//------------------------------// // A Feeling of Resolve - 3 // Story: A Feeling Of // by Nuke //------------------------------// A loud pounding on the guest room door jolts me awake. Speck gasps and groans as she suddenly tumbles off of me. The pounding stops as I heave myself out of bed. Early morning light filters through the window's curtains. I feel heavy and bogged down, but I manage to get myself dressed. The pounding starts back up. "Hold your horses!" I approach the door and open it, only to be accosted by the squeaky, familiar voice of a certain little wizard-guard. "It's breakfast time!" She shouts in a chipper manner. She looks up at me with her big blue eyes, and her big silly smile. Had I never traveled to Ponyville, I probably would have picked this one to love. I look back at the bed, where a very sleepy pile of gray and blue snores. "Hey Speck?" An annoyed grumble answers me from across the room. "It's breakfast time. You hungry?" "Yes," she mutters as she rolls out of bed and trots up to us. Her mane is just as messy as it was before we brushed it. She stares up at me with sleepy eyes as she yawns. "Hurry up! All of the donuts are going to be gone before we get there!" The wizard-guard trots behind me and starts headbutting my legs. Speck stares at her while jumping onto my back. I sigh and pick Pingpong up under my arm. "Let's hurry this up, then." Pingpong starts screaming and kicking her hooves as she falls to my superior carrying abilities. We pass by a window that overlooks the Garden of the Fallen Stars. I pause to look out to the brick circle where the tower was. Nothing remains of the tower. No rubble, no ashes, nothing. Celestia and Luna must have worked quickly to clean it up. I furrow my brow, hoping they didn't try to salvage anything from it. "Anon, hurry!" Pingpong screams and wiggles excitedly. "We're gonna miss the donuts!" "Sounds like you've already had enough donuts," Speck chides jokingly. I continue on as they start bickering. Speck told me once that she and Pingpong had known each other before I came to Equestria. They became pen-pals sometime after Pingpong visited Hollow Shades. Speck has told me before that she never really had many friends in Hollow Shades. She said that Pingpong advised her to move to Ponyville, but Speck had received a lot of prejudice on her arrival, so she ran away to the forest, too embarrassed to return to Hollow Shades. I traveled to Ponyville as the first stop on a journey, but I got a little too comfortable and settled down there. I think it would be pretty silly if Pingpong had sent me there in hopes of me meeting Speck. Maybe she really did. Who knows? Pingpong's a bit of a mystery. "Go left!" Little miss wizard directs me down a hallway that leads to a private dining room. Celestia and Luna sit across from each other, sipping at tea and eating biscuits. They look up at us, but instead of the usual warm, welcoming smile, they just stare. "Anonymous," Luna says with a sigh. "Please, sit." My party and I oblige, taking our seats around the table. Pingpong starts to steal all of the donuts off of a platter in the center of the table, even though there are plenty for the five of us. Speck pours herself a cup of tea and stares up at Luna as she drinks. "Okay, first off. Since everyone's here that I care to speak with, I'd like to address a few things," I say before touching any of the food. "First, my name isn't Anonymous. It's March. Turns out your translation spell is flawed, and even though I could remember the entirety of the English language that I've learned, I couldn't think of the word for it in Equestrian. It actually isn't my name, exactly. It's just a really close guess." Celestia and Luna look a bit surprised. Speck already knew, and Pingpong is too focused on the donuts to care. "Interesting. Of course, it was simply an experimental spell, meant only to teach you the entirety of our language, both spoken and written." "Then why did you pick the name 'Anonymous?" "I really don't know. That was well over a year ago. I guess, since I didn't have a name, it just kind of worked. Anyway, the second thing I wanted to address. The tower. I looked out of a window on the way here and there was nothing there. Not even rubble." "We cleaned it up." "I figured. Did you two recover anything?" They both shake their heads. "Surprisingly, no. There was nothing but stone, and hardly enough to build a tower that size." Neither of them look away, or give any kind of tell that they're lying. The tone of her voice indicates she is telling the truth. "This brings me to something I wanted to ask, myself, March. What exactly was in that tower? All we found in your chests were books and some toys. As a matter of fact, Luna's sword and shield missing. What happened in there?" I look over at Speck for a moment. She saw everything in there, except whatever was in the mirror. "Nothing. The tower looked like it was supposed to be a place for me to stay. I found some stuff about my life on Earth that I didn't remember, and still kind of can't. Nothing important. The sword and shield... I guess I kind of forgot them in there. Sorry." "Oh, well. They were cheap replicas, anyway." Luna sighs softly. Speck perks up as I look over at her. "Yeah, well. Speaking of giving me some cheap knockoff to protect myself with. Why'd you let Speck follow me?" "We couldn't stop her." Speck slinks into her seat and shies away. "She got her cutiemark by doing it. To try to protect you and keep you safe. For you to love her enough to venture to what could have been the end of your story just to protect her, she was inspired to do the same for you. She has such amazing willpower, and enough love and strength to try and keep you safe." Luna smiles at Speck. "But what's my special talent?" "Protecting the ones you love. Such a noble talent, little one." "Oh, March! Are you going to tell them about the mirror?" I didn't plan on it, Speck. I really didn't. "What mirror?" "There was a big stone mirror on the top floor! I found March staring at it, and..." She catches me glaring at her. "Care to explain?" "It was just a mirror. I looked at it and saw someone I didn't recognize in my reflection. It was me, but at the same time, it wasn't. I've grown a lot as a person since I came here. I would have noticed it, no matter what kind of mirror I looked at." I laugh a little bit to try to play the whole thing down. Celestia offers me a suspicious squint. "If that's the story you want to stick to." "I'm an honest man, Celestia. What do I gain by lying?" I smile and take a sip of tea. "You are a very silly man, and you frustrate me to no end," she says while standing and trotting toward the door. "Good. I'll keep you on your toes while you rule this peaceful little kingdom." Celestia stops at the door and turns back to me. "You remind me of an old friend," she says with a smile. "Whatever really happened in that tower, March. I am glad you returned safely." "Nothing's going to stop me from keeping Speck safe." I wave to Celestia as she leaves. Turning back to the table, I find Speck standing on top of the table. "Speck, stop. I've taught you better table manners than that." "Sorry." She hops off of the table and into my lap. "Are we ready to go home?" "Well, we need to get your dress, go back and get our stuff, and then figure out how we're getting those chests back to Ponyville." "No need to worry about the chests. Sister and I have already had them delivered to your house. And... I do believe Speck's dress should be ready for pickup. If you meet me at the castle gates, I will bring it to you." Luna excuses herself and leaves the room, leaving Speck, Pingpong, and me to finish our breakfast. Pingpong stares at me from across an empty plate, that just moments ago had a pile of donuts sitting on it. She smiles, breaking dried glaze from her muzzle. "You're worse than Speck. She would've at least let me have one." "There's still raisin muffins!" Speck and I stare at Pingpong. "Raisins are gross," Speck mutters with a sneer. All three of us glance at the muffins. Pingpong is the first to excuse herself and leave the room. I follow immediately after, leaving the muffins on the table. Speck climbs up onto my shoulders as I walk back to our room. "March?" She nuzzles into my hair. "Yeah?" "You didn't eat anything." "I thought we could catch brunch at a nice place before heading back to Ponyville. Just us. On a date." I can feel the heat of her blush through my hair. "That sounds nice." We return to the room and retrieve our bags. I make sure we've gotten everything and tidy up a little to help the castle's servants a bit. I carry Speck and our bags through the castle, out to the castle gates. Luna stands idly with a parcel on her back. She speaks to a bat-pony guard wearing sky-blue and gold-trimmed armor. As we approach, I catch the last bit of their conversation. "-- and we need her here. Why do you insist on sending her to Hollow Shades during the solstices?" "Important reasons, Syrius. She is needed there just as much as she's needed here." The stallion sighs, salutes Luna, and then turns to carry on with his duties. I don't get a very good look at him, aside from his armor. There is an emblem on his helmet that matches an emblem I've seen Pingpong wear on her armor. "One of your captains?" "Not quite. He leads the Southern Sky Brigade. One of our most prestigious scouts." "Ah. What's got him all worried?" "Nothing. One of his favorite scouts is being sent to Hollow Shades as part of her duty." She gives me the parcel on her back. It weighs a lot more than just a dress, and I feel like I already know what's inside. "I understand the two of you would like to get back to Ponyville as soon as possible. It was nice seeing you again." She smiles. Speck and I hug her. "It was definitely an eventful trip." "It certainly was. Have a safe journey home." "We will." With that, we part ways. Speck jumps out of my back and starts flying beside me. I walk slowly, taking in the mid-morning sun as we travel into the city. I feel refreshed, like I had finally gotten a good night's sleep after being plagued with something that would keep me tossing and turning. A grumbling sound catches my ear and causes me to stop walking. I look up at Speck. She looks at me with a sheepish grin and light blush. "Really? You just ate, not even an hour ago." "I didn't eat that much." "I should tell you that we aren't going to go get brunch, and that we're going straight home." Her jaw drops and she huffs. She gives me the good old pouting look, complete with a quivering lip. "But, I'm hungry, so let's find a place to eat." She smiles and claps her hooves together. "Eee!" She screeches softly as she hugs me. "Would you like to put your dress on now?" She lets go of me and starts nodding excitedly. I carry the parcel over to an empty bench on the sidewalk and sit down. Speck sits beside me as I start to open the box containing her dress. "Ooh! It looks so much nicer now!" She exclaims as she pulls it from the box. As she puts it on, I check the rest of the contents. A decently sized bag of bits and something rectangular wrapped up in brown paper. I transfer them to my bag and break the box down. I'll check the second package later. "Alright! I'm ready!" Speck hops up and down on the bench. "Okay, okay! Chill, you goof." I grab her and ruffle her mane. "Got anything in mind?" "I don't even know where we're at." I realize that I don't know either. I get up and walk over to the street corner, discarding the box in a trash bin on the way. A set of street signs pointing toward different streets stands tall on the corner. "Mane Street." If it isn't bat puns, it's horse puns. Or puns in general. At least I've been relatively safe from Speck's pun-cannon lately. She's been keeping that on lock and key, even last night at the banquet, when Luna was present. "Speck. Are you feeling alright?" "Yeah, why?" "No real reason." I scratch my head as we continue on toward the west side of the city. Ponies stare at us as we pass. Their stares are different, though. Not scared, like I've usually seen, but somehow... happily curious. Like they'd want to approach us and ask us how we're doing. It's a nice change of pace. Speck's screeching and another pony's yelling snaps me out of my trance. I look up, heart racing and ready to grab Speck and run, only to find her and another pony hugging. The mare looks up at me. "Good to see you again, darling!" Curio shouts with a bit of chipper cheer. A tan earth-stallion with dark brown hair and bright green eyes rushes up to us with a concerned look. He wears an old stetson that's taken quite a beating over the years. "Y'all okay, darlin'?" He looks her over quickly before looking from Speck to me. "An' who're you? You harrassin' my wife?" I put my hands up and take a step back. I notice that, just like Reverie and Pingpong, this stallion looks a lot like one of the statues I saw in the Elements of Harmony Memorial Garden. Curio, too, now that I really think about it. I've never been one to believe in fate, but it definitely is a coincidence that I've met four of the descendants, and the Element of Magic herself. The only one I haven't met is the Element of Kindness's descendant. "Absolutely not." "Apple Seed, calm down. They're friends from the banquet. This precious bat-pony bought that old dress from the shop on Palmetto Street." The stallion turns from us, revealing a tree sprouting from a split apple on his flank. "Anyway! What are you two up to?" "March and I were looking for a place to eat." Curio smiles and shakes her head slightly. Apple Seed glances at Speck for a moment, almost like he recognizes her, but shakes his head and looks away. Considering Speck had lived in Ponyville for a little while before I even came to Equestria, it would make sense that they had run into one another at some point. "Who's March?" Speck points up at me. Curio's eyes widen a bit as she blushes profusely. "Oh! Well, what an interesting plot twist. A pleasure to properly meet you. Apple Seed and I were about to head over to De Friesian, if you'd like to join us." "I don't know. I was kind of hoping to spend some time with Speck, and -" "You mean like a double date?!" Speck shouts over me whilst bouncing in place. "Yes, like a double date." Apple Seed and I sigh as loudly and agonizingly as we can. I already feel a strong bond with him. He just glances at me out of the corner of his eye and sneers. "Is that alright with you, March?" Speck looks up at me with a wide smile. "If that's really what you want to do, Speck, I guess I don't mind." Apple Seed groans and starts walking away. I understand why he wasn't at the banquet last night. "Is he okay?" "He's fine. Just a big old grump when it comes to company. He'll get over it, won't you, love?" He grumbles and mutters something under his breath. "Shall we?" Speck nods and follows Curio as she starts to trot off. We follow her and her husband, who keeps his distance, down Mane Street, until they finally stop in front of an incredibly fancy looking restaurant. "Looks expensive." It probably has a rigorous dress code. I look down at myself. Ponies most likely don't have any kind of dress code for humans. I could get away with walking around in my underwear if I wanted to. "Yes, but I assure you that the food is to die for." If I have to sell my soul just to pay the bill, I'm sure it is. Speck stares at me disapprovingly. Please stop reading my mind, Speck. "March, please." "I wasn't going to say no." "You were thinking about it." "I really wasn't." "Mhm." She giggles as she follows Curio inside. Apple Seed grumbles as he walks past me. I tail the group. The atmosphere of the restaurant is incredibly stuffy; everyone is dressed to the nines, impeccably groomed, and possibly more regal than the princesses themselves. I actually feel under-dressed. Speck and Curio stand in front of a small podium where a sharply dressed stallion looks over a small book. "March, if you would do the honors?" "Sure." I shrug and walk past the two mares. "Welcome to De Friesian." The stallion looks up, only to jump a bit in his skin. "How may we serve you, this fine morning?" "Table for four." "Ah, of course. And is... that yours?" He points toward Speck. I look over at her and Curio. Speck stares down at a menu, licking her chops with wide eyes. Curio tries not to laugh. "Yes, that is mine." I take the menu from Speck before she tries to eat it. The water beckons me closer. I kneel in front of the podium. "We don't really serve her kind here." "Bat-ponies?" "Blood-drinkers." "Nice generalization. Take a closer look at her fangs and ask yourself if those could pierce skin." "Regardless, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. She could frighten our other patrons and waitstaff." "That's fine. Turn away four friends of the princesses, two of which are related to the Elements of Harmony, see how well you do with the nobles after that." I stand and turn from the stallion, picking Speck up as I walk toward the door. Curio follows quickly as Apple Seed stays behind. "March? Why are we leaving?" She asks, a spitting sound coming from behind us. "Poor atmosphere, and the maƮtre d smells funny." "Heard the whole thing, Curio," Apple Seed whispers as he rejoins us. "Ah'll tell y'later." He must have incredibly sharp hearing. "March, why are you so intent on crushing my hopes and dreams? Is it so hard for us to have a nice meal in a nice restaurant for once?" Tears well up in her eyes as she leans away from me. "We'll find somewhere else to eat. Somewhere nicer." "You better promise!" "I promise, you big goof." Curio and, surprisingly, Apple Seed laugh. "Reminds me a'you, when we first met." "Please, darling. You and I both know how often you got upset over little things." The two reminisce, following me as I carry Speck through the city. I kind of hoped Curio would take the lead, since she knows the city much better than I do, but I'm content with sight-seeing. As grumpy and hungry as Speck is, she enjoys the walk, moreso when she decides to take flight. I think, listening to Curio and Apple Seed, that I definitely hope Speck and I reach that point some day. As quiet, stoic, and distant as Apple Seed seemed only a short while ago, it's nice to see someone able to break him open. Defending Speck probably had something to do with that, too. We travel away from Mane Street, down more ridiculously named streets, until we reach the outer parts of the city. The buildings are more spaced out, and have gorgeous parks in between them. It reminds me of Ponyville, if Ponyville were settled on the side of a mountain and the residents wore clothes more often. Do ponies even consider themselves naked when they don't wear clothes? Where do they draw the line? What do they define as public indecency? "March." Speck snaps me out of my silly thoughts. "What?" She points at a small house with a white picket fence, an elegant arch with vines growing on it, and four little tables sitting on its lawn. A sign hanging from the arch reads, "Akhal Teas and Cakes." Is this a theme with restaurants? They get named after different breeds of horses? Wouldn't they run out of breeds? I have so many questions "Oh, how perfectly picturesque!" Curio skips toward the house. Apple Seed follows with a slight smile in place of the frown he had at De Friesian. Speck zips past me as I follow. I have to duck beneath the sign on the arch more than I have to duck under door frames. At least the common door-frames in Equestria reach my forehead. This sign is as low as my shoulders. The pungent smell of frying fruits, vegetables, and rice wafts from the house. My stomach lurches as my mouth starts to water. Curio knocks on the door. A few minutes pass before it opens. A cheery, excited unicorn mare trots out onto the porch. The sun brightens her light yellow coat just as much as her smile brightens a customer's day. Her wide, toothy smile is blocked a little bit by her long lavender mane. A lily specked with morning dew is pictured on her flank. "W-welcome to Akhal! What c-can I do for you today?" She opens her cobalt blue eyes and looks up at me after giving us such a warm welcome. A moment passes, and she blinks a few times like she's trying to process what she's seeing. She starts screaming and slams the door as she runs inside. Speck, Curio, and Apple Seed all glare at me. "What?" Speck's eyes start to water. "Speck, please." "Why do you hate me?" "Because I'm ugly and jealous of your good looks." "Well, it's good that you admit it! Now stop scaring ponies so we can get something to eat." She furrows her brow and sticks her tongue out at me. Even when she tries to act upset, she's still silly. The door creaks open, and an excited voice yells up at me. "Oh, wow! She was right! You're tall!" My companions and I look down to find an earth-pony that looks exactly like the unicorn mare staring at me. On his flank, a lily sprouting from a mound of dirt is displayed. "Oh! I guess you're here for something to eat. Sorry, just grab a table and I'll bring some menus out." "Darling. Don't those two ponies look a little familiar?" Curio asks her husband as we walk over to one of the tables. "I'unno. Y'know those faces start to blur t'gether after th'first couple thousand." "No, no. Not like a familiar customer. Like we were properly introduced to them somewhere." I look over Curio and Apple Seed and note the vague similarities they share with the statues of the Elements of Harmony. "Maybe if you glued pegasus wings onto them and took away the mare's horn, I think they'd look a bit like the Element of Kindness." "Of course! The last time Princess Twilight had us all together so she could regale us with a tale of our ancestors! I can't believe I'd forgotten the twins, considering how close all of our families have been over the years." "Ah wouldn't worry much about it, sweetheart. Y've been so stressed out lately, Ah'm surprised y'remember me in the mornin's." He laughs a hearty laugh. I glance over at Speck, who looks over the garden. "Well, I guess that's that, then. I've met descendants of each one of the elements." Curio and Apple Seed look up at me, curiously. "Then y've met Pingpong?" I nod. "Feel fer ya, son. That one's... well." "She's a bit on the weird side, to put it mildly." "Nah. She's a little quirky, but nothing overly insane." "You don't know the half of it, March. That mare's family has always been on the weird side, but from what Princess Twilight has told us, Pingpong far surpasses even Laughter herself. There's something about her that unsettles Princess Twilight." "None of us can figure it out. Think it's some kinda weird magic." I glance over at Speck again. She's known Pingpong for a while, and I've known that strange little wizard-knight since I came to Equestria. Outside of being hyperactive and a little bit crazy, she never seemed all that weird. I don't think Speck is listening to the conversation at all. "Pingpong was one of the first friends I made in Equestria. I think she's a little bundle of joy, but I guess you two have known her longer, so I can't really defend her." "Defend her? We weren't attacking her at all! We quite love her, really. Especially when we stop by Sugarcube Corner down in Ponyville, and she's there visiting the Cakes. Why she ever decided to be a guard, I will never know. Her real talent is crafting little miniatures of ponies out of cupcakes." I shrug and lean back in my chair. "Still, there's something that ain't quite right 'bout that little pony, precious as she is." "Alright! Here are the menus. There is a list of drinks on the back, and... uh..." The stallion stops as he looks up at Curio and Apple Seed, who smile at him. "What?" He glances at them. "Wait... Oh! Oh! Miss Curio! Mister Apple Seed! Sorry, guess I was too wrapped up in noticing mister tall over there. Gave Ether quite a fright, you know! Speaking of, let me go get her. I'm sure she'd love to see you two again!" He scampers off excitedly, without giving us time to take our drink orders. "Talkative little stallion, isn't he?" I ask as I hand Speck a menu. She starts looking it over. "Why have you been so quiet, Speck?" "Hm? Oh, um... You know, just thinking." She glances up at Apple Seed, but looks away quickly. She leans closer to me to whisper in my ear. "I don't really like how they were talking about Pingpong. She's their friend, right?" I nod and touch her shoulder. "They didn't mean anything bad by it. They even said as much." I tap her nose. "Don't worry about it, alright? We're here to have a good time." She nods and looks back at the menu. "What are you two whispering about?" "Nothing. Speck just wanted to know what Apple Seed did for a living." "Ah oversee the farm down in Ponyville, and manage our trade routes all through Equestria. Mostly stay here in Canterlot, since it's where Curio spends most a'her time. Always gotta worry about her dresses and the high class. Never much cared for it, despite the reputation we all got." "Yes. You would think after three hundred years of peace and prosperity, ponies would stop caring about the descendants of a group of heroes. Not that I don't mind it, but I feel bad for the twins. They're so young, and really have no business being subject to the constantly judging eye of the nobility." "They seem to be doing well for themselves, though." "Yes, yes. Last I heard, they lived in Dodge City. It is a delightful surprise to see them here." "See? I told you they were here! You just didn't notice, cause you were too scared of the tall guy. 'Sides, he isn't bad if he's with miss Curio, right?" The mare doesn't say anything. She just looks up at me for a brief second. "I haven't been properly introduced to you two, yet. My name's March, and this is Speck." "Oh, yeah! Hiya mister March. I'm Earth Lily, and this is my sister, Ether Lily. She gets kinda nervous around new ponies." Speck lowers her menu to look at the two ponies. Ether Lily tilts her head as they make eye contact. I am pleasantly surprised that Ether Lily doesn't scream and try to run away. It seems she is unphased by Speck being a bat-pony. Then again, most ponies in Canterlot seems to be unphased by a lot of things. I feel left out of any conversation as Ether Lily asks Speck about bat-ponies, and Earth Lily, Curio, and Apple Seed discuss how he and his sister ended up in Canterlot. "Princess Twilight actually kinda figured it was a little dangerous for us to be at the frontier, what with there being dragon sightings down past the Hayseed Swamps. She asked us to move up here. Even set us up with our own place, which we decided to turn into a little outdoor cafe." "That is absolutely delightful. Kind of funny how most of us are here in Canterlot now, with the exception of Reverie." "Oh! What's she been up to? Do you know?" "Haven't the faintest, darling. Last time we saw her was at the last little gathering with Princess Twilight." That's a little peculiar. I know Reverie, and I know that, if Apple Seed manages the farmland down in Ponyville, they were bound to have run into one another at some point. Come to think of it, I think it's a little strange she didn't show up at the arcade last month. Maybe she doesn't like to leave the library. "Where did you guys meet Twilight at?" I blurt my question out. "The library in Ponyville. Why?" Curio tilts her head as she answers me. "No reason." If they don't know Reverie lives there, and she's somehow keeping it a secret, I don't think I should tell them. "Oh, oh! We should ask Princess Twilight when the next get-together will be! I'm sure miss Reverie would love to have visitors!" Or, I suppose, they know she lives there. "When was the last meet up between all of you?" "Quite some time. A little under two years, I think." Almost a year before I came to Equestria. The thought of them preparing for my coming crosses my mind, and I have to keep myself from laughing. "And since then, you've never been back to the library?" "March. None of us have really been to Ponyville in quite some time. The only reason why Apple Seed and I go there is for the farm and the opera house, and even then it's only for a short while." "Yeah, Ether and I were lucky to get to leave Dodge City at all. Princess Twilight had to drag us out of there." Earth Lily laughs a little bit. "I don't know. I find it a little weird that you guys don't go visit your friends." "We're all busy with our own lives, March. Although, I believe we're having another meetup at the library soon. Perhaps you'll drop by?" "I think that'd be pretty fun." I look over at Speck, who continues chattering to Ether Lily. They aren't listening to us. As I turn back to the others, an extremely loud grumbling sound roars from one of them. Speck and Ether Lily fall completely silent, and all heads turn to Curio. She blushes and clears her throat. "Oh, right! I guess you folks came here for something to eat. Do you need more time?" We all shake our heads. "Alright, what can I get you to drink?" "I'll have a cup of warm tea and honey, please." "Ah'll have the same." "Mango tea, please." Earth Lily looks up at me. I look down at the menu. "Orange juice?" The stallion nods and trots off. His sister stays behind. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Apple Seed glaring at me, like he's resisting the urge to call upon his eldritch apple gods to destroy me. I don't see him ordering anything with apples, though, so I have that against him. "I'll t-take your food orders, whenever you're r-ready," Ether Lily says in a hushed voice. Again, we start with Curio. "I think I'll try this melon jam. Maybe with a few slices of hay toast." "Hmm. Ah guess Ah could go fer somethin' a li'l more exotic. Ah'll have the same." "Another one of those, please." Again, I look down at the menu. Either I need reading glasses, or I need to focus a little bit more on things. The menu consists largely of bread, both hay-made and wheat-made, and jam. Not ordinary jam, like grape or raspberry, but melon jam, from cantaloupe jam to watermelon jam to honeydew jam. "I, uh... I'll have the wheat toast and a little bit of each jam." I haven't eaten much, thanks to a certain little wizard eating all of the donuts at the castle. It would be better to stomach something, rather than wait until we're back in Ponyville. Ether Lily nods and trots off quickly, still clearly and visibly off-put by my appearance. Speck places a hoof on my arm. I look at her. She looks at me. Curio and Apple Seed look at us. "I'm sorry you're ugly, March." She frowns a little bit. "But I still love you." "I love you too." I don't know if she's joking or not, but I supposed it would be a stretch for a pony to find me attractive. I doubt even Speck, whom I've been with for two months, finds me attractive. She only loves me for my food. She hugs me as I sigh and frown. "I don't really think you're ugly. I'm sorry," she whispers. I scratch her ear reassuringly. "But I am ugly." "You're different, and that's not bad." "You're different, too." "We'll be different together." I grumble a little bit and wrap an arm around her. She's only half right. She has commonality with the denizens of this world, even if she's fairly different from the typical earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. She has an entire subspecies she shares things in common with. I would say I'm alone in this world, but I'm not. Not anymore. I have plenty of friends, and I have Speck. "Is something wrong, March?" Curio asks from across the table. I shake my head and bury my nose into Speck's mane. "Nothing's wrong. Not anymore." *** Curio and Apple Seed left as soon as everyone was finished eating. They said something about getting work done before the Apple family reunion. I hope, for Curio's sake, they mean food preparation, and not her having to make dozens of dresses and suits for the family. The Lily twins tried to let us have the food for free. I saw Curio slip enough bits to cover all four of us between her and Apple Seed's plates. I slipped about the same between mine and Speck's. After bidding the twins adieu, Speck and I made our way through the city, toward the elevator into Canterlot Mountain. I know how badly Speck wants to get home, and I've been starting to feel the same way. She climbs up into my arms and I carry her. I don't mind that she can walk, or fly, but wants to be carried. I don't want to let her go. I walk into the tunnel that leads to the elevator. We wait a moment before it travels up to us. It quickly descends, though I don't collapse to the floor and scream like I did the first time I had been on this terrifying thing. It lands after several minutes, and we carry on in silence. We pass by many shops, but Speck has no desire to see what's inside. She is exhausted from everything that has happened in the past week. I don't blame her. I feel like this past week has lasted at least a month, with everything that's happened to us. "Are you okay, March?" She looks up at me as I step out onto the plaza in front of the train station. "Yeah, just thinking." "About what?" I hesitate for a moment. "I could've gone back to Earth." "I know. I'm sorry I kept you here." "I'm glad you did, though. Here, I have so much more than I did on Earth. I have the Cakes, the princesses, everyone in Ponyvile..." She huffs a little bit as I leave her out on purpose. "But most importantly, I have you." She smiles and blushes. I shift her in my arms and hug her against my chest. Several ponies walking by us stop and glare. Speck bares her fangs and hisses at them as I carry her toward the train station. She giggles as they jump and run off in whatever directions they were heading. I stop at the ticket counter. The little mare stares up at me curiously. "Two for Ponyville." "The next train will arrive in about ten minutes," she says as she leans forward to look at a little chart. "Alright." She gives me two little paper tickets as I hand her twenty bits. Speck grumbles as I carry her over to a bench. "I wanna go home." "Just a little while longer." We sit in silence, waiting for the train. It rolls into the station a few minutes early. "The train for Ponyville has arrived. Board in an orderly fashion. The next available train to Ponyville will be three days from now." She races me to the train. Predictably, she wins, only because she is much more aerodynamic than I am, with all of our bags. She sticks her tongue out at me as we board the train and find our seats. We settle in as I stow our bags on the seats across from us. Speck immediately snuggles up to me as I take the time to record the day's events in my journal. As the pages flip between my fingers and pull a pen from my pocket, I find something absolutely peculiar. Etched into the page at the end of last night's entry is a quote, written in a beautiful, elegant pen. "Angels come in all shapes in sizes. They are not amazing creatures of grand allure. They are simple beings that touch us in ways that make our darkest times turn to bright, blissful moments." I smile and trace the words with a finger as I drape my free arm over Speck's side. "They truly are our best friends."