>A deliciously mild Saturday night
>Snow has come and gone, retreating to a mere impotent drizzle at best and a moderately bothersome shower at worst
>Prism is knocked out cold
>Jack is at your side, as always
>Shine is at your other side
>Your continued habit of drinking on certain nights has led to your particularly precocious unicorn gaining something resembling a tolerance
>Jack, as always, is able to hold her own with the constitution of an adult human male
>You base this purely off of your own drinking habits and capacity
"It's finally Spring... it's hard to imagine so much time has passed out of nowhere."
>Does that make sense by itself?
>Does it particularly matter?
>With all three of you sitting on the borderline aerial patio of your apartment, no one is around to listen in
>No one around is even awake, most likely
>"Tell me about it... it looks so nice out."
>Jack nuzzles into your side
>Of course, it is still dreadfully dull outside
>The grass is still hibernating and dreaming of warmer days
>All that there is consists of mud and clumps of snow-turned-ice that refuse to get with the times
>"I guess. I can't believe you guys could drink so much so quickly..."
>Your bottle was full
>It is now less than a half in capacity
>You lean over to pick up said bottle
>True, you seemed to have drunken more than a quarter of it
>Jack has matched you gulp for gulp
>Shiner has hardly touched it in comparision
"Fear now, red mare. Sometimes, you drink to celebrate. Sometimes you drink to not worry. Sometimes, you just drink because you're in good company and you really want to feel something for once."
>"Mmmhmm... what he said."
>Jack nuzzles you twice as hard
>"That... was a bit of a weird thing to say. You alright Anon?"
"I'm as alright as I can be. Here, with this drink, with you two and our fourth sleeping with the intensity of a bear in mid-January, I feel... content. At peace with myself, and my position in life. Such as it is."
>Shine doesn't sound all that convinced
>"...you don't normally try to sound smart."
"I know! It is an accomplishment to let on less than I truly know."
>"It's true."
>Jack, your cheerleader to the end, practically gives your leg friction burn with how fiercely she rubs her face against you
>You pat her shoulder far too long, partially because you forgot you had control of your arm
>Your hand had effectively just turned into a petting paddle of sorts
>"So... does this mean that if I ask you something now, you're kinda supposed to answer me directly and not remember later so it's convenient?"
"Don't be so genre-savvy, Shiner. I'll remember. And I'll still probably answer."
>The unicorn doesn't seem to sit well with your self-awareness
>But she's still laying against you and far more gently nuzzling your other side
>"So does it mean that it's ok if I start asking you things?"
>"Totally."
"See? Mare's on board, let me have it."

>Your slow, gentle rocking of your head back and forth is giving you an internal metronome to focus on, keeping you from losing focus or sight
>Or focus of your sight, specifically
>You just keep focusing on that one star in the sky
>Or rather, since you do live in some sort of smaller city, what is most likely a satellite
>Something children will grow up seeing, falsely believing that they are able to spy the stars without understanding the true beauty that only comes from the night in a true wilderness setting
>"Alright. So..."
>The red mare pauses
>As if she doesn't know what to ask me, now that she has the keys to the candy store and she's no longer on her "I swear this year will be different" diet
>Of course, she's far too scrawny for such a diet
>You can lift her like it's nothing
>And you have
>And outside of the split-second surprise that she shows, you can tell that she gains such a powerful sense of comfort from being held by you
>You say nothing about it
>Neither does she
>Probable deniability is what that is called, isn't it?
>You're not sober, why would you know?
>"How... are you feeling?"
>You chortle at such a basic question
>Of course it is a tip to a wedge of greater questioning
>Or maybe she just genuinely wants to know, given how rarely you and Jacky drink nowadays
>It used to be far more... common
>Putting it lightly
>As if both of you had memories you wished to ignore
>Or more specifically, that you wanted to make the night even more memorable, at the cost of worrying that it might have all been a feeble dream so easily destroyed by the harsh scrutiny of daily life and the sorrow that followed
"I'm..."
>That is a helluva question, isn't it?
>It's something people so often ask but so rarely listen to, when the time comes for an answer
"I'm good, Sparking. I have you. I have Jackenstein. I also even have Prismatic Rabbit over there on her little nest of pillows. I honestly can't see myself wanting for much more. Not really. More money would be nice. Obviously. But to an extent, what do I care?"
>You look at your bottle
>Not only does rotating your head less than 90 degrees send your vision swirling but you don't feel the need to punctuate such a statement with a drink
>Or such complacency, you should say
>Not that you're saying any of that
"I wish I could give all of you more. Mayhaps it's in my nature of a man. Or because it's my love for all of you that I wish to just... give more."
>Shine seems completely taken off guard by your answer
>Indeed, you would be surprised by your answer too
>Perhaps alcohol has started to bring out the thoughts and ideas you tend to suppress in your daily life
>"Alright, are you sure you're drunk? I mean I saw you gulp all of that crap down but you actually sound smarter."
"Ballmer's Point."
>Shine snorts
>"What?"
"Yeah, it's a thing. Supposedly if you take in just enough alcohol it sharpens the senses far more than it dulls them."

>"It's true."
>Jack mumbles out, her mouth pressed against your knee
>She is as tired as she is sloshed
>The adorable little dork
>"...ok, just because Jacky says it is true doesn't mean anything to me."
>You shrug
"Well if you believe me or not, I'm not particularly concerned."
>You glance at your bottle again
>You reach out to touch the smooth, cold glass
>You look at Shine and decide against it
"I... would rather not spoil the point I'm at. Not for anything. Not for anyone."
>"It's true."
>Your Evil-Lyn of sorts agrees
>You're pretty sure you could say anything and she would corroborate it
>"Well that's good to know. At least I know you won't puke on me."
"And thankfully I won't ever."
>"Geeze, let's hope so... you good for another question? Your eyes are..."
"Hm?"
>You look down at her
>She's staring pretty hard
>"Have your... eyes changed color?"
"Eh?"
>"It's true."
>Oh shush, Jacknut
>"Seriously. Do they look more... green?"
>It could be
>The benefit of having eyes that allegedly fluxgate between brown and green
>You've never looked into your own eyes so you can only truly go off of commentary from others
"Maybe. I guess anything happens. What's your next question?"
>Before you can react
>Or perhaps, you choose to not react
>She pushes herself up as hard as she can, going from a half-laying position to kiss you
>It lasts for entire minutes
>In your mind
>In reality, it lasts no longer than five full seconds of lips pressed to another pair
>She pulls herself away from you and sinks back down to her position
>"Technically, since you're drunk... that's more a bad deed on me than you, right?"
>You aren't speechless
>But you are surprised
>You look down to Jack
>She's curled up and probably incapable of moving even if you shook her awake
>You really should be feeling something about this that would be negative
>But to be honest you don't really care
>At least, not right now
>You reach over for the bottle of vodka
>Super smooth stuff
>Whether or not it was an excuse or not, you would never say
>You lick your lips a few times before taking in a pitiful amount of vodka
>Not even enough to fill your mouth, but enough to give a familiar, almost playful burn to both your tongue and your throat
>It tastes good
>You're willing to play dumb and presume your gut instinct referred to the liquid
"Yes. Yes it does."
>You shouldn't be that surprised
>Between her hearing things and how she always pushes barriers, something like this was going to happen sooner or later
>You aren't so genre-blind, yourself
>But you strongly dislike the idea of doing anything that might cause a rift between you and your dear Jaqueline
>Or...
>What did she say her name was?
>Lemon Pepper?
>The name suits her, to be honest
>You could see her adopting that name in a more meaningful capacity
>A stage name, perhaps
>"You... don't look mad."
"I'm not."
>As simple as it is, it's the truth
>You can't even pretend to be mad

>It's not fair to her to act like she had somehow crossed some sort of mythical line
>It isn't as if you've made that many efforts to push her away or set up anything more well-defined
>As if you haven't done enough already by the most obvious, genuine affections you share with your goofy mare
>"...so..."
>She starts to slide upward against you again
>She thinks she can obviously swooce her way on in and get another kiss?
>You openly laugh at the notion and slide your Shine-sided hand over her face
>It puts a hard stop to her physical ascension, much to your amusement and her only minorly inconvenienced visage
>"...hey. Don't fight it."
>The way she says that
>The genuine, almost combative tone of hers
>It's hilarious
>It truly is
>Does she think that she is so easily capable of overwhelming your most base of urges and instincts?
>If only you could be stripped of such inhibitions in such a state
>If only you could lose yourself for even a moment and truly become a blameless mass that has no recollection, no morality and no memory
>You've never once been able to drink enough to reach that point
>No matter how much you used to try
"I'm not fighting it. I'm just having fun messing with you."
>You pat her head, roughly enough where her head gets batted down again
>"It's true."
>That one is far more a sleepy mumble than anything else
>The adorable gal you've had in your life for over two years and a quarter just has that instinctual need to remain in the conversation, regardless of context
>Perhaps it's for the best that she isn't awake or coherent
>Shine might not do so well with a broken nose
>Again
>"...so can I ask another question since that didn't work?"
"Go for it, man. I'm an open book and I'm as open as I could be, given circumstances."
>She looks over you, presumably to study your features and any possible emotional tells or signs that she could take advantage of
>You don't think negatively of her for having such thoughts or goals
>It is who she is
>Perhaps that is why you did not mind the kiss to begin with
>...
>You truly are a reprehensible human at times, aren't you?
>"Be honest."
"Always."
>A quick interjection
>"...right. Is..."
>She trails off
>That isn't like her
>She's usually so bold with herself
>Is it perhaps that she has imbibed enough alcohol to put her off of her A-game?
>Or is it that she's seeing you in such a sorry state, open to suggestion and throwing consequences away like weathered "help wanted" flyers?
>"Is it really ok that we get to live like this?"
"Absolutely."
>You answer almost to the microsecond after you perceive her voice ends
>She is a little surprised at your sharp response time
>"I mean it."
"I do too."
>"But your savings-"
"Are meant to be spent my crimson so-and-so. You can tell I'm in a bit of a weird position if I can't think of a funny-sounding nickname to call you."
>You chuckle to yourself
>She must not be on her game

>Rather than having a quick response, she nuzzles your thigh in a mirror move of what Jacklicious did not even an hour ago when the alcohol turned her from mostly mild-mannered to something suspiciously affectionate
"I'll be honest with you, Shiner. I don't care about money. I really don't."
>As you begin to speak, you can feel your vision fixate
>You aren't losing focus
>Nay
>You're focusing very keenly on the wood fencing of a far away neighbor
>One that always has friends over, a bonfire going and some sort of party music going on
"Because at the end of the day, no matter how much I get, it will never be enough to afford anything more than this God-forsaken apartment. And because of that, it doesn't mean anything to me. I have the rent paid. The bills taken care of. I've gotten far more of a variety when it comes to food when it comes to myself and all of you. What do I need money for? It is the means to an end, and nothing more."
>The surprisingly sober-sounding speech supposedly sparks something inside of you resembling sobriety
>But it fizzles
>Sparky seems...
>Not surprised?
>But incredulous
>"Oh shut up... you say that as if we're important to you."
"You are. And I'll headbutt you if you think otherwise."
>"God damn it, ENOUGH WITH THE HEADBUTTING!"
>A few weeks ago Jacky headbutted Shine again due to a D&D argument
>Thankfully it wasn't full-force but it was still enough to make her bleed
>Her poor little snoot
>Despite the fresh memory of her pain and tears, you can't help but giggle at the petty situation
"I will say, though... you are all important to me. Without you, I probably wouldn't have gotten to where I am now. I probably would have given up in life. After Missy, and... everything else. I do not think I would think it impossible to do something drastic in order to ensure the wellbeing of any of you. Put me in front of a trial and I would be incapable of feeling guilt."
>As if that is somehow a cue on her side, she tries to slink her way up again for a kiss
>You can tell because the way she's licking her lips
>Far too much for any idle movement
>Your peripheral vision is fucking godly tonight, isn't it?
>Deciding that your arms are a little too heavy, you lean your face down
>She ends up kissing your cheek on accident
>Accident because her ears flatten and she adopts a highly embarrassed pout
>"You're supposed to be easier to take advantage of."
"And you're supposed to be a better sister."
>"...yeah well she deserves it."
>A long exhale of a snort is your first answer
"Pray tell, why."
>"Because she flaunts what I'll never have like it's going out of style and she does it on purpose."
"Does she though?"
>"Remember that time you came out of the shower?"
"Yeah, every single day."
>She shakes her head and rolls her eyes
>"No, dumb ass. The one time you came out in the towel."
"Really narrowing it down for me, aren't you?"

>"She sat on your lap."
"As she often does, yes."
>"And she made eye contact with me."
"Did she now?"
>"And... then you connected."
>Your stomach doesn't drop
>You honestly don't feel that embarrassed
>Maybe you should have, in the moment
>Or maybe you weren't paying attention to the world around you
"I... suppose that may have happened once or thrice."
>"It happens whenever I'm in your room, at that time."
"That's a little presumptuous, isn't it?
>She gives you a more bitter frown
>"Shut up and take another drink, human."
"Human? Am I just 'human' now?"
>You roll your head to either side and gleefully take the bottle for another sip
"Don't mind me, just Hugh Mann filling up my tank. Whatever you say, boss."
>You drink just a little more than you thought you should
>Not quite a mouthful
>But maybe halfway through
>You keep it in your mouth and let it go down your throat, bit by bit
>It's better than sipping in a cup because it's in your mouth and now you're committed to it
>And you wouldn't possibly dare spit out any of this precious poison society says is a past time beverage
>You let out a satisfied "ahhhh"
"There. Now I'm even more intoxicated. Better?"
>"Not until you get to the point you can't stop me."
"Aren't we the most adorable little offender."
>You aren't concerned in the least
>But you're pretty sure you're pushing what could be your mortal limitsm
>As long as you maintain your focused vision you'll be fine
>"She does it all the time... she makes me know that you're hers. Like it's gloating."
"Is it gloating or just... perhaps a little too much comfort when we should probably be more strategic?"
>"It's gloating, shut up."
>That's how it's gonna be, huh?
>You roll your head and give a solid salute
"You got it boss."
>Jacky isn't responding anymore
>She's probably long past the point of chipping in
>"It's... it's annoying. Do you need to be intoxicated for me to say that I'm openly jealous and that I'm starting to have enough of it?"
>You chortle
"And what are you going to do if she doesn't stop, threaten to cook her goose?"
>"No, I'm going to push her over and take her spot."
>You were going to laugh at that
>But that tone
>The feeling of eyes boring into the side of your head
>You decide to not look her in the eye
"...you probably would, wouldn't you."
>"You're fucking right I would."
>That tone
>That's the cold tone of someone who truly is serious
"...I guess I'll have to have a talk with her about that then. I guess... I'm sorry. That isn't a guess. I am sorry. I suppose I just didn't think you would care."
>"Yeah well I do."
>...Silence
>For the first time that night, genuine silence
>But it's that sort of artificial silence
>Like the birds and insects have all left, as if even they are awaiting for the next line in this sordid stage play
>"...and you probably shouldn't talk to her about it. It may be the only chance I get."
>Your strongest instinct tells you to shut up and not make light of this

>The time for drunken revelry has passed, apparently
>"That may be the only sort of chance I get. And I get the feeling that, in the moment, she might not mind as much as she otherwise would."
>Your vision focuses on the sleeping Jack
>Even moving your eyes is enough to make the world spin
>As long as you don't move, you're perfectly lucid
>Painfully so, given current company
>"...one last question."
"Shoot."
>You reply before you have time to think
>As if you could even humor any coherent thought or appraisal given your current condition
>Don't lie to yourself, Anonymous
>You wouldn't be able to walk down the hallway straight, much less drive down a block
>Much less talk down a mare such as her
>"...can you not bring that up to her? Because maybe I want that chance."
>Were you a lesser man, that might cause a bodily reaction of sorts
>To be quite honest, said reactions tend to be tended to in short order these days
>As impossible as it may sound to anyone with a clear head, you almost hope that Jack might end up with some semblance of morning sickness
>A reason why you so rarely bring out alcohol even now
>Because you never know until it happens
>You lick your lips
>They are quite dry
>You do not like the position you're in
"I'm pretty drunk. You're asking a lot for a drunk man, you know."
>You like the position you're in even less now
>Are you truly so intoxicated that you are no longer in control of your own mind
>You may not be able to reliably move all that well but you are certainly master of your own voice and thoughts
>Aren't you?
>Perhaps that is a sign that you may indeed be a little over your own head
>"I know... maybe you just should forget I said anything. And make sure her next headbutt doesn't hurt so much."
>She openly nuzzles against you
>You can hear her giggle
>That giggle...
>It sounds...
>Evil?
>Would that be the most appropriate term?
>Perhaps
>It isn't like you're shocked
"Make sure next headbutt doesn't give you brain damage... got it."
>You nod
>You keep nodding
>It turns to a slow head bobbing
>What first threw you off your equilibrium became your main way to maintain it
>"Good. You should drink more, Anon. And make me drink with you."
>You swallow
"I can't immediately say that would be a good idea, given circumstances."
>Another giggle
>"That's ok. You only have to sit there.I know how much hit takes for you to get like this."
"How generous of you."
>You close your eyes
>Everything feels like it is swirling around so much
>You're making sure you aren't moving but it still feels like things are teetering or outright dipping
>You feel a pair of lips against yours
>But it persists
>It isn't Jack
>You know because she's far more confident
>Not forceful
>But sure of what she's doing
>Your eyes are closed, you are willingly choosing the path of least resistance by avoiding the apparently forbidden knowledge
>And in that, you are weak
>You can't even hide behind the alcohol
>You are sober enough
>You think
>Maybe...


>Another Sunday means another movie night
>Your recovery took a little over half of the day, just because you didn't drink enough water to flush and rehydrate your system
>Jack guzzled nearly as much water
>Tonight's choice?
>The Wild Bunch
>Before that was Indiana Jones
>"So why did that guy take Pike's revolver?"
>With your back to the wall, the yellow mare occupies your lap
>She went from laying upside down, to laying against your side, to sitting on your lap like a little human
>She's deemed it so that her final position is yours: back to the wall, sitting on her butt with her shoulder to your side
>One of these days you really need to give her something to help with that Restless Mare Syndrome
"Who knows? A keepsake of the old days. Not a trophy, he wasn't too proud of everything."
>You remember the first time you showed this movie to her, way back when
>It's violent
>It's harsh
>It's the end of an era
>She doesn't react so strongly anymore to violence
>To death
>Sometimes, you feel bad for having shown her so much
>"...and in the end, he just rides off, huh."
"Yeah..."
>It's a somber ending
"Life goes on, you know? And having a place in it matters a lot."
>Neither of you speak until the music finishes and the media player stops
>"... did those guys deserve that, Anon?"
"I don't know, Jack."
>Since last night, you've been perhaps more thoughtful than normal
"But they were loyal."
>"To a guy they ratted out?"
"Sure. It didn't sit well with them, otherwise they would have just gone off."
>You watch your mare
>The expression on her face tells you that she's in deep thought
>"Loyalty..."
>That is a big theme in the movie
>In that world, it was the only thing that kept you save, alive
>"I can't think of any of us that would sell out the other."
>That's good, isn't it?
>You're all only four, and the bonds you all share is pretty hard to top or cut off
>The look on her face sours further
>"Not anymore, anyway..."
>While you don't plan on disrupting her, you end up deciding that you want to mess with her
>So you do
>You scoop one hand under her butt and lift her up
>Your other hand goes to her back
>Rotating at your waist you half-drag and half-carry her to your lap
>Her focus doesn't actually change
>Even if you can spy a little bit of a suppressed smile
>You begin to just... massage her
>Her lower legs
>Her chest
>Her shoulders
>Neck too
>Such casual massaging and molestation comes naturally and you've long passed the point of caring
>She doesn't really care either
>"We should do some sort of group thing."
"Group thing?"
>"Yeah."
>Masterfully elaborated idea
"Doesn't the D&D thing count?"
>"Nah. Kinda like when we went to the fair, I want to see something... real."
"Well what sounds good? We don't exactly live in any sort of real environment that has risk."
>"I know..."
>Your hands go to both sides of her neck
>You aren't a natural masseuse but you just can't not keep your hands on her

>"I kinda wanna have Sparky lead it too... she's smart with stuff. I bet she would do good."
>Your hands don't stop but they slow
>You haven't spoken to her since last night
>Just as you were concerned, you were certainly drunk but nowhere near enough to feel absolved of all morality and responsibility
"Yeah... I don't know. It's just gonna give her another power trip."
>Jack giggles
>"Totally. But it's kinda... nice. To see her so happy. She's her most creative when under pressure, don't you think?"
>She is
>Most of her spells tend to be used in weird ways
>Which is pretty smart
>The times the dice are on her side, it leads to a lot of unconventional successes and evasion
"Yeah..."
>You can't help but feel a little awkward about things
>She can pick up on it
>The number of times the two of you go days without speaking to one another but still pick up on cues and general vibes
>"What'd she do this time?"
>The bitter pill
"She... ah. Kissed me a few times."
>"Really?"
"Yeah. When we were outside. You already dozed off it seemed and we were talking."
>"About what?"
>She doesn't sound all that mad
>Or feel that tense
>Your hands haven't stopped petting her either
"She said you were gloating."
>"Gloating."
"Gloating."
>Her lack of questioning makes you think Shine might be onto something
>"What else?"
"She asked about money. If it was really ok for all of you to live the way you do. I don't really care about that sort of thing and I told her outright that I didn't. We all eat well. We do whatever we want. That's really good enough for me."
>"Anything else?"
>She can probably tell there's more to it
>She can read your mind better than Shine, at this point
"She does not, in fact, admire the headbutting."
>She giggles in response
>Quite a dark little giggle, isn't it?
>"That's fine."
"That's fine?"
>"That's fine. She does enough stuff to deserve it."
"That's quite a dark streak, Jack."
>"Well, apparently that sort of thing works on you. So maybe... I gotta learn a little to stay on top."
>You aren't sure if your pride is hurt more than your heart
"That sort of thing didn't work on me."
>"No, but..."
>She trails off
>You can feel her body tense just enough to let you know that she's in deep thought
>"...I guess we drank a lot, huh..."
"Yeah..."
>That's right
>A very convenient excuse is how much you drank
>The proof is in how much of the bottle is now empty
>It isn't satisfactory but it is true
>"I'm going to headbutt her."
"Jack, don't."
>"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because... to be honest, I can't think of a reason right now."
>It's true
>She kinda does deserve it
>You really can't defend that sort of thing, even if it only happened to you
>As if it happening to you makes it less of an offense
>"I guess that's a good enough reason... for now."
"You aren't gonna headbutt her then?"
>"No. I will. I just have to think of a new reason."
"Didn't take you for a violent sort."
>"I guess call me territorial?"

"Thankfully headbutting is all you do to mark your territory."
>"For now."
>...oh boy
>You clear your throat and fail to realize the extra strength you put into your fingers
"Are you mad?"
>"Define "mad"."
"Use whatever definition you want."
>Jackenstein tilts her head to the side
>You react appropriately by rubbing the base and back of her ear
>"...I guess I can't be. I want to be. I kinda am gloating. But it's not like... it's malicious."
"There's such a thing as non-malicious gloating?"
>"I hope so."
"So she was right... you remember that one time I got out of the shower with just a towel?"
>"I remember the last time..."
"Heh..."
>It was nice
>Very nice
"Did you... do any weird gestures or eye contact then? Was she around to see?"
>"I don't know. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
>"I don't remember, I guess."
"Now you're just being obtuse."
>Silence
>Your hands have ventured down to her belly
>You don't particularly mind if she's not being completely honest at the moment
>But you don't really care either
>The tone shows
>For both of you
>This is something worth talking over
>And it is certainly important
>But it doesn't matter
>Neither of you are going to give up the other without a bloody fight
>Literally, if so required
>"I guess I might have taunted her or something."
"See? That didn't take much."
>It isn't unrealistic that you might not have noticed
>It's downright not surprising that your focus was far more local
>You can blame her for that
>"Can you blame me? She has magic. And I have... my own magic."
>Your petting and touching evolves into a hug
>A tight hug
"I guess so..."
>She truly does not sound bothered by this at all
>You really can't imagine doing all of this to Shine
>They both just feel so differently
"Mind if next time we drink, it's not around her?"
>"Worried she might kiss you again?"
"I'm worried she might do more next time."
>"Wouldn't you be able to stop her?"
>Would you?
>It would take a severe amount for you to drink to the point you lack any bodily autonomy
>No matter how you look at it, you are still responsible for yourself, even when you aren't at your best
>You hesitate to answer
>But not for the reason anyone might think
>She doesn't seem to react
"If I'm at that level of drunk again... if I did, I would probably end up headbutting her, myself. Or worse."
>"Then do what you need to. She can create stuff out of nothing with just a thought... why do we have to be afraid of that? Or act like it doesn't put the rest of us at a handicap?"
"You're mad."
>"I'm not mad."
>She has been doing her best to hide it but you can hear a small sharp edge of anger in her tone
>You tighten her hug
"I'll do better."
>"It's not about you doing better, Anon..."
>She throws her head back, puckering her lips for a kiss
>You oblige
>That is a feel and taste you are far more familiar with
>"Let's just think of a way to block her. If it gets worse... then we can make a huge deal out of it and get everyone involved and be loud. But for now...?"

"For now?"
>"I don't care. She's my sister... but you're mine. And I'm yours. Besides, I want to talk about something."
>"What's on your mind?
>"I want to relax, while it's just the two of us. And I want to think of names for the family.... just in case."
"The family...?"
>Does this mean...?
>Of course not
>It's just idle talk
>Same as everything else you talk about that hasn't yet happened
"You got it, Pepperjack."
>Not even five sentences into the conversation, your eyes start to droop
>You can't help but feel tired when you have this mare in your arms
>Her scent
>Her feel
>Certainly her taste when applicable
>It is a deep sense of comfort that leads to you getting so soul weary
>You feel rested after but it has to be something
>There has to be a reason for it
>You just can't put your hands on it


"Alright, ready?"
>"Born ready."
>You decided on having another date night with Jack
>Rather than go out or do anything fancy, it was decided that some delicious fast food and a drive would be best
>A new layer of snow coated everything so it is... at least a little more picturesque and romantic
>A little
>While ordering, you voiced your own desires while Jacky did her own options
>By chance or some other force, you ordered nearly the same thing
>Four baked potatoes between the two of you, each one with different toppings
>You can already imagine that it'll be a little bit of a share fest
>Baked potato with cheese and bacon does sound good though...
>And because you ordered one, she didn't
>Oh well
>You roll up to the window, both of you having let out all of the evil giggles beforehand
>Despite the sun having long set, you fit your shades on her head
>They're a little awkward but they absolutely do the job
>"Order for Mr. and Mrs. Anon, right?"
"Yup, that's us."
>"Alright! So here are your..."
>The hapless service industry employee finally looks at what must surely be his most interesting customer of the night
>"...drinks...?"
>You and Jack stare at him with a blank expression
>The fact that her expression is blank, jaw slightly lowered and eyebrows raised ever so just points that she isn't merely any yellow pony
>She even has her seatbelt on
"Groovy."
>The humble fry merchant doesn't know what to say
>"A... ah... y-yeah."
>Already visibly confused, he hands you both drinks
>One is some lemonade-tea mixture
>The other is some sort of lemonade-and-pineapple-juice blend
>As with the potatoes, it will probably be a fair trade of who wants to drink what
>"Hey, fly boy don't forget the straws!"
>Jacky barks out as soon as the poor lad turns his back to you
>He spins around, already on edge
>"S-sir?"
"What's up?"
>You furrow your brow as if you didn't hear her
>By God her poker face is amazing
>"Uh... s-straws. Yeah, they'll be in your bag. Do you want any extra condiments?"
"Sure, yeah, I'll take some extra pepper and a few extra butters if that's alright."
>"Yeah, right on, that's not a problem."
>"Can you add some salt too? My husband forgot to bring that up, AGAIN."
>For added flavor, she added a little saltiness to her tone
>Like he's trying to catch us in the act of... something, he spins so hard he doesn't have the immediate reflex to stop himself from almost tipping over
>"Ma'am?"
"What's up?"
>As if you're just as perplexed as he is, you look back at Jack
>And your back seats
>Of course, it's as empty as can be except for a pillow and a neatly folded up blanket
>Rather than poke the proverbial bear, he shakes his head and gets to the bags
>After both are given over, he squints at the shade-wearing pony
>"Hey, uh... sir? Were you making those noises? Or was that pony talking?"
"Me? Nooo...? I don't think so."
>You look over at Jack
"How about you, dear? Did you say something?"
>You lean over just enough and lift off her shades

>With the shades gone, the lad gets an eyeful of Jacky's well-practiced death squint
>"Does it look like I can talk to you?"
>The stone cold dead serious tone in her voice is enough to make you drool
>You look back at the employee
>Who is either in the middle of shitting his pants or may have taken a few tokes too many before his shift
"Nah, she didn't say anything."
>The uniformed sap doesn't have the capacity to speak
"Anyway, thanks! Have a good one."
>With that, you push down on the gas and lurch forward without giving him a chance to further process the event
>Once you're back on the road, both of you let out with the most righteous of laughter
>You aren't particularly a sadist
>Not outside of certain playful circumstances, anyhow
>You're willing to make an exception for this
>"Did you see his face?!"
"You absolute nightmare! I was expecting you go to "nah, that wasn't me", but that's even better. That's such a bold route to go."
>Jack beams with the smell of success and baked potatoes
>You could almost argue those are the healthiest you can eat at a fast food place, since the salads are all drenched in sauces
>You don't care to eat what your food eats, anyway
"Ahh... that was great."
>"Next time we should get the others to join in. Really ramp it up."
"Ha! Yeah, with a bit of magic, we'll cause more than just a few heart palpitations."
>You ruffle her mane with your free hand and she leans into it
>For the date night she had her mane styled into a set of twin tails
>It really fits her well
"That was really nice. And I have a decent place where we can enjoy these too. There's a sort of hill up here near a hiking trail."
>"We aren't gonna have to walk around in the dark, are we?"
"Hell no, bonita caballo. We're gonna stay in where it's safe and, more importantly, warm."
>Speaking of, the roads are pretty sparse so it's easy driving
"But what's cool is that the trail itself dips down into a pretty decent-sized lake. We might not be able to see all of it but nothing's stopping us from parking just right so we get the best view."
>"Awesome! Have you ever gone on the trail?"
>You shrug
>It's an awkward one, since obviously you haven't ever gone on a trail ever since Jack popped up
"Once? It was one of those really flaccid attempts at me trying to live a normal life. It was alright but my legs were kinda sore, the ground was uneven all over, and it actually didn't do a good job at helping me relax my mind."
>"Oh yeah... I can see that. You tend to kinda wanna just turn into a statue and look at me, right?"
"...well, you're not wrong?"
>You'd grumble more if it wasn't true
>But it is
>You don't particularly leer at her or anything weird
>She's just...
>Really pleasing on the eyes
"But yeah. It's kinda just one of those things. You try out, see if you truly do like it... and it just seems kinda silly to do on your own. A lot does, you know?"
>"Yeah. I can't see myself wanting to wander around in the wilderness with no one around me."

"Exactly. Maybe if I had earbuds in or something, or prepared better in having water with me or something but... I don't know. I used to be such an outdoorsman."
>"When was that?"
"Eh, when I was a kid. Back when I had family to do things with."
>"Little Anon... you know, I bet we would have been able to go out a lot if we knew each other back then."
"You think so?"
>"Absolutely. We've always been like two peas in a pod, right? Well I was outdoors for almost all of my life. And I would have really liked having a boyfriend, even if I never thought about it."
"Ha... think Prism would've allowed it to get that far?"
>"Oh yeah..."
>That seemed to have sucked the air out of her, given her admission came out like a deflating balloon
>"Well... if you were little Anon and I were still me, now, I'd take you for a few trips out. Kinda like walking a dog! Walking my pet guy."
"Could I ride you?"
>"Which way?"
>That snap, instant answer causes you to smile
>It takes a few moments of silence for her to clear her throat and fish for one of the straws in the bag
>In between of chewing away the paper and blowing the rest off, she headbutts one of the cups like a furry mosquito and gulps down what has to be a quarter of the already-sizable containers
>Only after finishing does she clear her throat again
>"...didn't mean it like that, by the way."
"Sure you did."
>"Did not."
"I am very confident in your subtext, Jackonomicon."
>"You're very confident in driving for being in bucking distance, mister."
"Yeah? What kind?"
>Your jovial tone is too much for her
>"The kind that leads to you wishing I skipped leg day."
>The interstate you were on eventually tapers off to an exit
>With no one on the road, most of your attention is on the conversation
"Leg day? Almost any given day, you're a lap mare, pillow pony or otherwise move a whopping fifty steps throughout the entire day. And that includes any random pacing around while talking."
>"Yeah, and I'm all leg! Besides, I still practice."
"You practice what, headbutting unicorns and bucking guys?"
>"Unicorn, singnular. And guy, singular. And also flattening your pillows."
>So that explains why your usually fluffy pillows end up smelling like intimate Jack and flat as a pancake
>That... is quite scary, if true
"Well I'll have you know that if you keep doing that, I will prefer to rest my head on those instead of you."
>"I'm supposed to complain if that happens?"
"Probably. Otherwise I got no leverage to tease you over."
>"Yeah well maybe I should start doing the teasing now."
"That's very un-Ma-like, you know."
>"Don't you remember? She's all for playful teasing and ribbing."
"I don't think I would call it 'ribbing', with what you tend to do..."
>When's the last time the two of you have been able to talk so freely and openly?
>You do so at home but you and she are always used to having other listeners
>Sometimes that stops you
>But only sometimes
>Conscientiousness comes and goes in waves

>After a few more turns, you start to slow
>Sure enough, an entire parking lot is covered in a few inches of snow
>With no other cars around
"There we go. Now if I park over... here..."
>Going more off of memory than the surprisingly well-luminated night, you find the right angle
>It still astonishes you to this day that a snowscape is so easy to see in at night
>It really is uncanny
>There is too thick a wall of trees to properly see through but there are slivers of frozen lake at the bottom
>Of course, due to the car seats, it isn't like Jack can reliably see forward and down that far
"And vee-ola, date spot secured."
>Jack giggles and unbuckles her seatbelt
>Her hooves are more dexterous than you give her credit for
>It's good that she can find a way to manage with things meant for human hands
>"And date food hot and ready!"
"Hell yeah, let's get to it."
>You pull your seat back and undo your own belt
>Though it's hardly the ideal vehicle for man and mare eating, you make do
>As fun as it was to talk, both of you are hungry and treat the potatoes like a mobile feast
>Whatever you chomp away at, Jack goes for something else
>Neither of you eat more than half of any one potato
>If Jack finishes her half fast enough, she'll watch you and wait for you to hand feed her
>Rather than some ravenous mess, it's a sort of... mutual event
>You don't particularly mind that she doesn't use any utensils
>Or that a tiny bit of bacon bit was stuck to her lips
>She doesn't mind you occasionally you pulling your fork away at the last second
>Up until the third of fourth time, anyway
>The way she opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue is more than enough to defeat you
>Doubly so if she lets out a "good boy" between chews
>Sometimes it is a horse-rides-man sort of world
>Like a tail wagging the dog
>But less weird sounding
>Maybe
>With three of the four potatoes appropriately done and dusted in record time, you both relax into the seats
>"That was nice... thanks for taking me out, Anon. It really does feel special to go out. But... I also now recognize that the farther out we go, the longer it takes to get back home..."
"Yeah... that's for true. Do you already miss it?"
>"Kinda, actually. Never had a solid home before, so whenever we go out... I'm not afraid of never going back? But I'm excited to see the building Even if we're just in the hallways, I know that I'm so close to your bed. My bed. OUR bed. And our other stuff. And our dorks."
"Our dorks?"
>"Yeah."
"You're one of said dorks, you know. You're one of the dorkiest that exist."
>"Be lucky I'm full or I would get on top of you and show you what a dork does when she's mad."
>You chortle
"You're mad?"
>"No. But I could really act it. And then you'd be sorry."
"You'd have to try really hard for me to be sorry. Dork."

>"Bahhhh..."
>She twists as if to humor the thought of climbing over to your side
>But the twin drinks are in the way
>"...dammit."
>Picking up on her boggle, you grab both drinks and raise them up
>With your legs open and your seat leaned back, you make for a rather decent makeshift mattress
>Taking her chance, she hops over to you
>Thankfully the first hooves to touch down go between your legs and her weight goes to the seat rather than you
>In a less than smooth motion, she crashes onto you, sitting on your lap and kicking out her hind legs so they go to either side of you
"There we go. Better?"
>"Better."
>You drink out of one cup and offer her the other
>She shakes her head and you set down the neglected drink
>Only after do you finish your drink does she decide she wants your drink
>So you let her drain the rest
>With the other cup set down, your hands go down to hold her by the flanks
"You know, you aren't exactly looking at the lake."
>"And what do I need to look at a lake for?"
"Just sayin', it looks nice. And you don't get to see that sort of thing every day."
>"Sparky's been playing that new game with the horse riding, I see a lot of lakes in that already."
>She stretches and brings her front hooves up to your shoulders
>To be perfectly fair, you aren't looking at the lake either
"That... is a fair point."
>"Mmmm...hmmm..."
>The look on her face tells you that she feels absolutely sublime
>Outside of using the GPS on your phone, you've kept it completely silent
>Though the only ones likely to contact you would be the other two
"So... heads up. If we happen to get too tired, we may end up napping out here."
>Looking you square in the eye, her smile widens
>"Then you better keep me warm. Right?"
"Well I have that blanket back there too and..."
>She decides to cut you off with a kiss
>You quite happily return the gesture
>The night isn't that cold, but even with the engine turned off the windows end up fogging over
>If you end up too tired and require too much rest, you can just call in tomorrow
>As long as some yeti or car-busting bear doesn't pop up

"Ahh... crap."
>"You died."
"Shut it."
>New night
>New game
>New territory to explore
>You aren't sure if you've changed, or if your gaming habits have
>You focus far more on exploring
>Finding a target
>Bashing your head against it until you quit for the night
>You retry another day
>And win
>You're currently at the "quit for the night" stage
>You and Shine switch places, so she's sitting in front of the TV and you're closer to the laptop
>You feel drained
>Physically, at least
>As trifling as it is, you enjoy the accomplishment from games
>You're drained enough to not mind that she drags yourself across your lap rather than go behind you
>She really is something else sometimes
>"Well, I'm going to get into my character then. I think I've made more progress than you... but I haven't been exploring that much."
"Yeah well you're focusing on sorceries. I can't imagine armor or any new type of sword matters to you."
>She did good at making a character
>Took her over an hour to do too
>Even better, she refuses to use any sort of headgear that obscures her face
>You noisily yawn and move to lay down
>You grab a pillow and set that up as a headrest... and propped up at an angle against the unicorn to act a bit as a barrier
>"Are you tired already?"
"Yeah, man. Working does that to a guy."
>"Jacky should be in here to help you relax."
"Nah, it's alright. She's watching ponies with Prism."
>You let out another melodic yawn
>It is that sort of yawn where you exhale too sharply and cause your chest to sting
>"Any real reason?"
"Yeah. She wants us to have some sort of group adventures, like they do."
>"Is she still hung up on... what is it, impressions?"
"Not more than usual, and don't diss her attempts to sound like Harley Quinn."
>"Is that what you call a loud, yappy bimbo?"
>You inhale and smile
"Oh hell yeah I do. She has talent, I hope she continues to improve it."
>"Ya-all better... knot... try to be lamer than... a dick that ain't a swimmer no more?"
>You roll your head up
>She's embarrassed but she's focusing on the game well enough
"...alright, points for effort."
>"Hell yeah."
"Like... two point. Out of a hundred."
>"You exist to torture me on the physical, mental and emotional level. I hope you know this."
"Yeah, I do. You're welcome."
>"Asshat."
"I have yet to willingly do that, as of now."
>You close your eyes
>Everything feels nice
>Sounds of video games going on
>The further off tune of two dorks singing about winter wrapping up
>This really is the sort of good life, isn't it?
>"So what's her plan?"
>Your first answer is another yawn
>You're losing a lot of strength
"She wants us to go on some quests, each relating to the elements of harmony. She said that D&D is to blame, but she also said that she wants to do stuff so we all continue to grow."
>"Seriously?"
"Don't look at me, man. You're the one who keeps bragging about improvement whenever you level up."

>"Don't get snarky with me, Anon. How am I not supposed to get excited when I gain access to a new level of spells?"
"It's not that."
>"Yeah it is."
"No, I remember you distinctly going "ha ha ha, dumb barbarian, I'm going to steal your boyfriend now". And I can only presume you're talking about that border patrol leader guy who's become an official part of the party."
>Dammit, you're yawning far too much
"And he isn't even that. It's literally just a guy I added to your team so you have something of a guide. And so combat will be easier since two of you are pretty squishy."
>"But you do voice him."
"Bruh, I voice everyone, including those goblins you basically napalmed while they were inside of their own cave."
>A dark giggle dances to your ears from above
>"I guess you can blame the alcohol."
>She's pretty sneaky
>Jack is happy to just roll dice and keeps going for aimed shots
>Prism prefers to focus on positioning and takes advantage of the related rules as much as she can
>But Shiner?
>Alcohol is a convenient fire booster
>Candles are more favored than lanterns because open flame
>Bottles of acid are used opportunistically when Jacky is locked or grappled with an enemy to melt weapons and armor
>She's...
>Creative
>You'll give her that
"Whatever, man. Are you just gonna throw down your summon sign all night?"
>"Yeah. It's the quickest way to get to where I can level up more."
"There are a few better ways to grind."
>"What?! Liar."
>She sounds almost offended that you would mention a better way
"It's true. Twenty thousand without having to kill anything, renewed by the bonfire."
>"Tell me."
"No way."
>There we go
>You hear that loud, aggressive sigh
>You haven't heard her that angry in a long while
>Presuming she's actually angry and not just hoping that will trigger some sort of instinct for you to apologize
>All the same, you don't reply to it
>Maybe yet another yawn, but nothing to acknowledge it
>She lets out the sigh, but even louder
>Nope
>You aren't taking that uniquely female bait
>Ponies or humans, they both know that little trick
>"I said..."
>You can hear her whispering near your ear
>Here we go
>You brace yourself
>"Uuuhhhh~"
>...
>....
>Your stone face prevails but you are not fond of how off guard that got you
>"...yup, you're still awake. That wouldn't have happened if you were really asleep."
"Shut up."
>God damn it
"What's up? What do you want?"
>"Well when you put it like that..."
>Here we go
>You fully expect her to say "nothing"
>With how she's been acting, you fully expect that
>She's been in one of those "I want to be a pain, so I will" moods
>"Silly question-"
"Silly answer."
>"Silence."
>You chortle at the authority in her voice
>"You know, you don't need to lay on a pillow when I'm right here."
"Nah, that's alright."
>"You do it with Jack."
"I know."
>"So is it really that big a deal?"
"Not to me."
>"So why don't you want to give it a shot?"

"Because you're playing a game we both are having difficulties with and outside of your angry yet comical outbursts, you're probably going to be all jittery and twitchy meaning that my head could drop and that would probably wake me up and I would prefer to not have that."
>"...oh."
>She doesn't sound like she was expecting a thoughtful answer like that
>"Well... I guess sorry to disappoint you but progress trumps you."
"I'm heartbroken. Truly."
>"I'll make it up to you."
"I suppose so..."
>You can feel yourself slipping further
>"You know, I've noticed that sometimes... if you're tired enough, you kinda act drunk."
"Imagine if I were both."
>You flinch at the feeling of someone leaning over you
>"It would be really easy.... you know."
>You refuse to reply
>"...nah. You look tired."
>Stunning deduction, Ms. Holmes
>"Next time, though... muah~"
>She puckers her lips and smooches the air
"Yeah... I'll make sure to redirect it to Jack. At that point..."
>One last yawn to cap off your mounting fatigue
>"At that point what?"
>You feel at peace
>Comfy
>A little thirsty but you'll drink something later
>"Hey... at that point, what?"
>You can feel yourself easing into your spot in bed
>"Hey, dumbass. Tell me or I'll burn you."
"I guess that'll suck for me. Rev up the dry, flavorless Anon jerky that I am to become."
>No further words or comments from her
>"Hey, Anon!"
>Jack?
>It sounds like her
>You hear her voice again after countless hours that comes from exploring alien realms where time is convoluted
>"I wanna lay on you while I do something. Y'ain't gonna mind, right?"
>Y'ain't?
>You've heard that as a meme but not so much as a genuine word to use
"Go for it."
>You feel a mare-shaped weight rest on your body
>It doesn't feel like Jack
>You must have been doing really well at work, to be so strong that her weight no longer feels as dense
>"Heh. Thanks. Now get some rest. Don't mind me none, alright?"
"Mmm."
>Sure
>You have no reason to deny your Jack to rest on you
>Good thing she'll keep an eye on Sparkler

>Jacktober called a meeting for the night
>It's a first but it isn't like you have anything better to do
>Everyone's in the living room, sitting or laying on a pillow or blanket
>It's such a... organized mess
>Apparently everyone has their own favorite textures and colors because there are a few distinct piles
>"Alright, I got a plan!"
>Apparently she made some headway with those harmony quests
>Prism nods with pride
>"And I helped refine her ideas to be the best. I think we'll all enjoy them."
>Shine doesn't seem to care either way
>You had to tug her away from the computer since she valued grinding for levels more valuable than group quests to master the elements of harmony
>Except not really
"So there are six, right? Is there a specific order we're going to stick with?"
>Jacky points at you as if you asked The Question
>"No! But great answer, Anon. Since they're all six of them and we're only three."
"Three?"
>"Sorry but you don't count since you're not a pony."
>Just the slightest of hints of southern twang
>Apparently she's channeling Ma
"...that's brutal. Am I still included?"
>"Well of course! But you're gonna get a special role."
>That's comforting
"That's nice at least. so what's the plan?"
>Jacky looks down at a piece of paper that has... what you can only presume are notes
>You hope that you can't read them just because it's upside down and not because it's hurried pen scratches
>"...hold on..."
>"Can I opt out on some of them?"
>"No, Sparking. You're a part of us and magic won't save you from most of these."
>"Wait, it won't?"
>"No."
>"Crap..."
"If I can't opt out, you certainly can't Sparkler."
>"I remember now!"
>Jacky blurts out, causing all of the small talk to wither away
>"So, we have six elements, right? So we're gonna have six different days of stuff! They ain't gonna all be one after another but they're gonna be big deals. So maybe one a week?"
>Oh boy
>That's ambitious
"What are we gonna do for them?"
>"Well that's the fun part, near everything! For honesty, we're gonna have truth or dare. You can't get more honest than that, it's a part of the rules."
>Prism respectfully nods to that
>She must have been the one to pick out that particular challenge
>"For kindness, we're... uh..."
>The mare looks down at her paper
>...
>And squints at it
>"The heck? That wasn't the final idea..."
>The mumbling may as well be room volume since there's nothing to hide behind
>"Wait, no, there's it! For Kindness we're gonna split that up into a few chunks of the day where everyone does what one wants for... like six hours? So it's gonna be a full day, boot up for that."
>That sounds... impractical
>Shine groans at that
>"So what, are we not even allowed to sleep? How can we do what you want if we're dead tired?"
>That one question causes Jack's ears to go flat against her head
>"...oh... that is true, ain't it..."

"Why not have it be seven hours each, over two days? That way that's fourteen hours used up, ten to relax, sleep, do whatever."
>"Alright, yup, we're going with that one instead. Good call."
"Thank you."
>Ever the foil, Shine deflates with an annoyed "ugh"
>"Two days?"
"Oh shush, you'll be fine. You're basically a NEET anyway."
>"What did you call me?"
>"Hey, I'm not done yet!"
>Jack gives both of us a death squint
>It works on even Shine
>This time
>"...alright. Two days, fine."
>Like night and day she beams with pride
>"Yeah! So that's two. Three is laughter! And for that we're... uh... gonna try to make each other laugh?"
>A few glances down to the paper confirms that is really all she had in mind with it
>"It's hard to get specific with that."
>Prism chips in
>She was probably just as stumped
"So what, like an open mic night? Or just watching goofy movies until we find something we all like?"
>"Yeah, that's what I meant! You were reading my mind, thanks sugarcube!"
>Was that really her idea?
>That twang is starting to come out that much harder
>"So next is generosity, so obviously that means that we share."
>...
>...
>...
>Crickets
>"I forgot about that one... Jacky, what exactly are we sharing...?"
>Prism speaks low, apparently ashamed to have forgotten
>There's no immediate reply
>As if the answer just popped into her head, she stomped her hoof down on one of her pillows
>"By whatever there is to share! Time, hobbies, sleeping pillow..."
"You'd want to share sleeping pillows?"
>"Anything!"
>That doesn't get a lot of reactions
>For the gravitas of a "group meeting", you get the feeling that Jack just wants to make this something fancy sounding
>Only Prism is really trying to act like it was a decision by committee
"For how long?"
>Jack looks over you and the other two
>After a stern expression she just shrugs
>"Iunno."
>Somehow you aren't that surprised
>"Anywho, next is loyalty!"
>The only faces you see that is into that idea is Jacky herself
"What's that gonna be like?"
>"We tell one another a really personal secret that we ain't never told anyone else, and then we're gonna try to guess what it is! Bribing is allowed but if you accept, you fail."
>"And why wouldn't we just take the bribe?"
>Spark asks the obvious with an exasperated tone
>"Because if you do, we ALL tell the secrets you told so we all know them, and you don't get to tell any secrets."
>For some reason, that makes Prism relax
>But it makes Shine more... uncomfortable
"That's pretty harsh. I like it."
>You really can't be bribed so you don't mind that promise of consequence
>"Sounds awesome so far, right? Well the last one is magic!"
>All eyes instinctually go to Shine
>She gives a sour frown and shrugs
>"And? Why are you all looking at me? I'm not some shiny, perfect main character that can conveniently control everything."
>Prism and Jack look away like they were half expecting that to actually be the case
>"... I ain't gonna say that was it but..."

>Poor Jack sounds downtrodden
"Why not... a talent show or something?"
>That seems to lift the mood
>"What does that have to do with magic, Anon?"
>Jack doesn't seem to catch on
"Well, think about it this way. Street magic is magic, right? And street magic is a skill. Rather than a skill show, we have a talent show. Which means we all try to show off a neat skill and we vote on who wins? That's technically finding magic. In a romantic sense."
>It sounds goofy
>But it makes sense to you
>Plus the idea of using magic and street magic specifically made you think of the hobo unicorn that spoke in the third person
>You wouldn't say that to Jack but that is a cute mare too
>"Honestly... I like that idea. Only one of us can use true magic. But what's wrong with some sleight of hoof? That is basically magic if you can't figure out how something was done."
>Prism sounds dubious, but on board
>Enough on board where the idea is picking up traction
>"If Dashie's ok with that, well then I am too!"
>"So if I just use normal magic, can I win?"
>The three of you immediately answer with a solid "no"
"Absolutely not. You use magic on a daily basis, it's more like a natural ability than a special talent. Like how I don't have a talent for driving a car, it's just a daily thing I do."
>Little more is said on that
>"So... which one did you say was first, Jacky?"
>Prism tries to nudge the presenter along
>She must have stopped using the paper, every glance down is met with a worried grimace
>You don't think you can blame her
>Especially if she got so loud
>"That's a good one... how about we do something easy this weekend and do honesty? Truth and dare for a few rounds sounds fun."
"Works for me."
>"Then it's settled!"
>Jack stops her hoof down again like it's a gavel
>Apparently all she needed was you approval
>Makes sense, given you're the only one with responsibilities tied to the outside world
>Prism stands and bows
>"Thank you for the meeting. Jacky will be taking questions now."
>...
>...
>...
>You let out a loud yawn
>For some reason all of the socializing takes place at night
>Makes sense, given your work schedule
>"No? Good. Anon, come on, I gotta grind out more levels."
>Like nothing of value was gained or lost, Shine stands up, flicks her tail up and trots off back to your room
"Well, I'm looking forward to it."
>"Thanks! I'm still wanting to play out more specific. Prism said she would help me and when we finish we're gonna be so cool!"
"In that case..."
>You lay down and set your head on the unoccupied pile of fabrics and pillows
>It does indeed smell strongly of Sparking Shine
"Let me listen on in until I fall asleep."
>"Deal! So Dashie, about the talent show, I was thinking..."
>You listen to them brainstorm
>Even though this is all equal mares giving it their own shot, they certainly make it sound like they have some sort of complex joint operation planned out

>You try to listen to it more but you end up drifting off too hard
>You have the talent show in the bag
>You know a ton of cool things that would probably get up in at least the top three places
>Maybe you'll pick up a few showtime secrets
>Or something
>For as long as you remained up, you couldn't recall a single detail about what happens after all of the elements are gathered
>It must be something pretty good
>Maybe there's a seventh challenge...
>If so, you don't want to act like Discord or some sort of villain
>Not unless Jack is the princess you get to capture


>"YOU'RE ALMOST THERE, DO IT!"
"SHUT UP YOU DUMB HORSE."
>"DO IT."
"FUCK."
>"JUMP IT YOU ASS."
"FUCK YOU FIRE WYRM!"
>"FUCK IT RAW!"
>Everything in your world has narrowed down to your monitor
>You've spent all day playing your game of the month
>In the last five hours, you've completely eclipsed Shine's progress and she doesn't even have a job
>Due to the gravity of the situation, and to help boost morale and hype points, Shine started playing music on your laptop
>The Anon household tends to be very energy consuming, given all of the electronics on at almost all hours
>What started as mellow background music somehow turned into Welcome To The Jungle
>It was too loud for your tastes after a while, so you decided to turn up the game volume
>That led to Shine turning up the music volume
>That went back and forth until the entire apartment shook with thunderous roars of a lava-borne dragon with a stone cleaver and of your own character's anguished screams...
>And the blasting music that ranged from power metal, to old rock, to dubstep
"LAST ONE. EAT IT!"
>"CHOKE ON IT!"
>slash
>The chunky, metallic sound that comes from landing the killing blow leads to the symphonic harmony of a man and a mare screaming a bloody, victory cry
"I'M GONNA BRING YOU DOWN."
>Shine joins you in a low, guttural HOAH
>The wyrm's body turns to dust on the last riff of the guitar
>With that, you lean back completely
>You're done
>Nearly a full day of playing this has led to at least a tenth of your hair turning grey
>Your nerves are so completely fried that you couldn't write your name on a piece of paper if you were paid to
>"Holy hell Anon, I'm pretty sure you were going to die again."
"I'm pretty sure I did just now... gah."
>Now that you've had a chance to breathe... the apartment is absolutely mad with sound
>You've already gotten one noise complaint for the month
>Not that is anything particularly new, but still
>Drunk on accomplishment and lack of hydration, you use the last of your strength to pause the music
>Shine sighs at the audio blasting having come to an end and taps her hoof down on the speaker remote until the volume isn't ear-piercingly loud
"Holy shit... I haven't had that intense a sweat while sitting in one spot since I was pulled over for speeding when I was smuggling guns but he just gave me a warning on my registration being a year out of date."
>Shine looks at you like you just told her that you used to choke your pet chicken
>"...what?"
"Exactly. I'm fucking wiped, where's my drink."
>Your favorite vodka bottle, coated in red magic, floats toward you
>Not what you were talking about
>But you take a swig from it
>Perhaps is now a good time to mention that throughout the day you had gotten progressively more tipsy with small, manageable amounts of alcohol
>It refines the reflexes, hones the senses and brings out the warrior in every red-blooded man

>And as of now?
>It dulls the growing migraine that came from such tension and focusing so hard on a screen
"Jack. Jack! JAAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAACK..."
>No reply
>If only she saw your victory
>Victories plural, going by what all was done today alone
>"She's out on the patio with Prism. I think we kinda chased them out with the noise."
"Fuuuuuck... crap. I blame her for this. Where is that little dork, I want to poke her face."
>You were ready for your first harmony quest
>But only you were the only one
>Prism was neutral on it
>Shiner didn't care for it to begin with
>And Jack not only didn't know where to start, but she said she wanted to "give everyone a week" because she didn't know how to tackle a lot of them either
>But you aren't going to let her slip by this
>The helements of armory will be yours
>Even if it's really just some group activities
>That shit is rad
"My Jack... my wyrm-slaying sword for my Jack."
>"Oh, don't you even say that. Do you know how much effort it took for you to get that thing up to +16 status?"
"Meh. I can swing Jack around just as much and she's +69 at the very least."
>"Whatever, I'm gonna send you back to a bonfire and log out."
"You do that."
>Against your better judgement, you start to crawl off the bed
"Hey, hold this for me real quick."
>Red magic starts to envelope the alcohol bottle
"H-hey, no, not yet. Damn lady."
>You sneak a quick swig from it before letting the magic whisk it awa
>"Where do you think you're going?"
"I am going to my bonfire."
>Your beautiful orange and yellow bonfire
>It is a proven fact that yellow and orange fire is hotter than red, after all
>But blue is hotter still...
>Thankfully none of them are blue or that might bring up a complication you can't talk your way out of with a humorous, almost-related comment
>Since your knees do not particularly appreciate the carpet, you drag yourself to your feet
>Holy hell do you feel exhausted
>You have not kept track of your alcohol intake nearly as much either, so you think you may be just a little bit under the influence
>Sure enough, after your arduous journey to the living room do you see Jack and Prism on the patio
>With the sliding glass door closed
>Poor gals probably hate you for drowning them in the sounds of battle
>They both look at you when you open the door
>Prism looks a little surprised
>Jack looks relieved
>"Hey, you're alive!"
"Hell yeah, my yellow mellow mare. I came, I saw, I died, I came again, I died, I came enough times to see triple, and I won!"
>You plop yourself down onto the patio
>Since the two dragged out a few pillows too many for just them, you decide for the one closest to Jack
"So what's up? What did I miss out on?"
>Jack looks a little...
>Awkward?
>"I... was kinda talking to Dashie about the quests."
"Yeah man, I was all ready to get into it. Are you planning out the rules or something?"
>She mumbles something too quiet for you to hear
>Or maybe you're deaf
>It is probably both

>"I'm... not the best at planning. And I thought about doing the talent show first since that would be the hardest."
>Would that really be so difficult?
"Would it? You could always go with trivia or singing or something."
>Jack gives your chest a gentle headbutt
>"No, it can't be something I've already done. I have to have a better, bigger talent to use."
>A newly seen talent?
>Well that's easy, she could...
>She could...
>...
>...what would she be able to do?
>No
>Bad Anon
>That's a terrible way to think that
>You wrap your arm around her and give her a tight squeeze
"Oh come on, I know you got something planned. Both of you do."
>When you say "both" and watch Prism, she averts her eyes
>Her lips curl downward just enough to be the proof you need
"...you gals ain't worried, are you?"
>They share a look
>"Yes."
>They reply in unison
>Thankfully they aren't in stereo due to positioning
"Oh come on, what's to worry about? You'll only have an audience of three, and I'm sure neither of you are giving yourselves the credit you deserve."
>No matter the situation, you feel too elated and happy to dig deeper into what woe may be woven into the fabrics of their ego
>Egotistical Jack...
>That would be quite a thing indeed
>You blink enough times to both clear your head and to give you a new hint of migraine
"Listen, it isn't about mastery as much as it is proof of another faucet of your life. It's not like we're gonna have some sort of overly fancy gift for the show."
>Prism's expression sours further
>"Actually... we were hoping you might be able to help us set up a reward. That way we would all have something to strive for. A competition with no reward is hardly worth doing."
>She has a point
"Alright... so what about a dinner night out for the winner? We all go to the winner's choice."
>Your mouth moves faster than your mind
"And that means wherever works, no cost ceiling. But it has to be... let's say, two hours away at the max for distance. Because that means that's a four hour drive roundtrip."
>"Yeah but who's gonna judge?"
>Jack still isn't convinced that all is well, despite your hugging
"We all do. We're gonna be fair and figure out who..."
>Who, what?
>Has the most outlandish skill?
>Or the most proficient attempt at something new?
>...you're not sober enough to tackle this appropriately
"...who cares, we'll figure out something by this time next week, right?"
>"Yeah... hey, lemme go Anon."
"Eh?"
>"I gotta go."
"Oh."
>You uncurl your arm around her and slide open the door
"Get to it, Jackenine."
>You watch her go
>...
>It's just you and Prism now
"So let me in on the thing, chicken wing. What's up with Jack?"
>Your first reaction is a wry smirk
>"Chicken wing?"
"I'm running on empty here, that'll have to do."
>"Well... she's scared."
>Despite your first instinct to do so, you do not laugh at what you think is a silly worry
"Of what? She'll do great. I'm looking forward to what she'll concoct."
>"You really don't know, do you?"

"Can't say I do, but do keep in mind my current state."
>"Oh no, I'm quite aware of how much you've been drinking. You must have spilt some, I can smell it on you."
"Oh, thank you."
>"That wasn't a compliment."
>You don't see the issue
>She knocks them back as well as you do
>Granted, it's not that often that one of you will drink and the other won't join in sooner or later
"Alright... so what's the deal? Is she... what, worried about being not having a good talent? Or is she worried about Shiner showing her up and finding something to brag about?"
>"Yes, but no."
"Good flocking answer, Gruntilda."
>The pegasister rolls her eyes
"...listen, dumb it down for me enough so I can actually manage to do something about it and not just flail around as I often do."
>You add on something that is part ego stroking, part show that you do not want this issue to last
>The thought of Jack being in trouble is enough to shock your system toward sobriety
"Come on, Faint. Please."
>"Better."
>Half the battle is saying "please"
>The other half is not saying "screw you"
>"She wants everyone to have fun. But none of us have ever done that sort of thing... and we both share the worry that neither of us are actually all that good at anything."
"So why not use this as a chance to learn more things?"
>"Because... it is..."
>She trails off
>You get the vibe she was going to say more words
"What? I mean, take this to it's logical conclusion, right? The elements required all of the mane six to grow and really get comfortable with themselves. It also meant them combating their own weaknesses and shortcomings."
>"Jacky had a feeling you say that."
>That is such a response that you somehow get a second wave of inebriated just by trying to understand it
>You shake your head in disbelief
"Oh? Ok then. So where's the problem?"
>"She just wants to have fun with everyone, Anon. Not everything has to have some deeper meaning. I know how you are but she doesn't want to always run from one challenge to another. She wants to relax and take things easy. Not..."
>She leans toward you and sniffs
>"Reek of sweet, alcohol, and spend hours swearing and stressing."
>You weren't swearing that much
"Sure, but it's the accomplishment that makes it all memorable and fun."
>"She doesn't want the struggle anymore, Anonymous. She wants to just relax and have fun. That's all."
>You hear a tap on the sliding door
>It's Jack
"Oh yeah, not a lot of great opportunities for her to open the door..."
>"Remember what I said."
>Her comment comes quick
>With the door open, Jack makes her debut into the open air
>...is it a debut if she only went inside for a few minutes?
>You're not drunk enough to know if you should ask such a dangerous thing but you are too sober to care
"Come here, Jackburger."

>"W-waah!"
>You scoop her up entirely in your arms and hug her as tight as you can
>You only stop when you hear her squeak
>"...what'd I miss? Dash, did you chastise him again?"
>"What? Me? Nooo... not tonight, anyway."
>Since Prism is effectively talking to Jack's raised flank, you wiggle and rotate until Jack's face is going less toward the trees and more toward her sister
>"Oh, there you are!"
"Yeah, we were talkin about you and how much of a dork you are."
>"I'm sorry to say.. but he's right. You are a dork, Jacky."
>"Nu-uh."
"Yeah so-huh."
>"I have to agree with him."
>"Wh-why? How am I a dork?"
"Because you play D&D, you dork."
>You start laughing three words in
>With every syllable you laugh harder
>She gives a futile attempt to free herself before arching her body toward you
>"That's not fair... we all play it, it's not just me."
"True, but you're the only one that will admit it."
>"He's got a point, dear... I would never admit that I play D&D."
>Despite it eventually descending into a half-hour long conversation that consists of "nu-uh" and "yeah-huh", it is pretty comfy
>So Jack just wants to enjoy a more simple life...
>You can help with that
>You think
>You'll find a way to make a difference for her


>Tonight is just you and Prism on the patio
>You look over your shoulder into the living room
>They're cuddled up together and sleeping
>Shiner was first, then Jack joined her
>As much as they're bickering, they're still side by side
"You know, you guys have a pretty goofy dynamic."
>"Oh don't be surprised. You've seen them do that before."
"Sure, but... after everything? I keep thinking that their latest fight will be the one to break the camel's back."
>You bring up your knee and idly massage it
"Sometimes I wonder if they start fights just so they can make up later."
>It sounds fantastical because you've never seen them make up, yourself
>"You know Jacky wouldn't do that."
"But Shiner would."
>"Yes... well, you can't confidently say she's doing what she does just for fun."
"I guess. I don't get you girls sometimes."
>They were complaining about something when you got home
>You didn't pay it that much mind and just went to take a shower
>By the time you got out, they were chatting about something else
>"So have you been planning what our quest will be this weekend?"
"Isn't that Jack's say?"
>"You know she would feel better with you deciding."
"You sure?"
>"Of course. She's worried about that talent show, I told you. The others... she has no real idea of how to plan it out."
"Well why don't we just do the honesty bit? A few rounds of truth and dare. That way we start off easy. That works fine, right?"
>"That should..."
>Her tone doesn't convince you that she's on board
"What's the worst that could happen?"
>"Outside of uncomfortable questioning?"
>Your instinctual reaction is a scoff
"Yeah, because we don't ever get uncomfortable."
>"I mean it. What happens if Sparking Shine demands something up front or crossing a line? Or she asks for something too intimate to share?"
"Well that's the point of the focus being honesty, isn't it?"
>The pegasus stands up from her half-laying position and looks out into the trees and houses below
>"Do you even care if you're asked anything? Or dared to do something dangerous?"
"Well of course we'll have some ground rules. You can't just dare someone to go murder the neighbors."
>You're glad you said that when it's dark out and most people are either inside and awake or inside and fast asleep
>"No but if she dares you to do something drastic..."
"Again, ground rules. It won't be a complete free-for-all. And how about everyone gets one veto?"
>The ever-scheming mare shakes her head, her right wing extending
>"What is the point of honesty if you can skate out of it?"
"...eh. I guess you're right on that."
>You shrug
"Is it really worth worrying over? The point of honesty is to see everything that's on the table. Both the pretty and the ugly."
>After a few moments of silence, the refined lady exhales in defeat
>"I guess so. We have probably had worse situations before anyway."

"Ha, that's the ticket. We could technically just treat it like a sleepover game. Set up some movies, videos of stallions and a crap ton of popcorn."
>Your reward is a wry, almost bitter smile
>"You really aren't worried about anything, are you."
"Oh lay off it. If you're so worried, why don't we go a few rounds?"
>Prism sits down again, almost as far from you as the patio railing allows
>"A few rounds."
"Yeah. You and me, truth and dare."
>She does not look like she particularly likes the idea
>"Why should I?"
"Because we could both use a little more honesty in our lives. Truth or dare?"
>Without giving her a chance to weasel her out, you start
>Near dead silence for what feels like an entire minute
>"...Truth."
"Tell me why you're still so God damned stiff around me."
>"Force of habit."
"Is that right?"
>"I answered truthfully so that's that. Truth or dare?"
>It isn't like she had to elaborate
"Alright. Truth."
>"Why do you put up with Sparking rubbing herself all over her when you know full well you're Jacky's?"
>The intensity in her glare is downright sharp
"Because I don't consider it anything to really worry about. It's a pain sometimes but we both know how she is. She could never replace Jack if that's what you're worried about."
>"Then why do y-"
"Ah! Same with you. I answered truthfully. So that's that. Right?"
>She does not like that you're playing the same card she did
"Truth or dare?"
>"Truth."
"What the hell do you do with your time? I know what Jack does on almost any given day. I can reliably guess what Shiner is up to. But if I don't see you with Jackenstein, you're just sitting in a corner, sleeping, or smoldering over something."
>"Smoldering."
"Yes, smoldering."
>"What even is... I sit and think."
>"About?"
>At least you get to see a more triumphant version of her grimace
"...right. You answered. It's like pulling teeth."
>"Truth or dare?"
"Dare, thrill me."
>"I dare you to skip your next turn."
"Wha... ok. Sure."
>"Truth or dare, Anon?"
"Dare."
>"I dare you to..."
>She trails off
>Her eyes go from you to the sleeping duo
>"...invite Sparking to a date night with Jack."
>Wat
"Wat."
>"Yes. Take her along and let her see how you treat Jacky."
"I'm not going to torture her by rubbing shit like that in her face."
>"It's a dare."
"Yeah and screw your dare, veto."
>"I thought you said that honesty was no good if there was a veto involved?"
"That isn't honesty, you just want me to hurt her."
>What is up with this growing sense of hostility from her?
"Truth or dare."
>"Dare."
"I dare you to apologize to Shine and give her a hug that lasts no less than two minutes."
>That catches her off-guard
>"W...what?"
"That's right. I dare you to just do that to her. While Jack or I are there to witness it."

>"Why do you want me to do that?"
"Because she deserves a break from you trying to always bust her balls."
>"I'm not telling her I love her or anything."
"Good thing I didn't include that in on the dare. You got twenty four hours to get it done."
>"Fine. Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
>"Tell me why you chose Jacky when you obviously have more fun with Sparking with your video games."
"Because it takes more than a hobby or two to want to be with someone."
>"And what have you possibly done with Jacky that is more than just "a hobby or two"?"
>That strikes a nerve
"If you've paid attention to the last however long, you'd see that. Truth or dare."
>"Truth."
"Tell me why the hell you have these extreme mood swings. Some nights you're fine, other nights you're an active pain in my ass to talk to. If Jack's up and around to listen, you're mellow and calm but you really aren't. What's your issue with me?"
>"You touched me."
>That flat response hits your mind like the tip of a whip cracking
"...what?"
>"That time you tried to pick me up."
>You don't remember when you've ever...
>Wait
"...you talking about when I tried to help you into the car?"
>"Is that what you call it?"
>What
"...yes! You dumbass. You absolute dork. What the hell did you think I was trying to do?"
>No reply
>You can't make heads or tails out of her expression
"Is that really something that you've held a grudge on for... what, well over a year now? Seriously?"
>No reply
>You weren't exactly expecting that sort of thing
>"Truth or dare."
"Truth me."
>"Do you consider me your friend?"
"Yeah, I thought so but apparently I'm wrong."
>That finally cracks her shell
>"...well you aren't wrong."
"Truth or dare."
>"Truth."
"You have an issue with guys I need to know about?"
>"Yes but you don't need to know about it. Truth or dare."
"Truth."
>"You haven't ever taken advantage of Jacky, have you?"
"A few times but nothing she hasn't done to me. Depends on who's more tired or inebriated."
>Your straight answer cracks her exterior more
>"...she is guilty of having done things like that I suppose..."
"Yeah. So don't get it twisted. Truth or dare?"
>"Dare."
"Tell me what your issue is."
>"I did what I had to, to survive and keep Jacky safe."
"I vaguely recall Jacky telling me something like that."
>"She doesn't know the extent of it."
"I'm guessing so if it's worse than what I've heard."
>"It is."
"You think I'm the same?"
>"No."
"You don't act like it."
>"I do."
"How?"
>"Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
>"I dare you to stop."
>So much for honesty
"Sure."
>You sigh
>Truth or dare has a habit of turning serious when you're involved
>Something makes you ask just the worst of questions
>What a miserable experience that was
>You shake your head and stand up
>You feel stiff all over
>Were you that tense?
"Well. Good night."
>You retire for your room to the night, leaving the pegasus to navel gaze and act like a gargoyle
>You really don't get her
>You almost don't want to
>At least your bed smells like mare


>Last night hasn't sat well with you at all
>The following morning she was acting like all was usual business
>You didn't see a reason to press it
"Oh yeah, I saw you cuddling Jackoma last night. Did you two kiss and make up?"
>You only have a light teasing tone to your question
>You've been focusing on a handheld game while Sparkler has spent the last hour dying while exploring 
>"Yeah and she tasted like you so I got all in there."
"Oh!"
>Her dull retort was pretty much the perfect comeback
"For real though, I don't often see you two actually showing affection."
>"I guess. It's not like we're enemies. And of course I don't hate her."
"Well that's a bonus I suppose."
>Whatever happened must have been why Jacky was so thrilled throughout the day
"So do you know about the little element quest we're gonna do this weekend?"
>"Yup. Truth or dare, no vetos, no daring someone to play in traffic."
"Just about. What, did Prism tell you about it?"
>"Yeah. And she said you wanted to go a few rounds with me."
>Despite the ongoing conversation, both of you are focusing on your own screens
>Both you and her have a nice little throne of blankets to rest against or on
>Today was relatively pretty warm but it'll be difficult to want to put all of the winter gear away
"...well I guess that was gonna be a thing sooner or later. So yeah, I'm game if you are."
>"Sure. Do you care who starts?"
"Nope."
>"Alright. Truth or dare?"
>Given how you and her are, you really don't think it'll be so bad
>"Would you actually be ok with me kissing Jacky? That would be a weird thing for you to be ok with."
"Honestly, I'm not sure I'd care. I would like to know why that would happen but... I don't know. It'd be weird. Truth or dare?"
>"Truth."
"Silly question."
>"Silly answer."
>Jesus, you two really are in sync sometimes
"So, probably a dumb question but are you two ever going to actually come to blows? With how often I see you fighting, especially since that dream bullshit, it seems like one of these days I'm going to have to call an ambulance."
>"Nah. Probably not. I like messing with her."
"You like getting your schnoz pushed in?"
>"...not that, no. But I feel like we're actually starting to connect more. She doesn't look up or down at me."
"Did she used to?"
>"Because of magic? Obviously."
"I guess that would kinda make things awkward."
>"Very. But since she sees how she can win despite not having it... well, yay for her. Right?"
>That is rather thoughtful for her
>You're impressed
>You would be even more impressed if that was the only reason
>"Truth or dare?"
"Dare, let's mix it up a little."
>"I dare you to give me a hug."
>A hug?
"Yeah? Just a hug?"
>"Well... I mean I'm still playing. But I won't stop you from doing more if you really want to."
>You close your handheld
>The batteries will last where you can charge it later and get back to it after work
"Any sort of hug?"
>"Yeah. Like, a hug-hug. But if you want to get creative I won't stop it."
"Yeah, I bet."

>You lay down on your side and scoop Shine up
>With a little manhandling, you put her on her side and wrap you right arm across her chest from under her
>Your hand goes from under her front right leg and rests on her left shoulder above her left leg
>Your left arm wraps over the other way, forming a solid X
>With a pillow right where it should be, it feels rather natural
>She's smaller than Jack
>A bit more frail too, you're not hugging her nearly as tight
>...
>Her heart is beating a mile a minute
"Y'allright?"
>"Yeah."
"Yeah?"
>"Y-yup."
"Well alright."
>You give her a light squeeze
>She actually squeaks
"Alright, truth or dare?"
>"Truth. I'm kinda tied up for any dares."
"Sure. Are you ok? It feels like you're going to have a heart attack."
>"If I do, you know CPR don't you?"
"I don't think that has anything to do with heart attacks."
>"Oh well. Truth or dare?"
>You didn't get much of an answer there
"Truth. If I go for another dare you'll probably ask for something worse."
>"Mmm... yeah? Probably. Smart move."
>She's getting sloppy on her game
>"Do you often hug Jacky like this?"
"Yeah. Sometimes it's one arm lower than the other."
>"And she just lets you do it?"
"I don't think she could stop me if I tried."
>"Because you'd overpower her or because she always wants to be hugged?"
"Same thing. T or D?"
>Before she thinks long enough to properly analyze the question, she speaks
>"Gimme the D."
>You can't even try to stop yourself from laughing
>Shine's magic fizzles out, making the controller drop
>"I... did not mean that."
"Yeah huh."
>"Shut up."
"I dare you to hug Jack tomorrow and apologize."
>"I'm apologizing now? Who do you think I am?"
"Someone who's getting the D. And the air. Put them together and it's called a "dare"."
>You flex your arm over her for another squeeze of a hug
"And apologize for daring me to hug you."
>"Oh come on, I'm apologizing for that now?"
"Yeah."
>"Do I really have to?"
"No but I don't really know how she'll react to this."
>"You're so whipped. You do know that, don't you? T or D?"
"Let me sip on some nice ice T."
>"If Jacky was ok with hugging, could you hug me more?"
"Depends."
>"On?"
"Would you make it weird? Or try to escalate it?"
>"No."
>That was a quick answer.
"Then yeah. I don't mind hugging you."
>Her fur is kinda softer, and longer
>Her mane has a different smell to it too
>It isn't as fluffy as Jack's hair and has more split ends
>But it seems almost on purpose with how... messy it looks?
>She's never changed her style
>She must have an easy time styling and grooming herself thanks to magic
"Truth or dare?"
>"I'm kinda done for playing, if that's alright."
>You were expecting something else

"Really? No deep, dark secrets you want to learn? Sneaky schemes to put into motion? First steps into a multi-step plan?"
>Shine yawns and nuzzles into your arm
>Hard
>"Why would I care? Right now, I..."
>She yawns
>"Blah. I have everything I could want right here. I can see why Jacky's so happy all the time..."
>You can't help but notice that her game is still going
>You could mess with her
>"Could" being the key word
>But you shouldn't
>And you won't
"Make sure you close out of the game and at least set up something to watch."
>Her answer is a yawn
>And then a sigh
>Apparently she had plans to just doze off then and there
>"Alright, fine. Movie?"
"Sure. Dealer's choice."
>Her magic envelops the mouse, keyboard, and controller
>In record time the game is closed, the monitor's brightness is turned down and the mouse opens a certain folder and double clicks on a certain movie
>It's that movie
"I thought you didn't care for westerns?"
>"No, but Jacky does."
"And? She's in the living room with Prism. Smelled popcorn earlier so they're probably snacking it up."
>"Say I chose "truth"."
"Eh?"
>"If you asked me why I'm doing this... it's because I kinda get to be Jacky for a night."
>You're not sure you would go that far
>You're even less sure that you would be alright with the implications of that
"Thankfully I'd prefer you as you."
>"Obviously, I'm awesome. But tonight... I get to feel what she feels."
>It was hard to pick up on, but you only just now could tell that the longer she's been talking since you hugged her, the... lighter her voice has been?
>That normal sharp edge of her tongue has dulled
>That assertive tone in her voice has melted away
>She almost sounds happy
>You'll admit, it's cute
"Is that right..."
>"Yeah. Thanks, Anonymous. I'm gonna close my eyes. Wake me up before you let go, please. This feels warm in a good way."
>With that, you see her hind legs kick out and feel her chest expand in a deep breath
>Her chest is no longer pounding like a machine
>But she feels warmer
>Hot, almost
>Far more so than Jack ever got
>There really are just a lot of little differences between them, no matter how you feel it
"Yeah. Have a good sleep, Sparking Shine. I'll be right here when you wake up."
>And that's the truth
>Not even a half hour into the movie and you feel your eyelids getting heavy
>Your right arm has fallen asleep but you're happy to keep Shine in such a bear hug
>For all of her rough tendencies, this really is enough to make her melt, isn't it?
>You can't blame her, all things considered
>Jack always had Prism to give attention and closeness to
>Physical closeness, most of all
>...
>You tighten your hug and bring her in as close as you can
>You've hugged her before
>Obviously
>But this really is the first time you've given her a real hug like this
>You don't let your mind wander further into the darker recesses of her history
>For tonight, you're just hugging your dork of a best friend
>Who knows
>Maybe Saturday will just be an evening of hugging it out and everyone getting some minor gripes cleared up


>It has been an... interesting week
>When you woke up Wednesday, Shine was drooling and in such a deep slumber it took around ten minutes of squeezing her chest, poking her face with your chin or and otherwise speaking to her
>You had the idea that she was just playing with you at first
>By the time she woke up, she acted so sluggish you wondered if she had ever slept before
"Mm. I'm up. Been up. Yup."
>She had tried to lift her head, but couldn't stop herself from dozing off seconds after you let go
>That Wednesday night...
>And every other night this week
>She's insisted on another cross-hug to fall asleep to
>She regained some of her classic verbal edge, but she never pushed it beyond going "please"
>Saturday morning is no different
>Except you've had Jackula as your pillow
>She hooked her front legs over your shoulder and brought her body close to your back
>Your pillow was specifically her shoulder
>As soon as you woke up, you could feel her stir too
>And yawn
>It is starting to happen more often, that one will wake up the other
>"She still sleepin'?"
>Your first reply is a yawn just as long as hers
"Yeah, she's a pretty deep sleeper."
>Of course, you told her all about it
>Thursday, she walked in to see you clutching Shine and watching The Wild Bunch
>Who would have thought that a mare could go to such a peaceful sleep while listening to gunfire and death
>She didn't freak out at it, though she did give one of those hard squints
>I explained how it led to that and... after an extended, almost territorial kiss, she said that the group hellion had started to calm down
>Yesterday, Shine was supposedly singing
>Everyone sung and had their little practice sessions
>But apparently she was going full into it
>Rather than do the obvious and play with her and rub her nose in it, you just let her be
>Maybe this is helping
>Helping what, who knows
>All three of these mares are fucking nuttier than squirrel crap
>"Well wake her up. One of you gotta make breakfast if we're gonna have our harmony quest."
>And you wouldn't change that for anything
>She tightens around you, giving an awkward stretch-hug that lasts until here muscles give out
"On it. Lemme know what Prislambda wants."
>"Mm."
>Jack stumbles to her hooves and tentatively steps off the bed and onto the floor
>Her shoulder must still be asleep due to how awkward her movements are
>You shift your attention to the red mare in your arms
>Her hind legs are kicked out and limp
>Her front legs have a natural curl to them, like she's trying to return the cross-hug
>You can hear her breathing
>...she's drooling again too
>It dawns on you that you probably couldn't hug a human like this in the same... capacity
>Is it a platonic hug?
>Certainly not
>Is it a romantic hug?
>You don't think so
>You like that she's been so mellow
>To an extent, of course you want to protect her
>You want to protect all of them
>But you can't forget what she has done before
>She is an underhanded sort
>Was
>Still is..?

"Hey. Rise and Shine. I can't find rise so it's just you now."
>You give her chest a squeeze
>Her ribs yield just a little
>Her heartbeat is slow
>Ever since Thursday you've noticed that her chest doesn't thunder when you hug her
>You're not so naïve that you think it was purely due to her being some shy gal
>But you can't just isolate her from things either
>You're not sure what to make of this, still
>But Jack seems alright with it
>Or to better say, Jack has been keeping her eye on things
>She knows your scent well
>All of it
>You haven't ever asked but you'd have to guess that they have some sort of keener sense of smell
>That thought alone still puts a bit of a red tinge to your face
"..."
>This dork
>Is not moving
>At all
"Hey. Wake up. We got breakfast to make and then a quest to do."
>Nothing
>Alright
>You begin to slid your left arm away
>She's laying on your right so that will be more tricky
>You get maybe halfway through removing your arm before it feels stuck
>More than stuck
>You're thinking "stuck in cement" stuck
>The faint red glow on your hand is all the evidence you need
"So you are awake."
>No reply
>But her breathing changed, so she's certainly awake now
"I'm gonna need that hand back."
>Rather than moving away, your hand guides itself down to her belly
>It doesn't go any lower
"I'm really going to need that hand back."
>You keep your voice low
>You really don't want this to turn into a scene
>As hard as you're pulling, you can't win
>"I'm just showing you I'm hungry too..."
>Given how low your hand is, she could argue that
>But you could argue that your fingertips are dangerously close to something else
>Where once you were but a neophyte in pony anatomy, you are now the master
>And the commander
>...
>You still haven't seen that movie yet
"Well good show, I can tell you're hungry. Let's go."
>She lets out a sweet, demure "awww"
>"Alright... thank you for hugging me again, Anon."
>She hasn't let go of your hand yet
>She uses your other arm to pull herself along the bed
>You can feel
>Yup
>Yeah
"...you know, you kinda just pushed yourself past what I've been alright with."
>Only once she drags herself free, making sure your hand slides down her flank and leg, does she release your hand
>The smile she gives you is...
>You wouldn't call it "evil"
>But she looks like she's enthralled
>"Let's make some delicious breakfast together."
>The way she says it
>It just... bothers you
>"You're staring pretty hard."
>You shake your head and sigh
"This is going to be brought up later. I hope you know that."
>"I do. And telling the truth feels so good."
>She giggles and stands up
>She bonks your head with her flank while she steps past
>You are
>Absolutely not sure if you should have been playing along
"...well shit."
>You find yourself stuck in bed and just...
>Not sure what to think
>"Anon, breakfast!"
>"Yeah, Anon! Help me out!"
>Whatever
>You finally get up and rub your previously-enchanted hand
>She feels smaller than Jacky

>Fruits
>Pancakes
>Hot tea
>Orange juice
>Oatmeal
>Biscuits
>Sweet breakfasts are made of these
>You would never eat this fancy alone
>Mostly because you'd have stopped at pancakes and not leave so much left over
>Between you and three ponies, there will be enough for dinner but not much else
>Since it is a big event, everyone is in the living room
>Jack and Shiner on the patio, eating in the sun
>Prism eating while perched on top of a tri-pillow cushion
>With you eating near the living room laptop
>The laptop has seen better days, between hooves smacking and boopers booping the keys
>Thankfully it's good for browser use at the very least
>It wouldn't be getting any use otherwise
"So, ready for our harmony quest?"
>Prism continues to chew on her biscuit
>Very much like a proper lady, she swallows before speaking
>She's the only one who does that
>Still
>"I am. Are you prepared to be as open as can be?"
"Always. Aren't you?"
>Despite her biscuit being full of blueberry jam and coated in a light layer of butter, you'd think that she ate a bug with the look on her face
"Come on, you're not worried about what I'm going to ask, are you?"
>"You? No. I'm not against answering your questions."
"So who are you worried about?"
>Her sour expression doesn't change
>Her only answer is a slow lick of her lips
>"Thanks for the breakfast. Anon."
>Returning the vitriol, you do your best mocking smirk
"Why any time. Prism."
>You raise your mug and drink your tea, complete with extended pinky
>A loud slurp leads to you sucking in more air than you wanted and some of the tea going down the wrong pipe
>While you weren't expecting that, it does make her crack a smile, sadistic as it may be
"Red! Yellow! Whatever your names are, both of you ready?"
>You hear a pair of answers hat sound close enough to "yes"
>After a modest cleanup and piling all leftovers onto the biggest plates, everyone sits in...
>Well honestly, it's a square like it's a D&D night
>"Anon, set the stage!"
"...what?"
>Jack beams at you
>"Make it sound like a huge quest! We're going on a quest for the elements like Ma and the others!"
>Not once did she ever ask you to prepare a questline monologue
"...ah... yeah. Hold on."
>You squint and rub your chin
>Jack is happy and eager to start
>She's been looking forward to it since she brought it up
>Shine has the most feline shit-eating grin
>She really has no shame
>Prism looks...
>Like she's the same, and that none of this affects her
>She at least pays more attention during their campaign
"So. Many centuries ago, our Jackenstein's Ma-"
>"Ma's centuries old now?"
"Yes, spoiler to the history lesson but she's an alicorn now an-"
>"Yeah! I'm descended from magic royalty!"
>Red and white look at yellow
>She is pretty giddy about this, isn't she
"Shush or I'm turning this into Resident Evil"
>You have no clue what you mean by that
>No one does
>But it gets her to hush

"Anyway, centuries ago the elements of harmony were important to the world. And now they're needed now. Not only is it our duty to save the world, but it is our duty to test our bonds and grow closer through the virtues of honesty. Loyalty. Generosity. Ah...."
>Shit
>What were the other ones again
"...uh, magic, not being a dick and being funny."
>The three dorks give you their own confused look at your interpretations
>"I mean. You aren't wrong."
>"I can't wait to see how everything stalls when it gets to magic."
>"My, aren't you the wordsmith."
"Ah, yeah, nah, that's exactly how it goes. Princess Applejack told me so."
>If you had epic music, now would be the best time to rev it back up
"Anyway, we have a hint on the element of honesty! And that is through a series of rounds of Truth or Dare! Once enough is played, the element will reveal itself to us and we'll be one step closer to saving the world... and maybe even ourselves."
>Outside of some striking hand gestures... it's a pretty lame story, you won't lie
>You didn't even have music to try to hype it up
>"So how are we gonna do this?"
>Bless Jacqueline for her hype
"I was thinking that one starts and it revolves around for two cycles. Like for example, if I were to start. I'd ask you and then you'd ask me. Then I'd move onto the next so I ask six times, and get asked six times. Then someone else takes the reigns and they ask effectively six times and so on."
>You shrug, your creativity already spent with this
"And at the end, we all see how it turned out and... hopefully we'll all be alright."
>"What about the element, Anon?"
>Shine is having fun watching you fumble with this
"If we find it, we mark it off the list and look for the next one. Or Majora's Mask will cause the moon to crash on us or something. Anyway, who's gonna start this?"
>Every pony is either intimidated or amused by what you have to say next
"...alright. I guess I'm going first. Alright. Jack."
>She straightens at attention
>"Yessir!"
>Honestly, you haven't thought of too many things to ask her in particular
"How did you like your breakfast?"
>"Well I--"
"Wait. I forgot. Truth or Dare?"
>"Oh. Truth!"
"Then yeah, how'd you like it?"
>"I liked it! It felt good to eat outside, I'm glad the weather is clearing up."
"Very nice."
>No one is impressed by this so far
>At least Jack's happy to talk
>"So Truth or Dare?"
"Let's go with Truth."
>"Do you like hugging me or Sparky better?"
>"Now that is a question I want to know too."
>Prism's focus has officially been switched out
>"Yeah, Anon. Tell her."
>Shine is just as interested
"Well."
>Your eyes go between earth and magic pony
"I'll be honest. I like Shine's fur. It's longer. She also feels warmer, which can be a bonus. And I do like how her mane smells since my face is pretty close to it."
>The unicorn puffs out her chest as if that was the entire answer
>Jacky squints at her
"But."
>Their attention focuses to you
"Jack's mane goes everywhere and has my favorite scent. Plus I know she's pretty tough so I can squeeze her as much as I can."
>"And when you hug me from the front I kiss your neck! And your ear too."
>You clear your throat
>You didn't want her to expose that sort of info
"Yeah. That too. But while I like hugging both because it really does help me calm down and focus on more productive and positive thoughts... Jack wins. If there is any one main deciding factor, it's that I can hug her any way I want and it still feels natural. With her, I can try out whatever I like and we've never had any weird situations or awkward moments after the fact."
>"That's true. We even found out a few new favorite positions because of trying things out!"
"Yes. Hugging positions."
>You're doing your best to ignore the glare Prism is giving you
>And the look of betrayal Shiner is giving you
"Anyway."
>Who would be less brutal to talk to next?

"Shiner. Truth or Dare?"
>"Truth."
>Best keep things softball for the start
"What sort of cooking do you actually enjoy the most? I know you handle most of it but you're always kinda trying new ways out."
>That catches her off guard
>"Huh? Cooking? Well, I wouldn't... I don't know."
>Thankfully she seems to be giving this some thought
>"I would like to be able to cook something through magic directly, no appliances. But baking is easy and it works for almost everything. So yeah. Baking."
>The way her eyes are searching, she probably is giving it some real thought
>"So Anon, Truth or Dare?"
"Truth me, red."
>"Do you like that I cook for everyone?"
>She grins
>"For you?"
>And there we go
"Yeah. I really appreciate it. No matter how you look at it, Jack and I ate like chumps until you started taking over on that. I really wasn't taking care of myself. And I was kinda leading Jack down that road too. Thankfully she's filled out by then... I remember when I could really feel her ribs pretty easy. So yeah. Thanks, Shiner. We'd be screwed without you."
>You do mean it, one hundred percent
>But it also means that your honesty stops her from adding some sort of extra commentary
"Prisma, T-"
>"Truth. And yes, I liked breakfast."
"Oh."
>Well that kinda just
>Happened
>"I also have to say that I agree with your thoughts regarding Sparking Shine. None of us were all that... capable, when it came to creating anything. It was all finding things. Stealing things. Eating what was already made. But thanks to her, we're able to eat better than a lot of humans. And, because you work, we're able to keep eating what we like. We really are living the dream."
>Her smile and tone tells you that she means it
>"What about you?"
"I'll go with truth I suppose."
>"Why do you put up with Sparking's shenanigans? Even if it is just... hugging..."
>She squints at you when she says that
>"...why do you let her get away with things like that?"
>All eyes are on you
"Well I kinda..."
>Just how much do you say about all of this?
>You're stalling
 "I guess I'm kinda just unable to stop it."
>Prism frowns at you
>"And what do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I mean, I suppose. For Jack, things just kinda... happened."
>She perks up at the mention of herself
>"It's true, Dash! We were both kinda lost and just relied on each other. It wasn't until we got Sparky that I started to remember more things and that led to me thinking about things and that was when we-"
"Yeah, no need to go into key details like that."
>Shine rolls her eyes
>"Especially when I still remember those days too. You two were an embarrassment."
>Well this has gotten awkward
"You know what? I think we're too sober for this."
>"Yeah!"
>Jack is immediately on board
>"Only if I drink just a little."
>Shine can dig it
>"Do we have to?"
>You have to look into pegasus-alcohol tolerance one of these days
"Yup, it's official."
>You stand up, more than a little eager to disengage from the whirlwind of open, unabashed honesty
>This isn't uncomfortable
>It's just...
>Awkward
>Maybe the introduction of booze will somehow make this more of a mature interaction between an adult male and three female technicolor talking ponies
>One of which you have intimate relations with
>One of which you've recently been forced to feel up thanks to her magic which manifests itself in a red aura
>...
>This is your life
>Maybe you really do need that drink

>What started as a short stand up led to a few hours of break
>You think everyone was expecting things to get serious but your mention of adding in booze meant one thing, and one thing only
>Everyone's going to end up plastered
>To prepare, snacks and drinks were gathered
>Schedules and planned activities were canceled
>And bathroom breaks were had
>That was especially important when it came to alcohol, everyone learned
>The snacks ranged from the leftovers from breakfast, gummy worms and rings, and chips
>Drinks included a few sodas, plenty of tall and broad mugs of water
>And the jewel in the crown
>Delicious vodka
>As tempted as you are to mix it with soda, you'd rather not
>Even now, eying it gives you a sense of foreboding terror
>As soon as everyone starts to sip on it, there really will be nothing but honesty
>You still can not decide whether or not that is a good thing
>Shine is last to come back to the living room
>With... a towel draped around her
>"Alright, I showered. I'm ready now."
"Wait, you were taking a bath while we were sitting around?"
>"Well yeah. I gotta be prepared."
>You do not like even the shadow of an implication of that
>Her tail flickers to and fro when she trots past
>She's really putting on the best of her scented stuff
>Thankfully she isn't stealing Jack's aromatics
>But...
>It really does smell good, doesn't it?
>"Should I take a bath too?"
>Jack pips up to break your focus
>Thankfully
"Eh? Why? Didn't you take one last night before hopping into bed?"
>"Yeah."
>You tilt your head to the side and give your dork a quizzical look
"...no?"
>That was odd
>"Can't blame her for asking when you made a face like that when Shining was walking by."
>Excellent commentary from the chicken-bird-pony of the group
"I did not, in fact, make a face."
>"Oh, you did. Remember, tonight's theme is honesty."
>Shine is the worst right now
"Alright. I see how it is. Everyone takes a drink. Prism, you're up next because you're the biggest lightweight and it's cheating if you drink too much to play after your round."
>You hold up the bottle
>Deliciously square with... maybe two thirds left?
>You pull it back as soon as Prism shows interest
"Nope, not yet. I get first drink."
>You grimace at the bottle
>You actually rather enjoy staying sober
>But you want some form of protection for this night more
>You twist off the cap and give it a sniff
>That
>Is the good stuff
>You could never be an alcoholic but sometimes you can see the appeal
>You slowly fill your mouth with the liquid and immediately remember why you couldn't actually be an alcoholic
>The fresh, vibrant burn that goes from your throat to your nostrils is almost enough to make you sputter
>But you persist in gulping down the socially acceptable poison
>You hold out the bottle for Prism while reaching for some gummy worms with your other hand
>It gives you something nice to chew on and a way to cleanse your mouth.

>A few worms later and everyone has had at least some potato-based truth juice
>Maybe Jack's Ma was into the cider business because it made all of her customers more honest?
>"Ok, that... that was certainly something. Jacky, want to go first with me?"
>Jack, who's far more receptive to the drink, nods with gusto
>"Lay it on me, sister!"
>"Alright then. Truth or Dare?"
>"Truth me!"
>"Just how much do you love Anon, since he's so prone to getting distracted by our resident hot head and why do you forgive such indecencies?"
>And we're off
>Rather than look mad or even bothered, Jack brings a hoof up to her face and taps at her chin
>Her tail is flicking and almost wagging
>"A whole ton. A lot more than I did yesterday. And so much more from the first night we spent watching movies. But even at that point, I think something kinda clicked with me."
>She looks at you
>Her eyes are actively appraising you
>"And I'll be honest?"
>That is the name of the game
>"I kinda... like... that he's a human. Because let's be honest, every pony, I kinda like this world. It's so much more advanced. It's cool. And Anon is huge and strong and his hands can do anything."
>If you had liquid in your mouth, you're sure you'd have done a spit take by now
>"Ain't that a fact."
>Shine joins in with a thoughtful nod
>Prism doesn't seem to know how to react to that
>Perhaps she was expecting something more dramatic?
>"I... I see."
>"And! Don't even get me started on how often we get to hang out and do whatever, every day. I can't remember one day that I've spent without having him around me in some way. And I truly do love that. It's not like I need him around me every day to stay alive but I feel like everything is that much better because he's there. And I really do love that he never looks down on us. On me. Even if we're a fraction of the size, a different species and really have no way to compete with a human outside of what makes us unique."
>She gives an appraising look to Shine
>"And... I think Anon likes my orange and yellow better than red on red. And how I can make certain things flex whe-"
"Lemon Pepper, Jack, whoever you are, you don't gotta go that far!"
>Your face feels hot and you can even feel a bit of a runny nose trying to start
>You're perfectly fine with doing the deeds but hearing them out loud is another layer of self-aware that you aren't sure you want to be on quite yet
>Prism notices this and grins
>"I agree. I'm glad you let us know, all the same."
>"Truth or Dare, D?"
>"I'll take truth, Jacky."
>The three levels of entertained in front of you really do let you know that alcohol is the best and worst choice you've made all day
>And it's still day
>And no one has actually had enough to really mess with them
>Yet
>"Why don't you love Anon too? I mean, I get jealous. Sometimes. But he's shown me a lot of times that what I can do is really unique to only me. And he's... just really great like that."
>As if you've ever done anything to warrant such praise
>Prism shows some sign of discomfort but more because it means she has to articulate herself
>"It's not that I hate him... I suppose I'm weary of him. As you've said, he isn't one of us. And he never will be."
"Because I'm a guy?"
>"Because yo..."
>You couldn't have said something more stupid if you tried
>That is the message you're getting from her wry, narrow-eyed look
>"...actually, yes. It is partially because of that. And partially because you are a human. I can't just fawn over you."
>"I ain't asking you to do that, bird lady. I just want you to stop giving him a tough time."
>"And I'm not! I just don't want to be all that cuddly more than I have to."
"Wait, haven't you been cuddly at least once or twice before?"
>Jack joins in, giving her best pressure through a death squint
>"Yeaaaah.... and you did start that singing and dancing bit the first time. I don't think you even told me about that!"
>"Jacky, I did!"
>"Well I don't remember so it means you didn't!"

>"What sense does that make?"
>"It makes all the sense it has to, missy!"
>"Well whatever, I answered."
>She rolls her eyes and shifts by re-adjusting her position and looks at Shine
>"So..."
>"Dare."
>Our first dare of the night
>"I dare you to apologize to Jacky."
>"What? Why?"
>"Because you did something wrong today. You do something wrong almost every day."
>"You have no proof of that!"
>You're staying out of this one
>Jack is too, apparently
>"Your face is all the proof I need, Sparking Shine. Now apologize."
>With six pairs of eyes on Shiner, her ears flatten
>Could it be that she's feeling some form of shame
>Some semblance?
>A crumb, perchance?
>"Jacky..."
>The unicorn huffs like she was caught stealing a pack of gum by a state trooper
>"I'm sorry. I used my magic to make Anon hug me extra hard before I got up. Because I feel happy when he hugs me, and I've never felt that happy before. So I'm sorry I stole that from you."
>That is the most back-handed, or back-hoofed, apology you've ever heard
>But Jack buys it
>She lurches over and swings her front leg around Shine's neck and drags her close
>"Awww, don't worry about it! When you put it that way, it sounds downright cute!"
>You're almost positive Shine is trying to say something
>But it's coming out more and more strangled
>You can see Jack's leg tightening harder
>The smile on her face is...
>Kinda scary
>"It's ok. But I gotta have my hug time too so... do... not..."
>Good gracious she's going to pop this girl's head off
>"Be greedy!"
>She lets go of Shine, who's horn ignites like a mechanic's torch
>You are too intrigued by this to take cover but the red aura goes to her throat rather than taking the form of some blast of flame
>"Y... yeah. You too."
>Crisis averted
>You can feel a light layer of sweat that formed on your head from that tension
>At least Prism looks satisfied by this
>"Lucky guess."
>"Lucky I'm here to keep you honest, dear."
>"So spit it out."
>"Dare, Sparking Shine."
>Shine grins
>"I dare you. To let Anon give you a hug and not he can't let you go until after you two ask Truth or Dare."
>Though it isn't the most funny thing in the world, you can't help but startle every mare with a barking laugh
"Oh that's rich. Alright, bring it in."
>You chuckle and hold out your arms
>"... Veto?"
"Nope."
>"Nooo!"
>"Come on, not this early!"
>Three against one wins the day
"Come here, chicken wing. I'm gonna love and tolerate the shit out of you."
>"I really don't think this is needed, honestly."
"Come here, birdbrain. I'm gonna Kentucky fry the fuck out of you."
>That gets Jacky to burst out
>"Good lord Anonymous, is that how you talk to me?"
>"Do it, chicken!"
>All you do is flex your fingers to welcome her to your arms
"Let's do this, butterscotch."
>"What, no."
"Come on, cakecup."
>"Cakecup? Don't you mean cupcake?"
"Bring it here poundcake."
>"That better not mean what I think it means."
"Come tell Santa what you want for Christmas."
>The continued laughter from Jacky officially passes the point where she can't control her volume
>"Anon, you're making this worse than it needs to be."
"Come tell Papa John what you want on your pizza."
>"Now I know that's inappropriate!"
>That last comment got even Sparking to start giggling
>The creeping horror on her face contrasts against your wholesome smile and outstretched arms
"Don't struggle, let's snuggle."
>"Absolutely not!"

>"...Nothing disappoints me more than how both of you have betrayed me like this."
>Prism is firmly held in a hug
>Her side is pressed against your front, with her flank on your thigh
>Your arms are draped over her, with one hand holding the other wrist
>You stifle a chuckle
>You will admit, she smells...
>Different
>More natural?
>Perhaps it's due to how she tends to groom herself
>She doesn't know how to do any magic but apparently being a pegasus requires far more an intense grooming regimen
>You can feel that she's stiff as a board
>Normally you wouldn't press the issue
>But a dare's a dare
>"So Anonymous."
"Yes, Faint Prism."
>Her words are stiff and stilted, so you mimic her tone
>"Truth or dare?"
"Well that's a good question. Because I was thinki-"
>"TRUTH OR DARE?!"
>The other two giggle at her frantic cry
"Truth me."
>"Why did you want to torture me along with them?"
>A quick answer
>To be fair, if you did want to torture her...
"Because it's funny. Truth or dare?"
>You'd answer far more eloquently and be as thought provoking as everyone else
>"Truth."
"Are you genuinely this disturbed by this? I mean, this isn't some sort of attack on you, personally. We all know that I'm not going to stick you in the oven with an apple in the mouth or sell pictures of your hooves online."
>"Wait, what?"
"Shhh... shh shh..."
>You give her a gentle squeeze
"It ain't like that. Now I'm sorry for all of the... weird things I probably have done at some point. But can we both agree that was then and where we are right now... isn't so bad? Are you and I honestly so much like oil and water?"
>Contrary to your expectations, she doesn't answer with some singular word and hop off
>You can feel her body relax
>Enough that she does lean against you rather than lean away
>"...alright. I'm sorry."
"I'm not looking for an apology. Just that yesterday's enemies don't have to be today's too."
>"And you aren't an enemy."
"You're sure about that?"
>While she made a strong effort to avoid eye contact, she tilts her head upward
>Something got through to her
>You've never seen her face like this before
>"...I'm sure."
"Cool. Thanks, I'm glad you think so. I'm happy you're here, don't ever think otherwise. You're the most level-headed here, if something happened to me I would trust your decisions the most to be the right ones."
>Another crack in her shell
>Just as her expression changes further, she buries her head in your chest
>You are as surprised as Jack
>And almost as surprised as Shine
>You are being honest but you never considered this to be something of particular importance
>"...you know you can hop out of his hug now, right? D?"
>Jacky finally speaks up, her voice wavering
>"In a moment."
>Your eyebrows raise
>You weren't expecting that
>Neither was Jack but her broad smile says it all
>Only Shine is still surprised
>"...seriously? She's getting free hugs and you get to share a moment together? Where's my moment?"
>You want to tell her that she already had hers
>But you'd rather not ruin the pensive vibe that you can feel radiating off of the pegasus

>Halfway through the first round and already so much ground has been covered
>You think
>You're honestly been happy to let as much leak out of one ear as soon as it has entered the other
>Not for any lack of respect toward them
>But more because you're hoping it doesn't get weirder
>You contemplate this while glaring at the vodka bottle
>Prism finally got off of you and has silently resigned herself to sucking up gummy worms and chugging water
>She doesn't look defeated but...
>Maybe it's toothless?
>Who knows what's going on in her head
>You've never personally known
"Alright, Jack. You're up."
>You swipe the bottle and hold it up in her honor
>You don't fill your mouth to capacity like the first time but you still let it sit and swish and burn in your mouth before quietly letting it drip and flow down your throat in short streams
>It's hardly the proper way to drink since it goes burn even the inside of your lips and that spot you've been chewing on your cheek due to boredom at work
>But it's how you drink
>By the time all of it goes down to your stomach you let out a staggered cough and violently shiver
"Guah. That. Is supposed to be good stuff. But who knows at this point, at least it tastes decently."
>"Come give me a sip."
>Red magic envelops the bottle and floats over to Shine
>She does the same, though it's more a quick swish upward
>Of course, she's a pony
>Even a third of what you just had would be quite the shot for her
>"Next!"
>Shine watches you and lets her tongue drag outside of her mouth
>She licks her lips with intent while Jacky gives a solid, loud gulp
>Times like this, you're very happy she hasn't ever had any semblance of morning sickness
>You know it's probably an impossible thing
>But
>Part of you just hopes
>"Whew! Alright, momma's recharged and ready for more!"
>Sweet baby Celestia don't give her any evidence that her calling herself "Momma" does anything to you
>"Hey Da-sha, is it ok if I start with Anon?"
>"Of course, dear."
>She's the only one to turn down a drink
>She isn't particularly downtrodden by any extent but the way she's navel gazing makes you think she's contemplating the origin of gummy worms and why they come in two colors
>"Anon! Truth or dare?"
>This is a tough one
"Truth me, Jackinomics."
>"What do you like the most about me?"
"Where do I start?"
>"Good question. Tell me one thing that you like most about me!"
"Mmm... well that's a far better question."
>You could go sappy
>You could mention how just plain pleasant she is to be around
>How much you adore her
>The way she laughs when you're out in public
>How utterly comfortable she's gotten around you
>The little chase you have to finally be able to take a bath with her
"Dem thighs."
>Instead, you speak your mind
>Jack grins and leans back
>She kicks her hind legs forward
>Those are the legs that absolutely busted your fridge door some two years back
>Among other things
>Good God you could crush an engine block between those
>"...right?"
"Eh?"
>You hadn't even considered that she was speaking
>"These, right? Why do you like them so much?"
>She flexes the one visible while kicking out her other hind leg
"Mm."
>You pull your head back and shake it until you can see straight again
"What don't I like about them? They make for good pillows, they keep me where I should be when the situation calls for it-"
>"The situation?"
>You completely talk over Shine's question
"And when you really put your mind to it, you're pretty acrobatic too. But the pillow bit especially. The only way I sleep better than you laying on me is my head on those and your face next to mine."
>The looks Jacky gives you is positively saucy
>"What's so good about thighs anyway?"
>Another question that goes unanswered
"So yeah. That's where my mind went first."

>Jacky giggles and switches side
>But it's more of an obvious show than anything else
>Apparently you and her have enough alcohol to take full advantage of what it means to be "honest"
>"Oh God, no one needs to see that here Jacky."
"Veto."
>"Yup, Veto heard. Dashie?"
>"Do it if you have to, I'm not even looking at that."
"You heard it, two to one."
>"Oh come on!"
>Man and yellow mare share a moment with a smile that says, in no uncertain terms, that there is a true connection
>"So, Mr. Leg Man."
"Yup. Truth or dare?"
>"Dare."
>The grin on her face is more intoxicating than the triple distilled potato juice
>And you know it's triple because you checked the bottle earlier
>You still don't know what that means but fuck if you care right now
"I dare you."
>"Mmmyes?"
"To tell me what you plan to do with this recently gained knowledge."
>There are two witnesses but right now this is between you and her
>It is, in effect, the element of honest at work
>You can feel it
>And it isn't just the alcohol talking
>Alcohol can't even talk, so it can't say otherwise despite that being such a lame excuse
>"In Soviet Russia pillow lays on head."
>She speaks with a guttural, low accent
>You think it's more German than Russian but you'll take it
"I'm pretty sure I have a hat you'll be able to use too."
>"Ok, putting a stop to that here and now. Jacky, truth or dare!"
>All of this open flirting and overt inviting has apparently been the last straw for Shiner
>"Truth, Sparks."
>Jacky flexes and stretches once more before going back to a more normal and less... exposed sitting position
>You must remember that, at the core, all of this was her idea
>She must not have forgotten that tidbit since everything got started
>"Don't you think it's a little insensitive to just... do that sort of stuff while we're here and in the splash zone?"
>The two of you share a chortle
>Thankfully it has never gotten that dire
>"And you wouldn't do it if you had the chance?"
>The smirk Jack has is pure gold
>It's like she's learning Shine's habits and using them like a mirror
>"Truth or dare? If truth, that's my question."
>Cornered and trapped
>Shine's lips twitch into a frown
>"Fine. Dare."
>"I dare you to tell me I'm being excessive."
>Jack puffs out her chest, as if she had already won something
>"I dare you to tell me that I need to reel it back. Or that I'm acting so weird that you don't recognize me, when really I'm just really embracing my life. And I am, I'll have you know."
>Shine looks at me with disgust
>Of course, the disgust isn't aimed at me
>"Fiiine. You aren't. I'm just jealous. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
>"Yes."
>"Why? Don't you already get to gloat enough every day?"
>"No? You have magic. You have an entire world you can explore. You can do more in this life than I ever could, and even more than what Anon could do. But I have him. I'm his. And I don't see the reason to hide that anymore. Not from myself, not from the entire world. I've had two years to think about all of this and no matter how I twist it, I don't want things to change. I don't want to wander off into the world. I don't want to be a thief. I don't want to worry about food or how badly the world may be going. I want to focus on myself. And Anon."
>Shine still isn't happy
>For going on the offensive so often, her defenses really are severely lacking
>"And Dashie. And you."
>"Me? And what or who am I to you? Your chef?"
>"My sister, you dork."
>Who taught this yellow mare such an inflammatory insult?
>"No matter what, I can't stay mad at you. And I won't. I'm comfortable in life and I can't waste another two years questioning it or where things may go. And if things do change or get hard, then I'll have to do more to help out. And that really is all it takes, because that's all I care about."
>As much as Shine wants to argue, you can hear by the tone of her exhale that something must have rung true

>"Alright... yeah. That's fair. I guess I can't say I think any different."
>Shine rolls her eyes and lets her head wander to a plate of left over biscuits
>"Even if you are the dumb one of the group."
>"My head is full of love and that will always be better than dumb brains."
>Jack nods with confidence
>It takes every fiber of your being to not blurt out "to be fair both of you are pretty retarded"
>Let the sisters have their moment, Anon
>Not everything requires commentary
>No matter how true it is
>"Dashie! Truth or dare?"
>Prism raises up her head, idly chewing on a gummy worm
>You can tell because a tiny bit of green worm is on the edge of her lips
>"Mmm."
>She nods and swallows
>Maybe she could use some gum if she just wants something to chew on
>"Truth."
>"Are you embarrassed by us being weird?"
>A surprisingly benign yet powerful question
>Prism gives me a suspicious side leer
>And one to Shine
>"All three of you embarrass me to no end, and on almost a daily basis."
>She inhales
>Holds
>Exhales
>"But this is... what... you... might call family. Too. Isn't it?"
>Everyone nods
>You're a bit surprised even Unicornholio is nodding along
>But to be honest, it is the case
>"So yes. As my little sister, I could never live the way you do. But I also understand fully why you do and I support it. Far more than I could ever support anything we've done with ourselves."
>Her warm, almost maternal smile reflects off of Jacker's wide, excited beaming
>"Truth or dare?"
>"Keep the truth train moving!"
>Jacky bobs her head to a song you can almost hear
>"If you and Anon ended up as parents..."
>The energy drains from the room in an instant
>Where could she be going with this?
>Jack looks as uncomfortable as you feel
>"...would you name one of your daughters after me? I'm fine with taking a middle name spot."
>"Just the middle name spot?"
"Huh? "One of?""
>"Wait, what about me?!
>"Oh let's face it, Anonymous, neither of you will stop once it happens."
>"Of course! Would you prefer "Faint" or "Prism" as the name?"
>"That's going too far, they can't just start popping out foals!"
"How many do you think we're going to have? What's even the pregnancy duration?"
>"Oh I'm fine with either. You could even make it anything that begins with a D."
>"You got it, Auntie Dash!"
>"HOLD IT, I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE AN AUNT!"
"You're like the same age as them, you little red runt!"
>The topic of motherhood causes the entire room to erupt
>As embarrassing as it is for Jacky, the longer it goes on the happier she gets
>Same with Prism, honestly
>She's speaking with the authority of someone who's already had child care
>Which is technically true from what you know about their past
>And Shine...
>Poor Sparking Shine
>Her attempts to detract and derail fall on deaf ears
>Until she starts mentioning that when she has foals, neither of them are getting any middle name slots
>You are pretty sure this is a woman's conversation and the best thing you can do for all intents and purposes is to not laugh too hard and to say "hello" to your dearest bottle of Polish potato surprise
>Honestly, you often forget that you're the only guy among these creatures known as women

>The baby talk leads for...
>Far too long
>Thankfully long enough that calls for another drink
>Who's left?
>Shine?
>You take another drink
>Maybe a drink and a half
>By the time everyone settles down, you've learned that you're probably going to have at least a dozen kids
>Foals?
>Centaurs?
>Who the hell knows
>But good to know that all of them are pretty open to the idea
>You're not that shocked but it is still a good thing to hear
>It means that if and when things escalate that far
>Or if nature finds a way
>They really will be with you and Jack every step of the way
>You've never felt that sort of support before
>Even if it's all theoretical
>"I guess it's my turn now."
>More drinking is passed around
>Prism and Jack are curled up against each other like a pair of cats
>The maternal talk must have really had an effect on them
>Prism is the only one who refuses another sip
>Shine looks at you, smiling
>"I guess you're up first. Truth or Dare?"
"Trust me."
>"Trust you?"
"Ah. Eh, truth."
>"Same thing."
"I guess so. What you got for me?"
>"Could I ever be a mom like Jack?"
>You know what she's asking
>But you also know what she's asking
"You do not that she isn't one, right?"
>Things have mellowed out enough that it seems like no one taking any sort of bait
>"I know... but still."
>You shrug
"I have no clue. Probably."
>That's enough for her to smile
>"Thanks. I wanted to ask something more... pressing. But I guess that just feels more important right now."
"Yeah. I suppose I get that. Truth or Dare?"
>"Truth."
>Shine closes her eyes and curls up tight into a ball
>Your eyes focus on the other two
>Are they still even awake?
"Hey dorks, you up?"
>Both nod
>Well that's good
>But now you kinda... feel a little embarrassed to ask
"You think... your magic could have anything to do with that? With helping out there."
>All mare heads rise up
>Shine looks more shocked than anything else
>"...can magic work like that?"
"Hell if I know. Did you know that you could turn fire to ice?"
>"...no?"
"Then there you go."
>As if it wasn't an ice breaker to just mention the possibility of starting a family, you go and ask for help to start one
>You aren't really sure of how else to put it
>After a long silence, she aims an intent stare at Jacky
>"Jacky, say Truth."
>"Truth?"
>"If it's possible...?"
>Jacky returns the stare
>The last horse to cross the finish line, she looks at you
>You already asked
>So it's a bit obvious of what you think on the matter
>"Yeah. Yes. Definitely. Say truth."
>"Truth."
>It seems like they're in sync on this
>"If it works, then..."
>"Yeah..."
>"...alright."
>Their deer-in-the-headlights look makes it a little awkward
>You have no clue what they're on about but it you're...
>Honestly?
>Not as concerned as you should be
>"Prism. Say truth."
>"Truth."
>Prism's mouth pops out the word like a bubble
>"You know what this means, right?"
>"Yes. Truth."
>"Yeah."
>"Are you ready for that responsibility? No getting jealous."
>"I don't know. But it means that it could happen, right?"
>"Maybe."
"Alright, can one of you female horses tell me what's going on?"
>"Don't worry about it."
>All three of them say that
>It's not just in stereo, but surround sound
>You feel like their triple-assurance blasted away what little focus still had
"Alright. So... harmony quest. Would you say that we figured out something about the element of honesty?"
>"Big time."
>"I suppose so."
>"If this works, I expect complete worship for a month straight."
"Nice. Well..."
>You want to say that things turned out well
>All of them have this serene feeling
>You really don't want to impede on it
"I'm gonna... go hang out in my room. Glad everyone had fun."
>Rather than the quest ending on a bang, it ended in a pretty mellow thing
>A lot of the leftovers were left half-eaten
>Most of the water was ignored
>Only Jack drank some soda
>Eh, it's not a big deal
>They'll eat and drink the rest tomorrow

>You retreat to your room and flop down onto your mattress
>There's enough alcohol in your system to help with blood flow
>And to calm a lot of your nerves
>But not nearly enough to cause any weird outbursts or substantial drop in linguistic skills
>This "quest" really worked
>A lot of apparent issues were quashed
>A lot of things were brought up
>You really aren't so sure of what to make of all of it
>If Jack could get pregnant...
>If
>Of course, you would be happy
>You might be a little more... conservative, with certain actions
>And to be honest
"To be honest..."
>You should be worried
>You really should be
>Imagine the costs
>Imagine trying to explain that to the apartment front office
>Could you still even live here?
>The societal implications too
>But
>To
>Be
>Honest
>You don't care about that
>You don't care about any of that
>If you can get that sort of thing with Jack, you more or less have to go for it
>You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you turned down an offer
>Your thoughts don't go any further than that
>You lay there for... who knows how long
>In a completely dark, quiet bedroom
>The apartment is far too small to start a family in
>But you grew up pretty poor too
>At the end of the day, you're either for it or against it
>And you're for it
>One thousand percent, you're for it
>You stare at the ceiling fan for far too long
>Your eyes have adjusted enough where you can see the blades spinning
>If you focus hard enough, you can track an individual blade going around and around
>You would never say
>But you still haven't built back up what it cost to get Prism from that warehouse and that weirdo chick
>If only you could have found a different way to get her, you could at least in theory get a down payment down for some sort of... something
>Maybe you could ask her
>If anyone would know, it would be her
>Would it really be worth it?
>You hear someone entering the room
>And laying on top of you
>The weight says it's Jack
>"Hey... Anon?"
>Yup, it's Jack
"Sup."
>"Thanks for helping out with this."
"Yeah. Don't mention it."
>She spreads her legs out all across your body
>Her upper hooves are on your shoulder
>"You think magic might... do something?"
"Maybe. But I think that Nona chick might be able to help too."
>Your arms seek her out and bring her into a tight hug
"Maybe we're missing something. Like medicine or something."
>"...to be honest, it's a pretty easy process. I'm not too sure there are so many things to do."
"Yeah. I know."
>The ceiling fan keeps spinning in the dark
"Hey Jack."
>"Yeah?"
"I'm gonna be honest with you."
>She sounds almost apprehensive
>"...yes?"
"Firstborn's name has to be Frederick or Winnifred."
>"Not Anon Junior?"
"Nah. I was never fond of the whole "Junior" thing. Just seemed weird."
>"What about Jacky Junior?"
"Do female names work that way?"
>"I don't know. If we go by conventional names, I'm still asserting that I'm named after a pepper. And Ma is named after an apple."
"That's a really good point."
>You sigh and decide to just turn off your brain
>Anything you're thinking, you can say instead
"What a day."
>"Really."
"I was expecting it to turn out a lot weirder."
>"Weirder than spontaneous baby talk?"
"Y... no, actually. That was weird, but in a completely different way. I forgot just how freaking goofy you chicks are."
>"I blame you for that."
>She nuzzles into your chest
"That's fine, I accept the blame."
>"...I don't have parents, Anon."
"Yeah..."
>"Do you think I can even handle it?"
"Absolutely."
>"How do you know?"
"Because you know how to be a mom. You know how you would have wanted to be treated and protected. Right?"
>While it would otherwise be a bit of a touchy subject, neither of you hide anything
>"Y... yeah."
"That can be enough to start on. And we still have those two dorks out there too, you know?"
>"Do you really think they would be able to help us?"
"Did you see all of that crap out there? I bet my life on it."

>"I do too. And our futures on them too."
"Just don't tell Shine that. Her ego is already getting inflated and who knows where it will be if it turns out her magic can actually do something."
>"...she doesn't want me to be the only mom, you know."
"...yeah, I know."
>"...do I stop her? I'm not sharing. Not that. Not ever. I can't."
"I don't know, Pepper. I really, truly don't."
>"...but what if it works."
"I don't know."
>"I wish I were human."
"I don't."
>You can feel her trembling
>"Why?"
"Because you wouldn't be you otherwise. We're in it for the long haul. That means we'll have to figure out our problems our way."
>You double the strength of the hug
"And we still have those elements to take care of, right?"
>"Right."
>Eventually, your hug ends
>You shift to petting her sides
>You've pet her so often that you can close your eyes and still see every part of her body clearly through your hands
>Her face
>Her mane
>Her legs
>Flank
>Other spots
>You treat her body almost like a stress ball
>By the time your hands get tired, which takes a lot of effort, you can hear her breathing
>You must have kneaded her to sleep
>Honestly now
>You could coax her to sleep in the middle of a tornado
>You inhale and exhale
>Controlled breathing to help you wind down
>You don't completely like the idea
>But you still have the email
>You can send one
>Ask a few questions
>Get an answer
>You only wonder if you should
>What if there is no way?
>What if there is a way but the cost is dire?
>What would you be willing to give up for that future?
>To be honest, you have no idea
>Maybe it's ok to not know yet
>You'll find the answer
>With her

>"You have work tomorrow, don't you?"
"Yeah... sadly."
>"Wanna call in sick and spend the day with me instead?"
"That's not a bad idea."
>Ever since the Honesty quest came and went, everyone has been in pretty high spirits
>You still need to get on Prism's case because she never did do that dare you put her up to
>But that's not the biggest deal in the world
>Jack has been sticking to you like glue
>Shine has been playing her character, and has officially eclipsed you in terms of progress and player level
"I wouldn't mind sleeping outside... but is Prism gonna make that a habit?"
>The two of you do have the living room to yourselves
>Prism is on the patio and made a little blanket nest for herself
>You can still hear the sound of combat and sorcery spamming from your room
>"She's always kinda loud, ain't she..."
"I like it. The noise."
>Jack looks up, relative to her
>Since it's starting to warm up, cuddling has been replaced with laying head to head
>"Really?"
"Yeah. You've seen it, I can sleep pretty comfortably with a movie or music on."
>"Sure but I didn't think you liked it. It took me a long while to get used to it. You petting me and doing other stuff made a difference."
"I didn't think I liked it either."
>You feel like you could leave it there
"You know how before you, I was living alone, right?"
>"Right."
"And you see how big the apartment is. It's a lot for just one guy who... doesn't have friends over. Or socialize. Or anything like that."
>You reach up with a hand to feel out Jack's face
>Just because you can, you poke her cheek a few times
>Ignoring her audible pouting, the poke turns to a stroke
"When I was growing up, my mom, grandma, uncle, friends. All of them always had something going. It was really rare when the entire house would be dead silent. Especially with my friends, if everyone was sleeping then you still had at least something going on in the background. Of course, that was initially because we were just lazy or would fall asleep right in the middle of things. But as we got older, we got a lot more lax in our ways and just stopped caring."
>You can hear Jack flop over onto her belly
>She shifts herself just enough so her neck is resting on yours
>"...keep going."
"Are you comfortable, Jacqueline?"
>She giggles
>You can feel the vibrations go from her throat to yours
>It feels better than you thought
>Not that you thought you would be able to feel anything at all
>"Very."
"Riiiiight..."
>You reply with a low, long croak that travels to her
>Another giggle and a little more weight on your neck is all you need, to know that she's enjoying this unorthodox intimacy
"Well. As tiny as that stuff is, or as annoying as people would see it. I enjoyed it. It let me know that I wasn't alone."
>The neck-to-neck action is a little warmer than you like
>But you aren't going to push her away
"When I started living on my own... I'll admit. I got spooked."
>"You got scared?"
"Yeah."
>"Because it was quiet?"

"Absolutely."
>"That's... kinda weird."
"Yeah well I'm a weird guy."
>"Seriously."
"Keep that up and I'll show you how weird I can be."
>And she knows first-hoof just how weird a man you are when you're comfortable
>"So what scared you? I mean, what about the quiet did it?"
"Well, outside of the usual like monsters in the dark and the idea of there being a zombie or doppelganger in the mirror that's going to reveal itself..."
>"Doppelwhatter?"
"Long story."
>You shiver from the mere mention of that particular thing
>It's why you still don't like looking yourself in the eye in mirrors
"Outside of all of that... I just couldn't handle it. It's depressing to be in a quiet little hole in the wall. It reminds me that I'm not home, I'm just in some sort of box where I sleep and keep my shit."
>Both you and Jack shift slightly at the sound of Shine screaming a bloody threat
>At what sounds like a dragon
"Yeah, and that? That makes me feel like I'm home."
>"It helps that we're here."
"It helps a ton that you're here, Jack."
>"I guess I never thought about that sort of stuff. Where we used to move to and sleep, noises were always a thing. Bridges had traffic. Caves had the wind and what sounded like monsters."
"You slept in caves?"
>"Like, we did once or twice."
"It probably did have something in there."
>"Probably. But we couldn't be choosey. When it comes to all of the stuff like the music that's playing, or Sparky shouting at a screen..."
>Her shoulder shrugs against yours
>"I mean it doesn't bother me. The music helps me relax a ton. You do too. I don't really feel like I have anything to be afraid of."
>You can't see everything from your current position but you can see that Jack's staring dead ahead
>"But to be alone... no music... no screaming. No friends or family."
>She blinks a few times, like she's trying her best to imagine what that would feel like
>"I don't think I could do it. I don't think I want to be alone. Least of all like that."
"Yeah... but I'm glad I was."
>"You're glad."
"Yup."
>"Why in the world would that make you glad?"
"Because it led to you, dorkus."
>You emphasize her latest name, eyebrows furrowing
"What's not to love?"
>"You got a point there."
>You can feel Jacky swallow
>"...if we do manage to figure out a way and stuff."
"If and when."
>The tone in your voice leads to some sort of shiver from her
>"...yeah. When we have a girl. Do you think it would be a bad idea if we called her Pie?"
>Her words turn deliberate
>It's such a little shift in inflection but you can tell when she does it
>"Because... if it wasn't for her. You wouldn't have thought to get me. Really, we have her to thank. And even though I might not ever get a chance to meet her, I want her to know that we haven't forgotten about her."

>This time it's your throat that tingles hers with a hard swallow
>You don't often talk about those days anymore
>Not since the first time
>And maybe a few other small times
>Part of you still wishes that those days were just a fever dream
>That it happened to some other kid that kicked off and left you in charge
>The you you know
"I'd like that. I think she would too."
>You force a weak chuckle
"Imagine that, huh... she's still out there, helping out and dealing with lazy nurses and kids that are just stuck in their life. And out of the blue she finds out that some loser she used to watch had a kid and named them after her. What a story that would make."
>Another hard swallow
>Another of yours, specifically
"I... I hope she would like that. I never even thought of that..."
>In a sense, it's insulting, isn't it?
>To not even have her in mind when it comes to such an important event
>If you were truly grateful, would you have ever let it slip your mind like that?
>"Lucky for you, while you may wear the pants I have the brains."
>You scoff
"I've seen goldfish with more effective brains."
>"That's just because they're fish and they're always thinking about swimming."
"Why do they have to think about swimming?"
>"What else are they gonna think about?"
>You can't tell if this is a touch of madness or just proof of why you consider Shine the brains of the trio
"...I guess so."
>"Heh. But even goldfish worry sometimes."
>They do?
"Should I not worry then?"
>"I don't think you have a reason to. She's like a school teacher. She's probably some big time hospital mare now and has helped out so many kids she barely remembers you."
>That is probably supposed to make you feel better
>Yet it inexplicably doesn't
>You probably were just another shit kid
>One of thousands over the years
>But
>It would be nice if she remembered you
"I'm not sure if you're trying to cheer me up."
>"I'm trying to pull a you so I'm still figuring it out."
>Your squint at the wanna-be mimic
"Pulling a me."
>"Yeah, like you know how you try to sound all serious but you say funny or weird things so you make me wonder if you did it on purpose?"
"...no?"
>You can't let her know that you know
>"Well, I'm trying it out. Is it working?"
>At least she is trying
>Your answer is a powerful yawn
"Yeah. It is. Thanks, Jack."
>"Anytime."
>At least she sounds confident in her attempt
"If I'm gonna call in for tomorrow, let's at least get some sleep. That way if I wake up early enough I can pretend that I've been up for hours and say I've been sick."
>"Why would you do that?"
"To further give the impression that I'm telling the truth."
>Lying to get out of work is a skill that takes years to hone
>Thankfully you do it so infrequently and often have drawn out excuses to win over anyone questioning things
>It helps that you overexplain when it turns to a legit absence
>"Oh my. I didn't know you were a criminal."
"We're all thick as thieves, aren't we?"
>"Some thicker than others."

"Oof. Poor girl, she wouldn't recover if she heard that one."
>Jack shifts and lays on her side
>Still neck on neck
>"Good night, Anon. Let's do breakfast together. I'll help out."
"Sounds good to me, Jack. Have a good sleep."
>You close your eyes
>Despite listening to the music and trying to pick up on the exact situation Shine is in, you can't stop yourself from entering the comfortable, warm darkness that is sleep


>What was once hard is now easy
>Where you struggled even mere hours ago, you succeed with ease
>Where Shine surpassed you before, you absolutely blew her progress out of the water
>All it took was one respec
>And she wasn't around when you did that
>"...Did you just kill that thing without support?"
"Yup."
>"...How?"
"I got gud."
>"I was talking to Jacky for like ten minutes and you were eating dirt. And you were using a different weapon."
"I know."
>You exit to the main menu and hand her the controller
"You better get to it, you're lagging pretty hard now."
>"Stupid freaking... where did you find that sword, anyway?"
"I just found it."
>"Just pulled it out of your ass, huh."
"Nope, not mine."
>You'll probably tell her about the hidden questline that led to it later
>For now, you want to savor that taste of superiority
"So what did Jack want to talk about? Once we got back, she wanted to just veg and spread out."
>You were half-joking about it at the time but you ended up calling in at work to spend the day with her
>Breakfast biscuits
>A visit to a movie theater to see the worst movie in the building
>Neither of you cared about the movie but it was a lot of fun to have an entire theater to yourselves
>Lunch
>A walk around a park
>A detour on the way home
>It was such a blur that you swore it all happened in the span of minutes
>"She was going on about the next element of harmony quest she wants us to go on. Which means the one she wants you to design and run."
"DM's job is never done, eh?"
>"Just about. She wants to go for Loyalty next."
"Element of Loyalty?"
>Rather than trying to go for progress, she's just going back to her usual spot to grind for levels
>"Yeah. Her first idea was for us to tell each other secrets and guess them but... how are we gonna do that? If we tell three secrets each, it would take forever. Not much of a party game."
>It is a little insulting to consider the quests to discover the elements of harmony as mere party games
>But she's completely right
"That's a good question... I'm not really sure. I'm not tired. To be honest, I'm still a little worked up and wired. So I guess I should think about it."
>"Worked up, huh..."
>You half-expected her to lurch her way onto your lap but she's still sitting in her spot
>In arm's reach but not directly against you
"What can I say, it feels good to go out with her. You get used to people looking at you funny, you can really do anything."
>Maybe it's the lack of shame or the growth of confidence
>Let's be realistic, it's both
"How about something like charades?"
>"What's that?"
"Where you act out something, or give a sort of hint and act out the secret."
>Shine's character stops moving
>"..."
>It starts moving again
>"No thanks. I don't want to act out that sort of thing."
"That sort of thing?"
>"Come on, it's hardly a secret anymore."
>You choose to not guess at what that may be

>Personally, you think it might have something to do with her becoming a jedi
>Her use of magic has really grown
>Or maybe not the power, but her mastery of utility
"I guess that wouldn't be the smartest option then... how about Twenty Questions?"
>"Sounds like a party game."
"Yeah. So you start off by asking a question and then start narrowing it down. For example, question one."
>"We're doing this right now?"
"Yes. Does this secret focus on yourself?"
>"Yes."
"Now it helps to be honest. Is this secret relating to magic?"
>"Yes."
"Now we're getting somewhere. Does the secret relate to how you've used magic on another?"
>"...yes."
>It's interesting to see how she plays
>As soon as she got access to incantations, she focused almost purely on that
>She can actually fight with a weapon but it seems like a genuine last resort
>She's pretty decent with rapiers and thrusting weapons
>Knowing her, she's probably thinking of them as her horn
"Hm... is it about you used your magic on my hand?"
>Shine shakes her head with a frustrated sigh
>"How is that a secret? You were there when it happened. A secret would be me using magic on you when you're sleeping."
>That does sound like her
>...
>It sounds like something she would do
"...your secret isn't related to that. Is it?"
>"No. Sadly I respect you just enough to not do something like that."
"Oh, well I appreciate it. And here I thought you were some shameless chump."
>"No, I just have a shameless shadow."
"Well as long as you do your shadow ninjutsu shit not aimed at me, go for it."
>The questioning trails off in favor of just watching her play
>So her secret is something that involves her using magic on someone else...
"Did this secret happen before or after you came here?"
"Before."
>Oh?
>Now we're getting somewhere
>But how in the world do you guess that now?
"Was it for Jack's benefit?"
>"Yes. I see how you're narrowing things down. Are you even keeping count on your questions?"
"Not at all. This is just a practice round so it's whatever."
>"You're pumping me for only information and I'm playing along because it's just practice?"
"You got a problem with that?"
>The unicorn purses her lips
>Another sigh
>"Whatever."
"Come on, it's fun to probe you for info. It lets me know more about you."
>"Anon, we've known each other for like two entire years now. And I couldn't escape from seeing you even once a day if I tried."
"And? It doesn't mean I know everything about you. And I want to know more."
>"...you better keep careful about how you say that."
"You're the one getting weird about it."
>Maybe it's due to the day's outing, but you feel confident and invincible
"Was it to protect her?"
>"No."
"To feed her?"
>No reply
>She isn't giving you a single glance
>Is this some sort of cold shoulder treatment?
>You don't really know why she would do that
>Rather, you have no clue what is up with her this time

"Did you magic up some food for her?"
>No answer
"Come on, you gotta answer."
>"Yeah."
>She's going a little overkill on the most powerful spells she has access to
>You really don't need to drop a moon on some random duo of soldiers to kill them
"Did I guess right?"
>"Just about."
"Didn't you always have issues with magic?"
>"Yeah."
"You gonna tell me about it?"
>"No."
>You get the feeling you won't be able to get anything more out of her
>You lay down, set up a pair of pillows to prop up your head, and reach out to grab her
>With some sort of squeak, you push her flank and tug on her chest to flop her onto her side
>With a practiced motion, you pull her close until your arm is under her head and wrapped around her chest
>You're going to stay laying on your back no matter how tempting it is to have an easier position to watch her play
"Thanks for helping out how you did back then. Even if they didn't appreciate it. Or know it. I'm thankful."
>"Yeah well... it's nothing."
>She sounds quiet
>Almost meek
"It's not nothing. Thanks to you, they got to live another day."
>She has so many weird moods
>Some days she's really pushy
>Other days she's a complete pain
>For tonight, she's downright quiet
>To be fair, you have no idea how she was while you were out
"Were you jealous that Jack and I went out?"
>"It's what couples do. Not friends."
"I guess. But friends do get to hang out and shit talk each other."
>"And sleep in the same bed together?"
"Yeah. My friends and I used to. Mostly because we didn't have many places we could sleep and sometimes we'd wake up after a dead nap and rejoin whatever was going on at the time."
>She nuzzles your arm
>It begins
>Out of some unknown reflex, your fingers tap against her chest
>"Hey Anon."
"What's up?"
>"Wanna learn a secret?"
"Do I have to ask twenty questions for it?"
>"No, this one's for free."
"Alright. I'll bite. What is it?"
>"Did you know that rubbing a pony's chest is equivalent to touching an erogenous zone?"
>That causes your fingers to freeze in their place
>You feel a cold...very cold... wave go down your spine
"...really?"
>Shine exhales with a dark giggle
>"...nah. I just wanted to see how you'd react. Maybe it is true for earth horses but it probably isn't true for us."
"Probably?"
>"Probably."
>You feel a little worse than awkward now
>"If you don't believe me, you don't have to. I'm probably wrong. I've never had my chest rubbed so what do I know?"
>What sparked this shift in mood?
>As well as you know her, you really don't know her as well as you know Jack
>Not a surprise, Jackentine has always been an open book
>"You can always try that out with Jacky..."
"And what are you wanting if you're right?"
>"Just more hugs like this. Friends hug, don't they?"
"Sure, but not really when they turn awkward. Unless being awkward is the plan."
>Is this just some form of way to screw with you?

>"Don't worry."
>She inhales and puffs out her chest
>"If I feel awkward about anything, I will let you know immediately."
"Great..."
>This does feel awkward to you, no matter how you slice it
>Just when you were getting comfortable with hugging her
>...should you be getting comfortable with even that much?


>Another night in with Jack
>As if there is any other sort of night you could want
>You've been checking your phone every so often, in between moving the main computer's mouse and petting her chest
>She hasn't let up on if that has any sort of effect on her
>But it feels nice there
>And it's fun to go from petting to patting her like she's a watermelon being presented to Steven Seagal
>"Something up, Anon?"
"Eh. Ah... geh."
>That's all you can reliably answer with
>"Uh oh."
>She goes from laying on her side to sitting up
>You've only just recently laid down with her so now you feel silly
>"Come on, spill it."
"Eh."
>A grunt and a short, quick shake of the head is all you're willing to disclose
>The yellow mare leans forward uncomfortably close until she's starting you in the eye with maybe an inch or two of distance
>"Spill."
"Eh."
>Bonk
>She leans forward and headbutts you at the slowest speed known to pone
>"Spill."
"Eh..."
>She rocks back and forth again, giving another almost-rub of foreheads together
>"Spill."
"Eh."
>You nudge your head forward, greeting her next lazy headbutt with one of your own
"Spill?"
>"Spill."
"Ah..."
>You avert her gaze
>You really don't want to say it to her
>You don't even want to bring it up to yourself
>This seems to bother her enough that she re-adjusts herself to sit right next to you
>Of course she isn't truly bothered, you knucklehead
>She's worried
>Of course she would be
>"Is it bad?"
>You refuse to say
>"You can tell me... you know?"
"Gah... I know."
>Finally, a straight answer
>What you're most famous for, surely
>"You almost never look at it. Is it work related?"
"No. Nothing goofy like that."
>"Oh hey, an answer! Now I am the Anon now and you are the pony. Speak to Jacky, my little human."
>She raises one of her legs to pet your head with her hoof
>It feels...
>Not that bad?
>She's more gentle than you thought
>But it does miss some of the benefits that come with fingers
>Maybe that's why you can pet her into a coma
>You lean your head into the petting anyway
"It's my mom."
>The petting stops immediately
>The look on Jack's face is one of shock and excitement
>"M-ma?! Your ma? Well heck, how's she goin'? Ain't she a right one, she ain't been contacting you since... ever! Why, I ain't even dang seen her!"
>Her sudden slip into her own ma's voice and accent is a little out of nowhere but it doesn't bother you
>You had a feeling she would get excited like this
>Like she did when you first mentioned your old friends to her
"It's... it's nothing."
>Jackenstein's face slides into a smooth grin
>"Ain't nothin', huh... what, did you tell her you found yourself a good girl and that you've been too busy to talk?"
"No, nothing like..."
>You can't help but look at your phone again
>No new messages
"I..."
>Face the music
>You can't hide this from her
>You haven't really hidden anything from her like this before anyway
"I spoke to her a bit today and..."
>"Yeah?"

>Some of the excitement already bleeds from her voice
"She's... she's doing alright. She just said that..."
>The words choke you
>You can't do anything to shake them loose from your throat
>Worse yet, the outer areas of your vision start to quickly go murky
"She just ah... she said she's starting to forget things."
>After a moment of silent registration, Jacky chuckles and nudges your shoulder with her hoof
>"Well that's alright! We all forget a ton of stuff here without even trying! Why, I even forgot what we did yesterday when you were at work and..."
>She can tell that her joyous attempt at cheering you up is not helping
>Not at all
>"...she ain't forgetting important things. Is she?"
>Your only answer is a shake of the head and half-assed shrug that involve your hands shifting upward maybe an inch before landing flat
>"...well that's not bad. Everyone has those sorts of days, right?"
>You can't even continue the topic with her
>Almost as if it's a nervous tick at this point, your eyes go from her to the phone
>Nothing
>Of course it would be nothing
>Especially in the middle of the night like this
>"...she ain't gonna forget about you, you know... no one could get that forgetful."
>And just like that, she said the one thing you can't stand the thought of
>The lump in your throat gets so bulbous that you would probably clear it out of you had a good puke
>But
>You can't
>Puking in bed would make far too much of a mess
>Not to mention too much of it would end up in her tail
>The strands are all spread out
>More than enough of your sheets have strands of stray orange and hues of red
>Same goes for your clothes
>"That ain't ever gonna happen... never in a thousand years."
>She leans low and rubs her face against yours
>You don't know if you just want to hide this from her, or if you just can't stand to talk about it
>Even the possibility
>The smallest of chances
>The eventual reality
>Even dreading over the concept is enough to warrant a shovel to the face
>"It won't, Anon..."
>Even by now, her own tone has been sapped
>Far from joy, it sounds like she's in disbelief
"Yeah."
>You're still not so weak that you can't muster one word
>A single croak to show her that you aren't so busted up over a mere sentence
>How silly would you have to be, anyway, to worry so drastically over something so benign?
>It isn't like...
>You had best not finish that thought
>If you had a Christmas card list, it would already only consist of one other human
>The dorks don't get a Christmas card
>They get lumps of coal
>The thought of them shrinking and a record scratch sounding in the background at the sight of three black rocks is enough to get you to smile
>If only a little
>A bitter, almost sadistic smile
>Schadenfreude in absence of optimism
>"...hey, I've been thinking more on our next quest."
"Yeah?"
>Finally
>A topic you can handle
>"Yeah. Sparky told me that we're gonna do something like ask someone twenty questions?"
"Yup."
>It doesn't hide your worry

>It helps as much as she thinks, which leads to her trying to give you another pet
>Her hoof comes in low and bonks your eyebrow
"Gah!"
>Your hand immediately goes up to cover your eye
>"Oh shioocrap. Are you ok? I didn't mean to..."
>Your only reaction is a laugh
>She really did draw out three words to try to pick her best option
"Ah... God damn it, Jack."
>You shake your head and bring down your head
>It was pure reflex
>Part of your eye does feel sore but you aren't so sure if that was from her or your own belly aching
"That... that was a close one. And yeah. Twenty Questions it is."
>Jack brings up her hoof again to try to pet your head
>....
>Her leg hesitates
>After a short glance from her hoof to your hands, she sets her leg down
>"...sorry."
"No, it's alright"
>You breathe deep
"I... uh. You know how I worry. You know? I'm..."
>You know
>That if it happens
>You really will be down to just yourself
>Maybe not physically
>Not yet
>But...
>You dare not even think it
"I'm just kinda... you know."
>"...yeah... like back then too."
>You don't even remember how you acted back then toward her
>It wasn't enough that you sunk your own life for a while during your loss
>You had to drag her down too
>Of course, a more level-headed you would know better than to think something so downright unrealistic
>And yet here you are
"...yeah, Jack. Like back then too."
>You try to clear your throat but you can't even do that
>So you swallow hard
>Hard enough to make you feel like someone fisted your wind pipe with razor wire
"I... uh, yeah. I thought it should be a group thing. That way rather than having three secrets and all that, it can just be one big one. Plus everyone can take a turn asking questions so you can learn more that way."
>There you go
>Distract yourself
>Focus on other things
>Continue to be the long-disconnected son you know you've been
>What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?
"Plus, you know."
>The raise in your volume finally pushes you to a normal speaking voice
>Maybe if you speak loud and often enough, you won't listen to yourself
>But why would you want to deprive yourself of such important criticism?
>You blink a few too many times to just clear your eyes
>Of course, you know
>You can't stop your thoughts
>They are the same thoughts you had since before you got Jacky
>They are the same thoughts you have even with her
>And they will be the same thoughts that will comfort you long after
"You know!"
>Her head bobs back at your sudden raise
"If everyone asks their own questions, they might guess it easier. Or make it harder. It's that sort of thing where you can find out a lot about someone without ever getting a true answer. You know, search for treasure and while X marks the spot, you can still find gold elsewhere."
>"That's true, isn't it..."

"Yeah. So... it won't be as fancy as Truth or Dare. But it's still technically a social party game. And I didn't realize that until now but maybe those might actually have some use."
>"That's right! And once we clear this one, we'll only have four left..."
"True. Say, what do you want to do once we finish, or find... whatever you want to consider it... what's your end game?"
>Jack puffs out her chest
>"Oh you leave that to me, Anon. I know just the thing."
"Are we going to re-stone Discord?"
>You can tell she wants to say "yes" but she stops at the last moment
>She squints and her gaze travels upward
>This mare
>Thinks on your words for too long
>"...do we have a Discord equivalent here?"
"The Internet?"
>She squints harder
>Her mouth opens just a fraction
>...
>By Jove she's actually considering stoning the internet
>Or somehow friendship-nuking it
>"...nah. Nah, no, too big."
"I, one day, wish I can go to wherever you just went."
>The astonishment in your voice makes her proud
>"Don't get too jealous, it only has you on a cowhide in front of a fireplace."
>You know what you're getting for Christmas then
>"I've been thinking of some stuff that we're gonna do, and we're gonna do them. I think you're gonna like it."
"Well you know, I probably will."
>You nod to yourself
>She's good at surprising you
>Not because you have something like low expectations
>But the answers and schemes those three have tend to blast you out of the water every single time
>"Oh, I know you will. I'll make sure of it."
"Yeah? You gonna threaten me into it?"
>You challenge her with a squint and poke her chest with two fingers
>A few seconds pass as her body melts into a stalwart stance
>She puffs her chest out even harder
>"You're dang right I am, pilgrim. And you're gonna love it."
"Yeah?"
>You poke her chest again
>"Yeah."
>She pushes out even further
>It's pretty apparent that she's trying to bolster herself up as much as she physically can
>You can't help but ask, at this point
"....by the way... are you digging the, uh..."
>"Chest rubs? Seriously. I think you might have found a new weakness."
>Score
"Nice."
>So maybe Shine wasn't so off...
>You will admit that you are disappointed that she doesn't give you a more visceral reaction
"Come on, lay."
>You pat the bed in front of you
>"Alright, you've talked me into it."
>She flops back onto her side, into place
>You manipulate her further until she's in the ideal position and go back to petting her from chest to lower belly
>This...
>Is better
>Maybe it will be good enough to truly distract you
>But is it?
>Can you lay so comfortably, knowing that you are doing nothing to help?
>Would Jack ever do that?

>It isn't often that you have your room to yourself
>Usually there's always something going on, be it a movie or game blasting off
>There is music in the living room playing but it isn't exactly loud enough to hear beyond knowing it exists
>The... events of last night are still with you
>You know a whole lot about them
>You think
>But you know that you're still probably a bit of a mysterious figure to them, if only because you are a native to this world
>For better or worse you had a family
>Friends
>School life
>You have an entire history that you've never really divulged to them
>It hasn't ever come up, true
>But you can't help but worry that they only see the part of you that you want them to see
>...
>That thought was so stupid you forgot what you were doing
>That must be the power of worrying over things, you forget yourself
>Realistically, obviously, there's so much you haven't been able to hide
>You haven't ever tried to hide things from them
"...gah..."
>You turned on your computer but you don't even know why
>You don't really want to play any sort of game
>You aren't so sure if you want to watch a movie either
>You feel restless but you can't compel yourself to move enough to even go to the kitchen for a drink
>You just wish it was Saturday
>You'd kick yourself into gear pretty hard if it were for them
>It... would help that it would also lead to a nice breakfast
>You have something of a committee-made shopping list at this point
>You sometimes add minor items that you enjoy, like rice pudding, or a type of soda
>Last time you did that, everyone spent an evening chomping on coconut popsicles
>The longer you think, the sillier it seems for you to worry
>And yet you do
>Worse, you s-
>"Hands above the covers, we're coming in."
>The dull voice of Shine causes you to jump
>"Hey, that ain't a thing."
>"Nooo... I'm pretty sure it is."
>Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Jack casually trot in like they own the place or something and hop onto your bed
"For your information, it..."
>Hold your horses, Anon
>This could be a trick question
"...it is not something I will be answering at this time? But you can go to my press spokesmare and she'll set you straight."
>A very balanced, professional politician's answer
>Taking her cue, said spokesmare grins at the unicorn
>"See? Told you."
>Well that certainly knocked your pebble loose
"Alright, I'm gonna pretend I don't know what you two are going on about. What's up?"
>You grab your controller without even having any clue if you're actually going to use it
>"We're gonna maressage you!"
>The cheerful tone paired with Jack's smile is almost enough to give you hope
"You kiss your Ma with that mouth?"
>"I kiss you with this mouth, yeah. You ain't complainin'."
>Bringing up the Power Word Ma is enough to give her a little bit of a southern twitch
>"Jacky said you were stressed. And I missed an ENTIRE day of playing games because of you. So you're gonna lay on your stomach and not complain."

"Ahh, moody, aren't we. Well, I was going to hop on an-"
>Red shimmers envelop your hands and the controller
>Shine grins at you
>"We both know you can't fight it. Get down like a good boy."
>Between that face and that tone, it is by and far the most dangerous thing she's done all month
>And that's saying something
"Jacky, I need an adult."
>"Well lucky you, we're all adults here. But do as the lady said, I'm with her on this one."
>This is how it ends, old boy
>They're going to make you the mare now
>Rather than headbutt the chunkhead and flick the nose of the nerd, you agree and settle down on your stomach
>You aren't sure what to expect, but you feel all of Jack's weight as she walks onto your back
>"So. Apparently this is a type of massage humans do to each other?"
>You shift your shoulder up and twist a little
>She resteps to find a better spot
>You feel something pop
"...oh damn."
>"Oh damn? Was... that supposed to pop?"
"...I."
>You didn't know you were sore there
"I don't know? But try a little higher, near where my ribs are."
>You can only presume that Shine is just watching as Jack takes little filly steps up until all four of her hooves are focused on the back of your ribcage
>Nothing more is popping
>"Huh..."
>She hops up
>This mare hops on your ribs
>You sputter out a cough after the second bounce and feel something within you give
"Lieutenant Dan ain't got no legs!"
>She's done it
>You're a cripple, Anon
>You're a
>...
>You can still clench your calf muscle
>Alright, so maybe you aren't crippled quite yet
>"You break his ribs, I'm not putting them back right."
"W-what?!"
>"Oh it'll be fine, she practiced on Prism earlier today."
>Oh God
>You haven't seen her anywhere since you got home
>"Yeah, it worked so well she had to crawl into bed! In hindsight maybe I should have put a few pillows on her before walking on her..."
"You two have killed Prism and I'm next. I knew it. I knew this was my ultimate fate."
>"To get stampeded in a casual manner by two ponies?"
"Well I..."
>Let's not get too hasty with answering
"...to be fair..."
>You push the left side of your face out, trying your best to find the right words
"...some guys pay good money for that?"
>"Good. Then consider this us paying our part of rent for the last few years. Jacky, you keep on his chest. I got the dangly parts."
>Dangly parts?!
"No, nope, I'm good I'm just gonn-"
>Your legs aren't moving
>Oh no
>You really are trapped here, aren't you
>Before you can muster the volume to cry out to the presumably shattered pegasus, you feel Shine manipulate and rotate your legs
>Jacky begins to gently step and almost knead in place, going inch by inch up toward your shoulders
>You can't stop your lungs from wanting to exhale
>Popping and crackling follows while magic forces your legs up, out, in, and down with enough twisting to make you contemplate your reaction if she were to somehow snap your feeble manimal bones in half
>Entire minutes of this pass

>Once Jack reaches your shoulders, she leans down and nuzzles her head against yours
>You return the gesture as well as you can until she spins around and works her way down
>With your legs released, she goes to your arms
>It bothers you how you can only feel an incredibly light tingle with your arms...
>They aren't imbued, per say
>Captured?
>Possessed?
>Slathered
>Whatever the correct term is, it leads to her bringing your arms up and out, causing every joint to pull and twist
>She brings your hands together in a slow clap
>And another clap
>And another
>You do The Rock justice by raising your eyebrow at her
>She's just sitting there beside you, smiling and as happy as can be
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
>"Immensely. Hey, this is technically new to me too. It took me a long while to learn how to "hold" objects properly without crushing them. Same goes for those fingers."
"I'll have you know these fingers are a national treasure, cookie."
>"Oh yeah. I believe you."
>She sounds so amused by this
>You focus back on your arms
>The magic recedes down from your shoulders to just your elbows and below
>Now that the red has left more of your body, what remains coated in red feel... is it a tighter tingle?
>Is that your imagination or is she trying to do something specific?
>Last time she stole your hand you...
>...
>Maybe that wasn't the best time to think back to
>You certainly weren't questioning particular sensations of what were and weren't
>Your hands flex and clench into fists
>You aren't doing that
>She is
"What are you doing?"
>"This."
>She makes you flip yourself off with not just one, but both hands
>You're speechless
>"That's for actually dabbing at me."
"Oh get munched, carpet."
>The gestures shift to a more neutral set of magically-puppeteered hands
>She forms a few more casual gestures with them, as if she had just gotten an action figure to play with and position
>You suppose it is a rather novel concept
>Fingers, that is
>To ponies and stuff like them
>Your left hand forms an OK-sign
>Your right hand closes with only the index finger extended
>You can hear stifled giggling
>...
>You know where this is going
>Your shanghai'd finger points into the ring your other index finger and thumb forms
"Don't do it."
>Your hands draw near
"I'm warning you."
>The lone finger rears back
"The cops will be here any second, I swear to God."
>The finger enters the hole
>Repeatedly
>You hear giggling
>Scratch that
>You hear two pairs of giggling
>Wait
>Two pairs?!
"Jack, are you in on this!?"
>She's been standing halfway on your back the entire time
>No doubt watching and enjoying your helplessness
>"Pshh.. n-nope. Not at all. I don't even have magic. You know t-that. Pft."
>"Heh... heh heh..."
>The digital fornication lasts until the finger twitches and both hands flex and spasm
>Alright, you can't stop yourself from failing to stifle a laugh out of that
>For a short time everyone was silent and just watching it happen

>Almost as if it were, in of itself, a mature show
"...alright. Are we done? Can I have my hands back? And can I get up?"
>Jacky kneads her way up to your ribs again
>She tap dances on the only bones that protect your heart and lays down
"Jacky."
>"Yeah huh?"
"Jack, my dear."
>"Ye ye?"
"Jaquelina Jolie."
>"Who?"
"You, eggplant."
>"What's up?"
"Did you just do that thing cats and dogs do and make yourself comfortable on me?"
>"Oh. Yeah. You can't escape this way so you can't stop me."
>The absolute frankness of her confession leads to you nodding to yourself
>With a lick of the lips, you you sigh with a negative head gesture
"Well. At least you're honest."
>"Mrow."
"..."
>She's just taunting you at this point
"...alright, yeah. That's the good stuff."
>You turn your head to look at Shine
>She seems rather pleased with the entire situation
"Cherry poptart, you wanna grab me a drink from the fridge?"
>"Not strawberry?"
"I like cherry more and it's the most direct compliment I can give you after this. Please?"
>Shine shrugs
>"Alright, but you owe me."
"You say that every time I ask you."
>"Yeah, I know. And you're building quite the tab."
>She trots off with a familiar humming haunting the localized airwaves of the hallway
>It's just you and Jacky
>You wiggled a little
>As you thought, she isn't nearly as secure up there as you thought
>You can feel one of her legs slip off your back
>"D-dangit..."
"How you doing back there?"
>"I'm just enjoying the view. It's like role reversal."
"Role rever..."
>You know what
>You aren't even going to go there
>You feel her slide off of your back
>She flattens herself against your side and almost army crawls up until you're the same where it comes to head placement
>"...did this make you feel better from yesterday?"
>...Ah
>So it was relating to that
>Rather than let your mind make an ass out of yourself, you nod
"Yeah... a lot better. Thanks, Pep."
>"Heh."
>She bonks the side of her head against yours
>She acts like she's going for the follow up bonk but she stops short
>Instead it just causes her mane to land on your hair
>"I'm glad I could help. So what are we doing tonight?"
>"Alright, I got your drink. Or, I got a drink. You don't like it, too bad."
>It coasts to your face: a glass of water in a mug
>With no straw
"So do I make like a baby bird with this transaction or...?"
>"Only if you stop squawking."
>That's fair
>You tilt your head up
>With surgical precision, she tilts the mug up against your mouth
>It's slow
>Methodical
>But finished
>You were a bit more thirsty than you thought
>That or you just didn't want her pouring it over your face if you stopped drinking
"Alright, nice. Thanks."
>"Yup. You good to go Jacky?"
>"Mmm."

>"Mmm."
>You can hear her grumble something to herself and feel her bounce off of the bed
>"Hurry back. I need you on his other side in case he tries to escape."
>"Yeahlright."
>You can barely make out her pivoting on her hooves and immediately bouncing back onto the bed
>She snuggles up to your side
>Though whereas Jacky is laying flat on her belly like you, Shine is on her side with her higher side legs kicked out onto you
>"So what are we doing tonight?"
"I don't even know anymore."
>"Movie?"
"Movie?"
>"Movie."
"...ok."
>Jack nods with the word so you suppose it's a movie night now
>"Like a pair of cavemen talking..."
>Shine pushes herself against your side while tilting her head back as far as it can go
>She ends up finding something from your random array of movie folders
"A zombie movie, eh?"
>"Yup. It's not Halloween, you aren't scaring us again."
"I might."
>"Nah, we're here to keep you safe."
>Jack sounds quite sure of herself
"Oh yeah? I might bite you if I turn."
>"That's fine, I can bite back."
"Alright. First off? That would probably hurt."
>With all of this goofing around, you don't think you've had a single thought to spare
>Worse than that
>You haven't had a single thought at all!
>Maybe that isn't a bad thing
>At least you do feel a lot more relaxed from their dual pulverizing
>But...
>You still can't help but wonder if Prism got off the hook this easily


>Twenty questions
>That is what today is
>You've completely forgotten what Element of Harmony you're trying to recreate with this but you know the name of the game
>Jack has been all over that, so you lave it to her
>You will admit, this is the most effort you've put in for a while with the three
>Physically obtaining them?
>Not a problem
>Getting wiped out of what meager life savings you had?
>As if that's the first time
>Dealing with their goofy ways?
>Apparently you can even do that in your sleep now
>But setting up six events that can mimic the themes of six gemstones from a cartoon that all represent friendship?
>You don't even know what to call it, but it sure wouldn't be considered "smooth"
>All the same, you spent a good chunk of the morning trying to figure things out
>At least in the group D&D campaign it's gone off the rails and the plot has more or less devolved into them just wandering around
>Easy to do since none of them really cared about their hometown getting raided by skeletons
>Who are you to say what is important to them?
>Every half hour or so, Jackinator pokes her head in to see if you're awake
>She's eager to play, of course
>And she has not-too-subtly mentioned that she has high hopes for you to come up with some goofy speech or meta-plot
>Closing out of the wiki entries and referential sites...
>You don't feel a single lick more confident about spearheading this
>But screw it, better now than later
>And better sober before anyone gets any funny ideas
"Alrighty then! The quest... begins!"
>You deepen your voice until it rumbles in your chest and belches up and out in a dull aural miasma
>You hear at least excited, distant "yay!" so that can only be a good sign
>Every pony is in the living room, already set up on their own color co-
>What used to be their color coordinated patches of pillows and blankets
>It seems like they're starting to blend a little more
>Just a little
"So, I take it everyone has just been waiting on me?"
>"Well we saw how last week went so... I'm excited."
>Glad to see that Shine is as excited as a pony can be
>A pony that slept in and told everyone breakfast was a hot, steaming bowl of "fix it yourself"
>A compromise was reached where the big meal would be dubbed a feast after, so naps and other things can follow after doing the hard part of asking increasingly invasive questions toward what is supposed to be the most deeply hidden secret
>What could go wrong?

>"Who do you want to have st-"
>A yellow hoof nearly slaps Prism silly but does succeed in silencing her
>"No, sit down first and then lore dump! This is the second element! We're gonna be a third of the way there!"
>She really is into this
>Oh well
>You plop down on the fourth pile of fabrics
>You didn't even know you had these many blankets before
>Or the pillows
>Or the...
>You squint at the trio
"...have you dorks been shopping online?"
>You get a trio of faces that all have some varying level of guilt
>"We've had these for a few months now and you're just now asking yourself that."
"Silence, diminutive red one."
>"Pump my horn, Anon."
"Whatever. I just didn't know we were that hard into the themes. Or I didn't realize it."
>"If you lived here, you would know."
>The quips from Shine just keep rolling
>Like a stone statue your spine grates and crunches until your 100% done expression faces her smugness
"I'm going to borrow a few feathers from Prism, stick them to you, and hurl you out the window like a lawn dart."
>"You sure you need an excuse that intricate to manhandle me?"
"That's it, you're the one going first."
>You point at her with your hand, pinkie and index finger extended toward the unicorn
>"That's fine but we need fluff!"
>Jack wants to be fluffed?
>You will fluff her until you can wear her like an afro
>You clap your hands together
"Right then! So, we found the Element of Honesty. And honestly? That wasn't so bad."
>Your eyes narrow
>Prism is stone faced and presumably concentrating
>Shine has her little smirk
>Jack leans in, obviously into it
"But... that was only one of six. Each one is going to test us. It's going to try to pull us apart, to see if we're genuinely made of stern enough stuff to be able to claim them. It's important to remember that these tests aren't for each of us. It's for all of us, as a unit. As a single machine, a blob of nanomachines that can shape and reform after every blow and mold into the perfect solution."
>"Like that liquid metal cop from that movie!"
>Jack bursts out, entire on board
"That..."
>Well she's not wrong
"Yeah. Kinda, actually. Yeah. Just... less stabbing people. Or crashing vehicles. And melting."
>Your eyes shift to Shine
"No melting."
>Back to Jack
"But yeah. Either way, we're going after Loyalty today. And the way we're going to test ourselves is..."
>...
>...
>...
>Ah shit
>What does Twenty Questions have to do with loyalty?
>You were so caught up in making sure that would work, you can't even
>Wait
>No
>You got this, Anon
"Is... partially by being honest. Question mark?"
>That catches everymare's attention
"When it comes to finding a new element, we can't forget what we've already learned. So to obtain the Element of Loyalty, we need to remember that we have the Element of Honesty. That is why that was first. Honesty is our lantern in the dark, for without it, we would never truly, honestly know that we all stand..."
>You look down at yourself
"...sit. Together!"

>The intrigue is increasing
>Nice BSing always wins
"So, with that in mind, our challenge tonight."
>It's bright as hell for it being "night"
"Today. Whatever, it'll probably last until the sun going down."
>Don't lose this momentum now
"OUR CHALLENGE! IS!"
>You bring up your hands, extending your fingers with your palms upturned
>You were completely prepared to erupt into a maniac cackle
>But there's truly no bad ass way to say it's a game of Twenty Questions
>You clear your throat
"Uh... Twenty Questions. We all have our secrets so each one of us will have one of the most closely-guarded secrets on the line. One will answer questions while the other three will keep asking until they find out."
>Jack raises her hoof
>She really doesn't need to, you're kinda pulling all of this out of your ass by the second despite having so long to prepare
>In proper dungeon master fashion, obviously
>"Do we get only twenty questions?"
"We don't!"
>You point to her and do your best to conceal a cough
"But, if you want to win... it has to be within twenty questions."
>She doesn't ask why it has to be twenty, which is a godsend
"Plus, unofficially... it's one secret and given it's all us, I think we can zero in on something really well without going over the line. I would like a good split of everyone to ask their own questions but as of now it's a loose recommendation. You can't just have someone probe all on their own."
>Your lack of in-character tone leads to a trio of affirmations
"Groovy. Alright tugboat, you're first."
>Six eyes land on Shine
>"Me? Well... alright."
>Silence
>"...so how do we start, again?"
>Prism is the first to speak up
"Just ask whatever, whenever you think of something. No hard time limit and we have all day."
>"Oh joy."
>Shine rolls her eyes at the notion of spending all day thinking of questions
>You feel her pain on that
"It's fine, it probably won't take that much. I'll start. Is this secret about yourself?"
>Shine gives you this... look
>Like she watched a puppy pee on the carpet
>"I... it's a secret I hold. Of course it would be about myself. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because it could be a secret about what you hold toward someone else."
>"Yeah b... whatever."
>You flash a picture perfect cartoonish smile that lasts for only a second
"Get rekt, valid question."
>"Is it..."
>Prismatic speaks up
>"About how things were then, or now?"
"Ah, questions have to be binary but they don't have to be "yes-or-no" questions either. So, you know."
>That should help things trail along
>"About how things are now."
>"Is it about Anon?"
>Shine shrugs
>"I already said it was about me."
>"Oh... crap. Can we write these down?"
>"No."
>"Double crap."
"For the record, that wasn't a question."
>It probably will be difficult to keep track of things all the way, wouldn't it...
"So. It's about you, and how things are now. Is it about your magic?"
>Another layer of this red onion is peeled back
>"No."
>But not peeled enough

>"So it's about yourself, now, and not about your magic..."
>Mother Hen is catching on, by speaking what has already been asked
>"Is it about a new skill you've learned?"
>"No."
>Shine's remaining stalwart, and not giving any answers
>That's good
>"Not magic, not skill, yourself now..."
>Jack bops her head back and forth, getting those out of the way as soon as she can
>"Is it about here, home?"
>"No."
"Anything about the outside world?"
>"No."
>"Is it about money?"
>"No."
>"Games?"
>"No."
>The round robin rapid fire round did nothing to narrow it down
"So it's about yourself... and apparently not about the outside world. So that means it's something internal."
>"Y-"
"Ah, that's not a question. Just notating."
>She grumbles but doesn't have a comeback prepared
>Crap
>You're really going to have to start to dig
"Does it have something to do with how comfortable you are?"
>This question breaks her composure
>Enough that her lips twitch from a stoic, almost sour line
>"Yes."
>One step closer
>Prism leans down to drink from her cup
>Metal straws work well with ponies apparently
>"So... it's about yourself and how comfortable you are... doesn't that count as an answer?"
>"No. Because that has nothing to do with context."
>Shine is quick to fire back on that
>Crap
>You never really set up some sort of victory condition for this
>No one can just guess a secret, even if it's narrowed down
"Would you say that we can further hone it down, or are we as close as we can get?"
>Her words will determine how the rest of the game goes
>She grumbles out something and shrugs
>"Ok, fine. My deepest, darkest secret is that I'm proud of myself."
>Judging by everyone's reactions, that didn't seem like so much of a secret
"How do you mean?"
>"Exactly what it means, Anon. I like myself. I like that I'm strong. I like that I'm resilient. I like that I'm not some worthless gutter filly with a defective horn anymore."
>You can't say you were expecting hearts and hugs but the razorblade of a tone in her throat is something else
>"And you know? I don't even need my horn. I can do a lot without it. I don't need to rely on..."
>The way she's going about this
>You... for some reason
>You know her better than this
>This sort of backlash isn't the mark
>It's close
>But it's not the mark
"Hey, Spark?"
>"What?"
"Be honest."
>Her entire tenses up, like she's ready to screech at you
>You're prepared
>Hopefully
>Instead, she goes lax
>"I like myself. And the secret is that I never thought I would. But because of all three of you, I do. So yeah. I answered every question right, I didn't lie. It's just..."
"That you're a big ol' softie, come here you!"
>Her scream is cut off by you lurching over and scooping her up in your arms
>You rub your face against hers
"Who's our fluffy little nubby horn horse?"
>"S-stop, lemme go!"
>Jack pops into existence, rubbing her face against Shine's other, vulnerable cheek
>"Our sparky light snug bug!"
>"I'm going to burn all of you, I swear!"

>All activity stops when Prism's head slides into view
>Sideways, over Shiner's belly
>You will admit, it's unnerving how some of these gals have such practiced poker faces
>The expression crumbles into a gleeful smile
>Even she starts rubbing her own face against the group's red belly
>"Oh you're so strong, you can protect us no matter what!"
>Taking that cue, you and Jack erupt with cooing "awww"s and "oooh"s
>"C-cut it out! I hate all of you! I'm gonna...!"
>As much as a spontaneous cuddle pile as it is, you can tell that it actually is having an effect on her
>Her voice is cracking
"It's alright, Shiner 49er. You can do more than like yourself. You can love yourself. Because we all love you."
>The two mares-turned-minions redouble their doting noises and motions
>She keeps struggling
>But from how you're holding her up, she really isn't trying that hard
>The tears starting to form in her eyes might be from embarrassment
>But maybe it's because she might really take this one to heart


>Maybe teasing Shine a bit in that way wasn't the... nicest thing to do
>It took her a good part of the day to recover
>You don't think anyone had anticipated her to be so emotional over it
>The group temporarily disbanded for a good chunk of the day with promise of tomorrow being the conclusion
>You're hoping that no one else has that sort of reaction
>But to be honest... this is all about the darkest secrets
>Depending on how honest and vulnerable everyone truly wants to be-depending on how much they believe in the premise-it might not actually be smart to tease
>Because you kinda started it, you decided to take watch over your little lawn dart
>As far as what you've done with your day, you've decided to just start up a new Dark Souls run
>You have no real build in mind, you just want to go through everything
>By the time you've reached Blight Town, dinner time had already come and gone
>She had woken up earlier, but only long enough for a bathroom trip and a drink
>You hope she won't have any spite for how it all went down
>It's probably what would naturally happen from you making a game out of something important
>Not just important to Jack, but important to Sparking and Prism too
>Is it even important to you?
>You're happy to do this for Jack, for them
>But you never actually considered it as something worth particularly caring about even though you've been right there with them
>You aren't better than them
>You aren't above them
>"You died trying that shortcut again? You suck."
"Yeah well I thought I could pull it off like you."
>Apparently she's awake
>And willing to talk
>"I could never do that sort of thing, you know that."
"I'm pretty sure I watched you try that skip for at least an hour because you refused to go the normal way."
>"And I died for at least an hour."
"But you succeeded too."
>Her only answer is a grunt and mumble
"Sorry for... uh. You know."
>Of course she knows
>"Yeah. Well maybe I had to be taken down a peg."
>You don't necessarily believe that but you won't argue it
"I did mean that, though."
>"I know."
>You don't exactly feel awkward about it
>You have no reason to be
>"Hey. You."
"Eh?"
>You get the feeling that she's just staring at the screen with you
>She's a good distance away from you but the screen is still easy to see no matter which way you're laying in bed
>"I want to go another round with you. I want you to think of a secret that you wouldn't even tell Jacky."
"Alright."
>You agree to her terms without pause
>Regardless of what it could mean
>You do owe her that much
"Go for it. Speaking of, she and Primo-pris apologized after they saw you trot off. Don't hold it against them too hard."
>"That's alright, I don't."
>You've given up on the short cut
>You can just try to dash your way through everything
"So first question?"
>"Yup."

>She drags and scoots herself until she's laying against your leg
>Sitting cross-legged on a mattress isn't the most gamer pose but it's what you default to given the bed seems to get so crowded
>Once upon a time you could use your chair
>Before it wasn't just covered in crap
>"Does it have to do with you, or someone else?"
"Me."
>"Is it a positive or negative secret?"
>That is definitely a question to ask
"...negative."
>"Why the pause? That isn't an official question, by the way."
"Because it's a pretty negative one."
>"Was it in regards to someone? Like. If someone else caused it."
>Sneaky
>As expected, she would articulate herself a bit better than the others
"Kinda."
>"That's not a right answer."
"It did. But it wasn't a direct cause. More like... it added to the worry."
>"Jacky?"
"Yup."
>You're counting that as a question
>"When was...?"
>She blows hard through her mouth
>"Right. Question phrasing. Was this... before Prism's time?"
"Yes."
>"...was it before me?"
"...yeah, Shine. It was."
>"Not an official question but... what were those days even like?"
"Honestly?"
>"It is an element of harmony. The first one."
"It was lonely."
>Those days felt like a lifetime ago
>You were a very different man then
>"What, you two didn't go at it like monkeys every chance you got?"
"Of course not. She... wasn't herself. I think that's the right way to put it."
>"Explain."
"Well, she wasn't so chipper and happy like she is now. I felt kinda... bad, for having her around."
>"You felt bad?"
>She doesn't sound like she believes you
"Yeah. Because I... I don't know. I didn't have any clue of what I was getting into. I didn't see her as a pet. I certainly didn't see her in any... ah... romantic way."
>"How about sexual?"
"...well I grew up around animals. Female animals. So I suppose I am... used to seeing things like that."
>"Is that why my first attempts fell so flat?"
>You purse your lips
>You remember when she used to lay near you with your flank centimeters from your face
"...sorta."
>She hasn't done that in a long while
>"Would it work out better if I did that now?"
"You're losing track here."
>"...sorry."
>First time she's apologized that easily
>As far as you remember, anyway
>"So... tell me more about back then."
"Well, it was just us. And we used to just watch a lot of the same movies. Night after night, again and again, snacking on chips and kinda not doing anything else with ourselves. I'd come home, she would be happy to see me, and I would be happy to be wanted. And that... that's kinda what started to... not drain on me. But it kinda bothered me."
>"Jacky bothered you?"
"No. Of course not. Never once. But I realized just how things were. How lonely she was. I could see it in her eyes. I think a lot worried her. Again, she wasn't herself. I don't know who she was. Didn't. Whichever way you would word it."

>Another death
>This time due to healing while toxic
>You weren't able to find a second sooner to start the process
>"So how does the secret come into play?"
"Ah.."
>You sigh
"One day. I kinda came home and just... plopped myself down on the floor, right after closing the door."
>It feels so long ago, like it wasn't even you
>Maybe that's why you don't really feel embarrassed about it
>What a funny feeling
>So little time, but you completely believe that wasn't you
>The you who is sitting here now
"She came up to me and asked if I was ok and I... at that moment."
>You blink a few times to not lose your focus
>It feels like tunnel vision, almost
"At that moment, I felt guilt. I felt like I was some sort of... slave owner. Or a, one of those chumps that buy pets as a status symbol and don't really care about the wellbeing of said pet."
>"But she wasn't a pet to you?"
"No. I honestly didn't expect her to be how she was. I suppose if she didn't break from her initial character, I never would have known better."
>It's coming up
>You really can't avoid it now
"Anyway. At that time. Even for a second. I wanted to just end myself. I had so little to give, and so little to help out."
>...
>And now you have to tell her the secret
"Element of loyalty. I don't want you to ever say this to her. Not under any circumstance."
>You break lock-on from the screen to look at you
>She isn't smiling or goofing around
>She's looking right back at you
"And I mean that."
>"Alright."
>You rock your head back and forth
>Almost a series of smaller nods
"I... I sorta worry that I shouldn't have gotten close to her. I worry that it's not organic. Part of me still thinks that if things weren't as restrictive and as isolated as they were, it wouldn't have ever gotten to that point."
>"Because she wouldn't be interested in you, or you wouldn't be interested in her?"
"I don't know. Maybe both."
>You do a quick check around and sure enough, there's no sneaking Jack
"But that's... pretty much it. I guess it's a two-parter."
>"Well. While normally I would probably drag myself into your lap and start rubbing myself against you... I would never have been able to do that. Not if you and her hadn't gotten closer. Not if you didn't believe her and didn't get me."
"Yeah, I know. It's just some... lingering guilt. I don't know if it's guilt."
>"Well given this is more or less our apartment now and you just pay for it... I would say that you and her are pretty squared up."
>That causes a chuckle
"Is that right?"
>"I'd sure say so. If it were me, I would probably have to insist on becoming some slave mare for you to exploit. You've done far more than enough by bringing us together. And putting up with us."
"Hm... maybe."
>What would a slave pony even look like?
>"So do you still have those thoughts?"
"Eh?"
>"You know. The ending thoughts."
"Doesn't everyone?"
>Lame deflection, Anon
>"I don't."
"Ha, really?"
>You sound more amused than curious
>"Really."

"So then, what thoughts do you tend to get regarding that, then?"
>"I would rather burn down the world than to let it go on without me in it."
>The cold, disconnected way she says it tells you that she means it
>A lot about her tells you that she means it
"Too much good to go to waste or something?"
>"No. Just that if I saw no meaning in living, I would just... go full evil villain and kill everyone. Why should I be the only one to truly suffer?"
>You look down at her
>But only physically
"Would you really be ok with doing that?"
>She looks up at you
>"Yes, Anon. I've had countless mares and stallions, colts and fillies make fun of me. Tell me that everyone would be happier if I died. Told me that I was worthless. And I believed them. Maybe I still do. But I wouldn't let that make me sad. It just reinforces that if I had to. Or if I were given the chance. Or, no, it would have to be chalked up to "had to". But I would. And I know how to, now. I didn't before."
>You don't blame her
>How could you?
"I guess that's fair. You really are a powerful mare, Shiner. In both this world and yours, you have the will and the ability to do a lot of great or terrible things."
>You gotta respect that
>The only question you have is how well she would work when put against firearms
>"Maybe. But if you can't make use of that power, do you really have it?"
>That's a good point
>You decide to not answer
>"Thanks for telling me that secret."
"Yeah. And thanks for pretending to not know despite that whole mind thing you did way at the beginning of things."
>Shine gives you a dark giggle
>"You think I remember everything, huh?"
"Don't you?"
>"No. To be honest, I tried to purge as much of that information out of my head as I could. A lot of it was like walking into a foreigner's home. Human memories, thoughts, worries, experiences... not to mention you being a guy. A lot of it was just kinda noise. Things I really had no reason or want to hold onto."
>That's good to know
>It means you actually are somewhat safe on things
>"Element of honesty time?"
"Go for it."
>"I wish I could have remembered more of that. I think I knew I liked you even at the start like that. But the more I wanted a cheat sheet, the more I realized that I had less and less information than I wanted. And it wasn't even a conscious effort. It was like... what you feel when you see an attractive stranger. Or when you see a raccoon in the trash. You don't remember things like that even when you want to. Or if you do, you don't remember most of the real details that matter."
"I'm glad you didn't."
>"Because you didn't want me to show Jacky up and exploit all of the things you're into all at once?"
"Because it meant you got to know me your way. But yeah... big screw up on your part there. You could have just won me over like it was nothing."

>Your reward is a bitter laugh
>As much as you mess with her, you know that you really do trust her enough to get away with it
>To an extent, you're pretty sure you trust her more than Jack
>Maybe that is the real secret you should have told her
>You finally made it to the bottom of Blight Town
>It feels nice to talk while not having to watch expressions or deal with any judgmental looks
>"You joke but... there's still a chance. If I'm the key to you and Jack starting up a family and all that... well, she isn't the only one. And I don't care what that makes me, in your eyes."
"Screw the world, you'll have what's yours, right?"
>"Exactly."
"...element of loyalty time."
>"We're making that element a thing too?"
"We already do for honesty."
>"That's fair. What is it?"
"Would you really, truly ruin your relationship with Jack for... that goal? If push came to shove?"
>She breathes in
>Her hesitation in answering isn't that great an answer to start
>"If I got to be a mom like her... if I got to have a family? A blood-related family? Even I know there's a difference between the two."
"Yeah, blood relatives are significant due to chance and circumstance. Unrelated family are people significant by choice."
>"And circumstance."
"Yeah... either way, circumstance does matter for everything. It's context."
>"But to answer my question..."
>You thought she already gave an answer
>"Yes. If she is still my sister at that point. Still my family. Then she'll let me have it. If she isn't, then I don't care what she thinks, I'm having what I want."
>You really do admire her will
>You won't argue that she's the smartest with it
>There is a lot to question when it comes to things like her tact or personal reasoning
>But she's willing to stick to her goal
>What little a goal she can honestly have
>What goal any of them can have in this world
>This is a human world yet you feel like you're almost on par with them
>And only "almost" in that you're pretty sure they could get by a lot easier due to them being ponies and having magic and prismatic feathers available
"Thanks for the talk."
>"Thanks for apologizing for making me blubber like a baby."
"Yeah."
>What are either of you even doing at this point?
>What's truly stopping you or her from the path of destruction, outer or inner?
>There are a lot of ways to word it, but you think that it still comes down to Jacky
>She probably doesn't even try to but she seems like such a natural tie that keeps everyone bound together
"Remember, we're continuing this tomorrow. We only took a break because you had to start bawling like a homesick little filly."
>"Keep talking like that and I'm making you my mare tonight."
"I always knew those boyish traits were proof."
>"Obviously, have you seen how dainty you are at times? You even had a little pity party in front of an amnesiac mare."
"I'll show you dainty after I knuckle dust you to oblivion."
>"Do it, I dare you."
>This is more like it
>It's just how you two get along


>This morning, you are ready
>Yesterday was a little less than ideal
>But today will be better
>Probably
>Hopefully
>After a lackluster set of morning routines, everyone is fresh, full, quenched and eager
>Mostly
>There is still a little bit of an awkward air around Shiner but you don't let that stop you
"So, we learned that these quests aren't all that... ah. Harmless."
>At least Jack nods
"So, I'll go next. Unless anyone else feels like getting probed."
>You can tell
>Really tell
>That the yellow dork is trying her best to not say anything
>At least she's in a good mood over this
"Alright, have at it."
>"Is it about you?"
>The quickness Jack had about that question, you couldn't help but feel she had her finger on the trigger for too long
>Hoof
>Whatever she would activate a trigger with
"Yes. Which isn't a silly question because you secret can be about someone else."
>Prism, ever so poised, smilesl
>"Does it include Jacky too...?"
>You nod
"Yup. Shocker, ain't it."
>"It is given you've lived for so long but your most valued secret involves her."
>A small prod at you, but nothing sadistic
"Yeah well, let that be an indicator of where my standing is."
>Jack gives her bird-brained sister a wink
>"See? Toldya."
>You don't want them to reveal the secret of just how much they talk about you
>Shine speaks up
>"Does it include anyone else here, or is it uniquely between you and her?"
>The look on her face is neutral
>Except
>There's 1% difference in her eyes
>Like she knows what she's asking
>Of course she does
"I will answer that and say it's more... general. Again, it is about myself at the core. Jack's a big detail."
>"Mm. Of course."
>You get the vibe that she is already prepared to make a direct guess
>"Is it a good or... er, is it a positive secret? Or negative?"
"I don't know."
>Jack frowns at your non-answer
>"Well that ain't fair, isn't it supposed to be a one-or-the-other thing?"
"Not really. I mean, I still don't know how I feel about it so I couldn't tell you. The most honest I can put it is that I don't know if it's a good thing or not."
>"In that case..."
>Prism pipes in
>"Does it involve something... intimate?"
>No one is soft balling you with this
>You don't wish they would
>But maybe they could pull back just a little
"It... does."
>"Are you hopelessly, madly in love but you don't know how to express yourself?"
>An outright tease from Shine
"I..."
>You pause
>If you were, you'd be different
>You wouldn't have your secret then, would you?
"No. If I were "madly", I don't think I'd have any secrets then. Or shame."
>"You have shame?"
>The armor piercing question from your very own Jackrabbit
"Of course I do!"
>The three mares exchange looks among themselves
"...I do! What, do I act like I'm shameless?"
>Their lack of verbal communication worries you
>"...let's get back to us questioning you. Since it involves something intimate, you, Jacky, and you aren't sure if it's positive or not..."

>Prism stretches her wings out, arching her back
>You aren't sure if she's really stretching or if this is some sort of power move
>"Does this secret perhaps involve other humans too?"
>Crap
"Yes."
>"You like ponies too much, don't you Anon. Have we spoiled you?"
>Shiner goes in for the kill
>It isn't just her asking
>This is payback
>It's also hard confirmation
>You sigh and shrug with your arms raising up in surrender
"Yeah. Congrats, you got me."
>As expected, a goofy grin is on Jacky's face
>"Well I guess I'm to blame for that one, huh... what can I say?"
>She is to blame, yes
>Around... 90% to blame
>"We'll make fun of you more later but right now, I have to ask... why is that your worst secret? You're happy with us, and I've never seen you go out to spend time with other humans."
"Well yeah, because I'd rather goof around with you dorks. As I've said before, there's really nothing up here for me. I have work, and that's honestly it. I don't know what I'd do without you three. Any real focus or aim I have is thanks to you being there for me."
>Your answer succeeds in making the conversation more... serious
>"I'm gonna take another stab in the dark and say that spending time with three talking ponies has alienated you from humans. Especially since all three of them don't naturally exist in this world, ignoring one being a pegasus and one being a unicorn."
>Said unicorn's stab is far too well aimed to be in the dark
"Kinda, honestly. It used to be that I had trouble reading Jack's expressions because I just wasn't used to it. Now it's more natural to me than seeing someone of my own kind smiling and joking. I don't think I've... lost empathy for other humans. But I just don't look at them the same way."
>Jack nods
>"That's good."
"Is it?"
>Is it really?
>She seems to think so
>"Absolutely! It means that..."
>She rails off
>Oh God she's sundowning already
"...y-you alright?"
>"Shh."
>An abrupt shush from her buries your worries thusly
>"I'm trying to word it. I mean, for me-us-to affect you that much... it must mean that you just weren't getting things from other humans that you got through us. Right?"
>"That does make sense. Wild animals, once domesticated, can't just go back out into the wild."
>Alright, that one hurt
>You're plucking that turkey horse later
"I'm not saying either of you are wrong. But that is kind of a shit way to word it."
>"Heel, Anon."
>Shine leers at you and raises up part of her chin
>"Scratches."
>Seriously?
"...you're kidding."
>"Be a good human and scratches and you'll get cuddles later."
>You really do want to say something unsavory
>But given yesterday, you've kinda earned this treatment
"This is some "tail wagging the dog" shit, I'm telling you..."
>With the practice and skill of years of being around pets, you scratch and rub from the side of her shin down to her throat
>You can hear her throat tremble with a satisfied "hmm"
>"Hey, I asked the most important questions. Me next."
"Yeah yeah..."

>You end up dual-petting both red and yellow necks
>Despite her dignified source of smug, Prism watches your hands work
>"My, but aren't you trained."
"I'll still pee on your pillows. I ain't house broken all the way."
>This
>...it isn't so bad, is it?
>Even if you sorta have lost your sense of human connection, this really isn't that alien
>You still don't know, even after all of this time
>They aren't pets
>They're friends
>Romantic interests
>Comrades, if shit were to ever hit the fan
>You don't think you could call other humans that
>It isn't normal
>But you can't find a way to argue that it's not healthy
>Maybe it is better this way?
>While you contemplate your continued humanity and detachment from your fellow homo ludens, Shine and Jack both lurch into your lap
>Big a human as you may be, it certainly isn't big enough for the two of them so they end up laying on their backs, head to head
"You know, if I were anyone else, this would be weird."
>"Yeah well you're Anon so it's not."
>"What she said. But I can make it weird."
>The weirdest thing about all of this has to be how Jack has gotten used to Shine's comments
"...alright. I'm gonna give this another..."
>You glance at Prism
>Her smile says it all
"...another half hour. But after this, we're getting back to the quest. And you're up next, Jack."
>"Half hour it is. Yup. I'll be ready by then for sure."
>"Aww, he thinks he's the one in charge..."
>Maybe during this time you can try to remember how you got to be so horsewhipped


>Just for a half hour, you said
>A fancy dinner after the quest finishes, you said
>Instead, you ended falling asleep with the blasted little mare-shape minions
>Prism at least did you a solid and brought over a few pillows so you weren't completely laying on the bare floor
>To put salt in the wound, you were only woken up after everyone else got up
>You can't complain, honestly
>What else did you have planned for your day?
>What else could you want to do with your day, if not nap with your weirdos?
>After only nearly seven hours does the group reform
>Jack looks satisfied with herself
>Prism looks well rested and groomed, with a few more spare feathers stabbed into a blanket for ease of counting
>Shine won't stop smiling at you
"Don't say it."
>"Good boy, Anon."
>You aren't happy to be called that
>"Yup, I've really trained him well, haven't I."
>Alright, these two are going to have at it until you find a roadblock
"You say that but you don't want me breaking off my leash."
>Jack laughs
>...
>And stops, clearing her throat after
>"...yeah that may kinda be rough. Anyway! It's my turn!"
>Finally
"That's right. Get ready to be opened up and laid bare for all to see."
>Another small hit to her comfort zone
>You'll only go blow for blow as long as she does
"Anyway, first question. Is this secret relating to the here and now?"
>She squints and looks presumably above your head
>"Mm... yeah."
>Prism gives her left wing a flex
>"Does this deep, dark secret revolve around Anon?"
>"O-of course not. It's about me."
>At least it's easy to start cleaving away at the more vague questions
>Maybe that's a sign of how well you all know each other
>Would you have ever been able to have something so smooth with your old friends?
>Could you have ever played this with even your own relatives?
>Before they left, anyway
>"So it's a secret about yourself and it's something now... is your secret that you wish you were a gun fighter?"
>If that question were aimed at anyone other than Jack, you'd ask Red why she asked that
>Jack moves her lips, glancing off to the side
>No
>That couldn't be it
>"...It's a secret. But it's not The Secret."
>"Damn."
>At least points for effort
"Is the secret about what you dream for?"
>"Ah... isn't that just a dream?"
"It could be a secret dream."
>"...nah. That ain't it."
>Struck out
>"I have a few ideas but..."
>Prism clicks her tongue and appraises her sister
>"Does it have something to do with what you do?"
>Jack shrugs
>"I guess it does..."
>Judging by her tone, it's a direct hit
>And it means her secret actually is one
>"Is your secret about how you let me do most things around here because I'm the one with magic?"
>A dull-toned ask from Shine
>Jack nods
>You think you get a clear picture
"Jack..."
>Her eyes flicker a few times before resting on you
"Do you pretend to not know how to do stuff?"
>A direct guess
>It's a somewhat negative guess

>But you get the feeling it might be that, even if you know she's felt bad for not being useful before
>"...no. It's not pretending."
>"No, that probably isn't it. She's helped me a few times. She doesn't try to mess up or anything."
>"So it's about what you do now, not that you fake things."
>You can tell that the surgical, yet tactless questions are starting to bear down on the poor girl
>"Tell me, Jacky. Is your secret that you feel bad for doing so little?"
>"T-that ain't a secret, Dashie!"
>The outburst from Jack comes quicker than anyone could react
>That was...
>That was not the right thing to ask
>You aren't one to talk
>"Dangit, my secret is that I feel ashamed!"
"Ashamed? For what?"
>"I feel ashamed because I'm worried that I..."
>Like a deer in the headlights of three trucks speeding toward her, she looks over the group
>She focuses on Prism and doesn't look away
>"I... I'm worried that I might end up like you."
>The composure the winged mare had cracks so hard you can actively hear a chunk of it hit the ground
>"W...what?"
>"I... I think about what Ma would have done. I think about what I would do if I were a mom. And I think about how we were, and how I sometimes saw you as my ma, at the really earliest bit and..."
>Jack's voice cracks
>A tear drips down the side of her voice
>"Y... you did a lot of terrible things. I know, they were for me... they were for us. And because you did those things, we're here now and that's always going to be the best but..."
>As much as you want to reach out for her, this is not your situation
>This is theirs
>"...but I knew the things you did. And... I can't stand the thought of having to do that. I want to be better. I don't want to end up filthy. I really don't. I can't. I'll do whatever it takes... but I can't end up doing what you had to do."
>"...you think I'm filthy?"
>That is the only thing Faint Prism says
>There's no defense
>No redirection
>It isn't treated as an argument or an attack
>But a genuine question
>It feels like entire minutes pass
>No one makes a move
>No one says a word
>The only thing hanging in the air is stifled sobbing between the two
>You glance over at Shine
>She's just as flat-footed as you are in this
>She purses her lips
>You can almost hear her ask "what did that have to do with me?"
>You grimace and give your head the slightest of shakes
"Y... you know that we're going to make sure that's never a problem. Right?"
>You don't think that your words got through to her
>For better or worse, they're locked into their own thing
>You can't even begin to imagine the weight of their words
>You know that they've been together for as long as they've had memories
>There's hardly an age gap but there was sure a maturity gap
>And with maturity came responsibilities
>Responsibilities had costs
>Whether or not you agree with Jack, you know that Prism paid that cost for her wellbeing
>The stifling silence and building tension is enough to make you want to gnaw your face off

>"...my secret."
>Prism speaks in a warbling, stern voice
>"...is that those things were as important to me as they were to you. It gave us food. It covered us when we failed."
>She glances at you
>The sudden attention makes your blood run cold
>You don't want to imagine what she has to say to you
>But you can already hear it
>"The reason I did what I did."
>She sits up, pushing herself out as if she still had strength inside to lift herself up
>"It was no different than what you've done with Anon. It..."
>Her lip trembles
>"It... I was only barely more filthy than you. You had your way of dealing with life. I had my way. I succeeded in protecting you in ways you could have never imagined. I guarded both of you in ways you will never know."
>She sniffles
>Even now, she refuses to break
>"I enjoyed it. Some of it. It let me feel like it could have led to a normal life. And it almost did. Many times, "almost" it did."
>The slight downturn of her lips and the growing malice in her voice shows just how many times it "almost" worked
>"That is the only secret I truly cared to hide. Not that I did those things. Not that they were for myself as well as you. But because I was foolish enough to think it was enough. It was scraps, like everything else we had ever eaten or clung to."
>She stands up, causing Jack to jolt back
>"I'm glad we've finished this game. I'll be on the patio. Please don't talk to me until tomorrow."
>With that, Prism calmly
>Deliberately
>Makes her way to the patio door
>She chomps down on the cord you set up on it and slides it open
>It slides hard, but not hard enough to actually crack into the wall
>She sits herself down, looking off into whatever phantasmal concept is stuck in her head
>Jack, far more visibly distraught, looks at you and Shine
>Of course, you have no answers to give her
>How could you?
>She breaks into a gallop and runs into...
>By the sound of her kicking the door closed...
>Yup
>Your room
"...should I feel bad for helping her get all of this set up or should I feel bad for not going for something far easier and... not harmful."
>You can hardly believe what happened to the point you're surprised you spoke at all
>"Element of honesty time?"
"...sure."
>"Don't feel bad. Everything else is out in the open. Why shouldn't we air all of our dirty laundry for others to make fun of?"
>Her borderline deadpan delivery makes you wonder if it was sarcasm
"Yeah, well... only we were made fun of."
>"Yyyyeah-up. Sure seems like it."
"Ah... shit."
>You bring your index and middle finger up to your head
"What now?"
>"You're asking me?"
"I'm asking to anyone still listening."
>"I don't know. But."
>She sighs and circles around, curling up into her spot
>"If we're going to continue to pretend that we're on a real mission, elements of harmony, yadda yadda... you sometimes have to let out painful things. That is a test of loyalty there, isn't it? Would you be our friends if you knew only the good about us?"

"Well that's how it turned out. I only learned you were a psychotic fire brat when it was too late."
>"Thanks."
>She gives a half-smirk at the new title
>"I mean it though. My secret is about myself. Your secret is about yourself. We're pretty selfish. But Jacky's secret... it wasn't selfish. It wasn't some sort of feel-good thing we could tease."
>She breathes deep and watches Prism
>"It was a nice, fat reminder of where we came from. And it wasn't pretty."
"I think they'll make up."
>"Will they, Anon?"
"I don't know."
>"I guess that's why it's a test of loyalty then."
>That is true
>How many "friends" would remain so if they openly aired their grievances?
"Trust and loyalty..."
>"Yup... need one for the other to work."
"I'm..."
>You stand up, wiping your face with your palm
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. And then go out for a bit. Probably go to the store, see if I can scare up dinner."
>Shine chuckles
>"You think grabbing a pizza is going to help cheer everyone up?"
"No. Because I'll probably grab more than pizza. But yes, because we gotta do something."
>"We?"
"Yup. You're coming with me."
>"Joy."
>Mission complete
>But at what cost?
>You could let them mull over it on their own and then hope for the best
>But you won't


>You don't often go shopping with just Shiner
>Mostly because she would rather do anything than go out
>"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to being gawked at."
"Yeah well that's because you're a talking unicorn. And the more you talk, the more apparent it is to anyone around."
>She demanded you carry her since there were too many rain puddles out so you just put her in the basket of those stubby personal shopping carts
>Despite the hard lip chewing she started doing as soon as you went in, she is displaying pretty high levels of restraint
>You stop in the vegan isle
>Everything is so overpriced and "organic", especially the pancake mix
>What does inorganic pancake mix look like?
>"You're actually gonna grab this crap?"
"No. I'm kinda stalling."
>"You... do know that this has nothing to do with you, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
>"So why are you making it your problem?"
"Because... I don't know. I feel like I caused it."
>Shine looks up at you
>She fills out the basket well and seems content to lay in it
>"Ok, element of honesty time."
"Shoot."
>"You're acting stupid. Jacky wanted this whole thing to start to begin with. Do you think she really, never once considered that there might be a rough patch?"
>Your eyes meet
"I want to say she did..."
>"But you aren't so sure, huh."
"Guilty as charged."
>You resign yourself to a downtrodden sigh
>You really do have low expectations of her at times, don't you?
>"Well... yeah. Ok, fair. It's Jacky we're talking about. But I think she wanted to talk about that sort of thing with her."
"What, and she wanted this as the excuse?"
>"It worked, didn't it?"
"I guess so."
>Back to staring at the organic not-syrup-but-not-quite-jelly-either
"...fuck it, that looks nice."
>You grab a bottle
>It's organic, it has to taste like something good
"So what do you recommend?"
>"Let them hash it out. You were kinda implemented in the whole "filth" thing. I'm surprised you aren't offended too."
"Ah, nah. I kinda help guard myself by remembering that I'm the only guy in the equation which means I shouldn't let my emotions rule over me."
>Shiner scoffs
>"Are you telling me I let my emotions run loose?"
>You give her your best pity smile
"Yes. Yes I am."
>She tries to dispute it but she grunts and sighs
>"Whatever. You know you love it."
>You let the conversation die there
>At least for another dozen isles where you just stand in front of a section and look over everything a few times over
>People passing by give Shine queer looks but because she isn't saying anything, they don't ask
"So... on the filth thing."
>"Mm?"
"...have Jack and I really been that bad?"
>"Oh God."
>She rolls her eyes
>"Listen, you and her have your... weird thing going on. But it's hardly what she was referring to."
"How's that?"
>"Because she's only ever had you. And..."
>She clears her throat
>"I am sure. She is the first mare you have had."

>There is an obvious amount of wiggle room in her wording
>You'll accept that
"And she is."
>"Good."
>She huffs and points at a can of chili
>"Hey, get some of these."
"Sure."
>You grab four
"So that's the determining factor, huh?"
>"I guess so. She hasn't told me a lot about that. I'm guessing she hasn't told you a lot about that either."
"Nope."
>"Then it isn't our problem. But if you really want to try to cheer her up, we can do that too. Just understand that this really is not your territory. You aren't going to get brownie points for shoving your nose somewhere it doesn't belong."
"Never thought I'd hear that from you of all people."
>Shine thinks on that for a moment and giggles
>"Ah... yeah. Funny how that works out."
>Another few isles
>A phone check shows you've killed at least a half hour just shelf gazing
"Prism said she was proud."
>"Yup."
"...you think she had to ever make a choice between her happiness and Jacky?"
>"Almost certain."
"Why do you think that?"
>"I know you have Jacky goggles on but Prism is... she's quite a looker, you know. She could have easily blended in if she wanted. Far better than Jacky or I could have ever done. She was the only one who tried to put on airs, and act like she wasn't some gutter filly."
"I guess."
>More isles to go through
"What did she mean by saying her secret had to do with your magic though?"
>"Are you asking me what goes on in her airhead?"
"Kinda, yeah."
>"Oh."
>She grumbles something
"Eh?"
>"I said, it's probably something stupid."
>The wistful way she tries to handwave it away doesn't work on you
"Humor me."
>"Well, if I do normal things with magic, that leaves abnormal things. Right?"
"Riiight...?"
>"Right. So that means if she ever had to do something abnormal, if if magic can't solve it..."
"That's why I'm there. Right?"
>Your reward is a frustrated "ugh"
>"Will you just think straight for once? She isn't thinking of you always being there for her. You aren't her entire life like she's yours."
>Ouch
>"She's thinking in terms of us three, and how we've always done things. We're better, sure. But you think a few years of happy living is going to undo everything? I know you better than that, you wouldn't be ok in such a short amount of time. I wouldn't believe you if you said that you were ok even now, about your past."
>Double ouch
"To be fair, I do have a life outside of her."
>She snickers
>"Yeah? Tell me about your globetrotting, hobbies and your many human friends."
>Triple ouch
>You must have made some sort of expression because you can see guilt rise up on her face
>"...sorry. I di-"
"Nah, you're not wrong. I forgot, if I'm awake I'm crawling up her ass."
>Silence for another few isles
>And more isles after that
>Until the freezer section
>In the end, you really didn't grab that much at all
>Four cans of chili
>A carton of eggs
>Some tea
>Some lemonade
>Hardly an emergency relief package

>"...I am sorry."
"Yeah."
>You don't regret being open
>It was an exercise in trust
>But
>...
>The fact that there is a "but" there says enough, doesn't it?
>You decide on getting an apple pie
>The sort that has a massive bag of crumbly bits for the crust
>She would like an apple pie
>Hell, no one dislikes apple pie
>You stop at another freezer isle
>Pizzas
>You recall Shine's words
>Pizza wouldn't help anyone out
>You grumble something to yourself
>And grab one
>You can't not try
>Rather than go to the cashiers, you go back to other isles
>This whole thing bothers you
>It bothers you that loyalty being tested has to turn out the way it has
>It bothers you that it bothers you
>It bothers you that you can't do something about it
>Most of all, it bothers you that Sparking Shine is correct
>This isn't your issue
>But you're making it your issue
>Isn't that overbearing?
>"You look like you want to headbutt someone's face in."
"Nope."
>You don't particularly want to talk to her anymore either
>Maybe your efforts to not look at her make it apparent
>"...hey, you should get some of that lemon-lime soda. Prism likes when that is mixed with lemonade. And if you want to booze Jacky up, you can do it more subtly that way."
>You don't reply to her
>But you do grab a twelve pack
>You grab multiple, in fact
>They were on sale so may as well stock up now since all three of them are fond of the fizzy
>"If I sound like a bitch... just remember that if it comes down to the wire, you know I'm with you no matter what."
>It sounds like an awkward apology and explanation for her snipes
"Yeah... I know. This just sucks."
>You ruffle her mane
>She leans into it pretty strong
>You keep your hand on her shoulder and pat it a few times
"This... is probably going to be rough, huh."
>"Probably. But how about this: I work my magic on our sad songbird. You work your magic on Jacky. We meet in the middle and try to keep everyone from jumping off the patio until next weekend until you figure out another element for us to hunt for."
"Ah Christ, the next one... I don't even know what would work."
>"Sure you do. Just pick one that will let us get all warm and mushy. You know what you're doing."
"Do I though?"
>Shine gives you the warmest smile
>"No. But I believe in you."
>The smile drops into her more genuine grin
>"So figure it out, dead eye."
>"Um...?"
>Both of you turn to the source of the voice
>It's some girl in a store uniform
>"Can I... take a picture of her? Is she really a unicorn?"
>You raise an eyebrow at Shine
>She returns the gesture
>"Well I'm actually his girlfriend's sister bu-"
>You gently slap the back of her head to silence her
>Mostly gently
"And she talks too. Too much."
>"Oh wow. Are you supposed to hit her?"
>"It's fine, I'll give him his evening spanking after we get back."
>"O-oh. Oh my. Ok. Uh..."
>A few pictures later, you're finally ready to leave
>Maybe it's for the best that you don't often go out with her


>The pie you bought is still in the freezer
>Of course it is
>You were silly to think that you could just show up with a snack and hope it would help smooth things over
>Of course, you weren't so immature as to think that would make everything better
>But you couldn't not try it, right?
>It would almost be a sin to just let things play out as they have
>Jacky has been diving hardcore into movies
>Even if it's raining outside, Prism would rather stay out on the patio during most of the day
>This has only left you and Shine as the only two with somewhat clear heads
>This stress
>This inalienable sense of friction in the air
>It's enough to make your hair go grey
>To make things even more concerning, Jack decided to spend the night sleeping in the bathroom
>You have no clue why
>You have no answer to why she would want to lay on towels and the little square segment of rug you have set up in there
>Between that, the tension, and the looming deadline of yet another harmony element quest, it's enough to get twitchy over
>"You should really get some sleep, Anon."
"Easy to say while you're in here and playing something."
>"I'm just making sure you aren't left alone for too long."
>How charitable
>"I mean it though. You look wrecked."
>Your answer is a yawn
"Whatever, man."
>You lay down on your left side
>Due to how you're positions, your feet are left to dangle off of the edge of the mattress
"Any updates?"
>"Prism told me to buzz off earlier today when I asked if she wanted to come back inside."
"Direct quote?"
>"Yup."
>Nice
>She has always been the enigma that kept you at arm's length
>But now?
>Is there any recovering from that?
>You never once considered that she might actually have had a relationship
>Or whatever counted as one
>Whatever made her look back at those times with any form of positive recollection
>Has she always remembered that?
>"I'm not reading your mind but I can actively feel you causing prickles to go down my neck. If you tried mounting me I would have a panic attack."
"Thanks for letting me know in case I needed a ride."
>You close your eyes and extend your index and middle finger in a V
>"What was that?"
"It's a sign."
>"A sign of what?"
>You don't reply
>You feel a murky sense of confusion slip into your head
>Only when you feel a hoof pushing against your stomach do your eyes open again
>"I said what was that sign?"
"Oh."
>You close your eyes once more
"It's a sign. We did two. We're a third of the way there. And we're like this. If we really aren't good enough to get the elements, how screwed are we..."
>The fatigue and despair in your voice is as real as it can be
>What do you do if these goofy nights lead to irreconcilable situations?
>What happens if everyone just floats apart?
>The mere concept of it being applicable to even your little geek squad is almost too much to bare
>"Hey... Anon."
"Eh."
>You so much want to just drift off to the abyss
>Maybe then and there you may be able to find a plan
>Or a scheme


>"Hey Sparky."
>"Jacky?"
>"How's Anon doing?"
>"Like a lost puppy."
>"...I hope he doesn't think it's his fault."
>"Oh, you know him. Always one to take responsibility for the problems of another."
>What's this?
>You can't open your eyes
>You're still too tired
>But you can hear Jack
>That by itself was almost enough to cause you to wake up
>"He was very tired. Surprised to see him react."
>"Do you think he wants to talk to? Should we wake him up and ask him?"
>"Oh God no. I take it you want a moment alone."
>You feel something warm on your chest
>A pair of horns
>...horns?
>Hooves
>"Please. Just long enough where I can go to sleep too. The bathroom floor sucks to sleep."
>That's it
>You can feel someone climbing into bed, to right on top of your chest
>You recall someone who had worked at a store but got eaten by a skinwalker
>For some reason, the weight on your chest reminds you of that
>"Hey Anon... I'm sorry you've been caught up in this..."
>Your face twitches
>It's the sound of an angel to you
>There is no secret or proof that can be found online
>Not that you have the mental mettle to even check
>But you just know it's true
>"I'm gonna make it better."
"Blueberry lemonade."
>Obviously, it is the only answer you could come up with
>"Oh... yeah. Of course. But first, just... let me know you still love me."
"Hail to the king."
>You pucker your lips
>Whatever kisses you sure tastes like Jack too
>It ends far too quickly, even if it lasted a few minutes
>"Let's go to sleep. When you get back from work I want to let you in on my secret for this."
"Bitchin', Ponyboy is a code name."
>That causes to a few giggles
>From more than just one source
>"He's really under now, isn't he?"
>"I bet he's dreaming the best stuff.."
>You can feel their words land on your face
>Your eyes flutter open
>Without proper cognition, you can tell that you're being looked at by two mares
"Oh hey, don't live in the bathroom."
>They close once more
>"...you've kinda worried him. I hope you can start there."
>"I will. I can't lose sight. Next weekend will be better."
>"Will it?"
>"Yeah. It has to."
"Hass too..."
>A giggle at your comment
>That's good
>It means your money can at least temporarily relax
>"So sleepy... he usually can at least wake up enough to talk."
"Can talk."
>Another pair of giggles
>"I guess he can talk. Glad to see you back in here."
>"Yeah... thanks for letting Anon know what's going on."
>Something is going on?
>That's terrible
>You're ready to fight for her
>You just have to rest your eyes a little more before you go into battle for her direct wellbeing
>"It'll be all better. Then we can have that pie and watch movies all night."
>Just like the good ol' days
>Nights too
>You want to tell Jack that you appreciate her
>That in your mind's eye, she's an alicorn princess with the most sweetest face
>But you can't
>You lack the words to explain such beauty
>Hopefully you'll remember by morning time
>You would never willingly forget such a sight


>Something is off today
>You can feel it
>Jack is happy to see you and is more giggly than usual
>Even Prism gave you a smile when you said "hey"
>Shiner is also giving you a weird glance
>You think nothing of it and retreat to your room
>The fact that the two most social mares follow you isn't helping your growing sense of paranoia
>You sit down
>They join you and sit as well
"..."
>You scoot a bit to the side
>Both of them, like a true pair, slide forward to close the difference
"..."
>You purse your lips and look at your monitor
>"Look at us instead!" is on a word document
"Ah crap."
>You put your head in your hands
>You just know it
>Sparkler is pregnant and Jackrabbit is the father
"Alright, out with it."
>"You think I'm a princess!"
>"Is sleep talking a stress thing? I haven't ever seen you do that before."
"What?"
>You lean away from them
>Jack is in full beam mode, as happy as can be
>Shine has a more sadistic smirk
>Like she knows
>And you find it difficult to avoid that she does, in fact, know a lot of things
"No? Did one of you slip me something?"
>Jack bounces off the bed and bellyflops onto your lap
>"You wish, that was all you!"
>She twists and spirals into herself until she ends up completely on her back
>Her mane used to look rather fluffy and brushed for once but it immediately went back to the wild mare look
"...you alright? You get that out of your system?"
>"So can you tell me the origin of your code name... "Ponyboy"?"
"...you what."
>She giggles at your bewilderment
>"As Princess of Your Heart, I demand you give me attention instead!"
>Jack channels the element of a frou-frou regal accent blended with her Ma
>As if to match the voice, she tilts her chin up and out
>She even closes and crosses her hind legs, as if she only just now got points for modesty
>You have no clue what to think of this but something deep inside of you says to bail and never return
"If this is some sort of psychotic break either I'm having or all of you are collectively having, I'm going to kill myself and then all of you through my ghost powers."
>See if you don't do just that
>Jack gives up on the accent after another batch of giggling
>"Anon? I have something to tell you."
"Am I in a coma?"
>"No, but you totally talk in your sleep. And you are actually rather receptive to questions."
>This is it
>You feel death staring you down
>And her name is Jack
>Except she's staring down at you from below
"...you're lying."
>"Two words. Blueberry lemonade."
>You have no clue what that means but you were thirsty for that all day
"T... that doesn't mean anything."
>"Hail to the king?"
>You didn't say that
"...from Army of Darkness?"
>"Yup. And you sounded just like Ash did too. You even did the Elvis lip thing."
>If you had less of an empty stomach you might have ended up vomiting all over your princess
"...you two will tell no one or I'll be dining on pony soup tonight."

>You squint and point at both of the dorks
>"Too late, we told Prism too. And then we have a big laugh at your expense."
>Sparky spoke with glee
>That sort of glee came from honesty and knowing that one is too well-defended to feel the consequences of it
"...but why."
>"Because I told Jacky you were making an idiot out of yourself and she went "awww oh no, not Anon! Quick gang, let's put aside our differences and SAVE him!"."
>She puts her front hooves against her face and speaks a few tones too high
"Say it ain't so, Jack."
>You rub your forehead with your hands
>You can't even look away from them
>You look down and she's
>Right
>THERE
>"We did have a little song and a dance that you missed out on, and we also built a camp site complete with a tent and fire pit so we could learn how to work together despite our differences."
>That's
>Impressive
>An obvious lie but still impressive
"May I see it?"
>Jack taps the tip of her chin with her hoof
>"Hmmm..."
>Her face goes flat and expressionless
>"No."
"Well crap."
>You want to push her off but you just can't bring yourself to even raise your hands to her
>You know that if you do, you'll just be compelled to pet her or otherwise do non-fatal, affectionate actions
"Can you at least tell me the real reason why all of you are happy?"
>Jack inhales, stretches, and exhales
>"Well... alright. But first."
>She lifts her head up and smiles at Shine
>"Can you get Ponyboy some of that lemonade? I need my lap throne."
>"Pft. Yeah, sure. Remember to use the recorder on his phone next time."
"Yeah, no, nope, there won't be a next time."
>Your word has no effect on either of them
>"Ahh... that was fun."
>Jack taps her chest with her hoof
>Against your better judgement, you oblige and start rubbing her chest
>It does feel nice, you will admit
"Come on. Did I seriously talk in my sleep?"
>"Anon? You... totally spoke to us in your sleep. For like an hour."
"Lies."
>"Not at all. If we let you sleep for long enough, you would stop replying but you could still nod. If I kissed you or licked your face you'd be awake enough to say weird things."
>This is by and far the more invasive thing they've ever do
>Wait
"...you licked my face?"
>"We licked your face."
>For some reason the thought makes you shiver
"You're kidding."
>"We had to see if you could tell the difference."
>Oh
>Oh no
"D.. did I succeed?"
>"Yes. Which is kinda weird because there was really no way you could have known. You were really out of it."
>At least you have that going for you on an even unconscious level
"I'm not going to probe into that line of questioning anymore. But I'm serious. What changed all of a sudden?"
>"Sparky told us that you wouldn't stop talking about me when you went to the store and that you hit her in front of a store employee because you were so distraught."
>That little...
"Hey, she was asking for it."

>"I know, she said so. So we decided to sit down and..."
>For once, the joy starts to seep out of her until she's more relaxed
>"...well, it isn't done. Dashie is still kinda mad at me. And I guess I'm still sorta mad at her. I guess the long and short of it is that I... said something I shouldn't have."
>She wriggles on your lap
>"And I guess it's true that I really am not one to talk."
"I..."
>You sigh
>You remember well
>This isn't your issue
>This isn't your fight
>But
"I just want to help. I can't do nothing."
>"I know... and really, that's one of the best things I can say about you. It's because of that, that we're all together."
"Eh..."
>You take your other hand and start to pat her chest like a bongo drum
"...did you really like Shine lick my face?"
>That is the only bit you truly are still astonished at
>"I did. Once. She demanded a "finder's fee" for telling me about how wrecked you were at the store."
>At least you were unconscious for that
>Does that make it better or worse?
"I'm surprised you actually allowed that."
>"I'm surprised she almost chickened out."
"Seriously?"
>"Yeah. I was watching pretty close."
"Sneaky... so no free reign."
>"Not in a hundred years."
"So you'd let her lick me after a hundred and one years?"
>"Well you'll be a mummy then so... sure."
"Really? I always thought I'd be cremated or something. Or turned into petrified wood."
>"Humans can turn into wood?"
"..."
>The pursed lips and side nod you give her warrants a laugh
"Hey, I didn't say anything."
>"You were."
>This really is a lot better
"So are you really ok?"
>"Of course I am. I mean... it hurt. It still does. But yeah. We ain't done yet but... she brought up a lot of good points."
>Her eyes go to the ceiling
>A small smile is all it takes to make her brighten the entire room
>"She sheltered me from a lot of things. So... I just didn't notice stuff. And maybe if I knew then what I do now, I would have seen the bigger picture."
"Sure. But you can't have that be held against you."
>"I know. And she doesn't."
>She sighs
>That smile is still there
>"She's not wrong... but neither am I."
>Her eyes turn to you
>"Is it weird if I say I'm excited?"
"Very. Why would it be exciting for you?"
>"Because it means we're being tested by the elements!"
"Oh."
>The elements of harmony...
>She really is stuck on that, isn't she?
"Element of honesty time."
>"What's up?"
"Why are you so fixated on this? You've never been this juiced up and eager with that."
>"Because this is something we're doing as ourselves. And it means that when we succeed, it's real success. And not pretend."
>That makes sense
>You, of course, have your own opinion on things
>But you're a human in a human world with a job
>No matter how used to them you are and vice versa, that is still the biggest schism
>"You look worried, you know."
"Ah... sorry. I guess I'm still... I don't know. Surprised? Worried? I've never seen you and Pristine Chapel go at it like that."

>"It... it was a secret. It wasn't a good one but it had to come out."
>She wriggles on your lap again
>"And look at us now. Pretty scandalous, right?"
"Well... not entirely. But yeah. I don't know. It's just... yeah."
>This isn't your problem
>But you still can't not try
>The two thoughts headbutt harder than you'd like
>"Hey, let's focus on something better. I have a secret for this weekend."
"Yeah? What's that?"
>Shine is kinda taking a long time on that lemonade
>"Element of Kindness. How about a picnic or something?"
>Your initial thought of when you were all out on an event...
>The less remembered about that, the better
"Yeah?"
>"Yeah! Like... let's do something like a little hiking trail or something nice. And then let's pack a super big lunch for everyone and we can sing and just kinda..."
>She trails off, a blush rising on her face
>"...I was kinda hoping you'd interrupt me or say it was a good idea so I didn't have to keep going."
"O-oh. Yeah. Ah..."
>That does sound good, doesn't it?
"But what does that have to do with the element of kindness?"
>"Well, see, I was thinking that too. And what I came up with is that we can be honest and trust each other to handle our secrets but... we're kinda being mean, aren't we? So why not balance that out? Ma would agree."
>That is an interesting take on it
>Kindness is required to temper honesty and to reinforce loyalty
"...alright. Yeah, that sounds like a plan then."
>You finally take your hands off of her and rub your eyes with your palms
"Just... let's be careful with everyone getting mad and stuff. I didn't know what to do."
>You lean back until you hit the wall
"I don't know why it hit me so hard."
>It really did feel like a two ton weight dropped on your head and your heart
>"It means you care. You care a ton about me. You care a ton about Dashie too, even if I know you two ain't as close."
"I guess."
>"Yeah well I know, there's no guessing to it."
>You can feel her crawling up your torso until her nose boops against yours
>"It's gonna be alright. Right?"
"Right."
>She hugs onto you
>Tight
>Too tight
>Remain stoic, Anon
>She gives one last squeeze and relaxes
>You sputter out a cough
>"I was hoping you'd say "uncle" or something."
"Ah..."
>If she does that again, you may really lose a rib
"Don't and say you did."
>"Got it."
>You wanted to at least play something but now that you're laying with her on you, you just want to relax
>It really will be ok, won't it?
>"Hey Anon?"
"Yeah?"
>"You were mumbling that I was your princess."
"...yeah...?"
>"You're my favorite subject."
"Pah. Thanks, I think."
>You've never even thought of her as a princess before
>You better sleep tight with a blanket around your head this time
>If they can unlock the secrets to a sleep talking Anonymous, your goose is cooked

>"Hey... psst. Wake up."
>You don't want to
>"Wake up Anon."
>Why?
>It's Saturday
>One of your eyes open
>It's Jack
>The room is illuminated, as always, by the main computer screen
>Rather than laying down, she's sitting in front of you
"What is it? What's up?"
>"We're talking over breakfast."
"Who is "we"?"
>"Sparky and Dash. They're gonna do breakfast and want me to stay in here with you."
>That doesn't make any sense
>Wasn't she hanging out with you last night?
"Oh... alright. Cool."
>You've been sleeping pretty hard for the last few days
>You aren't... not concerned as much as you were earlier
>But your worries are washed away by the reassurance you get by the three of them
>Were you always some sort of uber softie?
"What time is it?"
>"It's early."
>You yawn for long enough you think you actually went back to sleep for a microsecond
"Why am I up then?"
>"Because you woke me up."
>...what?
>How in the world did that happen?
"How?"
>"You were squeezing me. I ain't a princess yet, you know."
"Did I call you that again?"
>She nods and rubs her face against your forehead
>"Yup. It took me some effort to break free."
>You didn't do that
>N way
"Damn... I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't know."
>You close your eyes again
>"You don't need to apologize. Dash was up all night and Sparky woke up pretty easy."
>Did you, in effect, wake up others too?
"Oh no."
>With your closed eyes and comfortable tone, it's the least amount of care you could ever display for another
>You feel a kiss on your cheek
>"We have a new harmony quest."
"I know."
>You know
>And you're stressed as to what could happen next
"Ok, good night."
>"Wait, not yet!"
>Her voice raises but it's still barely above lounge room volume
"Nah. Nope. Sleepy sleepy, Jackenstein. C'mere."
>You raise up your blanket
>In no time at all you feel her swooce right in and press her back against your front
"Thanks, princess."
>You aren't exactly kidding when you say that
>It's certainly not something you couldn't get used to calling her
>"See? You did it again."
"Nah. No I didn't."
>"You totally did."
>You can feel her nuzzle your forearm
"Nope."
>"Yup."
"No way."
>"You just did it."
"Nope. It's your imagination."
>"Nu-uh, I swear... my hat on it..."
"You don't have a hat."
>"Yeah I do, it's in the closet."
"Nah man. I sold it."
>"You sold it?"
"Yeah. I sold it for oatmeal money. I got like about a three fiddy for it."
>"...no you didn't..."
"I completely did."
>You and Jack spend time going back and forth
>It continues until you're back to maybe being 30% awake
>She apparently shares the same path, going limp except for her yacking jaw
>You'd make fun of her more
>But right now you just want to relax with her
>Princess Lemon Pepper
>That sounds so nice
"Lempep."
>You mumble out some word
>Her only response is a mostly-sleeping grunt

>The element of kindness
>Between you and Jack putting your heads together, you came up with...
>Nothing
>Absolutely nothing came to mind foe the element of kindness
>You can test and show loyalty
>You can very obviously be honest
>But what is it to be kind?
>More so, what is it to be kind?
>You want to, but you can't claim that it is kindness to want to push your face into Jack and Prism's problems
>It isn't kindness to force everyone to hang out either
>You considered it an abject lost and instead slept the weekend away
>You don't know if it was stress, or allergies trying to froth up into illness, or just your body collecting on insomnia's tax
>Jack slept with you a lot
>Shiner would sometimes talk to-at-you about her strategies
>Only once did Prism check up on you
>It was an idle question of if you were doing well
>And you were
>It wasn't like you were banging your head against the wall over the harmony quest
>Now it's Monday...
>Work came and went
>Your days there go by so quickly
>Not only is your job mind numbing, but there are no more mysteries to solve about how to do something
>It's routine
>Only when you come home do you revive
>Even if your failure to come up with something hangs off of your neck like a brick, you're happy to hear the dorks talking in the living room
>Kicking off your boots and flinging your jacket to the ground, you decide to join them
>It's far better than going to your room to sulk
>They go quiet as soon as you're in eyesight
>...well that can only be a good sign
>"Welcome home, Anon. Sit with us for a bit."
>Prism takes charge as the lead speaker and nods to a pile of fabrics
"Well I was going to but now I'm worried. Did our pyromaniac set a bird on fire again?"
>"W-what!? I've never done that, even once!"
"Yeah-huh. You torched that thing like a Castlevania chicken, don't deny."
>You sit and smile at the torrent of unicorn cursing
>She probably hasn't done that
>But it's just fun to tease
>Not very kind of you
>Jackinomics doesn't laugh any, which worries you
>"Anon... we gotta talk about something."
>By her tone, she isn't too fond of this either
>Ah crap
>It's going to be bad news, isn't it
"...well. Since you put it that way, I can only be worried. What's up?"
>Sparkler looks to Jack, the you
>"I guess I'll start. It's about the harmony quests and how our last one went."
>Of course it is
>You chose the wrong game to play to begin with
>How could a topic like that be played with so openly?
>"G...geeze, don't look like I told you that you have cancer."
>As much as you want to, you can't shake that weight off
>Focus lost, she looks back at Jacky
>A mutual look is shared between the two
>At this point, you're prepared for the worst
>Jack does her best to clear her throat
>"I... think what she meant to say is that you kinda made us look a little deeper into ourselves than any of us were first expecting."
>That isn't the bombshell
>The worst has yet to be said
>You're sure of it
>"Jacky is right."
>Prism takes off like she was anxiously waiting her turn
>"Jacky initially came up with this, and we decided it would be fun. But it really has shown us just how... not-great we are. I did not know we had so many grievances, no matter how big or small they are. And through your careful planning, we've exposed everything to everyone."
>She looks at her sisters
>They nod
>"And... none of us are truly strong enough to handle all of it. Not so quickly, and not by ourselves."
>That's a way to cushion the blow, isn't it?
>Jacky gives her best cheeky smile
>"So, with that in mind, we decided what to do about the element of kindness!"
>You have no clue how one thread connects to the other
"...what? We didn't do anything, though. You and I spoke about some stuff but obviously we didn't do anything."
>"Not true!"
>Prism really seems to enjoy the initiative with this
>Her almost formal tone makes you think that she spent days trying to sound impressive
>"You see, we looked at ourselves and of the elements. And... while our problems are not yours, you have consistently shown loyalty, honesty, and certainly kindness toward us. Two of us are sitting here now because of your kindness."
"Oh come off it, you know I couldn't ju-"
>"No, how about you come off it Anon."
>While she tried to sound proper before, Shine's classic irritation seeps through
>"You keep deflecting stuff like you "had" to do it. And you didn't. No one else would. Accept the compliment or I'll buck you hard enough that you'll have to go back to middle school until they drop."
"I..."
>Did she just threaten to buck your lads?
"...you said that really weird but I understood what you said completely."
>That seems to be enough to make the girl proud
>"Don't worry Anon, I've been teaching her the wrong things on how to buck so it would only last a few hours."
>Jack leans toward you while speaking, much to the chagrin of her apparent pupil
>"And if she ever did it, I told her I would bite off her horn, chew it in front of her like that gum with the silly commercials and then spit out the fragments like bullets."
>That raises even more questions
>What the hell have these ponies been talking about and how did they get so creatively violent?
>...maybe it's the D&D
"So. What is going on again?"
>Prism sighs
>At least she's amused by their antics
>"Fillies being fillies, Anon. The main focus of the matter is that we decided on our own element of kindness quest... and that was to let you rest. While we always had an eye on you, we decided that you shouldn't have to shoulder this burden all on your own. Whether or not you agree, we all believe that it would be insulting for you to have to find a way to show us what it means to be kind via some... party game. When you effectively live by it."
>You're speechless, frankly
>You would never claim yourself to be some sort of paragon
>Far from it, you just do what you think is right
>Buying food and helping out isn't anything abnormal
>You just want to
>Wait
>Wat one kindness cotton second
"...did you just call me Fluttershy?"
>Prism furrows her brow
>Thinks on it
>And nods with a content smile
>"Yes. Yes I did. It suits you, doesn't it?"
>"You are a big human but even without my magic, I could probably beat you up if you were a stallion."
>"And you're yellow! Like me."
"...yay."
>You didn't expect to sound so defeated but it led to Jack giving her own cheer
>"Anyway."
>Shine picks up
>"We let you relax for the weekend because you talking in your sleep and stuff... yeah, that's not what you normally do. And if anyone would know that, I would."
>The death squint from Jack goes unnoticed
>"And because we're all supposed to fit the tenants or... themes? Whatever, we decided on the next few elements and what they should be. This weekend, we're doing generosity and it is our quest. So we're going to do that and you're going to be ready, well-rested and not look so much like a disheveled hobo by then."
"Bruh."
>"...you could use a haircut, I will admit."
>"Hey! He has a winter coat just like we do."
"Too much honesty."
>You're still a little... distracted?
>Your mind is too busy to focus
"So are you... did we fail kindness?"
>The varying levels of concern the mares show you is
>Concerning
>"...we just explained it to you, Anonymous. We're considering it a success, and we are making sure that you don't have to do everything on your own."
>The trying tone in Prism's voice reminds you of an annoyed school teacher
"...oh. Well that's cool. Great work, gang."
>The concern doesn't go away
>"...Jacky?"
>The wing ringleader looks to your favorite carrot top
>"Bed?"
>"Please. We'll get started on dinner later."
>Jack beams and hops off of her makeshift seat
>"Come on, Mr. Man, you need a stiff drink, a movie full of working stiffs with guns and other things that involve stiffness."
>You think
>You really do think
>That maybe there's an innuendo in there
>But you will admit, at least to yourself, that your head is such a mess that you can't argue with her
>Maybe a drink will help
>Or three
>If what they said is true, then that's one more harmony quest down
>You feel silly for taking it so seriously
>Especially since Jack more or less brought up the entire idea on a whim
>You still want to believe that this was a good idea
"...can we watch John Wick again?"
>"Yes but you'll have to eat all your dinner before we get to the sequels."
"Come on man, the sequels are far better than the first!"
>"Then you better eat every bit up!"
>You have no clue why Jack is calling the shots but screw it
>You're hungry anyway so joke's on her

>"Hey Anon."
"Hey Shine."
>"You almost died."
"Only almost."
>"But still almost."
"You know I haven't died once since my new run started."
>"Yeah but the enemies are starting to scale harder too. Your healing is maxed out but it really doesn't seem like it's getting any easier."
"Eh. It'll be fine."
>Things are starting to level out
>You still don't feel all that comfortable about it, but the element of kindness has been checked off
>Last night helped a lot
>"...so tell me about work."
"Eh? Work?"
>"Yeah. What's it like, having a job?"
"Why, you want to get gainfully employed?"
>The unicorn scoffs
>She's sitting like you, on her hind end and with her back to the wall
>It's kinda funny because she her body scrunches into itself
>"As if. I'll be happy to spend the rest of my days doing exactly what I already do."
"Yeah... I bet. Well..."
>The topics revolving around work
>Income
>It has always been a thing that just never sees much conversation
"I guess it's alright. After a certain point in life, you kinda have to deal with that taking up a ton of your waking life. You could say it's soul crushing but I'm usually not paying attention to that so it isn't so bad."
>"That sounds like a lot of crap."
"Tell me about it."
>"Alright."
>That was a rhetorical statement
>You get the feeling she knows that
>"It sounds like crap and it sounds like something that would be especially weird for you."
"Why? I still know how to talk to humans."
>"I guess. How do you get by?"
"You know?"
>Only now do you realize that it's been two and a half years since Jack came into your life
>It feels like it was only a month ago
"I'm... not sure. I guess I just always had you dorks in mind."
>She laughs
>It sounds like a guffaw of astonishment
>"Wow."
"Right? I guess I am pretty lame, like you said before. I can't hide that."
>She isn't laughing now
>"You know I didn't mean it that way..."
"Nah, you did. If I'm really offended, it's because I just don't like that it's true."
>You can feel the awkward vibes from the sitting pony
>"...so what do you think about then?"
"What, when it comes to you?"
>"Yeah. I mean... yeah. I think about you. Often."
>She sounds more awkward now than when you brought up her true insults
>"But... not because I have to. Like you do."
"Well it's not like I have to, either. But I want to. I replay our last few matches and try to think of how I could have better countered you. I think of what you guys are up to. I wonder if I want to actually do something when I get home or if I just want to nap around and join the little mob of laziness. Since you and Prism take care of stuff like laundry and cooking, I really don't have to focus on absolutely everything. It really clears up the mind."
>"Heh. You've mentioned how you like that before. Are you really that easily impressed?"
"Well it isn't that it's easy or hard. It's just that it's done and I don't have to worry about it. I get to be focused until I stop focusing."
>"I can see that. We kinda take care of things here so I guess we are doing our part. Whatever that means."
"It means enough."
>That seems to satisfy both of you
>At least for a while
>"You're almost dead."
"Shut."
>"You're panic-rolling."
"You shush."
>"Oh, nice save."
"See? Told you."
>"So... about work."
>Again with the work topic?
"You looking for a weekly allowance or something?"
>"No, I... you saying I could have had an allowance this entire time?"
>Crap
"N... no."
>"Cheapskate."
"Hey!"
>The open grin is too much for you to stay mad at
>She really does look the most alive when she's teasing or poking at someone
>That or when she's half a day into a game
>"Outside of knowing that you're stiffing us on snack money..."
"Yeah?"
>No reply
"Sparkler?"
>"I don't really know how to say it."
"Then just say it."
>"It... isn't a bad thing that you focus on us."
"Yeah?"
>"And it is something that we do pay attention to, since some days you really just want to relax and sleep."
"Yeah?"
>"And that sometimes you come back with your hands cut up..."
"...yeah?"
>Shine blows air out of her mouth hard
>"I don't know, I'm not good at this sort of thing."
"Speaking like you're smart? Yeah, I could tell."
>"Eat me."
>She seems to really be thinking on this
>"...nevermind."
"You sure?'
>"Yeah. Nevermind."
>It really isn't often that she gives up like this
>She almost never just lets a possible interrogation trail off
"Alright then."
>You keep playing as usual
>Even if you feel fatigue rising
>The next thing you notice, when you come to, you're laying on your side
>You haven't given up
>...
>What were you giving up on?

>You can hear singing
>It isn't that loud
>You don't hear any music to go with it
>You blindly reach out but you can't feel anything
>Wait
>Nothing around you at all
>You crouch down and
>Yup
>Yeah
>You can't feel any floor either
"Well crap, I guess this landing is gonna suck."
>That realization leads to your eyes opening
>You feel like the air got knocked out of you
>Sleep paralysis?
>...no
>You can still move just fine
>As much as you want to
>It took a while to notice but while you can hear AVGN play, you can't see anything
>Your face is mushed against something... warm
>It's someone's chest
>The scent is...
>Yeah
>You inhale once more to be sure
>It's Jack
>You shift your body just the slightest to feel someone against your back
>You drag a hand back and the coat tells you that it's Shiner
>Is that why you feel so warm?
>You don't even have a blanket on but you feel like you've been swaddled in a fluffy quilt
>Maybe Jack chest has that effect
>You blindly feel around until you grab your phone
>Your alarm won't go off for a while
>You want to just turn it off and spend the rest of the day sleeping
>But you can't
>You set the phone down and rest your hand on your face-warming mare
>As little a thing as it is, those harmony quests have really stirred things up
>You already miss the far more...
>Lazy days and nights
>It's a pretty pathetic thing, to feel strain from doing so little
>But that's not the right way to put it, is it?
>Maybe it isn't strain at all, but the fear of what the further change will bring
>Maybe you're just overthinking it
>Soon enough you'll have to leave them for another day of white noise
>It really is hardly worth thinking about, especially since you've learned everything quickly enough
>You do have a few interesting stories and some good days, sure
>But they really don't compare to just being around the dorks
>Maybe you can get something rolling, like a Take Your Horse To Work day
>...on second thought, maybe not
>You can imagine Jack making googly eyes at revolvers and wanting to shoot something
>Shine actually shooting someone
>Prism?
>You wish she could have joined the pile
>She probably would just sit in the corner and quietly judge you
>In your half-awake daze, inspiration strikes
>What if...
>Could you find work that would let them come with?
>Obviously they aren't useless
>Their skillset isn't quite like a human's but they still exist
>It might be challenging, even if it's something they can naturally do
>Could any of them handle even a part-time job?
>Maybe you should bring that up later
>Now isn't the time
>Not when you can just enjoy the moment
>Another shameless inhale kicks your mind into high gear
>If Jack ends up getting a job, she'll need to take more baths
>Prism is the most obvious but they all are a bit high strung when it comes to keeping clean
>Maybe you need one of those tote bags to haul them around in
>Or a chest rig
>Another inhale
>Longer than the other times
>That's the good stuff