Humans Meet Ponies

by TwiPON3

21: Sci-Twi's Reunion

Author's Note:

I don't know why, but I just thought that the character Greg from Steven Universe would make a great cousin/guardian for Seth. I did change a few things around, so that, as far as a "family" goes, it's more in an iCarly style (older, "anything goes" sibling with a younger "somewhat reasonable" sibling), so Greg is 12 years older than Seth, putting him at 28 and 16, respectively. Also, on the Cyrillic text (I know it's not perfect by ANY means, it's just how I'd write it for the heck of it), the subscripts aren't a part of the labels (on the drawers, etc). Also, I don't thing getting drunk off of Monster Energy Drink qualifies as Narcotics.

Yeah. Let me know if there's any inconsistencies. I kept getting screwed in the head and thinking I wrote this chapter from Seth's point of view. His will be the next one, so this is Sci-Twi's chapter.

Sci-Twi's Point of View

---

"This is it," I said to everyone who was jam-packed in Sugarcoat's SUV, "43 Quicktime Circle."

She pulled up in the driveway and we all got out to see a bluish, split-level house. I went up to knock on the door, hoping that he still lived here, "Please be here."

I heard a familiar sound of wooden clomping, then the door opened, revealing a guy with a gray windbreaker tied around his waist and a soda in one pocket, red shirt, bluejean pants, shoulder-length brown hair with dirty blond streaks held partially out of his face with a paperclip, glasses that looked like they were hand-made from a coathanger, and a pair of Japanese Kimono sandals. He spoke with a moderate Brooklyn accent.

"Purple?"

"TwiPON3?"

"Oh my God, where the hell have you been?"

"We had to move to town a while back."

"Shining! Cadence!"

"Nice to see you, too," Shining replied.

"Is that the pizza?" someone from upstairs asked.

"No!"

His cousin came running down the stairs, then stopped dead in his tracks, "Twilight Sparkle?"

"Hi, Greg."

He still had the same figure and build he had when Seth and I were young: six-foot-two, lean, and brown hair that came down to his ankles.

Sweet Jesus, Greg! Don't you EVER cut your hair?

"What's with the muzzle, horn, ears, tail, and fake glasses? I haven't seen you this gone out since we were, like, 7, for God's sake. And I really like the new outfit. It looks really laid back."

"It's a really long story, and Pinkie Pie gave me the clothes after my other ones were destroyed the other day at the games."

"Yeah, when the flash drives, WiFi adapter, and Bluetooth adapter in my fingers got hot," he peeled back the middle three fingers on his right hand, showing a thin USB stick and two adapters where the fingernails would be, "I figured 'This shit's for real', so I ran like shit out of there."

"Neat," she said, "What happened to your fingers, though?"

"That's disgusting, Darling!" Rarity said, looking a little sick, "Put it back!"

"Battery acid about a year ago," he said, reconcealing the fingers' peripherals.

"Oh."

"You and your subjects may enter my castle now, Your Ugliness," he said regally.

I broke down laughing and had to lean on the doorframe.

"Okay, this friendship," Princess Twilight said, "is abusive."

"Okay, Fred G Sanford. We're comin' on in."

We stopped laughing long enough for everyone to go in, but Princess Twilight stayed outside with me for a second, "Is it okay if I observe this friendship?"

"Sure."

The three of us went inside, "I'll getya some cahffee, and letcha dahctor it up yaself," he took a look at me, "But really, what's up with the fake glasses," I said, bringing two mugs of coffee to the dining room table, "That's gotta be an interesting story."

"My eyes were magically brought to 20/20 at some point right after the Friendship Games."

"Huh. Guess you won't want the ones I made for you way-back-when now."

"I'd love to be able to wear them again," I said.

"But you just said you have perfect vision."

"These don't have any lenses."

"Oh."

He took us all down to the basement where our old science lab was, "Here's my lab. And room," I took one look at the door, and it still had the sign on it. Written in masking-tape blue was

ТwиПОН3 анд Пурпле'с Лаб
(TwiPON3 and Purple's Lab)

The basement wasn't really big, but what it was was nice. Eighty-Five percent was devoted to our lab, while the remaining 15% consisted of a makeshift bedroom, the boundary clearly marked on the floor, walls, and ceiling with a line of masking tape and the words BEDROOM and LAB indicating which side was which, just in case it wasn't already obvious. The lab was similar to mine at home with the exception of being bigger, having a small bathroom, having a small counter with a kitchen sink and coffee peculator, freezer, a long metal table with cabinets and drawers underneath spanning the entire wall next to the kitchen area, a few folding tables placed in various locations in the bigger half of the room, and a closet with a small table next to it labeled Лаб Цлотхес_{(Lab Clothes)}. Overall, the lab partition was messy with the usual lab stuff: computers, cables, dishes, irons, microwelders, etc. The bedroom wasn't exactly anything notable, either. It consisted of a foldout couch in front of a hidden staircase, minifridge, 800-watt Emerson microwave, a table that could comfortably hold two original MacBooks, (though it had one that was constantly running on one half and the other had a phone dock connected to it via FireWire 400 with an alarmclock), a 13-inch CRT RCA TV/VCR on the floor, and three full drawers labeled

1. 📼Магнетиц Тапе_{(Magnetic Tape)}
2. 📀Оптицал Видеос_{(Optical Videos)}
3. 💿Оптицал Софтwаре_{(Optical Software)}

Everyone except for Princess Twilight, who was more concerned with mine and Seth's friendship, was shocked at what we used to do.

"I'd like to know one thing, Sci-Twi," Princess Twilight said to me, "How did your friendship begin?"

---

Seven Years Old: Public Library

---

I walked across the library, reading a book that I was about to check out when I ran into this boy who was walking in my direction, writing in a notebook. We ran into each other, knocking the books out of our hands.

"Ow!" I said.

"Watch it!" he replied.

My parents and a man who couldn't have been any older than his mid-twenties came over to us.

"Is everything okay, Twilight?" Mom said, running over to me.

He stood up, looked at me, then held out a hand, "Sorry. My bad," he said, helping me back onto my feet, "I like your watch. It's just like mine."

He had messy brown hair with dirty blonde streaks, wore wooden Japanese Kimono sandals, bluejeans, and a periwinkle shirt. He spoke with a Brooklyn accent.

"My mom gave it to me for my birthday. How'd you get yours?"

"My cousin gave it to me."

I looked at his glasses. They were... different. Almost like the circular frames were handmade with a welder and clotheshanger, "I like your glasses. Where'd you get them?"

"My cousin took me to WalMart to get some over-the-counter glasses after I didn't like what the optometrist had. We went home, and I found a wire cutter and coathanger and just... went to town until I found something that felt right. Then I soldered away. A week later, Greg took me back to Dr Lenses, and they made the lenses in their lab."

"Cool. I'm Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?"

"Seth Circuits, but you can call me TwiPON3."

"Maybe we can be friends?"

"You can stay the night with me. My address is 43 Quicktime Circle."

"No way! We live right next to you!"

We embraced each other with a big hug before Mom and Dad and that man came over to us.

"Are you okay, sugar?"

"I'm fine, Dad."

"Did you make a new friend, Deary?"

"I did."

"Oh, I am just so proud of you!"

"He wanted me to stay over at his house tonight. Could I? He lives right next to us."

"Alright, Sugar."

---

Present

---

"Alright. I've heard your side of the story, Sci-Twi," Princess Twilight turned to Seth, "Now I want to hear it from you."

---

Seven Years Old: Public Library

---

I walked across the library, writing concepts in a composition book for my workarea when I ran into this girl who was walking in my direction, with her nose in a textbook. We ran into each other, knocking the books out of our hands.

'Watch it!" I said

"Ow!" I said.

My twenty-five year old cousin came over to us, along with the girl's parents.

"Hey," Greg said, "Something wrong?".

I stood up, looked at her, then held out a hand, "Sorry. My bad," I said, helping her back up, "I like your watch. It's just like mine."

She had purple hair that came to the middle of her back, thick-framed glasses, lavender skin and eyes, and wore a skirt and a purple shirt with a pink six-pointed star on it.

"My mom gave it to me for my birthday. How'd you get yours?"

"My cousin gave it to me."

She looked at my glasses, "I like your glasses. Where'd you get them?"

"My cousin took me to WalMart to get some over-the-counter glasses after I didn't like what the optometrist had. We went home, and I found a wire cutter and coathanger and just... went to town until I found something that felt right. Then I soldered away. A week later, Greg took me back to Dr Lenses, and they made the lenses in their lab."

"Cool. I'm Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?"

"Seth Circuits, but you can call me TwiPON3."

"Maybe we can be friends?"

"You can stay the night with me. My address is 43 Quicktime Circle."

"No way! We live right next to you!"

We embraced each other with a big hug before Greg and her parents came over to us.

"Everything alright?"

"Mm-hm, and I possibly made a friend. Can she stay with us tonight?"

"Definitely," he said with a smile.

---

Present

---

"I don't know what to make of it," Princess Twilight said to me.

"Purple, I got 'em ready for ya!"

"I'll be there in a sec, Messy," I said, "Princess Twilight, I gotta go."

I went over to our old clothing area (basically where we kept a few changes of clothes and our labcoats), and was greeted with an unusual surprise.

"I wasn't sure if you liked lenses or not with glasses, so I made you a pair without lenses and one with regular flat polycarbonate," I looked at the glasses, "They don't have any power to them."

I looked up and smiled, taking the glasses off that Pinkie gave me and replacing them with the lensed ones.

"What do you want to do first," I said, getting my hair into a mess before pinning it with paperclips, binderclips, and pencils, "Still have that thing?" I put my labcoat on.

"Hell, yeah!"

He put on his labcoat over his jacket and filled it with pencils and various other objects, not to mention a pocketknife that looked like a shotgun shell, then took a good look at me before laughing like shit.

What the hell's so funny?

"You need to... You need to see your... yourself right now!" he said, taking my picture with a Motorola Droid X after sticking a binderclip with a pencil in it over the paperclip in his hair, "You look hilarious!"

I took a look at the picture, then doubled-over, "Oh my God!"

"What is it, Sci-Twi Darling? Is everyth-- OH MY SWEET GOD!!!!!"

"Jesus, White. If you need to lay down," he pointed to the couch that doubled as his bed, "there's a couch right there."

"Alright, Seth!" Applejack said, somehow not managing to intimidate him, "Ah'm sick o' ya callin' us by our col'r! What's yer deal!? Racism ain't exac'ly somethin' ya should have, dammit!!"

"Applejack, please," Fluttershy said, coming over to the three of us, "I'm sure there's a reason."

"He isn't being racist," Sunset said, "He hasn't called me 'Ponygirl' or anything like that, and he's been Sci-Twi's friend forever now. I think."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!!"

Applejack was boiling. If looks could kill, Fluttershy, Sunset, Seth, and myself would have dropped dead. And judging by the look in her eyes, she wanted to beat the shit out of him. Seth, being completely oblivious to social cues, probably had no idea about what was going on.

"Applejack, lighten up!" Rainbow yelled as he began to back up.

"Please for the love of God, what Rainbow said!"

Just as she was about to beat the living crap out of him, she stopped and calmed down, "Ah can't brang it on mahself ta hurt anyone," she turned angry again, "But why are you bein' so damn racist?"

"I'm not," he said, very much confused, "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Yer callin' us by what color our skin is, Sunset's hair, but you called Rainbow by her actual name!"

"Wait, her name's actually 'Rainbow'?"

"You didn't know, did you?" Sunset asked, coming to a realization, "Applejack, if he was racist, he would have a: not helped me, b: not let Sci-Twi inside because she's half pony."

"Or even TALK to Princess Twilight when he was in Equestria," Fluttershy added.

"Oh God!" he said, "You're just going to jump to conclusions when you've only seen me ONCE in the past!?," he stormed up the stairs, leaving his labcoat on a hangar, "FUCK IT!!!!!"

The door slammed so loud that, with 90% of the room being hard surfaces, the sound echoed for a second and hurt Lemon's ears.

"What... just happened?" Applejack asked.

Nobody said anything because we were all wondering the same thing.

"I'll go talk to him," I said.

I went into the kitchen where I found him grabbing a handful of icecubes from the freezer and dropping them in a cup, making a small mess. Upstairs, I could hear an electric guitar playing Rasputin. Seth then pulled a can of something out of the refrigerator and emptied it into the glass. I just sat down at the table.

"Um... shouldn't you-"

"Yeah, I don't give a fuck," he snapped, sitting down at the kitchen table, opposite from me and drank the whole glass.

"Something wrong?"

"D-Do Don't take this the wrong way or personally, b-but your friend," he belched, "maybe has an issue with 'jumping the gun', don't ya think?" he slurred

"No. And what's with you?" I asked, rather concerned, "Not that I'm mad--"

"Of course, Twi, you're never pissed off when you're pissed off, a-a-and I," he belched again, "just blow right up," he looked at his glass, so I took it and smelled it.

"Gross!" I said, "It's Irish! With rot."

Sunset, Princess Twilight, and Applejack ran upstairs.

"So...?" he said, slurring his speech a little, "Wha's wron?"

"Shit! Princ'ss Twilight, Ah didn't know that Ah did THIS!" Applejack said, beginning to pull both sides of her hat down as if she was forcing it over her head, "Ah've screwed up 'is tahme!" she said turning pale.

"Okay, what happened, Sci-Twi?" Sunset asked me, "You were up here with him when this happened, right?"

"This is not going to end well," Rainbow said, coming in the kitchen.

"Sow I figurd," he said, taking back the glass.

"What's going-- Oh my Lord," Greg said, coming into the kitchen, "I was almost afraid of this."

"What?" I asked, "Does he have a problem?"

"No. He's only had to cope with something almost hellish just once in the past, and he did it like this. I think it makes him completely forget that what happened actually happened."

"How far did he go?"

Seth went back to the refrigerator, holding the glass parallel to the floor, spilling the ice.

"Eight. How many has he had?"

"I think just one."

"Ho boy."

He grabbed a handful of ice and dropped it in the cup, popped open another can and refilled the glass, "Jus lemmie cometo real'ty, willya?"

"No!" Sunset ran over to him and set the glass of greenish liquid on the counter, "No! I've been there, and it's not a path you want to go down!"

"Ih numbd mahside," he said, getting the drink and stumbling over to the table, spilling it some.

"What?"

"Six months ago," Greg started, "he was stabbed several times. He says this helped, as painful as it was to watch."

He started to drink the second glass, but stopped. Thank God, "Icant doih."

He set the glass down, and Pinkie came upstairs and drank it.

"Dear Lord, Pinkie don't!!"

Instead of becoming very much drunk, she gained a MASSIVE surge of energy, making me question if she was on a different plane of reality. She did manage to identify it, though.

"Why the hell did you do that, Pinkie Pie!?" Sunset asked as she set the glass down.

"Hmm. Monster Energy Drink, bitter lime flavor!" she said, becoming increasingly twitchy, eyes dilating like saucers, and a massive smile on her face.

"Oh God, guys. Hit the deck. Pinkie and energy drinks should never mix," Sunset said as Pinkie ran out the front door.

"Gemmie a Rehbull'n I'll be back soon."

Greg went and gave Seth a Red Bull, and he was back in two minutes, flat.

"What happened?" Seth said, knocking the empty can off of the table, "Damn that was fleeting."

"I worry that something's gonna go wrong one day, Seth," Greg said.

"You think I like it?"

"No, but-"

"Then there's your answer!"

"Wait," Sunset said, "You're telling me us that you got drunk off of an energy drink?"

"Yes ma'am," he said firmly.

"To try to cope with being called racist?"

"Mostly the part where I thought it was going to get physical. She looked like she was going to pulverize me."

"But you're back, now."

"Yes, and I'm tired of questions," he turned back to me, "Come back downstairs, Horsey," he chuckled.

"That's funny," I laughed.

"There's something I wanna give yas."

"Lead the way, Screwball."

We both doubled over on the floor laughing so hard that it started to hurt. After a few minutes, we both went downstairs, and he led me to his couch, which had a box under it, simply labeled Фоур-Еыес_(Four-Eyes). Shining Armor, Cadence, and Greg had come down to the basement.

"Here ya go, Four-Eyes," he said, handing the box to me, "I hope you can still use 'em."

"You better cut that out!" Shining said loudly.

"Wait and see how this pans out. They were close when they were younger."

"I guess you're right."

"And for you, Wireface," I said, handing him a box the size of a milkcrate, "I hope you'd still like it after three years."

"Open on three?"

"Count of three. In Korean. Ready when you are."

What compelled us to learn how to count to five in Korean is far beyond either of us. Either way, we counted down at the exact same time.

"Ses, dul, hana, OPEN!"

We both opened the boxes. Mine had five pairs of bluejean pants with extra pockets, a belt with Тwилигхт Спаркле and beakers printed on it, five shirts (three were magenta and two were bright lavender) with a beaker and six-pointed star on the front in white, similar to my hairclip, along with $50 and a photobook of pictures from when we were younger, and a pair of blue wooden Japanese Kimono sandals with the same white beaker-star pattern as the shirt, "Oh my God, I just love it!" he smiled, "I'm gonna go change right now!"

I went and changed into one of the shirts and put the belt on, then broke down laughing.

"What?" he laughed from the other side of the door as I came out.

"I look like a jackass!"

"I didn't know that you were friends," Lemon said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Guess I just kinda... forgot... after they... left... us," my voice was solemn, but changed back to heavy laughter when I picked up a picture of Greg, Mom, Dad, Seth, me Shining Armor, Cadence, and Indigo flipping the camera off, while the frame read, in beautiful script, Family and friends aren't a thing for life. They're a thing for ALWAYS.

Pictures like this really cheer me up. No dates, no names, just family and always, instead of the two that are in our sitting room concealing clay urns.

"You gonna... you gonna take some... some time to breathe... or what?"

"I'd ask if you wanted to stay," I said, "But I'm a little packed."

"You and your friends could always just stay here. With me. And Greg."

Everyone silently debated that before Rainbow Dash gave a loud approval.

"FUCK, YEAH!!!"

"Get ya things 'n make yourself at home, Rainbowhead. Hell, why not all of you?"

"Name's Rainbow Dash. Not Head," she said to Seth in a don't sweat it attitude.

"At least I was half right."

"My friends usually just call me Rainbow, for short."

"Rainbow Dash," he said, tossing a set of keys with the Mercedes-Benz logo etched in them, "I don't mind a few scratches from you and your friends, but the clutch slips."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as Applejack came downstairs, fearing the worst had happened.

"Ah can't b'lieve 'at Ah did that," she looked at Seth, "Please don't do anything! Ah'm a mighty sorry 'bout-"

"Forget the whole damn thing. Nobody's gonna remember it by the morning, okay? Now listen. I've invited everyone to stay here and, if you want, you and... you do have a brother, right?"

"Big Mac? Yeah."

"Okay then," he said, hurriedly, "You two can stay too. Just don't blow up again."

"Just thought you'd need the extra space to carry all the bags. The key goes to the '75 station wagon," he said as he pressed a button on the wall, making a mechanical rumbling noise, amplified by the hard surfaces in the room.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Fluttershy yelled as everyone looked around with worried expressions.

"Garage door," he said, pointing to a set of stairs going into the ceiling, "You can get to it just through there."

Within five minutes, everyone except Lemon, Indigo, myself, and Seth.

"What's this," I said, touching a capacitor on a logic board on one of the tables, "Looks inte..."

I was zapped, but that was the least of my worries, seeing as how something blew up pressure-wise on me knocking me out with my unconsious body falling over before I just... left it. And started going up. FAST.

"Okay, this is weird!" I said, approaching the Exosphere. I wasn't sure how I was still breathing, then suddenly, I was on a layer of clouds in front of a gate with a sign that, in scripted calligraphy even more perfect than Princess Celestia's, read Welcome, Twilight Sparkle, "Hello?"

"Come in, Twilight Deary," my mother's voice said.

I took off the glasses to wipe the lenses clean, when I noticed something in their reflection: I had wings of all things! "No! Not me, too!"

"Please, just for a minute, Sugar?" Dad's voice said, "We can't come and see you if you're out there."

I collected myself, put the glasses on, and went in. At this point, I didn't really care about anything,"Okay."

Inside the gate, behind the blinding but comfortable light stood Mom and Dad. Not from Equestria, but from the subway. They didn't look shot or stabbed or hurt, but that only made it harder to face them. They were wearing their favorite clothes, and had a golden halo over their heads, along with a pair of beautiful wings that would shame anything a human or pony could ever dream of doing. I tried to divert myself and thoughts to what this place might be: A remote island? South California? ANYWHERE!?

"I can't look you in the eye, anymore. I've done something so terrible, I'm sure you'll hate me."

"What?" Mom said as her and Dad hugged me, "Where did you get that idea?"

"After what happened at the Friendship Games. I- In fact, I'm not even the same daughter that I was before Monday."

"Let's not worry about that, Sugar," Dad said, him and Mom taking me to a diner that very much resembled the Huddle House.

"You'd have no way of knowing, but," I said, emptying the contents of my pockets on the table, which only consisted of the three things I had been carrying with me since Monday night: my pocketknife, pepperspray, and Galaxy S6, "but I... I-"

"You may have been that monster for a while, Deary," Mom said, "But it's just like your friend Applejack-"

My eyes went wide, so her and Dad immediately knew that they'd have to explain everything, "How do you know about Applejack?" I asked, "And what about what Sour Sweet said-"

"Well, what did she say?"

"She called me a sweetie, then said you two should've had different kids when Cadence brought my phone to me," I was all out crying now.

"Everyday, Sugar, we look down on you from up here, and we couldn't be happier about what you three have become," he said, pointing at the table, "We both started crying because you thought we wouldn't love you anymore," something started to show on the table. It was me crying, surrounded by the others, "Now, you tell me if you don't think that's the truth."

"Sugarcube," Applejack lifted my head up, so I blinked my eyes to get the tears to go away, "They're yer mom 'n dad. I know I probably shouldn't word it like this, but they don't give a damn about what you are. Th' only thang that matters is that yer their daughter. All's 'ey care about 's you doin' the best you can an' bein' the best you can."

"I believe know that's all true."

"Just because you have wings and you're half-pony doesn't mean we'll stop loving you, Deary," Mom said as she and Dad pulled me in for another hug, "We even saw what happened at the games, and we still love you. We would've, even if you had stayed like that," I was crying now, "Do you know why?"

"No...?"

"Because deep down, you're still our baby," Mom finished as she kissed my forehead and Dad booped my muzzle with his fist (seeing as now his finger wouldn't be big enough), "Now, dry up those tears," she said as Dad handed me a vanilla milkshake in a 1950s style glass.

"I want to show you something else," he said, pointing at the table. It showed Mom in a hospital bed with Dad beside her and Shining and Cadence in chairs next to Dad. Mom and Dad looked about sixteen or seventeen years younger, while my brother and Cadence were just kids. Mom was sweating and shaking so Dad was holding her hand.

"What do you AHH!! hope for...!!!"

"I think that you should get a baby girl, Velvel."

"What could happen to the baby!?"

"Whatever happens," Dad said as Shining and Cadence went to give Mom a hug, "There'll always be four of us who loves whoever it is, no matter what."

Mom gave a sincere smile that could warm anybody's heart before looking as if she was in an intense amount of pain.

"Who's it going to be, Mommy?" Shining asked, drinking a Mr Pibb with Cadence.

"WE DON'T KNOW! HONEY GET THE DOCTOR!!!!!"

"On it, Velvel!" Dad said as he opened the door and shouted for someone.

"What's he doing?" Young Cadence asked my brother.

"I don't know."

Two doctors ran into the room and to Mom.

"THIS IS IT!!"

Mom started squeezing Dad's wrists to the point that they were beginning to lose circulation. After a bit, though, she just looked exhausted.

"Congratulations, Mrs Velvet!" A doctor said, handing her a lavender-colored infant with purple hair with a pink stripe, "She's a beautiful baby girl!"

"The worst of it's done, Vel," Dad said as she was handed the wrapped newborn, "What do you want to name her?"

She looked over to an excited Shining Armor, "I think we should let you decide, Shiny."

He looked around the room at a clock that read 5:53 A, then out the window, "Twilight, uh," he looked in to... my... eyes, "Spar-- Twi-- Twilight Sparkle!"

"Time of birth: 5:53. Date of Birth: Friday, November 20, 1998. Name: Twilight Sparkle."

"I'm your mommy," Mom said, cradling me, "And that's your daddy," he pointed at Dad, "And your brother, Shining Armor, and his friend, and hopefully yours too, Cadence," she said as the four of them hugged me, "We're your family, and we'll always love you, no matter what happens, Deary."

"In a little while," Dad said, "You'll get to see your brand new home."

"My birthday?" I said as the table turned back into a table, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Honey, that's where and when our love for you started, and it's that same love that you'll keep getting from us forever."

I guess they're right. Maybe I have be-- CRUD!! WHAT IF I DIED, TOO!?

"Mom, I'm not--"

"No. You're just here for a visit, Deary."

"In fact," Dad said, "We needed this just as much as you did, Sugar."

"Wait... you did?"

"We missed you so much. And I'd kinda like to hear that story about Spike. It's not everyday that you see a talking dog, Right Velvel?"

"Right."

"Can... can you come visit us? Or at least get some pictures with me?"

"Sure, Deary. Now, get the camera ready," she said as I opened the camera package on the phone, "I knew that we'd still get more pictures."

"Say cheese!"

A series of futuristic beeps and a screenflash indicated that it was taken, "I missed that smile, Sugar. Let's see it!"

A swipe opened up the newly-took picture on the Camera Roll, and it showed us in a booth: Mom and Dad with their halos and wings and me with mine and my pony features, "The tail must've been hard getting used to, huh Sweetie?" Dad asked.

"I don't care what happens to me. Just knowing that I have you is all that I need."

After a few more pictures and a couple of videos and a LOT of lost time, we finished our drinks.

"Sorry," Mom said, "It's time for you to leave."

"What? No! Please!"

"I'm sorry, Sugar," Dad said before smiling, "You'll see us again really soon."

"Huh?"

At the exact same time, they both said those three words that always meant definite truth, "I guarantee it."

"I love you," I said, giving them a hug, then went off on my way. When I stepped out of the gates, everything changed from the clouds for ground to me laying on a sofa with everyone around me.

"Miss Twilight?" Princess Luna's voice called to me, "Are you okay?"

"You should've called the paramedics like everyone else does! Not this!"

I sat up, and found that I was in the living room. In it were the three princesses (in pony form), Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, someone who looked like he might be her brother, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Sunset, Lemon, Indigo, Sunny, Sugarcoat, a beat-up Sour Sweet, my brother and Cadence, Greg and Seth, the Wondercolts' Equestrian counterparts (still in pony form), and everyone's things from my house.

"And I'm telling yas, that she's gonna be fine!"

"Guys, what happened?" I said, reaching into my pockets, but not finding anything.

Was everything I've just experienced real?

"Are you okay, Twilie," Shining and Cadence said.

"I... I don't know. I think so," I said, trying to get something out of my pockets. This time, there was a note:

Sugar, you left a few of your things with us. They're in a box under the downstairs foldout. We'll see you guys when you get back upstairs.
Love, Mom and Dad

"Guys I'll be back!!!!!" I yelled, running downstairs and using the bottom of the handrail to get leverage to go to the couch.

"Is this really such a good idea, Twilight?" Sunset asked as I jumped on the floor to get the box, "You might hurt yourself again!"

"Worth it!" I said, grabbing the box. The lid simply said We love you.

They HAVE to be in here!

I opened the box and found the three things I was missing, along with a note.

We're right outside, Deary.

"They're here!" I said, setting the box on the couch and running to the front door.

"Who?" Cadence asked, running to the door with Seth, Sunset, Shining, Indigo, and Lemon, "Please be alright," she muttered under her breath as I opened the door.

I opened the door, and standing there were Mom and Dad with their halos and wings from earlier, but they also had something: each had their clay urn and their picture from the sitting room in the apartment.

"Come in!" I said, full of ecstasy and joy.

"Listen," Shining said, believing they were just two assholes, "You better not do anything to any of us! Either of you!"

They came in and sat at the kitchen table, wings slightly open and still visible where they had their halos from earlier.

"We thought we'd make a quick stop by the house and get a few things that you might know what to do with, Sugar," Dad said, as they both put the pictures on the table, facedown and opened the two urns, both of which were empty.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MOM AND DAD'S ASHES!!!!!" Shining was boiling, to put it generously, not to mention everyone's anger that had been with me in my apartment on Monday.

"I want to tell you a story, Shining," Dad said, keeping his composed exterior like he used to before the subway, "You remember on the night of your first date?" Shining's face turned back from red to its original color, "How I told you that everything would turn out just fine, maybe even better?" he sat down, "Well," Dad stuck his hand in the urn and it turned to ash until he pulled it out, making it turn back into his hand.

"Dad?"

"Hi, Son," he said as my brother and Cadence began to cry, "Before you can't see, I want to show you something," Dad looked at Mom, and they both nodded and turned over the pictures. They each had a third line printed on them:

Twilight Velvet
1972~2012
2015~

---

Night Light
1971~2012
2015~

"What the hell?" Seth said as Sunset's mouth dropped open. After a few seconds, I saw them exchange a high-five.

"I don't know," she replied.

"We'll be back down for a while," Mom said, "Is there anything you five want to do?"

"Five?" Sunset asked, "Who?"

They looked at everyone in the room.

"Oh," Mom said, "Guess we didn't think it through, Deary."

"Who are you two?" Lemon asked as my parents opened their wings halfway.

"Lemon Zest," I said, "This is my mom, Twilight Velvet," Mom waved, "and my dad, Night Light."

"Nice to meet you, Lemon Zest," Dad said, shaking her hand.

"Sunset Shimmer," Sunset said in a playin' it coool voice, "Lot in common with Sci-Twi," she winked at me.

"I kind of sensed it," Mom said.

"I'm Sugarcoat, Mr and Mrs Sparkle."

"Please," Dad said, "Don't be so formal," Mom and Dad chuckled, "It makes us feel old!"

"Sorry."

We all went into the living room, where there were more shocked expressions. The princesses actually bowed to my parents!

"It is an honor to meet you," Princess Celestia said.

"We're not gods," Mom said.

"You're..."

"Angels, Sweetie."

"Mighty fine ta meet ya, Mr and Mrs Sparkle," Applejack said, holding her hat to her chest by its brim as Mom and Dad sat down on a sofa, "Ah'm Applejack," she said, before introducing her brother, "And this is Macintosh. We usually call 'im Big Macintosh er Big Mac, fer short."

"Eeyup."

"He really ain't one fer many words, if ya know what ah mean."