I closed the door to my house's main bedroom where Zecora, now wearing one of my slacks and a white t-shirt, was sleeping thanks to some tea I'd made for her. After her transformation, I'd flown her home while Scarlet and Spike flew Moondancer and Twilight behind me. We made it back to my house where I brewed her some tea to help her calm down enough so she could sleep and I'd stayed with her while she'd calmed down after her freak out at seeing a new pair of wings. While I'd held her there, I noticed that the hooves that had been on her legs during the initial transformation had changed into furred human-like feet. The poor mare was terrified about what had happened to her, and to be honest so was I, but I needed to be strong for her at the moment so I held her close and we listened to Enya until that and the tea had helped her fall asleep. I stayed with her for about five minutes afterwards to make sure she was okay, then put a thick warm blanket over her and her new wings and left.

As I walked down the stairs to the living room where Moondancer, Twilight, Scarlet and Spike were waiting, I realized that I was angry. Angry at life for being such a monumental douche to keep piling on the crap on me. Angry at the beings here who'd caused me trouble, like Torch, Chrysalis, the Sirens and Amber. And that anger continued to grow as I walked slowly downstairs into the living room.

The three Ponies and Dragon recoiled when they saw my face. But the Alicorn Princess of the Sun, who was also in the room, noted my anger with a somber and sorrowful expression. Slowly and carefully, she sat up and walked over to me. Spreading her wings, she wrapped me into a tender embrace as I buried my face into her chest. As she stroked my back gently, she whispered, "It's okay to scream."

Taking a deep breath, I screamed loudly into her warm and soft chest. Her grip on me only tightened and she nuzzled me as I wrapped my arms around her neck. I felt magic passing between her and me as I screamed and shouted incoherently into her. The anger slowly dissipated and all that was left was exhaustion. Too much was happening to me all at once, and I was just sick of it. Sick and tired. As me legs started to give out, Celestia knelt with me. "Let it out," she said gently into my ear.

After a good few minutes of screaming, I slowly moved away, looking at the ground with tears streaming down my cheeks. My fists, which had been clenched for those minutes, were hard to unclench, but I forced them to relax. Celestia held me still in her wings, and I felt a gentle hoof placed on my shoulder. "I am so sorry," she whispered.

I shook my head. "Don't apologize," I said in a broken voice. And I felt like I was breaking apart at the seams. I had too much to deal with all at once. "I just…I can't…"

"You need rest," she said gently. "You need to take a long vacation."

I inhaled then exhaled slowly. "What I need is to deal with everything that's going on in my life right now," I said. "But I don't know where to start…I've got an entire empire to run, a trio of three Siren ex-Princesses to deal with, Chrysalis, and now Zecora becoming a Zebra version of an Alicorn? God must be punishing me for something."

"Would you feel better if I took Chrysalis and the Sirens back to Canterlot with me and kept them there for a while?" Celestia asked. "My sister and I could keep an eye on them."

I bit my lower lip. I had to admit, the prospect of having the four former villains out of my hair was really tempting. They were being looked after currently by Gemini, Mica and Ember and for the most part had been silent, keeping to themselves, but on the other hand, I felt a sense of duty to keep them close. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as the old saying went. Slowly, realization dawned on me as I stood uncertainly. Celestia stood with me, and I could see the look of recognition in her eyes. The look that said she knew what I was thinking. "No, as tempting as that offer is, I need to deal with them right here. But it is a bit late. And I have a scared Zebra to help." I walked over to my chair and collapsed into it. "What the hell do I do now?"

"Why not talk to the others?" Spike asked quickly. "Chrysalis, the Sirens and the rest."

I pursed my lips thoughtfully. He had a point. I hadn't spoken to many of the houseguests under my roof in a couple days. Not about the issues between us, anyway. Perhaps now was the time to do that.

Twilight must have seen the decision in my eyes, because she was instantly by my side and pressing against me affectionately. "You don't have to do this alone," she said as she looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Please, Jethro, let us help."

"Is there anything I can do?" Moondancer asked.

"Jethro, I'm your girlfriend now," Scarlet said, "so I'm helping whether you like it or not."

"Don't forget me!" Spike said, raising his claw.

"What kind of Princess would abandon her knight and a fellow monarch in his time of need?" Celestia asked.

I smiled at them all. It felt relieving to have so much support. The other Mane Six weren't there, but even then I could sense their own support. I nodded. "I'd appreciate the help, yes. But what can we do?"

"When was the last time you talked to them?" Celestia asked. "Any of them? Even Ember and Gemini."

I paused. For Chrysalis, Ember and Gemini, it had been after giving out those gifts. For the three Siren Princesses, it had been after they came to live with me until I could think of something to do with them. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it was only a few days prior. I looked at the hallway on the first floor and the stairs which led to the second floor where their rooms were located. Frowning, I steeled myself. "I guess it's time for another talk with all of them, isn't it?"

"Do you want any of us with you?" Twilight asked.

I pursed my lips. "Right now? I think I need to do this part of it alone," I said. "I'm not only supposed to look after them, but need to deal with the relationship between me and them." Turning to them all, I said, "Maybe dealing with them will help clear my mind somewhat so I can focus on what just happened to Zecora."

"We can discuss that down here while you're talking to the others," Celestia said. "Although we'll need to try and come up with a way to reveal what just happened. That beam of magic could be seen through a lot of Equestria."

"And another headache," I sighed, rubbing my temples.

Celestia put a reassuring hoof on my shoulder again. "Let my sister and I deal with that, okay?" she said with a kindly smile. "We'll have something for the morning papers. You go and do what needs to be done." She removed her hoof and nodded at me knowingly.

I turned away after nodding back. "Wish me luck." And with that, I took the first step. In more ways than one.

I decided to start easy by checking on Phlogiston and Aurora first, and it was a good thing I did. When she opened the door, the older Dragon female was holding a crying Aurora in her arms. The room itself was a mess, but I had made it quite clear that I didn't mind it just as long as Aurora was safe. Phlogiston herself looked utterly exhausted, but when she saw me, she straightened up. "Your Grace?"

I held out my arms. "Here, give her to me for a bit," I said.

Aurora, who now was wearing a diaper, wailed as Phlogiston handed her over to me. I cradled her in my arms, supporting her head with my hand. Phlogiston sat on the edge of her bed and sighed. "She didn't want to go down for a nap this afternoon and she's tired and cranky," she said. "Princess Ember did the same thing."

I looked at her and the crying baby Dragon looked up at me, still crying hard as I gently rocked her back and forth. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay, sweetie," I said in a tender tone as I walked up to a chair and sat down. She was still crying, but as I rocked her gently back and forth, she began to calm down just a little bit. "I'm no expert with children, but let me try something," I said. After calmly clearing my throat, I began to sing. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird don't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond ring turns to brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass. If that looking glass should crack, Papa's gonna buy you a jumping jack. If that jumping jack won't hop, Papa's gonna buy you a lollipop. When that lollipop is done, Papa's gonna buy you another one. When that lollipop is all eaten up, Papa's gonna buy you a real life pup. If that real live pup won't bark, Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart. If that horse and cart fall down, you'll still be the prettiest girl in town."

When I finished, little Aurora had stopped crying and was just staring at me with wide eyes full of wonder. She began to giggle and gabble in that cute baby language. She even clapped her claws together a few times. Phlogiston looked both astonished and impressed. "She really seems to enjoy singing."

"I'm starting to think that was what caused her to hatch," I said. "I bet she loves music."

"I never sang any Dragon hatchling to sleep," she admitted. "Then again, I'm a horrible singer."

I smiled up at her. "Well then, I'll try and come and help you put her to sleep as often as I can," I said as I looked back down at the little Dragon Princess. Standing up, I made my way over to the crib that Twilight's parents had actually sent to me, since it had been Spike's old crib. The normal frame was made of metal instead of wood and the blankets and bedding were made of a special fire retardant material. Soft, yet durable. As I approached the crib and put her into it, I sang again. "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? When the blazing sun is gone, when she nothing shines upon, then you show your little light, twinkle twinkle, all the night. Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are?"

"Bah, gah?" Aurora tilted her head as I tucked her in the old but still soft and warm sheets and blankets.

Reaching up, I booped Aurora's cute nose, making the adorable Dragon hatchling to giggle. "Time to sleep, little Princess," I said softly. "Goodnight, sweet dreams, tomorrow's another day. Till then, sweet dreams sweetheart." I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead before I realized what I was doing.

Phlogiston crossed her arms as I came back up and continued tucking her in. She had a knowing smirk on her face as I watched the now yawning little hatchling close her eyes. After I was sure that Aurora was asleep, I slowly and quietly stepped back to join her. The room was quiet now save for the cutest breathing sound. We stepped into another corner of the room and as we did, Phlogiston asked, "Are you a father, Your Grace?"

I shook my head. "No, but I've wanted to be one for years."

She smiled wider. "I know you are quite busy currently, but any that a Dragon first sees like she saw you is special to a dragon."

Like how Spike is to Twilight, I thought. "Honestly, I wish I could spend so much more time with the little cutie," I said, and meant it. "Unlike with Right Hand Ember, Aurora deserves to have a father in her life."

"Your Grace, you have duties and responsibilities," Phlogiston said reassuringly. "Nocreature could blame you for that."

"Even so, I should make some time each day to spend with her, especially if I decide to officially adopt her," I replied. "Right now, it's an unofficial adoption."

"All you would need to do is announce her as your daughter by Imperial Decree and that would solve things," she replied.

"That's something I should talk about with Ember," I said. I turned to her. "Phlogiston, I can't thank you enough for what you've been doing for me. And I want to thank you. If there's anything you want from me within reason, name it and it's yours."

"Anything within reason?" she asked.

"Anything within reason," I repeated.

She looked thoughtful, then looked over at Aurora. Turning back to me, she knelt and lowered her head. "Your Grace, all I want right now is to see young Aurora safe and taken care of. Please allow me to stay by her side and help to raise her."

I smiled widely at her devotion to a child she had only known for a few days. Standing taller, I took on the persona of a ruler. Taking some inspiration from the Bible, I said, "Because your request was made on behalf of another and not for personal gain, I shall grant not only your request, but you shall be given a suite in Ignu's Keep and paid a hefty sum of bits. You shall also be granted a good sized plot of land and a quiet house if and when you so desire it."

Phlogiston looked up at me with wide eyes. "My Emperor, you honor me too much."

"I give you what you deserve," I said. "You have put your own job and life on hold to help raise young Princess Aurora. That shows a strength of character that I admire. And it's something that I intent to reward."

The lovely older Dragon female stood and smiled at me. "I will do everything I can to earn these rewards."

I smiled back at her. "Well, you've already done so, but I appreciate the sentiment." I looked at the clock on the wall then back at her. "Now, why don't you try and get some sleep. It looks like you've had a tiring day."

"Same with you, Your Grace," she said.

"You've no idea," I sighed as I made my way towards the door. "Sleep well, Lady Phlogiston."

"And you as well, my Emperor."

Next, I decided to go for Chrysalis. I stood in front of her door and took a few quiet but deep breaths before I knocked. I heard some shuffling before the door's lock unlatched and it opened, revealing Chrysalis' somewhat scowling face. She was wearing one of my spare bathrobes and her hair looked wet. Her scowl vanished and turned into only confusion when she saw it was me. "Um, what is it?" she asked.

"Chrysalis, I'd like to revisit the conversation we had the other day," I said, standing up straighter and hiding how tired I felt. "There's a lot we didn't say."

Chrysalis stared at me for a few seconds before she moved aside and opened the door. "I think so, yeah," she said in a surprising move.

Just like I'd seen before, her room was still pretty bare and nothing else was touched except the bed which looked slept in. Sitting on one of the endtables near the bed was the same crown I'd given to her a few days ago. There was a small dying fire in her fireplace. She walked over and sat in one of the chairs facing said fireplace. I walked over and put a few more small logs in, which started to bring the fire back to life. When I joined her, she stared into the fire for a while. The logs crackled and sparked a bit as the seconds passed. Finally, I turned to her and broke the silence. "You look calmer than before. How are you feeling?"

She put her hands on her lap and sighed. She didn't face me, but she replied, "Just tired." She stared into the fire, looking unsure about what to do now. She looked lost. "All that anger…it's there still, and yet it's not. I don't know what to do now. I don't have a kingdom anymore. I'm just useless…" After a bit, she turned to me. "What did you want to talk about now?"

"I know we haven't been interacting much lately, but I wanted to check in to see how you were doing," I said.

"You must have been really busy," Chrysalis said. "No one's telling me anything about what's been happening. That building showing up in your yard, and then those strange winged humans appearing? And then tonight there was that magic." She pointed to the ring still around her horn. "This thing is strong, but that magic I felt was Alicorn level. I can feel that even with it on."

"Let me worry about those things," I said, "I'm just here to try and continue that conversation we had a few days ago." Chrysalis nodded and looked back into the fire. When she didn't venture anything, I continued. "I don't want to sound insensitive, but…about your parents, how are you feeling about their deaths?"

She didn't answer for a while, and just when I was about to rescind the question, she said, "I really don't know. I was young when they were killed. I barely knew them, to be honest. I have a few depictions of them in my room back in the castle, but that and a few memories that might or might not be dreams are all I have." Her wings fluttered a bit and she folded her hands. "All I've ever been told about them was that they were very important High Fae in the community. And that was from my caretaker before she died. Honestly, my mind's been clearer than it feels like it's been in decades. Do I have a purpose now?"

"Everybody has a purpose," I said. "Even you."

She turned to me. "But what? To be your teacher and nominal slave? Would the Fae even accept me back into their new community?"

"That's up to them, not me," I said.

She frowned. "I never said it was."

"Sorry, it's a force of habit to say that," I said. "But here's the thing, Chrysalis, you have a second chance here. You can find a new purpose. I don't know what, but you can find something. Don't make light of this second chance. In the show, you squandered it. I don't want that for you here."

She turned back and stared into the fire again. "Right, I forgot your world has a glimpse into this one."

"I've seen another version of you at your worst," I said. "Hell-bent on causing pain and suffering in the name of revenge. It didn't end well for you. You can be a better person than that, I know it."

The hands in her lap began clenching. "I don't…know if that's possible. Look, Bethridge, I've been full of anger and hatred for longer than you've been alive. Now that it isn't controlling me as aggressively as it did before, I don't know what to do anymore."

I nodded. "I think I can understand. Losing motivation can make anyone go through a crisis of identity."

"Crisis of identity?" she asked, turning to me suddenly. "I think having a more human body goes waaaay beyond crisis of identity!"

I held up my hands. "Yeah, no, you're right, I'm sorry," I said. "But you can make a new identity now. You can become a better person. A better High Fae."

"How?" she asked, visibly looking like she was trying to calm down.

"I did say that you'd be training me on how to use my new Fae powers," I said. "I have a bunch of different teachers who've been helping to train me to better myself in all the new areas of my life. My Earth Pony strength, my Pegasus flight and soon control over weather, my Unicorn magic, and basic combat training. It's a start. And perhaps, one day, you can help your own kind become better. Right now, they have Thorax as a leader. He's doing his best, but I fear he might cave to the pressures of rule. Your anger driven leadership aside, you have experience. Not just anybody can rule a nation and keep it intact for as long as you have."

"If you can call that ruling," she muttered. "I don't know if you've seen our homeland, but it's a mess. We can't grow any kind of plants there and the love we manage to acquire is so low it can barely feed everyfae."

"That's why you were planning on invading Equestria sometime soon, weren't you?" I asked.

She didn't even look surprised at the revelation. She only nodded. "There's so much love and happiness here. I knew the Ponies wouldn't help, so I was planning on finding somepony to impersonate. Possibly that Celestia or Cadance Pony."

"Did you think about asking at least?" I asked.

"Why bother? They wouldn't believe me," she said sadly.

"How do you know?" I asked again. I somewhat felt like Socrates now, questioning her and making her think. "What was the worst that they could have said?"

"If I had asked, they'd have said no, but that doesn't matter now, does it? You did for them in one night what I failed to do for them in so many hundreds of years."

I raised an eyebrow. "I only knew something about Fae biology that you didn't because of the show. I know better than to pat my back about that."

"Knowledge or not, you helped them," Chrysalis said.

"And we're getting off track a bit," I said. "Look, Chrysalis, all I came here to ask was how you've been. Last time you were angry and upset."

"I'm feeling better now," she admitted. "Not so much angry as lost and confused, like I said."

"I think after the new year and after I get back from Aelyssia, you can start training me," I said. "There's a lot going on in my life right now."

"I can tell," Chrysalis said, looking at me with a knowing expression. "I've seen that look on my face many times in the mirror. Especially when multiple issues crop up. I normally just drink to help."

I couldn't help myself. I snorted in amusement at the thought of a drunk Chrysalis. "Yeah, well, that's not how I like dealing with my issues," I said. "I don't drink too often."

"Yeah, you do seem like the clean type," she smirked finally, and I had to admit, seeing any kind of smile on her face was a relief. Especially since she looked really nice while smiling.

"Eh, I can get dirty if I want," I replied.

"Funny, I've only ever smelled two mares on you when we last talked," she said with a wave of her hand. "With the love and lust I've smelled directed at you, I half expected you to have engaged in a session with multiple partners."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing and held my stomach. It felt good to laugh so hard. But all that I could get out after a half minute of laughing was one questioning word. "Smelled?"

Chrysalis, who had her arms crossed and was smirking now, said, "Oh, Fae have excellent senses of smell. We use it to find sources of love."

I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded. "I'm really not surprised."

"We are more related to insects than mammals," Chrysalis said with a shrug as she put her arms on the armrests. The two of us sat like that for a while, just watching the ever growing fire in silence for a bit. She spoke again after a few minutes. "You know, that Luna Pony visited me in my dreams the same night you came to talk to me."

Now that surprised me. I turned my head slowly to her. "Oh, word? What did you two talk about?"

"Well, I'll tell you what she told me," she said. "She told me about her time as Nightmare Moon and what she did to the city of Harmonia. We talked a lot about anger and revenge." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "By the Helper…that Alicorn can pack a really mean dream punch, too. Especially in that form where she looks a lot like you and me."

"Anthro form, yeah," I said. "She hit you, huh?"

"In my dream, but I was yelling at her, so it's not like I didn't deserve it," Chrysalis replied. "Actually, she's been visiting my dreams for the past few nights to talk. Believe it or not, it's helped a bit."

I made a mental note to give that mare a massive hug the next time I saw her. "That explains your more relaxed demeanor."

"Well…yeah, I guess so," she said with a shrug. "I'm still just tired and lost."

"I understand," I said, and I did. I stood then. I was about to give her the friendship will help speech, but I wasn't too sure that she wanted to hear it right now. "Listen, I'll let you be for now," I continued, "but I'd like to try and talk again, if you're okay with it."

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure thing." She stood as well and stretched. "I'm going to sleep now, so unless you want to see a naked High Fae queen, I suggest you leave." The way she said it sounded more amused than anything.

"Sleep well, Chrysalis," I said. And with that, I left the room.

I found myself now standing in front of the room of all three Sirens. I actually had a large spare room rearranged with three beds so they could sleep. I had been pleasantly surprised by Chrysalis' change in attitude, but after hearing about Luna's intervention it made sense. She was an expert on the internal psyche of the mind. Pony minds, for sure, but if anyone could relate to how Chrysalis felt it was Luna. Raising my hand, I knocked on the door. After a few moments, the door opened and a loose haired Sonata answered the door. She looked sleepy, and behind her I saw the room was dark. "Nnnng…what is it, Your Grace?" she asked tiredly. She was wearing a pair of my light blue sweats and a white t-shirt of mine as well.

"Shit, I didn't mean to wake you," I said, and meant it. "You know what, it's nothing that can't be discussed in the morning."

Sonata saw the look in my eyes and shook her head. "N-No, if it's important, I can wake the others-"

I held up a hand. "No, don't wake them," I said. "I can talk to you three later."

Sonata, to my surprise, stepped out and closed the door. "Are you angry at us for something?" she asked nervously.

I sighed. "Not…well, yes and no," I admitted. "But it's a really long story. I've got a lot on my plate all crashing down on me, and I was hoping to talk to all three of you about things going forward."

"If you want, I really can go and wake the others," Sonata said.

Looking at her, I noticed how scared she looked. I forced myself to relax and pointed to one of the empty spare rooms across the hall. "It's alright. But as long as I'm here, you and I can talk. Come on." With that, we both headed into the spare room. I turned on the light and the two of us sat at a small table together. When we were set up, I faced her. "Sonata, I want to say first that I'm really sorry about scaring you back on Earth. My own emotions aside, it was wrong of me to do so. I also wanted to check on you and the others and make sure you were okay."

Sonata looked shocked by this. "We're all okay," she said after a while.

"Are you sure? You called your new form bastardized," I said, recalling her first impressions of her new form.

She swallowed hard and looked down at the table. "I…I still don't like my body," she said shakily. "I just want my old one back…"

"Like I said, there are Ponies looking into the issue," I said. "However, I meant what I said back in Canterlot. You're a very beautiful woman. You and the other two."

She looked down bitterly. "And I said that was because I'm in a human-like form. You wouldn't find me pretty if I was in my original form."

"Miss Dusk, I'm from another Earth where humans are the only sapient beings," I said. "We're hardwired to find human forms attractive, yes, but since I got here, I've begun finding other forms attractive. I have a Zebra fiancée and a Pony marefriend, and I've found other sapient beings attractive since then. And I'm not just attracted to looks. I'm attracted to what's inside. But that's not what I wanted to discuss. I just wanted to make sure you were all doing okay."

Sonata looked up at me. There were a few tears in her eyes. Just like I had in the hospital, I stood, made my way quickly to her side and hugged her. Unlike before, she actually wrapped her arms around me while she also buried her face into my chest. "I'm scared," she admitted after a while. She wasn't crying, really, but she was trembling. "The others won't admit it, but they're just as scared. I hate feeling this way. I hate feeling like such a coward. I used to be scared of nothing. Hell, I once tried to break away from the others by settling down in a small community on Avalon a couple of hundred years ago but they chased me and the others out and made up some lies about us to keep us away…"

I felt like a glorified therapist as I held her closer. She clung to me like a lifeline. "Sonata Dusk, I'm not like those other humans. You're safe as long as you're under my protection. I'll make it known you are not to be harassed."

Silence permeated the room. Finally, Sonata slowly smiled. "You know, I believe you…"

"How you became Emperor of anything is beyond me!" a muffled female voice said from behind the door. One that sounded like Adagio.

I sighed, lifted my hand, and opened the door with my magic. Adagio, who was wearing a black mini-t-shirt that she owned and a surprisingly racy pair of black lace panties and nothing else, walked into the room followed by Aria, who had on one of my light blue t-shirts and a pair of purple panties and nothing else. Both of them had their hair down, which looked a bit unusual on them, but not altogether unattractive. In fact, all three of them were exceedingly gorgeous. I ignored their half naked appearances as the two slowly approached me. Their leader pointed at me. "Seriously, you're too soft to be a ruler!"

Slowly I stood and faced her, looking the half human half Siren girl in the eye. We glared at each other for what seemed like forever until I finally said in a calm and collected voice, "Well, would you think me a better ruler if I gave all of you a public flogging? Need I remind you that you have skin now. Ever seen Passion Of The Christ?"

Adagio scowled and was about to say something when Sonata stood between us, looking at her fellow Sirens with a pleading look. "Dagi, Aria, please! We're really getting off light! Can't we all just calm down?"

I looked at the young looking Siren, impressed. She was doing all she could to keep the peace. That was, to me, the sign of a good leader. I put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Miss Dusk, thank you." Turning to the other two, I said, "Do either of you have anything you want to talk to me about?"

Adagio was clenching her fists tightly, her teeth clenched as well. "Damn you," she snarled as she seemed to visibly deflate and look down at the floor.

Seeing this, I made myself relax and put a firm hand on her shoulder. She tensed up, but didn't move. "Damn me all you want," I said firmly, "but as long as you're under my care and protection, I will make sure you're safe and provided for."

"A gilded cage is still a cage, Your Grace," Aria said with a scowl, putting the wrong kind of emphasis on my title.

"Yes it is, but you won't be caged up forever," I said.

"And what will we do after your city is complete?" Adagio asked with a frown.

"That all depends on you," I said. "I'm more than open to having you stay in the city and not having to work another day in your lives. I'd be more than willing to give you an imperial stipend from my own pockets so you could live comfortably."

"And our crimes against Ponies?" Sonata asked.

"I'd say that over a thousand years in exile is punishment enough for that," I said, "but I'll discuss it with Celestia. If reparations need to be made, I'll negotiate them with her."

Adagio looked at me closely. I matched her gaze with an even one of my own. Sonata looked nervous and Aria had her arms folded. We stared at each other for a while until she finally asked, in a surprisingly soft voice, "Why are you being so nice to us?"

I squeezed her shoulder before letting go and looking at all three of them. "Because it's the right thing to do."

The three didn't respond for a while. Finally, Adagio and Aria both turned back to the door. "It's too late for this shit," Adagio said softly. "I'm going to bed."

"You coming, Sonata?" Aria asked.

"Um…in a bit," the aforementioned Siren said as the two half naked Sirens walked out of the door. She watched them go, then I saw a small smile form on her face. "They might not show it, but I think they're beginning to warm up to you." She turned to me with one of the loveliest smiles I'd seen on any of their faces. "Your Grace, thank you for your generosity and your kindness. None of us would have expected this from you."

"I might need to punish you for what you did," I said, "but like I said, being on an alien world in a strange body that you hate just seems like the majority of your punishment already done. For the most part. I do still need you to finish off the debt to society."

Sonata nodded. "Of course, Your Grace."

"You know, even if you're all not really royalty anymore, it's okay for you to call me by my first name," I replied with a kind smile.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Being an Emperor is still pretty new to me," I said. "It's fine to call me by my first name."

To my surprise, she smiled wider. "Well…thank you then…Jethro." She looked back at the door. "I should probably get some sleep here, too." She turned back to me. "See you later, Your Gra-I mean Jethro."

"Sleep well," I said. She turned and walked out, and as she did I swore there was an extra sway in her hips as she walked. After she walked out of the room and closed the door to her room, I sighed. "Damn sexy Sirens…"

Ember, Gemini and Mica were already asleep, so I went downstairs. The four Ponies and Dragon were waiting down there for me as I walked down. Celestia was the first to say anything. "How did things go?"

"Eh, they went alright," I said. "I talked to Chrysalis and the Sirens and Phlogiston. The others were already asleep. What about you guys? Find out anything?"

"Well, nothing new," Twilight said. "Whatever happened back on Earth gave Applejack and Zecora a boost of magic, but since Zebra magic is not quite the same as Pony magic, I don't know why she has wings. Or magic."

"Leave it to us to figure out, okay?" Celestia said. "First thing in the morning, I'll have my best Ponies look over everyone who was hit by this magic."

"God…this is stressing me the fuck out," I said, holding my head.

"Jethro, my dear knight," Celestia said, slowly approaching me, "go and sleep. You've had a long and trying day. And your fiancée needs you by her side."

I nodded, then turned to Scarlet. "Scarlet? Are you coming?"

She looked stunned by the question, but finally nodded and stood up. "Right behind you, babe."

Smiling, I turned to the others. "Thank you for everything."

Twilight came up, stood on her hind legs, and nuzzled my face. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

"I know you will," I said as I ran my hand through her mane. "But Celestia's right. We all need to get some sleep."

Moondancer stood and grabbed her saddlebags, placing them back on her. "Twilight, what time tomorrow should we start?"

"Nine in the morning, sharp," Twilight replied.

"Should I bring Zecora with me?" I asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. She's been through enough as it is."

"Thanks. Oh, how long is that Anthro spell you cast on her supposed to last?" I asked.

"I cast it so it should last until eleven PM or one AM," Twilight said.

"Alright, thanks," I said.

"Of course," Twilight said, before turning to Scarlet. "Scarlet? If you're free, could you come by sometime tomorrow so Moondancer and I can check you over?"

"I work over at Sugarcube Corner until noon tomorrow," Scarlet said, "so I can be over there sometime in the afternoon. How does one sound?"

"That works," Twilight said.

"I'll be there," the Pegasus said before she flew up to me, wrapping her forelegs around me and nuzzling my face. Yawning, she said, "Onward, noble steed," while she smacked me on the behind with her tail.

I broke out into a smile. "A Pony riding a human, huh? I guess the tables have turned on me. Hold on a bit."

After I saw the others out, walking down with them to the edge of my property line, I headed back inside, locked up and went upstairs. Zecora was still asleep, curled up tightly under the covers. I put Scarlet down on one side and got into some dark blue silk pajamas Rarity had made for me. I got into bed and wrapped my arms around her. To my surprise, she turned around, opening her eyes and gazing at me with some trepidation, but there was plenty of trust and love in said eyes. "Thank you," she said softly, leaning in for a kiss.

I kissed her back and wrapped her in my wings. "You're welcome."

With her buried in my chest and with Scarlet pressing herself against her fellow herdmate to try and comfort her, the three of us fell asleep.

A sliver of light struck my eye late the following morning. I knew it was late because I could hear some wind hitting the window, and the weather team had only said that the wind would pick up slightly in the late morning. The curtains were still drawn, but a small opening between them let in the morning sunlight.

The warm presence beside me felt interlocked with my own, and my waking brain realized that during the night Zecora and I had gotten entangled. I pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. Only to realize that I hadn't grabbed her normal forelegs to do so.

Instantly awake, I slowly undid myself from her, only to find myself staring in complete shock at the very much still anthropomorphic Zebra mare. She was still wearing my clothes and breathing normally enough. Her hands were folded underneath her head in one of the most adorable and cliché sleeping forms I'd seen in a while. A sleeping form I knew I had to wake up. I bit my lower lip. "Whoo boy…she's not gonna like this…"