walks into the palace, which is noticeably cooler and less humid than the outdoors. He leads us through the ornate hallways of his palace until we reach a solid oak door with gold leaf designs embedded in it. It strikes me as something out of The Lord of the Rings, really. Mesud pushes the door open and leads Cheerilee and I inside.
The room does look pretty amazing. It has a large, four-poster canopy bed, complete with curtains around it to give us both privacy and to block out the sun, I'd imagine. The soft carpets make me regret having shoes on, as I can imagine that it would feel really good on my bare feet. It has a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a large wardrobe that I assume is for our stuff. Overall, I'd say that we're going to be living in the lap of luxury for the next two weeks. Perfect for a honeymoon.
"Wow," I say as I look around the room. "This is pretty awesome. I really don't know how to thank you."
Mesud chuckles and waves his hoof. "Nonsense. You are my guests, and I am nothing if not a hospitable sultan, especially for one such as you, TD." He inclines his head to me in a slight bow. "I will leave you two to it, then. Saddle Arabia awaits you."
"Thank you very much, Sultan Mesud," Cheerilee says as she bows to him. "I don't know what to say."
"You said thank you, and that is enough for me." Mesud smiles warmly at Cheerilee. "And enough of this 'sultan' and 'bowing' nonsense. Feel free to be casual around me in private. All of this bowing is odd."
Cheerilee straightens up immediately. "Oh... y-yes, your Majest-- uh, Mesud. I'll remember that."
"Excellent." Mesud nods at the two of us. "On that note, I shall leave the happy couple be."
Cheerilee and I watch Mesud and Naida leave the room, and once they shut the door behind him, Cheerilee deeply exhales and sits on the carpet.
"That was nerve wracking, TD," she says before taking another deep breath. "That was a monarch of another country!"
I nod and open up the wardrobe to being unpacking the suitcases. "Uh-huh, I'll bet. But as you can see, he's pretty casual." I roll my eyes. "Unless you bring assassination plots into his country. Then he can get a little irate. But don't worry about doing anything to make him angry. I don't think you can short of flat-out intentional disrespect."
"If you say so." Cheerilee stands up and walks over to me to nuzzle my side. "Either way, I cannot believe that he would do this for us! We basically just got a honeymoon for free from the sultan of Saddle Arabia! Do you know what this means for our funds?"
I smile and nod as I begin putting my clothes away. "Oh yeah. Between this and what we get from our wedding presents, we'll have saved enough cash to upgrade Manderley a bit more."
Cheerilee grins and wraps a foreleg around my waist. "Sounds delightful."
"Good. So that's..." I pick up one of my shirts and frown when a small bracelet comes tumbling out of it. I pick it up, and frown when I see that Cheerilee doesn't seem to recognize it either. I look at it closer and see that it's a simple black bracelet, but it has two small plastic charms hanging off. One of a human, and one of a pony.
"What is that?" Cheerilee asks, taking the bracelet in her hoof.
"I have no idea," I mutter. "I didn't pack it, and I don't recognize it from anything. It's obviously something made with us in mind."
"Yeah, but these charms don't seem to look like either of us specifically. Just a human and a pony."
"Uh-huh." I kneel down next to the suitcase to see if there is anything else in there that I didn't pack. "Maybe it's a wedding gift that got packed by accident? But I can't imagine who would have given it to us, or who put it in there. Maybe... ah, I think I have something."
I check the shirt one more time and see a small piece of paper inside. I unfurl it and see that it is a note written in handwriting that I don't recognize. Cheerilee frowns and looks over my shoulder to read it.
To the happy couple:
I've seen that you have some problems with being different species and all, and I wanted to make that right. You two do look so adorable together, and I would hate for your relationship to suffer because of unfulfilled physical desires. So, here's a little something to help out with that. Have fun!
Cheerilee and I stare in horror at the note. Not because of the contents itself, but because of the ornate, complex, loopy initial at the bottom of it.
D.
And we both know of only one "D" that had any interest in us being different races. Cheerilee yelps and drops the bracelet like it's a big spider, and I pull her away from it. We both stare at it for a moment as if waiting for it to explode.
"Well..." Cheerilee gulps. "Discord has switched our races before. I mean, we did get that awesome dance and amazing kiss at our wedding. Maybe this will be like that?"
I rub the stubble on my jaw and take a deep breath. "I don't know if we can take that chance. I mean, he is Discord, after all. He may say that he's reformed, but even if I could throw him into outer space, I still wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."
"Neither would I," Cheerilee admits, "and I don't see why he thinks we would trust him after what he did at our wedding and that one date, but..."
As if getting frustrated with the current conversation, the bracelet autonomously shoots into the air and rockets towards the two of us, causing Cheerilee and I to go backwards like Neo in The Matrix. Yes, even after over ten years I still remember "Bullet Time."
However, it is all for naught, as the bracelet quickly shifts directions and zooms toward Cheerilee too fast for either one of us to stop it. It loops around her exposed right foreleg and shrinks down until it stays on at about the ankle. Before either of us can do anything, she's enveloped in a flash of white light, and once the light fades, my wife is...
Human once again.
Cheerilee and I stare open-mouthed down at the bracelet, which is firmly in place on her now human wrist. I shakily move my hand and place it on hers. I gotta admit, even after sharing the dance at the wedding, this feels... weird. My wife's hoof isn't like this. I can tell you how her fur feels without even looking. So this... feeling her skin and knowing it's the same mare is just off to me. I look into my wife's eyes, which, while now as small as mine, are as wide as they'll go.
"Mr. Powell?"
"Yes, Mrs. Powell?"
Cheerilee takes a deep breath. "I think I completely understand what this thing is for."
I slowly begin nodding. "Yeah, I do too."
Warning: clop scene ahead!!!
I mean, there might be a clop scene ahead. It is their wedding night, and they are both human now, so it's really not weird at all that they're... doing what they're doing. So yes, here it goes...
Probably.
Maybe.
I sigh in contentment as I sink deeper into the soft mattress, waiting for my wife to join me in bed. Everything in the past few days had been so stressful, and now it is time for bliss. I crack one eye open and see Cheerilee in the bathroom freshening up before she joins me in bed. She shouldn't be long now. I stretch out and pull the comfortable blanket over me as I listen to her hooves walking on the tile floor.
Clop, clop, clop, clop.
I don't know what it is, but there's something oddly soothing about the sound of her walking around and her hooves hitting the ground. I open an eye again and see that she's at the sink, brushing her mane. She finishes up, puts the brush down on the counter, and puts her hoof back down on the ground with a clop. With that finished, she begins walking back to me, the hard sound of clopping hooves on the tile being the only noise in the room until Cheerilee begins walking on the carpet to the bed. I smile lovingly at her, something she returns, as she goes over to the other side of the bed and slides under the covers. I roll over and wrap my arms around her, causing her to wrap her forelegs around one of my arms and nuzzle it.
"Goodnight, Mr. Powell," she coos. "I had fun today."
"As did I, Mrs. Powell. We should have more fun tomorrow."
"Definitely."
With that, Cheerilee claps her forehooves together with a clop clop, and the lights go out.
* * * *
Somehow it's the next morning when I wake up, despite it being early afternoon when the two of us started unpacking. I roll around in bed and see my wife, a pony once again, snoozing peacefully beside me. I smile fondly at her and run my fingers through her mane, something that causes a smile to appear on her face. Still, I guess I'd better let her rest for the moment while I get ready for the day. I slide out of bed and hop into the shower, something that makes her wake up, if the sound of her shifting in bed is any indication. I quickly finish my shower and dry off just as Cheerilee enters the bathroom. Before I would have asked her to wait while I dressed, but, heh, well, not anymore, I guess. She grins seductively at me and flicks her tail at my leg.
"Good morning, dear," she says, taking her toothbrush and manebrush out of the small travel case. "Having fun so far?"
I return her grin with one of my own. "Oh yeah. I think yesterday was a better start to our honeymoon than we imagined. Somehow, I think it might go uphill from there."
"Well let's hope so," Cheerilee says, turning the shower on and adjusting the temperature. “We've got a lot to see. Some of it has to be good."
"Better than when I was last here," I say with a half grin/half grimace. "No assassins this time around."
Cheerilee grunts in agreement and steps into the shower. "Let's hope so."
We spend the next twenty minutes or so getting ready, which is mostly me getting dressed and making sure that we have everything for our day and her doing her morning routine. Once that's all settled, we head on out of our room, chattering excitedly about our day. We nod in greeting to the different Saddle Arabians that we pass, all of whom nod back. None of them seem particularly fazed by us. I think Mesud told them all about us. That, and I would imagine that a few of them remember me from when I was here last.
But then, something happens.
My eyes widen and I stop in my tracks, something that causes Cheerilee to stop, too. She frowns at me and tilts her head.
"What? TD? Are you okay?"
I take a deep breath and run a hand through my hair, still staring ahead. It stares back at me. I put the small backpack I have down next to Cheerilee and sigh.
"Cheerilee, I just want you to know that whatever happens, it's all okay."
Cheerilee raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
I crack my neck and begin moving my arms around. "I mean that it's all going to be fine. Whatever you see, it's not actually that bad."
"TD, you're starting to scare me."
I chuckle and grin at the familiar griffin standing about thirty feet away from me, who is also warming up.
"Not yet, probably."
I barely have time to blink before the griffin charges. I don't even flinch, and I begin my charge half a second afterwards. I hear Cheerilee yelp, but there are certain things that need to be done. The griffin tries to get the upper claw by flying into the air, but I'm ready for that, and taller. I jump up just as she spreads her wings and wrap my arms around her barrel, using my weight to send us both to the ground. She recovers quickly, and rolls so that she's on top of me. I uppercut her beak just as she goes to attack my shoulder joint. She's barely fazed by it, but her blow to my shoulder is noticeably weaker and less accurate.
With her distracted, I punch her in the stomach, something that allows me to move out from under her and get on her back while she recovers. She squawks and begins bucking, her powerful wings slapping every part of me that they can reach. She grabs my hand and is just about to start twisting it when a shout breaks through our fight.
"ENOUGH!"
Somehow, despite the fact that we're both trained fighters, the two of us flinch back. I immediately get off of her and stand up straight, while she folds her wings. I can see her tail flicking uneasily. I guess it comes from years of teaching foals, but something about Cheerilee's tone let us both know that she is now the one in charge. Her glare could probably melt boulders.
"What. Are. You. Two. Doing?!" she screeches before stomping over to the griffin and poking her chest. "And just who do you think you are, buster?!"
"Uh, Cheerilee?" I flinch back when she turns her glare to me. "This is Kathyrine. You remember her from my story?"
Cheerilee's glare softens, and she turns her head back to the griffin with a more curious expression. Kathyrine scoffs and smirks at me.
"Geez, dude. You sure know how to pick 'em." She flicks her arm forward and imitates a whip cracking. "Figures you'd go for the tough ones."
I roll my eyes at that. "No, no, nothing like that." I return her smirk with one of my own. "And I recall her schoolteacher voice freaked you out, too."
"You still haven't answered me," Cheerilee grumbles. "What was that?"
I shrug. "Just a little sparring match. Nothing too dangerous. We weren't trying to hurt each other."
"Much," Kathyrine adds.
I nod in agreement. "Right. Much. I guess you could say that we were just saying 'hi' after not seeing each other for however many years. I'm certain that you and Berry Punch have a different way of greeting each other than, say, Twilight and I do."
"Yes, and it isn't by beating the cutie marks off of each other," Cheerilee says through gritted teeth.
"Neither one of us got cutie marks, dude," Kathyrine points out.
"My point being," Cheerilee says a little more forcefully, "I don't know why you two would greet each other with a fight."
I shrug again. "Eh. Nostalgia, maybe? I dunno. We did it a lot during the assassination stuff a few years ago."
Cheerilee groans in annoyance and facehooves. "Of course. Makes sense to me."
I chuckle and turn my attention back to my ex-forced fiancee. "So, you've been living here for the past three or four years?"
Kathyrine shrugs and stands up. "Eh, mostly. I've traveled a bit. Gone to Equestria a few times. Baltimare, I think. Las Pegasus, too. Never once stepped paw inside Griffonia, though!" Kathyrine glowers and scoffs. "I don't miss it at all."
"Neither do I, to be honest."
Kathyrine shrugs with her wings before looking back at Cheerilee. "So, this is your pony wife, huh? You're on your honeymoon?"
I smile happily and nod. "Yep. We got married a few days ago, and now we're out to see Saddle Arabia in all of its glory."
"Cool. You two should have fun, then." Kathyrine lazily motions to the exit of the palace. "You definitely have to hit the big market in the center of the city at some point. Go early in the day or when it's about to close. You won't have to deal with the huge crowds or the heat, then."
I nod approvingly and look down at Cheerilee, who returns it. "Yeah, that sounds good. We'll be sure to do that."
"Cool." Kathyrine smirks at us. "Well, then, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. Don't go getting into too much trouble."
I chuckle and shake my head. "No, I'm hoping that I used all of that up during my journey. We're looking for fun here, not life threatening trouble."
"Well it is Saddle Arabia." Kathyrine spreads her wings in a dramatic gesture. "You never know."
Yeah, I'll bet.