Living the Good Life: Chapter 11

>Macintosh can see the resolve in your eyes despite the low lighting. He tosses the jug in his possession to you and you instinctively catch it. You watch the contents of the jug move about from being tossed.
>”What’s this?” you ask as you eye the liquid warily. “It’s a gift. Apple cider from last season, it’s my special brew. It’ll make ya forget your day if ya drink too much. Think of it as a thank you fer helpin me get mah sister back… even if it involved ya getting yer tail whipped.” He chuckles at the end of his explanation.
>You remove the top and inhale its contents. You can feel your nose hairs figuratively burning upon smelling the cider. This cider is going to knock you on your ass if you aren’t careful.
>Doesn’t help that you haven’t touched the stuff since college… those classes can be stressful. After thanking him for the cider he gets off of the bench and walks inside. Lyra comes out to greet you soon after. You place the top back on the jug and move aside so she has room to walk.
>”Sup Anon?” Lyra asks before trotting past you and onto the poker card laden path leading out of Sweet Apple Acres. “So, what’d you and Mac talk about?”
>”He just wanted to thank me for helping out his sister, and he apologized for beating the hell out of me.” You explain as you walk alongside Lyra. She eyes the jug in your possession.
>”So… you get the cider from em too?” asks Lyra as she watches the contents move around in the jug. You nod in response before putting the jug to Lyra’s eye level.
>You pull off the top of the jug and let Lyra inhale its contents. Her eyes widen before turning to look up at you.
>”Whoa Anon… are you sharing?” Lyra asks shifting her gaze between you and the jug as she does so. You scoff before placing the top back on the jug.
>”You’re already getting a belly rub, don’t push your luck.” You say with a grin. Lyra groans in disappointment. The two of you walk on in relative silence.
>The only noise that keeps the two of you company is the chirping of crickets and the pitter patter of your feet and Lyra’s hooves.
>As the two of you head off in the direction of town you take a few moments to glance at the moon in the sky. The gentle illumination of the moon seems to embrace the land in a soft glow.
>Fireflies dot the area around you, occasionally flashing their yellow bulbs as they pass.  The wind seems to chill you as it flows around you. You shiver a bit; you really wish you had your hoodie right about now.
>Maybe it’s dry by now, at least you hope. Your walk to Sugarcube Corner takes a little longer than intended. Lyra insists the two of you spend some time slacking off.
>More or less she wanted to chase fireflies while you watched from under a shady oak tree. You have to say that Lyra’s reaction time isn’t the best.
>You watched as she crouched down and wiggled her flank in the air right when she was about to pounce. When she did she’d usually miss the firefly completely and she’d end up face first in the poker cards.
>While it was fun watching her pretend to be a predator it was eating up a good bit of your time. After letting Lyra have her fun for a good half an hour the two of you set off for Sugarcube Corner.
>As expected when you arrived at the gingerbread laden shop you saw Pinkie getting ready to turn in for the night. You knock on the front door and when she turns to look at the two of you she perks up instantly.
>She rushes to the door and opens it greeting the two of you with a smile. “Hi Anon, hi Lyra, come in!” she says, motioning for you to follow.
>You do so and she leads you to the center of the ground floor. Pinkie then bounces over to a nearby table. She comes bouncing back to you carrying what you think is your hoodie… but there’s a problem.
>It shrank in the wash… it’s less than half its normal size. Pinkie passes your hoodie along to you and giggles out of embarrassment.
>”I swear that’s never happened before… sorry Anon.” Pinkie says before shrugging her withers. You sigh while looking over your now shrunken hoodie. You’ve had this thing for years… it was your favorite.
>And now it’s ruined… looks like you’ll have to go to your black hoodie now that your red one here is un-wearable.
>”Thanks for trying Pinkie… just remind me to never let you wash my clothes again. Ever.” She winches when you put emphasis on how displeased you are.
>You’re trying not to come off as a dick considering she only wanted to help, but it was your favorite hoodie damn it! You look from your hoodie to Lyra and Pinkie. Maybe one of them could get a use out of it.
>Seems like it’d fit a pony just fine. “Have a good night Pinkie.” You say as you walk to your door. “Bye Anon…” Pinkie says sadly.
>While you and Lyra walk out the door Pinkie remains on the main floor for a few moments before trotting up the stairs in the back.
>Lyra walks ahead of you considering you have no idea where her house is around this town. As the two of you walk Lyra decides to strike up a conversation.
>”So that was a little mean.” Lyra says without turning back to look at you. You respond while still looking over your hoodie.
>”Well I’m a little mad that she messed up one of the few articles of clothing I’ve got. Human clothes aren’t exactly easy to come by and judging by what Twilight told me the only tailor in town is a greedy unicorn.” While Lyra walks ahead you try to measure her up to your now shrunken hoodie.
>”Yeah but still, she only wanted to help Anon.” Lyra says, “I know and I told her thank you. It was appreciated but her help only ruined what she set out to help make better.” You explain. Lyra sighs before changing the topic of conversation.
>”So, you gonna stay the night so you can give me that glorious tummy rub or what?” she asks before turning her head back to look at you.
>”I don’t know, am I allowed? Mommy Bon Bon might not like you bringing strange men home.” You say teasingly before chuckling. Lyra scoffs before shaking her head.
>”Yeah she might get a little mad, but hey I do what I want.” Lyra says before sticking her tongue out at you and turning her head back to look where she’s going.
>She leads you through a collection of homes before stopping in front of one that has Bon Bon’s cutie mark on the front mat.
>”Well here we are.” Lyra says with a smile. Yeah… here you are. Wait, you need to tell Twilight you’ll be out for the night. She’ll probably worry if you don’t check in with her. As you hand Lyra the jug of cider you tell her:
>”Hey, listen, I’m gonna go let Twilight know I’m okay and that I’ll be here if she needs me.” You say before turning to face the direction you’ll have to go to get to Twilight’s place.
>”Heh, and here you were giving me flak for Bon Bon. Alright go ahead and go, you better be back here soon though mister. My tummy won’t rub itself.” Lyra says with a giggle before using her magic to open her door.
>You can hear Bon Bon call out in anger before Lyra shuts the door behind herself.  You smile to yourself, looks like Lyra’s going to get an earful.
>With pep in your step you make your trek through P0nyville to the other side of town. Along the way you can’t help but notice the shadow of a building as it looms over you.
>You turn to the source of the shadow to find the silhouette of what looks to be a carousel. Though much larger in size… the illumination of the lights from within shows a familiar gray pony as she parades around with… Bon Bon’s bit sack.
>So Rarity lives here… that’s good to know. That’ll make things a bit easier on you when you decide to put whatever plans you have into action.
>You don’t linger for long and soon you’re off again. After a good five minutes of walking you make it to Twilight’s Treebrary. You open the front door to find Twilight reading a book on her couch.
>She looks up when you enter the room. She closes her book and trots over to you. “Seems like you had a busy day. Saving the mail mare, taking Sweetie Belle to see Pinkie, and hanging out with the mare stalking you this morning.” Judging by her tone and glare she doesn’t seem to happy with you.
>”I don’t see what the big deal is. You ponies are a lot more open than humans… besides Lyra seems really nice. She just didn’t know how to go about introducing herself. Bon Bon had a helping hoof in that.” You say before kneeling down to Twilight’s level.
>”Well what happened to thinking about helping us? You know, the whole reason you went out in the first place?” Twilight asks her frown deepening as she waits for you to respond. You’re not in the mood for this.
>”Listen, I’m going… I’m going to help out with Rarity,” Twilight’s frown seems to make a one eighty as it turns to a small grin, “But, I’m only helping out Rarity as a favor to Sweetie Belle. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stick my neck out for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight sighs in frustration.
>”Oh well, it’s a start… thanks.” She says not looking to meet your gaze. She scuffs her hoof along the floor quietly.
>”What? Were you hoping to yell at me or something?” you ask with a chuckle. “Well yeah I had this whole argument planned out and everything! And here you are just… well… being you.” Twilight says with disappointment.
>You smile before standing, “Well sorry to disappoint.” You say, when you’re about to tell her your plans Twilight speaks first.
>”Hey, I was looking at this new book on The Gryphon Kingdom… and I was wondering if you wanted to read it with me… I figured you’d want to learn a little bit about the nations outside of Equestria.” Twilight says before motioning towards her book on the couch.
>You shake your head, “As interesting as that sounds I’m going to have to say no. Got plans with Lyra tonight.” And that frown and sad look returns.
>”Let’s save that for tomorrow…. I know how about we hang out here and you can read me all the books you want how’s that?” You’ve just signed your own death warrant. You don’t know if Twilight’s mouth can handle the stretching.
>Twilight squees before bouncing around happily, she must really love the concept of reading books and teaching others. You haven’t seen Twilight this excited before.
>As she bounces around you watch as color seems to slowly creep its way up Twilight’s mane and tail. When her mane and tail have their original color it stops.
>It doesn’t spread to the rest of her body… oh well it’s a start. As Twilight starts to ramble on about just what books she’s going to read to you she realizes she’s keeping you here instead of where you need to be.
>She apologizes before pushing you towards the door. How this pony has the strength to push you so easily is beyond your understanding. “Whoa wait a minute you’re kicking me out?” you ask in disbelief.
>”The sooner you leave and spend the night with Lyra the quicker tomorrow will come. Okay bye.” Twilight pushes you back out into P0nyvile and slams the door behind you.
>Well… that was unexpected… you shrug your shoulders before setting out to head back to Lyra’s. As you walk along you come across the large carousel shaped building yet again.
>This time however… the lights are off. A few thoughts cross your mind as you eye the building shrouded in darkness. Thought you never thought you’d think…
>You crouch and walk over to one of the windows on the building and peer inside. Due to the lack of lighting you’re unable to make out anything in the room other than what the moonlight shows.
>You spot a sewing machine along with some fabrics upon a nearby table… and you can see a few mannequins in the back. The thing that really calls your attention though is the sack of bits sitting on top of the sewing machine… without thinking you test the windows to see if they’re locked.
>Wait Anon what are you doing? You can’t just break into a pony’s home and steal whatever lies within. But… it’s not like you’d be stealing anything of Rarity’s. You hold not interest in fabrics or clothes.
>It’s Bon Bon’s money, not Rarity’s. She shouldn’t have it in her possession… why didn’t anyone report her to the authorities? Oh that’s right Discord rules the land… so no guards or pony police.
>But wait… that means that if you’re caught in the act no one would stop you either… you could get away with this if you were careful about it.
>Are you really about to do this? You swore you wouldn’t go so far as stealing. You said to multiple people that such an act was below you… but technically you’re not stealing… you’re taking back something that doesn’t belong to a thief.
>With that concept in mind and with the windows locked you move on to the door. You give the door knob a test twist and come to find out it’s locked as well.
>”Fuck.” You say, frustrated that your venture is over before it even began… at least you thought that until you saw the diamond shaped doggie door at the bottom of the front door.
>So, Rarity owns a pet… normal sized animal door on what’s an already small door… you get to your knees and push on the doggie door to find that it opens.
>You reach in and your hand claws its way up the door’s wooden frame… and to the knob on the other side. You give the lock a twist and you can hear the click signifying that the door is unlocked.
>Success… you get to your feet and quietly open the door…. You peer inside to find nothing. Neither pony ready to pounce nor animal barking at your presence. You’re off to a good start.
>You quietly make your way over to Rarity’s sewing table, looking around as you do so. When you get to the table you reach out and grab the rather heavy sack of bits.
>The money jingles when the sack dangles in your hand. As you sneak back to the door a light clicks on in one of the back rooms connected to the foyer you’re standing in.
>You hold your breath and stay absolutely still… you watch as Rarity steps into the back room. She looks over a few of the mannequins in that room before she finds a suit wearing mannequin.
>She uses her magic to lift the top hat off of its head and there she finds a small emerald.  “Ah there’s momma’s sleeping gem.” Rarity says with a smile.
>Without even looking your way she turns around and trots off to wherever she came from. When she turns off the lights and when the clopping of her hooves disappears you breathe a sigh of relief.
>That was way too close… you silently tip toe towards the open door and out into P0nyville. You’re sure to lock and close the door behind you on your way out.
>With your hoodie in one hand, and with the sack of bits in the other, you walk off towards Lyra’s house. As her home comes into view you can’t help but occasionally glance over your shoulder.
>What can you say you are a bit paranoid sometimes… especially when you do something that’s out of your element. You can’t believe you just did that… but you didn’t steal anything of Rarity’s…
>Yeah that’s right, you stole nothing. You’re simply retrieving Bon Bon’s property for her. It’s like you’re delivering a package…
>You stop at the wrapped candy mat and knock. You hear Bon Bon shout, “Coming!” she says before the clopping of hooves can be heard.
>She opens the door and whatever smile she had is immediately dropped. “I got a bone to pick with you monkey man. I wanted Lyra home before dark and it’s almost ten now! What the hay… made… you…?” she asks as she eyes the sack of bits in your hand.
>”Is that?” she asks before pointing to her sack of bits. You nod before kneeling down and opening the sack to show her… that she nearly lost a lot of bits.
>One hundred bits is quite… heavy if you do say so yourself. Bon Bon eyes her bits before sighing and opening her door all the way.
>”You know… I think I can overlook Lyra being late over this… and I think I’ll let you spend the night tonight. Come on in.” she says before pointing to her home’s interior. You get to your feet and walk inside.
>As you pass through her doorway you feel a tug on your pants leg. You kneel down yet again, “Yeah what’s up Bon-“you’re cut off when she throws her front hooves around your shoulders.
>”Bon?” you finish, “Thank you… I thought I was gonna go without making a payment on my shop this month.” Bon Bon says as she hugs tighter. Her hooves have made their way to your neck and you’re finding it hard to breathe.
>”N…no prob… Bon Bon… you’re kinda…” you tap on one of her hooves. She gets the message. “Oh!” Bon Bon says as she releases you. She giggles out of embarrassment.
>”So… um… do you want to see the rest of the house?” she asks, shooting you a nervous grin as she does so.
>”Nah I think I’ll do that myself.” Lyra says from her position in the hallway. She doesn’t sound too happy.  She looks upon the two of you suspiciously.

>”What’s up?” you ask as you eye Lyra. She seems upset about something but you can’t imagine what. Bon Bon shares your sentiment.
>”Why’s Bon Bon all over you huh… is that Bon Bon’s bits?” Lyra asks as she points to the sack in your hand. She trots over and when she gets a good look her eyes widen.
>”Oh okay I thought… never mind it’s nothing.” Lyra says before shooting the two of you a nervous grin. You hand Bon Bon her bits bag before narrowing your eyes at Lyra.
>”Yeah it wasn’t “nothing,” what’s up?” you ask before kneeling down to Lyra’s level. Lyra doesn’t seem to want to meet your gaze.
>”It was just me being silly… now am I gonna give you the grand tour or what?” Lyra asks before pointing further into her and Bon Bon’s home.
>You’re obviously not going to get a straight answer from this mare so you might as well just go along with it. After all if you’re going to be staying the night it’d be nice to know what is where.
>It seems as if Bon Bon isn’t going to join you on this little tour. It seems like she wants to get her bits to safety as soon as possible. She trots past the two of you and down the long, narrow hallway.
>She trots up a set of white wood topped stairs and out of sight. Before she even shows you into any of the rooms she motions to the hallway the two of you are standing in.
>You take a quick look around. Stark white painted wooden walls, hardwood floors, and small oval shaped lights illuminate the hallway.
>It’s seems as if this house has electricity. You swear pony technology is a way off base. Sugarcube Corner has regular lights as well, but Twilight’s library is illuminated by oil lanterns and candles.
>You’ll have to ask somep0ny why there’s such a hug variation to technology.  But before then you need to pay attention to your surroundings. You spot one open doorway leading to one room to the right.
>A white painted wooden door lies to the right beyond the first doorway, a third room to the right beyond the closed door. It’s also shut off from your curious eyes.
>A fourth room straight across from the third room is an open doorway much like the first room. Lyra waits for you to finish looking around.
>”Hallway.” Lyra says simply before trotting into the first room on the right. You follow soon after. Judging by the mint tiled flooring and the sink and counter combo opposite the doorway you have to say this has to be the kitchen.
>When you take a look to your right a white refrigerator blocks your vision. You’re forced to walk into the kitchen if you wish to see it all.
>The wall to the left houses various pony sized cupboards. A small silver trash can sits in the gap in between the fridge and cupboards.
>You also spot four cupboards attached to the wall above the sink. Two lie to the left of the sink and two lie to the right. A window closed by cream colored curtains shows the dark outside.
>”We don’t have a pantry but these babies can hold our snacks just fine.” Says Lyra as she points to the cupboards along the left side of the kitchen.
>She goes over the various drawers and cupboards along the front of the counter. They’ve got a utility drawer, cleaner drawer, silverware drawer, zip lock bag drawer… they even have a drawer completely dedicated to those little twist ties for bread.
>Lyra notices you looking over the multicolored twist ties. “Got sick of losing them and my bread going stale. So I save these babies in case I lose one.” Lyra says with a grin.
>She goes on by pointing to the four cupboards above the sink. Those are used to hold plates, bowls, cups, and what Lyra calls: “Fancy Stuff.”
>When you’ve gotten an eyeful she leads you back out into the hallway. The first closed door she opens to reveal shelves of towels and rags. So it’s virtually a hallway closet.
>The third room on the right side remains closed. “That’s Bon Bon’s exercise room… I’m not allowed to go in.” Lyra says with a nervous chuckle.
>”Why’s that?” you ask, “Oh… well… you see I kinda sorta messed up a spell in there and it peeled the paint off the walls.  She got mad.” Lyra explains before shivering. As if recalling the event scared her.
>”Nice.” You say with a laugh, Lyra lightly raps your leg with a front hoof. “Hey it’s not funny! I had to repaint the whole bucking room!” Lyra exclaims. You shrug.
>”Whatever, you deserved it.” You smirk and her frown deepens. “Anyway, here’s the next room.” Lyra says while pointing to the final room in the hall.
>The two of you enter. Like the hallway this room sports hardwood flooring. You look around the room and spot a cream colored sectional a near the center of the room.
>A mahogany coffee table sits in front of the couch. You see Macintosh’s gift sitting upon it. In front of the coffee table are three book cases that lie upon the wall.
>Each book case contains five shelves. Various books line each shelf. Their age varies; some appear brand new while others appear worn beyond repair.
>A fireplace sits to the left of the book cases. A huge gap lies between the left side of the room and the couch. On the left side of the room lies an oval shaped dining table with four pony sized chairs and a window giving you a view of their front yard. A single basket of fake fruit acts as a centerpiece for the table.
>”This is the living room. Over there is where Bon Bon and I eat and stuff. We got a few extra chairs for guests. Over there is a comfy flanking couch… sectional… whatever you wanna call it.” Lyra explains as she trots over to the couch.
>”And up those stairs in the back is my room, Bon Bon’s room, and our bathrooms. My stuff is on the left side up there while hers is on the right. That concludes your tour.” Lyra says while reaching over to grab your jug.
>While wondering just how the hell she’s able to grab things with her hooves you walk over and join her on the couch. When you set your shrunken hoodie along the arm of the couch she hands the jug to you and you pop the top.
>”Party time?” you ask with a smile, “Almost.” Lyra says as she gets off of the couch. She trots over to the book cases and grabs hold of a random book via magic.
>She levitates the book over to the coffee table before joining you back on the couch. You point to the book.
>”What’s with the book?” you ask as you take a whiff of the jug’s contents. “Oh, you don’t know? Twilight’s basically the town’s witch right?” You nod.
>”Well… one day when I went to check out a few books she was looking to make a new spell. She was wondering what she wanted to try. I asked her if it’d be possible to project a story or information out of a book… like… see what the book describes you know?” You have no idea what Lyra’s talking about and it shows.
>”Yeah I figured. It’d be best if I showed you. Twilight showed me how after she figured it out.” Lyra’s horn begins to glow and the book she chose does in turn.
>Lyra closes her eyes and begins to concentrate. Her horn begins to grow brighter… it’s almost blinding. You’re forced to cover your eyes. When the light finally dissipates you look to find…
>That the book is open… and there’s a three feet by three feet moving image being projected a few feet out of it. Suddenly the image freezes. You’re shown a heroic looking Pegasus Mare dressed in cyan colored hoplite gear.
>The title above the mare says, “Sonic Boom the Dragon Slayer.” Needless to say you’re surprised at what you see. Lyra smiles triumphantly.
>”You like it? I call em: Visual Novels. Gotta be a unicorn though if you wanna use em. Sucks.” Lyra explains. To you it’s like looking at a hologram straight out of a science fiction movie.
>”Party time begins now.” Lyra says excitedly, as the visual novel begins you’re greeted with fanfare coming from it. Least you’ll have sound to go with it.
>You start off by taking a deep swig straight from the jug. The contents burn your esophagus on the way down. You cough a few times from the sudden sensation. It’s like rubbing alcohol mixed with apple cider.
>”Damn what is this moonshine?” You manage to say while wheezing.  You were under the impression that these ponies wouldn’t know a thing about alcohol… looks like you were wrong.
>You pass the bottle off to Lyra and she imitates you. When she pulls her lips from the bottle you see her eyes watering.
>”Oh my Celest-“she can’t finish before she starts doing the exact same thing you did. When she’s finally able to speak again she passes the bottle back to you.
>The more you drink… the easier it gets. You have no idea how much time passes… but you do know one thing. Your entire body feels heated from the liquor. Your thoughts are swimming about in your head.
>You smile stupidly as you watch the visual novel. Sonic Boom faces off against a dozen minotaur bandits… there is no way she’s going to beat them… your head hangs lazily as you turn it to look at Lyra.
>Her cheeks are a deep shade of red and she’s sporting a grin. She can’t seem to sit still either. Her entire body appears to be rocking around. It’s as if she has no balance while sitting. In your drunken stupor you finally realize you forgot Lyra’s tummy rub.
>”Oh shit… Lyra.” You say as you raise your right arm limply. You poke her cheek and she turns to you. “W… what’s up A… noooon?” she asks before giggling.
>”I forgot t… to give you that… belly rub… thing.” You say, you come off as sounding worried. Lyra’s eyes open wide and she gasps. Her gasp ends with a hiccup.
>”You’re t…to…totally right.” Lyra says with a nod. “So… like… how do you want it?” you ask before setting the jug down next to the open book.
>Lyra simply lies on her back; she uses your thigh as a pillow. You have to admit that the way she curls her front hooves in front of herself makes her look like a dog.
>“You look silly.” You laugh like it’s the funniest thing in the world. Lyra sticks her tongue out at you in response. “Just *hic* rub my tummy.” Lyra says.
>”F… fine.” You reach your hand out and place it along the center of her stomach. Her fur is unbelievably soft to the touch. Lyra smiles as she looks from you, to your hand.
> Lyra lets out a short gasp when you run your hand from the top of her chest to just above what you think to be her equivalent to breasts.
>You repeat the action in reverse. Your hand travels at a slow rate. You watch as your fingers part her fur along their paths.
>You switch between curling your fingers along her fur and simply running your hand down her. Lyra sighs happily as she snuggles her head into your thigh.
>Soon enough you become distracted by the visual novel and you turn your head to watch it. You’re able to multitask between watching the entertainment and giving Lyra her tummy rub.
>Unlike you though, Lyra is completely fixated upon your hand. She watches as your hand continues its pattern along her. She bites down upon her lower lip when your hand trails a little too close to her breasts. She doesn’t dare say a single thing to you, lest you ruin the moment by stopping.
>She’d been dreaming of this moment when she saw a human run their hands along a dog’s belly. She’s wanted this for a lot longer than you know.
>She lets out a quiet moan when your hand runs back up to her chest. She looks up to you and sees you’ve become distracted by the novel. You continue the belly rub for an untold amount of time.
>During the movie Sonic Boom starts her fight with a black scale dragon by the name of Glaurong. It’s interesting to say the least. You get the feeling that Lyra isn’t watching a single bit of it.
>She’s really missing out… this movie looks amazing… the color, the voices, the music… all of it. Why couldn’t humans make such a thing?
>Hours later Sonic Boom starts a second fight with Glaurong and what you think is his son… that’s when you realize that the bathroom calls your name.
>You’ve long since stopped your belly rubbing… you look down to find Lyra asleep. She’s still using you as a pillow. You watch as her chest rises and falls with each little breath she takes.
>You’ve got to say… Lyra is adorable when she sleeps. You’re careful to get up as gently as possible. You’re able to get up without waking her up. You step out into the hallway and you eye the stairs leading up.
>Thanks to you letting that liquor sit for a while you’ve sobered up a bit. That allows you to scale the stairs without you making any loud noise.
>When you come to the top you see a hallway similar to the hallway on the first floor. It’s as Lyra said there are two doors to the left and two to the right.
>You’re sure to stick to the left… you open the first door on the left and you’re greeted to a rest room. You don’t bother taking in its appearance.
>There’s a sink, there’s a toilet, and there’s a bath. There’s no need for anything else. You walk over to the toilet and do your business.
>After washing your hands and shutting everything off you make your way back down the stairs to find Lyra curled up on the side of the couch.
>You hate to wake her… but that couch is looking really comfortable… and you’re fairly tired. Today drained a lot out of you and you could use a good night’s sleep.
>You scoop her up in your arms and carry her back up the stairs. Using your feet you nudge open her bedroom door and carry her inside. The room may be dark but you’re able to the silhouette of her bed.
>Without thinking about it you set her down upon it and her. You decided that it’d take too much effort to go back to that couch. Besides you’re sure Lyra won’t mind… you think.
>As you’re getting yourself comfortable… you can’t help but think that today went a lot better than you thought it would… aside from the obvious today wasn’t bad.
>You were able to put what happened between you and Macintosh behind you. You were able to get Bon Bon her bits back.
>You were also able to take care of a filly when she was hurt… as your eyes begin to close and as sleep’s embrace comes you wonder if there’ll be a day to top this one in the future…

>You wake up the next day to the sun shining its light into Lyra’s room. You rub the sleep from your eyes before letting out a tired yawn. You find it a little hard to move considering the weight upon your chest.
>When your eyes are able to adjust to the light you find that the weight is actually Lyra. At some point in the night she ended up using your chest as a means of sleep. She’s curled up into a little ball sleeping peacefully.
>As much as you’d hate to wake the little unicorn you need to get up. You reach out and lightly poke her snout. That only causes her to snuggle into your chest and let out a contented sigh.
>You’re going to end up a diabetic if you’re exposed to such sweetness for too long. You’re forced to shake yourself in order to get Lyra up. She lets out an adorable little yawn before rubbing her eyes.
>”Sleep well?” you ask with a soft chuckle. Lyra’s tired eyes bore into yours. She gives you a tired smile. “Yes… and buddy… best tummy rub… ever. My leg wouldn’t stop kicking.” Lyra giggles as she recalls the events of last night… or what she could recall anyway.
>You tell her that you were the one who ended up carrying her to her room last night. This causes her face to light up with a new shade of red.
>When she realizes just where she’s at it takes her less than a second to get off of your chest. She mutters out an inaudible sorry before getting out of bed.
>That’s when Bon Bon decides to make her appearance. She opens the door and shoots the two of you a deadpan glare. Before you could ask what’s up she tells you.
>”The two of you left the lights on. Also, Lyra, hurry up and get ready we gotta head in today.” Bon Bon explains as she points to a hoof watch that isn’t there.
>Lyra’s eyes widen lethargy is now distant memory, “Oh buck! I gotta get ready!” Lyra scrambles through her mint colored dresser in hopes of finding something to wear.
>”Lyra… you don’t wear any clothes.” You say as you get out of her bed. Lyra seems to realize that… you’re right she doesn’t. Except for special occasions of course… but work isn’t one of those things.
>”Uh… yeah right.”  Lyra laughs nervously before trotting over to Bon Bon. Before the two leave for their job Bon Bon tells you to help yourself if you’re hungry and to lock the door when you leave.
>You wave good bye to the two and the two head down the stairs and out of sight. When you hear the door shut you can’t help but feel surprised.
>You haven’t known them for long yet they trust you enough to leave you alone in their home? These ponies must have a lack of thieves. You get out of Lyra’s bed and walk into her restroom.
>After taking care of your business you decide to see if Bon Bon or Lyra have anything appealing in their cupboards. After all Bon Bon said to help yourself.
>So you do… or at least try to. When you check their fridge and cupboards you realize that a good portion of their food would be inedible for you. Grass chips do not sound appealing to you.
>Deciding on skipping out on breakfast you decide to just simply leave their home with hoodie in hand. After you’re sure to lock and shut the door behind you, you set off towards Twilight’s treebrary.
>You’ve got things to do and by things you mean more education. Twilight seemed ecstatic to teach you and why not? After all you’re a blank space looking to be filled with knowledge.
>That’s a little too much… you’re not the bookworm you used to be. In fact you were never a bookworm… God today’s going to be boring for you. But whatever makes Twilight happy.
>If Twilight’s happy then maybe she’ll regain more of her coat color. Having someone confident in their abilities would prove useful should you really go with betraying Discord.
>Twilight could perhaps help her friends if you could just help her. There’s a good chance she probably knows a spell that would get rid of Discord’s influence.
>In no time at all the treebrary comes into view… and an off pink pony does as well. Pinkie appears to be sitting in front of the door… her hair lacks its poofy nature. Instead it’s as straight as a board.
>She appears depressed; she’s looking at a pink box with “Sugarcube Corner” written on the side. When she sees you approach her frown seems to get worse.
>”Hey Anon…” she says sadly when you get close. What could possibly have this pink bundle of joy so sad? You just have to know.
>”What’s got you looking so depressed?” you ask flatly as you walk over and kneel down to the pink mare’s height. She’s eyeing the hoodie you still have in your hands. So that’s the reason…
>”I brought some doughnuts to show you how sorry I wa-“you hold your hand up to silence her. It’s just an article of clothing. Sure it’s your favorite and sure you don’t have that many clothes.
>But come on, it’s not like you don’t have other clothes. It’s not worth being angry over nor is it worth having Pinkie be like this.
>”Pinkie I’m not mad at you. If it helps you’re forgiven.” You say. Pinkie doesn’t seem satisfied with that. “But you can’t even wear it anymore it’s too small its worthless now!” Pinkie exclaims. Is she really trying to find a reason to stay sad?
>You look over your hoodie again. She’s right you can’t wear it… but that doesn’t mean it needs to be thrown away. You look over Pinkie and compare her size to that of your hoodie.
>It’s just like with Lyra. This thing could be worn by… yeah sure why not it’s not like you have any use for it. “I may not be able to wear it but that doesn’t make it worthless… in fact.” You throw your hoodie at Pinkie.
>She’s temporarily blinded by the red clothing. As she uses her hooves to pull it away you get up and walk to Twilight’s door.
>”Here’s a present.  Now stop being so glum. Apologies can’t change what happened but at least you feel remorseful.” Pinkie says nothing as you open the treebrary door and enter.
>When you close the door Pinkie sits there for a moment. She looks over your hoodie before smiling. It takes her a few moments but she’s able to put it on.
>When she adjusts the little strings for the hood you come back out. You see that Pinkie’s already in her “present.” You take a look at the pink box on the ground; you reach out and grab it.
>”I think I’ll still take the doughnuts… for… um…” as you try to find a reason Pinkie looks you over with a raised brow.
>”Science! Yes… eating doughnuts for science.” You say before chuckling anxiously. Pinkie giggles at your nervous demeanor.
>”Anon you’re so silly!” and here come those pink curls… “Enjoy the doughnuts!” And with that she bounces away happily. You breathe a sigh of relief before walking back inside the treebrary and shutting the door behind you.
>You see Twilight looking over a few open books set upon a nearby table while Spike brings her more. When Twilight finishes one she orders Spike to get two more.
>The poor little dragon is being run ragged. You walk over to the two and take a seat on the nearby couch. “Hey Twilight what’s up?” you ask as you look pick up one of the many books that have already been read.
>”Anon I’m looking for the elements!” Twilight says frantically as she tosses another three books off of her table. You set down the book you were sifting through.
>”Twilight I thought they were in that book you showed me yesterday.” You state as you adjust your seating. Twilight looks to you with blood shot eyes.
>”It’s gone! I’m looking through all these other books just in case I misplaced them!” Twilight shouts as she sifts through the books Spike set out for her.
>”Twilight I doubt you misplaced them… you seem to be the most organized mare I know. How could you just lost them?” you ask in disbelief. Twilight huffs before pushing yet another book off of her table.
>”I said the same thing.” Spike says as he goes over to the book shelves to grab another three books. Twilight yanks them out of his claws with magic. She searches through them before tossing them away.
>”Need help?” you ask with a raised brow as you watch Twilight casually toss books away. “Please?” Twilight turns to you again. This time her eyes are filled with tears.
>You sigh, you weren’t looking forward to be put through lessons and this was even less appealing. But Twilight needs help and she’s your other tenant aside from Discord.
>You’re sort of obligated to help unless you want to be out of a home. So you suck it up and start grabbing books off of the shelves. Spike seems to be thankful for the assistance.
>So… instead of spending your time reading with Twilight you’re instead on a frantic search for the elements. Book after book is torn from the shelves…
>Many hours pass and you’ve nearly searched through every single book within the library. With each book you sift through the search becomes more and more hopeless.
>You’ve been at it for the entire day… you haven’t eaten and you’re pretty sure neither Spike nor Twilight have eaten. You’re in need of a break… you know losing the elements is a huge deal but you can’t search on an empty stomach.
>You haven’t had time to grab a single doughnut since your search began. Your mouth begins to water as you picture what they must look like.
>No! You cannot allow yourself to be distracted with hunger. You must find the elements. You’re about to grab another six books until a loud banging comes from the treebrary door.
>The ferocity of the knock causes the three of you to stop in your tracks. Suddenly a very familiar voice calls out, and it’s calling out for you specifically.
>”I KNOW THAT THIEVING BRUTE OF A MONKEY IS IN THERE LET ME IN!” shouts Rarity from the outside. You cringe from her tone as does Spike. The banging continues louder than before.
>Judging by the sound of it there’s more than one hoof knocking. Either Rarity is standing upon her hind hooves or she’s got somep0ny with her.
>”YEAH YOU DUMB MONKEY OPEN THE BUCKING DOOR!” shouts none other than Fluttershy. Great… just the pony you didn’t want to see. Spike looks to you expectantly. You turn to look at him.
>”What?” you ask before pointing to the door, “Don’t tell me you really want me to go out there.” You say with uncertainty.
>Twilight seems to be ignoring the two troublemakers for the most part. That is until the wood on Twilight’s door begins to splinter.
>”Anon… I don’t know what you did… but please go out there and settle this?” Twilight asks without turning away from her books. You sigh loudly, you really… REALLY didn’t want to do this.
>But you get up and walk over to the door anyway. Your anger from Fluttershy has subsided slightly and Rarity would have to be referring to Bon Bon’s bits so you’ve already got her there.
>All in all you have answers for their outbursts. Maybe this won’t turn into another fist fight. You’d rather not fight either a unicorn or a Pegasus pony today.
>You feel uncomfortable hitting women… well… mares. It just didn’t feel right to you, even if a certain Pegasus deserved it. As you turn the handle to open the door it bursts open.
>You’re greeted by two very angry looking mares. You open your mouth to say something but Rarity is more than willing to interrupt you.
>”WHERE ARE MY BITS?!” Rarity angrily shouts before trying to walk past you and into the library. You move to block her path. Forget being nice about this.
>”I don’t have YOUR bits because they weren’t yours. They were Bon Bon’s and you know it you thieving little shit.” You say with malice. There goes trying the nice, polite approach.
>”She dropped her bits into the floor. That made them public property. I am a part of that public and thus I am entitled to it.” Rarity says simply before trying to make her way into the library again.
>You step forward and shut the door behind you. That blocks the both of them from getting inside. It seems to be Fluttershy’s turn to speak.
>”You had better stop lying Anon or else we’re going to tell everyp0ny that you’re a no good lying crook.” Fluttershy ends with an evil grin. You laugh in her face.
>”Really? So the ponies that SAW Rarity steal those bits, and the ones who saw me chase them around town are just going to believe you over me? That’s cute, really that’s cute.” You say while laughing.
>Fluttershy doesn’t appreciate your laughter one bit. She lets out a low growl before snapping at you. “Stop laughing!” Fluttershy says in between growls.
>That only makes you laugh even harder. You point to Rarity, “And you, you think your logic makes any sense? That’s hilarious. I have a better offer. How about the two of you fuck off?” you ask.
>Any sort of laughter you had died off when you finished your question. You cross your arms and look upon the two with scrutiny.
>”Y… y… you…” Rarity says. She’s shaking with anger as she glares at you. You smirk and kneel down to Rarity’s level. “Y… y.. you what?” you ask with a smile.
>”Now!” Rarity shouts. Wait what, you hear Fluttershy grunt. You turn to see that Fluttershy is hovering in the air eye level to you. You have no time to move as her hind hooves are driven right into your field of vision.
>The force of impact causes you to fly right back into the door. Your weight causes it to come off of its hinges. You’re now lying on top of the door in a daze. You can’t seem to focus upon anything.
>Rarity walks over your body and into the library. Fluttershy flies over you and she spits in your face as she goes. Rarity takes a look around the room. She spots the surprised Twilight and Spike.
>The two of them are in the same area as before except now they’re looking at the damage with slack jaws. Rarity clears her throat daintily.
>”Because you have such a rude monkey as an assistant we were required to perform such brutish actions. Now please return my property to me before I’m forced to have Fluttershy tear apart each and every book in your library.” Twilight reacts with a gasp.
>”No you can’t do that!” Twilight shouts before stepping in front of her books. Rarity lets out an elegant laugh. “Oh but I can and I will. Nop0ny steals what’s MINE. Nop0ny!” Rarity shouts in a crazed tone.