>"Alright, we're here."
>That was quick
>Maybe it helped that you slept for most of it
"How much money does this take?"
>"You paid for the trip and then some before I picked you up."
>Did you?
"I don't think I did."
>"Well someone sure did then. We're quite a ways out of town, never been out this far."
"Neither have I."
>"Well, feel free to leave a good review! Thanks for the extra cash, or give my thanks to who paid for it."
"Sure."
>The back passenger door opens
>You shake yourself awake and hop out
>Not even five steps away and the Uber driver heads off
>You're here
>The closer you go to the building, the bigger it looks
>There is only a wooden fence from what you can see that makes a border between the road with the trees and open land, and the mansion
>It looks even bigger than a mansion
>You stop at the front doors
>They look like very sturdy, strong wooden doors
>You sit at the doors
>You were told that you were going to be expected
"..."
>After what feels like too much time, you reach up and knock on the right door with your hoof
>Maybe they weren't expecting you right now
>After a few moments the left door emits some whirring sound and opens
>Didn't you knock the right door?
>You wait for the door to open fully
>A... blue pony is standing there
>But she looks like she's wearing some sort of knight's armor
>Her mane looks like a tight, short bob cut
>"Oh hey, glad you made it one piece."
>The same whirring noise comes from her that you heard from the door
>Almost
>The armor plates on her look faded
"...you were?"
>"Not me specifically. I was just told to watch out for you. I'm Skylar."
"Hello Skylar. I'm Angel."
>"Nice to meet you."
>She sounds a little aggitated
>"You planning on coming in? Or do you want to sit out there?"
"Oh. Yes, please."
>"Much better."
>You stand up and trot past the threshold
>Inside is...
>Opulent
>Almost like a Disney movie, even
>You enter a large foyer that seems to double as a reception area with a number of benches and desks
>All of them are pony-sized
>"Welcome Home, Angel Cake. We call this place Home, because it's... well, it's Home. I said it was a silly name but I guess it stuck."
>This isn't home to you
>Home is where you came from
>Your wings ruffle
>You're nervous
>You can't remember the last time you've ever gone anywhere completely alone
"What happens now?"
>"Now? I guess now we get you checked in. And because you're now Home, it's important that you meet everyone. But first is the main office. Your trip was paid for, right?"
"Oh. Yes it was. Was that ok? The driver said he got a big tip."
>"Yeah, don't worry about it. We're just..."
>She sighs
>"Incredibly generous. A little too much but that isn't my call to make. Anyway, leave sight seeing for when you're free. Follow me."
>The door closes behind you
>Now that you can see on the inside, it has a strong, shiny looking steel outline that makes it open and close
>It reminds you like a very fancy version of a grocery store door

>Except these doors are wood, obviously
>You focus on Skylar and follow her curt pace
>The armor plates on her don't really sound like armor plates
>They don't clink
>They glide together without any sound at all
>You can see that there is grey and black between the plates
>"You don't really talk that much, do you?"
"Not to people I don't know, no."
>"I guess that's understandable... none of us are bad guys, if that's what you're thinking."
>Your wings ruffle again, the right wing flapping harder
"I didn't... I'm sorry if I made you think that."
>"Nah, it's fine. We've all been there."
>Been where?
>After too many twists and turns after going up a set of stairs, Skylar stops in front of another large wood door
>Skylar raps her hoof against it a few times in rapid succession
>She does so much harder than you would feel comfortable doing
>You hear a muffled "thank you", as her knocking leads to the door opening
>Must be another electric door
>"Head inside. Come find me at the foyer if you would like a tour. Otherwise you'll be told where to go."
>Though she hasn't had the friendliest expression, she smiles at you
>"For what it's worth. I'm glad you made it here. I hope you like it. I still don't like the ritzy look, you know?"
>Not really
"Thank you."
>You part ways with the armored blue pony and enter the office
>It is just as ornate and fancy looking as everywhere else
>An aged man is sitting on a very cushy looking chair
>It looks low enough that you would be able to get into it
>Near him, to the side, is a small desk that seems just as unusually low
>"Good afternoon, Angle Cake. How was your trip?"
>He knows your name too
>"Please, take a seat. Any will do."
>He waves his hand over and you take notice that there are at least six styles of chairs to choose from
>Which one are you supposed to choose?
>Without thinking of it, you go for something similar to his
>After hopping into it, you can feel yourself... sink
>He chuckles at your surprised expression
>"Yeah, these tend to be the most comfy. I don't blame you."
>He nods and rubs his hands together
>You watch him
>He isn't saying anything else
>But he does seem happy
>What is he waiting for?
>He asked a question, didn't he
"My trip was... short. I slept through a lot of it. The driver was very good."
>"Ha, I guess I did right to give him a bigger tip then. To be fair we are a little out in the sticks, aren't we."
>He nods to himself
>"What can I say, open space helps."
>Apparently so
>"Anyway, welcome Home. I'm the head caretaker here, Anonymous. You can call me Anon, everyone else does. You already met Miss Skylar I take it. She's a great friend to have, but do let her know if she goes too fast for you."
>You don't feel the need to reply to anything
>He looks relaxed
>Eager, even
>"Now, I did get some information here, before your adventure here. But can you tell me why you've wanted to come here?"
>Finally something that interests you

"Yes. I was told that I could reach Heaven through here. My friend is in Heaven and I said I would meet him there. His mother sent me here and said that you would take care of everything for me. Please help me."
>The man is still smiling
>But something in his eyes change
>"I... I see. Yes, Heaven is... it is certainly a place."
"Then you can take me there?"
>Your wings fidget again
>"In due time, I promise we'll get you to where you need to be."
"Thank you. I can't keep him waiting."
>He nods again and looks down at his hands
>"Now... the focus of being here, Home. It's to do a lot of things. It is to prepare for Heaven, yes. But it is for other things too. It is to help get better too."
"What do I need to get better at? My friend is waiting for me."
>Your voice rises higher than you wanted
>Louder too
"I need to go to Heaven. He misses me, I know it. We've never been apart."
>"I understand that. And I'm glad you've always been there for him. With him. You will continue to be with him."
"Then please show me how to get to Heaven. I am here to go to Heaven and I have done everything I was told to. I am ready. Take me there."
>Your voice starts to shake
>The agitation in your voice is spreading to your body
>You're trembling
>Anon watches you with an expression that you can't easily discern
>He looks like he knows exactly what you mean
>Why is he just sitting there then?
"He's waiting. I told him I would be there as soon as I could. I've taken too long already, he's going to get lost without me."
>You put more emphasis on your words
>You can feel your throat go drier with every word
>The more you speak, the more your vision blurs
"His mother told me I could meet him there. You need to help me. You have to help me, please."
>You don't remember the last time you've been so distraught
>So lost
>You are lost
>You have no idea where you are
>You don't know who you're talking to
>Your friend is gone
>Your friend's parents are gone
>Your entire family is gone and you're in some sinking chair and
>Your mind empties
>You let out a loud wail
>Your eyes shut hard
>You can't handle that you've said these words
>For the first time you've said those things
>Your friend is in Heaven, and you're not
>It wasn't his fault
"I'm his guardian Angel, I have to be with him."
>It took multiple attempts but you finally forced out that sentence
>You know your purpose, you have to fulfill it for him
>Why else would you be here if this didn't put you closer to your goal?
>You expend all of your energy while just sitting there
>Hooves stamping into the soft cushion, leaving no sound
>Wings flapping and sliding against the arm rests and back
>More wailing and repeating yourself through screams
>Only when you feel like all of your energy has left you does Anon speak up
>"I'm sorry. But I promise you I will help you through it. Any way I can."
>That renews a new storm of tears
>He means it
>You can tell
>You can hear it
>It takes even longer to calm down

>Your eyes feel sore
>Your throat feels harsh
>You've never felt this way before
>Your vision eventually clears
>The old man looks concerned
>Like he knows exactly what you want
>"Would you like to go for a walk outside? Some fresh air might help."
>It takes what feels like hours for you to gather enough strength to nod
>But you do
>"Alright. Thankfully there are no real allergies up here so it'll save your throat from some extra grief."
>He flashes a short-lived smile
>"It... does for me, anyway. Let's go."
>You get up almost at the same speed as him
>You feel so lethargic
>You can hear him huff and shift upward into a mostly straight standing position
>"Good grief those chairs just suck you in, don't they?"
>You can tell he means that as something to smile at but you don't have the will to
>He nods to himself and waves his hand to the door
>Without even touching it, it slides to an open position
>"Follow me, I'll show you a shortcut outside. Better than going through the front door."
>You oblige
>After more turns and a distance you don't care to pay attention, you find yourself on a large patio
>It's guarded by a semi-circle of stone, with a stair case off to the side
>Now that you're back outside, and above ground level, you can see just how big the area is
>A ton of trees
>Some big hills
>Even what looks like a little pond
>"Home... kinda the home I always wanted. I'm glad I could make it. I hope it would make a good Home for you too. Others like it."
"Home..."
>It sounds weird to say that
>Home is where your friends and family are
>You have no family here
>You have no friends
>You stop yourself from sitting back down, your mouth twitching into a variety of expressions
>"Anywhere you'd like to see up close, Angel?"
>Nothing comes to mind
>You see that one tree has a tire swing on it
>One hill has some sort of unnatural blue lane on it that goes all the way down
"Can we see the pond?"
>"Sure can. I'm not much of a swimmer these days but that's good, since it doesn't go down super deep. Let's take the stairs."
>You follow him to the stairs and stop
>They look weird
>One side looks like normal stairs
>The other side looks like the steps are twice as small
>Anon stops and waits for you to take it in
>"They look kinda funny, don't they? I know how ponies are with some stairs so this is to make it easier for them. But you can use which ever set you like, there's more than enough space for both."
>You decide on the shorter stairs
>They actually feel quite nice to use
>You reach the bottom before Anon does by maybe a third
>He huffs, shaking his head
>"Every year, it really seems someone keeps adding more steps."
>He chuckles, giving you another smile
>"But glad to see that someone is energized. Let's check out that pond, yeah?"
>You look up at him
>You don't know how this will get you to Heaven but you nod
>It would be nice to see anyway

>You walk with him, taking in the sight of it all
>The air smells fresh, unlike anything you've noticed before
>The sky seems so blue it's almost like a cartoon
>You can see even a few other ponies playing in the distance
>"Heh. Sometimes running around can solve a lot of problems. You know?"
>He took notice of your attention
"We used to play a lot outside."
>"I bet. No amount of video games or reading can quite compare, can it?"
>You eventually reach the pond with Anon
>It looks deep
>It looks like it stretches out really far too
>"It's all natural, if you can believe it. Not a lot of fish, but enough where mosquitos aren't as big a problem as you'd think. I think that's how that works. We get a lot of birds out here too."
>It sounds interesting but you don't know how any of that has to do with the pond
"It looks nice."
>"It's clean, too. We all do what we can to take care of it. Plus when winter comes around and it's all frozen over... pretty good fun. Just don't fall."
>He pats his hip
>"Trust me on that."
>You sit down on the grass
>Even the grass is soft
>Back at home it was sometimes brown and felt like tacks in certain areas
>Here it is all green and where you are feels soft
>He sits down beside you, sighing
>"I used to treat this little spot like a fishing spot. But I realized it wouldn't be so great if I caught me a pony instead of a fish. But... one day I could find a seahorse too."
"Seahorses are only out in the ocean."
>You remember that information quickly
>"Ah, that's right... well, you never know. You know?"
>You don't understand what he means by that
>You keep watching the water
>You get up, take a few steps forward, and sit back down
>You're close enough that you can see your reflection
>You can see your face
>And the bright, vibrant blue sky behind you
>Heaven is right in front of you
>Or maybe it's just right behind you
>You swallow and bring your head closer to the water line
>Part of your mane dips into the water
>Heaven is right in front of you
>He's waiting
>You know he is
>All it takes is a small wave to disrupt the image of yourself and the sky
>You can see a small portion of grass that's under the water line
>You could see Heaven but now you only see the floor of the edge

>"And here is our TV room. Our esteemed Miss Rylee takes care of our cataloging and maintenance of the projectors and such. She... where is she, anyway?"
>Anon has been giving you a tour of the grounds
>A lot of the ponies have introduced themselves to you
>Some of them are weird and bulky looking, like Skylar
>Some look like you
>Most don't have wings, but a lot of them have the same hair style
>Almost the same faces too
>But you know that is probably a coincidence
>You sit in front of an incredibly wide wooden shelf
>It's three layers high, reaching a few feet above your head
>DVDs
>Blu-Ray discs
>Old VHS tapes too
>"I know, let's send her a little ping..."
>Anon doesn't sound like he's talking to you
>The movies are alphabetized
>A lot of them are animated
>There are at least a dozen movies lumped together, all titled 'The Land Before Time'
>You think you remember that one
>You reach out to touch the case
>"N-no touching, please!"
>A new voice calls out in a minor panic
>"Ah! Rylee, glad you could make it. We have a new friend visiting today."
>He must mean you
>You keep your hoof raised and turn your head to the voices
>Beside the old man is a svelte green pony
>Her mane is long and straight, covering near half of her face
>Like Skylar, she looks like she's wearing some sort of clunky armor
>The green on the plates don't look nearly as faded
>The front of her chest looks more vibrant than the bottom of her legs
>She catches her gaze with her own and flashes an awkward smile
>"Yes, thank you for pinging me Anon."
>She trots up to you in a hurry
>"I'm Miss Rylee, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
>She reaches up and pulls your hoof down
>"Please don't touch the movies. I promise that I listen to every request but the cases, cover art, and discs are old."
"Oh. I'm sorry. He liked that movie."
>"He...?"
>Rylee glances over you and turns her head back to Anon
>You can almost hear the same whirring that Skylar made from her
>He nods
>"That... is correct."
>Rylee looks at you again
"My friend is in Heaven. My name is Angel. I was told to come here."
>The color doesn't drain from her face
>But her jaw drops a little
>"O... oh. I see."
>She looks over you with curiously bright eyes
>"I'm indic... uh... I bet you would like to watch that movie very much right now."
>You nod
>Your head feels so heavy when you nod
"Yes please. It was one of his favorites."
>Rylee sits
>"Tell me more."
"He liked that movie. And... one with mice."
>"Fievel?"
>She perks up, smiling wide
"I... think so."
>Your head droops
"I can't watch movies... I need to go to Heaven. I'm here so I can go there."
>"I understand."
>Rylee scoots forward to hug you
>For having an armored body her plates feel soft
>You don't return the gesture
>"It's ok to breathe out. Sometimes giving a big, hard sigh can make a lot of things better."
>Is that true?
>"Can you try that for me please?"
>You inhale
>...
>And exhale

>You exhale for so long that you feel light-headed
>You lean more into the hug
>Rylee feels like a warm blanket
>"Thank you. I know it won't solve everything but I promise that if you do that every now and again, you'll feel so much better."
"Thank you."
>Your eyes wander around the room
>There are big, soft looking bean bag chairs everywhere
>Each one has it's own color
>Some look bigger than others
>Some don't even look like they're made with the same materials
>Your eyes wander to Anon
>He's watching
>His focus doesn't seem to waver to anything else
"Thank you."
>You repeat yourself
>You aren't really sure who you're saying that to
>You relax into the hug for so long you forget that Rylee is even hugging you
>She has barely moved at all
"...Can you release me? I'm hungry."
>Rylee lets go of you, smiling
>"Oh, of course. Your rea... er, really hungry I bet. You need to remember to eat to keep your strength up."
>That's right
>You remember that you used to tell him that too when he wasn't hungry
>He would go entire days without eating
>What little he did eat, it was something unusual
>Like only slices of cheese and milk
>You feel a heavy weight tugging at your chest
>"You know, that would be a good idea. We haven't checked out the kitchen yet either. Would you like to see what we have?"
>Eyes focused more on the past, you blink a few times to see the present
"Oh. Yes. Yes please."
>You look at Rylee
"Would you like to eat with me?"
>Rylee gives a shy smile
>"Oh, me? I'm... uh. I'm not hungry. I usually save myself for dinner. Which is coming, in a few hours!"
>You find that a little odd but you don't mind
"Ok. Thank you for the hug."
>You stand and distance yourself from her, following Anon
>He only moves when you're close enough
>"Thank you for the help, Rylee. I'll talk to you a little more later about those things."
>"Of course, Anon! Say 'hi' to her for me!"
>You try to keep your mind focused on your environment
>How all of the art on the walls seem to be... not professionally made, or famous
>Some of it looks really good, despite the weird styles
>"And here's the dining room... but honestly, everyone is so tidy, we tend to eat outside or in the movie room. So this is only really for big events."
>The dining room he leads you into is really something
>What must be a thousand pictures are on all walls, all of them framed
>Some are so small or at such an angle that you can't actually see many of them all that well
>At the center are three long, narrow tables that are pushed up against each other
>There are dozens of chairs on each side, each with a ramp that you could see yourself going up to sit without having to jump
>The only exception is the chair at the far end of the table's edge
>Even the chair on the opposite far side has a chair with a ramp

>"Yup... back when we tried to be more 'official', I guess, we would have everything here. But some ponies would sway and fall and hurt themselves, or you might have little personality conflicts that might not make things so fun... we were really trying to just figure it all out. Guess it goes to show that sometimes less is more."
>You gaze over the pictures while he speaks
>One big one that isn't shining too bright from the sunlight shows just two in it
>Anon and a pink pony
>He really looks younger
>The pony looks like a knight, like Skylar
>But her plates look a little more dinged up
>Both of them look happy
>"And here's the... oops. Something up?"
>He didn't even seem to notice that you stopped walking with him
>He chuckles and makes his way back to you
>"Guess I should've known our wall of milestones would've catch your eye. Which one are you looking at?"
"This one. Who is she?"
>You point up at the one that stands out to you
>He carefully plucks it from the wall and kneels down to show it to you
>"That... is yours truly. Way back when I first bought this land. To be honest, I couldn't afford it. Not a single acre. But I got a nice loan...or grant... whatever you call it, it's the same thing."
"But who is she? The pony in the picture?"
>You can hear Anon gulp
>"That... that's my wife."
>He chuckles to himself
>It's a sort of chuckle where whenever it slows down, it picks up again
>Like he's remembering a new reason each time
>"She's... uh. Well."
>He doesn't continue his words
>He gulps again
>"Yeah. She's my wife. And I love her more now than I ever could have back then."
>He chuckles with a grin
>"And no, it doesn't mean I didn't love you then either you goof."
>Who is he talking to?
>He seems like he's talking to the photo
>"It was our idea to get a place. Not together, I mean we were always together. But a real place we could work out of."
>He gulps once more
>"Our goal was to help out others. To really, genuinely, make a difference in the world. Almost no one would believe in us but we got funding. Especially with the release of your types, we were always busy at the word 'go'."
>He pets your shoulder
>Another gulp
>"Yeah, and... yeah. Heheh."
>Another chuckle
>But this one doesn't sound as real
>"Yup. She's my wife. You'll probably see her one day. She's just like me, always busy busy busy."
>He holds onto the photo and struggles to stand up
>Rather than put it back on the wall, he keeps it
>"Of course, you know. It wasn't just us. We had help from the very start. We were five. Five, we were..."
>None of the pictures stand out to you
>Not really
>None of them include his wife, that you can tell
>"Yeah... I'll tell you more history if you'd like, later. I don't mind it at all."
"Yes, please. Thank you."
>"So."
>You hear a sniffle
>"How about that lunch, huh?"

>"How is your sandwich?"
"It is good. Thank you."
>You didn't realize how hungry you were
>Anon asked you what you wanted and you just couldn't decide
>So he made a little bit of everything
>Grilled cheese
>Crunchy peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich
>Apple butter and blueberry jam sandwich
>And a thermos of soup to wash it down, straw included for easy drinking
>Instead of being sent to a room or outside, he led you to the TV room
"Rylee?"
>Miss Rylee had been watching you the entire time
>It took almost an entire movie's length of time before you touched any of it
>"Yes, Angel?"
>Your head sinks
>Not only did you eat a lot, you even were given a beanbag to lay on
>It is a vibrant yellow, like your body
>Your mane is different though
>Sky blue
>He liked how blue your mane was
>"What would you like to ask me?"
>The corner of your mouth twitches
"Is it ok that I'm here?"
>"Oh, of course it is! I'm very happy that you're here. Skylar is too. And Anon is really happy that you're here too. He always feels happier when he gets to help someone new."
>He did seem happy to talk to you
>Even though you didn't talk back for a lot of it
"...is it expensive to be here? When I heard about medicine, insurance wouldn't a lot of it. They..."
>You feel something stopping you from speaking
>Like a hand on your throat
"The insurance said..."
>Your mouth twitches again
"That because I was there, they couldn't do it."
>Did you say that?
>It sounded like whoever said that was crying
>Or trying to stop from crying
>You aren't
>You blink a few times
>You... are?
>Rylee watches
>Her armored face looks so unusual but you feel like she understands you
>"No... of course not, you don't need to worry about this at all. Everything is taken care of."
>How could that be true?
>Everything costs money
>Doesn't it?
>"All that matters is that you feel better."
>Rylee nods
>"Trust me, I have spent my entire life helping people. Like Anon and like you too. Nothing else brings me such comfort."
>You do not believe her
>You do not think she is lying to you either
"What do I do?"
>You need to get to Heaven
>He still needs you
>"I wish I could tell you, Angel. But I can tell you what I believe would be a really good idea."
"What is that?"
>She smiles in earnest
>"We're watching Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School during dinner! You can make some friends too. Everyone is really friendly here."
>You did see other ponies outside
"Who else is here?"
>"Not a lot, actually. We're a pretty small group. There's me, Skylar, of course Anon is here and..."
>She lolls her head back and forth
>"I mean... I guess..."
>She shakes her head
>"Well, it's mostly us three. But then there's Berry Cake, Carrot Cake, Plum Cake and... now you, Angel Cake!"
>You have never heard of them before
"Are they... also looking for Heaven?"
>Rylee's smile fades
>"I... I suppose they are. In a way."
>What does that mean?

>"Plum has been here the longest. Please be nice to her, she's sorta like... an older sister to all of us!"
>Rylee giggles with a nod
>"She is super sweet, and she's always happy to play if you ask her."
>She gently pats the soft carpeted floor with her hoof
>"And then there's Carrot! She loves cartoons almost as much as I do! If not even more! She's never late, even if it means cutting other things short."
>Rylee leans in, beaming
>"Her favorite cartoon series is Scooby Doo too. She thinks she's Velma sometimes because she's orange and Velma always dresses in orange."
>You've seen Scooby Doo before
>You remember watching cartoons with him when he was healthy but it feels like it was so long ago
>How long ago was it, really?
>"Berry Cake is much more new. I think, like you, she might not want to stay here forever... but that's ok! She really is doing her best to feel better."
>The joy in Rylee's voice fades with each word
>"She... she's really doing her best. That's all anyone could ask. I remember when she first came in."
>The light in her eyes don't fade
>Her eyes look... weird
>Did you notice this before?
>Up close she doesn't look like a normal pony
>It isn't just the armor plates on her
"Will they be happy to meet me?"
>She nods deeply, the smile returning
>"Of course! We're all Home. Everyone is the most relaxed and have the most fun at home, don't they?"
>You feel relief
>At least a little bit of relief
>"Dinner time is in another half hour. They'll all be in here. Carrot might not want to talk during the movie unless it's about what's going on, but Plum would love to meet you."
"Can I sit near Plum?"
>"Of course you can! You can sit or lay wherever you like. You can even take a nap, no one would mind it. Of course, bed time is after dinner..."
>She leans in and whispers
>"Though to be honest, sometimes we stay up late to watch more movies. Don't tell Skylar, ok? She likes the rules but Anon and I like to be lenient."
>You like her
>She's very kind
"I promise I won't tell her."
>"Great! Would you like to help me decide what we should watch for tomorrow at dinner time? If you want to watch something we don't have, I'm sure Anon will find it for us!"

>Talking to Rylee has made you feel so much more at ease
>You keep wanting to ask her questions but she wants to keep you focused on movies
>You're happy that she's doing that
>You aren't thinking about negative things when you're talking about that
>"Rylee Doo, where are youuuuuuu!"
>You jump at a shrill cry that echoes throughout the house
>A bright orange pegasus gallops in, her wings flapping to give her extra speed
>"Jinkiiiiiiiiiies!"
>She takes a leap up and glides over your head, landing squarely on an orange beanbag chair
>She looks... like you?
>She looks like how you used to look, in an old picture
>Except the sides of her bangs are much longer
>"Are we ready? Where is everypony?"
>Wait a minute
>Where is that picture?
>You didn't bring it with you
>You don't have it
>"Great landing! Sorry Carrot, you're still two and a half minutes early. Don't worry, being first means you get to have first dibs on where you get to watch!"
>You don't have even a picture of him
>The realization makes you feel like the back of your head is floating
>How could you forget?
>How will you ever get it?
>"Ooh! New friend, new friend!"
>You would never forget his face
>But right now you can't remember it
>What in the world do you do?
>"Hellooooooo? New friend? Is anybody in there?"
>Carrot is in front of your face
>How did she get there?
>All of your senses snap back to the point you feel dizzy
"I... I'm sorry. I'm."
>Who are you right now?
>You aren't the pony he knew
>Are you?
>Still?
"A-Angel Cake."
>"An angel! So cool!"
>Without waiting, she hugs you tight
>"I'm Carrot Cake, I'm the biggest Scooby Doo fan you'll ever meet! Everypony wants to watch all sorts of stuff but I enjoy watching every mystery The Gang goes through, from A to Z! I've even made up my own mysteries! Wanna hear about them later?"
>She speaks with so much energy
>"Maybe... tomorrow? Angel is still new to all of this so let her just watch for tonight, ok? She's already eaten so don't get upset if she gets sleepy."
>Rylee squeezes between you and her and gently pushes her away with a few steps
>"I'm sure she would love to hear about it but let her adjust for now, ok?"
>"Awww... ok. But I want to show her everything later!"
>Carrot backs away and trots back to her beanbag chair
>"From the sounds of it, Carrot is first. Is Berry here too?"
>You hear what sounds like a more mature, relaxed voice
>A dark purple pegasus casually trots in
>Her mane is far less cared for, and longer than yours
>It is swept all to her right side
>Her face...
>It is also like your own
>Is it your imagination?
>Your eyes meet with hers
>"You aren't Berry. Anon told us that we would be getting a new friend."
>She trots closer to you
>She's a good size larger than you
>"My name is Plum Cake. I'm happy that you've made it here."
"I'm happy to meet you. I am Angel Cake."

>"Another Cake? We should rename Home to a Bakery. Please let me know if you need any help getting around. Skylar isn't always the most patient."
>She sounds like an authority figure
"I will. Thank you."
>"And you need to be careful about running inside. Remember last time when you knocked over that table?"
>Carrot scoffs
>"It was fine, nothing was hurt!"
>"You were hurt."
>"It wasn't even a big deal!"
>"Well it wasn't to me."
>Plum goes to her beanbag chair
>It looks at least twice as big as yours
>It fits, though she isn't twice as big as you
>"Now Plum, Carrot was feeling ok. And she's still doing ok now. That's all that matters, right?"
>Rylee is messing with a big plastic box
>It doesn't look like a DVD case at all
>Some sort of black brick sticks to the bottom of her hoof
>"Looks like somepony didn't rewind it... again! We'll just have to wait a few more minutes."
>"At least it means that Berry will get here on time."
>"No way! I thought I rewound it for sure!"
>The addition of two ponies make the room feel so much more lively
>You feel out of place
>Everyone is so friendly with each other
>You aren't friends with any of them
>Not yet at least
>Rather than watching the whirring machine that took the black brick inside of fitself, you watch the open entrance to the room
>A rich pink pegasus has been standing there
"Berry Cake?"
>The pegasus flinches and nods
>She slowly trots in, trying to sneak her way in
>"Finally, the last of our gang is here! No need to be afraid of Angel, I'll give you some Berry Bites if you really need it!"
>Berry doesn't seem to react to Carrot's cheer
>She takes a seat on her color-appropriate beanbag chair
>Between you and Plum
>You have the urge to talk to her
>What could you talk to her about?
>Would you want to be spoken to?
>Rylee made you feel better
>You turn your head and try your best to smile
"I'm Angel Cake."
>What is it that everyone else has been saying?
"I'm... happy to meet you. I've been told that it is very fun here."
>Berry avoids eye contact with you
>Only after a short time does she nod
>"I think so."
>"Come on, isn't it done rewinding yet?! We got mysteries to solve!"
>"You haven't seen this one yet, have you Carrot? There isn't a big mystery in the Ghoul School."
>"Sure there is! Everything's a mystery if you think hard enough!"
>It feels even more lively in here
>It's only really missing Skylar and Anon
>Where are they, anyway?

>You feel so warm
>You're home
>You had such a terrible dream
>If only you could remember it
>At least it's time to wake up now
>He's been a little under the weather but you know that with a little pep and stretching, everything will be ok
>And if that doesn't work, a big breakfast will!
>It has to
>Even if he said it was something bad, you know you'll make it better
"Ow!"
>Your head hurts
>What?
>Why does it hurt?
>You can barely see, your vision is too blurry
>You wipe your eyes with your hooves until your eyes clear
>You're facing a wall
>In the background is...
>Scooby Doo
>Oh
>You aren't home
>You're in Home instead
>The energy drains from your body
>It was a dream
>Of course it was a dream...
>He didn't know it was going to be so bad
>He told you everything
>There was no way in the world he would keep that secret or act like it wouldn't be bad
>You look over the room
>Carrot Cake is sleeping on her back in her beanbag chair
>Plum is sleeping too
>Berry isn't where you last saw her
>Miss Rylee isn't either
>You luckily didn't stamp on your last sandwich or knock over the thermos
>There is no clock in the room but you feel fresh
>You don't remember the last time you slept so long you weren't aware of what was around you
>Maybe talking to her might help
>You stretch and sneak out of the movie room
>You don't know how many times the movie has been replaying but it's probably ok
>You enter the foyer and see that... no one is there
>The main lights are off but there are a ton of little lights all along the walls and stairs
>It outlines everything well enough to know where you can walk
>You have the urge to call out but you don't want to wake everyone
>What can you do?
>You don't feel like you can just... go back to sleep
>Go back to that dream
>If you did, you wouldn't be able to handle waking up again
>You close your eyes to focus
>You can hear... something
>Talking?
>Keeping your eyes just barely open, you sneak toward the sound
>You can hear Rylee
>And Anon
>Anon's voice stands out the most from everyone else
>"...said she made up her mind."
>You stop
>You can hear enough from where you are

>"You can't be serious. We were having fun today!"
>"I know. I saw her too when I was with Miss Angel. She looked like she was at peace."
>"But... doesn't she know that she'll miss more movies? And, and... what about the food you can make?"
>"I can't believe she actually wants this..."
>"I know, girls. But she's been here for almost two months now. Has it been that long...?"
>"It isn't long enough for her to make this choice."
>"It isn't long enough for her to watch all of our stuff..."
>"I know. Trust me, I know. But I've been doing some digging into her past. What she has told me... I believe she understands her choice. She knows what this will entail. It isn't our job to... to force her to believe something. Our job is to do what we can. And... to ultimately let them decide the way their lives should go."
>He sounds so sad
>"We can't give back to her what she's lost. None of us can. But we can give her everything we have to offer and hope, really hope..."
>Miss Skylar sounds more angry than sad
>"Hope, nothing! You didn't give up on me and look, I'm still here! I'm better than ever!"
>Miss Rylee sounds like...
>How she sounded before
>"...Chai was the same, you know. I still miss her."
>"I do too, Rye. But that... that was something that we could have helped with."
>"Listen. I told her that I would ask her again in a week. And if she hasn't changed her mind, I'll call Nona and... well. We can give her a party. At least we can give her a full day for just herself. You remember her favorite movies, right?"
>His voice isn't steady anymore
>"...I do."
>"And Rylee? You'll set up the field?"
>"...of course."
>"Then alright. Sunday morning, she's our champ. And we don't let her forget that for a second. Even when she's walking through that gate, we don't let up for a second. Alright?"
>He sounds completely different from the more... happy man who spoke to you
>You don't hear anything from either of them
>"...alright. Thank you for helping her with this. Maybe... maybe we can change her mind."
>More silence
>You can feel warmth going down the sides of your face
>You get up, feeling the weight of inescapable guilt do it's best to hold you down
>Before you can walk off, you hear Anon again
>"How is Angel doing?"
>Rylee speaks up quick
>"The poor dear fell asleep almost as soon as the movie started. She really is a sweet girl, isn't she?"
>"I... haven't had much time to talk to her. I'm going for a walk."
>You can hear someone stomping off
>Miss Skylar, from the sounds of it

>"Did she eat? I kinda... well, I went overboard I think. She wasn't speaking up all that much."
>"Oh no, she ate quite a lot. No one minded her getting her dinner early. I did leave her soup and last sandwich there though. Just in case she wanted it later."
>"Thank you. I... I think..."
>He sighs hard enough that you flinch
>It sounded loud enough that he could be right beside you
>"I think she might be ok. I hope. I'm talking to her family and... the mother isn't too helpful. But I'm trying to get something for her that I think she needs."
>"What are you trying to get?"
>"A picture. A video. Anything. As much as I can. If I were her, I would probably want something like that. A keepsake."
>"I understand... Anon?"
>"Yes?"
>She sounds like she's making herself sound even quieter
>You creep closer toward them
>You still have no clue where you are but you think you're getting close to a door way
>"...I never asked. But... about Piera..."
>Who's Piera?
>"I know... it might not be kind to ask. How are you doing?"
>You hear another sigh
>Much softer
>"I'm... doing what I can. And that's focusing on what matters."
>"Does that include yourself?"
>"Right now, Angel matters. Berry matters."
>"But you can't forget yourself..."
>"I know. I haven't. But it... I... it's all I can do to feel better, right now. It's what she would have done."
>"It's what she's always done."
>"Exactly."
>"...alright. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I-"
>"No, it's. It's alright. It's about time I stop holding that sort of thing in."
>"It is. I miss her too. None of us would be here otherwise."
>"Yeah... it's late. I'm... gonna turn in. Can you watch over the girls for me? Plum wanted to talk to me, she said that she's been having trouble staying asleep. I think it may be stress."
>"Of course. Those giant, colorful lumps are so comfy that I could spend a month on one. I'm sure they must feel like they're sleeping on a cloud."
>"Thank you, Rylee."
>Footsteps
>They come closer far faster than your mind tells you to hide or leave
>"W-whoops!"
>Anon stumbles, nearly avoiding you
>"O-oh. Hey there, Angel. Did you have trouble sleeping?"
>You can't tell him
>You simply nod and sniffle
>You have not kept track of the flow of your tears
>"Poor girl... I understand how that is. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping too."
>He kneels down and pets your head
>It's so dim you can't see his face
>But you can see a pair of streaks down his face that catch the light
>"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
>You remember his words
>Of course you would remember them
>It takes a few choked attempts but you do manage to speak
>"Can you sleep in the movie room too? I want a friend nearby."
>"Me? Well I don't see why not. You might not have seen them but we do keep a nice stockpile of colorful blankets too, for when it's extra chilly. Let me grab a few to show you; I sleep like a rock every time I'm under one. Maybe you might too?"

>He stands and you follow
>Maybe you weren't supposed to hear all of that
>He isn't chastising you
>He isn't even acting like you might have heard it
>If he's really trying to get something for you, you have to help him too
>It's what friends do

>"Alright, since this is your first morning here, we're gonna do something a little special. We used to do this every day, once upon a time but it... ah... well, after a while there's not always so much to talk about. Would you like to go first or last?"
"...um... last?"
>"Alright, that works for me. Plum can start us off then."
>When you woke up, Anon was still right there beside you
>The blanket he had was so fluffy you ended up resting your head on it instead of the beanbag chair
>For breakfast, you were told you could have anything
>So you asked for toast with extra butter and oatmeal with bananas in it
>You ate a lot of it
>It used to be his favorite too, and so it was your favorite too
>Everyone ate at their own pace but when everyone finished, Anon helped everyone get the beanbag chairs in a loose circle
>Anon, Skylar, Rylee, Plum Cake, Carrot Cake, Berry Cake make up the circle
>With you as the new point
>"Thank you! I'm happy to start us going."
>The big purple mare nods and gives you a smile
>"My name is Plum Cake. I came from a big family. I've helped raise nearly a dozen children! Across multiple families, of course. My last family..."
>Her smile shrinks
>"Well. I was more of a surrogate mother. I took care of as much as I could. Due to liabilities, I was not able to continue. The man I helped raised his daughters with fell ill and his insurance wasn't enough to take care of him."
>Her smile shrinks more until it fades completely
>"He... passed. Almost two years ago. It's getting close to two."
>Her wings rustle
>She tries to smile again
>"But! He has a brother that took them in. A-and I write letters to the dears every month. They write back too. Of course, Anon helps me with emailing them but I also like letters since I can physically feel them."
>She nods to herself, her eyes falling to the floor
>"I wish I could help be there for them. But I understand that I can't do what a human mother can. But that's why I'm here. I can still stay in contact with them, their uncle doesn't mind at all. I'm hoping that we'll be able to figure something out. I love those girls so much."
>She goes silent
>Is it normal for there to be such a gap?
>"Anyway... while I'm here, I want to help out as much as I can. Having some time to relax and play never hurts either, right?"
>"Not at all. I'm glad to help you. Mail should be here in a few days. Their handwriting is improving a whole lot, isn't it?"
>"It absolutely is! I remember when they wanted me to read to them. Now they're writing their own little books every single letter."
>She sound like she's happy, at least when she's talking about the girls
>Another silence fills the room

>"Well... I'll go next then."
>The armored blue pony re-sits herself
>"My name is Missy Sky. But you can call me Skylar. I'm one of Anon's aids when it comes to keeping track of things. Every Home needs an extra pair of eyes and hooves, right?"
>The only reply she gets is a few nods
>"Waaaaay way back when Anon was a young man. He helped me out. He helped me out a lot. A whole lot more than I would have helped me. And thanks to him, I... got better."
>She stands up, striking a pose with one of her front legs brought up
>"And this is his custom build too! My old body was getting hard to use and I couldn't really keep up after a while. Now I'm as strong as an ox, as fast as a tiger, and I can even grab stuff."
>She holds out her front leg
>A quintet of little prods poke out
>They all move independently of each other
>"These are kinda like fingers to me. It's really cool."
>She sits back in her beanbag chair
>What's an ox?
>"If anyone needs any help, don't be afraid to come to me if you can't find Anon. I'm like his right hand. Hoof. Whatever."
>"It's true. If I'm busy with something and it's something she doesn't have access to, let her know and she'll ping me. She's also an incredible athlete. I haven't once been able to outrun her."
>"Frakenstein's outdone you, doctor."
>Skylar sounds so proud of herself
>"Yeah yeah, be lucky I didn't stick bolts in your neck."
>Anon chuckles and waves his hand at her
>"That means I'm next!"
>Carrot Cake bolts up, waving her front legs around
>She looks sorta like Plum
>Who looks sorta like you
>But she's far too loud and hyper to be you
>"My name's Carrot Cake, I used to work at a library!"
>You've been to one of those before
>"That's probably why I get along with Miss Rylee so well, we both love cartoons, movies and keeping track of them! I used to help read to visitors and would also handle cleanup. Which, you know, a lot of people eat food in libraries..."
>Her eyes narrow at most of the empty plates and bowls that are still littered in the room from breakfast
>"Kinda like here! But they try to hide the trash too."
>She sits there, looking like she's done already
>All eyes are on her
>You won't be looked at like this, will you?
>"And... ah. The library shut down. Or the programs that let me be there shut down. I used to live there, too! It was great. But even if I skipped meals, they said it was too much money."
>Her voice mellows out until it finally sounds normal
>"I was never a mom like Plum. But I really got to be kinda like the fun big sister to a lot of visitors. I could help with homework but what I really liked was hosting little mysteries for my gangs to solve. There was even a police officer that would help!"

>She leans forward, hissing like she's trying to tell a quiet secret really loud
>"I was sometimes both the perpetrator behind the mysteries and the second officer to report things to. I even had a dozen monster masks!"
>She leans back, smiling
>"I hope the city changes their mind soon. I know everyone misses me and I miss making mysteries! Anon helps me try to change their mind. We even have a petition! It's picking up steam so eventually they'll have to let me back!"
>"We can only hope, Carrot. Worst case scenario, there's always another city or smaller town that you could go to, right?"
>Carrot shrugs
>"I mean... yeah. But MY gangs aren't in another city."
>Anon chuckles
>"Yeah. True. At least we're sending them new mysteries too. You're very creative, they'd be really silly to pass you up."
>Next in line is Rylee
>After her is only Berry
>Then you'll have to speak up
>Rylee stands up, with far more finesse than Skylar
>"Good morning everyone. My name is Missy Rye. But you can call me Rylee."
>She gives a short bow to everyone in turn
>"I'm like Skylar, I'm a friend to Anon from a very long time ago. He also helped me a whole lot. I really do love him and Skylar for sticking with me for so long and helping me get so much stronger."
>She strikes a more modest pose than what Skylar did
>"My body is also thanks to Anon. A lot of my old body was damaged back then. I was very... self-conscious about it. After a while, like with Skylar, certain parts of me would get hard. But it also it was starting to affect my memory."
>She sits back down
>"Thankfully most of it has been recovered. I don't remember everything but there are enough mementos, reports and more to help remind me. I wouldn't be who I am today without Anon and Skylar helping me out through the really tough times."
>She smiles
>Her face looks different from Skylar
>Even the way she smiles is different
>"That is why I love being here! I want to help out however I can. I keep track of most of our archives and systems. Along with our movie and cartoon collection, of course! I also handle further acquisitions. We have digital copies of everything too, but I really don't think digital media will ever truly surpass analog systems. But it sure helps to keep a backup just in case!"
>That was quick
>Both of them had really quick times
>All eyes go to Berry next
>She doesn't look like she's excited to share
>"My name is Berry Cake."
>She stops and looks over everyone
>At you
>"I... used to be a big sister."
>Her eyes go to her beanbag chair
>"We used to be the best of friends and did everything together. Until he got older."
>Another pause
>"He said that he was embarrassed by me. Because I wanted to make things with him and watch cartoons together."
>She looks like it physically hurts to speak
>"And... I'm here now. And... it's a lot of fun! I promise! It's just..."
>She deflates
>"That's... that's all."

>"I'm glad you're here, Berry. All of us are. We'll make it better. It might take time but it will get better."
>Anon sounds confident
>But you remember how he sounded last night
>No one is smiling
>The room is uncomfortably quiet
>Wait
>It's your turn now, isn't it?
"I'm... Angel Cake?"
>Everyone focuses on you the moment you speak
>You are worried but everyone has been nice and considerate
>You have been paying close attention too, of course
"I.. am here to go to Heaven. I had a friend too. Maybe I was his... sister?"
>You aren't really sure what you were to him
>You were his Angel
>What else mattered?
"I... helped. Uh. Take care of him. We didn't go outside a lot. He would watch me fly, I can fly."
>You jut out your wings as if you need to give proof
>Three others have wings so they obviously can too
"He was... always having to go to the doctor's. For as long as I could remember. For as long as he could remember too."
>It feels like you're still there, in his room
>The smell of food always overpowered the smell of medical equipment and medicine
>You look forward
>You can almost see him sleeping there
"He always saw me as his guardian Angel, because every time he was worried or scared, I would be there. I helped him with everything. And mom."
>You blink
>You can't see him now?
"H-his mom. She trusted me. She knew that I wouldn't let anything bad happen."
>You feel like you're flying right now
>But the food in your belly also makes you feel like you're sinking
"I was there every hour. I called for help when his machine started letting out a lot of loud noises. I was never told how to do them."
>You blink again
>You can see him
>You can see a lot of people around him too
"When he was taken away, I was told that it would be ok. I couldn't go with them this time. Before, I always went with him but not this time. I was told that it was serious."
>It feels hard to breathe
"Money wasn't an issue. And I know I didn't do anything wrong. But it was something else that did it. Something else caused an issue."
>You aren't sure if you're saying too much
"I don't know how much time passed. I couldn't get in contact with mo-his mom. I was hungry but there were snacks in his room. But they were his. And his drinks too."
>What is she doing right now?
"When she came back... she looked empty. She looked like she was crying. She said he had gone to Heaven."
>Your mouth feels so dry
"After a... week or two. I forget. She said that she found out about Home. And she said that the people here would help me to go Heaven too. She promised that. She knows that he misses me. And I miss him."
>You blink
>The last thing you remember is seeing him sleeping
>Breathing weird
>Machines beeping
>People easing him from his bed onto something narrow with wheels
>Not a single person spoke to you
>It was like any other day
>What made that day so special?
>Why did it happen that day?
>There was improvement
>The doctor was positive it would all be ok

>There was even a priest to pray with you and him
>That had to be a good sign
>"Do you like it here?"
>The sound of someone else speaking whips your mind back to the present
>It's almost hard enough to make you feel sick
"H... huh?"
>You genuinely don't know who said that
>"Do you like it here, Angel?"
>That was Plum
>Of course it was Plum
>That's what she sounds like
"Oh. Well... yes."
>You can't make yourself smile
>You don't have it in you
"Everyone is so nice. He would have loved it here too."
>You don't have anything else to say
>You don't think you could speak anymore if you needed to
>Your eyes hurt
>But they feel dry
>"I'm glad you're here, Angel."
>That's Anon's voice
>"I mentioned it before but I've been talking with mom. She's having a really hard time too. But she knows that you're strong. She misses you too, she's going to send us some stuff soon. But right now it's just trying to get everything together. It'll be alright."
>"I'm glad you're here too. You're very kind."
>Rylee speaks up
>"And you can fly well too? You're gonna have to show me a few tricks of how well you do!"
>And Skylar
>"I bet I can fly further!"
>And Carrot
>You're in good company
>"Maybe but I've seen how you land..."
>Anon sounds like he's teasing her
>"I'm glad everyone is doing well. I don't know who else wants to but I'll be going outside for a walk. Anyone can join me if they like."
>Anon eases himself up
>As big as his beanbag chair is, it must not be easy for him to wobble out of it so easily
>Rylee speaks up
>"While isn't really the normal, I'm going to set up some episodes of Tom and Jerry! We recently bought a lot of tapes from a collector."
>Rather than speaking, Skylar takes to Anon's side
>So does Berry
>Carrot starts talking to Rylee about something
>Plum sits beside you
>You haven't budged
>"We have a small room up stairs. It doesn't have much but it does have a bible and a few other things you might like."
>She hums for a moment
>"It is... not like a library, but a really big reading room. Would you like to join me and read some things?"
>You can't say anything to her
>Something inside knows that you'll start crying if you do
>You nod
>"Alright. When you're ready, we can go. You might even like some of my favorite books too."

>The reading room is bigger than what you thought
>You had to go up stairs with Plum but that helped lead to a really nice, full view of the side of the grounds
>There are book shelves against the walls that go up to the ceiling, multiple shelves and tables that go up to your chest, there are even a few book shelves that form a wide, carpeted platform that has a collection of pillows on it
>You don't think you would feel safe going up there
>"Anon really spent no expense for this room, Angel. I believe this is the one room that was built with commentary. The suspended circle up there... well, I think Miss Skylar thought of that. It really does enhance the view of outside."
>Small lights are all over, outlining where the book shelves meet the floor and any edges that any pony might stumble against
>"Would you like to read anything in particular? We have both fiction and non-fiction. We have a surprising amount of... history... too..."
>In the middle of her words you take a few steps
>At the end of your third step you melt onto the floor
>You lay there, wings relaxing until you've completely sprawled yourself out
"I'll figure something out."
>That is your only reply
>Plum lets out some alarmed noise but when it has become apparent to her that you have no intention of moving, she calms down
>"O-oh. Of course. Well, I have... something nearby to read. So I'll get started on that. Please, let me know if I can do anything for you."
"I will. Thank you, Plum Cake."
>Her name sounds so weird
>It sounds too much like yours
>She almost sounds like you too
>That entire morning circle drained your energy
>What are you even doing here?
>You can't reach Heaven through here
>You can't see him again by just laying here
>The feeling of your chest and stomach sliding down your body makes you feel ill
>It feels like your body has turned to jello and it started melting
>If he were here with you, you would probably be at a window
>He used to be much more energetic, and you would play
>Even though he really didn't like getting dirty
>You never paid it any mind, yourself
>You close your eyes
>Is there a point to playing anymore?
>Can you honestly play again when you know you won't be happy?
>Can you smile like you used to?
>The next time you open your eyes, it is much brighter outside
>Rather than feel relaxed, you feel stiff
>You can hear hummimg
>Shifting yourself as little as you can, you can see that Plum is still there
>Still reading something and humming to herself
>She picks up on your movement and gives you a warm smile
>"Good afternoon, Angel. Did you feel the need for a little nap?"
>Your eyes fall to the floor
>You nod
>"Well that's ok. This morning was very important. You're in a quiet place and no one minds at all where you take a nap, really. As long as you aren't alone. Buddy systems are important."
>Is she your buddy?
>It makes enough sense

>You stretch yourself out until you can feel your joints strain
>You retreat into yourself until you're more sitting than laying
>Your mind feels muddy
>Not at all like how you are normally
"Is it ok if we can talk?"
>Plum nods, almost like she was waiting for you to ask
>"Of course it is! Is there anything you would like to talk about with me, Angel?"
>You don't reply
>That muddy slowness in your head hardens around your heart
>You've been too open already
>Your lips flinch in an attempt to speak
>Or to stifle any words
>Plum closes her book and sits beside you
>"It's ok, I can talk more if you prefer."
>After another conscious effort, you nod
>"I can do that. You know... I never thought I would be a mother. The first time, I..."
>She laughs
>More at herself than to
>"I was so confused. I mean, I don't think I ever got any real training. One day it was just... 'poof, hey please help'. And I did! And it was then I fell in love."
>Her voice sounds so calming
>Full of experience and knowing
>She sounds like his mom
>"It has been... twenty years now, I think. I think I used to be part of a surrogate service, Angel. I... think. It was not very official at all. It was almost like it was just my calling, to help with young couples. They would always be so grateful. And scared. Terribly scared."
>She chuckles with a sigh at the end
>"We were all scared. Even when I got better, and I did, their excitement and horror was my own. I helped each family for at least a year. Hooves... they aren't so good for a lot of things. But my wings helped a lot."
>Something about her voice puts you on alert
>She sounds like she regrets it
>"But I did learn. Angel, was this your first family?"
>You nod
>How could you have another family?
>"Would you like to tell me about it?"
>You answer before your body has the energy to stop you
"It was pretty small. Mom didn't have a lot, but she did have me to help watch over him."
>You look at her out of the corner of your eye
>She's so much more physically imposing
>More so, she's had so much experience compared to you in... what must be everything
>How could she ever understand you?
"I was his Guardian Angel."
>That answer makes perfect sense to you
>If he had food that he didn't like, you would either eat it or squirrel it away so it seemed like he ate it
>If he forgot to clean up after himself, you would give him an extra hoof
>When he started getting homework, you would study with him and do some of it so he could get in some extra video game time
>Whenever he got worried or stressed, you would make him laugh and help him forget about whatever was bothering him
>Mom knew, of course
>She felt like she was your mom too
>Where where you, before him?
>There is no way you could have had multiple families
>"Have you thought about what you want to do next?"
>Plum's question brings you back to reality
>You don't like how quickly bile rises in the back of your throat
"I have to go to Heaven. He's waiting for me."

>You repeat yourself with a strong sense of self
>This is your goal
>This is why you're here
>"Do you know how you'll get there?"
"I don't."
>She doesn't sound like she's insulting your plan at all
>"What about once you're there? Are you just wanting to visit him?"
"No. He needs me."
>"Even in Heaven?"
"Yes."
>The questions push your resolve
>Of course he needs you
>Even in Heaven, where every problem he could have would be solved
>Even if all of his vegetables are hidden automatically
>Even if he already has help with homework
>Even if he has all the friends he could want
>Even if he could go out and play without getting tired or sick
>He needs you
>He's always needed you
>You're his Angel
>"Angel?"
>Hearing Plum speaks your name makes you blink
>This feeling of discomfort and dissociation is starting to leave a mark on your face
>"Heaven... do you know that if you try to force your way there, it won't work?"
>You refuse to believe that
>In some silent scramble of protest, your eyes wander to something they can rest on
>There is no cross on the wall
>There is no bible you can easily spy
>You so eagerly want to tell her that it would work for you
>"Heaven is a difficult place to go to. I know, for a fact, that you have a place there. I hope I do, too. But it will only be available to us when..."
"You're wrong."
>You stumble to your hooves
>Images and sections start to whip into a frenzy in your mind
>You know she's wrong
>You're here because Heaven is your next stop
>"Angel, I'm sorry if I've upset you. Please sit back down?"
"No. I'm going to Heaven. I can't wait."
>Your eyes have difficulty focusing on the large purple mare
>While you were so tired before, now you feel like you've been charged like a battery
"I can't wait!"
>In a nearly blind panic, you run out of the room
>The doors remained open and illuminated, as if they were waiting for your exit
>You run
>You have no idea where you're going
>You knock into a set of doors
>They're illuminated with little lights all around, like every other set of doors
>But to you, they'll take you to Heaven
>You need to find Heaven's doors
>You have to
>The doors open, whirring like the one you took when you first spoke to Anon
>And like the front doors
>You slip inside
>You inhale like you've been holding your breath for hours
>It actually does feel like you have not been breathing
>You see a bed
>A desk
>A computer
>A book case
>A chest at the end of the bed
>Pictures on the wall
>Pictures on the wall?

>Your charged delirium starts to wind down
>You've seen pictures like this before
>They're of Anon
>And that pink knight pony
>You don't remember her name
>She looks happy
>He looks different
>Younger
>Another picture nearby shows them both making silly faces
>Her face looks the same
>Damaged
>His face looks damaged too
>A scratch on the side of his eye
>Another picture
>What looks like Miss Skylar and Miss Rylee
>But their bodies look different
>There's another knight with them too
>Another picture
>And another
>There are a dozen pictures on the walls
>None of them make any sense to you
>The quiet, growing sense of panic begins to bubble up again
>You're somewhere you shouldn't be
>Furtive and hunched over, you run out of the room
>You take a mad leap and glide down to the foyer of the first floor
>You hear loud crashing along with screaming from the TV room
>It's enough to make your tension spike
>Hooves slipping on the floor, you gallop away at full force
>Somehow, you end up outside
>The fresh wave of air hitting you acts like a glue trap
>You can see Anon in the distance, against a steep hill
>You can see Miss Rylee and Berry with him
>Even as far as you are, you can tell that they're having fun
>They're enjoying being here
>They don't need to go to Heaven
>They're completely fine where they are
>Another breeze sends you into motion
>You glide off of the patio and flap your wings as hard as they can go
>You manage some lift
>It's enough to reach a distant hill, away from them
>You land near the top and gallop as far as you can go
>You clear at least another three hills before your legs fail you
>A misstep leads to a hard trip that leads to you sliding down a portion of a hill
>You have so much distance to go before you can reach what looks like a fence
>The same sort of fenced area you saw when you first came here
>It just doesn't end
>You're trapped here
>He's waiting for you
>Heaven is waiting for you
>And you're stuck here
>You're trapped
>You're abandoned
>Your only answer to this, face covered in grass, is some wordless wail
>Dissatisfied that your sorrow wasn't heard far enough to reach the pearly gates, you wail again
>If you can't see Heaven
>If you can't reach Heaven
>Heaven has to hear you
>It must
>He must
>Another bestial howl comes from you
>The sound scares even you
>It sounds like a wounded animal

>You remember the day he had first gotten sick
>The news didn't make much sense to him
>It didn't make much sense to you either
>He still wanted to play but mom wouldn't let him
>His mom
>Your mom too
>It took only one week for his energy to be all gone
>Seven days
>Six days, ten hours and twenty eight minutes
>That's exactly how long it took from when you first heard about it, to when you saw it on his face
>You saw that he didn't look like himself
>You didn't even notice that he changed until you asked him a question
>You asked him what he wanted to play for today, since he had just been given his first dose of medicine
>The tired look of resignation never left your mind
>You feel like you're somewhere nice
>Like a bed
>But you can still smell outside
>"I'm so sorry, Anon. I promise, I didn't try to upset her."
>You recognize that tone
>You want to tell Plum that it's ok but you feel so out of it
>"No, you don't need to apologize. I... I think she just needs to run herself out of it."
>That sounds like Anon
>"I didn't know... I'm sorry Anon."
>"You were busy with your own things, Rylee, it's ok."
>"Want me to watch her? Berry is still outside."
>"Yeah... would you be able to do that for me, Sky?"
>"Of course. You gave her some stuff already, right?"
>"Yeah. Let the IV run until the bag's empty. No solid food until dinner tonight."
>"What about me? I feel terrible."
>"Let's go talk with Berry. She was telling some really funny stories."
>"Really? I had no idea she was a comedian..."
>Many of the voices blur together
>You can almost keep track of everything but every few sentences all of the words melt around your head
>The next thing you're aware of is a vague sore spot on your shoulder
>Skylar is at your side
>You've been on your back
>That must be why you can't feel your wings
>"Hey there... good morning."
>Is it morning?
>As if sensing your question, she smiles
>"It's not really morning. But it sure feels like it."
>Her smile drops
>"How are you feeling? Your pulse dropped hard for a while there. Your O2 levels were low as well."
>None of those words mean anything to you
>She blinks
>"Your body was crashing. It was like it was trying it's hardest to just turn off."
>That makes sense
>Your eyes wander over the armored pony
>Her eyes focus keenly on you
>You can tell how unnatural they are
>"I'm not so great with words... but you can talk to me too, you know."
>That's good
>It takes some moments but you're able to rotate your head up toward the ceiling
>This room doesn't look familiar
>It's on the ground floor, you can tell that much
>The breeze from the window smells more like grass
"What do I do?"
>Some pony that sounds like you asks what you're thinking
"I'm all alone."
>"You do all you can do."
>You listen to Miss Skylar speak
>She isn't speaking
>Not like how you're speaking
>You're really speaking
>She is doing something else
>"You really booked it out there... you know, I'm impressed."

>You don't even know how far you went
>You may as well have taken five steps
>"...when you get to feeling better, want to race? If you win, I can get you a reward."
"Is it Heaven?"
>"W-well... I can't give something that big."
>You can feel your chest deflate
>Of course she wouldn't be able to give you something like that
>"But I promise it'll be cool! But you gotta be reaaaaally fast too. I'm really no slow poke."
>You don't really seem to care
>After some silence, you feel a hoof rest on the bed nearby
>"It can just be a walk-off too, you know... everyone needs a win every now and again, you know?"
>You can't bring yourself to answer her
>"I'm you're friend, Angel. No matter what you need, I'll see to it. You aren't alone here, I promise. You got me, you got Rylee, you got Anon. You even got Plum and Carrot and Berry."
>The mention of Plum makes your face contort
>You can feel warm, stray liquid go into your right ear
"P. Plum said..."
>Continuing the thought into a sentence is too much for you to bear
>"Y-yeah, she told me..."
>You want to wail more
>Instead your eyes continue to burn and your ears collect more warm water
>Any sounds you make are choked and weak
>You never stop feeling like Skylar has her hoof on the bed
>You want to reach for it
>You want to ask her if she'll stop you from feeling alone
>You lack the energy to do so
>"I'm not going anywhere. Count on it."
>She speaks up, loud and clear
>You aren't going to be alone

>Miss Skylar remains at your side
>You fall asleep multiple times
>Each time you wake up, you're startled at where you are
>Until you remember
>Worse than feeling sad, you feel embarrassed
>Every time you wake up, she asks you something
>"How are you feeling?"
>"Want an extra pillow?"
>"I changed your IV bag, is there something you would like?"
>"Anon and Berry are making cookies, do you have any favorite types?"
>You only answer the last question
>You like peanut butter cookies
>By the time you're up for real, the sun has already started to set
>Miss Skylar hasn't moved an inch
>Your eyes rest on her
>She smiles
>"Did the mention of cookies get you up?"
>It has
>But you also feel tired of laying in bed
>You start to move but she holds up her hoof
>"Hold on, you're still plugged into your IV. Let me take care of it real quick."
>You watch her withdraw the needle from your leg
>The dozens of little pincers and pinchers from the bottom of her hoof makes it look easy
>You couldn't do anything resembling this useful with him
>You could only watch from a chair or from the floor
>In moments the needle is discarded and a large bandage is over the spot
>You feel even more embarrassed now
>You'll have that on you
>You roll to your front and hop down from the bed
>You land fine but you feel a little woozy
>"You're alright, but you got up a little quick, don't you think?"
"Where are the cookies?"
>No matter how you think of it, you're hungry
>Skylar barks out a laugh and takes the lead
>"They're still being made, silly. Anon and I have a pretty quick way of talking so they're probably breaking out the peanut butter."
>The room exits into a hallway, which empties to the foyer
>You can hear things going on in the TV room
>But you really don't want to go in there
>Not with the bandage on
>Skylar notices your apprehension and nods to the front door
>"Want to walk and talk with me for a bit? By the time we get back, you'll have the first of the freshest cookies with some milk. Or juice, if you're into that."
>You aren't in a position to argue
>You nod
>The front doors open moments before reaching them, allowing access to the outside world
>You follow her down the side ramp
>You don't feel sore or tired
>You more just feel... out of it
>Once on the ground, Skylar walks for a few seconds before breaking out to a brisk trot
>You follow her, your wings flapping to give the occasional boost to keep up
>Only when you begin to lag behind does she slow back to a walk
>You're far from the house now
>"Where were you going, Angel?"
>Your embarrassment reaches a new low
"I don't know. I felt like I had to run."
>"I saw that you went into Anon's room too."
"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to."
>"No, it's ok."
>She slows her walk until she's just standing there
>Watching the world beyond the wooden gate
>"I've only really ever been in there once, myself. He was sick too, once. Sick enough where he couldn't get out of bed."

>That sounds terrible
"What happened to him?"
>"His wife went to Heaven. And left him here."
>You feel a little uncomfortable about how starkly she said that
"His wife? I think I saw pictures of her."
>"Yeah. There used to be a lot of pictures of her everywhere."
>Skylar sits on the side of the path, where it starts to become more grass than gravel
>"Most of those pictures are in his room now."
"I think I saw a few of those too. Was she like you?"
>"Like me?"
>She looks at you with a blank expression
>"Ah... no. I was nothing like her. I'm still not."
>She tries to reassure you with a smile but it comes and leaves too quickly
>"She was truly the best. She thought things I never could. She devoted herself in a way I found... distasteful."
>She tries to force another laugh
>"If she were here now, you would be all smiles and dancing on the roof."
"Was she sick?"
>Skylar shrugs
>"Something like that... I didn't mean to go off the beaten path like that. I would rather talk about you."
"Oh. Ok."
>She reaches out one of her legs to the horizon beyond the gate
>"Outside is the rest of the world. If you could run right now... and if I didn't stop you. Where would you want to go?"
>You frown
>You never thought about it
>Outside of your home, you didn't want for anything
>You had mom
>You had him
>You really did have everything you could want
"Nowhere. His mom wants me here... and he's no longer here, is he."
>Skylar shakes her head, her eyes focused on the horizon
>"T... that's right. He's in Heaven."
"There's nowhere I can run that would take me to Heaven. Is there."
>You say those words like you've been dying to say them
>Skylar doesn't respond
"The only way I can get to Heaven is if I pass... and leave everything here."
>She doesn't respond
"...is it so bad if I really want to?"
>"No. It isn't. But you won't make it there if you leave here too soon."
"That's part of the rules, isn't it?"
>"That's right. I think the same goes for everyone. For people like Anon, for ponies like you."
>She hesitates
>"And for ponies like Piera."
>You sit with her, watching the clouds go by
"Are you sure I can't go to Heaven sooner? I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make it up."
>Your words hang in the air before Skylar answers
>"There's no making up trying to go to Heaven sooner than you're allowed. We've had... had..."
>Her voice falters, like she's trying to stop herself
>"We have had... friends that have tried."
"Did they succeed?"
>"In leaving here? Yes. But I don't think they made it to Heaven."
>The sound of that idea makes your empty stomach twist into itself
"Where did they go?"
>No answer
"Skylar?"
>"Yes, Angel?"
"Where did they go, if they didn't go to Heaven?"
>She turns her head to look at you
>She tries to smile but even you can tell how sad she is
>"I hope she just got stuck in the waiting line."
>The waiting line to Heaven...
"It must be a long waiting line..."

>Skylar nods
>"Yeah. I'm sure she'll make it in. But I really don't know how long that waiting line is. I hope she'll be forgiven for trying to skip ahead."
>The idea of skipping in line makes you feel guilty
"I'm not trying to skip in front of others... or to take their place. I promise I'm not."
>"I know you're not. You wouldn't do that sort of thing to someone."
>You feel terrible
"When will I know when it's time? That way, I can leave for Heaven and know I'm not skipping in line?"
>"There's no way to know. But I hope you'll stay here for a very long time."
>She sounds nice while saying it but that bothers you
"But the longer I stay here, the longer he'll be alone in Heaven..."
>That thought alone distresses you
>Miss Skylar has to know this because she takes a step and immediately wraps you up in a tight hug
>It's the sort of hug that immediately warms you better than a massive, soft blanket
>"He's watching you from Heaven."
>You've never thought of that
>"If anything, he's sending down little bits of sun to help you until you're ready. If you're in Heaven, you get those little benefits to help out."
>Is that how that works?
>If that was true, who was watching out for him?
>The thought warps your heart into an aching ball but you don't have it in you to ask that
"...do you promise?"
>You want to believe
>You really want to believe
>"I do. I promise, as well as I understand this world."
>That helps
>As the hug helps with your shoulder and the rest of your body, her words put your mind at ease
>If only somewhat
"Where do I stay until my time to go to Heaven?"
>Skylar releases the hug and grins at you
>"Wherever you want! You can stay Home with us too, no one would ever be against it."
>You would have a home if you stayed here
>Would it be enough?
>Would you be able to help out enough?
"I... what happened with Plum though..."
>"You can talk to her on your own if you like. I promise that she'll understand. She visited you twice while you were sleeping. She was worried that she might have hurt you somehow."
>The guilt piles on
"She didn't... I promise, she didn't..."

>Skylar's eyes dart over something, like she's reading something on your face
>"Hey, it looks like those cookies might be done. Wanna have a race? If you win, I won't eat any of your cookies."
>Your draw drops
"Do you like peanut butter cookies? I can share."
>She shakes her head
>"Nope. If I win, I'm gonna eat them all. Every single one."
>She smirks
>"Unless you win."
>The front of the building looks like it's far away...
>But you're hungry
>And you want hot, fresh cookies
"I'm going to win."
>"Alright, says you. On the count of three..."
>Both of you prepare
>"Three!"
>What?!
>Skylar bolts off, her armor plates gleaming in the lowering sun
>You start running in a full gallop
>Halfway through, you're neck and neck
>Three quarters of the way, you're lagging behind
>Within the last twenty steps, Skylar slows down considerably, leaving you to win by a few steps
>You're left near the ramp, panting and huffing
>Skylar looks satisfied, even though she lost
>"You just got lucky, I was gonna win that for sure..."
>You defiantly shake your head, your mane windswept
"I was... not gonna lose... my cookies!"
>"You're totally gonna lose them next time, I'm gonna be twice as hard on you then!"
>Victorious but at the cost of fatigue, you plop down to a sit
>"You do seem thirsty despite that IV... milk or juice?"
>Between moderate gasps you warble out 'milk'
>"Awesome. I guess I'll be back, I'll get you your reward for winning. You can stay out here or go into the TV room, but it is air-conditioned inside..."
>Skylar leaves you outside, her tail gleefully swishing about
>You would like to go on that beanbag chair again...
>But you wouldn't want to bother anyone
>After a few more moments to catch your breath, you decide to go for the TV room
>Maybe no one will notice you coming in so there won't be any issues

>You sulk to the TV room after contemplating where would be best to eat your reward
>You want to be comfortable
>The familiar vaudeville music of rambunctious energy puts you at ease
>Rylee and Carrot give you a few seconds of attention but both seem absorbed in the cartoon itself
>The TV is really big
>You drag your beanbag chair back and it still feels like you have the front row seat
>The sound is everywhere too, like it's coming from every corner of the room
>It feels nice
>It feels even nicer when you sink into the beanbag chair
>It matches the color of your body, and it feels like it is just as firm as you like
>If you left, you would be leaving behind something so simple yet so comfortable
>There is no way you could carry the chair with you everywhere without it getting dirty
>Once you get comfortable enough, you catch Skylar at the entrance of the room
>Squatting down, she scampers to you
>"Hey there, trail blazer. I have six melty peanut butter cookies for you. And a nice, big cup of milk with a straw for you. They made more but the rest will have to be for dessert, ok?"
>The smell of cookies makes you sink into your chair deeper
>You really could tear into the cookies but you know that they're probably hot enough to burn your mouth
>"Hey... are there any for me?"
>You didn't notice but Carrot sneak out of her chair
>Her eyes are glued to your plate
>You don't want to be mean
>But you really don't want to share
>"Yeah, Rylee told me you like raisin and oatmeal right? We made a batch just for you."
>"Jinkies! Let's go!"
>She keeps her voice low but she sounds excited
>Both of them leave the room, talking about something
>You don't pay attention
>The cookies are perfectly melted, even after cooling down
>Almost like they're six lumps of hot dough
>When you finish, you feel...
>Warm
>Full
>You leave one, though you finish your milk in it's entirety
>Maybe it'll be ok
>If you can taste something this good and hot
>If you can drink something so refreshing and chilly
>If you can lay in something so comfortable
>Are things really so bad?
>Carrot and Skylar return with another plate and cup
>Part of you wishes that you could sneak some of her cookies
>They're talking about something but due to the volume of the cartoons, and the distance, you can't really hear them
>Not that you mind
>It feels good that what happened earlier today isn't the big focus
>You feel content just watching Tom & Jerry
>After some episodes, you see Plum enter the room
>For being such a tall mare, she seems to do a good job at keeping herself quiet
>No one even notices when she slips into her beanbag chair
>She gives a short-lived glance over to you but doesn't do anything else
>You feel guilty
>You really didn't plan on it
>Because you really don't want to
>But maybe she would like your last cookie

>You ease yourself out of your chair and bite onto your plate
>You lower it near Plum, making sure it's in her eyesight
"Plum... I'm sorry. Please have a cookie. It's peanut butter."
>Plum looks surprised
>"Angel, you really shouldn't. I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-"
"It's ok. I'm sorry. Please take it. It's good."
>You're adamant in wanting to share now
>Maybe a little bit of it is because you feel just how full you are after having to get up
"I want to be friends with you. I promise I'll do better."
>"Thank you, Angel. I would really like to be friends with you too."
>She reaches out and hooks you close with one of her front legs
>They're really long
>She hugs you tight, with her wing extending to further improve the embrace
>It feels warm
>Not warm like what Skylar's hug felt like
>But different
>Maybe it's even a little better
>When the hug ends, you feel a little too warm
>Skylar said the AC was on but the molten cookie dough in your stomach mixed with the hug makes it less than cool
>Not sure what else to say, you nod a few times and make your way back to your chair
>It's still far away from everyone else but you feel comfortable to have your own space
>You're ok with not being alone, but not being close to anyone
>The episodes come to an end after a few more mis-adventures of Jerry evading Tom
>You even got to see the video of Jerry's uncle playing guitar and breaking strings every few strums
>When the tape ends, the lights go from off to dimly lit
>"Alright everyone, it seems like we're starting to wind down for the day! I smell a lot of delicious cookies too, mmm."
>Rylee beams with a low-energy, comfortable energy
>"I don't think we'll be having an evening circle since this morning was already very eventful. Does anyone have any ideas on what would be fun to watch for the evening?"

>Carrot raises her hooves, waving them all around
>"Zombie Island! There are a ton of cats there just like Tom!"
>"I don't think those are the same cats... but does anyone else have any other ideas?"
>Plum raises her hoof
>"I wouldn't be against Secret of NIMH 2. We watched the first one a few days ago, just before Angel came."
>That movie sounds familiar
"Is that the one with the talking mice?"
>Plum and Rylee nod
"I would like to watch the first one first, if that's ok."
>Rylee backs herself away, watching all three reactions
>"Well we half have a consensus. Carrot, would you be ok with your movie being third?"
>Carrot lets out a defeated sigh... that lasts for a few seconds
>"Well ok but it's definitely gotta be the third movie!"
>"Absolutely. Plum, are you ok with watching the first Secret of NIMH again?"
>The big mare smiles, at you
>"Of course. It is quite the treat to watch things here on account of how good it sounds."
>Everyone seems absolutely ok with everything
>There isn't an ounce of tension in the air
"Excuse me, Miss Rylee... but what about Berry? What will she want to watch?"
>Rylee remains smiling
>You didn't notice but Skylar went off somewhere
>"She's going to continue to spend the rest of her day with Anon. Skylar will be with her too. They have some cleanup ahead of them, they made dozens of cookies!"
>You were told that there would still be some left over for later
"Will she be watching stuff with us after that?"
>"We'll see what she wants to do, dear. But when she does decide to join us, we'll make space for her on the queue."
>You're happy with that answer
>You do wonder why Anon has been spending time with her though
>Outside of this morning, you really haven't spoken to her any
>She doesn't seem that social either
>Hopefully you could be friends with her like you are with Plum
>As long as you don't have to share anymore cookies
>You don't have any left to share
>The rest of the evening goes by quick
>You don't notice but the sun went down all the way
>You like that there's no bed time
>Anon walked in and asked everyone how they were doing
>Especially you
>But he didn't seem to mind that everyone was up watching things
>He mentioned how he might come back later for Scooby Doo's Zombie Island but that was still a long ways away
>By the time you finish Secret of NIMH 2, there's still no sign of Berry Cake
>Halfway through Zombie Island, Anon does come back in
>He ends up laying near Rylee, near the front of the TV
>He isn't in the best position to actually watch the movie but he seems happy to use her as a pillow
>As much as you would like to ask him about if dinner was going to be late or not, you dozed off just when it was Terror Time Again
>It would just mean that tomorrow's breakfast would be big
>And maybe include some more cookies

>The next few days come and go without much thought
>Every morning, when everyone is awake, Anon takes orders and makes breakfast
>Twice now you've asked for chocolate chip pancakes with oranges and oatmeal
>Twice now, you've gotten chocolate chip pancakes with oatmeal and orange slices
>Plum and Carrot ask for more conventional things
>Berry doesn't eat breakfast with everyone anymore
>Rather than wandering off to explore, or to go out for a walk, or to go read, you've preferred to stay in the TV room
>Carrot watches stuff all day and she seems pretty happy
>Both her and Rylee never seem to get bored
>You don't hear a lot of their conversations but they seem to really get into it
>It's ok that you don't join in
>You aren't sure what you would say anyway
>Plum talks to you every now and again but whenever she asks you for a walk or a read you decline
>You do hug her a lot though
>At least once you've fallen asleep under her wing
>You apologize but she really doesn't seem to mind it at all
>The evening of the second day of living in the TV room, you do get the urge to get up
>Plum is taking a nap
>Carrot and Rylee are acting out a scene from a movie
>You haven't seen Skylar, Anon, or Berry all day
>You stretch and slink off, embracing the sense of freedom that you have
>Last time you were able to hear them talk
>There's no talking that you can hear on the first floor
>You don't see them outside
>Even though it's dark out, there are a lot of lamps dotted around the back hills to act as a trail
>There are a lot of lamps at the pond Anon introduced you to
>Including some form of movement
>Maybe they're out there
>It would give you a chance to stretch your legs and wings at least
>Halfway to the pond you can hear Anon
>You stop a few yards behind him
>He's in some weird looking chair
>Next to him is Skylar
>She's... glowing!
>An ethereal blue that seems to come from inside of her
>It makes her armor plates look like magic
>Opposite to him is Berry
>In a chair that's like Anon's but smaller
>"I really do appreciate the time you're giving me. I really hope that Angel is doing ok."
>That sounds like Berry
>She sounds dejected
>You haven't caused her any issues, have you?

>"Angel? Nah, she's doing alright. She's been eating a lot lately, which is good. Rylee has been keeping an eye on her."
>Skylar sounds confident, like normal
>"She's just under some stress. I think she's starting to warm up to here but it will probably take a while. It's taken a while for everyone here. Except for Carrot I suppose. She's acting like she grew up here."
>Anon sounds relaxed
>"Speaking of stress, how are you doing? I haven't baked any cookies in a long while but you kept me from making too many mistakes."
>"Oh you were wonderful, Anon. They were very delicious. Though I've never heard of cookies being made with banana and grapes... raisins are one thing but..."
>The man chuckles
>"Yeah... that turned out kinda goofy, didn't it? But I suppose I just had the urge to give it a shot. Still tasted good."
>"You didn't even put it into the oven!"
>"That's fine."
>"It totally wasn't!"
>"At least I'm not sick, right?"
>You can hear Berry give a hard sigh
>"You really need guidance for being a big brother, you know that?"
>"I guess so. But that's why you make such a good sister."
>He sounds happy
>She does too
>"Did you manage to get a camping tent?"
>"I... did not. They really get expensive these days. Since our camping has really just been picnics and all that, I was thinking that big quilt I brought might be good enough. Sleep under the stars, just like the cowboys used to do. That would be neat, wouldn't it?"
>"Maybe... but it's not going to rain on us, is it?"
>"Of course not, it'll... uh... ah. Er, Skylar, it's not going to rain is it?"
>Skylar scoffs
>"No, you're safe. But clouds suggest that we'll most likely get some light drizzle in four or five days, most likely PM shower."
>How did she figure out the weather so quickly?
>"Well then there you go. Perfect for cowboy-style sleeping under the stars."
>You hear Berry give another sigh
>"You're a silly man, Anon."
>It doesn't sound like a real sigh
>"Yeah... I know. You know, this place really won't be the same if you go."
>Even from where you are, you can feel that the atmosphere has changed from his words
>So suddenly, too
>"I know... but I don't belong here."
>"Says who?"
>No one challenges his question
>Maybe this is your chance?
>But you feel like you're intruding
>"I've been discarded, Anon... if I stay here, this place really will turn into a trash can."
>Berry says that as if it were the most natural opinion to have
>"Trash nothing. You're here, which means that you've been given a chance to do a lot. Just like Plum, just like Carrot-"
>"Plum has her daughters and Carrot is a local library hero. I'm just... I was..."
"You make Anon happy! That has to be a big deal!"
>Your sudden words cause Anon to jump out of his chair with a startled cry
>Berry seems surprised but less animated
>Skylar doesn't seem surprised at all and looks back at you
>Even her eyes are glowing, along with her plates

"I... I came out here to see what was going on. I-I wasn't listening in, I promise. But you said it, Anon makes for a good big brother and..."
>You weren't completely paying attention
>You don't know what the best things are to say
"Who else will make delicious cookies if Anon doesn't have someone to push him? I don't care if he has weird tastes, the peanut butter cookies I had were great! I even shared one with Plum!"
>"Who says I have weird tastes? Come on, that's just low."
>Anon seems focused on his own thing
>Berry watches you
>It's dark enough out that you can't make out her expression
>"Would you like to sit with us, Angel? It might be a lot better than sitting behind us."
>You feel like you're put on the spot
>But she's offering
>That has to be a good thing, right?
"O-oh. Yes. Yes please."
>You take a seat next to Berry, opposite of Anon
>He's gotten back in his chair
>You can still hear him mumbling about bananas and grapes
>"You know how it is to be a big sister, don't you Angel?"
"I do."
>"Do you love it?"
"I really do love being a big sister."
>"But you can't be one anymore... can you."
>It hurts to think of it that way
"I... don't know."
>"I'll never be able to be a little sister again. I'm ok with admitting it."
>You almost expect to hear a 'but' after that
>Something to sound hopeful
>"I don't know, I've never had a little sister. And you make a pretty awesome sister."
>"I don't, you're just hopeless Anon."
>"Same thing at the end of the day, isn't it? Big brothers are supposed to be clowns. It's what makes us so endearing."
>Berry sighs
>But she sounds happy
>Or at least amused
>"I guess so..."
>Could you be a big sister again?

>Berry and Anon seem to enjoy joking around while you listen
>He rolls out a super thick quilt after they finish bickering about bananas and grapes
>He really doesn't want to let go of the idea of banana cookies
>As much as you want to listen, you end up going to sleep almost immediately
>When you wake up, you find yourself curled up against Skylar
>She's really warm
>"Good morning, Angel. You were shivering throughout the night."
>You notice that you're resting your head on her back
>You lift up your head
>The air smells really nice
>The sun is up but it really isn't that bright yet
>You look for Anon
>He's resting on his back
>Berry's head is on his chest
"Anon... it's morning."
>"Let him rest, Angel."
>You stumble to your hooves
>You're hungry
>You nudge his shoulder with your hoof
"Anon, wake up. It's breakfast time."
>Anon mumbles something but doesn't look like he's waking up
>"Let him sleep, Angel. It'll be ok if you can wait."
"I can't wait. I'm hungry."
>You nudge him again
>Harder
>"Piera... I'm up. I couldn't hear your al..."
>He opens his eyes
>For a few seconds, he looks like another man entirely
>His face slowly melts down to a moderate expression
>He was smiling
>"...oh. Sorry. Was I oversleeping again?"
>Again?
"I-I'm sorry to wake you up... but... I'm hungry."
>You've gotten breakfast without fail so far
>It would really be uncomfortable if you had to wait
>You hear Skylar sigh
>"Go back to sleep, Anon. I contacted Rylee and Plum and Carrot are watching some shows. We can take care of breakfast."
>Anon looks straight up at the sky
>His arm tightens around Berry
>She nuzzles his chest, still sleeping
>"I... uh...yeah. I had such a nice dream, Skylar."
>He sounds... like he's defeated
>What sort of dream could be so great?
>"Yeah... I could tell. It was a good one, wasn't it?"
>"It really was."
"I'm sorry..."
>"No, you're alright Angel. I just... sometimes I end up sleeping in late."
>He closes his eyes and inhales
>"P... Berry and I are gonna get some more shut-eye."
>"Have a good rest, Anon. Angel, let's go. You can help me with breakfast since you're so hungry."
"Ok."
>You feel a little guilty for waking him up but shouldn't he be awake anyway?
>You follow Skylar back to the building
"Does he dream a lot?"
>Skylar keeps a brisk pace
>It takes a few moments before she answers
>"No. Not really so much these days. But when he does, he likes to sleep in."
"Oh..."
>You trot along and glance behind you
"Is it ok that Berry is still sleeping too?"
>"It is. Don't worry so much about what others are doing."
>Almost like the first time you spoke with her, you can hear some sort of edge in her voice
>You feel out of place in the kitchen
>Both Skylar and Rylee have already gotten started, using their weird hoof-things to crack eggs and start whisking away at bowls
>They talk to each other but you feel completely ignored

"I... Miss Rylee? I can have breakfast too, right?"
>Rylee gives you a warm smile and nod
>"Oh, of course! What would you like? Since Plum and Carrot are awake, we're doing their things first. Then after we make your breakfast we'll be doing something for Berry and Anon."
>How would they know what to fix when they're still sleeping?
"Thank you. What... do I do?"
>Skylar did mention you helping out but she hasn't once told you to actually do anything
>"Eh, I changed my mind. But I can teach you some stuff a little later if you want. Hang tight, we'll fix your stuff. But if you go outside, don't wake up Anon again. Let him wake up on his own, alright?"
>Rylee sounds surprised
>"Was Anon having that dream again?"
>"Yeah..."
>"He always has it during times like this..."
>What was the big deal about having dreams?
"I would like what I had yesterday. But could I have some of the cookies that were left over too?"
>"You got it."
"Thank you."
>Skylar sounds more friendly now
"I'm going to... go to the TV room now, ok?"
>"Do hurry, Plum picked out Looney Tunes! It's some really good classic stuff!"
>You kinda like Rylee more than Skylar
>She sounds much nicer
>You leave the kitchen for the TV room
>The room is as dark as always
>You almost feel like you've been blinded because the only lights are on the outlines of the room and the TV
>Plum and Carrot are sitting with their beanbag chairs close by
>"Good morning, Angel. You're quite brave to sleep outside. I could never get comfortable enough."
>"I say, uh, I say uh Angel! Yor a long way from a Kentucky-fried Breakfast!"
>Carrot speaks in a deep... accent?
>You don't understand what she's talking about
"I... uh... huh?"
>Carrot giggles
>"You need to catch up on your Foghorn!"
>You feel even more confused
"Wh... who?"
>Plum giggles and pats the space between their beanbag chairs
>"He's in this episode, you'll like him. Come here."
>You are hesitant but you squirm yourself into position
>Plum and Carrot seem to be having fun
>They're following entire conversations and jokes without missing a word
>Even Plum is making weird voices for some of her lines
>Breakfast really can't come fast enough

>Breakfast is enough to help you relax
>The old cartoons are funny but you don't get a lot of the references that Carrot and Plum make
>After a few more episodes, Anon brings you to where you first spoke with him
>"Please, sit wherever you like."
>You sit where you sat last time
>Anon is where he sat last time too
>He's smiling
>But not the way he was when he was sleeping
>"I tend to want to do some checkups every now and again. So far you've been here for... what was it again, four days? Is today the fifth?"
"I... think so. I don't remember."
>"Yeah... neither can I. Time flies when having fun, right?"
>You nod
>It has been fun
>Some of it
>"How have you been liking it here so far, Angel?"
"It's nice... I really like having breakfast."
>"Yeah, Skylar told me you were super hungry today. Do you usually have breakfast like what we have here?"
>You shake your head
"Not really. We used to share breakfast. Mom wasn't... good at cooking."
>It was good, even if it didn't look good
>But you didn't always get as much as him
"When he got sick... she really didn't cook anymore."
>"I can imagine there was... a lot of changes."
>You nod
>"I wish I could cook like you do."
>Anon chuckles
>"Oh, I don't do anything. It's mostly them. I can cook eggs fine but after so many years... I'm all thumbs with that stuff."
>He shrugs like he's embarrassed
>"But, you know... what I do cook, it tastes good. I like it, anyway."
>That makes you smile
>"How... uh, how're you doing otherwise? Are you doing ok with the others? Carrot, Berry, Plum?"
>You flinch
>Everyone must know that you ran off after spending time with Plum
"Y... yeah."
>He seems to pick up on your hesitation
>"Would you like to tell me what happened with you and Plum?"
>You don't reply
>Not at first
"...We talked about Heaven."
>"Is that right?"
>He probably already knows
>You can't hide it
"Yes..."
>A looming silence makes you feel uncomfortable
>He's waiting for you to continue
"She said that I can't force my way into Heaven."
>His only response is a nod
"And... Skylar said that I can only go to Heaven if I leave when I'm allowed to."
>The conversation makes your mouth taste bad
"Is she right? If I leave too soon, I'll be stuck in a waiting line?"
>Anon's smile fades
>"I'm afraid so, Angel. Heaven is... "
>He licks his lips and clears his throat
>"It's... really one of those sorts of places that are really hard to get into. Not that you or I couldn't get in. But... it's like we're holding a ticket for entry. And we can't enter until our number is called. We'll get in, rest assured. But..."
>He winces
>"But sometimes it takes a long time. And it can really hurt sometimes to think of how long it could take."
>He must know more about Heaven than Skylar or Plum
"Your wife is in Heaven too, isn't she?"
>Anon gulps
>He looks surprised
>But then sad
>Despite how sad he looks he smiles
>"Yeah... yeah, Piera's in Heaven alright. And she's watching me goof up from up there too."

"Can he see me from Heaven too?"
>Anon chuckles and nods
>"That's right. Since he's in Heaven and you're still here... he's kinda taking your role. He's your guardian angel now. At least until you meet him in Heaven again."
>This idea takes you completely by surprise
>Is he allowed to be a guardian angel?
>You're supposed to be his guardian Angel
"But..."
>You never thought of it this way
>Is he really allowed to do that?
"How?"
>Anon shrugs
>"As far as I understand it... which isn't much at all. From what I've been told, at least, is that if you're in Heaven and have a super strong connection to someone... you can become their guardian angel."
>You have never heard this before
"Do you really mean it?"
>"I do."
"But I'm not in Heaven, and I'm supposed to be his guardian Angel."
>Anon nods
>"That's true. You must've been made in Heaven then."
>He chuckles to himself
>"Yeah... sent from Heaven."
"I don't believe that."
>You would surely remember that
>"Well it's in your name. And you made his life Heaven, didn't you?"
>You feel your heart drop
>"You did everything for him that you could. And you were his best buddy, weren't you?"
>You nod
>You can feel warm wetness go down the sides of your face
"I tried."
>"And that's all anyone could have ever expected from you."
"I did my best."
>Your voice breaks
>You really did everything together
>Not once did you argue
>Not over anything serious
>"I know you did. Your mom told me so. She's..."
>He looks uncomfortable
>"She's going through some really hard stuff right now. But she told me that you really were the best."
>More warmth goes down your face
>"That's partially why you're here. I really... I'm not sure when she'll be alright. But she wants the best for you. And that involves you being here."
>He holds out a sort of towelette for you
>You take it and dry your eyes
>You're tired of crying
>You're really tired of it
>"I know everyone here is kinda older and it might be hard to make friends. But we really are a good bunch. And I think you'll fit in really well."
>You hold onto the towelette
>Something doesn't sit well with you
"What am I supposed to do while waiting to get into Heaven? Is just... reading and cartoons really ok?"
>He scratches his head
>"Well... I mean we could always expand our stuff. What are you wanting to do?"
>You frown
"I don't know... I want to help too. Can I learn to cook with Rylee and Skylar and you?"
>"Of course you can. If you like, you can even cook me some breakfast one day."
>That makes you laugh
>Laughing feels so good
>It feels like things don't feel so heavy
>"I wanna... help out with Berry too."
>He seems surprised by the mention of that
>"You... heard about that?"
>You shrug
"I don't know... but you're doing a lot of stuff to help her right? And it's really important?"
>He scratches the back of his head
>"Didn't honestly think you'd pay attention to that..."
>He mumbles that like he's talking to himself

>"I'm sure she would appreciate that. She's... kinda in a position like you. She isn't sure what to do with her life. And I would very much like her to stay here and not go somewhere that really would not be so good for her."
"Where would that be?"
>He frowns and shifts in his seat
>"It's... well, it's not Home. And until she's truly ready... I want her here. Where I know she'll be safe."
"Ready for what?"
>"To... be whatever she wants to be, really. Like with Plum. She truly wants to keep being a mother to her two girls. And until that can be set up, she's here. Same with Carrot, once her library accepts her again, I'm sure she'll want the first ride out of here!"
>The idea of them leaving... makes you feel sad
>If they left, wouldn't it be so lonely here?
"But will they come back?"
>Anon smiles and nods
>"Of course, if they like. This will always be their Home. I would never turn them away, no matter what."
>You frown
"If I leave... can I come back?"
>"You can. As many times as you like, for as long as you like."
>You feel better about here now
"What does everyone do normally?"
>"Well, I think I mentioned it before. But... whatever is nice. I used to want to keep schedules for everyone but it got to be too much work and... well, not everyone likes the same things. You know? Sometimes something more unique is better."
>That didn't answer your question that well
"Can I have a schedule? It feels weird not having anything to do."
>Anon chuckles, leaning back in his chair
>"Well, sure. Skylar or Rylee can keep track of time and help take you from place to place. If you'd like to learn how to cook, we can do that. What other things would you like to learn?"
"About Heaven."
>You've been told so much about Heaven
>You need to learn more about it
>"Well none of us are priests... but we do have a bible. And I can find some other books for you to read. Would you be ok with that?"
>You smile
>You don't remember the last time you've felt this smile
"Yes, please! I want to learn as much as I can so I'll know how he's doing!"
>Finally, a direction!
>You won't be able to see him but you'll be able to know what he's doing and how he's able to watch over you
>"Well alright, then we'll do that too. I heard you won a race with Skylar too... do you think you would enjoy hanging out with her to run around outside? You might be able to help stretch those wings more too."
"Can I get more cookies if I win another one?"
>Anon holds up his hands
>"Hey, you're gonna have to talk that out with her. I heard she was going easy on you... if you really win when she's serious, I'm sure she's gonna find something pretty dang awesome for you."
>You puff out your chest
>You feel confident now
"Of course I'll win! I beat her easy so when I get serious it'll be even better!"
>He laughs more and claps
>He seems really happy
>"Ah man, I hope I'm there to see the look on her face when you tell her that. I'll prepare the popcorn."

>The room feels so nice
>You really don't feel sad at all anymore
>You look around, almost expecting something else amazing to happen
>There's nothing else
>You do see a cross on the wall
>Was that there before?
"Can I have one of those?"
>"Eh?"
>He looks back at where you're pointing
>"Oh... oh yeah. Yeah, it was... ah. It was kinda one of the ideas we had when we first set up this place. Piera and I, I mean. She, uh... she really enjoyed that sort of thing."
>He pauses
>You can see him rubbing his fingers together on one hand
>"Yeah. I mean, we can get you one that you like. But that one... sorry, but it's going to stay up there."
>You feel a little let down
>But you like the sound of having your own cross
"Alright. When can we get one?"
>"That... is a very good question. I am not completely sure. But I will look into it. We'll get you one that's really nice that you can keep on you. Does that sound good?"
"Yeah!"
>"Well alright then, it's settled."
>Anon pauses for a moment
>"I'm glad we had this talk, Angel. And I'm very happy that we're going to fine tune things so that everything gets even better for you."
"I am too. Thank you, Anon."
>You look down at the towelette
"...do you think... Skylar is up for a race right now?"
>Anon lets out a loud scoff
>"Oh yeah, easy. Gonna school her, I take it?"
>You grin and nod
>His cocky attitude is rubbing off on you
>You're excited for a new level of rewards
>"Let's go find her then. I'll act as a witness. But remember, rewards are between you and her."
>If cookies are entry level rewards...
>Imagine what you can win if you race like you mean it

>Anon eases you down onto your beanbag chair
>"That was quite the spill, you know."
>The darkness of the TV room is comforting
>It also helps to hide your shame
"It... was a draw."
>You do your best to sound resolute but it was anything but close
>Not only did you trip, but Skylar was outpacing you far too much to be fair
>If anything, you're more tuckered out than hurt
>But it is enough that made Anon pick you up
>Skylar didn't have to brag about winning so much though
>"I recognize that fatigue... Skylar race?"
>"Skylar Race."
>Anon pets your head while Rylee approaches
>Some unfamiliar cartoon about some short redheaded scientist is playing
>You can only see Carrot
"Where did Plum and Berry go?"
>Anon shrugs, shifting on his knee
>Even when kneeling down, he's so completely bigger than you
>"That's... a good question. Rylee?"
>"Plum said that she was going for a walk. Berry is in the reading room."
>"Upstairs, huh... I'm gonna go check up on her in a bit then. Any abnormalities?"
>"Heart rate has been low, lethargic. She's been sleeping very deeply."
>"I see... I guess it's understandable. Thanks."
"What's wrong with Berry?"
>They're talking like you aren't even here
>"Ah... not much. Berry's just been getting more sleepy lately. It tends to happen when you think a lot."
"Oh."
>You think a lot but you don't sleep all the time
>Anon gets up, stretching out his back and arms
>"Well, I'll see you gals later. I'm gonna go do some stuff."
>With some sort of non-committal answer, Anon walks off
>You feel some energy come back but your legs are still jelly
"Hey, Rylee?"
>The armored pony turns her attention to you and smiles
>Her eyes move in weird ways, like she's reading something
>It really makes you feel weird
>"Sorry, just had to check something. What's up?"
"Is Plum ok?"
>"Yes, of course! She takes walks all the time. I think she gets restless."
>That's weird, you didn't see her at all when you were outside
>"Hey, Angel! How about some water and a snack? You certainly look tuckered out and I bet you could use some."
"I do? Sure!"
>"Alright! I'll be back then."
>Rylee trots off
>Talking to her right now feels weird
>Last time she didn't look so... focused on something
>Oh well
>You're comfy and in a cool, dark room
>"Dee-Dee! No... DEE-DEE! ...no. Deed-EE!"
>What is Carrot doing?
>"Deed-EE, you EE-diot!"
>She sounds like she's trying to have a different voice
>"...no. I can't use that word. Deed-EE, you...!"
>She stops before coming up with a name
>She's too far away to talk to easily
>You can't really get up
>You don't want to
>Your hind legs scrunch up and kick out, propelling you off of the beanbag chair
>You kick yourself forward with your hind legs, stopping every other kick for your muscles to stop aching
>You would use your wings to help but even they're sore
>You stop only when your face boops into the side of Carrot's beanbag chair
"Carrot."
>"WAAAH!?"
>Carrot flops out of her seat, landing opposite of you

>Her head darts up, leering at who could have spoken
>She sees you and shakes one of her front hooves
>"DEE-DEE, YOU SNEAK!"
>Her fake angry expression breaks to one of revelation
>"That's it!"
>She hops back onto the beanbag chair
>The impact leads to the side of it booping your face like an airbag
>You try to say something but it comes out all muffled
>After a little shuffling the cushion is pulled away from your face
>"Oops, sorry."
"Why are you making weird voices?"
>"Oh yeah!"
>The orange pony kneads the seat, head waving from side to side
>"I'm practicing new voices and characters! If I can do more than just Scooby Doo stuff, that'll certainly help with my resume!"
>You blink at her
"Your what?"
>"The stuff that'll let me go back to the library!"
"Oh."
>You don't get it but as long as it helps
>"I was talking to Rylee about it and everything is in review so if that means I'm able to go back I gotta have a new bag of tricks so when it comes to helping out and setting up games I can do a whole lot more and everyone will be surprised and glad to have me back!"
>You think, on some level, you understood all of that
>But she said it all really fast
"Does that mean you're going to be leaving soon?"
>"Yes!"
>Carrot springs up onto her hind legs, front legs stretched out into the air
>Even her wings burst out, covering a lot of your view of the TV
>"I'll be able to see all of my friends and kids again!"
>Carrot always looks energetic to you but this looks different
"I'll miss you. Would I be able to go with you to see what it's like?"
>Carrot goes back to sitting, her wings adjusting themselves
>"I... think so? I don't know."
>She looks around for a few seconds and gives a hard wave
>"Rylee, hey over here! If I get to go back, can Angel come with me?"
>Rylee, balancing a lidded cup with a straw on her head, re-adjusted her course to go from your beanbag chair to where you were
>"I was wondering where you went! Thankfully not far. And sadly I don't think we would be able to do that. Carrot's request is still being processed and even then, it is only for a temporary return. Depending on how things turn out, she might not be out of the woods yet."
>The news deflates both you and Carrot
>The incredibly balanced pony lowers her head
>A weird thing comes out from the side of her neck, grabbing the cup and placing it right in front of you
>It retreats and also pulls out a large paper town that was crumpled up
>When it's placed down on the floor, the paper towel opens up to reveal a pile of trail mix
>"There we are! Ideal for your fatigue."
"Thanks..."
>Carrot looks at the mix
>"I guess it's at least a step in the right direction. Isn't it?"
>"Oh, absolutely it is! You've come very far, and you are very close!"
>Her words don't really stir you or the orange pony
>"...how is your Dexter voice coming, Carrot?"
>She continues to sound excited but her voice hesitated
>"It's coming."

>This has to be the first time you have ever heard her speak... normal
>A little more normal than always shouting or moving while she's speaking, anyway
>"Hey Rylee. Can I have some trail mix too?"
>"Of course! It'll cheer you up right quick! Would you like extra banana chips with yours?"
>"Yes please."
>"Alright!"
>Rylee seems to make up for Carrot's lack of excitement with her own chipper tone
>She trots off again
>Carrot watches her leave
>When her hooves are no longer audible, Carrot turns to you
>"Angel... this place is really fun. I like it here."
>She doesn't sound all that excited
>"But I wanna go home now... I really do."
>The tone of her voice doesn't sound happy at all
"I want to go home too..."
>Neither of you speak
>You're just watching her while she watches you
>She's been here for a while
>Long enough to know
"Is it really ok to be here?"
>"Well yeah. I like it here."
"...is something going to happen to Berry?"
>Carrot doesn't seem to understand you
>"Is something wrong?"
>You shrug
>As much as you can while laying flat
"I don't know. Anon is worried about her."
>Carrot finally smiles
>"Anon always worries. But that's what I like about him. He was the first one to tell me that I was close to going back. He said that I would have to really polish up on my skills to really impress everyone."
>It shrinks
>"He didn't say it was a temporary return. He just said that I would still be hopping back here and there. Like preparing for different shows. I would be ok with that."
>Was Anon lying?
>Or is Rylee just saying something mean?
>She wouldn't be mean, would she?
>Rylee comes back in and places another paper towel down next to yours
>When it opens, it's more than a third full of banana chips
>"Are you both alright?"
>Rylee sounds concerned
>Is she?
>Really?

>Despite, or because, of the mutual discomfort felt around Rylee, you and Carrot decide to watch cartoons together for the rest of the day
>With some help your beanbag chair is brought next to hers
>You even get to exchange ingredients in the trail mix
>Granola chunks for raisins
>M&Ms for peanuts
>Chocolate chips for cashews
>Rather than just watching, Carrot even talks about her life at the library
>It sounds fun
>But really tiring too
>You don't remember if you've ever been to a library
>Plum doesn't return to the TV room, even well into the evening
>Berry doesn't either
>Skylar did come in to check on everyone
>Including you
>You still felt sore about losing so soundly but after some jostling you're more ready than ever for a rematch
>But not tonight
>You spend the next day with her too
>You don't exactly learn a lot but it feels good to learn new things
>You even play a few games together
>It isn't all that detailed but it is based off of the games she used to set up at the library
>The evening is spent with both of you watching her favorite cartoon
>It isn't Scooby Doo for some reason
>It's something a lot older
>It involves a cartoon mouse in red shorts doing all sorts of weird things like going through mirrors, into haunted houses, and more!
>But a lot of it is in black and white
>And they only sometimes talk
>And whenever there's a piano, someone knows how to play it
>The music sounds happy
>"Hey, wake up! Angel, wake up!"
>You were sleeping?
>You roll off of your beanbag chair and onto your hooves
"What? What's wrong?"
>Carrot is already ahead of you
>"Something's happening outside, someone's visiting!"
>Who would visit here?
>Is it another pony?
>Is it your mom?
>You rush to follow Carrot out the front door
>It's open so there's no waiting
>Everyone is out there!
>And a woman
>"-early but since when was the last time I've stopped by to visit, Anon?"
>Anon is talking to the woman
>Skylar and Rylee are flanking him
>Plum is sitting near Berry
>Berry's head is hanging down low
>"You're early and that's all that matters. Berry has not decided yet. Even when she does, paperwork takes-"
>"Anon, paperworks takes as long as it needs to until I'm available. And I'm available now."
>You want to get closer but something at the back of your neck makes you feel uneasy
>The woman looks a lot younger than Anon
>Her hair is a weird shade of blue
>Her outfit looks like some sort of scientist outfit, except outside of the white coat everything is black
>"And she isn't."
>Anon sounds angry
>Actually angry
>"How long have we been doing this dance? How many times have you really proven me wrong?"
>The woman giggles
>"I mean... you've been doing this dance with my grandma and mom for how long?"
>"And it looks like we're gaining a larger audience too..."
>Her eyes roam around and rest on y̷o̴u̴

>"Is anyone looking to go home, back to friends and family? I'm here to help, after all."
>She raises out her arms with the blanket offer
>You look at Carrot
"She can take us home?"
>Carrot looks weird
>"I don't believe her... I saw someone like her at the library once and got the same feeling. Don't go near her."
>Don't go near her?
>"Anyone? Anon knows me well, I'm the next step after Home!"
>"You can shut it with your lying. Berry isn't going anywhere and neither is anyone else."
>Anon is quick to shout her down
>If she is the next step after here... where does that take you?
>You take a few steps forward, standing near Plum
"If we go with you, how does that take us back? Doesn't Anon do that if we can?"
>Anon's caught off guard by your voice
>He whips his head back to you
>He looks terrified
>The woman picks up on your voice and gives you a smile
>It's a little... off?
>"Why yes, little pony. But I do things faster. A lot faster. Best of all, you won't be here for weeks or months or years!"
>Before anyone has a chance to speak, you take another step forward
"Can you take me to Heaven?"
>That's all that matters right there, isn't it?
>You aren't looking to go home
>Your only friend is there
>"Why o f c o u r s e , l i t t l e p o n y . . . "
>Why are you trembling?
>You can feel hot tears going down your face
>What is this feeling?
>You can almost feel her reaching out to you but she isn't moving
>The sensations ends as quickly as it started when Anon takes a step forward and shoves her shoulder
>She focuses her attention away from you
>What was that?
>"Leave, now. I'm not having you do this."
>"Oh you spoilsport... you've always had a big heart, you know that?"
>She sounds like she's teasing him
>You've heard that tone before
>"How is that big heart doing these days, anyway?"
>He doesn't reply
>She steps back a few times, shrugging
>"Oh well. You know, you used to be a lot nicer about all of this."
>"I used to be more stupid, yes."
>"Who said you're any smarter now?"
>You so desperately want to ask everyone what's going on but you can't bring yourself to speak
>"I guess my visit wasn't all that needed then... a shame. You know, you aren't running a permanent bed and breakfast here. How long has Plum Cake been here, remind me?"
>Skylar finally reacts and comes to Anon's side
>"Your department is yours, Home is Anon's territory. Until transfer paperwork is started, finished, and sent, you can buck off. I don't recall anyone ever saying your lies mean anything, especially here."
>Rylee trots up to Anon's other side
>"W-we're experimenting with no forms of therapy and action all the time! We're growing and need assistants, there is absolutely no rules against anyone staying to help out if their cases are actively in process or under review! Our monthly overhead is exactly where it should be, and our budget has consistently grown for the last thirty years while you still work by yourself."

>You don't know what any of that means but it makes the woman look very mad
>Neither of them budge
>Skylar scoffs
>"And because of our increased budget and upgrades, I don't need to remind you that Home is as safe and secure as can be. Including seven cameras that have you in full focus with magnification keen enough to see those crow's feet that you've been trying to hide."
>The woman's arms finally drop down
>Her expression reverts to a more neutral state
>Out of nowhere you can feel Carrot hook a leg around you and pull you back to hide behind Plum
>"...this was so much easier when this was just some little redneck shack. I'm gonna be back, Anon. And I'm not leaving alone."
>"Goodbye, 'Nona'."
>You can't see what happens but after an uncomfortably long time you can finally hear someone walking away
>No one says anything
>Carrot squeezes you tight like you are going to somehow drift away
>The silence is broken by Anon letting out a staggered cough
>You peek out from behind Plum again
>Anon's on one knee
>"Anon, your stress level is far too high. Rylee, go grab Anon's beta-blockers and nitro tabs."
>Skylar is in front of Anon, staring right up at him
>"Eyes on me, Anon. You did great."
>What's happening?
>"I'm sorry... I thought if I could contact her directly, I could just go away... no one would have to know or do anything."
>Berry sounds so morose
>Plum shushes her
>"No, you're ok. I understand why you did it. But that wasn't safe to do. What if you went with her and forgot something? Or if you ended up missing us? I would have missed you a whole lot."
>What's going on?
>"Angel, are you ok?"
>Even Carrot sounds concerned
>She doesn't sound like she's trying to have fun at all
>What's going on?!
>Rylee rushes past you to Anon's side
>"Anon, keep your eyes on me and breathe, ok?"
>"I have your medicine, can you bring your hand up?"
>"I thought it would be ok..."
>"God help me. Where's Piera?"
>"His hand is shaking too much, give it to him direc-FUCK it, give it to me already you idiot!"
>"Plum, help me! Angel isn't responding!"
>Everyone is speaking so much at once
>You can't keep up with it
>You feel like throwing up
>You lose your sense of self
>For a split second
>For a fraction of a breath
>You see him
>You see Heaven
>You've made it

>You feel light as a feather
>You see one of your feathers drifting by
>You're flying!
>This has to be the easiest time you've ever had flying!
>You flap as hard as you can toward him
>He looks as healthy as he's ever been!
>You've made it!
>You're here!
>Before you reach him, he holds up his hand
>"Not yet Angel."
>Those words fill you with such immense shame
>You understand
>It feels like someone glued your mouth shut but you manage to scream it
"But I'm your guardian Angel!"
>He smiles
>"And I'm yours. I like your friends. Tell mom it's really ok for me. Please?"
>"ANGEL!"
>You feel someone violently shake you
>It's Carrot
>Almost instantly, relief bubbles up to her worried face
>"J-jinkies! That training actually worked!"
>It takes time for your eyes to focus
>You're outside, where you were before
>Plum and Berry are gone
>Anon is still kneeling on the ground, breathing hard enough that even you can hear it
>"In and out-there we go. That stuff is fast acting, you'll be alright."
>Is that Skylar speaking?
>She sounds completely different
>Rylee looks between Anon and you
>And comes to you
>She looks like she's not able to focus on just one thing
>"What happened to Angel? Where did Berry go?"
>"Angel just... collapsed. I don't know where Berry went, Plum went with her. They're both capable, please help me here. I did the CPR thing and kept her head from hitting the ground."
>"She stopped breathing?!"
>"N... no? But that's what the training included and it worked!"
"Listen, I saw H-"
>"Don't speak right now, Angel, look at me. Did Nona do anything to you?"
>How could she do anything to you?
>"This is good though, right? Did I do it right?"
>"Yes, you did it right. Thank you for your quick thinking, Carrot."
>"Skylar... did anyone ever tell you that you sound like-"
>"You're just imagining things. Focus on your breathing with me, ok?"
>Why is everyone speaking at once?
>It's almost too much for you
"No, I saw Heaven! I saw him!"
>You swat out your front legs, nearly hitting Carrot's face
"He was there! And he had clean clothing! And he said that I had good friends and that had to be you guys!"
>"Wait, Heaven? Jinkies, you were right here the entire time! There was no way you went there and came back already!"
>"Your vitals look fine. Carrot, please keep her nearby. I need to find Berry."
>Rylee gallops away at full speed, leaving no room for argument
>You manage to make it to your hooves
>You kinda... feel fine now
>You feel better than fine, really
"Who was that?"
>"I'm sorry, Piera."
>"You don't need to apologize for a thing Nonny, you're doing great."
"Carrot, is Skylar ok?"
>"I don't know... I've never heard her talk like this before."
>Everything was so sped up and hard to keep track of
>Now it has slowed to a crawl
>You can only see Anon's back, but he's still kneeling there
>With Skylar in front of him
>She sounds so different
>Who is she supposed to sound like?

>Carrot led you away from the scene outside
>You would like to ask what happened and who that woman was
>But you feel so elated
>You saw him
>You really spoke to him again
>You've been telling her about it again and again but she doesn't seem all that interested
>She listens and asks you questions
>But you get the feeling she isn't really listening
>Without the comfort, the TV room just feels empty
>Even if cartoons are playing
>Like a movie theater after a movie when the lights come on
"Hey... Carrot?"
>"Yup yup?"
"...can I go get a drink real quick? I'll be right back."
>"Oh, sure! Yeah, of course. Plum and Berry are sure to be back real soon."
>She sounds nervous
>She's trying to work the DVD player and TV
>You hope she doesn't break anything
>Rylee would be upset if that happened
>Rather than go to the kitchen, you gallop out the front door
>You're worried
>You don't see signs of Berry or Plum or Rylee
>But you still see Anon and Skylar!
>He's sitting on the grass near the path, no longer kneeling
>Skylar is sitting opposite of him
>You trot up to them
>They have to be greatly interested in your conversation with him
>"...and after that?"
>"After that, we... well, our room was the first to be furnished. Naturally. Kitchen was second; she already had utensils prepared, we just needed bigger equipment set up. And a fridge. I do not miss going without one, even if it was only for a week."
>What are they talking about?
"Anon! I saw him!"
>Both of them look at you
>Anon looks
>He looks like he's aged
>A lot
>Skylar looks annoyed at something
"Are you ok? What happened?"
>Skylar looks at Anon
>He looks at her
>Then you
>"I... ah..."
>He shakes his head at a slow, tired speed
>"Ah screw it... everything else, we're honest about. What's one more detail."
>He inhales hard
>Pauses
>And exhales
>"I'm getting old, Angel. Nona popping up uninvited just... set me off. I can't get angry like that anymore. Not without my hardware skipping a beat."
>He taps his chest with his index finger and chuckles
>"Some things you just can't upgrade or swap out. If only it were a human thing to do."
>You don't get what he means by that
>"Listen, Anon is still unable to stand. Do you really need to be out here?"
>Skylar speaks down to you with an edge in her voice
>She gets mad so easily
"I was worried..."
>Anon reaches over and pats Skylar's head
>She jolts upright
>"And I appreciate it. Don't mind Skylar, she's..."
>He smiles
>It's the type of smile that makes you think that he knows some sort of joke
>"She really is too good to me. And she shouldn't be. Right?"
>Skylar's head sinks down
>She glares at him
>"I'm geriatric support but I'll still buck you into a late grave."
>"Well ain't that just the cutest."
>This doesn't feel right
"So... you're ok now?"
>"Ye... not entirely, no. My chest still feels like it's going to burst. But the worst is over. Probably. I just need some time to... be alright."

>He wipes his forehead with his hand
>"Enough about me. Where's Berry? Where's Rylee?"
>Skylar sighs
>"She's... I don't know. Plum is with them. She doesn't need all of us to see her at once."
"Why not? I'm worried about her too."
>"It's not that easy."
>"Skylar's right. This..."
>Anon brings his hands to his head
>"What a mess."
>He sounds so bothered
>"I was prepared to start things to roll on that... but this? Who can prepare for this?"
"I..."
>"You're doing what you can, Anon."
>Skylar sounds supportive but she keeps giving you an unpleasant look
"I saw him. That's good news... right?"
>Anon picks his head up to look at you
>"I'm sorry, who?"
"I saw him! In Heaven!"
>His head drops back into his hands
>"Please go back inside, Angel. I think we could both use more of a break."
>"Please. You aren't alone in there, are you?"
"No, Carrot is with me an-"
>"Good. Go back to her then. Now."
>You shrink away at Skylar's authoritative demand
>"Don't worry about it right now, we can talk more later today. Alright?"
"Oh... alright..."
>You feel like neither of them wanted to talk to you at all...
>You were just worried
>Your head droops and you drag yourself inside
>You can hear Anon and Skylar talking
>Including more of that voice
>They're having fun and you're supposed to just sit alone and watch cartoons?
>It didn't sound like the worst idea
>But everything else is going on and they probably need help
>You can help
>You really can
>Somehow

>You leave the two to themselves and take the... long way inside
>Which means walking around to the back
>It still counts, right?
>When you're long out of their sight, you decide to trot into the hills
>If you can find the others, maybe you can help them instead
>As much as you walk, you really can't find any of them
>You stick to the tops of the hills to get the best view
>Eventually you do see Plum!
>And Rylee too!
>They're walking along the parameter of the fence
>You gallop to them at full speed and flap your wings to give you some extra push
"Guys! Guys, I saw him!"
>You slow down when you realize that they aren't so excited to see you
>"Please go inside, Angel."
>Rylee sounds concerned
>"We can talk but can it wait until dinner time?"
>Even Plum dismisses you
>But she's always happy to try to talk to you!
"...what are you two doing out here?"
>"Angel, please, g-"
>"We're looking for Berry, Angel. She ran off before we could catch up. Right now she's in danger and we need to find her and bring her Home."
>Plum speaks over Berry
>She sounds almost like your mom-his mom-for a moment
"Can... I help search for her? Maybe she'll want to see me?"
>"Go on ahead. I'll rejoin you in a second."
>Plum slows down until she's standing and facing you
>Rylee continues on, scanning back and forth
>"Angel... right now is incredibly important in Berry's life. And she needs our help. But right now she's... hiding."
"Why is she hiding?"
>"Because..."
>Plum sighs
>She looks like Anon
>Like she's more mature now
>Or maybe you didn't notice before
>"Because she's afraid of having help. And we need to show her that it's ok to have help."
"Can't I show her that it's ok to help too?"
>"...no. You can't."
>You would feel more defensive if you weren't shocked
"W-why not?"
>"Because right now... you don't know how to. And right now, you may make things worse. So please. Be a good pony and go back inside? I promise we can read again soon if you want, but right now Berry needs me. Just as she needs Rylee. And... she needs Anon and Skylar too."
"Well that's easy, they're out in the front yard an-"
>"And Anon is also in a very bad spot right now... I know. And Skylar needs to stay with him. Not me, not Rylee. Certainly not you or Carrot or anyone else. Now I'm expecting to hear about how you went inside and relaxed and waited. Ok?"
>Your head droops down
>Not only are you not helping
>You're actively getting in the way
"...ok."
>"Thank you."
>Without another word, Plum gallops ahead to meet up with Rylee
>You stand there
>Until you're sitting
>You can't help anything
>You can't help anyone
>Things are going on and everyone could use some help
>But you're the last pony on earth they could use right now
>You aren't anyone's guardian Angel
>You've lost that title
"...hic... wh... what do I do..."
>Your voice wavers while tears stream down your face
>You're alone
>But a part of you remembers talking to him, deep deep down
>You aren't... completely alone

>It takes you far too long to go back to the house
>Every few dozen steps, you slow down to a crawl and lay down
>You feel so drained
>A tiny part of you hopes that at least Carrot needs help
>When you finally go back inside, you feel energized from the air conditioning
>Hanging your head low, you return to the TV room
>Carrot is on her beanbag chair, and sees you immediately
>Your beanbag chair is right next to hers
>"You went outside."
>You nod
>Carrot pats your seat
>You drag yourself on top of it and lay down, facing away from her
>"I'm glad you're ok."
>You don't reply
>"...are you sad about how you aren't able to help?"
>You don't respond
>But you nod
>Barely
>"I know how you feel, you know."
>You can feel one of Carrot's hooves patting your side
>"This one time, we had to call an ambulance. And I tried really hard to help. Long story short... I didn't help at all. Me panicking didn't make anyone better off."
>She sounds weird
>Like her voice is coming out of some hollowed rock
>Her lack of energy or tone is uncomfortable
>"And when it comes to being here... I'm not a mom. I'm not a nurse. I'm the wacky cartoon pony. So... what I can do, is sit here, wait for everyone, and cheer them all up like they know I'll do."
>She nudges you with her hoof until you look at her
>In the dim light, you can see her smiling
>But it looks off
>It doesn't look real
>"A-and... and even if A-anon is out there... and Berry is... i-is missing. I can just wait. I can only wait...!"
>She smiles wider despite a few gleaming tears going down her face
>"Until... t-they come back in, safe and sound. Will you wait with me? Please? We... w-we can watch all sorts of things!"
>You rotate in your chair and lunge at her chest for a hug
>She returns the hug, stifling some sort of... noise
>She understands
>She really understands

>It's been two days since you've last seen Anon or Berry
>You do see Rylee, sometimes Skylar, and even Plum
>But it has largely been just you and Carrot
>So you spent two days just talking to her and watching cartoons
>It does not feel right at all to just sit there and do nothing
>To stay out of the way and hear conversations going on that you know your opinion and help would be valuable
>But it wouldn't be
>You wouldn't be helping anyone
>You wouldn't even be helping yourself
>As Carrot said, it would just stress you out
>But how do you relax then?
>Talking and cartoons can only go so far
>You haven't once thought about Heaven since seeing him
>Or going there
>But you have thought about him
>How will he be able to help you?
>"Hey Carrot. Do you mind if I steal Angel away for a bit?"
>That voice
>You and Carrot turn your heads in unison to see Anon
>He's ok!
>He's leaning against the door frame, trying to act nonchalant
>Like that sort of stuff didn't happen out there
>"Yeah, of course!"
>You bounced out of your beanbag chair before Carrot finished
"Anon, you're up! Are you really feeling better? Where are we going?"
>"Up stairs for now, but we can take a stroll after too. I've been spending too much time in bed I think."
>As excited as you are, you clear the stairs in a quarter of a time it takes Anon
>You might have stumbled upward once or twice but it was all too worth it
>You end up entering that room you first spoke to him in
>You hop onto the seat you're now familiar with
>He takes his own seat
>"So... it's been a rough few days, I think."
>He's keeping a small smile
>He sounds like he's saying each word with care
>"I have been... well. I have been a little slow to wind back up. And... our Berry..."
>He gulps, running a hand through his hair
>"Well. We found her. And I'm glad we did."
"What happened to her? How was that woman? Where did she go, when did we get her, is she ok, why did Skyl-"
>He holds up his hand and chuckles
>"Well hold on now. I want to let you know what's been going on but one thing at a time, ok?"
>You slump down
"Alright. I'm sorry."
>"Nah, it's nothing to apologize about. I'd want to know if I were in your position. Heck, I was in my position and I wanted to know too."
>His smile turns bitter
>"I really wasn't helping anything by having a little episode there, myself..."
>He shrugs with a sigh
>"Well. Rylee found her. It wasn't until at night that Plum and she found Berry. She had hopped over the nice little wood fence we have here and just... well, what matters is that we found her. She was a little scratched up and more than a little out of it. But she's in one of our bedrooms. Once I kicked Skylar out of my room, she got it through that blue dome of hers that she should watch over her more than me."
>He pauses, allowing you to speak
>You want to say a lot
>But what do you say first?
>"Is Plum with her?"

"Yeah, she is. She hasn't left her side. I think to a mare like her, this sort of thing is... especially important to her. She told me that she saw you and sent you inside... which does mean that you didn't go inside like you should've when you were asked to."
>Oh
>Of course that would be remembered
>"But given the circumstances, and I told you were really desperate to help... well, it's ok to do that sort of thing. Sometimes. But when someone older tells you something, it can be very important that you listen to them."
"I understand... I'm sorry."
>You are
>Just as you are sorry that you couldn't actually do anything to make a difference
>"Don't go beating yourself up about it. I promise you that the best, safest place you could've been was inside, with Carrot."
>He says that
>He's probably right
>But maybe you could have seen Berry before anyone else
>Maybe you could have said something that would have really mattered
>"What would you like to know next?"
>The chance to ask another question snaps you out of it
"Are you really ok?"
>Anon lets out a chortle
>"Me? Yeah, never better. You really don't need to worry about me any, you know. I have everything I need seconds away, even when seconds count."
"Why was Skylar talking like someone else?"
>It takes a few seconds
>But Anon's carefree smile melts
>As do his shoulders
>"...oh. You... ah... you heard that sort of thing. Yeah?"
>His tone drops almost dead
>You know immediately that you've either asked something you shouldn't have
>Or something you needed to
"I did. Is it ok that I did?"
>Anon purses his lips and looks down
>He moves his hand to gesture something but it drops down after a few attempts
>"I... ah. Guess there's no point in asking if you want the long or short of it; the first time my heart had issues, it took everyone by surprise. I couldn't stand, I couldn't focus. I couldn't even really breathe. You know, we are pretty out in the sticks so an ambulance or something wouldn't get here if I really needed one."
>He wipes his mouth with the hand that tried to gesture
>And again a few more times, one pass focusing on his nose
>"And... Skylar. I don't know how she knew. Or if she did know. But that voice? It sounds exactly like my wife. It sounded just like Piera."
>He tries to force a chuckle and a quarter smile
>But even you can tell that his eyes are sad
>"And... she just spoke to me. Until it passed. I was delirious, I thought I was going to die right there, out of nowhere. But that. She. I really don't think I would be here today otherwise."
>He tries to shake his head and dismiss something with a wave of his hand
>"But... you know. They all had the same hardware, of course there would be some similarities. I guess I've been around them all for so long that the little inflections and tones make them entirely different to me. But... yeah. You know, she nailed it. Just completely."
>You're getting far more detail than you asked for

>You don't really know what he means about hardware
>"And... yeah. Sometimes if I have trouble sleeping, or if something happens. I guess that's something she just knows how to do."
>He tries to wipe his face with his hand again
>His hand is trembling hard enough for you to see it
>"And... I guess I'm hearing it more these days. Which is good. Right?"
"I... do you want me to get her right now?"
>"What? No, no. It's ok. I'm ok. Anyway, yeah, that's the long and short of it. I'm... I'm an old man."
>He says that like it's the first time he's noticed
>"And it's just a little thing to kinda help nudge me in the right direction when I get lost."
>He lets his words hang in the air before shaking his head and blowing through his lips
>"Anyway, sorry for the rant. What else are you wanting to learn about?"
"Ah... how's Berry?"
>"Good! A little scratched up. But I think most of her pains are more in than on.
"What do you mean?"
>"It means she's gonna need some more time. But... thankfully it might not happen again. I hope. I really hope."
>You watch him nod to himself
>You don't get it but you understand the gist of it
>That's all that really matters
"...I... went to Heaven. For a bit. And I saw him."
>"Yeah... yeah, I was told something like that..."
>He sounds...
>Like he doesn't believe you?
>"Can you tell me more about it?"
>You smile wide
"Well I felt dizzy when that woman showed up and everything kinda felt like it was just dripping away but then I saw him! He didn't have wings but he said that he was doing ok and to tell mom that he was ok and that he was going to be my guardian angel! And when I woke up, everyone wa-"
>He holds up his hand to stop you
"...I'm glad I got to see him."
>"Yeah... I bet. That sort of experience is really hard to forget. So... how do you feel now? These late few days?"
>You frown at him
"I don't like being useless."
>It's such a harsh word that your lip trembles when you hear yourself say it
>"Oh come on... I'm gonna nip this real quick; you aren't useless, Angel."
"Then why couldn't I have helped?!"
>"Because you don't know how yet!"
>You raise your voice
>But he raises it too, instantly dominating the conversation
>You can't argue against him
>"You aren't useless, Angel. But you need time to learn and grow more. If I need help with something I know you can do, I would ask you. But do you know how to cook certain things or to measure out medicine?"
>Of course you don't
"...well I could learn to, right?"
>"Right."
>He leans forward, a smile on his face
>Finally
>"You can learn! You can learn to do a lot of amazing things. But that sort of thing takes time, you know? If I got us a car, could you drive us to the store for food? Of course not. But not because you're useless. It's because you aren't old enough to learn how to."

>He shrugs
>"And... to be fair, cars aren't meant to be driven by ponies... but those are minor details. You can learn to cook, to help, to really be a genuinely strong source of support and strength. But that sort of thing takes time to build. You gotta buff up before you can carry me around, right?"
>He squints and flexes his arms
>"Oooo-ahhh. Gotta get buff."
>You laugh at how exaggerated his face is
>"Home wasn't build in a day. Plum, Skylar, Rylee... they've had a very long time to get a lot of really unique, unbelievable skills."
"I understand... but can't I learn faster?"
>"No can do, drumstick. No one can just download something into their head and have it become second nature. No matter what, you gotta learn to grow into it."
>This doesn't make you feel any happier
>But it does mean that you will one day be as good as Plum is when it comes to helping
>Maybe even better
>But she'll keep growing too so she'll still know more things than you
>The complex concept makes you sigh
"Alright..."
>You stare at the floor for a while
"Can I see Berry?"
>Anon shakes his head
>"No. Not yet, I'm afraid. After we take a walk outside to get our cardio in for the day, I'm going to go see her next. I know it won't be easy for her. But I'm really happy that she's ok."
>Anon stands up, giving one last show of buffness by rising into a muscular pose
>"Hooooooo....ah... I better rest more, otherwise I may get too strong."
>That makes you laugh again
>Now you feel happier
>"Come on, let's go. I'll even tell you about the wood we used for the fence if you want."
>You hop off of the chair and shy away from the offer
"Ehhhhh... that's... ok... how about I tell you about the cartoons Carrot and I have been watching?"
>"Cartoons?! Alright, you win. I'll lead the way and you tell me about what you've been digging into."
>He leads you out of the room
>You only just now realized that he never closed the door
>That makes you feel proud for some reason
>Like you were really talking back and forth with him
>Like you weren't even in trouble
>He understands you too
>He knows you just want to do your best
>That makes you want to do even better
>You will do better

>After a few days, you got to see Berry
>After a few weeks, things got back to more normal
>Every morning, you get exactly what you want for breakfast
>If you want lunch you get it
>Then for dinner you get what you like to eat too
>Every day you get to read with Plum
>You get to watch cartoons with Rylee and Carrot
>You get to try your luck and race against Skylar outside too
>You won again after spending two weeks trying to run faster
>Things are...
>Ok
>You don't want to be here
>There are friends here
>You want to go to Heaven already
>But you know you can't rush it
>But you're tired of being here
>You think Berry might be thinking the same way
>The way she looks at you...
>It worries you
>"How are we doing, Angel?"
>It's another discussion day with Anon
>You feel comfortable in his room
>He looks a lot better now
>He doesn't say anything about how he feels but you think he looks tired
>Or did he always look tired?
"I feel..."
>How did you feel?
>You're safe
>You've been eating what you want
>You're never alone
>But is this where you want to be?
>Is Home really home for you?
"Hollow."
>Anon looks surprised
>"Hollow in what way?"
"Just... hollow. Like if I left here, no one would miss me after a few days."
>Saying that makes you believe it more
>"Where would you want to go if you left here?"
"I don't know."
>You really don't have any answers
>You're starting to get that Anon doesn't have any answers either
>None of them do
>You've stopped asking questions
"What am I supposed to do?"
>"What do you want to do?"
"What can I do?"
>"What feels right?"
>Is it better or worse that he's only giving you more questions?
>You sigh
>"That's a pretty heavy sigh."
>It is
>You feel a little less weighed down
"I don't know what feels right... can I see my... his... mom?"
>"I had a feeling you'd want to. I've been talking to her and while... it's pretty rough going, she is planning on coming up here soon so you two can get things squared off."
>You perk up at the news
>Does she really want to see you again?
"When?"
>"Hopefully another week or two. I think... she just needed some time. Anyone would."
>Another few weeks
>Everything takes so much time to do anything
>"Speaking of."
>You focus on him
>He produces a little box from his pocket
>"I've been sorta holding onto this since yesterday. It came in and I didn't want to make a big deal about it, you know?"
>You can't help but feel excited
>You aren't fully sure of what it is
>But you can tell it is important
>You hop out of the chair and step up to him
>"I hope you like it. I know someone who's a bit of a fancy craftsman and I told him to keep it simple. Easy to clean, easy to take care of, you know?"

>He reaches in and pulls out
>He got it
>He really got it for you
>It's a cross
>A bright, lustrous gold cross on a copper wire
>He reseats himself and bends down so you can see it up close
>"And... because I know why you wanted it..."
>He uses his thumb to spin the backside toward you
>It has His name on it
>"It's... not really the same as those ash rings or beads. But with this. It'll be one step closer to always having him with you. You know?"
>You don't know what to say
>You don't even know what to think
>You never thought you would get something like this
>Your lack of response makes him clear his throat
>"I hope you aren't a fan of those... uh, white gold things. I don't know my metals so well so I just told him to get the ric-"
>You cut him off by latching onto his leg for a hug
>It's the sort of hug you give someone if you could only hug them once
>"I take it you like it then. Want me to slip it on? There's a clasp in the back but... uh, well, better for hands to operate than hooves."
>You rub your face into his knee with your nod
>It's on you before you know it
>You now have it
>A cross
>A connection to Heaven
>A direct line to Him
>"I understand if you're too shocked to say anything."
>He sounds amused
>You thank him
>You thank him so many times you aren't even sure if you're speaking English
>You thank him for so long you can't stop tears from coming
>Compared to the last few weeks, this feels like your life has been given... life!
>Anon pets your head and helps you calm down
>This doesn't feel like rubbing a raw wound
>Before it used to feel like salt
>Or a spike
>But this is a salve
>Rather than a stinging, agitated pain it feels like an ice cube kept away from the skin by less than an inch
>This has to be because he's attached to it
>When you calm down you look down at it
>It hangs down low enough that you can easily see it
>"It's a bit of a long cord. But that's so when you grow up and get bigger it'll still fit fine. If you ever need a replacement cord, let me know and I'll have him get to it."
>This feels good
>This feels right
"He's with me."
>That's all you can say
>"That's right. From what you told me, he said that he's your guardian angel now."
"And it's true."
>You sit there, on the floor
>You can't stop looking at it
>You raise one of your hooves up to touch it
>It's cool
>"Wanna show it off and see how well it can shine in the sun?"
"No thank you. I think I'm gonna go to the reading room for a bit."
>You want somewhere quiet so you can talk to him
>That would really make you happy
>"Sure, Angel. You let me know if you want anything else, alright?"
"Alright."
>Once you finally leave Anon's meeting room, you sit down by yourself in the reading room

>And you talk
>You talk to him for hours
>Every little thing that comes into your mind comes out of your mouth
>Every breakfast
>Every dinner
>Everything about all of the other ponies
>About the pictures of Anon when he was younger and his wife
>About when that woman showed up
>About your plans to talk to your mom again
"You'll get to see her too! I bet she'll be really happy to see us again. Maybe I can go back home after... I hope she kept your room the same. That blue blanket I like is still at home."
"Hey... do you think she sees me as her daughter? Is it ok that I want her to be my mom too still?"
"What do you think you would want for breakfast here? You could ask for a ten course meal and I bet you would still be able to get it! Skylar and Rylee are awesome cooks... I watched Anon too. I think he taught them how. I think he takes that sort of stuff too seriously though."
"That one movie you love... did you know that there's a sequel? I mean it's kinda like a sequel. But everyone has different voices. So maybe you wouldn't like it as much. I can have Rylee play it next time we're down there!"
"I really miss you."
"Would you have been able to meet Anon and everyone if I went instead?"
"You would miss me as much, right?"
>Dinner comes and goes
>So does tomorrow
>And then more days after tomorrow
"Mom is gonna be here tomorrow. Anon didn't say it but I want to ask her if I can come home. Wouldn't it be so cool to be able to sleep in our own bed again?"
>It isn't the same as talking to him
>It really isn't
>And...
>You know that he will never answer you again
>Because he's in Heaven
>He's gone
>But you will see him again
>You will do your very best to make sure of it
"Mom is sad again today... but we made breakfast together. Your favorite."
"Happy birthday. I wish you were still here. I went Home today and Anon helped me throw a little birthday party for you."
"Merry Christmas. Mom got me that game you always wanted. You've been watching me play it, right?"
"Anon got me a new chain and helped me polish you up."
"Mom wants to go to the state fair! I'll grab some funnel cake for you."
"Anon is sick again. I'm helping Rylee for the weekend. Will you please watch over him?"
>Every day
>Every week
>Every month
>And every year
>You always speak to him
>Some days you falter
>But you're always doing your best
"We're one day closer... will you please watch over me again today too?"

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.