"...Stardust. Stardust!"

"Ugh... Five more minutes..." Do they really have to wake me up now? My blurred vision immediately shut at the ray of sunlight penetrating through the windows, tossing to the side, bringing up my cover to shield my face from whoever abruptly woke me up... To no avail.

Hm... My bed felt more softer than usual...

"Well, you asked for it."

Hmm... Wait-

"Oof!"

Something small but filled with mass leaped onto my bed, proceeding to jump on my covered body repeatedly to hammer in the message. And, to my surprised confusion, it was neither my mother nor little sister dragging me out of bed this morning. A familiar dragon head beamed down at me from his spot on top of me. "Time to get up, big bro!"

"Spike...?" Before everything came back to me. Ah... Right. I was no longer on Earth, but Equestria now. This castle was my home now... I really needed to get that stuck in my tired brain. Yawning, I leaned my head upwards, Spike retracting his face to give me space. "What time is it?"

"Twelve in the afternoon."

"Oh... Thank God, thought I overslept."

Spike rolled his eyes at my prompt head-drop onto the comfy pillow. Yep, million times better than the stiff thing I called a bed back at my... Former home. Thankfully dropping off the bed himself, two baby claws proceeded to grab the dge of my blue duvet and began pulling. "Come on Stardust, Twilight says it's time for you to get up."

Oh she did huh? "Good for her." The dragon ignored my annoyed scowl as the cover was completely pulled off my bed. Sighing, I began sitting up, stretching and yawning as you do. Just let me grab my cape and-

...Oh. Right.

Spike followed my gaze to where the piece of fabric would've been, placed on the corner post of the bed, and looked at me with a sympathetic expression. I shook my head. It's fine, I was over it... Mostly.

Sentimental value for a cape... I will never understand the human nature of compassion.

Good morning to you too, Sombra...

"Anyway, we should get going. Twilight wants to see you in the dining room."

Grateful for Spike's statement, I nodded, getting off the soft bed myself and following after the young dragon into the bright hallways. Again, really love the blue they added here. But, letting my brother's statement sink in, I inquired with a raised brow, "Thought we cleaned up Pinkie's mess in there last night?"

After an exhausting day of keeping Twilight preoccupied as the mares decorated the castle to make Twilight feel more at home. And even now I still question whether hanging the roots of the old library on the ceiling into a chandelier was entirely respectful or not, but I never voiced that opinion.

I did however voice to my girlfriend that new hairstyle she tried out at the spa, while it was nice, didn't honestly suit her.

Spike, still knowing these halls far better than I did, nodded while guiding me to the dining hall. "We did." Followed by us arriving at some large set of doors - like the majority this castle had. Can you say grandiose? - that I recognized was the entrance to said dining hall from yesterday.

Note to self: Properly tour around the castle myself-

"SURPRISE!"

The second Spike opened the doors into the room, ponies cheered, confetti fired all over and balloons soared above to the ceiling. My friends - my new family - all beamed widely with a colourful banner stating: WELCOME HOME, STARDUST!

Now, the me of the past would swiftly turned around, [BEEP]ed off by the gesture.

But now, recovering from my startled state, I simply grinned myself. "Yep, it's good to be back." Spike looked positively ecstatic at the honesty.