Tiki rested his head on his bed and grumbled, feeling agitated and upset. Kiburi was on his own bed eating powdered donuts in a very concerned manner.
 
“You okay there lil bud?” Kiburi asked as he took a swig of milk.
 
“I shouldn’t even be here, it’s not even an addiction! And now I gotta sit and listen to a herd of depressed creeps for four hours every day!” Tiki yelled into the sheets.
 
“With breaks.” Kiburi chimed in.
 
“Oh yeah can’t forget the breaks, fifteen minutes of milk and oats. Where did you even get donuts?” Tiki griped and turned to face the zony.
 
“I got a guy who gets me stuff, want some?” Kiburi tilted the baggie towards the other stallion.
 
“No I- actually yes I’d like one.” Tiki stuck his nose in the bag and chomped on a donut. “Can your guy get weed?”
 
“Noo, no drugs, no alcohol, mostly snacks we can’t get here.” Kiburi frowned.
 
“Stars align and free me.” Tiki groaned and slouched on the bed. “I don’t think I can do this every day until…shit how long am I gonna be here?”
 
“Oh you’re here until you’re better, that’s how it works here. I’ve been around for ten months.” Kiburi shrugged and popped another donut into his maw.
 
“Holy hell I’m already exhausted.” Tiki sighed and leaned over to swipe another donut.
 
“You just gotta find ways to entertain yourself, If you follow the rules and get better you’ll be out soon.” Kiburi explained.
 
“Get better, are you kidding me? And by that logic you should be gone by now, what’s the hold up Stripes?” Tiki snarked.
 
“Okay one, don’t call me Stripes that’s hella racist, two, one of the requirements for my leaving is losing weight and I’ve gained like 20 pounds since getting here.” The zebra huffed.
 
“Maybe lay off the donuts then huh fatty?” Tiki snapped. Kiburi continued eating his donuts with an even expression on his face.
 
“I eat when I’m stressed, just like you bitch when you’re stressed.” Kiburi smiled.
 
“I don’t ‘bitch’ when i’m stressed, I smoke! And in case you haven’t noticed, there ain’t no weed ‘round here!” Tiki yelled with frustration. Kiburi finished off his donuts and threw the crumpled wrapper in the trash by his bed.
 
“I guess you must be stressed often to end up here.” Kiburi quipped with a calm smile.
 
“Yeah well no one told everything to suck so bad.” Tiki crossed his arms and pouted.
 
“What sucks?” Kiburi flopped an ear in question.
 
“My moms suck, not having weed sucks, I suck!” Tiki said in an exasperated manner.
 
“Why do you suck?” Kiburi pressed calmly as he opened a pack of whoopie pies.
 
“Because I don’t have a purpose!” Tiki yelled in frustration. Kiburi eyed the mark on Tiki’s flank.
 
“You have a cutiemark, Isn’t that your purpose?” Kiburi asked as he pointed a hoof. Tiki scoffed.
 
“I don’t even know how I got that! I’ve never understood it, I don’t know what my talent is.” Tiki angrily poked at his flank.
 
“How is that possible? I thought one of the requirements for earning a cutiemark was understanding your talent.” Kiburi frowned. Tiki sunk into the stiff bed.
 
“I may have been high when I got it.” Tiki looked away, seeming embarrassed. Kiburi choked and coughed on his treat, then cleared his throat.
 
“Okay there are a lot of things wrong with that but the one that sticks out to me is that you were, I can only assume, a child when you earned your mark. Why were you already high?”
 
“I got it from a friend of my mom’s, she’s a total hippie, grew it herself.” Tiki waved a hoof dismissively.
 
“That explains nothing! Why were you smoking so young? I think that can cause brain damage or something!” Kiburi argued.
 
“I was down, I don’t know. I had just graduated elementary school and I was the only one without a cutiemark, I was upset. To be honest, I always thought my talent had something to do with pot.” Tiki shrugged.
 
“Well while I won’t deny ponies can have drug related talents, your cutiemark doesn’t seem to have anything to do with pot. Does a talent run in your family?” Kiburi asked as he finished his milk and tossed out the carton.
 
“Well, I mean, cutiemarks in my fam are kinda hit or miss with how clear they are. My mom’s talent is a star but it symbolizes magic, and my uncle’s is a shield and he’s good at force fields or something. I honestly don’t know what the hell my grandparent’s talents are.” Tiki explained as he relaxed in the bed, it seemed talking was easing his mind.
 
“Is your mom…Princess Twilight?” Kiburi seemed shocked.
 
“How the hell did you know?” Tiki quickly sat up and glared at the zony.
 
“Literally every pony knows Princess Twilight has a star cutiemark and her talent is magic. I mean I wasn’t sure for a second but then you mentioned your uncle and I’m pretty sure you’re talking about the Emperor of the Crystal Kingdom.” Kiburi chuckled, suddenly amused.
 
“Who remembers that crap? What, do you know who was ruler before Celestia too?” Tiki spat, oddly embarrassed.
 
“Uh yeah, the Pillars of Equestria.” Kiburi snickered at Tiki’s scrunched up face.
 
“Well you just know everything don’t you?” Tiki pouted childishly and turned away.
 
“I know you’re Prince Sunrise.” Kiburi smiled.
 
“Yeah well keep it to yourself!” Tiki stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. Kiburi grinned and laughed, then threw a whoopie pie at Tiki’s head.
 
“Eat that, you’ll feel better.” Kiburi advised. Tiki glared at him.
 
“I’m not gonna tell, chill hot-wings.” Kiburi winked and reclined on his bed. Tiki picked up the treat with a wing and nommed it.