>It's been a while since Sparks joined you and Jacky
>While it was rocky at times, you've noticed that she's not so above it all when it comes to being goofy and having more... simplistic forms of fun
"Hey Sparks."
>"What."
"Jack and I are zombies. What do you do?"
>You're laying on your bed, flat on your back
>Jacky's laying on her back at your side, her head resting on your upper arm
>Sparks is laying on your other side, with her hind hooves on your other arm
>All of you are just staring up at the ceiling
>After replaying the first Resident Evil remake, their first forays into The Survival Horror, everyone has been spent when it comes to energy
>"I don't know. I find your rifle and I use it."
"But you don't know how to use it."
>"And we're coming right for you."
>Jacky's started sticking to her twin tails when it comes to her mane
>It hasn't ever even been trimmed, and the style works to make it more manageable
>Both you and her also know that it only improves her already stunning visage
>They still argue over everything but any real frustration or animosity has been quelled
>It's really just verbal shitposting now
>"Well both of you are laying down so you need to take a few seconds to get up."
"So are you though."
>"And you're within reach."
"And you're small."
>"And you're weak."
"And I'm hungry."
>"And he eats ponies for dessert."
>You stifle chortle
>Sparks kicks one of her legs out in frustration
>"Well that's not fair. If anything, both of you would probably be locked in different rooms."
"I guess that's true."
>"These doors ain't all that strong though, are they?"
"Not really."
>Sparks fidgets again
>"How well does magic work on zombies?"
"What type of magic?"
>Sparks lets out a prolonged 'hmm'
>"I could burn you."
>"Zombies don't burn well, do they Anon?"
"Well sure they do, but that means that they don't immediately die. And they can catch other stuff on fire. Or grab you and now you're on fire too."
>Sparks grumbles something, frustrated
>"I just leave you guys to rot then."
>Jacky gasps
>"And leave all of the cool stuff Anon has?"
"Yeah, you might need a headlamp, or a big knife, or a rifle."
>"Well if I have eight inventory slots, that's three right there, right?"
>"Technically four for a stack of ammo."
"Right you are, Jacken H'ghar. That's half an inventory right there, but it's good stuff."
>"But I can make my own light."
"It's not as good as a headlamp."
>Sparks sighs
>"Where would I even carry those things? Your rifle doesn't even have a sling."
"Can you just levitate it all?"
>"Yeah, can't you, like, fire all guns at once with that?"
>"I can't do that. Magic isn't that easy."
>She's never stopped popping those vitamins and fish oil pills, by the way
>It seems like whenever she doesn't have them, she just can't use magic at all
"Lame..."
>"Totally..."
>"Yeah well I can at least use magic. Jacky's screwed unless she can buck zombies to death."
"No, she's like my familiar."
>"Yeah."
"Like my druid's pet."
>"What?"
"Like my Dogmeat."
>"What in tarnation, Anon?"
>Sparks giggles, only adding to Jacky's confusion
>"I got it."
>"You cheat, I don't get it."
"It's from the Fallout games."
>You nod sagely
>Jacky follows your lead, still trying to figure out how she would compare to dog meat
"Ok, new one. Say the end of the world happens. We still get electricity and water for a year, everyone else is gone. After the year, water and electricity shuts down but you can find generators, gas and batteries."
>"Well, I guess we do everything we already do. Except you don't have work anymore."
>"That would be cool."
"What about other people?"
>"Who cares?"
>Sparks shrugs with her answer
>"I mean, outside of you two... there's kinda no one I care about here."
"That's heavy."
>"She has a point, Anon. When we go out, everyone kinda looks at us funny and they don't really seem all that happy to talk to us."
"Well people look at me funny all the time."
>"Jacky's talking about us, dork. We look at you funny too but we're normal."
>"Yeah, that's what I mean."
"You guys are cruel..."
>You stretch, your upper back and arms popping
>Your arm curls around Jacky, giving her a tight hug
"Alright... well, would you want to travel or just stay at home? No real dangers out there."
>"What about animals?"
>"Sparks is right, wolves and lions will still eat us."
"Well we'll all be armed to the teeth."
>"And you can shoot a dozen guns at once!"
>"I told you I can't do that."
>"Well that's because you're a quitter."
"That's true. Spitters are quitters."
>The random addition of your comment makes her spits out a laugh
"See?"
>"You lack discipline. I never--"
>"I'm not letting you finish that sentence."
>"Quit."
>Everyone goes silent
>"You suck."
"See, you want us to stop making comments but you just leave yourself open to them."
>The two ponies laugh in their own ways, either from amusement or defeat
"I think it would be cool."
>Jacky squirms a little, adjusting herself on your arm
>"Hey... where would Dashie be?"
>She sounds a little hopeful
"Hopefully close by."
>"We haven't searched for her a lot. I think we need to figure out where we can find her."
"I've been waiting on you guys for that. I wouldn't have a clue where to start. Nona said she doesn't know of any pony named Dashie."
>Jacky squirms again, frowning
>"But... here's the thing. When we went there for Sparks, we didn't ask for Sparking Shine. We asked for Sparks. A nickname worked for her."
>"Wait, really?"
>Sparks flops over and sits up
>Her mane is a mess
>She brushes herself to keep it styled like Twilight's, partially because she doesn't seem to like randomly trying new styles
>"You guys picked me up from that Nona woman and you didn't even use my full name?"
>She shoots you a dirty look but you shrug
"Hey, I didn't know."
>Her look slides to Jacky
>She gives an innocent smile
>"Well... I mean it worked, right?"
>Sparks grunts, laying down again
>This time with her head on your stomach
>"You guys are so lazy! Doesn't this make you think that Dashie is there, we just don't know it?"
>Jacky looks at the ceiling like she didn't exactly consider it
>You shrug
>You really had no clue, but you did question it a little
"Well... that's a good point. But Nona had a good point too. If we don't know Dashie's real name, we can't do a ton."
>A dimly lit bulb goes off in your head
>You blame the comfy setting for your slow mental reaction speed
"You guys remember what she looks like at least?"
>Neither of them answer you
"...right?"
>Sparks turns her head away from you, sighing
>Jacky shrugs
"...nice."
>"Don't be mean, Anon. When it was just you and me, I didn't remember much. I remembered Sparks and Dashie but only vaguely. Like they were far off, muddled memories."
"I guess that's true... since Sparks came back, you've recalled a lot more."
>Sparks huffs
>"I hate to admit it too but I really didn't remember a lot to start either. I remember a small selection of... character traits, almost. But being around and talking to Jacky again jogged my memory pretty well."
"So... what does that mean? That you guys, when separated, don't remember much at all? What if that, in of itself, is some sort of magic?"
>"Woah..."
>That blows Jacky's mind
>"Is that possible?"
"Well we have two talking ponies. One of which is a real unicorn and can use honest to God magic."
>"Is that so unnatural?"
"Yes."
>You and Jacky wait for Sparks to speak up but she doesn't
"So... say Dashie is there. How do we get her?"
>"Would Nona just give her to us?"
"Maybe."
>"What if she doesn't?"
"I've been saving up. We could just grab her like I got you and that would be the end of it."
>"I guess..."
>Sparks finally speaks up
>"We steal her if we need to."
"Come again?"
>"I said that we steal her if we need to."
>"But how? She seems like a nice lady. And that Hanzel guy looks strong."
"For a pony."
>"Sure but stronger than both Sparky and I."
>Sparks scoffs
>"Please. We've dealt with worse. And we have Anon to keep one or both of them occupied."
>Jacky looks at you for a moment before stumbling up into a sitting position
>"...are you serious?"
>"Well yeah. This is Dashie we're talking about. If that place disappears, how do we find her again? What if we wait too long and lose our chance? We aren't going to leave her alone."
>You're the only one still laying down
>Partially because your lower stomach is being used as a pillow
"...ok. Say if we do plan to break into a warehouse and steal a pony."
>"Pegasus."
>"She's a pegasus, Anon."
"Pegasus pony. What do we do if we have the cops called on us? Or something else happens?"
>Jacky looks down and sighs
>"He has a point... Anon has something to lose if that happens."
>Sparks finally sits up, putting her hoof down
>The sudden stomp on your stomach leads to a recoil and a sudden 'oof!'
>"O-oh, er, sorry."
>She puts her hoof down again
>Which leads to nothing because the bed is soft
>It isn't nearly as dramatic
>"We need to get this figured out, whether or not it's risky. We all do, or have done, legally questionable things, right? This is important. It isn't for entertainment, and this isn't for food. This is for a friend."
>You scoot back and sit up, finally able to defend your gut in the event of another stray stomp
"Ok, we're stopping this conversation until we settle exactly one thing."
>Both of the girls look at you
"We need to be sure enough that she's either there... or we will know where to find her. We go there and botch it, our ass is going to get handed to us and worse. Depending on things, could be far worse."
>Neither of them reply
"So... if we're serious about this. Let's brainstorm. Who, exactly, is Dashie?"

"So can I call you tonight? I'm trying to make up my mind."
>After a rather fruitless Sunday of planning and scheming overly improbable things like pitfall traps, ancient evils and magical terror, you and your little ponies decide to just chill and drink a tiny bit
>A tiny enough bit to make Sparkbug sprawl out on your bed, dead to the world for the next ten hours at least
>A tiny bit enough for you and Jacky that both of you are comfortably in control of just enough of your physical faculties and loose enough mentally to not mind anything silly
>You idly sing to her while she lays on your torso
>You strum her side like a guitar
>Both of your heads are bobbing to and fro to the song playing on your laptop
"Just how I feel... could you tell me what's real? I hear your voice on the phone, now I'm no longer alone."
>Jacky spurts out a laugh when you reach that part
>"Could you imagine being stuck on the phone? It's just, how do you even hold one?"
>The thought of it amuses her to no end
"Psh, it's rough, but you do it if you're talking to someone who's worth it."
>You keep strumming Jacky's side, though she's not convinced
>"Yeah right. Have you ever been on the phone with someone you liked enough to bother with working one out?"
"Sure I have."
>You break tempo of the song and raise one of her front legs
"WICKED SOLO!"
>You tickle under her arm letting out a vaguely slurred 'weedlyweedlywee'
>She evolves to full on guffawing
>That dies down and you go back to strumming, only to the next song on the playlist
"My bros. We used to talk for hours and hours over the phone, enough to drain three home phone batteries over the course of a weekend."
>Jacky's laughter dies down to a pleasant sigh
>"That's crazy, man. What is there to even talk about for so long?"
"Well that's the funny thing. We didn't talk all the time. Sometimes we just had the phones on speaker and just... let it sit like that. We'd watch our own things or play our own games and sometimes say stuff but that was kinda it."
>The strumming devolves into idle petting
>"That sounds kinda lame."
"Sure, but we do that too."
>"Yeah, but we're not far enough to require phones."
"True, but if we were, I'd want to be on the phone with you."
>Jacky stretches out on you, one of her hind legs shaking
>"I guess that would make it ok then..."
"Hey Jack."
>"What's up?"
"You think Dashie would like being here? I know this place isn't all that big, and I kinda feel bad that we don't have more... grand adventures."
>"You crazy? It snowed two days ago! I'm not going out in that when I could be right here."
"That's true. But still. It must be boring cooped up in here all the time."
>Jacky stretches again
>You can feel her inhale and exhale
>"You aren't bored though, are you? We barely go out and outside of work you're right here with me."
>You give a single half-effort 'ha'
"Yeah right. What's out there for me? I got a ton of vidya, movies and other stuff I haven't even begun to touch."
>"And me."
"Exactly."
>It's a little late before you realize her point
"Alright well... just because I'm ok with it doesn't mean I shouldn't ask. That's what..."
>"Couples?"
"...yeah. That's what couples do, I guess."
>"You guess?"
"Listen here, tiny yellow twintailed pony. I am too sober to admit these sort of things with a straight face."
>Sensing weakness, she turns to lay on you, belly to belly
>"So much for being bold, huh?"
"Hey, we're talking about Dashie."
>"You are."
"Shouldn't I be? She's your longest known friend, right?"
>That question finally broke her out of her flirtatious mood
>And stopped her hind hooves from rubbing against you
>"Can I really say she's my longest known friend if I can't even remember her name?"
"Sure you can. No friends are perfect."
>"I guess. What if she doesn't remember me?"
"You remember more about Sparks now that she's been here compared to it just being you, right?"
>"I guess. What if we can't find her?"
"We will."
>Jacky looks directly into your eyes
>"How do you know?"
>You pat her sides with both of your hands
"Because none of us are giving up on her. You three are a true blue group, and I'm honored to join in as the fourth party member. That means I'm in as much as you are, and as much as Sparks is."
>You doubt you'll ever see your friends again
>You're not even sure if they'll even want to see you again
>But you know that Sparks and Jacky are your friends
>That means Dashie's going to be your friend too
>And friends don't abandon friends
>Friends never abandon each other
>Not if they're serious
>Your thoughts must be playing on your face because she curls her front legs around your neck, giving you a tight hug
>Maybe a little too tight
"But once she's here... yeah, I'm done being a hero. That Hans guy seems neat but that Nona chick kinda worries me."
>Jacky lets out a quick, short chuckle
>"He seems nice."
"For sure. I just hope he doesn't get in our way."
>"What if he does?"
"Then we go through him. Or around him."
>"What if he takes it the wrong way?"
"Then we tell him that it's for our friend and let him... come to his own conclusion."
>"What if he comes to the wrong conclusion?"
>You sigh and return her hug
"Gonna have to take that chance, honestly. If he were our friend, he would probably feel the same way."
>"Ffffffffffffffffor fffffffffffffffffffffffff-sake."
>Sparks grumbles, weakly kicking the air in your general direction
>"SSSSSSssssshaddip."
>You purse your lips and lean your head to the side
"THANKS FOR RUINING THE MOOD, SPARKY. THANKS FRIEND."
>Jacky snickers before joining in
>"KEEP DISTRACTING HIM SO I CAN---"
>The twin sources of aural torment cause Sparks to kick at the air with all of her legs
>She lets out some pained, profane pony noises
>It's more funny than anything else because the poor girl can't even open her eyes or lift her head off of the bed
"WE LOVE YOU SPARKY. NIGHTY NIGHT."
>"DON'T MIND US, WE'LL BE QUIET NOW. I'LL BLOCK HIS MOUTH OFF WITH MINE."
>Sparks lets out a frustrated, dazed scream and kicks out her legs all at once
>Her horn sparks to life once or twice but doesn't last long enough to show that she's capable of doing anything about it
>Sometimes friends just have to be their own worst enemies

>It's been a lot slower than you thought when it comes to intel gathering
>Neither Sparks or Jacky can really speak much on Dashie
>Like she's a physical shadow that has distinct characteristics but everything else is a blur
>You and Sparks are out on the patio
>Jacky ate more than enough dinner to end up in a mini food coma
>She's always so excited and thankful when it's dinner time
>Sparks ate, but not nearly as much
>She looks like she's been trying to say something, or maybe it's just you
"Hey Sparky."
>The unicorn glances at you before returning her gaze to the trees
>"Yeah?"
"Something you wanna talk about?"
>"What? Why?"
>You shrug
"Well Iunno. You can read my mind and probably Jacky's too, but you have us at a disadvantage."
>"I don't read her mind."
>You scoff
"Why, she too smart for you to handle?"
>She returns the scoff
>"I can tell what she's thinking by talking to her."
"What, you can't with me?"
>You lean back into the camping chair you recently bought
>It's a better option than the white plastic lawn chairs that were out on the patio when you first moved in
>"You keep too much secret."
>The thought makes you laugh
"Right."
>You let the thought stew in your stomach for a few minutes
"You really telling me that you don't have secrets too?"
>"Well of course I do."
"Wanna share? You tell me one, I'll tell you one."
>Sparks chuckles
>"Alright... you first."
"Easy; I'm scared of you guys leaving. I've been happier with you two than I've been in the last seven years."
>"It's more than seven years, Anon."
"See? You cheat, and this is probably an obvious thing to you."
>"Maybe."
>The conversation dies down for a while
>Sparks adjusts herself in her seat
>She's gotten more used to jumping onto and off of chairs and tables now, but she's still just not there when it comes to sense of balance
>"You know what secret I want to know? How can you admit your flaws and faults so openly like that? Don't you have any shame left?"
"Should I? You wanna know a real secret, Sparkplug?"
>You glance to her
>The trees are starting to come in green again but most of them are still dead and brown
>She gives a short nod
"If I've learned how to be exactly one thing in my life. It's to be a failure."
>The unicorn frowns at you
>"Come on, don't be so--"
"Let me finish."
>You wave your hand at her
"First off, what is a failure?"
>She cocks an eyebrow and shrugs
>"I don't know... someone who doesn't succeed?"
"Exactly."
>You wait for a snide remark or a comment but she doesn't make one
"Sparks, every achievement I have is flanked by failures. Possibly overshadowed by botches, mistakes, missed chances and half-assed successes that tend to be a net zero in whether or not I mean anything in any greater sense."
>You wait
>Still no commentary
"If I've learned one thing to make me anything resembling competent-not successful-but competent. Is that I've fucked up far more than I could ever hope to succeed. And because I know that, I'm not ashamed to admit it. If I screw up, I can gladly admit it. I won't not fix it, or attempt to. I could fail at that too, who knows. But. I don't have that fear either."
>You smile at Sparky and shrug
"So that's my secret. I can be shameless. I can be bold. Because the worst thing that can happen to me is yet another failure. If I'm used to that, I'm invincible."
>You sound quite proud of yourself
>But you're not smiling
"So that's a pretty big secret. What do you got?"
>Sparks doesn't answer you
>She doesn't even want to look at you
>"My secret... I keep a few."
"I'm open if you want to share."
>"I wish I were a little more like Jacky."
>You didn't expect that
"Alright... why's that?"
>"Because she's... happy."
"How's that a secret?"
>"You know about what... how we were before, right?"
"Sure, I guess. "
>"She doesn't have a past or a home to care about or return to."
>She sounds surprised
>"I mean, I guess I don't either. I wanted to go back home and out of wherever this place is, but you know... I don't think anyone misses me? Why would they?"
"What about your mom? I bet she misses you."
>Sparks meanders before giving an answer
>"Maybe she does... but I don't know for sure."
"Why wouldn't she?"
>"I don't know. Why doesn't your family care about you?"
>She says that with far more of an edge than she thought, given she immediately shirks back
>"Oh... sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."
>You shrug, enjoying the chair
>This is hardly the hardest topic for you
"No, you got a good point. I guess they do, to an extent. But they have their own stuff to worry about too, you know? I can't be on their minds all the time. If they don't ever ask how I'm doing or what I've been up to, or want to have a conversation in which I do more than listen... well, that's just how it turns out, right?"
>You smirk, sight focused on the treeline
"This is about your secret, not mine. Right?"
>"Right."
>She inhales, as if it's taking genuine effort to come cleane
>"I don't want to go back to where I came from. If I really came from another place. I... want to stay here. I want to not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. I want to... not feel like a failure."
>She waits a few moments before speaking up again
>"I used to not be able to use magic at all, you know. First time I really 'succeeded', I burnt something somewhere. It was bad. This was before I met Jacky or Dashie."
>She clears her throat
>"I hate vegetables. I love sleeping in. I like those dumb songs you play on your computer. I like rough housing without anyone judging me. Those vitamins make me feel stronger. I hate looking into the darkness. I get angry when I watch Twilight Sparkle because she's got a lot of friends, a big home, can do anything with her magic and it doesn't even look like she's trying most of the time."
>That last one makes you laugh
"Seriously, you're jealous of Twilight? Remember Lesson Zero?"
>She stamps her hoof down on the chair
>"Exactly my point! She can make anyone love her doll, like she could surely do with herself, and her issue is... what, exactly? That she's paranoid about homework? I've never had to do homework and it looks like it's just writing a letter!"
>She brings up her hooves, speaking in a deep voice
>"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that if it's yellow, keep it mellow. Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned that what comes after the number two is 'electric boogaloo'."
>She throws her hooves up in the air
>"Freaking, get a clue! Learn something of value! Something that could save a life, not about how friends bicker and hate each other sometimes. Everyone knows that!"
>Her normally cool, sarcastic persona melts away in impotent frustration
>"She's... such a main character!"
"Yeah, totally. NPC for life, right?"
>You raise up a fist in solidarity
>She gives you an evil eye but her normal ferocity is defanged
>"You know what I mean. She's skilled but she's also given so much. I mean, who's to say that she would ever amount to anything if she had skill but no one to recognize it? Where's her montage of learning how to lift a cup? Where's her montage of screw ups?"
"Well... that entire episode was about her causing a screw up that compounded onto itself. She was pretty damn paranoid about it too. I don't think that's a virtuous pony you're plinking at."
>"I know! It's so..."
>She huffs
>"I'm jealous."
"Why?"
>"Because I look like and sound like her but I'm not. I'm... a discount version of what seems like some messiah."
"Doesn't help that she gets wings later."
>Sparks looks at you with the most disgusted look in her eye
>"She. Gets. WHAT?! HOW DO I COMPETE AGAINST THAT?!"
>She's escalated into a full scream
>"How is that fair?! What the hell, why?!"
>She slumps down in her seat
>"Where are my wings? Where's my rewards? Where are my shiny trinkets that work off of the power of friendship and nebulous traits like... being honest?"
>You shrug in your seat, having successfully melted into it
"Let's be honest... would you be happier if you had that sort of stuff? Does it matter that much to you?"
>"Well... no? But..."
>She deflates, your question deflating her rage
>"But why does she get to have all sorts of good stuff when I didn't?"
>Her tone is that of a defeated unicorn
>There are no tears, but there is one solitary sigh of resignation
>"Why wasn't I good enough when I practiced?"
>You lean over in one fluid, sliding motion and pat her shoulder
>She flinches at first
"Embrace the reality of it, Sparking. You don't deserve less than her. You don't deserve worse. But you don't deserve better either. A lot of that... we just can't control it. She has lifelong friends, a decently-sized family, she's only gotten more and more powerful like an RPG. And then there are... more normal ponies, like you. And more normal people. Like me."
>You pause
"I mean sure, you're a little abnormal, but that's not bad either."
>Due to your nonplussed, neutral tone and how backhanded a compliment it is, she laughs
>"You're one to talk. You talk about being a loser is some sort of hidden zen state."
"Am I wrong?"
>You hold your arms out, as if to show the fruits of your labor
>She laughs again
"I'm not saying to sit there and let yourself be stifled because you might not ever become as powerful or as popular as her. You've gotten better at magic lately because of those video games and cooking, right?"
>She thinks about it for a bit before nodding
>"Well I guess so, sure."
"Then there you go."
>She looks at you like she's not convinced
>"I don't get it."
"You're improving, Sparky. Whether or not you see it, you are. It might not look like a lot, it might feel like it's hardly worth it. But you are improving. That's enough. You can only move at the speed of yourself, you know?"
>The hot pink pony takes your words in
>Processes them
>"It doesn't mean I like it..."
"I know... trust me, I do. I'd kill to be anyone but myself. Not anymore, thanks to you and Jackolantern snoozing back there. But before? You butter believe it."
>"Did... you say butter?"
"You butter believe."
>"Butter believe."
>She repeats your words slowly, looking at you with a squint
"Yeah."
>She stares at you
>You stare back at her
>And smile
>She laughs again
>"You're stupid, you know that?"
"Sure do. But I'm getting better."
>"Right... and I guess I am too."
>You snort
"Barely. You're slipping on your Maxi game."
>That cut her to the core
>She erupts from the chair, her horn enflamed with red magical aura
>"You wanna go a few rounds you wimp? I'll cremate you!"
>You stand up and clap your hands together
"Alright you little night light, let's fucking go. When I win, you can take care of tomorrow's dinner."
>What better way to work off a dinner than a dozen rounds of Soul Calibur?
>The best part?
>Dear little Sparky skipped her vitamins today

>Anon didn't go to work today
>I didn't mind since I just slept in as usual, but after his shower he just crawled back into bed.
>He was dried off but still just in a towel, muttered something about having texted his manager.
>I was too sleepy to really tell what he was going on about but he went to sleep near me so that was enough.
>Eventually, once the sun was up, I woke up.
>Anon was still sleeping.
>Sparks was up too, she was in another room or something.
>I squirmed my way out from under the blanket and gently stepped off the mattress.
>He slept like a rock under the best conditions, so he probably wouldn't miss me for a few minutes.
>I arched my back and stretched, letting out a loud yawn.
>Ever since I decided to keep the twintail hair style, it's been easier to keep track of my mane too.
>Less bed head.
>Practicing to sway my hips for a few steps, I hear someone go 'ohhhhm..."
>I sway my hips again, too hard to the point that I go off balance and bump into the wall.
>"Go back to bed Jacky. I'm not in the mood for distractions today."
>It's Sparks.
>She's sitting like normal, except she's leaning out with her front hooves cupped together.
>It looks a little awkward.
>She looks like she's close to tipping over.
>"Ohhhm...."
>"W...what are you doing?"
>Sparky opens one of her eyes, frowning.
>"I'm training."
>"Training for what?"
>"I'm training to hone my mastery of The Force."
>You blink at her a few times.
>"Say wut."
>Rather than repeat herself, she increases her "OHHHHHHHHHHMMMM" in volume
>The Force
>As in... Star Wars?
>We've all been watching more old movies and settled on Star Wars
>"Sparky... you know... that's just a movie, right? It ain't real."
>Even the ones that were based off of true stories.
>Anon told me so.
>Sparks opens her eye again, grimacing.
>"Yes it is."
>What?
>How did she know?
>"N-no it ain't... Josey Wales ain't real, what makes you think The Force is real?"
>"Because my magic is real. And magic is just something that's only shown in movies too, right?"
>She wasn't making much sense.
>But she was making sense.
>"But... The Force ain't magic."
>"Yes it is."
>I try to talk back to her but she sounds sure of herself.
>"W-well... Anon says it's just a movie. So it ain't real."
>"He also said that it never snows down where he came from but I checked and it snowed almost an inch once two years ago."
>My ears flatten down as I try to think of a way to defend his word.
>But she's just really sure of herself.
>And she technically wasn't even wrong there.
>"W... well alright. What can The Force do?"
>"Anything. It's just magic."
>"But... the guys who use it aren't unicorns."
>"Exactly. So it should be easy for me. Ohmmm..."
>Something about this doesn't sit right well with me but I just can't think of the proper way to refute it.
>"I don't believe you... but. And a big but here, but what if it was?"
>"Then you're interrupting me from getting it."
>"Caaaaaaaaaaaan I learn how to use The Force too? Since I'm not a unicorn?"
>"Sure."
>Awesome!
>If I could learn to use magic, I could do so much.
>Not just things like opening and closing human-size doors, but things for Anon too.
>I could finally surprise him with something big!
>"Teach me, Sparks! How do I figure it out?"
>Sparks opens her eyes and leans forward, dropping her posture.
>"I don't know, I'm just trying out some meditative posing."
>"I didn't see Luke doing that... he did wear that helmet though. Wait, we got any helmets?"
>"For flying like he had? No."
>"Dang. What else we got?"
>I look around and see one of Anon's t-shirts from a few days ago, thrown to the side.
>The living room didn't have a ton but it did make for a good laundry room.
>"Hey, Sparky. Why not cover my eyes with his shirt?"
>She gives me a wry look.
>"Is this just an excuse to do something weird?"
>I didn't think of it before but the excuse did sound solid.
>I shake my head, clearing my throat.
>"No, duh... it's because Luke was blinded. So I gotta do the same. You sitting there and going 'ohhhm' like a dork ain't gonna cut it."
>I puff my chest out and wait to hear an argument.
>Instead, she shrugs and nods.
>"Alright, good point."
>Though it's just a shirt, Sparks stares at it for a good solid minute.
>I look around myself, expecting some sort of trick.
>"Y... y'alright, Sparkie?"
>"Shh."
>I glance around again, my body tensing up.
>Nothing's happening.
>After another minute of solid silence I speak up.
"Sparks... did you take your vitamins today or something? Normally you can just whisk that stuff around."
>The unicorn glares at me.
>"I'm stronger than I was before, you know. I don't need those nearly as much. Just watch."
>I wait and watch.
>A few more minutes pass.
>Sparks went from a neutral expression to grimacing, to outright angry gawking.
>Nothing.
>Not even a spark from her horn.
>I purse my lips, trying my best to smile despite the awkward feeling in the air.
>"I think you just need your--"
>"No! I don't need them!"
>Sparks barked out at me, her frustration audible.
>I don't remember a ton but I get the vague sense of deja vu with this.
>"Sparks, it's ok if you can't. Why don't you just take a break?"
>"I said I'm fine, just... give me a second."
>I do.
>I give her a lot of seconds.
>The shirt still just lays there.
>"It was working fine a few days ago... what the hell is the problem now? "
>She was playing a lot of games a while back with Anon.
>He told you about it and how he actually won the majority of the matches.
>Eventually she stops glaring at the shirt and sighs, hanging her head.
>"I can't believe it... how do I have problems after all this time? I can cook, I can play games, I can type way better than you, and I can even work the doors."
>She's put down but I don't really see that big a deal of it.
>I'm jealous of not being able to use magic but I don't get any joy of her lacking it either.
>"Well... maybe it's based off of the moon? Like you're a magical werewolf? A were...mage?"
>Sparks looks at me with a furrowed brow.
"A... were-witch?"
>I smile widely at her.
>It doesn't really do anything.
>I shrug, looking at the shirt.
>"Maybe something's in it, making it heavy?"
>You sure don't think that could be the case but she actually trots over to it.
>She nudges it with her nose.
>She turns to face me, shrugging.
>"It looks fine to me, nothing's wrapped up in it."
>I feel a cold chill go over me.
>Ice cold.
>"S-sp-Sparks..."
>I look at her with a horrified expression
>She doesn't seem to see the cause for alarm and looks at you with a dull look.
>"What now?"
>"Sp..sp...SPIDER!"
>A tiny spider had crawled onto the tip of her nose and was sitting there, pleased as can be.
>Spark's eyes dilate to pin pricks.
>She lets out a terrified scream and her entire body erupts in red!
>Covered in her blindingly red aura, all of her energies focus to her nose.
>The tiny spider, at least big enough to be noticed, gets drowned in the light.
>I don't know if she crushed it or not but the light blinks out after compressing into an astonishingly tiny red gleam.
>I blink a few times.
>"Whoa... you killed that spider. You sent that thing to another dimension!"
>Sparks shivered hard, letting out a collection of disgusted, disturbed noises.
>I hear something loud behind me and turn around.
>Anon is standing in the hallway, wielding a large knife.
>He still looks sick and the towel around his waist is still wrapped and folded over, but looks disheveled.
>He sees me.
>And he sees Sparks flailing about while crying to herself about how she's been poisoned.
>He looks at me again, and sighs.
>Without even commenting on the situation, he goes back to his room.
>I can hear him literally fall onto the mattress.
>"I'm... gonna go back to sleep with Anon.. you, uh... good luck on that Force stuff, ok?"
>I back away from the manic unicorn, flinching and double checking every shadow in the corner of my sight.
>If a spider were to get on me, I'd be finished.
>Following Anon's example, I hop onto the mattress.
>With him face down, I burrow under his arm until it's over me.
>"My hero, you came to save me, didn't you?"
>He mumbles something, his face full of pillow.
>I chose to believe it was true.
>Even if The Force does exist, I don't really need it.
>But then again, magic can kill a spider.
>With that thought in my head, I end up spending hours watching the corners of the bed and the walls.
>Surely spiders know better than to invade a bedroom.
>Right...?

>It's day two of Anon being sick.
>I'm not that worried since he doesn't seem like he's dying but he isn't doing anything beyond sleeping or drinking hot tea.
>I helped guide him to the bathroom earlier.
>I couldn't honestly do much but I did carry a towel for him.
>Once he got out, I led him back to bed and promised him some oatmeal.
>And by promising him, I knew just the unicorn for the job.
>Sparks sighs, sitting on a bar stool.
>She took her vitamins today, so she can use magic like normal again.
>Ever since she gotten over being poisoned by that poor spider she crushed to oblivion, she put off her training.
>I sit on the floor, watching her from below.
>"Now not too hot, ok? I ain't gonna feed him something that's gonna lead to a burn."
>"Jacky, it's on the stove. It has to burn to cook."
>"You got that whole pyromaniac thing going on, I'm really not sure I believe you..."
>I really don't like sitting around in a real time of need but there isn't much I can do.
>"Sparky... Anon's actually sick. He's taking stuff and he doesn't look like he's all that bad off but..."
>I sigh.
>"What can I do about this? You get magic and you can make things. I can't."
>Sparks shrugs, watching a large metal spoon go around and around in circles.
>The red aura looks eerie, even after being so used to it.
>"Honestly? I don't really know. This apartment really isn't made for ponies. This world isn't really built up for us. You haven't, we haven't, gotten sick too, so there's that. We're talking ponies in a world full of humans and the second Anon, our human, goes down for the count? We're... kinda useless."
>She speaks plainly and with her eyes focused on the spoon.
>She doesn't even really sound sad about it.
>It does drag me down pretty hard though.
>"But... there's gotta be something. There's never a situation where you can't just do nothing. Right?"
>I really do hope that she has the answer.
>The right answer.
>But I think I know the answer too.
>"Maybe. But things happen all the time without us being able to honestly do anything about it."
>I give a heavy sigh.
>Of course that was the right answer.
>"Do you think we ended up here by fate or just by... accident?"
>Out of nowhere, Sparks asks that.
>Which is the right answer?
>"Well. I don't know. But it's a good accident if it is one, right?"
>I smile with my answer.
>"Even if you end up in a world where you're incapable of most things?"
>"Be honest with me, Sparks. Could we do much when we were home? We were bottom feeders. We both know this. Asking me if I'm happy to be here or not... it's kinda not a fair question."
>She doesn't seem all that bothered either way.
>She's just focusing on the spoon.
>"Doesn't it bother you that we look similar to cartoon characters?"
>I smirk.
>"Should it? It means we're pretty popular. We could be famous if we ever went public."
>"Or we could be hunted."
>Such a pessimist.
>"Think about it though. With you looking like Twilight and me looking like my ma, we-"
>"She isn't your mom, cut it out."
>I frown.
>"She is if I say so. What if it's true?"
>"It isn't true."
>"Neither of us know that."
>"But it sounds stupid."
>"I think you sound stupid."
>My retort finally causes a reaction.
>Her face flinches into a scowl, but only for a moment.
>"...Maybe I do. I don't really miss our world. I'm happy I'm here. But now that I am, I just can't find anything to care about. If this is heaven and we're both dead, what's the point of going on?"
>The sentiment does bother me, but I know the answer for sure.
>"The point? It's to enjoy ourselves, Sparking! To find Dashie and bring her here to us, our home! And after that... who cares? Who's judging or grading us? Who's going to punish us if this is heaven and we're long dead and gone? Should I be worried about that?"
>That's right, Dashie is still our goal.
>Even if I relax and take my time with pretty much everything, I haven't forgotten about her.
>"Sparky, I get that you're smarter than me and you like to rub it in... but you said that maybe there are things that we can't control."
>I fidget in place.
>It feels kinda weird to go on the offensive with her.
>This courage wasn't there before.
>"If we can't honestly do anything about some stuff. Should you really focus so much tie on worrying? Have you spent even half this much effort thinking about Dashie?"
>"Of course I have."
>"Somehow I doubt it..."
>"Think what you want."
>The conversation more or less dies there.
>Maybe it's the episodes of the cartoon, but this being the end of the conversation bothers me.
>"Sparks... I'm sorry. You're my best friend."
>No answer.
>Until she does answer.
>"I know, Jacky... you are too. I just wish things were a little different."
>She sounds... not sad.
>But not happy either.
>The metal pot she cooked in starts to glow and sinks down to the floor.
>"There you go. Be careful when you carry it, ok?"
>The spoon's still in it too.
>It seems a little on the chunky and dehydrated side.
>But it looks like it's enough to feed all of us too.
>"Thanks. Wanna give it to him with me?"
>Sparky doesn't move from her seat.
>"No. No... that's ok. He's gonna get you sick if you keep around him like that, you know."
>I smirk and stand up, stretching.
>"If I do, I'll trust you and Anon to take care of me. Just how Anon and I will take care of you."
>I chomp down onto the handle of the pot and strut back to the sick human.
>Maybe if he doesn't eat all of it I can have the rest.

>You've felt sick for a few days but it was really nothing too terrible
>Jacky and Sparks both kept you company, one more than other depending on the time
>You've been sorta half up for a while now, your eyes glued shut
>You are feeling better, but you just aren't all that up to moving around more than you absolutely have to
>The towel you've been wearing more or less undid itself, but you've still been covered by a blanket
>With the headache that you avoid by keeping your eyes closed, you've been doing a good job at playing Manbat and sensing everything around you through sound
>Jacky's been curled up on your left side for a while now
>She might be awake, you've felt her fidgeting or moving for a while now
>You've been sorta half-petting her since that seems to be the limit of your motor functions
>Sparks has been watching some sort of anime for a while now
>You recognize some of the voice actors and you know that it has Steve Blum in it
>You rotate to your left slightly to hug the shivering pony
>And poke your forehead against something
>A... horn?
>Wait
>Is this Sparks?
>Your hand rubs over her backside again
>Her skin, her fur, is different
>You contemplate stopping or shifting back but before you do, you feel her lurch forward
>She nuzzles her face against yours
>Hard
>You can hear her breathing
>You give her a hard squeeze of a hug and relax yourself
>You're not too sure of what to think, of what you should or shouldn't do
>You've slept with her nearby, sure, but this is new
>Is this alright?
>Sparks stops mashing her face against yours long enough nod
>That's spooky
>Wait, she's read your mind before, right?
>She nods again, huffing out an exhale into your ear
>This was just eerie
>But you're still tired and out of it enough to not really worry
>This is Sparks, of course
>You can trust her
>You do trust her
>But this is unusual for her
>She's normally so aloof or distant, physically or otherwise
>Where was Jacky? Was she really on the laptop?
>Sparks nods again
>You didn't really know that she was up that late
>Maybe you sleeping all day and night hasn't been the most entertaining thing for her
>They've been able to eat and all that normally with you out of commission, right?
>Peering into you in a way you never thought possible, she nods again
>That's good
>That makes you happy
>Your mental capacity has been almost completely filled by the two girls
>You even got up when you hear Sparks scream, grabbing one of the old military blades you've been collecting
>When you saw that it was just shenanigans, you dropped your happy ass back to bed
>You don't remember much else
>You remember Jacky bringing you oatmeal
>A ton of it
>But you know that she didn't make it either
>It was Sparks
>She nods again, shifting her attention to your neck and shoulder
>What she's doing is undeniably affectionate
>Your thoughts are so scattered that you aren't able to reliably parse it
>You're thankful for Jacky
>You're also very thankful for Sparks too
>She really has livened up the place, and brought a lot to the table
>Her magic is neat too
>If you had magic, you probably could do stuff even while sick
>What feels like an hour passes
>During that entire time, Sparks never once stopped moving
>She always shifted or adjusted or pushed herself against you, coming danger close to kissing the side of your neck
>For a lot of it, you lost any capacity to move
>Some of it, you blinked out with your only thoughts revolving around the anime
>It wasn't quiet but it wasn't loud
>To you it was loud but it wasn't really that loud
"....mmph. Hey Jack."
>Instantly, Sparks goes still as the grave, her face tucked into your neck
>You hear a loud yawn and feel a hoof nudge against your side
>"Anon, you up?"
>You aren't able to answer immediately but you eventually nod
"...anime good?"
>"Sure is, yeah! I couldn't sleep all that much and I wanted to keep an eye on you so I've been watching this and I've been having that soda. You don't mind that I'm on my third bottle, right? I know they come in only four packs."
>You take a second to comprehend all of her words and nod
>"Alright! Do you need anything?"
>You nudge your face left and right
>You can hear her laugh a little
>"You're super sleepy but don't you worry, I'll get you anything as soon as you want!"
>You nod a few times longer than what you probably should have until your neck decides you're done and shuts down
>She's a good girl
>Does she wake up early?
>You wake up early and she's taken to waking up with you
>Man, you feel sorta bad because you'd want her to sleep in more
>Your attention shifts back to Sparks again
>Only now do you realize that she's been moving again
>Kissing the side of your neck, no less
>That's weird
>Hey Sparks
>Does Jacky get up early sometimes?
>She nods
>You can feel her mouth open against you
>You shiver at the feeling of something warm and slick whip across your collar bone
>Hey Sparks
>You've been thinking about opening a store where everything is blueberry or blue or berries
>What soda would go best with that?
>She doesn't answer
>Or if she does, you can't comprehend it
>You feel like your thoughts are starting to space out further and further
>Your body reacts to Sparks' attention
>You feel that much more at peace
>That much harder to shake off the fatigue
>You just realized that you can breath through your right nostril but not your left
>Fuck being sick sucks
>If this were an RPG you'd be better by now because sleep always helps
>Sparks would definitely be your high damage mage
>Jacky would be a rogue for sure
>Man they'd love D&D wouldn't they?
>You gotta introduce that to them better
>You haven't had pineapple in a long time now
>What's with the warm massaging going on around your neck and rising?
>Your mind spirals and spin cycles into mush
>Sleep is coming over you again
>Your arm is still around Sparks but you forget where she is
>But you're happy she's here with you and Jacky
>You could use a drink
>You doze off with your mouth open, snoring in the first time in who knows how long

>Morning
>You wake up with a terribly dry mouth and immediately reach for a cup you left on your desk
>Except you can't because your arm is occupied
>Crap
>You reach out with your other arm
>You can't because it's also occupied
>Double crap
>This really sucks
>You look to your left and see Sparks curled up, with her head on your arm
>You look to your right and see Jacky more sprawled out, her head on your arm
>You've had this conundrum before with cats
>Your eyes have a hard time adjusting to everything
>It's not the brightest setting in the room but any light stings
>You can breath a bit better but you can feel congestion in your throat
>It feels like you've been sleeping for days
>Why were you thinking of blueberry soda?
>You try to clear your throat and lay your head back down, closing your eyes
>Entering something resembling a zen state, you recall a previous stage in your life
>Feeling yourself loosen up, you start to slip your arms out from under the ponies
>Slowly
>Awkwardly
>So awkwardly it actually kinda hurts
>Over the course of a minute of snaking your limbs back, up, and out, until they are freed
>You softly exhale and karate chop the air
>You still got it
>You begin to slide down the bed itself, going under your blanket
>Another skill you had was leaving your bed without alerting any animals on it
>Talking ponies surely count
>After another minute of dragging yourself down, you're free
>You drag yourself to your feet and stretch
>Everything pops
>Your knees, your upper back, your arms, your neck
>Given you aren't even wearing a towel now, you are as free as humanly possible
>You are invincible!
>On the note of invincibility, you should really introduce the girls to James Bond
>Stumbling only slightly, you make your way to the bathroom and bathroom
>It's kinda nice, to see how well used everything is
>Towels are laid out with your little sectional rugs
>You can see hoof prints imprinted on the towels
>You never put thought into it, but you're glad they can use the toilet
>The tub, too
>You forgot about it, but you're happy to see that they're always clean and cared for
>Sparks can cook too, but you gotta figure out a better way for them to take care of themselves for hunger and all that
>Especially because once you bring Dashie in, it'll be four total
>You stop your morning routine, the realization hitting you
>You got Jacky after mulling it over for weeks, months
>And because you got her instead of Applejack, or an Applejack, everything just sorta fell into place
>Where do you go from here?
>How do you know you can take care of everyone adequately?
>You aren't some caretaker but you know that without you, they might be in danger if something really bad ever happened
>Not that you think that they're incapable either
>But they are in an alien world
>You never had time to sit down and contemplate all of it but they aren't just knock off toys
>It would be insulting to call them toys
>So then what are they?
>How do they have such a connection between each other?
>What if they're really from another world?
>What if they want to go back?
>What if you want to go with them?
>You've gone from the bathroom to a steaming hot shower to clear your throat and nose, thinking the entire time
>Maybe it isn't so bad
>Nona wouldn't have any answers
>Or she told you she didn't have any answers
>What about that Hanzel guy?
>He seemed happy to be around another guy for once
>Is he from the same origin as them or is he from something else entirely?
>Does it matter?
>You finish your shower sooner than you thought, your mental faculties revving back up to normal
>You still don't remember much of anything during your time of being sick outside of standing in the hallway with a knife
>You recall Sparky crying about something regarding poison and thinking it was just a prank
>You gotta ask about that eventually
>With a new towel wrapped around your waist, you head to the kitchen
>You know what's funny, you were never much of a cook before you got Jacky
>You were a lot less focused in a number of things
>But now?
>It feels like you've improved a lot
>Not in every way possible
>But in enough avenues that your past self wouldn't recognize you
>You still get sad sometimes
>But ever since that day you kinda just came back and laid on the floor, you knew that you just couldn't do that again
>No matter what, you couldn't put anyone else in that position again
>You can deal with your issues on your own
>No, that isn't the right way to think
>You can count on your two friends to help you out
>You just don't want to bother them
>But that isn't right either, is it?
>It isn't going to bother them
>Not if they're real friends of yours
>And they are
>You feel confident in believing that
>It hasn't been that long, though
>And you've known people for much longer that mean far less to you
>Or better to say that some people have known you for far longer and you didn't mean much to them
>Before you realize it, you've chopped up and grilled potatoes, added a pack of bacon too all of it, and a tin of biscuits for the side
>Damn you're good
>You forgot you even had the biscuits
>You strut back to your room, refocusing yourself so the present
>Your little ponies are still where they were before, sleeping
>You get the urge to autistically screech or something to wake them up but you really don't want to be that cruel
>Instead, you step over to the opposite side of the bed and put a hand on each of their shoulders
"Arise chicken. Chicken arise."
>You shake them in a rhythm while deepening your voice
"Chicken arise. Arise. Chicken."
>Sparks wakes up first
>She smiles when she sees you
>"Oh Good morning, Anon."
>She uncurls and stretches out
>You haven't seen her happy like that in a while
>"Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah. Mostly better, anyway. I got breakfast up and ready. As a way to thank you two."
>She nods
>"You don't need to thank me. We're friends, right?"
"Damn straight. You got any clue of what happened last night? She seems out of it."
>You stopped rubbing and poking at her
>You see that three soda bottles are empty too
>What does sugar do to a pony, anyway?
>"That anime, I think. Still hot, right? Let's eat, there will still be enough when she wakes up."

>Sparks ate with Anon
>He was much more skilled than her when it came to cooking, but she knew it was only because he had been cooking for longer than her
>He tried to wake up Jacky but she stayed up really late to marathon the anime series
>He really does care about her
>Sparks contemplates this while eating, watching the corner, waiting for the man to appear once more
>He cares for her too, but she knows that it isn't the same
>Not to the exact extent
>She's gotten better at reading his mind in more subtle ways
>She is pretty empathetic, and while she doesn't invade Jacky's mind, she can't help but feel comfortable in the human's
>He is to blame, of course, for challenging her to something without giving her a fair chance
>The longer she's been around, the happier she's been to know him
>She is happy to be reunited with Jacky
>Of course she is
>But a darker part of her mind wonders what might have happened if she had been first
>If there would have been any suspiciously quiet moments
>If there would have been any solo adventures and bonding time that she knows happened with Jacky
>She knows because she's been told a lot about it
>And she saw it from his side of things
>She knows so much more about him than he or Jacky knows
>He really is stronger than he appears
>Far stronger than he acts
>After a minute too long for it to be a minor checkup, he walks back out
>He's carrying his phone, a handheld console, and a pair of cords
>That explains how long it took
>She goes back to eating
>She's been happy since she woke up
>She's been happy since last night too
>She knew she was risking a lot, but he was deliriously tired and Jacky was completely absorbed
>No one would know
>Did that make it ok?
>Was she bad if she never told anyone?
>Anon shrugs at her and sets down his stuff
"Guess she's not really feeling up to food. Said her stomach is a little 'gurgly', and not in the good way."
>He shrugs
"But she said she'll have some later, so we'll set aside what we don't eat for her and she'll just get more than a few shares. Sound good?"
>He still sounds a little raspy
>"Sure, that sounds fair. Last night she kinda just dove into it. Do you remember watching it with her or something?"
>Anon shrugs, sighing
"If I did, I wish I do. All I remember is... blueberry soda. Either I wanted to try making it or I wanted to drink some."
>Sparks gives him a funny look
>He did ask her something like that but she didn't pay it any mind since he wasn't doing anything to stop her
>Besides, she didn't do anything bad
>She was just a bit pent up
>Emotionally
>It's by and far not the worst thing she's ever done
>By the time both of them finish eating, Sparks turns her attention to the outside
>It seems like Spring is officially here, despite it still being every other day
>"Hey Anon... wanna take a walk with me outside? It looks really nice out there. We can find a good place to bring Jacky since she's only used to outside looking dull and dreary and dead."
>He was in the middle of plugging in his phone when he looked at her
"Oh? Well yeah, it is kinda nice out, isn't it..."
>She tried not to but she could tell that he was thinking a thousand thinks at once
>Some of it about Jacky
>Of course
>But some of it about her
>And even some of it about Dashie
>He really was motivated when it came to them
"That sounds good. I could use the chance to kinda clear my head and my throat too."
>She smiles and nods to herself
>"I had a feeling you would like it."
"Lemme get dressed and I'll be good to go."
>He was still wearing only a towel
>A very firmly put in place towel, she had to note
>He didn't mind it
>Jacky didn't mind it
>Why should she?
>She watched him walk off and sat there, knowing that he really didn't have much sense of shame when it came to getting dressed or undressed
>This was his home, after all
>And both her and Jacky were technically naked at all times anyway
>He just made a good effort to not look anywhere particularly visceral
>But she knew he didn't dislike any views he may have been given
>When he came out, in a pair of old sweat pants and hoodie, she stretched and stood up
>The sleeves were halfway rolled up and there was a good few strands of long pony hair on his outfit but it was the type of comfywear that he usually wore during the winter
>"Alright, let's go check things out!"
>She is letting herself be happy today
>Like Jacky said, there are just some things she can't help herself on
>So she isn't going to
"Oh yeah, grab my phone since you're near it? That way if Jack wakes up or needs anything we'll know."
>Ever the conscientious type
>She focuses on it and it drowns in red, sparkly aura
>She trots up to him and raises the phone up until it lands in his hand
"I tell you, that's some pretty neat stuff. How's those vitamins and stuff been treating you?"
>She follows Anon out of the apartment, watching him close the door
>And lock it
>She feels a bit sorry for Jacky being stuck in there
>She wouldn't let a locked door stop her
>"Good, thank you. Do you... happen to remember yesterday?"
>He scoffs
"Yeah, when you were being poisoned by something?"
>She blushes and averts her gaze from him
>Not that he was looking at her to begin with
>"It was nothing. I was... trying a new way to meditate. And... a spider ended up on me."
>She shivers hard, hard enough to stop walking for a moment
>"Spiders are seriously dangerous."
"Well whenever we all go camping, there will be a lot of spiders out there. Not enough bug spray in the world to stop all of them, you know?"
>Sparks let out an awkward laugh
>She knew that, to an extent
>But now that she came close to death to such an extent, she wasn't so eager to fight nature
>She still had no clue what she even did with that spider
>She smiles, chuckling
>"My hero. I guess I can let you shine once and a while, right?"
"Once and a while? I'm a spider pro. I still got a bb handgun in one of my old bags in the closet. One time, down south? I saw a spider and bam."
>His hand turns into a finger gun and juts forward to hit the elevator button
"Jelly."
>"Well you'll have to give me that later. I learn how to use it, and I can be your backup gunner in a pinch."
"Alright, now we're talking!"
>He seems in high spirits, happy to not be so put out of action
>They take the elevator down to the ground floor and step out
>Sparks looks around, unsure of where to start
>Anon just starts walking to the left, toward the street
>She quickly follows
"So, Sparkplug. Can you tell me more about Dashie? Did you two think of any real plans or remember anything about her?"
>Sparks internally sighs
>A chance to be out and alone with him for a real conversation or experience and he's already focused on something else
>But she doesn't see that as a bad thing
>"Well... kinda. Not really, but kinda."
"That's... comforting. What do you got?"
>Sparks keeps up, sticking to his left side
>She just kinda defaults to that side
>Also means that she's walking on grass and not on asphalt
>"Well, we all know that she's a pegasus. I tried thinking of the color of her mane and coat and... you know Rarity?"
"Yeah?"
>"She's white, like her. Rarity doesn't have wings but she just kinda looks like her regarding color."
>It was a start
>She can feel the gears in Anon's head turning
"Alright... who does she sound like?"
>"Excuse me?"
"Well, I mean there's no getting around it. You sound pretty similar to Twilight. And Jacky sounds pretty similar to AppleJack. This means that she has to sound like someone, right?"
>She can tell that he's not trying to offend
>He has a point too, as unsettling as it is
>"Well... I don't remember. But she wasn't rowdy like Rainbow Dash. But she also wasn't really cowardly like Fluttershy either. I don't know what to make of that."
"Makes sense. Jacky really isn't like Applejack, when you look at how they are and what they prefer."
>He shrugs, chuckling
"And you're no Twilight."
>She was about to take that as an insult but mental imagery in his head tells her that he thinks she's pretty
>He's pretty happy about how she and Jacky look, due to how they're different
>While Sparks does feel a little inferior, Anon likes her more than Twilight
>Because she's real and Twilight is just a cartoon
>Obviously
>She wouldn't be jealous of a cartoon
>"No, I'm better than her."
>That makes him laugh
"Yeah, sure are. But come on, don't tell me you wouldn't want to sleep with a Smarty Pants doll."
"As if!"
>Things feel normal between them
>She likes that
>It isn't a heavy conversation or anything important
>It's just a man and a mare waltzing around the block
"So... got any thoughts on how we can grab her and make out like bandits?"
>That phrasing makes her flinch
>"W-what?"
"How're we gonna get away with it, Sparks? You're the seasoned thief, right? How would you do it?"
>Obviously his thoughts show that he wasn't talking about anything else weird
>"Oh, well, we only have two people to worry about."
"That we know of."
>"Right, that we know of."
"And one is a pony, the other is a human."
>"Right."
"And we can't just fight them. We can't turn to violence, especially toward someone that's been really friendly and helpful to us. We owe Nona for letting Jacky and I make off with you."
>Though she wasn't there, she could see through Anon's eyes that he was happy to see her in that humiliating little box
>It didn't even look like it was a finished box, there were decals and letting missing
>He called her 'firefly' too
>She remembered that word when she was in the box
>When she was dreaming
>She wasn't dreaming anything in particular but she was sort of aware of what was going on in the outside world
>Anon's voice stuck out the most
>She could hear Jacky too
>She remembered being so angry when she first woke up, too
>Maybe it was good that she wasn't good with magic, otherwise she might have hurt both of them before even knowing who they were or where she was
"Your thoughts?"
>"Huh?"
>She nodded
>"Yeah, we can't hurt them. But if they can't help us, we can't let that stop us either... right?"
"Right. We got to focus on our goal."
>He doesn't speak the rest but she can tell that he's worried
>He's worried for them
>And for himself, if only because if he's put out of action, they'll be stuck too
>He thinks more of himself now, she's noticed
>If only because he feels responsible for everything
>She isn't sure of what to say to him
>A distraction will probably help
>"Hey, you know that Jacky's been watching over you a lot. You mean a lot to us, her especially."
>He smiles, stretching in stride
"I'm glad. It's nice to be wanted, you know?"
>She wants to be wanted
>But then again he does want her
>Just not in the same way he wants Jacky
>This doesn't not bother her, but she doesn't let it show
>"Yeah, it is... when it was just three, I don't think anyone cared about us beyond us. Did Jacky tell you that she and Dashie had a scheme to find a guy and tagteam him? Dashie's charisma, Jacky's skills and bravery. They were convinced that they could find someone if they put their heads together."
>This makes Anon chuckle
"Yeah, she told me about that alright... she told me to keep that a secret, in the event Dashie doesn't remember."
>She laughs too
>Being only barely invasive, she pokes into his mind until she can find a tiny crumb of him wondering if she was going to be a part of that or not
>"But you know, I never agreed to such a shameful plan."
"Is that so. What was your plan then?"
>They completed one lap so far
>Most of the grass is still more yellow than green
>Most of the seasonal trees are still dead
>But she doesn't particularly care all too strongly for the scenery
>"Well, I was the biggest thief out of all of us. I liked taking more than what I needed. Because... I guess I thought I deserved it. Those two liked stealing just what they needed but I liked going for more than just food or lame stuff like that."
>She puffs out her chest
>"I thought that if I ever found someone... I would steal him."
"Ha!"
>Anon laughs
>He imagines her swooping in and stealing some sort of limp-legged blueblood
>He laughs harder suddenly
>Something called "The Redfield Bloodline" pops up
>What was the Redfield Bloodline and what did it have to do with some asian woman?
"Ahh... that's funny. I guess you'd use rope and a ransom note or something?"
>Though amused by his mindset, she only smirks
>"No no, nothing that silly. I would just... steal him like how I would steal anything else. Timing, effort, knowledge, and a little luck."
>She sounds confident
>He doesn't suspect anything
>Of course, why would he?
"Well, I guess you have a new cast of rich saps to aim for. I suppose it'll work, but you gotta be careful about that sort of thing, you know?"
>As if she would go for someone who was rich and useless
>She wanted someone strong and capable more than someone weak and in need of protecting
"Well, for now, let's focus on stealing Dashie. And then after that... I don't know. We can kinda just enjoy life. That's the point of all of it, in the end, isn't it?"
>Was it the point?
>"Would you be interested in stealing anyone else from there?"
>Anon furrows his brow and shrugs
"Not really. It's just you three together, right?"
>She prods, paying attention to his face as much as his mind
>"Well yeah but... are there any other types of ponies that you would want to see? I bet you could even find Celestia at the warehouse. Or a pony that looks like her."
"Why would I want that? I have Jacky as a friend. I have you as a friend. I'll have Dashie as a friend. All you three guys will be together again. That sounds better than I deserve already."
>He means it too
>She wasn't surprised
>But she is happy
>A passing thought he has that she can grip onto is that his bed isn't big enough to hold much more than himself and a third pony
>Another passing thought she can tell is that he still enjoys his privacy and would prefer a smaller group
>"I'm glad. I guess we can burn bridges over there then and it'll be ok."
"I hope..."
>She walks another two laps with Anon, talking about some of the games and movies that he introduced to them
>He smiles when he talks about that sort of stuff
>She can tell that he's used to talking to that sort of stuff, especially to his old friends
>She's happy that memories of her and of Jacky have been usurping the memories of his old friends
>She wants him to only have happy memories moving forward
>She wants to be a big reason for it
>As she thinks, her face remains a little less expressive
>A little more calm
>She's a very cerebral pony, and a very detailed planner
>She isn't going to fail

>Be a sleepy you
>You feel far better today than you did yesterday
>You even left the window uncovered, letting in some natural light for once
>But it's snowing now
>Again
>Good thing you had that walk yesterday
>You move your arms to cover your yawn, only to find yourself struggling
>Again
>As before, Jacky is on your right side
>...Sparks is on your left?
>Well she is under the blanket
>And the apartment has been cold, you can tell because of how dry your throat is
>She looks like she's having a nice sleep at least
>But now you're stuck
>You nudge your head to the right, your hair going against Jacky's nose
>She inhales and sputters for a moment, her head jerking up
>"Ahm up, mom grab the pie fo..."
>She looks around, perplexed
>And sees you
>"Ooh.. hey, Anon. Good morning! I was, uh... er..."
>She looks around again
>"I thought I was making a pie for you with ma..."
>She sounds a little let down
"A pie, huh... you know what we should do today?"
>You pull your head back, only for her to move her head forward
>"What's that?"
"Make an Easter pie."
>Her eyebrow raises
>"What's an Easter?"
"It's a holiday where we celebrate by making a pie and eating peanut-butter chocolates that are in the shape of eggs. And other things chocolate-themed."
>Your explanation leads to Jacky's pupils constricting
>Then dilating
>"Do... we have... chocolate eggs?"
"Yup. I stashed them in my car. We got a few cases."
>Slowly, she starts to vibrate
>In an instant, she leaps up and flies across your chest to land next to Sparks
>"SPARKSWAKEUPIT'SEASTERWEGETCHOCOLATEEGGSANDPIEWAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUP"
>Her hooves thunder down on the bed faster than the God Hand can punch, leading to an ungodly earthquake
>You forget that this pony is the reason why your fridge has a sizable dent in it
>After the third second of excitement, Sparks jolts upright
>Another second of master level DDR stomping leads to her screaming
>The unicorn tackles Jacky, launching herself from a laying position
>"WHAT'SWRONGWITHYOULETMESLEEPIWASHAVINGAGOODDREAM"
>"IT'SEASTERWEGETCHOCOLATEEGGSDOYOUKNOWWHATTHISMEANS"
>"I'LLFRYYOUREGGSYOUCHUNKHEADIDON'TEVENKNOWWHYYOUDOTHIS"
>You watch in amazement at the two ponies barking at each other
>Over each other
>Seeing your chance, you start to slide out of bed
>You successfully do so, and start to turn to walk out
>"HOLD IT"
>Both of them shout at you
>Aw shit
>"Hand over those eggs, Anon!"
>Jacky points at you with her right hoof, a look of manic determination on her face
>"You better have enough or you're in trouble."
>Sparks points at you with her left hoof, grimacing with a major case of bed head
>Oh no
>You take a step backward
"Y-yeah... they're just in my car... so I'm going to go get them..."
>You are not at all dressed enough to go outside
>The fact that you're wearing anything at all on a Sunday morning is a miracle in of itself
>"Eggs."
>"Now."
>They are unified at long last
>Two pairs of eyes glaring at you; one with excitement and one with irritation
>Not like this
"S-seriously, I'll take the stairs down and... you know..."
>"Jacky?"
>"Yes, Sparky?"
>"Go for the legs."
>"Only if you go for the keys."
>"He isn't holding his keys."
>"We'll get him to tell us where the keys are."
"THE KEYS ARE ON T--"
>Both of them launch themselves at you
>You have learned this day, the true power of their cooperation
>Trampled in both body and spirit, you could only watch as Jacky struggle snuggles you while Sparks steals your keys and makes off
>She returned later with three cases of peanut butter and chocolate eggs
>They were supposed to last for months
>Instead, with a face full of yellow pony, you were powerless to stop them from devouring two thirds of it in minutes
>By the time they finished, you actually didn't mind Jacky laying on your face
>You get the idea she didn't mind it either
>By the time she left your head, both of them looked so pleased with themselves
>Over two dozen eggs
>Gone
>Just like that
>You sat up, staring in disbelief
>The third egg carton is at least untouched
>Sparks gave you a smug, yet pleased smile
>Jacky was on cloud nine, presumably due to either you or the chocolate eggs
"...you two are unbelievable. Truly."
>"Ooh... Anon. I love you so much right now. They were so good..."
>Jacky swooned, unable to imagine the belly ache she might dive head-first into when three sodas did her in
>"You really are something, that's true... better take your share before we get them."
>Sparks sounded so smug it was painful, like she really would devour your share if you didn't protect them
>Defeated, you took the last carton and hugged it close
>Your stockpiling ways, defeated by a pair of mares, one of which who wasn't even afraid to use herself as a deadly weapon
"Monstrous..."

>Revenge is sweet
>Revenge also takes time
>It took most of Easter day before the two little rapscallions realized that eating an entire carton of eggs was bad news
>Sparky was the first to feel the wrath of a chocolate coma
>Jacky had poked her to see if she was still alive and only got the most painful of groans
>You'd be lying if you didn't feel a tiny bit of sadistic glee since she's the one who grabbed your keys
>Jacky wasn't laughing for long
>Swearing that death was coming for her, she clung to you as hard as possible
>You didn't feel as smug about her being in pain
>But
>She did cause the initial panic
>You spent the rest of your Sunday petting Jacky's belly, telling her that she wasn't going to die
>It took a good few days for them to recover
>By the time Friday came, you had only had three eggs
>After watching them, you didn't really want to overindulge
>Besides, you only had one third of your initial hoard to deal with
>Work was pretty light, which was nice
>Your little ponies were stuck in recovery mode so almost no talk was had about Dashie
>You've been getting antsy
>Not only was there the anticipation that something might go wrong, but you keep thinking that the longer you wait, the worse it will be
>Maybe she won't even be there
>Maybe she'll be worse than what Jacky was like
>Maybe she's waiting for someone to save her and you're the only one still focusing on getting her
>All throughout your day, you've been thinking of possibilities in the form of risks, costs and what to say
>Sparks could use magic too
>That might bring up additional questions
>By the time you clocked out for the day, your mind was made up
>Now was time to bust her out of that warehouse, or find out where she was
>You didn't have a name but you had a description
>A white pegasus
>That had to narrow things down given how many color schemes there are of technicolor ponies
>How was it that you were able to get Sparks, anyway?
>You did mention that she was a reddish unicorn
>Was that really enough to go off of?
>You didn't know anything resembling her real name but that worked enough for that buff guy, Hanzel
>Now that you're more used to the girls, along with how wonderfully Jacky has grown and how Sparks has acclimated, it should be far easier
>There are still questions you would like answers for
>Questions they would want to ask too
>But you're no longer so fixated on answers
>To an extent, you've found your own answers
>You enter your apartment, kicking off your boots to their designated mat
>You haven't gotten any noise complaints in months now
>Could be that the person under you finally moved out
>Good thing, given you hear Sparks swearing up a storm
>You sneak to the archway of your room and poke your head in
>She's playing God Hand
>You remember telling Jacky about that game
>"You're still not Alexander."
>"SHUT UP!"
>"You can beg for mercy if you want. It makes the game easier."
>"I'LL DIE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!"
>"You've been dying on this spot for almost an hour now..."
>"THEY FREAKING CHEAT! EVERY TIME I BREAK THAT BOX SOMETHING DIFFERENT COMES OUT!"
>"Sounds like you're relying on random chance..."
>"IT'S NOT CHANCE IT'S A VALID STRATEGY."
>Jacky doesn't even sound smug anymore
>She just sounds bored
"Psst. PSSSST."
>Jacky looks at you, needing a double take before realizing it's you
>"Hey Sparks, quit sucking, Anon's back!"
>"I DON'T SUCK, YOU SUCK!"
>You purse your lips and widen your eyes, darting back from the screen to Jacky
"So... did she reach the gorilla yet?"
>Jacky sighs, shaking her head
>"She keeps forcing herself to play on Level Die. She was fine until I told her that you can play on it for some of the levels."
"You mean Level DIE."
>You belch out the 'DIE' with a demonic, guttural rasp
>You even bring up your hand, clenching it into a claw as you speak
>"Level DAH."
>Jacky brings up her hoof and shakes it, making more of a...raspy whisper
"DIE."
>"DAH."
"DIE!"
>"DAH!"
"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"
>You throw your head back and bring up your hands, rending your throat for the sake of sounding properly monstrous
>"ANON I WILL THROW THIS CONTROLLER THROUGH YOUR FREAKING SKULL, SHUT THE HELL UP!"
>Given the intense red aura drowning the controller, you're a little worried she may do it
>You look at Jacky and tilt your head back
>Picking up on your cue, she stands up from her lazy sitting position and trots off
>You close the bedroom door behind her, leaving Sparks to fume and git gud
>"ORANGE, WHERE'S MY ORANGE?!"
>Poor creature
>You share a chuckle with your fellow dork
"Gotta give her credit, she's a diehard."
>"No, she dies easy. She just likes retrying."
"Sounds about right."
>You find a blank spot in the living room and sit down
>Jacky immediately hops between your legs, facing you with her hooves on your stomach
>"Welcome home."
"I'm glad to be home, Jack."
>You lean slightly to give her a hug
>You're grateful for her
>You really are
"So Jack, I've been thinking."
>"What's up, Anon?"
"How about this... you remember where that warehouse is, right?"
>"Too well. What about it?"
>You muster your courage, nodding to yourself
"It's about damned time we go get her and be done with that place."
>Jack's ears fold back, her face turning to a concerned frown
>Was she always this easy to read or have you just gotten used to her face?
>"W-well hold on now... shouldn't we be planning things out more? What about escape routes? How we deal with if we can't get her?"
>You lean back, shrugging
"If those are things to be concerned about... we'll figure it out on the fly."
>"Anon, this is a serious thing, we can't just go up and do it!"
"I know it's a serious thing. That's why I'm not comfortable just... sitting here and waiting. We don't even discuss it like it's a priority every day like we should. We get too distracted or just get preoccupied."
>Jacky meanders like she wants to make an excuse but nothing comes to mind
>"I know but..."
"But nothing, Jack. We're going to get her and we're going tomorrow morning. If this was for your sake, I'd already be down there raining hell down."
>"I know... I wanna see her again too..."
"Then what's the worry?"
>"If she ain't there... I might not ever see her again."
"And if she is there, she's waiting for us. Waiting for you, her friend. You said that you've known her longer than anyone else, right?"
>"Yeah... I just got a bad feeling is all, ok?"
"You're not the only one..."
>You pull her in for another hug until she's almost completely vertically against you
>"FUCK YOU, I'M ALEXANDER THE GREAT."
>You hear a muffled screech from your bedroom
"And that... is where I worry."
>Jacky giggles at the timing
>"Worst comes to worst, she can just burn the place down, right?"
"That... is attempted murder, arson, and would possibly burn a lot of ponies."
>"Ew. Ok, nevermind then."
>You tighten your hug on her
"We got the address, we got each other, and I've been saving up if we need cash. We'll be fine."
>The two of you share a quiet, comfortable moment
>"...hey Anon?"
"Mm?"
>"I forget... did we go there during the week or on the weekend? They got business hours or something, right?"
>Well fuck
"Yeah... yeah, I suppose they do."
>"Do you remember?"
"The longest lived memory I have is of you telling me that if you die from chocolate overdose that I can have your hat."
>Jacky goes silent
>"I... I didn't say that."
"Oh yes you did."
>"But... it's my hat."
"Only until you die. Then it's my hat."
>Jacky whimpers
>"Stupid eggs..."
>You shush her and stroke her twintails
"Shhh... it's ok... it's what you get for eating all of them at once..."

>While Sparky wasn't too keen on quitting anytime soon despite her screeches descending into hoarse groans and grunts, you were able to grab your laptop and bring it into the living room
>You decided to just watch videos on YouTube
>Or have it as a decent source of background noise
>With three pillows and a blanket spread out, you and Jacky lay on your sides, her back to your front
>With your hand on her lower belly, idly stroking a specific patch of skin, you get a slow, growing sense of dread
"Hey Jack... with our place getting more full, do you think we'll be able to still have privacy?"
>She shrugs, absorbed into the video
>It's about some guy in shorts digging out an entire pool and covering it with some sort of grass and dirt roof
>"Do... we really need it?"
"I suppose not."
>She inhales, stretching
>"Don't tell me you're getting shy now..."
"Me? No... not at all. But I wouldn't want to weird anyone out."
>"Pft. You weird out everyone whenever we go out."
"Sure, because I have a goofy looking pony at my side that snarls at anything female and human."
>"Hey."
>Jacky bucks her hind end against your lap
>"That's a low blow."
"What's weird is how you could get jealous yet when Dashie comes here, she may still think that you want to share."
>Jacky fidgets
>"Well that was then."
"How would that even work, anyway?"
>"What do you mean?"
"I mean you can only date one person at a time. Is she skilled at... things?"
>"Not... really? I mean, she's a lot better than I am when it comes to talking. She's a lot more charismatic and attractive."
"So she isn't some domestic goddess?"
>"Dashie? Ha... ahhh... no. She's as useful as I am. She at least has a better sense of beauty."
"You're pretty hard on yourself and her."
>"Well I mean... sure."
>She lolls her head back and forth, eyes glued to the monitor
>"I look up to her, you know. She's like an older sister to me. I always took the brunt of the aggro but when it came to distractions? She was on top of it all. She could talk her way into anything. Of course, she didn't steal or take anything. She had a really good sense about keeping up appearances, even when we both lived... as we did."
>Were these new memories, or just something she only now wanted to open up to?
>"I'd buy extra food to squirrel away. She would buy soaps and oils. There was some overlap on what we would share, if the need arose, but she made sure that I had food before she had soap."
"Good thing you got both now, huh. How did you two guys meet, anyhow?"
>Your little pony lets out an elongated 'hmmmm'
>"I don't know."
"Really?"
>"Really. I guess we were together for so long that I don't remember a time before her."
>You get the feeling that it would be silly to ask
>But you ask anyway
"Do you have any... memories of anything like your family?"
>"Well... I guess the only right way I can answer that is to say that I'm with my family now."
"Yeah... that's fair enough."
>"It's kinda weird, that you ask that. Not to offend but you have... an entire life's worth of experiences and memories. I don't think I do."
"I was worried that might be the case."
>"Anon."
>She sounds calm despite the heavy topic
>Must help that you've been petting her through all of this and she's effectively pushed herself as hard against you as she can
>"Should I be worried if my memories of Sparks and Dashie are fake?"
"Honestly? I wouldn't be. It's only been... what, five-six months? And I like to think that we've shared a lot of positive memories."
>She lets out a pleased sigh
>"Oh big time."
"And, once we got Dashie back, you can all discuss things and... I suppose go from there. It isn't perfect, but it's a start."
>"That's true. I didn't think I had so much baggage to worry about..."
>You give her a squeeze with both arms until she lets out a squeaky exhale
"Everyone has their own stuff going on. What's important... and I guess, rare, is that you can still enjoy being around someone regardless."
>"And you enjoy being around me."
"Damn straight I do. I don't miss being alone, you know. There's absolutely nothing I miss from being in a place that's so painfully quiet that you can hear dust settle."
>"BOOM BITCH, CHAIN YANKER!"
>Sounds like Sparks is doing better
"See what I mean?"
>Jacky nods
>"I... may have egged her on a little too hard. Do you think so?"
"Naaaah, not at all. She could use a good distraction."
>Jacky kicks out her hooves, curling her neck to the side before going limp
>"Ahh... it really does feel like home here. It was nice with just you, we didn't really need to be sneaky with anything. But when you went to work I just felt lonely. Even if we messaged each other. Or when I... tried to message you."
"Tell me about it. Even back then, I was worried about how you would adjust. I know I would be driven up the walls if I was surrounded by stuff I couldn't reliably use. I don't remember a single thing I did by myself, since I could instead do it with you."
>Jacky giggles and squirms against you
>"Well when you put it like that it sounds almost romantic..."
"Almost. Why'd you start laying on and next to me, anyway? You were a good pillow."
>You nod as you speak
>You enjoyed hearing her heartbeat
>But you never mentioned that particular detail
>"I wanted to. I liked hugging you and I wanted to hug you more. And I didn't like waking up and not knowing when you woke up. So by doing that I made it impossible for you to sneak off."
>Quite sneaky
"You have my approval. Of course, you don't have to stop doing that."
>"Wouldn't even if you told me."
>It feels alien
>It feels downright... weird
>But she's attracted to you
>As attracted as you are to her
>Rather than be pessimistic, you just accept it without question
>You can't bring yourself to question her
>You have no reason to question her too
>And that kinda freaks you out just a little bit
>More than just a little bit
>As you've always done, you speak before thinking through your words
"You know I still find it hard to believe that you like me sometimes. That you'd want to chill with me instead of..."
>What else could she do, she can't exactly go out and be social
"...anything I guess."
>"Is it supposed to be weird?"
"No, not at all. Just... well, you know. You got baggage. I do too. It's not great."
>"I couldn't tell. I thought the man who would buy a talking pony to cuddle with and make kissy faces at would be a well-balanced productive member of society."
>She curls her head up and grins at you
"Hey, I am productive! I pay taxes. But... I guess I did look like a complete wreck for a while, huh..."
>"You needed me, I knew that much."
"Yeah I did."
>You cling to her and give her another hug, burying your face into her neck
"Tomorrow's gonna be a big deal. You gonna be ready?"
>"Sure. We did it once already, and we got Sparks now."
"Good. You know what usually happens before a big event in movies, right?"
>Jacky wiggles against you, keeping a poker face
>"I don't knooow... which ones?"
"Lemme remind you..."

>You wake up before everyone else
>As usual
>You didn't expect to doze off on the floor, blanket or no under you
>But Jacky didn't leave you much choice, by the time you finished everything
>As usual, she was laying on top of you
>Poor thing got tuckered out before you
>You fight gravity to bring your hand up to her side
"Jack... Jack...! The eco! The dark eco, Jack!"
>The pony mumbles something, yawning in between incomprehensible explanation
"Boy, you can sure say that again."
>"Mmm?"
>She's definitely slow on the draw today
>Until she remembers to remember
>Her head bolts upright
>"Dashie!"
>Thrown out of balance from her head whipping up, and a little dizzy from the action, she loses balance and flops off of you
>You sit up, popping all of your joints and bits
"Exactly. I'm gonna go shower, then you can take a bath, then Sparks, then we haul ass."
>The idea doesn't sound too good to her
>"That will take all morning! We gotta hurry up or we'll get there too late! What if we get there and they close?"
"Then we better hurry."
>You stumble to your feet
>Evidently YouTube deigned that the situation called for a Dino Crisis speedrun within the last hour
"Wake up Sparks for me, will ya?"
>You hurry off to the bathroom, noticing that Sparks still has the game on
>Evidently she fell asleep in the game's training arena
>Well she can sleep in the car
>You shower as if you're late for work, taking less than ten minute to go through every avenue, every angle, and to cleanse from everything
>Including pony residue
>Sometimes Jacky just drools in her sleep
>You can only imagine what types of dreams she has
>You finish up and step out with a towel wrapped around your waist
>The shower's still going too
"Alright, nerds and nerdettes, shower's going!"
>Jacky and Sparks trot up
>The unicorn looks rough
>"Are we really going today? Do we gotta?"
>She sounds wiped out
"Yes."
>"Can't we do it..."
>She lets out a loud yawn that almost sounds like the first few chords from the God Hand theme song
>"Tomorrow? Next weekend? She's fine."
>Jacky, displeased with the idea, knocks the side of her head into Sparky's
>That lady really does have a head of stone, doesn't she
>"OW! Freaking... chunkhead!"
>"If you ain't going with us, we'll leave without you. And then you can explain to Dashie why you were too tired to save her.
>"I wasn't serious... damn..."
>Sparks, head hanging low, sighs and makes for the shower first
"I'll grab a few bottles of water and some breakfast stuff. When she gets out, get a quick wash in. We can worry about your mane later since we'll have time in the car."
>"Aye-aye, cap'n."
>Jacky gives a hard salute, eyes straight ahead
"Atta girl."
>You get dressed in a flash, using the same shirt and pants you've used for the last day
>Light work so it's not like you particularly smell like any sort of chemical fume
>With a plastic bag set up, you grab a trio of bottles of water and a few handfuls of oatmeal and grain bars
>They may not be the most balanced sources of food but they work
>Better you use them outside of work too since your desk is stocked up with the shit to the point of bursting
>After a small check and close of the laptop, a reminder from the holy traveler's guide that is Google Maps and a small damage report on why you may have to wash your blanket again, everyone is ready
>Mostly ready
>Sparks looks like she's in hell with a drippy, uncombed mane and reddened eyes
>"If she's not there I'm blowing up everyone and then myself."
"Yeah well you should blow yourself up first so you get neat ghost powers."
>Jacky trots out, still dripping wet all over
>"Alright, I'm ready, let's go!"
>Like a dog of all creatures she whips herself every which way
>One of her wet, heavy twintails slaps Sparks on the face
>Multiple times
>When she finishes, Sparks just looks defeated
>"I love you both, I would NEVER think about wearing your heads as a horn warmer..."
>"Good! I would never do that either because I'm not a psychopath."
"And I would never do that because I'm not a unicorn."
>"Yeah, imagine being stuck with a toothpick on your head."
>The grimace she gives you is one in a million
>"Can we please go already? We're in a rush but not so much of one that you guys can't shut up"
"Talking's a free action, Sparkplug."
>Choosing to ignore the amount of water that Jacky threw everywhere by her shenanigans, the three of you leave
>You really hope the place isn't closed

>A half hour out and things aren't so bad
>After sticking her head out the window for a half mile, Jacky's mane seems far more normal
>If a little fluffy due to you gunning it for that duration
>Sparks chose to remain vaguely soggy, still trying to fume as silently but as obviously as possible
>"So do you we even have a plan?"
"Sure do. We go in, we get her, we leave."
>"Wonderful."
>Jacky leans back in her seat
>You pulled the seat back pretty far, enough that she could lean and lay on her back
>"Aw don't be so critical! We kinda had the same plan when we got you. We thought a lot of stuff and... overthought it I guess. It really wasn't so bad!"
>"You SAY that..."
"Think about it this way. If something bad happens, you can hold me accountable and I'll do exactly one, and only one, thing for you. Regardless of context or cost. Ok, small restriction on cost."
>You're pretty confident in things, despite the smoldering ball of concern you have in your gut
>There's no answer from the unicorn for a moment
>"...promise and deal."
"Well then there we go."
>You didn't think she'd go for it but you suppose a blank check is a blank check
...
"Slicing through thugs with my shockwave!"
>"Shockwave!"
"More beheadings than a guillotine, headslicer!"
>"Headslicer!"
"My arm,"
>"My arm,"
>My arm,"
"MY ARM,"
>"MY ARM,"
>"MY ARM,"
"WILL SUMMON UP THE POWER OF THE GOD HAND!"
>All three of you screech the last line of the song
>With windows rolled down and volume maxed out, you punch forward with your right arm
>Jacky punches out with her left front leg
>Sparks punches both of the front seats with both of her upper legs
>Now that the music started up, excitement and energy levels topped the charts
>Emboldened by everything, the idea of waltzing in and coming out with a pegasus seems like cake
...
"Doin' ballet like West Side Story in your matchin' outfits, oh look it's Jacky and Sparky the Double Faggoty Twins!"
>"Well listen up Anono, you fuckin' homo! Fat-headed, pencil-leaded, I'll stab your ass bro! You're goin' down in the hole, you don't even know. Jump, blast to the face, takin' you down with one blow!"
>Keeping up the theme of aggression, you've been cycling through a variety of songs
>Some of which more appropriate than others
>Sparks seems to like it though
>She sounds like she could murder someone
>Jacky, on the other hand, is enjoying the more smug, toned down parts
>"Oh no little foal you killed Anono! There's somethin' that I think you should know before we go: I am the SHADOW MARE."
>"No!"
>"Yeah sure, why not."
>Jacky turns her head back to look at Sparks
>"And while I'm at it, your human thinks I'm totally hot."
>You can see a familiar red aura start to form from her horn
>"Well if that's how it's gotta be then I'mma take you down too! I thought you were my sister, now you're dead, fuck you!"
>"Fuck me?"
>Jacky's smug tone goes beyond perfect with the song
>"Haha bitch, fuck me? Let's take it outside girl, then we'll see."
...
>After a few more choice songs, you default to a little Summer Love for more comfy driving music
>Not like you want to show up ready to fight
>The windows were rolled back up and the heat was put on
>Reclining so back in the seat did Jacky in, given how she was sleeping
>At least her seat belt was on
>"Hey Anon."
>It was Sparks
>She definitely looked more like her usual self, if not a little ruffled from the wind
"What's up?"
>"Are you really ok with Dashie being here?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
>You can't really look at her directly but you can see her in the mirror
>She's sitting in the center of the back seat area, leaning her head against the headrest of the front seat
>Even she can't resist the chance to lean against something
>Must be tiring to just sit there too
>"Well I know the apartment isn't all that big... and we're going to be eating more than you at this point."
"So? You're my friends. Well, she isn't my friend yet but I hope that she will be."
>"Yeah but... shouldn't we be bringing something to the table? Like... a job or something?"
"Why?"
>"Because you already gave us a ton, and you are giving us more. Without even asking for anything."
"Why would I ask for something that I want to do anyway? I'm not the sort to help you out then expect a prize."
>"Well I know, but... there's gotta be something."
>Though you look at her through the mirror, her eyes are focused on the back of your head
>Good thing the rural roads up north are so barren
>The greenery is still mostly dead
>But it looks far nicer than the winter wasteland it was months prior
>If only slightly
"Well, if you really wanna go above and beyond, you can help out with cooking. I'm really not much of a cooker. I'm not exactly eating healthy but I am eating better just because I make things that I want to make surer are good for you and Jack. Being a unicorn is pretty neat, it lets you do a whole lot of things."
>"I guess... is that all you would want from me?"
>That's an odd thing to ask
"Well... I guess you can watch out for Jack and Dash when I'm at work. If anything bad happens, your magic can do the most to get them out or whatever the situation may be."
>An apartment fire with them trapped would kill you
>You wouldn't even want to think of what you would do if you came home to find them gone like that
>Whatever you owned wouldn't matter that much
>It would suck but it wouldn't ever compare to losing your friends
"Can I rely on you to have my back, and theirs too?"
>Whether or not it was the music, Sparks looked forlorn
>At your question, you see a faint smile spread on her face
>"Yeah. Of course you can. I wouldn't let you down on something big like that."
>You smile too
"Then there we go. Be like a lion in a pride. A lot of the time they don't do much but when push comes to shove? They're the vanguard and don't let a single thing stop them."
>It felt good to know that she would have your back
>For whatever reasons outside of her having magic, she is by and far the most serious of the two
>You get the idea that she has a lot to prove, but she doesn't need to prove much to you
>You've seen how fierce and dedicated she is to a cause she cares about
>To break the atmosphere, Jacky cacks up something and rolls to her side, breathing deeply before
>"Jesus... what a chunkhead."
>You scoff
"Right? But she's our chunkhead. Gotta be thankful she thinks so highly of you. Without her, I would've never known about you."
>"And I... would've never known you either."
>The way she says it sounds like it's almost a revelation
"Exactly. What a goofy network we have..."
...
>With a new song playing, you see that you're nearly there
>Maybe another half hour
>You've long since let your foot off of the pedal, allowing cruise control to do it's thing
>Hard to believe that you drove all the way from the southern border to the north without once realizing that this existed for your car
>Better late than never, supposedly
>Sparks, lulled to sleep by the song, remained in a sitting position with her head against the front passenger seat's headrest
>You're used to waking up before the sun but you keep forgetting that they aren't
>Jacky is, if only to wake up enough to bid you a good morning
>Sparks certainly isn't
>Especially after last night
>You gotta check out the controller and make sure she didn't crush it or something
...
>Having slowed considerably, you turn your way into the parking light of the ominous building
>It's kinda what you remember
>No signage
>Only one car
>Might be Nona's, you don't recall what her car was like
>Though only for a glimpse, you see what looks like Hanzel walk by
>Seems he didn't notice you driving up
>You park a few spots away from the only other car there, in front of the door you entered last time
>You feel an ice cold chill down your spine
>It's probably your imagination but something about this place just makes you freak out a tiny bit
>Not Darkest Dungeon levels of unsettling
>But you would not want to be here every day
"Alright girls... we're here. Time to get up and get ready."
>You reach over and shake Jack's side while your words were enough to make Sparks stir
>"Already, huh..."
>The unicorn grimaces, picking up the same vibes you are
>"This must be what it feels like to enter a real dungeon..."
"Except we don't want to have a boss fight."
>"I'm up, I'm up."
>Jacky flails around a bit, forgetting for the moment that she's constrained by the seatbelt
>Sparks had one on too but it was only going over her lap rather than her lap and chest
>You reach over and press down on the belt release, eyes focused forward
"Rule one, don't get separated. If I gotta talk to Nona or something alone, you two keep together as if your life depends on it. Don't go somewhere you shouldn't, don't pick a fight... and if something happens, call for me."
>Your tone is deathly serious
>It may be your imagination
>Or your collective worries all bundled up into a paranoid mess
>But you really can not afford to mess up anything or lose anyone

>"Way to inspire confidence, fearless leader..."
>She's being sarcastic but it doesn't sound like normal vitriolic Sparks
>She knows you mean it
>"You got it. But let's try to not get separated at all, ok?"
"An even better plan."
>You get out first, shaking all of the nerves out
>You did this once before and all was good
>What do you have to worry about?
>You wait to hear the other doors open
>Two sets of hooves meet concrete
>Almost like an RPG Jacky, and then Sparks, follow you into the building
>It's as quiet as it always was
>You've worked spookier places, frankly
>Neither of your little ponies know what to say or do so you clear your throat and call out
"Hey, Hanz, you around? Jacky and I came back for a few things!"
>"Who's Hanz?"
>You could just barely hear Sparks whisper
>"Oh, he's the guy who man-handled you into the car along with Anon."
>"Wait, he what?!"
>You hear some heavy trotting coming toward you
>Enter Hanzel, stage left
>Or maybe stage right since he's coming from your right side
>You were never a drama club type guy anyway
>He sees you first and his somewhat bored face lightens up
>He rears up, front legs kicking out
>"Herr Anon, it is you! I knew that a friend of Hanzel Gruber would return!"
>He doesn't even seem to notice the two ponies at first
"Hanz Gruber, eh? What is it that the cowboys always say?"
>"Ah, yes, it is the 'yippee ki yay'!"
>You share a laugh
"Ahh... nice to see you again my guy. Is the Gruber part new?"
>"Ja, Frau Nona has been watching movies with me lately and I decided zat his last name would fit me well."
>It did but Hans Gruber was a villain
>"Hey Hanzy, remember me too?"
>Jacky finally pokes out from behind you, sensing an opening
>He gasps enthusiastically
>"Und Jacky too! Tell me how you have been, fellow pony friend!"
>He really seems happy to see you again
>"Super! It's been a blast these last few months! Wow, listen to me, it has been months, hasn't it!"
>"Und yet it feels like it was merely yesterday and a few hours! You must tell me what you've been up to! How has your friend been, the sparky one?"
>Sparks takes her cue and reveals herself
>Though she's a little incredulous of the stallion's sheer size and muscle mass
>The accent must be a little weird too
>He has gotten better at it though
>"Hey, uh... Frands. Why do you sound so funny?"
>In a flash, Hanz charges her, leading into a pony-sized bear hug
>"You are awake and well, zis is magnificent news! Herr Anon has cried tears over your state last he was here!"
>Sparks lets out a panicked yelp, struggling to get away from him
>"OkokokgetoffmeIgetit!"
>Hanzel releases her, guffawing with a proud smile
>"You talk much more now than you did before! This is good, ja!"
>Sparks gives you this queer look
>A look that says 'is this guy fucking serious'
>You merely nod sympathetically
"So, where's Nona? I admit, we did come here for something but if you guys aren't too busy, we'd love to hang out for a bit too."
>Jacky seems happy to talk to the buff pone but Sparks just seems unfamiliar with the entire affair
>Or maybe she's just being cautious
>"Yes yes, she is here. I couldn't be here if it was merely me, after all!"
>"Where is she, if you know? I gotta thank her for finding Sparks for us."
>Hanz taps his hoof on the floor, as if deep in thought
>"Ja... what a good question."
"You don't know?"
>He shrugs
>"She goes many places around here, I don't know them all. But I can send you to... what is it, the reception area?"
"Well last time we were here, we just used one of those empty conference rooms. Is that still around?"
>"Ja! I almost forgot!"
>Hanz gives a hearty chuckle
>"I remember so much but not the minor details, no? I recall where it was, I think. Follow and I will find Frau Nona after!"
>Your party of three look among themselves and shrug
"Sure, sounds good to me. Lead the way."
>You take the lead and follow Hanzel into a hallway, glancing around every few steps
>Your girls do the same, keeping less than three steps behind
>Maybe those old-school RPGs had the right idea
>The hallway is as memorable as last time you were here
>Which is to say that it looks mostly empty
>No shrubbery or posters
>At least it still looks clean
>He stops four doors down, and to the left
>Was this the same room you went into last time?
>"In here will be nice, has enough seats for everyone."
>He walks in without hesitation
>You glance back at the pair
>They're still there
>"So... do we go for it?"
>Sparks whispers at you, expecting leadership
"Sure, he's been good to us so far."
>That seems to be enough for her, though she isn't particularly calmed down
>It's ok
>You're still a little on edge too
>You enter, stepping to the side for the yellow and red duo
>Sure enough, it looks like a conference room
>More than enough chairs for five visitors
>Hanz smiles and nods at everyone
>"Good, ja? This room hasn't been used since you were here last, if memory recalls. Please, sit! I will find Frau Nona and bring her immediately."
>He begins to trot out before stopping in place
>"Unless, that is, she is busy. Then I will bring her immediately."
>He takes two steps and stops again
>"Unless, that is, she isn't that busy. Then I will ask if she can put it on hold."
>He nods to each of you
>"On that note, relax! Speak freely, you are among friends!"
>He trots out, thankfully not stopping for another last minute note
>Everyone waits for a few seconds before you close the door
>In a secured room, Sparks exhales
>"Geeze... does he really have to keep that accent up?
>She heads to one of the chairs
>Given the practice she's had, she's able to scamper onto it without too much issue
>You take a seat near her, so that she's on your left
>You turn a chair around and watch Jacky pounce up onto it like a cat
>She even stuck the landing
>With everyone seated, you sigh a breath of relief
"Well that's not too bad so far."
>"I guess. Can we trust that guy?"
>"Well I think so. He was nice last time, why wouldn't he be now?"
>They both rotate to scan over the room while you stay focused on the door
"It's good to see he's doing fine, in either case. He seems like a real cool guy."
>"That accent though."
>"Come on, don't be mean. He works hard on it."
>"He sounds like you when you force that French accent."
>"Hey! Anon happens to like that accent, thank you very much!"
>"Exactly, he has shit taste!"
>"You have shit taste!"
>They sure are bickering like usual
>You lean back, yawning
"I wonder if they got security cameras everywhere..."
>Jacky stops arguing, her ears perking up at your voice
>"Well why wouldn't they? We're pretty valuable."
"Sure. And... not completely natural to most people or places."
>"Oh... right. Well still, why wouldn't they?"
>Sparks verbally fumes for a while longer, refusing to let it go
"I guess it's none of our business, all the same."
>"I guess so..."
>What feels like minutes pass
>With no Hanz
>And no Nona
>Sparks has been spinning herself in her chair using her magic
>Jacky nudged and headbutted the air until she managed to sit closer to you
>You just wait there, right leg folded with your ankle on your left knee
>Given how this place is, how busy could she really be?
>What would she even be busy with?
>Would you really want to know?
>Without warning, the door knob turns
>Sparks stops the chair, lurching forward from the momentum
>Her eyes unfocused and slightly derped out, she tries to focus on the door
>"Finally!"
>The door opens and in steps a woman
>She looks kinda like the Nona you spoke with
>"Oh hey, Anon and... Jacky! And is that your friend too? Hi there!"
>The voice seals it, it definitely is Nona
>But the color of her eyes and her hairstyle is completely different
"Hey there... hi again."
>Hanz steps in after her, beaming
>"You wouldn't believe where I found her!"
>You kinda don't wanna know
>You spin your chair, along with Sparks' and Jacky's to face Nona once she sits down at a chair opposite of you
>Hanz gives an impressive grunt and leaps up onto the chair
>Or tries to
>After two more strenuous efforts he manages it
>You can't imagine that solid bulk muscle helps all that much
>"So, guys... what's up? What brought you over here?"
"Well, I--"
>"Why do you look different?"
>Jacky blurts out without forethought
>Your eyebrows raise and then lower
>Smooth move
>Nona laughs at the question, posing her hand as if to show off
>"Contacts and a vintage style, you like? Can't be too careful these days, am I right?"
>You aren't sure
>Is she?
>Jacky seems a little unsettled by her answer but does her best to just nod with an open mouth
>"Oh, uh... right."
"Aside from that... I guess we just wanted to check up on you guys. We had a few questions about--"
>"Dashie, right? Or what was her name?"
"Well that's the thing... we aren't sure of her real name. But we know that she's a white pegasus."
>"Really, you don't? Are you sure?"
>Jacky nods
"Yeah, I ain't got a clue. With Sparky with me, I've been remembering a whole ton about stuff but nothing about Dashie."
>Sparks speaks up
>The tone of her voice is very iffy
>"Y-yeah... hi there..."
>Nona's gaze fixes onto Sparks, making her visibly flinch
>"Oh my, aren't you looking far better these days! I remember when you were still in your box, you looked a little... underfinished?"
>Sparks looks proper unnerved
>Her ears flatten against her head
>She squints
>You don't hear a drop of anger in her voice
>Or even irritation
>Just pure cautious, carefully chosen words
>"Yeah... lucky me, heheh..."
>Something isn't right about this
>As far as you know Sparky, she really isn't the type to get spooked
"Anyway, Nona, Hanz. Jacky's been far happier lately now that she's been reunited with Sparks. But they aren't... complete, I guess. They're missing their last friend, Dashie. I remember us talking to you before about her, I think."
>Nona only nods
"I know before was special circumstances but... well, I can't ask for something like that again. But we gotta have Dashie. They gotta have their friend again."
>She leans forward, putting her elbows on the desk
>Out of the corner of your eye you can see Sparks flinch
>Jacky's more stoic, but you haven't seen her stare at something so hard before
>"I see... you know, I won't want to be a jerk, but I can't honestly say that we're a charity."
"No, I know. I wouldn't ever ask you for that. I didn't before, either."
>The woman smiles
>Hanz seems to just be enjoying the company
>He's the only one who doesn't seem to have any form of ulterior mindset going on
>"That is true... but my, how unique is it that you have two ponies already that seem to be doing so well but you want a third too?"
"Well it isn't for me."
>"Yes, you said something like that."
>Sparks speaks up, her throat audibly dry
>"M-miss Nona... she's important to me and Jacky. Far more than we need anyone else. She's the glue that keeps us together."
>Jacky chimes in
>"She's the gunpowder in our bullets."
>"The peanut butter in our sandwich."
>"The punchline to our jokes."
>Sparks manages to ease up just enough to glare over at Jack
>"You're the only punchline here to come up with that..."
>Jacky points her hoof at Sparks
>"S-see what I mean? Our shtick gets old if it's just us!"
>Whether or not they're doing this on purpose, they're doing beautifully
>Nona chuckles
>"I get you, I do. Well, I guess you've made your case."
>No one speaks for a few moments
>What does that mean, exactly?
"So... what do you think?"
>"Well it seems to me like you guys just want to have her and have a few formalities with us to be diplomatic."
>Well shit, she's not exactly wrong
"Well... yeah, I guess so."
>Hanz deflates a little
>"This is such a serious talk... I thought we would have more friendly topics by now."
>Almost as if that triggered a change, Nona giggles and ruffles his short mane
>"You're as friendly as it gets, you know!"
>"Oh stop, you know what I say, that my memory is a steel trap!"
>So nothing in, nothing out?
>The three of you wait for them to get over their own little interactions
>So this is what it feels like to watch a person and a pony almost flirt in front of you
>You glance over to Jacky
>She glances back at you
>Same wavelength and same expression of 'are we like that?'
>Nona ends it with another ruffle of her pony's hair, sighing
>"Ahh... well, I guess you guys do have a good reason. Anon, you remember when you got Jacky, right?"
"Sure, what about it?"
>"Five times."
>You furrow your brow
"Come again?"
>"Five times Jacky's price and you're set."
>You feel the color drain from your face
>You DO have that much
>But you're going to lose your entire nest egg too
>"Anon, how much is--"
"Alright, you got it."
>Despite the pit in your stomach, you force a grin
"Mind if I run a portion on credit card then the rest on debit?"
>Nona looks visibly surprised
>"Wow, you weren't kidding were you."
"I said she's important to us. My friends and I. I do owe you for Sparks, regardless of what you said, and I think it's more than fair in your favor."
>Your little ponies watch you
>You never did mention how much Jacky cost you
>It wasn't a small amount
>It wasn't overly massive, like 'new car' massive
>But it wasn't small
>Five times as much may be pushing it to that line though
>"Hanz, can you get the credit card reader? Over near the kitichen, the paperweight on top of all of those other papers?"
>It takes the lad a few seconds to digest the information before he nods
>"Jawohl! I will return shortly!"
>He jumps off of the chair
>Only for the chair to kick back under him, causing him to unceremoniously bellyflop onto the floor
>No one laughs, which makes his pratfall that much more painful
>"Gottverdammt stück scheiße ich hasse stühle..."
>He angrily grumbles to himself as he limps out the door
>Due to how the handles are, and his size, he's able to get on his hind legs and put his weight down, opening it enough for him to fit his head through and push his body after
>What a guy
>Everyone left in the room, you included, remain silent
>The way Nona watches you and Sparks is really setting off some sort of sixth sense shit
>Jacky's paying close attention but she doesn't seem to fully get it
>"So Sparks. You can use magic, can't you?"
>The question makes her flinch
>The corners of her mouth twitch
>"N-not really... I need... vitamins."
>"Is that true? That's a shame..."
>Something's going on that you aren't able to see
>"So, you like being with Anon and Jacky?"
>Sparks doesn't answer but instead just nods
>"Good... good. You know, if you ever get bored of being there..."
>Sparks speaks up, her tone anything but steady
>"N-no thank you. I like it with Anon and Jacky. I won't get bored."
"I like to think I keep the boredom levels down."
>You interject to help deflect the attention off of your unicorn
>"Oh, I hope so! Such an expensive hobby, keeping ponies around. Especially now that you have a third. Can't imagine what your home must look like..."
>This time Jacky speaks up
>"Hey, our place looks great! We're the loudest things there so you know it's a good neighborhood!"
>Butter smooth Jacko
>Nona laughs and nods
>"Alright, I'll take your words for it then. I'm glad that you guys are all on the same page. I really didn't expect it, I gotta say."
>You jump slightly from a series of hard knocks on the door
"Mind if I...?"
>Nona nods
>"Please, thank you."
>You stand up and stretch out a few steps to open the door
>Hanz trots in, still muttering something under his breath
>Holding a rather new looking credit card reader in his mouth too
>You've seen something like that once or twice before
>He 'hands' it to Nona before sitting at her side
>"I don't even like these stupid chairs, I'm fine right here, I can still see..."
>You can barely see his eyes from how you're sitting
>Poor guy
>Nona stands and leans forward, plugging the card reader into an outlet
>"Alright... so credit card first you said?"
>You end up sliding your cards through after she punches in the numbers and asks you to confirm them
>You've lost a lot of money before but this is going to hurt
>Lot of years' worth of meager saving up
>You are going to be very happy to see everyone be happy, though
>Nothing about this is anything you would regret
>But you hope nothing else pops up in the next few months too
>Once it's all said and done, you have a pair of receipts that you tuck into your wallet
"Alrighty then... not a problem. Like before, mind if...?"
>"Oh, yeah, of course! Hanz, can you go get 'Dashie'? Anon and his friends will wait out front. I'm gonna get back to where I was before. Can I trust you to get it settled?"
>"JAWOHL!"
>Hanz shouts out, his voice reverberating against the underside of the table
>So it's settled now
>You can't help but feel relieved
>But
>You also feel a bit sick at knowing you've basically put yourself back to having less than a hundred bucks for funds
>At least your place is as stocked as can be
>You grab hold of the two chairs your ponies are in, having learned from Hanz
>They manage to hop off without issue and immediately stack up behind you
>You open the door and let Hanz out first before you take your leave
>"Pleasure seeing you again, guys!"
>Nona just seems happy to wave, not moving from her seat
>You follow Hanz back to the entrance, glad that it's almost over now
>"If you please, I will return herr Anon!"
>Hanz gives you a salute
>You return one in kind, making him grin before he runs off
>After a few moments of silence, you feel Sparks nudge the back of your leg with her head
"Anon... please give me the keys. I want to go to the car now."
>Uh oh
>That downright meek tone of hers bother you far more than anything else
"Yeah... sure. Front seat so you can chill once we get going and turn on the AC or heat or whichever."
>You fish them out of your pocket and hold them out
>The magical red aura immediately envelopes them
>You hurry ahead of her and open the front door
>You watch her leave and open your front passenger door
"Jack, she has the right idea... how about you go out to the car with her and keep her company, yeah?"
>Jacky nods
>"She's not like this normally... hurry back with Dashie, alright?"
"You got it."
>You open the door again for her, turning so it will close behind you
>Now it's just you in here
>You feel a lot less safe in here
>You hear your car start up and you whip your head back
>It's just Sparks, with Jacky in the back seat
>How the hell did she figure out how to start your car?
>You wait for a painfully long time before you hear something like a cart being pushed along with more grumbling
>"These blasted things... what I would give for some of ze magic..."
>Hanz stops pushing once the cart, and the box on top of it, is in front of you
>"And there is is, herr Anon! An impossible feat for a pony of lesser skill and stature!"
>Sure enough, a pale white pegasus is in the box
>It looks exactly like Jacky's box
>The brand name
>The weird, out of place looking accessories
>Just instead of hats it's a mix of brushes, combs, and empty bottles that claim to be filled with magical substances
>There's even little wire ties around her torso, neck, and around her torso, keeping her wings in place
>Jesus Christ
>Have they been getting prepped up to look like toys?
>"Herr Anon, you are stunned by her beauty too, ja? Sly dog, when you already have two!"
"Wait, what?"
>You shake your head, your eyes going to her face
>Her slimmer, rounder face is different from Jacky or Sparks
>It is definitely... unique
>You can see why she was the face of their operations
"Alrighty then... wanna help me like old times buddy?"
>"Jawohl! Let the ladies see what true strength looks like!"
>With Hanz getting the door, you grab hold of Dashie in her box
>Moving a little awkwardly, your face is mere inches from hers
"H-hey there. Jack an' Sparks sent me. Let's get the hell out of here, huh?"
>You whisper to her between steps
>Whether or not you're sure, you can almost see her smile
>The back passanger door is already open, courtesy of Sparks and with a little help from Hanzel, you manage to squeeze the box in without banging any corners into the car frame
>You close the door, sighing
>Good weekend workout
>"Ah... herr Anon, you were barely here! And I was hoping we would be able to do more..."
"Yeah... trust me, I wish I could stay longer too. But with this... well, us guys have obligations to those we love, don't we?"
>"Ja, we--"
>His expression changes from confusion, to shock, to unabashed glee
>"Ahaha! I knew you were that sort of man! Ha ha! Next time you will tell me all the details, yes? Spare no thought from me!"
>You can't help but laugh with him
>If anyone would enjoy the stories you had to tell, it'd be him
"Not while we're sober you dog!"
>You both nod
"Well... you take care, yeah? I don't know if we'll have a reason to come back here, but--"
>"But this is not good bye!"
"Exactly."
>You turn to face the door to the building and flinch
>Nona is there
>Not really smiling or frowning
>Just staring
"Any...way... I'm gonna go ahead and split. You keep things safe on your end too, yeah?"
>Trying to avoid the woman's gaze, you swooce into your seat
>You move to turn the keys and realize that, of course, the car's already on
>"Drive."
>That was Sparks
"Eh?
>"Drive. Drive. DRIVE. DRIVE. FUCKING DRIVE! DRIVE ALREADY!"
>Sparks starts to repeat herself, her panic building until she's in a full hysteric scream
>Every time she repeats herself you can hear her voice her entire lungs empty to the point that she's almost hyperventilating
>You glance to where Sparks is staring and it's Nona
>She's staring at Sparks
>Again, with no particular expression on her face
>Her eyes focus on (You)
>(You) feel something go down your spine
>"PLEASE ANONYMOUS GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
>Without a second thought you shift gears, reverse, and nearly peel out of there and onto the road back home

>The car is almost deathly silent for almost a half hour
>Jacky's been in a silent panic since Sparks screamed
>You've been unable to stop from shivering every now and again
>Sparky's breathing more normally but she was hyperventilating for almost ten minutes
>You kept a close eye on her in your peripheral during the entire duration
>You're pretty sure she made herself pass out for a moment or two, which would explain how she managed to calm herself down
>No one is saying anything, and with no music going on, you have no real choice
"Is everyone alright?"
>A silly question
>Jacky nods, stammering just enough to sound shaken
>"Y... yeah. I'm ok. What happened?"
"Sparky?"
>Sparks doesn't say anything but she nods
"Atta girls."
>Something about Nona didn't sit well with you, this?
>This was something else
>Sparks was by and far the most cautious out of you
>Was it for good reason?
>Why was Nona just staring so hard at her?
>And at you?
>At you?
>At you?
>At (You)?
>You shake your head, grimacing
>That was just... not right
"Alright..."
>Your knuckles turn white at how hard you've been holding onto the steering wheel
>Evidently you've been at a steady 90mph
>To give yourself a bit better mileage you turn on cruise control and slow down to 80
"Alright... hey, we did it! Right? Jack, how's Dashie doing?"
>Jacky looks over the box, you watch her from your rearview mirror
>"Yeah, she looks fine! But... her name isn't even on here either. Our names weren't on our boxes, were they?"
"I don't think so, no. Not that I recall, anyway."
>Used to driving with your left hand, your right hand ends up on Sparking's mane
>She flinches and looks at you with wide eyes
"You did good, firefly. You did real good."
>She nods and leans into your hand
>You continue the drive without any music or banter
>Your hand never leaves Sparks
>Jacky never leaves Dashie's box
>You get the feeling that none of you really knew what happened
>Was it just instinct?
>Some sort of primal warning?
>Sparks didn't even act normally during the conversation
>Did she have some sort of sixth sense?
>Obviously, she had magic, but how would that give her such a freak out?
>Why was she just staring?
>She didn't look happy or sad
>She didn't look irritated or angry
>Hanz seemed alright, which made it all the more jarring
>He probably is alright
>You hope
>You make it back to your apartment garage quicker than you thought, able to park away from most types of prying eyes
>Both Jack and Sparks ended up sleeping after the first hour
>You kinda wished that you could retrieve your hand but the panicked unicorn needed it more than you
>When you park, you let out a loud, bestial yawn
"Man was that good! I slept through the entire trip!"
>Sparks is the first to bolt upright
>She looked all over before resting her eyes on you
>She's not impressed
>"Don't tell us you actually fell asleep..."
>You shrug, scoffing
"Maybe I did... maybe I didn't. We're here anyway, aren't we?"
>Sparks rolls her eyes and looks behind her seat
>Jacky is still out, breathing through her mouth
>Sparks looks at you, unable to help but smile
>"Anon... thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there."
>She sounds so genuine
>"Yeah... thank Jacky too. We all did this together."
>She shakes her head
>"Don't kid yourself. You're the only reason we're all together now. You're the only one I can rely on with this type of thing..."
"What, driving?"
>Your thickheaded angle seems to exhaust her
>"...sure. Let's wake her up and get back in, I need some fresh air..."
>Ironic, given you're going from outside to inside
>Behind a locked door
>While she undoes her seatbelt and hops out of seat, you lean back to nudge Jacky
"Hey. Jackolantern. We're home."
>She lifts her head off of Dashie's prison, yawning
>"Yeah-huh, I heard you. I'm up. I'm uuuuaaaaaaahhh..."
>She yawns in mid-sentence, her eyes squinty
"Tell me about it. Come on, let's go."
>Carrying Dashie, the four of you go from garage, to elevator, and finally back to your apartment
>Home sweet, quiet, chaotic home
>Except it's actually pretty quiet now
>Everyone's drained in one way or another
>Sparks immediately goes to your bed, hunkering up against one of your pillows
>Jacky flops onto your bed, spreading out without much care
>You swear that it's their bed, you merely rented it until they claimed ownership
>Deciding that your room is the place to be, you set Dashie down in the corner
>Knowing the trick to it by now, you set her down with the plastic front window of the box facing the ceiling
>You slide out the cardboard rack that is tied to the white pegasus and grab your pair of safety shears
>You snip away at the wire ties, taking extra care around her wings
>You haven't really teased Sparks about her horn or... touched it
>But you presume it's like actual bone or something
>The wings are another game entirely
>With her free, you shake the bed, alerting your little ponies
>Both of them flank your sides, all eyes on the sleeping pony
"Hey... Dashie. Are you alright?"
>"Dashie, it's me, Jacky! You're home now!"
>"Dashie, it's Sparks. She's not lying, it's home. It really is."
>Slowly, her eyes open
>Purple eyes
>Without a word, she at the three of you
>And smiles
>"Good morning."
>It's technically past noon now but sure
>The two are silent
"Yeah... how're you feeling? Do you recognize these two?"
>Dashie looks from one to the other, but her eyes rest on you
>"Did you save me?"
>She sounds so mellow
"I... uh... I guess we did, sure."
>"I knew you would... I am Faint Prism. But Jacky and Sparking Shine know me as Dashie."
>Jacky stomps her hoof down
"T-that's it! Your name is Prism! Dashie, it seriously is you!"
>Sparks is less impressed
>"Wait... really?"
>You're more focused surprised at how she doesn't have a really weird accent
>She sounds very proper, and her rhetoric speed is slow
>Jacky had her weird accents
>Sparks had her little outburst
>Dashie... just wakes up normally?
>The pegasus slowly works her way up to her hooves but fails
>Instead, she sits on her side, half-laying on the box
>Her mane is as white as the rest of her body
>Her hair isn't like any of the mane six that you're aware of
>Compared to her name, she seems very much different from Rainbow Dash
>Wait a second
>You glance over her flank
>Sure enough, a cutie mark
>A rainbow that twists into a white ribbon
>She notices where you look and giggles
>"My, I can't stop you from looking, can I?"
>You purse your lips and immediately shake your head
"Wait, hold on now. That cutie mark... you didn't have that before, did you?"
>She looks over herself
>"Would you look at that... who do you think put that there?"
>She doesn't even really seem to care
>The two ponies at your side dog pile Dashie, suffocating her with a dual hug
>"I missed you, I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
>"It was terrifying, you would never believe what Anon did!"
>"I love you Dashie, never go away again!"
>"You're gonna love it here, we have everything now!"
>They speak over each other, surely having a million things to say in the span of seconds
>"Oh my! I didn't think either of you would miss me that much..."
>She looks at you
>She looks downright serene
>"I really thought that I was dead. If I'm not, this is very lucky!"
>Can she really say that so easily?
"No, you're very much alive, Dash. Let's keep it that way, huh?"
>"Yes, let's!"

>Dashie really lives up to her name
>While Sparks and Jacky were quick to move from the slightly crowded bedroom into the living room, the newly freed pegasus took her time, examining her surroundings with every step
>Not that there was all too much to look at
>"So... where exactly are we, again?"
>You keep behind her, bringing up the rear of the unorganized pony train
"Well... home, I suppose. An apartment complex in a small-ish city, specifically."
>"I see... how unusual."
>What's unusual is how she's acting
>Sparks and Jack are acting like kids seeing their best friend again after a summer break
>But she's keeping up some sort of poise, like she doesn't want to get excited
>Or maybe she is excited but is just too mellow to go bouncing off the walls
>When everyone finally gets into the living room, the trio sit in a triangle, facing each other
>If they're going to summon some sort of demon you're jumping out the window
>Jacky's by far the most relaxed one, smiling like it's nothing
>With her keeping her main in a twin tail style, she's really does stick out the most
>Sparks sits with a straight back
>Her hair is a mess but her eyes are alert
>Dashie sits on her side, her hind legs splayed out on the floor
>"So... what have I missed?"
>Sparks and Jacky look at each other
>Jack speaks up first
>"Well... I came here first. Anon got me and... well, we're really close. Like, really close."
>She lets out a dorky chuckle, much to Spark's dismay
>You shrug and decide to sit behind Jacky, wrapping your arms and legs around her
>Fully embraced, she lays against your side
>"See?"
>You nod, looking down at the yellow pony
"That's right. I got Jacky... I suppose on a whim. It's pure chance that we ended up together. And from day one, she didn't know a whole ton but she knew that she had her two best friends. 'Sparks an' Dashie' or something like that, in a goofy accent."
>Jacky gives Dashie an embarrassed smile
>"To be fair, it was a good one!"
>"Not really."
>Sparks adds in a quip, grinning
>"You shush... it was good."
>You nod, as if their quibbling is a point proven
"So... after a few months, I think it was, we decided to look for you two. Sparks came first because... I guess that's just how it turned out. We got her and after a while, it seems like Jacky started to remember more."
>Jack nods
>"That's right. I hardly remembered anything about how things were back home. I didn't even really feel like myself either. But Anon stuck with me through it all. Once Sparky came back to us, I started to remember... well, not everything, but a lot."
>Her smile turns sad
>"And... I felt terrible because we were missing you. So we weren't complete. Memory-wise, I started to not care about what I forgot. But I couldn't forget you."
>You ruffle her mane, nodding
"Yeah..."
>Sparks clears her throat, scooting over next to you until she's sitting right against your leg
>"And don't forget me. Obviously, they wouldn't have gotten anything done without me."
>You shrug
"She helped out a tiny bit."
>"Really she kinda hurt more than help."
"I mean, let's not get wild now."
>"She burnt food once when she was learning how to cook."
"But yeah, she can cook."
>The dual attack leads to the unicorn's horn igniting like a lighter
>"...do you see what I deal with every day with these morons?"
>Dashie brings her hoof up to her mouth and laughs
>"Oh my! Well, it sure seems like every day is an adventure!"
>Jacky nods, beaming
>"But it sure ain't the same without you!"
>Dashie nods, glancing over the gang
>You're part of said gang, of course
>Feels nice
>"Well... if you really want me to, I would love to be a part of the group again."
>She smiles
>But something bugs you about the way she's smiling
>It's her eyes
>She's not really smiling with her eyes
"We did miss you. Well, they did. I really wanted to get to know you since you've kinda been Jacky's big sister for so long."
>You've heard enough to know that without her, Jacky would've ended up far more worse for wear
"And you see how these two knuckleheads are. I'm gonna need some help herding them around, you know?"
>Both Jack and Sparks retort with a 'hey!'
>That takes the pegasus by surprise
>The smile begins to reach her eyes
"See what I mean? I gotta have a second pair of eyes with these two."
>"Well, if you insist..."
>She sounds convinced
>She's visibly relaxing too, you can see it in her form and how her wings aren't hugging so closely to her
>"He does!"
>"I don't think we NEED someone to look out for us when we're home..."
>"You need a marshmallow stuck to your horn so you don't get any funny ideas..."
>"You need my horn up your ass!"
>"Is that a euphemism for my butt being a marshmallow?"
>"UGH, YOU'RE UNREAL!"
>You look down at the two bickering mares and glance at Dashie
>Surely she knows what you mean
>She nods, sharing your sentiment
>You hold out your left hand
"You're home, Dash. Your friends are here, and I'll do whatever I can so you can adjust. It'll be very different from where you came from, if even half of what Jack said is true, but I think we've been doing good so far and we're only getting better."
>After some consideration and quiet contemplation, she reaches out and puts her hoof in your hand
>"I'm happy to be home. If you're really such good friends with those two, then I know we'll be great friends too!"

>Once all the introductions were done and out of the way, you and Sparks retreated to the kitchen
>Now that there were four mouths to feed, and there was a chance to celebrate, a feast was required!
>Kielbasa, red potatoes, grits, some blueberry bread mix to make some bread
>Kinda goofy mix to have, but you didn't really prepare for anything else
>While Sparks takes to peeling potatoes on her stool, you've gone to mixing the bread mix
>"Anon... you know she might not just let us be."
>She speaks almost too quietly for you to hear
>With Prism and Jacky out on the patio, you nod
"Yeah well, she got more than enough coin to handle everything. Transaction's done."
>It sounds like they're catching up pretty well
>You haven't seen Jacky be sad in a long time now but she looks downright ecstatic now
>"Anon... should you really have done that? Won't you need the money for anything else?"
"That's not for you to worry about."
>"But it is! I can't just expect it to be fine and normal, can I?"
"Absolutely."
>"But that's stupid."
"Not really. It's just not something for you to worry about. We'll be fine. We have one more pair of eyes to all watch out for each other, and if we waited, we may have never found her."
>"That's true... but..."
"No buts, Sparks. What I'd do for Jack, I'd do for you. What I'd do for you, I'd do for Prism."
>Prism sounds a bit better than Dashie, you think
>You don't really see her being the sort to joke around all that much
>Maybe it's just because you don't know her much
>"You say that..."
"Do you think I don't mean it?"
>She huffs, scraping at the potatoes
>Given how you can hear the peeling slice from where you are, you're glad she doesn't have fingers to worry about
>"No, but... shouldn't you be more careful? You couldn't work out a payment plan or try to talk her down? Who's looking out for you if something happens?"
"You mean you'd rather deal with Nona for longer? And I try to strike a deal, she's gonna think it's not important. I could afford it, so I took it and that's that. And when it comes to looking out for me, I got you three."
>"We can't even go to the store and get you medicine..."
"That's fine. You know how to use the internet, you can order some online."
>"Let me worry about you."
"Why?"
>"Because Jacky won't, dammit!"
>You pause before answering
>They seem stuck in their conversation outside so they probably aren't listening
"That's mean to say."
>"No it's not. Nona was staring us down that entire conversation and she just didn't pick up on any of it. She didn't see what was going on in the car."
>Now was a good a time as any
"Spark, what did you even see that made you freak out like that?"
>She doesn't answer
>But you can hear her peeling the fuck out of those potatoes
"You know you can tell me."
>"I know I can..."
"So what was it?"
>"Anon... you know how we had a life supposedly before here, right? That's how we all know each other?"
"Sure. It's really weird but... well shit, everything else is weird so nothing is anymore."
>"Right... what would you tell me if I said that Nona was in our world before?"
>What?
>"...I'm not saying she was. But let's pretend."
"I... am not sure... I guess my first question is if she was still.. a human?"
>"Well no, she wasn't. Obviously."
>Right, obviously
>"But... those eyes. That stare. She knew I knew. She knew!"
"I'm not saying I don't believe you but... there's gotta be more to it than that, right?"
>"Yeah... you know how I kinda... maybe dip into your mind for reasons?"
"Yeah. It's why I'm pretty comfortable with trusting you with important matters, you know exactly what my plan is."
>"And other things..."
>You barely get that
"Come again?"
>"I said, I kinda dipped into hers... and she told me to cut it out."
>That's... spooky
"Well... if that's true... what else do we got for proof that she's really the one who you met before?"
>"Well, when we were in the car... she said she was angry. She said she was really angry. She didn't want you making off with Dashie. That's why she gave you that high cost, she didn't think you could afford it."
"Why would she be angry, though? A pony gone and out of her hair is a pony gone and out of her hair, right?"
>"I don't know... again. Let's pretend. We're pretending right now."
"Fair enough."
>"If she was angry... it might have been because you have us all together. Because we remember where we came from, and we remember each other. I mean, that's pretty important information to keep secret, right?"
"Maybe. Who'd ever believe a trio of ponies though?"
>Sparks sighs
>"I guess. But if I can use magic, that has to make you wonder."
"Don't worry, it does."
>She laughs at how nonchalantly you say that
>"Well... then I guess that's kinda that. Then..."
"Good thing I can trust you to keep an eye on things here, right?"
>She sighs
>But you can see her smile
>"Right. You can count on me."
"I'm glad. Jacky's strong but you're her eyes. Together, you two can knock anything out of the park."
>Out of the blue, another thought hits you
"Hey Sparks."
>"Yeah?"
"How far do you think that mind reading trick can work... you think you can talk to me through it?"

>With dinner finished, everyone funneled back to your room
>There was only one movie that would fit the evening
>"And look, there's Tuco! He's so cool!"
>"Wow, he... did he kill those men?"
>"Well one of them yeah but he didn't die, he's just knocked out!"
>With your back to the wall, you get to watch Prism and Jacky talk all throughout the movie in front of you
>Sparks stuck to your side like glue
>She's been spending a lot of time next to you, you've noticed
>She's been sleeping near you like Jacky
>Even now, she's letting them goof off when she's laying against you
>Is she even really watching the movie?
>'I can hear you.'
>You jump with a start
>You look down at Sparks and her horn is glowing
>Not the brilliant red as it was before, but you can tell she's doing something
>You thought you heard her voice
>'You did.'
>This is... weird
>Well, if she was doing it on purpose, she'd look at you and do something
>As quickly as you finish that thought, Sparks twists herself to lay on her side
>She looks at you and winks
>She can read you right now, can't she
>The unicorn nods
>Spooky
>Neat
>Speat
>'It's because I'm touching you but I can read you. You can read me too, otherwise you wouldn't have stopped yourself from thinking about why I've been so close to you lately.'
>She says that but you can't get into what she's thinking, you can just hear her
>'Well shyeah, you think I want you in my head?'
>You shrug
>You watch Jacky practically walk Prism through the movie, scene by scene
>You know
>It really doesn't feel right to have this sort of thing going on
>What would Jacky think about it?
>'This is an important matter, so what if she doesn't understand it yet? We have a connection and we should strengthen it in case Nona comes for us.'
>That's not a good thought to have
>It really does rain on your parade a little
>You want to celebrate but it seems like you're kinda left out of the loop on this one
>'Well I'm left out of it too, right? They go back super far. As far as they care, I'm a neat background ornament'
>Oh come off it
>You would never believe that
>If they really came from some other world, it would have to be important how connected they are to each other, it doesn't make sense otherwise
>'I guess. But for now they wouldn't notice anything short of an explosion.'
>You are happy to see Jacky so happy like that
>She's still the same pony you knew from day one, but she seems different now
>Compared to being alone, to being with Sparks, to having even Prism back, you've seen her evolve and round out things
>'You sure think about Jacky a lot Anon.'
>Maybe she should stop poking around in your head regarding matters that don't concern her
>'Why do you like her so much, Anonymous? Isn't she loud and rowdy?'
>As much as Sparks is
>'Hey, I am not!'
>You watch Tuco leading Blondie into the desert, shooting his canteen
>'Do you like her more than me because she came first?'
>You aren't going to have this conversation
>'We're closer right now than you've ever been with her, you know that.'
>You really don't like her pushing
>If she can read your mind, she can see everything you've gone through with her to make her so close to you
>'Ew, I don't want to see those things. It's not like I would go through every thought and memory you have.'
>But she'll argue with you, in your own head
>She isn't even speaking but you can hear the jealousy
>'I'm not jealous!'
>She sure is super jealous
>Sparks flails a little and rotates to lay with her back against you, conveniently hiding her face
>'I'm not jealous of Jacky of all ponies. I just think she doesn't fit you.'
>So who does fit you?
>'Somepony smarter.'
>Well you can't think of anyone who fits that description, except maybe Dashie if she's as collected as she looks
>You can hear Sparks growl and grumble something
>You can also hear the scene between Tuco and his brother play out
>You can tell that speaking through magic like this really kinda messes with your sense of time
>'Are you that dense, Anon?'
>You are
>But you also don't want to broach the possibility that Jacky's friend is jealous and you don't even finish that thought
>'I'm not jealous.'
>Super jealous
>But she has a point
>Whether you like it or not, you need to be able to communicate nonverbally in the event of any dangerous situation
>'If you found me first, I bet you'd think about me like how you think about Jacky.'
>Now hold on a damned minute, she can't just-
>You glance down at Sparks and her horn stopped glowing
>You can see her stomach rise, only to flatten in a loud huff
>Jacky finally notices and twists around, nudging Sparks
>"Hey, Sparky... get up, you're missing the movie!"
>"Not now Jacky... I'm stuffed and tired. And I've seen this movie like a dozen times now because you keep rewatching it!"
>"Duh, because it's awesome?!"
>She points her hoof at you
>"Right? Anon agrees!"
>Rather than answer, your eyes narrow into a killer squint
>Jacky immediately returns the squint
>Your head lowers to get more level with hers
>She raises her head up for the same effect
>She brings her hoof up and nudges and pushes against Dashie, to show off the staredown
>"I couldn't imagine wanting to--what's wrong?"
>The pegasus watches the staredown
>"...did I miss something?"
>You raise your eyebrow and adjust your squinting deathglare to Dashie
>Almost as if she can read your mind, Jacky does the same
>"W...what? Did I do something?"
>Jacky waggles her left front hoof
>The fingers on your right hand dance and twitch
"POW!"
>"BANG!"
>In unison, you point your appendages at Dashie, who just looks like she's at a complete loss
>"W... ok? Is it my turn to do that now?"
>Jacky stops her squint and leans in
>"We shot you, you're dead now."
>Silently gasping, Dashie nods and smirks
>Jacky returns to her previous position, re-aligning her stare
"Oh my, oh... oh!"
>Even in a series of overly-dramatic death throes, Dashie seems like such a girl
>She throws herself over, the impact leading her to bounce once on the bed
>You and Jacky glance at each other
>You widen your mouth and frown, shrugging
>She shrugs and nods
>So she's always been that theatrical
>"Aim for the heart..."
>She growls as hard as she can
>She's gotten a lot better at practicing that
>It almost sounds threatening now
>If you were a pony and didn't have the obvious size advantage
>You both watch her just... lay there
>"Hey... Dashie. You can come back now, we still got a lot of movie left."
>She reaches out to poke the pegasus and as soon as she does, her wings erupt, spreading hard and majestically
>Her wings are actually pretty big
>"Waah?!"
>Jacky stumbles back, caught off guard
>Dashie giggles, opening one of her eyes
>"Didn't expect a wing shield to save me, did you?"
>"Wh...what?! You can't do that!"
>Dashie sits back up, smirking
>"Looks like I just did..."
>Jacky looks at you with a defeated expression on her face
>"She... she can't do that!"
You tilt your head toward her and scratch your nose with your finger
"Yeah well... I got one better."
>"What?"
>They reply in unison
>You reach down and act like you're bringing up a tube
>A very large tube
>A very heavy tube
"Rawk-it lawn chair!"
>"Oh shit."
>"What chair?"
"BUAH!"
>You fire off your missile and the impact sends you bouncing off the the wall behind you
>"WHOA, YOU GOT DISTROYED!"
>Dashie's a little slow on the uptake
>"Wait, is that better than a gun?"
>"Dashie a rocket launcher is like where guns come from! It's the gun of guns! It's a gun that kills guns!"
>Jack goes off the deep end, explaining away all sorts of guns that she's seen in action movies and video games
>The movie, for once, is ignored for banter and imaginary gunfights
>Pegasi are freaking OP though, they seem to be able to withstand everything
>You're pretty sure you and Jack threw more at her than you've thrown at the Nemesis too
>By the end the movie, Jacky demands that you put on True Lies next
>Among other things, it has a lot of scenes with a lot of types of guns
>It's fun to listen to her nerd out about guns
>She even goes into detail about how she would personally load and use them, despite having no hands and no real accurate way to fire them off outside of being so cool she just does whatever and it works anyway
>You don't mind, you like the goofy action movies as is
>The evening turns into a Schwarzenthon, playing goofy action movie after goofy action movie
>Even Sparks comes out of her moody funk to watch by the time you get to Commando
>Watching Jack and Dashie together, you can get why they meld so well
>Jack's full of piss and vinegar, quick to overact and take the lead
>Dashie's far more... well, feminine and reserved
>You can only imagine the trouble they got up to
>It also kinda makes sense now, when Jacky mentioned that their initial plans were to double team a guy
>Dashie isn't necessarily more attractive than Jack
>But she isn't really... a bootleg of Rainbow Dash, no matter how you look at her
>Her face is really different
>She's roughly the same size as the other two girls
>And she has wings
>Who from the show has wings and that longer, more narrow face?
>You put the mind on the backburner
>You can worry about that later
>If what Sparks said is true, the connections they have to the show could be completely nebulous and coincidental
>But that doesn't sound like that fits either
>"Anon!"
>You snap out of your head
>It's Dashie
"What's up?"
>"Jacky said that you have a gun... may we see it?"
>Oh shit
"No. If Jacky ever tries to find it, you stop her."
>"Wh-what?! Come on, you can trust me! I don't even have fingers, I'd never even get to load it! Come on, you trust me right Dash!?"
>Dashie looks at Jack
>Then at you
>You slowly shake your head
>"I'll trust Anon on this one..."
>Betrayal looks like a shocked Jacky
>"Wh...how could yo..."
>She sputters and tries to emulate your actions of pulling out a rocket launcher
>"DIIIISTROYAAAAAAA!"
>She aims it at you instead of Dashie
"Oh shit."
>Before you know what's what, a pegasus wing blocks your face
>"Pegashield!"
>You peek over the shield to look at the two
>Dashie smiles at you
>Jacky looks like a movie villain that just realized that her evil plans were foiled
>She deflates into a puddle of herself
>"Man... I wanna go shooting real guns..."
>She will
>One of these days
>Once you figure out how you can put your hearing protection on her
>And find pony-sized eye protection
>It almost sounds silly once you start to think about the details required

>Morning
>Late morning, anyway
>You don't fully recall last night but you do remember creating a form of Rock-Paper-Scissors that involved nineteen weapon types and the OP Pegashield
>The sinister meta came from there being two weapons that could overturn Pegashield, but one beat the other, so a careful player would gravitate toward the Pegashield slayer
>You move to stretch but can't
>Jacky is cuddled up hard on your right side, her face against yours
>Sparks is cuddled up to your left side, her flank on your upper arm and her head under the covers
>Dashie, not so above it at all, has now claimed your lap for herself, her wings relaxed and spread out fully
>They're really not small
>You kinda wonder if she can fly
>You don't ever recall hearing that she can
>But now you're in a pickle
>You're surrounded, crucified, on all sides
>And you are thirsty
>Now that you think about it, your nose is starting to itch
>You might need to go to the bathroom too
>Oh god
>Now you have the urge to cough and sneeze
>Panic
>PANIC
>Before you explode into an autistic flail, you rotate your face to Jacky, your nose against hers
"Psst... pssst. Hey. Hey."
>You whisper against her lips
"Jack...eeeeeeeeeeeee..."
>You exhale against her mouth, letting out the whining 'e' noise
>Her lips twitch a few times, like she's trying to say something
"Jack...hey Jack... I'm in trouble. You gotta save me."
>You whisper more to her
>Her lips twitch more, opening
>She barely pushes her face against you, initiating a lazy, sleepy kiss
>This doesn't exactly help you but you wouldn't turn yourself away from such an offer
>Every now and again you pull your face back, only for her to push forward
>A lot of your instant worries that came from being immobilized melt away, now that you're sufficiently distracted
"Hey Jack... Jacky Chan."
>She finally opens her eyes, a warm smile spreading on her lips
>"Hey... g'mornin'Non."
>She leans in to kiss you again
>And she would have connected if not for one quiet, hushed word
"Pegashield."
>That sufficiently cockblocks her
>She looks at you, her expression slowly morphing from glee to surprise to frustration
>"...you suck."
"Jack... I'm stuck. Help me out."
>She uses all of her power to lift her head a few inches
>"Heh... Sparky's mooning you."
"Be lucky you don't do that or else."
>"Or else what..."
>She isn't impressed with your threat
>She looks down at Dashie having claimed your lap for herself
>"Aw... she likes you too..."
"Until you do something wrong, then she'll be waking up! Come on, help me out!"
>Jacky yawned, mouth opening wide before pressing her face against yours
"Pegash--"
>She kisses you before you can finish that statement
>"Bmmsmm"
>She moans into your mouth
>How could she counter Pegashield with Bonesaw at a time like this?!
>You aren't happy
>But you aren't fighting her
>You aren't really resisting at all, even
>She reaches up with her upper legs, clamping onto your shoulders like a praying mantis
>One of her hooves slap down on Spark's flank
>Almost immediately, you hear something, or some pony, stir from underneath the blanket
>'So early, Anon...?'
>Oh God damn it
>HELP, JACKY HAS YOU CAPTURED
>At the speed of thought, Sparks starts to physically stir and move around
>You hope that stops her but the twintailed pony intensifies her kiss!
>But only until Sparks tries to circle around
>Before her head pokes out, Jacky finally pulls away with a soft 'buah'
>She quickly rubs her lips against your pillow and buries her head against your neck
>Sparks glares at the two of you
>"...Did I hear something...?"
>Jacky violently shakes her head, hiding from the unicorn
>"...alright then... good morning..."
>The slow way she speaks tells that she's very much aware of what was going on
"...can both of you get up..."
>Jacky shakes her head again
>Sparks frowns, glaring at her
>Then you
>Her horn glows faint, almost as if it's too faint to notice in the stray strands of sunlight
>'I'm not jealous.'
>She super is
>She glares at you harder
>"Jacky... if you don't get up, I'M going to have to kiss Anon. And we both know you don't want that...."
>Jacky finally lifts her head up
>Her face is still red
>"You ain't got the guts..."
>"Yeah? Watch me."
>You feel something slithering up your body, from your lap to your chest
>Sweet Jesus help, they're conspiring against you
>A white leg wraps around Spark's neck, making her yelp with a 'waaagh?!'
>"Good morning everyone... poor Sparky... if you really need a morning kiss, I could give you one..."
>Sparks flails, trying to break from by whipping her head around
>"G-get off me you flocking bird brain!"
>"Aw, don't be so mean to me Sparky! I've been cooped up for so long and we're such good friends..."
>"No we ain't, I'm not kissing a girl!?"
>It's not revenge
>But it's still sweet in a cathartic sense
>She finally releases the rabid unicorn, her mane left messy and displaced
>"Why are we all up so early? Is it something special?"
"No.. I normally wake up this early."
>"Oooh..."
>Dashie seems impressed
>"It was a normal morning thing, I don't know why everyone's panicking..."
>Jacky averts her eyes with her excuse, pushing her lips out to pout
>"My butt it wasn't, someone spanked me!"
>That was definitely Jack
"It wasn't me, my arms were pinned down."
>Sparks smirks at you
>"Yeah, as if you'd be brave enough to give me a good thwack..."
>"Well he hasn't thwacked me quite yet... but then again..."
>"Oh my, Anon... you're popular, aren't you."
"OK CAN YOU EQUINE FEMOIDS GET UP, I NEED TO PEE, SNEEZE, AND GET SOMETHING TO DRINK AND I'M HAPPY TO DO ALL OF THOSE AT THE SAME TIME."
>All three of them stare at you
>Jacky sighs
>"I miss being alone sometimes..."
>She rolls away from you, shaking as she stretches
>"Whatever..."
>Sparks ducks her head under the blanket again, rubbing her face against the side of your chest
>At least she's off your arm
>Dashie remains on top of you, smiling right at you
>"I could get you a drink if you like?"
"RELEASE ME FROM MY PRISON OF PONY FLESH, WHITE ONE!"
>She giggles and slides off of you, allowing you to finally get up
>You pull some frantic acrobatics as if you were a Kingdom Hearts Nobody, sliding out of the bed and into the bathroom
>You're pretty sure that Jacky didn't want you to get up, Sparky was trying to swooce in, and that Dashie is just having fun teasing everyone involved
>You will have your revenge if it's the last thing you do
>And you seriously have to figure out how to get better sleeping arrangements for everyone

>After your morning routine, you have a little powwow with Sparks when it comes to breakfast
>You could skip by with yourself or with yourself and Jacky
>But with an official full house-apartment-home, you really can't afford to be heartless
>Wait
>You called your apartment your home
>You guess it kinda is your home
>Home is where the heart is, and your heart is with your girls
>Your friends
>Your Jacky
>"You know, you can trust me with making breakfast now."
"Yeah? Are you still taking the vitamins and all that?"
>Sparky puffs out her chest, cocking her head to the side
>"Well... you know what they say about muscles and using them."
"Easier to think they're strong when you're taking steroids?"
>She deflates, grimacing
>"No. I'm only taking half of what I did before!"
"Really? Well damn, congrats. Is it still challenging to do all of your voodoo or are you getting attuned to the feng shui of the atoms and all that?"
>She looks at you like you're a moron
>Lucky for you, you're immune to that look
>"I'm just... getting used to it is all."
>She sways back and forth, having learned to balance herself on the bar stool
>"You know... before we came here, I could hardly use magic at all. I was kinda... useless."
>She says that like it's nothing
>"Why useless?"
>"Because a unicorn that can't do magic is useless. It's like..."
>She glances to the living room, where Jacky and Dashie are goofing off
>"...A pegasus that can't fly."
"Well, everyone's capable of what they can do. Sometimes they just need the right motivation to, you know?"
>Jacky purses her lips and pauses in her swaying
>"You said that in a weird way but I get it."
"See? That's what you get for poking around in my head for too long."
>"I'm happy though. I'm getting to the point that I may not even need them anymore. I'm seeing successes. I'm seeing improvement. I have motivation to keep going. I can... kinda begin to overlook my failures, y'know?"
>To anyone more normal, you could see them treating her phrasing as negative
>But you get her completely
>It might sound negative but the message is positive
"So, in that case... what's on the menu for today, chef Spark?"
>"Iunno. What's... I guess filling and what do we have?"
"Well..."
>You lean over and pop open the fridge door
"Eggs are still good. A few more kielbasas. Got some leftovers, somehow. We still got a ton of grain-oriented stuff too. I guess we'll have to go to the store and grab whatever sounds good."
>The thought hits you
"Oh God... how will it be for a guy to show up with three talking ponies? It'll be like herding cats."
>Sparky nods
>"Me to the ow, Anon... but don't worry, I'll make sure you aren't left alone to grab too much candy."
"Hey, it was a perfectly fine amount of candy, thank you very much. Blame the two goobers that ate them in less than an hour and went 'oh a-bloo-hoo-hoo, my poor tumtums!'"
>You grab your stomach and whimper, mewling out your words
>The unicorn is not amused
>"Don't make me kick you."
"Please. Jacky told me how you slept, you're more likely pretend it's a kick and try to expose yourself or something."
>Your eyes widen at your own words
>Sparks looks at you as well, a bit surprised
>"So... you have been looking..."
"I said Jack, not I!"
>You should really have a talk with her one of these days about how she lays
>You choose to believe that it isn't on purpose
"Well... I guess lemme know if you need anything else. I'm gonna go grab ideas for what would be good to stock up on."
>"Yeah huh. No chocolate eggs!"
"They're out of stock anyway!"
>You shout behind your shoulder, catching the tail end of their conversation
>"...and my back was sticky."
>What had you just walked in on
>Dashie, blushing, shifts her eyes from Jacky, to you, back and forth a little too quickly to be natural
>Jacky finally looks behind her and jumps at how close you are to them
>"...oh. Hi there! I was... telling Dashie about... yeah..."
>You sit down behind Jack, wrapping your arms around her
>You forcefully pull her against your front
>She doesn't resist one iota
"Hmm...."
>You begin to stroke her from her cheek down her chest and to her belly
>You can tell Jacky's trying to not make any noises but she squirms against you
"So... sticky backs? How did that wacky thing happen?"
>Dashie stifles a laugh
>You tilt your head down and lean to the side to look at the poor mare
>She has a deer in the headlights look
>"Well... I mean..."
"Mmm? Story time now, is it?"
>Dashie claps her hooves together
>"Yes, it was! Jacky was just telling me that one time you--"
>"D-Dash, chill!"
>You and the Pegashield abuser smile at each other
>Oh yes
>Revenge is, indeed, sweet
"You know, Dashie... Jacky told me something really surprising. About you, and her."
>Dashie pretends to gasp, bringing her hoof up to her mouth
>"Do tell! Did it involve... a stallion, too? Or, I should say, the thought of one?"
>You emulate her shocked expression, your face forming an o
"Oh ho... I believe it did!"
>Jacky starts to squirm against you harder, but your petting subdues her too much
>"S-stop, it ain't funny now!"
"Oh Jackeroo, it is very funny."
>You nod, waving your hand in a circle at Dashie
"Prism, if you may. Please continue."
>"Oh, of course I will! Jacky..."
>She leers at the subdued pony
>"And I have thought that... if we ever found a nice colt, we would... both strive to make him happy. Jacky would have her own ways, and I, of course, would have mine."
>Jacky's in full thrash mode
>But a second hand petting her subdues her once more
"And, pray tell, what was going to be Jacky's talents for attraction?"
>"Well... you see, she used to practice using he--"
>"IF THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHO YA GONNA CALL?!"
>You aim to silence her with dual petting from her chest down to her lower belly
>Jacky shivers from your touch
>"GhOsTbUsTeRrRrRsSs!?"
>You and your fellow torturer share a laugh at her attempt to distract from the most interesting of story times
>She is fun, you'll give her that
>You give Jack another tight hug, letting your hands rest on her chest
"Interesting... but that reminded me of a good movie."
>Taking the initiative, Jacky speaks up
>"That's right! There's a hundred movies that you gotta see with us!"
>Jacky did find out the most about your world through movies... along with her sense of violence and locations to target for said violence
>"Well, why don't we make a day of it? I don't think I have much else to do. Anon, do you ever have any chores you require of us?"
"No, not really. I suppose I never thought about it until Sparks brought up ways to help get used to using magic. I suppose... no, you're fine."
>That makes her smile
>"You really are too kind. Once, Jacky and I..."
>She trails off, a little perplexed
>"That's... odd. Jacky, what was that one time we did normal chores for food?"
>Jacky shrugs, having slid back into a lazy laying position against you
>"I... Iunno. We did a lot of stuff to take food but I don't remember ever having... like a real job or chore."
>Dashie doesn't seem satisfied with the answer
>"I guess I did hear about memory loss. I'll be honest, I hardly even recognized Jacky! I know that I heard your voice, Anon, and... I guess I was here. It was kinda like waking up without realizing I went to sleep."
>She definitely seems a bit more articulated than either of the two dorks you've known for longer
>But then again she's had a head start by not being alone or by missing any pieces of the proverbial puzzle
"So... you didn't have any nightmares? Or dreams?"
>Seemingly at peace with it, she shook her head
>"No, not really. It kinda just... happened."
"Wiggy..."
>You give Jack another squeeze
>She pokes out her tongue as a response, happy to let you vaguely manhandle her
"So... you'd know better than anyone else. Do you think I'm good for Jacky?"
>Jack's tongue slips back into her mouth
>"Hey, what does her opinion matter?"
"Well you're biased as all, why would I listen to you?"
>"Wh-that's abusive!"
"Shaddap!"
>You slide your hand up to slap her but it's more your hand sliding up her chest, up the side of her neck, and patting her cheek a few times
"Abuse this, fair mare!"
>"Eeek! Ponice, I'm a nut being a-salted!"
"Salt this!"
>You pat her cheeks with both hands, nudging her face back and forth
>You kinda forgot that you asked Dashie until she cleared her throat
"Oh yeah. Can't do that when witnesses are watching."
>Dashie shrugs, still smiling
>"I don't know. I certainly don't know you, and it's possible she doesn't really know you. You could tire and get rid of her one day. You could decide you want a mare of your own species. You could even be using her for something else."
>The sweet, amicable way she says that is... it's something alright
>You aren't too fond of her implications but you do understand them
>You'd probably ask the same thing if you were her
>Jacky doesn't seem to like it though
>"Hey, he wouldn't do that!"
"No, hold on, she's right."
>Jacky sputters like it's the most inane nonsense
>"Since when?!"
"Well I'm not saying she's right about me. But she is right to not trust someone she just met. I mean... well, obviously, you're here out of nowhere. You see your two friends getting along, and some weird alien creature with monstrous worm appendages. I'd be a little weirded out too."
>Jacky's unconvinced
>But Dashie smiles
>Such a serene smile
>"See, you understand. Nothing against you personally... but I have no reason to trust or believe anything you say."
"Fair enough... well, I suppose it'll have to come down to time then, won't it?"
>"It most certainly will, Anon."
>Jacky doesn't seem all too happy with this conversation
>She squirms out of her position to go back to sitting
>"Dashie, you don't know what you're talking about... you don't even know Anon."
>She looks up at you
>"He's really saved us. He hasn't ever asked a single thing of me. All he wanted, when I first came here, the very first hour, was a friend. And I was that. Anything else that happened... just kinda happened."
>The way she looks at you, it's almost like she sees you as her hero
>It's pure adoration
>You can't help but wonder about how she really was before, to view you so positively

>Having a full house is weird
>Seriously, it's weird
>You can hear Jacky and Dashie goofing around in the living room
>Sparks is playing a game on your main TV
>You're just laying on your side, watching YouTube stuff
>It reminds you of when you used to hang out with your friends
>Four guys in a single room, either watching the same thing, playing a game, or splitting attention by playing multiple games with music going on, leading to an audible mosaic
>But the thing is that it was three guys
>Now it's three chicks
>Ponies
>But chicks
>You didn't really think about it before but now that Jacky's entire group is here, you're starting to get minor flashbacks to growing up and being the only guy around
>Not that you mind, really
>You switch from your laptop screen to what Sparky's playing
>God Hand, but a separate save file that's on Easy
>You'd normally make fun of her but it seems like she's trying to focus on making her own moveset for max style rather than consistent, quick damage
>She's also a girl
>But the look on her face is never one of... what you'd expect a girl to see
>Granted, you could hardly tell the expressions Jacky had at the start of everything but now you pick up on all of the minor details that go from face to body
>It's a little uncanny, you gotta admit
>Sparks finally notices you watching her and quirks an eyebrow
>"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I never went into the style side of things until NG+. Just because by then you get access to everything so you can have your selection."
>You hear the two other ponies giggling in the living room
>Sparks grimaces at them
>"Ugh... they're such girls."
"Yeah well... so are you. Last time you checked, presumably."
>She gives you only a minor death glare
>"You know... they're probably talking about you."
>You shrug
"Most likely. And they're probably talking about you too."
>The corner of her mouth raises and she shrugs
>"Somehow I doubt it. When we were stealing stuff, they really liked that I could... kinda use magic. They liked keeping me around. But I don't think I fit in."
>Your intuition kicks in
"Did you try to be social with them? You really weren't that happy when we first found you."
>She huffs and grimaces
>"No... but it's kinda... embarrassing, don't you think? Imagine being a trio of poor, hungry ponies in a sprawling city. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. It brings attention to you."
"What about your mom? Didn't she have a place that you could at least stay in?"
>Sparks flinches
>"...My mom... right..."
>She shrugs
>"As if she cared. She probably wouldn't have known that I existed unless my name was carved onto her headboard."
"That busy, huh."
>"I guess. I never..."
>She trails off, her face contorting in thought
>"I never..."
>She sighs, shaking her head
>The aura from her controller dissipates
>"I never knew my mom. You know that Jacky doesn't, and seems happy that a cartoon could be her 'ma'. I don't think Dashie knows her mom either. If she does, I've never heard her talk about it. She doesn't like talking about her self. Not to me, anyway."
>Somehow you get the idea that the mysterious Faint Prism wouldn't be so bold and open with herself from how she speaks
>Her words tend to be very deliberate
"What about your dad? Or siblings? Or... anything else? Families aren't just moms and their kids you know."
>She rolls her eyes
>"I know where babies come from, thanks Professor."
"Valid question though."
>"I know. No, none of us know any of relatives at all."
>Neither of you speak for a few minutes
>Compared to the jovial talk out there you can only barely make out, the tone in the room is a mite heavier
"It's rough, being alone."
>"Yeah it is."
>You had a feeling that she'd rag on you since you technically do have relatives you know of
>But the quality of said relationships really aren't anything worth bragging about
"So..."
>You stretch out on the bed
"What are your thoughts on all of this?"
>"Where, what do you mean?"
"Just... this. All of you guys being here. Alien world, with an alien guy, everything's pretty much new or gone and all fuckered up."
>She shrugs, letting out an apathetic 'eh'
>"What's to hate? Food, shelter, entertainment, security. Far better than what I'm sure any of us have had, so there's no reason to complain there."
"Sure but what's to love?"
>She smirks at you
>"Food, shelter, security, entertainment."
"Right. Silly question, I know."
>"No, I get what you mean. I'm the one closest to you, remember?"
"Well you are sitting right next to me so... yeah, right now you are."
>Neither of you laugh but it wasn't a bad joke
"So... what's with this mind reading shit? You did that when we first played some SC3. Can you just do that to anyone? That telepathy connected to it too?"
>Sparky shrugs, watching a strand of her mane get in front of her face
>She stopped meticulously combing herself over the last few weeks
>Despite there being faint streaks of a different shade of red, her hair seems to part almost down the middle due to her horn, giving her a bit more symmetry
>"I did it once or twice before... to people I really shouldn't have. Forbidden knowledge is a real thing, you know. Some people are extremely unsettling. Even a peek inside, and you find out a really gross amount of details."
>Well that's comforting
"So you know just how trash tier I am?"
>She smirks and locks her eyes on you
>"Oh. Oh yeah."
>She breaks visual contact, going to stare at her controller
>You bought one just for her so she can trash it and it wouldn't bother you specifically
>"But you're not the worst guy in the world. You haven't done anything worse than we have. I don't really care how you treat your own... kind? So... I guess that kinda separates things."
>She sighs, tilting her head to the side, back and forth
>"And I know exactly how you view all of us. Me, Dashie... Jacky. I can tell that you would do something drastic and put yourself in harm rather than see us hurt. Probably because you like animals more than humans. Probably because we're you're friends and you really are the type who should be more selfish."
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm plenty selfish. I get you to do the shit I don't want to do, right?"
>She raises her hoof to speak
>She puts her hoof back down
>"Ok that's fair but I also get something out of it too so... you know, it's whatever."
"That thing about seeing you as animals... I don't know. I mean, you aren't human. Obviously. But... well, I don't really mind that. But you also know that you could drop me into an alien world and I'd find a wife pretty easily."
>"As long as they aren't alien praying mantis."
"You really do know me well."
>But yeah. At the moment? I just wanted to kick your ass. But then you started singing and that... I guess forced a lot more of your memories into my head. It wasn't all coherent, of course, I had to kinda find the context for all of it. But connecting to you helped. Like looking at a picture versus really studying it."
"So you're telling me you're an art major on Anonymous Memories."
>"Kinda."
"Wiggy."
>You listen to the living room
>They're still talking out there but they aren't completely shouting or making weird horse noises
"So what's the deal with the telepathy again?"
>"Oh. Right. I don't know."
>You chuckle
"Yeah?"
>"Yeah. I'm not Twilight, remember? I don't know how magic works. I need stupid vitamins to use it."
"That's true."
>"I guess... it has to do with that mental connection? I guess think of it like trying to remember where you live. If you're ten feet away, you know where to go. If you're down the street, you can guess. If you're on the other side of town..."
"Google Maps."
>"Except you don't have that. So it's... I don't know. I guess the only thing I can say is that it's familiarity."
"So... why not poke into Jacky or Dashie's head?"
>Sparks shakes her head hard
>"No... no way. That type of thing makes or breaks a friendship hard. I know you thought I was some sort of psycho when I first popped up, or that you thought I really would harm you guys. And... I guess, yeah, I am really bad for having had that first reaction to things. But I've known them for a whole lot longer. We've had a lot more fights. And..."
>She smiles at you
>But you know that smile
>It's the bastard cousin of a smile
>"I'm afraid that if I did that, they wouldn't be my friends anymore. Then I really would be alone. More alone than them because they've known each other for far longer than either of them have known me. I'm the weakest relation link."
>You avert your eyes to your laptop's red glowing keyboard
"You know... just because you've known someone the longest doesn't immediately make you the most valuable one. Old friends can change a lot. Either you change or they do. And even if you don't mind, they might."
>She waits before speaking
>"Your old friends... they ever-"
"No, nothing yet. But, you know, any day now right?"
>"Sure..."
>You sigh and roll onto your back, closing your eyes
"Friends fucking suck, man."
>You feel Sparks flop onto her back as well, the length of her body against the outside of your left leg
>"Tell me about it... I shouldn't have a single worry, yet here I am."
"Here we are..."
>You're quite content with not saying anything more
>"Hey, Anon?"
"Yeah?"
>"You ever gonna tell Dashie how much you spent to get her out of that place?"
"Hell no. That's none of her concern. Or yours either."
>"It might be if you're in a pinch and she, or we, can't help enough to matter."
"If that's the case, I knew the risks."
>Silence, except for the music from the game
>"What happens if something bad does happen?"
"You already know."
>You hear her try to say something but she stifles it
"Hey, hornpone."
>"Longpig?"
"What d'you want from the store? I haven't made a list yet and Jacky's acting like a complete chick so she isn't able to tell me anything. And I'm still not sure how to talk to Dashie because she has her stupid pegashield up."
>Sparky snorts
>"I really don't care. There's food and drinks here already. I'd burn an entire city down for this sort of life."
"Sure but you're free to have more than what I consider to be the bare basic."
>"I know."
"Brainiac."
>You loudly yawn
>Today has really been a lazy day
>A lot of weekends are
>But especially this weekend
>Maybe because all of the socializing has left you exhausted
"Think I should get three small mattresses or something?"
>"Why?"
"Iunno. So everyone has their own sleeping space. Better to have the choice than not."
>"I guess. I really don't mind it."
"Sure. Jacky doesn't either. But say if we split off or if everyone's doing something or if we're playing stuff in here and someone's tired. We gotta make sure that they're able get a decent sleep, right?"
>"I guess you got a point..."
>You yawn again
"Remind me to check for mattress sales later."
>She yawns too, loud like you
>"Remind me to care."

>Another morning
>Another round of trouble because you can't move
>Except you can?
>You don't remember putting a blanket over you but you are covered
>A quick turn of the head over shows that Jacky isn't on your right
>Sparks is on your left arm again, head under the covers and hind legs close to your shoulder
>You lift your head and see that she's laying near the foot of your bed, with Dashie
>A large, white wing is covering her
>They really must have missed each other
>Why does Spark keep mooning you anyway?
>One of these mornings she's going to knock your head off by accident and that'll be the end of you
>You pat her back under the blanket, shifting and arching your back to make your shoulders pop
>It's spring but the mornings are still so chilly
>That game is still going too
>Must've been the perfect tune to sleep to, given it has a nice, smooth jazz sound
>'I keep laying like this because I like my face warm'
>Oh great she's in your head again
>'Good morning to you too. Don't worry, I wouldn't knock your head off. Not by accident.'
>How charitable
>What happened last night?
>'You didn't want to wake up so I covered you in your blanket and went to bed too. Jacky and Dashie must have come back in later.'
>They're sleeping huddled up to each other
>'Yeah, they always used to sleep like that. No room for Sparky.'
>You're sure that's probably how they used to sleep when they were alone in the world
>You can understand that
>'Sure. Tell that to a filly me who had to find her own place to sleep.'
>Filly Sparky was probably such a nice girl
>'I was.'
>And now look at her
>'Hey, screw you.'
>Love you too, Sparky-poo
>You just noticed that the sun had actually come up now, given the light entering your room
>Does this telepathy crap really take so much time to focus?
>'Iunno.'
>Since you're connected, shouldn't you be able to see into her thoughts and memories?
>'Iunno.'
>You could make fun of her for flying blind
>'You already do.'
>But instead you'll agree that she is quite the innovator
>'...thank you.'
>Now get your scrawny butt off or you'll have Jack slap it again
>'Whatever, your own arm is free...'
>She writhes and contracts, curling up into a ball under the blanket
>'If Nona comes back, we need to be ready.'
>Why is she so focused on that?
>'Because she's the first of possibly many dangers, going forward. And we need to stay connected like this and chisel out the ability to keep in contact.'
>You're pretty sure that she could operate a phone better than set up quasi-permanent residence in your head
>'Well I like this better,'
>Because it gives her more magical EXP to level up with?
>'Well that reason too.'
>A lot of your thoughts are starting to gravitate toward the same question
>Does Jacky know about this?
>Would she approve?
>'Who cares? This is for security reasons.'
>You care
>And you know that it's not for strictly professional reasons
>She doesn't say anything for a bit
>'Let me have this. Please.'
>Ah... crap
>You aren't good at handling these sorts of situations
>'It's so if I can't use a stupid phone and if we're in danger, or if we can't talk and need to think of something fast, we can. It's a strategy that will help us win.'
>It almost sounds like she views it as a video game perk
>'Well it kinda is. Come on, you know this is cool. What do you care what I get out of it?'
>Because you want to be honest
>'So be honest. And say it's an ace up your sleeve.'
>You're really not so sure of this
>But she's already gleamed through almost everything, presumably
>You wait for an answer for what feels like hours
>But it's not because you couldn't just lay there for hours
>Maybe she left the group call
>Wait
>A group call
>What if Sparks could somehow connect everyone, get a sort of magical group chat?
>How neat would that be?
>Sparky?
>Oh great
>Anon, you're talking to yourself again
>Last time this happened, you...
>You sit up, grumbling about the lack of water nearby
>You should really refill that little camping canteen
>Water by the bed is never a bad thing
>The blanket slides with you and reveals a curled up Sparks
>She has a really red face
>"Turn the lights back off, just because you're awake doesn't mean I am..."
>Sounds as annoyed as always
>But is it just a verbal act?
"Go for it."
>You slide the blanket off of your body and pile it onto her
>You hear a muffled word and you're pretty sure she called you a dick or something
>But that's fine
>You scoot and lean forward, peering over at the Dashn'Jack formation
>Though they're the same size, roughly, Jacky seems to be the little spoon
>That wing is pretty big too, now that you see just how much of a pony's body it can cover
"Hey Jack. You comfy?"
>Jacky's head twitches at the sound of your voice
>"Eh? Whasat?"
>She lifts her head and squints at you
>"Anon is so late in the morning... ah can see the sun."
"Yeah... you comfy there?"
>She nods
>"Feels like home."
>You're glad for that
>Guess it makes sense, she now has the one person-pony-whoever that she's always had
>You kinda wanna spy on their conversations, just to see what it's like
>You reach out and poke Dashie's butt
"Hey. Heeeeeeeeey. You know we got blankets and stuff, right?"
>Dashie, evidently awake but pretending to still be asleep, yawns
>Even her yawns are dainty and quiet
>"And where would I find more blankets?"
>You look at the pair
"Y...you're laying on one of them. It's not as big as the main one but it's there."
>Dashie's eyes open abruptly
>"...really?"
"Really."
>You tug the blanket under her to emphasize the point
>It's more to cover the bed but it's perfectly serviceable as an actual blanket too
>She looks ahead, still just a mite surprised
>"...Might I ask that you more properly introduce me to what you have here later today? I feel a little silly now."
>Her wing slides up, covering her face
>"Hey, I'm losing warmth over here!"
>Jacky's the first to complain about lack of coverage
>Pegasus wings can't be that warm anyway, can they?
>You shake your head
"Whatever. You three nerds can sleep in, I'm going to make some tea and fix a snack because I don't feel like putting in the effort to eat correctly."
>You slide off the side of the bed and head to the kitchen in a manner that only hints at minor inebriation
>Or you're more tired than you thought
>Or that mind melding bullshit actively effects you

>With a tea and snack, your morning was pretty good
>Since no one else was going to, you took a shower too
>Everyone else came to on their own, each having their own goals for the day
>What few goals one could have living the easy life, anyway
>One shower later and you find Dashie waiting for you
>How long was she waiting?
>Was she listening to the music you had your phone playing too?
>"Good morning Anon."
"Morning... something up?"
>"Yes. A moment?"
"Sure."
>Rather than talk to you then and there, she struts off
>You follow
>She and you stop in the living room
>"A seat please?"
>Though it's a little awkward, you sit down without flashing her
"So, what's on your mind?"
>"I think what matters is what's on yours."
>You tilt your head at her
"I'm not following."
>You're kinda used to your ponies getting to the point quicker
>She keeps a nice smile
>"What are your intentions with Jacky?"
>Oh God it's The Talk
>You're being Talked to
>Guess it's not the worst topic to have
"I... don't know. She's my friend. More than my friend."
>"Oh, I've heard..."
>She smirks at you
>"What sort of human goes for a pony...?"
>You purse your lips, shrugging
"I think.... a lot of guys would."
>She looks surprised
>"You're sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Has Jacky shown you the cartoon yet?"
>She looks downright perplexed
>"No... but she has brought up her 'ma' a lot. And this is the first time I've ever seen her talk of her mother."
>She blinks
>"That... I remember."
"Well there you go. In this world, at this time... I suppose a lot of guys prefer fictional characters because they're better than the women we have access to."
>"Fictional characters... like Jacky, Sparky and I?"
>This feels kinda meta
"Well... yeah. We don't have talking horses in this world. I think she would've mentioned that already."
>"Well there might be, if we just aren't aware of them."
>She sounds dubious of her own claim
"If you find anymore outside of you three, and Hanz Gruber, you let me know."
>"Yes, the muscular pony... I don't know him."
"But intentions... I don't know. She's awesome. I'm proud and happy to have her in my life and I hope I've done the same for her. Nothing really happened on purpose. Which is to say that I didn't plan for anything in particular."
>"But you still got her."
"I did."
>"Why?"
"Because... look at the state of my life. If you don't know, I work and I come home and I play video games, watch shit on the internet and pretty much nothing else. Who wouldn't want a friend when you live such a monotonous life?"
>"She mentioned you have friends."
"Have, had, maybe. It's been years since they contacted me. The few times I contacted them I got pretty much nothing in return."
>"That doesn't sound particularly friendly."
"Tell me about it."
>"So where does Sparking play into this?"
"In what way?"
>She gives a polite laugh
>"Don't play coy, Anon, I see how she looks at you."
"She looks at me like I'm retarded."
>Another laugh
>"Maybe so, but she sees more in you than that."
"Am I supposed to help that?"
>"I guess not."
"They're both my friends. And I'd give what little I have left for them."
>"And how little left do you have to give, I wonder?"
>There's something about her tone that really bugs you
"I don't like your implications.I'm guessing you handled the diplomacy between their shenanigans."
>"Maybe."
"I suppose your next question is who I'd save in a burning building right?"
>"Sure, let's use that example."
"Well, I'm not a pony. So I'd save both, or slap them hard enough to make sure they help each other."
>"But then who saves you?"
>She is starting to annoy you
"Who fucking cares?"
>The sharp edge to your words catches her off guard to say the least
>Her nice smile fades
>"So, why did you get me?"
"What sort of question is that? You're the last corner to this triangle of dorks. You're Jacky and Sparky's friend, and if we didn't get you, there's no telling if we'd ever get another chance to find you again. Even if you don't like me for whatever reason, They need their friend and I'm no friend if I didn't help them with that. I was able to, so I did."
>She watches you with a neutral, almost sad face
>"Jacky said it was scary to get me. And that it cost you a lot."
"It was a bit spooky but I've handled worse. And it cost enough that I could afford."
>"How much was it?"
"What's it matter to you? You don't know how much money here is a lot."
>"I suppose you have a point."
>She changes gears yet again
>"If you need to choose between me and Jacky, you choose Jacky."
"If I need to choose, I'll choose both and trust both of you to not be so stupid that you make my choice invalid."
>That gets a laugh out of her
>"You must think really highly of us."
>You don't want to be anymore rude than you've already been, but you can't really stop yourself at this point
>"I see why Sparks likes you. You're hardheaded enough to fit right in."
"And I like her."
>Dashie's eyes widen
"But I love Jacky. And if you're going to ask me who I choose, it's not a choice. I may trust Sparky with more things. When push comes to shove, I may even prefer her with me in a real fight because I think she can do more and stay safe while at it."
>You
>In a fight
>With a fucking pony
>That's a bit of a laughable idea
"I trust them both, completely. I know they won't turn their back on me or sell me out."
>"For a human who's known them both for so long you sure go all in, don't you?"
"They make my life worth going forward. Of course I'd risk it for them."
>She looks amused
>Or apologetic
>It's an expression you can't pin down, and an expression you don't particularly like
>"I can see why Jacky likes you too... admirable traits to have, no matter how you look at it"
"We done here? I get you're worried but I can't say I exactly appreciate you giving me the third degree like I'm going to turn around and sell you guys to the circus or some shit."
>You can see that she wants to say something else but she doesn't
>You're aware of just how goofy you sound but this is more or less the one singular thing you care enough about to have convictions toward
>Not like you have much to give left at this point, thanks to her
>But you aren't going to think that way
>You have no reason to spite or dislike her
>You'd be just as annoying and scheming if you were her
>If not more so
>She's definitely looked out for everyone in the past
>Dashie looks past you, smiling
>"So, anything else you wanted me to ask him?"
>wat
>You turn and see both Jack and Sparks
>Just sitting
>Chilling
>Watching you and her rant like morons like it's a God damned movie
>Where once you felt annoyance, now you just feel stupid
"Don't tell me this was a setup..."
>Sparks avoids your glare while Jacky beams
>"See? I told you he was the real deal."
>The twin-tailed pony prances up to you and sits at your side
>"He's just like the guys in the movies, straight shooter and willing to throw down."
>Well not really
>You get any form of jail time and who knows how they're going to last
>Sparks grumbles something and sits on your other side
>She looks embarrassed, like she's been found out
>But you don't think they know about the mental note passing shenanigans
>"And where's space for me?"
>She gives a mock gasp
>"Do I get the lap?"
"You get my boot up your ass for pulling this trick."
>You're embarrassed too
>"You mustn't be so serious, Anon!"
"Oh shut it. All of you. I'm turning you to glue first, feather face."
>"Don't be so serious...~"
>Jacky speaks in a singsong voice
>"Don't be so serious...~"
>Now Sparks too
>"Don't be so serious~"
>And now fucking Dashie
>This is some brutal karma you've asked for
"That's it, I'm having horse burger tonight."
>You get up, walking off
>"It's ok Anon, I told her that you eat horse!"
>"Jacky, too much."
>"You did but I thought you weren't being literal..."
>Their collective laughing fills the apartment while you sulk off to contemplate putting them in Saw-esque traps
>But you can't help but be happy
>They're really fucking crafty as a team