//------------------------------// // A Feeling of Fear - 2 // Story: A Feeling Of // by Nuke //------------------------------// Twilight, Celestia, and Pingpong sat silently in the library as I took Speck somewhere private. She suggested Luna's Garden of Space, and pointed in the direction I needed to go. I stayed silent through the entire journey, my mind racing with the possibility that she overheard every bit of that conversation. She didn't speak much either, never confirming nor denying my suspicion. We lie in the plush grass of Luna's garden, staring up at the afternoon sky. She rests to my right, on her back, as I hold her hoof in both of my hands. I don't know how long we've been like this, but it is comforting. Speck turns her head to face me and starts blowing in my ear. I don't react. I just try really hard to supress the urge to cry, knowing that she probably heard everything I was talking to Pingpong and Twilight about. "Anon? You're acting weird. Do we need to go home?" She pulls her hoof away and rolls onto her side. I can't do it anymore; I can't hold it in. I feel my face burn and boil as tears well up in my eyes. Speck sits up and caresses my cheek, stroking it gently. I hold her hoof still and look into her eyes. "I don't want you to leave me." She squeezes my cheeks together and smiles reassuringly. I mutter softly. "What was that?" I mumble again. She lets go of my face, rolls her eyes, and leans down to press her ear to my lips. I hug her as tight as I possibly can as I pull her on top of my chest. "I'm so sorry." "Sorry? For wha-" She starts screeching and squealing as I grab her head and start blowing in her ear. She manages to pull away, screaming as she does. "Anon! What is wrong with you!? You've got me all worried, and..." She sniffles, waves her hooves in front of her face, and tries not to cry. My heart drops as I place a hand on her cheek. I didn't mean to frighten her. "Hey, come on. I'm sorry, please don't cry." She leans into my hand. I pull her closer to me and hug her tight, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. She looks up at me, blinking her tears away. "Are you going to be okay, Speck?" She nods and hugs me around the neck. "So, what were you, Pingpong, and Princess Twilight talking about?" I am either being baited into telling her the truth, or lying to her and having her call me out. "Just some things about that fortune-teller. Some things about Angels." She perks up, eyes wide and curious. "Speaking of, I figured it was time to let you see this." Speck leans back as I turn to our bags. Reaching into mine, I extract my journal and hold it out to her. She stares at it for a second before looking up at me. "Are you sure?" She smiles, excited to finally peer into the book. "Yeah." "Well, wait. I have something kind of... silly to ask you." She snickers a little as she taps her hooves. "I mean, I might have already asked, but... Are you an Angel?" She has implied her thoughts on this several times, but never really outright said anything. I sigh softly and hold the journal between us. If I don't tell her the truth now, I don't think I ever will. "I'm going to break your heart." With an understanding not and a meek smile, she swallows. "You've told me a lot of stories about Angels. About how they helped ponies. I guess, to you, I am an Angel, after everything I've done for you. The truth is, Speck... I'm really not. I felt bad for you, the same way I felt bad for animals back on Earth. I didn't expect you to stick around. I figured you'd be off on your own, better than you were, after a week." She glances down at the journal. "Then you know why I stayed." "I can't convince you that I'm not an Angel, because technically, I guess I am. I'm your Angel. The problem is, I'm only your Angel. I don't have much of a desire to help other ponies the same way I help you. I'm not a hero. I can't protect you." "Don't say that. Anon, you're my hero." She shakes her head as tears well up in her eyes. "All of those stories I told you about Earth. About saving people and rescuing princesses. None of that's real, outside of books. I saved cats and dogs. I don't know why I ever told the princesses I was a hero. To make myself seem less useless? Maybe secure a life here? I don't know. But I'm not what I said I am." Speck climbs out of my lap and turns back to the castle. She doesn't look back as she walks off. "I don't care what you were on Earth, Anon. You could have been a thief, or a murderer, or even a genocidal psychopath. I don't care, because you're here now, and you're so great to me. You're being a hero. You're being MY hero." She runs back into the castle, never looking back. That could have gone better. It could have gone worse, too. I wasn't really finished talking, and now I have to run after her. "But you know what?" I say out loud, to no one but myself. "She's worth it. I get on my feet and run into the castle. ~~~ Speck ran through the castle, blindly rushing past guards and guests alike as she tried to find some quiet, solitary place to hide. Running from room to room, she found maids and servants cleaning, chatting, or preparing for something. Frustrated at ponies seemingly popping up everywhere she went, she looked for a service hallway to hide in. Finding one, she discovered it to be empty, though sounds of metal clashing and ponies shouting echoed through the hall. She scrambled to the end and pushed a door open, gasping in awe as another garden opened in front of her. This one seemed much more private than the Garden of Space. It was much, much larger, with more blues and purples scattered about. Little white flowers were planted in any spot they would fit. The walk-ways made Speck feel as if she was trotting on nebulae. As she trotted along, looking around at the trees that sprouted white blossoms, and the ivory plaques that rested by the walk-ways, she found herself smiling, almost like she was surrounded by hundreds of warm bodies. Friends and family and strangers, all there to make her feel warm and safe. She found a small bench resting beneath a tree that looked on at a large monument. Ignoring the monument, she perched upon the bench and curled up. Her smile never faded as her eyelids grew heavy, and tears of comfort rolled down her cheeks. ~~~ A sound unknown to most of pony-kind echoes through the castle as I run, shoes tapping against the marble floors. Ponies, both guards and guests alike, leap out of my way and shout after me as I speed past them. It would probably be a good idea to stop and ask if they've seen Speck. I skid to a halt in front of the next guard I see. "Have you seen a bat-pony run by? Black dress, dark turquoise hair, orange eyes. Probably really upset?" "Down that hall, to the left. She went somewhere down that way." His directions prove somewhat fruitful as I turn the corner. Quickly and awkwardly, I try to dodge one regal princess with a dive roll that, if I knew what I was doing, would make any aspiring gymnast positively jealous. Unfortunately, I tumble into the princess and knock her over. "I suppose that is one way to greet a princess." The familiar, motherly voice starts to giggle. "How did you fare with Speck? I see she isn't with you." "She ran off." Neither of us make an attempt to untangle or stand. "I'm trying to find her." "Ah, didn't take too well to the news?" "More or less. She's not too keen on the idea of me not being an Angel." "You should give her a little time alone to think. Perhaps taking a little time for yourself, you'll find her." Celestia wiggles out of our entanglement and stands. She lifts me to my feet with her magical grip. It tickles. "I should be there for her." "Then perhaps you should appease her with something from the kitchen. It is on the way to the Garden of the Fallen Stars. I believe I saw her running off in that direction." "That's not a bad idea." Celestia nods with a smile. I follow her as she turns and heads down the hall. "How many gardens does Luna have, anyway?" "Quite a few. She took quite a liking to gardening after returning home from her banishment. I must say, she is quite adept at it. She is such a silly pony. You know, she tried to fire all of the gardeners. She wanted to do everything herself. I ended up giving her free reign of one of the courtyards, but when she finished with that, she wanted another." "I'm going to guess that they're all space themed, since two of them are named as such?" "She spent a thousand years on the moon, Anonymous. Would you expect them to be carnival themed?" "Well, why not?" She shoots me a rather snarky look before turning down a service hallway. We stop at a door about halfway down the hall. 'Kitchen' is carved into a small plaque on the wall. I push the door open and walk inside. Yelling, metal clattering together, food sizzling and popping, and loud banging fills the room. An intoxicating mix of smells nearly causes me to faint, but I slowly get used to it. Celestia trots behind me as I try to find the head-chef. "Chef Boyardee!" I shout as I approach a familiar unicorn. He turns to me, about to say something nasty and rude, until he sees Celestia. "Y-yes, sir? Something I may help you with?" "I need something tropical and fruity." "Ah, I think I may have just the thing!" He darts off. "Thank goodness for Chef Boyardee." Celestia giggles. We only have to wait a short while for the chef to return. "I believe this may work!" He gives me a bowl filled with some kind of orange custard. Small wafer cookies are expertly placed within the custard. It smells sweet. I'll have to come back here and get the recipe for whatever this is, just in case Speck likes it. "If it doesn't, I'm coming back for your hat." I turn away from him as he grumbles. Celestia and I depart from the kitchen. Every minute away from Speck gives her more time to dwell on her feelings, and gives her more chances to decide she wants to leave. "Are you ready, Anonymous?" I nod, and we start back down the hall toward the door at the very end. It leads out to the Garden of the Fallen Stars. "It's... enormous." The garden spans in front of us, extending nearly the length of a football field. I can't even start to imagine how much time it has taken Luna to perfect every little flower. "This is Luna's favorite garden. She plants a new flower every time one of her stars fall." I stare at her with a raised brow. "The bat-ponies, Anon. Not the literal stars in the sky." "How does she know when they fall?" "Not even I know that, Anonymous. I believe they share some connection through the moon and the night, but don't quote me on that." I start to walk out into the garden, but Celestia stays behind. As I walk, the garden gives off a vibe that makes me feel weightless. I approach a large ivory monument, and stop in front of it. "In Memory Of My Fallen Stars. Though The Skies Grow Darker Each Night, You Still Shine Bright." A soft snoring sound reaches my ears just as I raise a hand to touch the monument. I turn to find Speck fast asleep on a bench. I sit beside her and clutch the bowl of custard in my hands. Instinctively, she presses against me as she continues to snore. I am at a loss for words. I want to talk to her, but I don't know what to say. Even though she's asleep, I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing. So I sit quietly, staring up at the sky. "Looks like Celestia's working her magic," I mumble to myself. The sky's late afternoon blues start to change to reds and oranges. "Do you think we'll be okay, Speck?" She mumbles in her sleep and rubs her nose against my leg. She stretches as she sniffs and groans. I lightly trace a finger over her ear. She swats at my hand with a hoof. Her eyes open slowly. Our eyes meet, and I smile. She frowns and looks away. "Are we going to be okay, Anon?" "Of course." She snuggles against me. "You're my Angel, Anon. I don't care what you say." "So you don't care if I say you're my Angel?" "Maybe a little." She smiles up at me. "What's in that bowl?" "Oh! It's some kind of custard thing. I figured you'd be hungry, so I ran by the kitchen before finding you." She opens her mouth, possibly to object, just as her stomach growls. With a blush and a frown, she takes the bowl from me and stuffs her face into it. "Anon." "Hm?" "Do you know why I fell in love with you?" I shrug, though I assume it has something to do with her thinking I'm an Angel. "You've just done so much for me. You've shown that you really care for me, and you've gone to such great lengths to show me that. When you took me to see my parents... That really made me happy, you know." "Yeah." "All of that made me really love you. I don't care what you did before you came to Equestria. I didn't fall in love with you because of any of that. Do you know why I really fell in love with you?" I shake my head. "I fell in love with you because of those banana bread muffins." I stare blankly as she snickers. She throws the bowl of custard over her head as I push her off of the bench and into the grass. She giggles as I flop onto the ground beside her. The bowl lands upside down a few feet away. "That is so cruel, Speck. Only loving me for what I bake." "Oh, bite me." Before I can react, she gasps and covers her mouth with her hooves, eyes wide with fear. I start to laugh. I laugh harder than I have in a very, very long time. For the first time since I met Speck, I laugh at her pun. She starts to laugh, too. We both roll on our sides, facing each other, as we lose our breath. We hold each others' faces and press our foreheads together as our laughter dies down. Her lips press to mine as I run my fingers through her mane. We break apart. She snuggles into me, pressing her face to my chest. "I love you, Anon." "Love you too, Speck." "Ahem..." I look up to find a familiar dark horse standing over us. She bears a soft smile. "Having fun?" "Yes." "Hi, Princess." Speck looks up and waves shyly. "Hello. How are you doing?" I roll my eyes and cover Speck's mouth before she can engage in some long, drawn out conversation about nothing. "We're doing fine. What's up, Luna?" Speck starts licking my hand, maintaining strong eye-contact. I stay strong and refuse to budge. Instead, I rub my thumb over her nostrils. "Surprisingly little, Anonymous. I am preparing to tend to my gardens, given what little free-time I've managed to attain." Speck stops licking me, but starts inhaling weirdly. I ignore it and continue rubbing my thumb on her nose. "Need some help?" "No. Thank you, though. It is just something I need to do myself." Tears start to form in her eyes. She stares up at the ivory monument as Speck continues her little breathing fit. I look down at her just as she inhales deeply and shuts her eyes tight. With an explosive exhale and frenetic flinch, she sneezes directly into my hand. I slowly move it away from her muzzle whilst displaying a look of absolute horror and disgust. Luna tries not to giggle as Speck grabs me by the wrist and tries to turn my hand to rub it on my face. I barely have to resist, but elect not to risk her overpowering me. Yanking my arm away from her, I wipe my hand on the grass. "You're no fun, Anon." "I'm plenty fun when you aren't trying to wipe your snot on me." I look up at Luna. "You feeling okay?" "Yes," she says as she nods and smiles. "Just wondering if, maybe, I'll have some new stars to look forward to?" I look at Speck. She looks at me. "I have no idea what you mean," I say as I smile like an idiot. "I'm sure you'll understand soon." She chuckles as she picks a small silver tray up and starts trotting past me and Speck. I notice a small white flower starting to sprout out of a dirt-filled vial. I watch as she digs a hole next to another walk-way and levitates the flower out of its vial. She whispers something to it before sprinkling water on it. After a moment, she turns back and beckons us to follow her, deeper into the garden. Speck and I oblige. *** Speck huddled close to her friend as they sat on an open patch of grass half flanked by a walk-way and half blocked by shrubbery. The princess - her hero - sat beside them. The little bat-pony had her eyes locked on a group of white Easter lilies. Princess Luna pointed to a pair of lilies that twirled around one another. One was in full bloom, while the other was still growing. "I found it strange that they started to curl together, almost as soon as the newer flower began to sprout." "They're beautiful. Thank you." Speck hummed to herself as she looked up at the sky. Her stomach grumbled softly and caused her to blush and hide her face. Her friend laughed as he lifted her into his arms. "Guess that custard didn't quite sate you, did it? Come on Luna, we're gonna go raid your kitchen again. See what they're cooking up for your royal breakfast." "That is unnecessary. You two have impeccable timing." "Why's that?" "There will be a banquet held for the many of the noble class ponies in Canterlot." Speck's friend smirked a devious kind of smirk. "Perhaps the two of you could spice it up a little?" His smirk develops into a full-blown vicious grin. "I'll see what I can cook up." Speck felt a little scared. Her friend was plotting something, and she wasn't sure she liked it one bit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and repositioned herself so she could look into his eyes. The princess started walking back toward the door as her friend followed. "Why are you so casual with the princesses?" "I've known them as long as I've been here. Plus, you know, I don't want them to think I'm some no-fun stick-in-the-mud stiff, so I just treat them like I would any of my friends. Why?" He raised an eyebrow. She smiled and nuzzled his nose. "Just curious. I'm trying to figure out what makes you tick." He laughed and nuzzled her back. "Good luck with that. I don't even know what makes me tick half the time." The trio continued into the castle, though Princess Luna ran off in a fit of urgency. As Speck's friend continued to carry her down the hall, he stopped briefly at the door to the kitchen. "Lost?" "Kind of. I've never been to the banquet hall. Figured I could ask one of the chefs where it is." He pushed the door open and walked inside, immediately accosting one of the chefs. "Chef Boyardee! Where's the banquet hall at?" The chef silently pointed toward a door on the other side of the kitchen. He walked to it and pushed it open. It lead into another long, narrow hallway. Several ponies carrying platters pushed past each other. "You're acting weird, dear one." Speck had noticed him acting a little sporadically. Almost twitchy, but subtly so. He set her down as they approached the door. "I'm about to sit at a royal banquet for nobles. Things are about to get seven kinds of awkward." Before she could react, he had already opened the door. As they stepped through the door, they found two long tables parallel to one another. They stretched across the banquet hall, and sat an intimidating number of ponies. Few heads turned to stare at Speck and her friend as they walked over to the head of the nearest table. Princess Celestia sat at its head, with Princess Luna and Princess Twilight to her left and right respectively. More and more heads turned as the duo sat beside the princesses, across from one other. Nearly the entire hall had gone silent. Celestia stood to announce their arrival. "Nobles of Canterlot, I would like to introduce two very dear friends of the Equestrian Royal Family, -" An incredibly loud crash sounded from across the room, and even though everyone in the room heard it, it went ignored. "- and Speck!" The nobles applauded and returned to their conversations. A pony trotted from the service hall and placed a plate of fruit in front of Speck. Her friend looked up at Princess Celestia. She looked down at Speck. Speck looked up at her. They exchanged a smile. A unicorn sitting beside Speck tapped her on the shoulder. She looked over, only to be met with two big blue eyes. "Um, excuse me," she said in a regal, yet timid way. "Yes?" "If it's not too much trouble, and if I may ask, where did you find that dress?" The unicorn mare brushed a bit of her lavender mane from her cheek. Speck looked down at the dress and brushed a hoof over it. Adopting a persona of nobility, she started to gush. "Oh, this? I found it in a little dress shop, not far from the elevators leading into Canterlot Mountain." The unicorn smiled as she looked Speck over. "My name is Curio. I run quite a few dress shops in Canterlot, many of which have been in the family for generations." Curio paused for a moment as she caught Speck's eye. "You're from Ponyville, aren't you? I knew he -" The mare nodded toward Speck's friend. "- looked familiar, and I swear I've seen somepony just like you running around with him. You were at the Summer Sun Celebration's banquet, weren't you?" "I was, but I don't recall seeing you there." "Oh, I'm afraid I was only able to visit briefly. Urgent business called me away." She looked back over Speck's dress. "That dress looks like it was made for you. I remember finding its design in an old cedar chest in the Carousel Opera House." "Well, I'm glad you found it. It's such a nice, beautiful dress, I honestly couldn't resist it." "Mmm." Curio seemed to space off for a moment, thinking on something far off, distant event. "So how do you know the princesses?" "Well, long story short, my friend here -" Speck pointed to her friend. "- came from another world, met them, moved to Ponyville, and took me in. I got to meet them at the Summer Sun Celebration. It was quite a surprise." "Ah." Curio nodded slowly. "What about you?" "Well, my ancestor was the Element of Generosity. Back when Equestria actually needed them." She giggled to herself as she hid a somber frown. "What an age we live in where there is no conflict or fighting." The two ponies sat in brief silence as Speck sipped at her smoothie. She watched as her friend engaged in conversation with Princess Twilight. Several ponies walked around the banquet tables, picking up any empty dishes, including Speck's empty glass. "So what do you do for a living, miss Speck?" "I keep our house tidy, make sure everything's proper. I've been learning how to bake. Really, I just hang around Sugarcube Corner." She snickered to herself. "Oh, Sugarcube Corner! I haven't been there in so long. Their cakes are to die for! I simply must make note to visit sometime." Speck flinched as a cherry bounced off of her face. She looked up to see her friend and Princess Twilight giggling like children. "Watch this," he whispered to the princess. He flicked another cherry at Speck. She caught it between her teeth and gave him a little wink. Rolling it with her tongue, she swallowed it and licked her lips. He and Princess Twilight adopted uncomfortable looks. "Well, that was most certainly... unique." Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Curio try not to laugh. Most of the other ponies nearby were shocked by Speck's display. She smirked at her friend and picked another cherry up in her mouth. "Your turn." "Alright. I've got this." He placed his hands on the table to brace himself. Speck noticed his hand sink into a slice of cake. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, ready to catch the cherry. She spat it at him, he went for the catch. It missed and pegged him in the eye. With a grunt, he fell backward, over his seat and onto the floor. Speck gasped loudly as she climbed onto the table and looked over the edge. She covered her mouth with an upsetting groan. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked down at his unmoving body. All of the other ponies stared at them. "I KILLED HIM!" She screamed. She jumped off of the table and held his head in her hooves. A hand full of cake presses to her cheek as she buried her face into his hair. Time seemed to suspend itself for everyone in the room. No one moved, no one spoke. Speck slowly, and dramatically, wiped the cake off her face and took a bite out of it. "Get on with it." A tear rolled down her cheek as she smushed the remains of the cake into her friend's face. "Food fight!" They both shouted ecstatically, leaping up onto the table, grabbing whatever they could. Some of the more carefree, less up-tight nobles started to throw food at the stiffs. Speck's friend worked hard and fast to crush up as much fruit onto Princess Twilight's face as he possibly could. Speck, however, dumped a smoothie onto Princess Celestia's head. Everything stopped once more. Her friend stared at her, Princess Luna gasped, and any of the nobles that had already started throwing food stopped. Princess Celestia glared at Speck. Oh, no. Now she was mad, and it was all Speck's fault! "Speck." "Y-yes, Princess?" "Sit." Speck obeyed. She started to bow and apologize, but the princess stopped her. "I do not need your apologies, Speck." The nervous little bat-pony whined and looked down at the table. She tried not to cry. Princess Luna and Princess Twilight covered their mouths with their hooves. Her friend stood completely silent. She started to plead with the princess, but quickly hushed as something cold fell onto the back of her head and dripped through her mane. All three princess and her friend started laughing and guffawing. Curio, recovering from a pie that had hit her in the face, also started in. "Et tu, Curio?" Speck cried as she dramatically fell onto the table, no longer concerned for her dress's well-being; it could easily be washed. She rolled around and groaned in false agony. The princesses took turns assaulting Speck with food. Twilight dumped a small plate of fruit over her, Luna pressed a cupcake against her cheek, and Celestia spread a little bit of strawberry jam over her muzzle. Her friend took her up in his arms as she fell limp. He brushed her mane out of her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. "My dearest Speck has fallen to three cruel tyrants that have no mercy. I declare war upon your state and your nation." "I feel... tired." "Sh. Go to sleep." "Good night. I love you." "I love you too." She closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side. Her tongue hung out as she let out a soft sigh. ~~~ War has been brought to Canterlot, for the first time in almost three hundred years. The princesses have killed the love of my life, and I will make them pay for it. I sit, hunkered down with quite a few unicorn nobles. We use an overturned table as cover, shielding ourselves from the princesses' food. "Oh, Anon! This is so much fun!" Speck giggles and kicks her hooves as she lies beside me, covered in cake and jelly. "Speck, shush. You're supposed to be dead." "Oh, right!" She groans and goes limp again. I lob a ball of cake and berries over the table before ducking back down for cover. Speck's new friend skids across the floor after diving over another table. She slams against me just as a sloppy ball of jam and berries splats onto the floor. "Curio, was it?" She nods. I glance at her cutie-mark: a blue diamond shaped like a dragon's fang. "I need you to hold Celestia for me. Distract her fire, do whatever you can. Get two others to help you distract Luna and Twilight." She nods again, calls two nobles to her, and run off to another table. They start lobbing berries and cake. I take the opportunity to jump over my table and make a dash for another, where several unicorns cower. "Alright. Here's the plan." They stare at me in fear. "You're going to be my group of leading scientists. We're going to build a massive food bomb and drop it right on Celestia." They stare at me in confusion. I wave a hand and roll my eyes. "Just play along. I need this." They nod nervously and start darting around the banquet hall, sliding for cover, gathering up as much food as they can. More and more nobles see what they're doing and join in. They store most of the stickier food and jam dishes back behind our safety lines. "Sir? We've got about as much food as we can find," says a mare, just as she dives behind the cover of my table. "Good." The mare scampers off to help Curio. I rush back to the table I left Speck at, grab her, and beeline behind the safety line. "Alright, here's the plan. All of this food we've got back here, I need you to shove it all into one massive pile. We'll get the unicorns to levitate it and drop it on Neighgasaki over there." I stretched that. It got two of the nobles to chuckle. "And what exactly do you call this plan?" I squint at the bold little noble that speaks up, and adopt the most serious expression I can. "I call it... the Manehattan Project." Nailed it. "Curio! I need everyone on the back-line!" Noble after noble dives over the table and huddles up in safety. All of the unicorns start to levitate the mass of mush as Curio dives beside me. "Anonymous! What's going on?" "Something we're all going to regret." "What's it called?" I take a moment of silence and pray to whatever gods inhabit this world. "The Speckoning." No one laughs. Not because of the situation, but because that was an absolutely awful pun. Speck doesn't even laugh; she just glares at me. I shrug and peak over the table to watch the massive ball of food drop onto Celestia and her army. Celestia grimaces as I vault over the table and start running toward her. I skid to a halt, almost slipping on stray food that litters the floor, and look her in the eye. All I can see are her eyes, and the eyes of all the other ponies affected by our super-weapon. I clap my hands together. "You." Spin on my heel. "Just." Flex dramatically. "Got." I drag my finger over Celestia's cheek and lick the mush off of it before whispering. "Wrecked." She pounces on me, flattening me to the floor, and covering me in that extremely disgusting blend of fruits and vegetables. This is my punishment for my crimes against Equestria. Somewhere in the castle, a chef that transcends time and space itself screams and cries over the wasted food. *** Unicorn magic is definitely a blessing. The banquet hall didn't take long to clean, thanks to their help. Luna said it was definitely one of the more exciting banquets. Celestia and Twilight got nostalgic, saying it reminded them of the Grand Galloping Gala, some three hundred years ago. Luna took Speck's dress to a royal dress-maker to be cleaned, and sent me and Speck up to the guest room I had stayed in when I first came to Equestria. The room made me uncomfortable the first time I was here, and it makes me uncomfortable now. It is much too large and extravagant. Everything in the room is high-end and fancy. I don't like it. Speck does. She bounces on the large bed, fresh out of the bath, screeching with excitement. "Anon! This is so cool! This bed is so bouncy and comfortable and I could just sink into it and sleep forever!" I need to remind myself to ask Celestia if insulin shots have been invented in Equestria yet. And cardiopulmonary bypass valves. As she bounces up again, she wiggles her legs all around, and flops all over the place as she lands back on the bed. "Anon, come bounce with me!" With a sigh, I approach the bed. As she falls back down, I catch her and try to hug her, but she quickly escapes me. She flops onto the bed like a puddle of bat-pony. "You are absolutely no fun!" "I can be fun!" I exclaim as I hop into bed beside her. She smiles with half-lidded eyes. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah." "Well, then... Maybe we can have a little fun of our own." "I... guess?" I blush and stare at her quizzically. "Great! I'll be right back then!" She rushes to the bathroom and returns just seconds later with a small basket of brushes and combs. "What? What are those?" "Uh. Brushes and combs. Duh." She gives me the basket. "I told you on the elevator that we could... partake in this business." I stare up at the ceiling for a moment. I swear my life flashed before my eyes. I start to brush her mane as she climbs on top of me. "It's been too long since I've had a good brushing..." She groans and buries her face into my shoulder. "I'm so bad at brushing myself... Wish I knew you liked doing this sooner." "Why wouldn't I like this?" "I don't know, Anon. You're weird, and maybe you'd get all weird about something like this." I have a feeling she's trying to trip me up, and get me to make this out as some kind of weird lover's thing. "So this isn't some kind of weird lover's thing?" She shakes her head and laughs. "No, Anon. Absolutely not. It's just grooming, like taking a bath or going to the spa." I've been neglecting my studies of Equestrian culture. She presses closer to me as I start to comb her fur. I pull knots and shedded hair free. Her coat definitely starts to look better. She feels much softer, too. "I'll have to do this more often." I am met with only the soft kee's that she makes when she's asleep. All I can do is smile and pull the bedspread over her. I clap to snuff the candles in the room out before snuggling close to her.