You are probably wondering where I am writing this from. I could not honestly answer that, as even I do not know where I am. One moment I am in my home. The next, I’m stranded out in the wilderness somewhere. It happened without my knowing, probably when I blinked or closed my eyes during a sneeze. When I opened them, I was in a place I did not recognize. Plenty of trees and greenery with birds chirping. Not the slightest hint of human activity or automobile noises. There was an obvious path along the ground, leading me to believe that civilization was somewhere nearby. With nowhere else to go, I chose one direction of the path and took it.

I probably walked for around ten minutes before something came into view. Up ahead, past a small bridge stretching over a brook seemed to be a humble village. Surrounding it were many hills and a great mountain to the northeast with what seemed to be a town or fortress jutting out of the side higher up. The buildings of the village ahead seemed to be of an older design, complete with hay or straw covering the rooftops. I also could not see or hear any modern technology, complete with a total lack of power lines spanning the structures. With no other possible location in mind, I suspected that I had somehow ended up in a remote area of Europe and that these locations were historically preserved towns. With some hope that I may be able to get back home, I headed for the bridge that led into town. But I had hardly crossed it when I froze in my tracks. Even from the outskirts of town, I could see enough into it to see the locals going about their business. However, I could see no people. Only……ponies.

Yes, you read that right. There were no humans to be seen. Only many ponies. I had seen ponies and horses before, but never any so…….colorful. No two ponies looked alike. Their coats and manes were a variety of colors, from blues to reds to yellows to purples to gray. Some even had a single horn on their foreheads and others had a pair of feathered wings. Unicorns and pegasi. Each of these ponies had a unique tattoo-like image on their flanks with no two being alike. Is that the correct term for an equine’s hindquarters? Flank? If not, I apologize. I am not an expert on equine anatomy. Regardless, one had bubbles, another had a feather and book, and another had a pink six-pointed star. Do not ask me what the others were as there were too many to count. These unique appearances were strange enough, but what puzzled me more was that many appeared to be SPEAKING to each other. While I was too far away to make out any words, their jaws and lips were moving in ways that I had never seen an equine do before. What was more, some were making various movements with their forelegs in the same way one would make hand gestures to add emphasis to words. It was then that a thought occurred to me. Could these ponies be the inhabitants of this town and not mere work animals?

As I had nowhere else to look for help, I wandered into town. The ponies almost immediately detected my presence, many of them staring while whispering to each other. I could feel myself become the center of attention, a position I admit to not being fond of. I became tense with nervousness as I felt the ponies staring and observing me. A thought came to mind as I suspected that the lack of humans in this town meant that humans are generally not welcome. I did not make eye contact and walked stiffly, fearing that I would be attacked soon with one of the unicorns gouging me on its horn. Rather than loiter for too long in town, I focused on making my way to the other side so I could merely pass through.

A minute or two passed as I tried to pass through the town as quickly as possible. Along the way, I came across a pair of buildings that caught my eye. Actually, I am not certain if they qualified as real ‘buildings’. The first I saw looked as if it was nothing more than a large tree with a door at the base of the trunk. The trunk itself was very stout, bringing to mind a great redwood. As there were numerous windows carved into the woodwork and even a pair of balconies emerging from the branches, the tree could most certainly be converted into a house if it was hollowed out enough. There was an image of a candle on the door with a sign next to it showing an open book, leading me to believe this house may in fact be a library. I could have asked one of the ponies, though I was too apprehensive at the time to interact with either of them at all.

The second oddly designed structure I found was like something out of a child’s fantasy. While the walls looked the same as the others, the roof looked like that of a gingerbread house baked in time for Christmas complete with icing. There was even a banner of a cupcake with pink icing hanging off the side, leading me to suspect that either this building was a bakery or just a product produced by the bakery the banner represented. The spire that rose out of the middle of the roof strongly resembled a pair of cupcakes stacked on top of each other with a trio of large candles sticking out of the top. However, the flames at the tips seemed to just be light bulbs. I can distinctly remember thinking “Looks good enough to eat…” as I stopped in front of the building. I was also tempted to laugh at the seemingly edible design, but restrained myself for fear of inciting an attack from the locals.

“Excuse me, but you’re a human, aren’t you?”

I froze while gritting my teeth in fear. The voice came directly from behind me and sounded like that of a young woman. (This is it… I’m in trouble.) I remember thinking as I slowly turned to face the source of the voice. I stared directly ahead, rooted to the spot.

“Um… Down here.”

I tilted my head down to see a unicorn looking up at me. I recognized her as the pony with the pink six-pointed star marking on her flanks I had seen minutes earlier. Her coat was a faded purple while her large intelligent eyes were a shade of violet. What surprised me was that her mane seemed to be styled into more of a human woman’s hairstyle instead of an ordinary mane. It was straight and well kempt and shared its coloration with her equally tidy dark blue, pink, and purple tail. I suppose she could sense my fascination and nervousness as she quickly gazed at me with a look of what I believed was concern.

“Are you OK? Did you steal something and are afraid someone’s going to find out?”

I was still too nervous and scared to say anything, so I simply shook my head. The unicorn then asked, “Well, why are you acting so uptight? Are all humans as shy as you? Or are you even a human at all?”

Feeling that this unicorn was not a threat to me, I muttered softly in response, “I am… And I’m not a…thief.”

The unicorn nodded with a slight smile in an effort to seemingly reassure me. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. I mean, it’s not like everyone here is going to skin you alive and eat you just because you’re not a pony…”

I took a step back at her apparent joke. At least I was hoping that was a joke. “Is that…what you did to this town’s human population?”

The unicorn seemed to understand that I mistook her attempt at humor as a subtle threat since she suddenly raised her forelegs and shook her hooves from side to side frantically with a nervous expression. “Oh, no! Of course not! It’s just that humans have never been seen around here before. I honestly thought that they only appeared in myth.”

The fact that humans had never been seen in this town to the point that they were thought of as mythical beings caused me to fear the worst. I feared what I would hear if I asked the unicorn, but I felt I had to know. “Miss… Where am I?”

The unicorn dropped back down on all fours and replied promptly, “You’re in Ponyville. It’s pretty much right in the middle of Equestria.”

Equestria. Ponyville. They sounded like names out of a child’s storybook. And there was no way this could be Earth if humans have never once been encountered here.

(I must be dreaming… But this feels too real to be a dream…) I tried pinching myself to see if I would wake up. But I still found myself in the middle of the town with many ponies of many colors watching me. (I guess it has to hurt more than this to work.)

I gazed down at the unicorn and asked, “I don’t want to be any trouble, but could you please kick me?”

The unicorn clearly did not expect my question since she took a step backwards with a somewhat shocked expression on her face. “Kick you? Really?! But won’t that hurt?”

I nodded sincerely, understanding her concern. “I know it’s a…weird request. But I really need it.”

Before the unicorn before me could even agree to carry out my request, we both jumped at the sound of someone yelling from above us. “LOOK OUT BELOW!!!”

I did not even know what hit me as something crashed onto me from above, sending me chin-first into the ground. I will never know how my glasses escaped damage from that incident. I groaned in discomfort, the impact having inflicted more than enough pain to wake up anyone from an unpleasant dream. I heard the unicorn’s voice ask with both a hint of concern and annoyance. “Rainbow Dash! What was that for?!”

The next voice I heard came from right next to my head. It was also the voice of a young woman, but had a much more boisterous tone to it while also sounding a bit grainy as well. “Sorry about that, Twilight. Tried out another trick just now. Didn’t work out at all. I didn’t get you, did I?”

As I felt the weight of whomever fell on me shift, I could hear the jeering laughter of the other ponies around us. Apparently the sight of someone falling out of the sky and using me as a landing cushion was rather amusing to them. And in hindsight, I suppose it was funny to watch too. But it was no fun to experience. I heard the unicorn ask with a gentle genuinely concerned tone, “Are you OK? I’m sure Rainbow Dash meant no harm. You’re not hurt, are you?”

The sympathetic words of the unicorn did nothing to help soothe my humiliation. Lost, afraid, nervous, and now embarrassed, I climbed to my feet and rushed inside the closest building I could find while holding back tears. Which happened to be the gingerbread house I was observing a moment ago. As I slammed the door behind me, I could hear the unicorn scolding ‘Rainbow Dash’ and everyone who had laughed. “That’s no way to welcome a new visitor! Be quiet!”

I hardly looked around at my surroundings as I took a seat at a table in the corner of the room I had just entered. I took off my glasses, buried my face in my arms, and just let my frustration simmer. I did not want to move. Just sit there and brood. I tried to not make a sound since I did not want to draw attention to myself. A few minutes passed before I heard the door open again. The faint clopping of hooves approached me before the same voice of whoever fell on me spoke up, but in a much more reserved tone from before.

“Hey… Uh… You all right after that? I didn’t have enough time to right myself before hitting the ground, so… I guess I should say thanks for breaking my fall… No hard feelings, right?”

I was certain she was being sincere and I really did not have enough time to react at the time it occurred, so I did not really hold a grudge. But I was still feeling bitter and turned my head away from her. “No hard feelings…”

The owner of the voice asked while letting out a sigh of relief, “Phew, I was a little worried you were gonna snap at me for that. You’re a good sport. Is there anything I can do to make it up to ya?”

I was silently grateful for her willingness to help cheer me up, but my response to her was blunt and honest. “You can start by leaving me alone to rest.”

She asked with a tone of concern in her voice, “You sure? I can get you a cupcake or something.”

My only response was brief. “Not hungry…”

I was not aware that some of my tears were leaking down the sides of my arms onto the table. She must have noticed because she then asked, “Oh man… Are you crying? Is there anything I can do?”

By this point, I was too distressed to really say anything. All I could do was turn my head away and hope she would leave. I heard an audible sigh and the sound of hooves clopping followed by the sound of a door opening then closing.

My moment of peace did not last very long as I heard the door open and close about five minutes later. I sighed, hoping it was not the same pony again. I then heard a bell ring, followed by a woman’s voice speaking in a motherly tone. “Oh, hello Fluttershy. What can I get you, dear?”

The next voice I heard was vastly different from all other voices I had heard so far. It was a very quiet voice that was almost a whisper. I could sense great gentleness in the tone of the young woman it belonged to. “Oh, I’m not here to buy anything today, Mrs. Cake. I’m here to…um…give a pep talk to someone. Is there somepony here who isn’t having a good day?”

I remained perfectly still, hoping ‘Mrs. Cake’ would not notice me or at least mistake me for a pile of clothes. My hopes were quickly dashed when she replied, “Is that him over there?”

The sound of clopping hooves approached me while I held my breath, hoping she would overlook me. Soon, I felt something hard tap my leg. “Um… Excuse me, but are you OK?”

I remained silent and still as stone in the hopes that she would think I was just an inanimate object. But I heard the sounds of her footsteps go past me followed by the chair beside me being pulled out. I braced myself for pain, expecting to be bashed over the head with it. Instead, I heard the chair squeak and creak slightly as if someone had just sat on it. “Um… I’m not going to bite. Can you tell me what’s wrong? I can at least lend an ear.”

The voice sounded far too gentle to hint at even the slightest possibility of malice. Feeling some of my nervousness fade away, I cast my caution to the wind and turned my head to look at the owner of the voice. Like everyone else I had seen so far, she was a pony. But unlike the unicorn, she lacked a horn and had a pair of folded wings at her sides. Her coat was a pale yellow, possibly even a shade of gold, and her mane and tail were a pale pink. Her mane was draped mostly to her right with it parting in two large bangs that curled at the ends. Her tail was the same, being somewhat longer than most others with her mane even reaching past her knees. The markings on her flanks were a trio of butterflies with pink wings and turquoise bodies and antennae. She was somehow entirely seated on the chair without falling off, something I found surprising about the ponies of this land. Her strong cyan eyes gazed at me with great concern, but also with great shyness as well. I sighed and spoke after scanning her for a moment. “You’re…..cute.”

The pegasus pony blushed deeply at my compliment, turning away with her eyes closed. “I…uh…I’m flattered…”

Feeling that I may have offended her, I buried my face in my arms again. Perhaps she would go away. A moment of silence passed before I heard the pony speak up again in her quiet voice, “Wha…. What’s your name?”

Without even looking at her, I replied, “James.”

The pegasus pony probably smiled as she retorted with a slightly more upbeat tone, “James… That’s a unique name. I’m Fluttershy.”

“I overheard.” I muttered bluntly, having heard the brief conversation she had with Mrs. Cake.

“Oh, I’m sorry… I forgot you might have been listening…” Fluttershy whispered, seemingly embarrassed. After a moment of silence, she asked with a bit of hesitation in her tone, “So…James… Are you OK? Rainbow Dash told me you were crying… Did someone hurt you?”

I replied bluntly once more, still feeling bitter. “So what if I was? Everyone cries at some point.”

I believe I may have intimidated Fluttershy with my straightforward answer since she remained silent for a moment. She eventually asked, “Um… I hope I’m not interrupting anything… Should I leave you alone?”

In my mind at the time, I truly wanted to be left alone. However, I found Fluttershy’s presence and gentle voice to be calming. After thinking my answer over in my head, I replied with as gentle a tone as I could manage considering my mood at the time. “I… Please stay… Your voice is soothing to hear.”

While I could not see it, Fluttershy was blushing once again. “OK… I’ll stay. Um… So, what brings you to Ponyville? I never knew humans existed.”

I answered frankly, “I don’t know. I closed my eyes and found myself on the outside of town. I don’t know how I got here, I’m lost, alone, afraid, and then I was humiliated just a little while ago when that ‘Rainbow Dash’ used me as a safety cushion. And no, this is not a dream. That impact hurt too much for me to still be asleep after that.”

Fluttershy sighed deeply before speaking with a hint of contempt in her voice, “So that’s why everypony was laughing… How awful. Laughing at the misfortune of others…”

I sighed before replying, “I don’t blame them. When I think about it, I probably would’ve laughed too if I saw it happen. I’m just glad my glasses were OK after that.”

Fluttershy and I conversed for a few more minutes, lost in conversation. I never once raised my head to look at her again, although I felt Fluttershy gently rubbing my back with her hoof every now and then. Eventually, she asked, “You do sound like you’ve been through a lot today… Would a hug help you feel better?”

Halfheartedly, I nodded. “Sure… If you want.”

I suddenly felt two strong legs wrap around me and hold me in a gentle embrace. I raised my head and found Fluttershy embracing me with her forelegs while reared up on her hind legs. I can recall my vision becoming blurred as I began to tear up, as it was the first genuine act of kindness I had received since arriving in this strange land. In response, I draped my right arm across her back and held her close as I whispered softly, “Thanks…..”

Fluttershy whispered quietly, “All better now?”

I wiped my tears away and smiled slightly. “I don’t know about ‘all’, but I’m better now than I was a minute ago.”

Fluttershy gave me a surprise nuzzle before letting go and dropping back down onto all fours. “I’m glad I could help. If you see me around, feel free to say hi.”

I watched quietly as the pegasus pony left the bakery. Still feeling slightly down, I rested my head on my arms once again and muttered to myself without worrying if anyone heard me. “I think I just made my first friend…”

Moments later, I heard the voice of Mrs. Cake humming a tune that was steadily getting closer. When it felt that she was right next to me, I looked to my left and found a pony setting three cupcakes on the table that were the size of my fist. Her coat was a light shade of blue while her mane and tail were two shades of pink. The combination of blue and pink brought to mind cotton candy. Her eyes were just as pink and the styling of her tail and mane brought to mind icing on a cake, a style befitting of her profession. The markings on her flanks showed three cupcakes, each with a cherry on top. When she noticed that I was looking her way, she gave me a reassuring, almost motherly, smile. “Oh, hello dear. Did Fluttershy help cheer you up?”

No longer feeling nervous, I sat up and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Mrs. Cake smiled comfortingly, “That dear is just the sweetest little thing you’ll ever see in Ponyville. No one can match her kindness. But since you’re new in town, how about trying out some of Sugarcube Corner’s wares?” She motioned her hoof towards the three cupcakes. The cake was probably made of dark chocolate mix and the icing was white, probably vanilla.

“Vanilla or cream cheese icing?” I asked, not having much of a taste for cream cheese.

Mrs. Cake giggled and replied, “Neither. That icing is buttercream.”

My eyes went wide at the mention of buttercream. “That sounds fantastic. How much? And do you take debit or credit?” The only form of money I had with me was my debit card. And I had no way of returning home to get paper money.

“Oh, we only take cash, dear. Not many businesses in Ponyville accept credit. But don’t worry. Those three are on the house. Nothing cheers ponies up quite like Sugarcube Corner cupcakes!” Mrs. Cake gave me a pat on the back, trying to reassure me.

“The only problem is that I’m not a pony… But thanks anyway.” I removed the wrapping from one and took a bite, chewing slowly to enjoy this new treat to the fullest. The flavor of the buttercream complimented the cake very well.

“Fabulous…” It was all I could say as I enjoyed my first cupcake.

“I expected nothing less, dear. Those are for you to enjoy at your leisure. But I recommend you finish them soon. They’re the last three from the first batch I made this morning. Wouldn’t want them to get stale now.” Mrs. Cake pushed the next one closer to me before heading back into the kitchen.

Two cupcakes of that size is usually my limit as I was unable to start on the third. Deciding to hold onto it until later, I put my glasses back on and headed out the door with cupcake in hand. I immediately felt the eyes of the town’s ponies once again staring at me, though I did not feel as nervous as before. As I walked around the outside of Sugarcube Corner, I came across Fluttershy, the unicorn I first met, and another pegasus. The unicorn and pegasus seemed to be busy chatting with each other since they did not seem to notice my presence. I recognized the pegasus’ voice as the one who first entered the bakery to apologize to me, leading me to identify her as Rainbow Dash. Her name matched her appearance, as her tail and mane were rainbow-striped, both unkempt and wild in form. Her coat was a shade of cyan and her eyes rose-colored. The symbol on her flanks seemed to be a white cloud with a rainbow-colored lightning bolt being emitted from its underside. I remember muttering under my breath, “Wild woman, most likely…”

As I observed the three ponies, I noticed that Fluttershy was not as immersed in the conversation as the other two. I lightly tapped her back to get her attention. When she turned to face me, I held out the spare cupcake to her.

“F…for me?” Fluttershy asked with a blush on her face. I shyly nodded, knowing that many of the other bystanders were watching my every move. With a tiny grin, she whispered, “Thank you, James.” She then reached out with her forward right hoof facing up, allowing me to set the cupcake on it. Already starting to lose my nerve, I quickly waved farewell and headed in the opposite direction as quickly as I could.

My nervousness began to resurface as the many ponies around me whispered to each other, likely gossiping about me. I was so focused on avoiding eye contact; I nearly did not notice a pony wander right into my path. I narrowly stopped myself from tripping over her at the last second. “Sorry.” I said promptly.

The pony seemed to be rather curious about me as she gazed at me for a moment. Her big eyes were a dark blue while her coat was a bright pink. Her tail and mane were more of a magenta hue, but seemed to be abnormally…..poofy. I could find no better term to describe it. If I did not know better, I would have guessed they were full of air like balloons. My guess would likely have been supported by the symbols on her flanks, which consisted of three balloons with two blue and one yellow. Finding her constant stare awkward, I attempted to casually break the silence. “Um… Hi?”

I was not prepared for her reaction. The pony jumped into the air and let out a loud gasp before dashing past me at speeds I never knew could be reached by an equine. When I turned around to see where she had went, she was already gone. “Um… Xenophobic, maybe?”

I decided to explore outside of town, curious of what there was to see and wanting to get away from the prying eyes of Ponyville. My first discovery was what seemed to be a farm to the southwest. Upon drawing closer, I found a large red barn with a shiny purple roof that seemed to have been recently refurbished. I noticed some chickens milling about nearby and a few sheds in the distance. But more than anything, I saw apple trees. Hundreds of apple trees covering the hilly landscape. There were even various apple images all over the place, from a wood panel with an apple shape cut out hanging over the gate I passed through to a bright red apple weathervane on top of the barn. “Apple orchard… What else could it be?”

Having had very few encounters with farms in my life, I decided to take a look around out of curiosity. But I had already reached the barn before a voice spoke up from behind me, “What brings ya ‘round these parts? And what are you? Yer way too big ta be a pony.”

I tensed up immediately and turned to face the owner of the voice. “A might funny-lookin’, ain’t ya? Never seen one of you ‘round before. Where ya from, pardner?” The owner of the voice was yet another pony. She spoke with a southern accent befitting a farm girl. Her coat was orange and her mane and tail were blond. She had a few freckles under her green eyes, a trait I found rather charming. A brown stetson hat rested atop her head. I also noticed that her mane and tail were tied at the ends with her mane hanging past her shoulders. Lastly, the symbols on her flanks consisted of three red apples.

This pony seemed more curious than hostile to me, so I let myself relax somewhat. Remembering her question, I answered while trying to not seem suspicious in the slightest. “Um… Well, I’m not from around here. I’m a human. And I don’t think humans are native to Equestria.”

The pony laughed upon hearing my response. “Human? Y’all are pullin’ my left hind leg! They’re just stuff from old ponytales! Now seriously, what are you?”

I frowned at the farm pony’s stubbornness. “You asked an honest question and I gave you an honest answer. If you don’t believe me, I can’t help that.”

The pony seemed to detect the slight amount of frustration in my voice since she stopped smirking immediately. “Oh… Didn’t mean ta strike a nerve. It’s just that humans only show up in old folklore and that sorta stuff. Ya don’t sound like yer lyin’ either, so sorry if I ticked ya off. Anyway, I’m forgettin’ my manners. The name’s Applejack. And this here lovely patch of red and green is Sweet Apple Acres. So, what’s yer name, pardner?”

Relieved to find someone who was more hospitable than the majority of the ponies I had passed earlier, I smiled wholeheartedly as I spoke my reply. “The name’s James. And nice farm you got here, Miss Applejack.”

Applejack chuckled and shook her hoof in a dismissive manner. “No need ta use the honorifics with me. Just keep it simple, if ya don’t mind.”

I nodded at Applejack’s request, but my eyes once again fell upon the apple symbols on her flanks. “AJ, may I ask you something?”

The farm pony smiled at my use of her initials in preference of her full name. “Now that’s keepin’ things simple! And sure! Whatcha need ta know?”

I pointed at her flank and asked, “I’ve been seeing those markings on every pony I’ve come across today. And they’re all different. What are they? Tattoos?”

Applejack glanced at her markings and laughed, “Oh, that?! That’s my cutie mark! Every pony gets one eventually.”

I raised an eyebrow at the name of the markings I had seen so many times that day. Cutie mark. Yet another term that sounds like something out of a child’s storybook. “Cutie…? Seriously?”

Applejack tried to keep a straight face, as she seemed to find my expression amusing. “What’s wrong? You got somethin’ against anythin’ cute? Even the men get ‘em! And it’s not a joke. Every cutie mark is unique. They show or represent the unique talents or gifts of the pony that wears ‘em.”

I pondered Applejack’s explanation in my head for a moment. “They’re all different? And they show what a pony is really skilled at? If that’s the case, what does yours mean?”

Applejack smirked at me. “Well, if you wanna keep it simple…” She then spoke rather proudly with her accent being slightly stronger than before, “Ah like apples!” I could not help laughing at her exclamation. She likes apples, she works with apples, and she even lives around apples. What else could her cutie mark be but apples? And if you ask me, I suspect she dreams apples.

“Well, I better get back ta lunch. I’ve got a lotta apples ta harvest once I finish.” Applejack said as she walked over to an upside-down pail. A sandwich sat atop it.

Seeing Applejack’s sandwich made me ponder what the diet of these ponies consists of. “AJ, what kind of sandwich is that?”

The farm pony turned to face me after taking a bite. “It’s a grass and daisy sandwich. Good stuff! Wanna bite?”

I was hardly surprised that even these ponies eat grass and flowers. “Sorry, but that doesn’t sound very appetizing to me. You got any meat?”

My request for meat seemed to shock Applejack somewhat as she gasped and took one step away from me. “Meat?! Wait… Are you a…carnivore?”

I rolled my eyes and frowned, “No. I’m an omnivore. Humans eat all sorts of foods from fruits to meats to veggies. And I have no desire for pony meat, if that’s what you think I’m getting at.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew. Ya had me goin’ there for a minute. Well, sorry. We ponies are strictly vegetarian.”

I sighed with a lack of enthusiasm as I thought of having to survive on such a limited variety of food choices. Once Applejack finished her sandwich, she walked past me. “Well, I better get back ta work. See ya around, James.” I waved goodbye and left the way I came.

Curious of what else there was to see around Ponyville, I headed east crossing over a small river that snaked through the town. On the outskirts of town, I came across a cluster of tents with designs that I would likely find in a Renaissance festival. However, there was also a house of sorts near them. It was quite cylindrical in shape with a spire that seemed to function as a second floor. The design was surprisingly elegant with large windows on the ground floor with pink and purple and azure and white colorations all over it. Above the doorway was what seemed to be an emblem depicting a carousel horse complete with the support bar standing vertically through it. “A carousel house?” I remember speaking aloud.

“Not quite. Carousel Boutique.” A very refined woman’s voice spoke to me from behind. I turned to face the owner of the voice and found another pony that seemed to be wearing a pair of saddlebags. Like the first pony I spoke to, she was a unicorn. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of azure and she seemed to be wearing light blue eye shadow and had very feminine and elegantly styled eyelashes. Her coat was the purest shade of white I had seen all day and her mane and tail were an indigo hue. They were both styled in the same way with her hair being styled into a curl at the ends. Her cutie mark consisted of three light blue diamonds, leading me to suspect that this pony was of a very high social class.

“Darling, I do believe you could use some sprucing up. That attire is so unsophisticated.” The unicorn spoke with a very noticeable upper-class accent that I found comparable to those used by film actresses from the 60s. But after closer examination, she then asked, “Wait a moment… What exactly are you? You seem rather bare for a pony.”

I was feeling the calmest I had felt all day since meeting Fluttershy, as this unicorn pony seemed to be far from hostile or even aggressive at all. I answered her question calmly, “I’m not a pony at all, ma’am. I’m a human.”

The unicorn looked just as shocked as almost everyone else I had said that to so far. “A human?! The creature of myth?!”

I rolled my eyes at her exclamation and dryly replied, “Humans really aren’t all that special. I find you ponies to be more fascinating than humanity.”

The pony seemed flattered by my admittance to being so fascinated with her kind as she blushed slightly. “Oh, you are too kind. And where are my manners? I am Rarity and the proprietor of this fine boutique.”

Rarity’s display of manners to someone of a much lower social class like myself took me aback slightly. Someone of her grace and style being courteous of those below her without being conceited or snooty was truly, as her name implied, a rarity. “Rarity… That name suits you. My name is James.”

I could see Rarity grin and giggle rather modestly at my compliment. “You are too kind, dear. But now that you’re here, allow me to craft something more fitting for you.” I had no time to refuse as she grabbed my wrist in her mouth and dragged me inside the house. But not without smashing my forehead into the top of the doorway, that is.

“AUGH!!!” I hunkered over and clutched my forehead, gritting my teeth in sharp pain. Rarity let go of me the instant I yelled and looked back at me.

“Oh my goodness, did I hurt you?!” Rarity asked with a hint of panic in her voice.

“No… The dang doorway was too low.” I replied while trying to endure the pain however I could. “I think this will leave a lump…”

Rarity shook her head while seemingly trying to think quickly. “Oh no, I shall not allow such a blemish to be left on your face! Wait right here. I know just what will do the trick.” I watched the unicorn pony run off through a doorway nearby that lacked a door.

While I waited, my eyes scanned my surroundings. Much to my surprise, the building looked less like a house and more like an indoor studio. The room was also rather spacious. The walls were light pink with purple floral patterns. Various pony mannequins stood about, full-length mirrors hung on walls with very low dressers beneath them, and many dark pink curtains hung everywhere. I also noticed a flight of stairs leading upwards next to the hall Rarity went down that had a very barebones look to it with very dark indigo coloration. There were also numerous grid-based shelves containing various colored cloth and a sewing machine right beside me. “A seamstress?”

Moments later, Rarity came trotting back with what seemed to be a first aid kit with it hanging from her mouth by its handle. But when she set it down, I stared in surprise as the box seemed to open on its own. “So sorry if I kept you waiting. Now dear, I need you to remove your hands from your head. Leave it all to me.”

I was in too much pain to argue, so I did as I was told. But I jumped slightly when I saw bandages, ointment, and tape float out of the box. “Just hold still. This shouldn’t take long at all.” Rarity appeared to be merely staring at the medicinal tools and me while an unseen force began to make the bandages unravel. But as some ointment was squeezed from its tube, I noticed that Rarity’s white horn was engulfed in a billowing light blue aura while shimmering. The levitating medical supplies were also surrounded by a faint blue glow. I felt the cool touch of the ointment being applied to the bruised area of my forehead by invisible fingers. A cotton pad was then set over the area where the ointment had been applied before the bandages were wrapped tightly around my head. “Hmmmm… Oh, one last thing!” Rarity looked towards a desk as a draw slid open. Two marker pens floated out of the drawer, or were they highlighter pens? Regardless, they were red and green. The cap on the green one popped off before the tip was applied to my bandage. “Don’t move, James. I’ll make this as quick as possible.”

The sound of scribbling markers reached my ears while I sat perfectly still, wondering what Rarity was doing to my bandages. After a minute or two, she swapped to the red marker. However, I only heard it being used on the center of my forehead for a brief moment. “There we are! Oh, you look quite dashing now. Functional and stylish in one package!” A hand….or should I say hoof mirror floated over to me to show my reflection. The bandages had been colored green, but a red star had been drawn right in the middle of them on the front. “Red and green go so well together, do they not?”

I lightly touched the bandages, finding that the ink was already dry. At a glance, it seemed that I was wearing a headband. I turned to Rarity and nodded before replying, “Well, red and green are complimentary colors. Green’s even one of my favorite colors.”

Rarity beamed as she ‘set’ the mirror down, “My choice of color was perfect as always. I settle for nothing but the best in my work. But truly, are you all right? I’m terribly sorry about that.”

I nodded, impressed by how quickly and sincerely she treated my injury. “I’m fine now. I can hardly feel the pain at all. That ointment works fast. And now I know to always duck when I use a door here.”

Rarity smiled with an uneasy grin, apparently being reminded that it was she who caused me to get hurt. “Not only is it a painkiller. It will also help the swelling recede. But I still feel I must make it up to you somehow. Perhaps I can weave you a new outfit to replace those old rags? I mean... Well, I really should do something! Not even five minutes since we've met and I've already caused you harm. Not the best way to introduce myself, was it?"

That little personal insight got a very brief snicker out of me. I was about to turn down her offer, but I then remembered that the only clothes I had with me in Equestria were the ones on my back. “Well… All right, Miss Rarity. But please keep them casual.” As she jotted down a note, I asked, “Wait… Weave new clothes? You can do that?”

With a giggle, Rarity faced me and smiled. “But of course! I am the leading fashion designer of Ponyville. I only use the finest materials and make everything to bring out the inner beauty of the pony who wears them….. Well, you’re not a pony, but you understand.”

I smiled slightly, suspecting that Rarity had every right to boast. But I then asked, “But what is this place? Your home?”

Rarity proudly explained to me, “As I said before, this is the Carousel Boutique. It is where I live and do my work. This room right here is where I conduct business and perform the bulk of my job. In the back is the kitchen and living room while the second story contains the bedroom and bathroom.”

We conversed for a few minutes, I finding Rarity to be a very likeable host. “Rarity, how did you make those things float and work without touching them? Telekinesis?”

The unicorn seemed baffled by my guess. “Teleki what now? Whatever it is, that is not what I did. I simply used magic. See?” Her horn once again began to shimmer as a billowing aura engulfed it. I suddenly felt myself float in the air for about two seconds before being set back down on the bench. “Every unicorn possesses magical abilities. Our horns contain and channel the energies for various uses.”

I bowed my head in thought as I learned that the horn of a unicorn is not just for show. “Unicorns can use magic and pegasi can fly. You all have it easy compared to humans.”

Minutes passed before I looked out the window. The sun was starting to get low in the sky as night began to draw near. “Rarity, is there a hotel or anything like that in Ponyville? I need to find a place to stay tonight.”

The unicorn gaze me a slightly perplexed gaze. “Well... There are a couple, if memory serves. But even so, why would you ever need to find one? Don’t you have a place of your own?”

I sighed, worried that I may have to camp in some bushes for the night. “I only just showed up in Equestria today and I have no idea how it happened. All I have are the clothes on my back, the glasses on my face, and the stuff in my pockets. Nothing else.”

Rarity frowned, clearly showing sympathy for me. But she soon smiled and spoke jovially, “What a shame! No knowledge of how you arrived? And no way to return home? Then you need a new place to stay! By all means, stay here! My home is your home.”

My eyes opened wide and my jaw nearly dropped. I could hardly believe a pony would allow me, a complete stranger, to reside in her house. “Well, what’s the rent? A hundred a month? Two hundred?”

My question only prompted a giggle from Rarity as she replied, “No, I ask for no such thing. You may stay for as long as you need. Everyone needs a place to rest at night. And don’t try to change my mind! I won’t accept cash in return. You are welcome here, James. And that’s that.”

I felt a complex mix of relief, gratitude, and guilt as I listened to Rarity voice her generosity. “…..Rarity…. I… I don’t know what to say… Just… Thank you.”

Before we could speak longer, there was a knock at the door. “Hm? I seldom get visitors at this hour.” I heard Rarity mutter as she answered the door. The door was split into two halves, with Rarity only opening the top half. “No one here? Oh, wait.” Her horn glowed again before an envelope floated up into view. The envelope opened as the note inside was lifted out. I watched while Rarity read it in silence.

“Oh, that Pinkie Pie. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” Rarity chuckled before she crumpled up the note and flung it into a wastebasket.

“Pinkie Pie? Something important?” I asked, not sure if the name I just heard was the name of another pony or some type of dessert.

Rarity chuckled as she headed towards the front door and opened both halves with magic again. “It was nothing important. But I need to head into town for a little while. Make yourself at home, darling.” The door closed behind her, leaving me alone in the Carousel Boutique.

Curious of what else there was to see, I decided to look down the hall where Rarity had retrieved her first aid kit. I found the kitchen on the right with the living room on the left. Both rooms were rather small, which was understandable considering the fairly small statures of ponies. The living room contained a sofa that was long enough for me to lie down on, an equally long table in front of it, an end table next to the sofa that held a desk lamp, and a small pile of various fashion magazines. With nothing else to do at the time, I picked them up and started to look through them. “Fashionista Monthly? Boutique le Chic? Fillies of Fashion? Equestria’s Finest…. Wait a minute…” At the bottom of the pile was a magazine that stood out from the rest. I read the title aloud. “Play…mare…” On the cover was a pure white stallion with a black mane and tail smirking whimsically. I snickered under my breath, “I guess even ponies have guilty pleasures at times.”

I sat down on the sofa and began to look through Rarity’s newest copy of Equestria’s Finest to pass the time. “Short tails are in this year?” I flipped a page. “Uproar over Wonderbolt’s Spitfire on her new flight pattern. Original or Plagiarized?” Right as I read that, I heard a tapping on the window. Curious, I took a peek. When I looked outside, I saw a slab of cardboard floating in the air with an arrow painted on it pointing in the direction of the front door. “The heck…?”

Thinking that it was just Rarity playing a prank on me, I opened the front door and spoke, “You have my attention, Miss Rarity…. Wait…. What?” Floating before me was another slab of cardboard. Written on it were the words ‘Follow Me’. The slab then began to float away from me. Not sure if I should leave Rarity’s home unattended, I held up my hand. “Just a moment.” I ran back inside and wrote a note for Rarity explaining that I had been called away by a floating sign. I know it sounds ridiculous, but if unicorns can use telekinesis-like magic with their horns, she would probably believe me.

I ran back outside and closed the door behind me, finding the sign waiting patiently for me where I last saw it. As I approached, it floated away from me with the side with ‘Follow Me’ written on it constantly facing me. “Where exactly are you taking me?” I asked the sign. I suppose that was a pointless question since cardboard cannot speak. Even in Equestria. It led me back into the center of Ponyville, though there were not as many ponies out at these later hours. I remember hearing cicadas hissing all around me, even the occasional mournful cry of a Higurashi cicada. As the sun was beginning to descend over the horizon and night was starting to move in, the call of this particular cicada was all the more fitting for the moment.

Before long, the delicious gingerbread roof of Sugarcube Corner came into view. “There?” I asked as my eyes trailed upwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed what I thought was a pony looking out of one of the second story windows. Whoever it was probably saw me since it suddenly ducked out of sight. Since the lighting was becoming poor, I could not make out the details of the body. However, I distinctly remember seeing a glowing horn on the head. “Was that Rarity? Or…someone else?”

My gut instinct was beginning to tell me to walk away before it was too late. But since no one in Ponyville had tried to harm me during my first day there, I felt I had no reason to doubt them yet. Against my better judgment, I followed the cardboard sign to Sugarcube Corner’s front door. I could see through the window that there was only a lit candle resting on the main counter providing light in the shop. “Nobody’s even here. Why did you lead me here if the place has already closed for the night?” I turned to walk away, but the sign floated in front of me and rammed my chest a few times as if it was trying to tell me something. I turned to face the door again and watched as the sign tapped the door. It was then I noticed that this door did not even have a doorknob. “Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to…” I found that the door pushed inward when I nudged it. “How did I not remember how it… Oh. Right…” I remembered then how I was too distraught to really pay any attention to my surroundings at the time I first entered the bakery. I pushed the door open entirely and followed the sign inside, pleased that the doorway was barely high enough for me to not have to duck very much at all.

The door swung shut behind me on its own once I was inside Sugarcube Corner. “OK, I’m here. Now what?” The sign turned around. On the other side was the word ‘Upstairs’. I looked around and saw a flight of stairs behind the counter. “I hope this isn’t a prank to get me arrested for trespassing…” The sign suddenly fell on the counter, apparently having fulfilled its use. I then stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. While the stairwell itself was slightly lit from the candle’s flame, the top was almost pitch-black. Now just as nervous as I was when I first arrived in Ponyville, I slowly climbed the stairs while being very careful to mind my head.

I remember thinking to myself as I neared the top, (Something’s wrong here. It’s not that dark out just yet. Why can’t I see anything at all?) At the top of the stairs, I looked around and found I could not see the windows. (Are they covered?) I faced the wall on my right and felt along it for a light switch. I did not have to look for long as I found it right in front of me. But as soon as I flicked on the lights, several voices shouted behind me, “SURPRISE!!!”

Scared out of my wits, I immediately turned off the lights without turning to face the owners of the voices. “S-sorry! I…uh… I didn’t see anything! Sorry for…um…walking in uninvited! I-I-I-I’ll just be going now.” However, I then froze as I heard the voices of several girls laughing. Before I could turn to face the stairs, something nudged my lower back.

A young woman’s voice spoke from right behind me in a high-pitched energetic tone, “James, you silly! This is YOUR party!” I felt whoever was nudging me reach past me and flip the light switch on again. Once I could see again, I looked down and saw the very same pink pony who had run off at absurd speed earlier that day when I merely said ‘Hi’ to her.

“A party? MY party?” I asked in bewilderment.

The pink pony replied with an excited grin, “Yup! When someone new comes to Ponyville, we always make sure they get a warm welcome! Oh, and all your friends are here too!”

I turned to my left and found five familiar ponies standing at the center of the room. “Rarity? Applejack? Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash? And…” My gaze fell upon the purple unicorn mare I had met earlier that day. “Um….. Twilight, was it?”

The purple unicorn nodded and smiled at me while speaking her reply. “Twilight Sparkle, to be precise. And how’ve you been since we met? You feeling better by now?”

I looked around the room before responding. There were many balloons and streamers hanging from an upper balcony, confetti was scattered everywhere, there was a wooden tub filled with water that seemed to have apples floating in it, and a table with a bowl of punch and an impressive cake that was more than half my size. I then faced my hosts and asked, “You did all this for me? You hardly even know me…”

Rainbow Dash spoke up in her enthusiastic voice, “Yeah, we don’t know you all that well yet. But from what we’ve seen from you so far, you’re pretty cool. At least as far as shy guys get. And besides that, you seem like you’ve had a pretty rotten day. So think of this party as a way to cheer you up!”

I took off my glasses as I honestly felt tears building up again. I was genuinely touched by this powerful show of unconditional hospitality. “Uh oh… Do you need a hug again?” Fluttershy asked in her adorably quiet voice. I was only able to nod as I rubbed my fingers against my closed eyes. I felt Fluttershy rear up on her hind legs and embrace me with her forelegs with her head resting against my ribs. I held her against me with my spare arm as the other five ponies let out an aww.

“Ain’t that the cutest thing y’all ever saw, girls?” I heard Applejack speak up.

“Cute? I would say they are simply DARLING.” Rarity’s accent made her voice instantly recognizable.

Fluttershy eventually whispered, “Feel better, James?” I looked down at her and silently nodded with a smile.

Once Fluttershy had released me from her embrace, I turned to face the five other ponies. “Girls… I really don’t know what to say to all this… When I ended up here today, I was scared, lost, and alone. And I am truly grateful you’ve given me your support.”

Applejack chuckled with a humble smile. “Aw shucks, James… Just don’t forget ta thank Pinkie Pie. She set up the whole party herself.”

I glanced around, finding the pink pony standing next to a phonograph. “Enough waiting! Everypony’s here now, so let’s PARTY!” She then nudged the needle with her muzzle, pushing it into place as music began to play.

Right after kicking off the party, the pink pony ran right over to me and grinned while speaking with very brief pauses between each sentence. “Hi, James! I’m Pinkie Pie! I got this party set up just for you! Did we surprise you? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Pinkie Pie had reared herself up on her hind legs and pulled me close to her in a very chummy fashion, her left foreleg holding me around my waist. “Surprise me? I very near jumped outta my skin. Does that tell you anything?”

Pinkie Pie then began to speak very VERY quickly to me. “It sure does! It means you were very surprised! Hey, what would happen if you DID jump out of your skin? Would you just be a skeleton? Would you walk around with your bones creaking like EEYEH or maybe CRRRECK? Ooh! That would be so awesome for Nightmare Night! You wouldn’t even need a costume! You’d just walk up to the door and they’d be like YAAAAHHHH!!! And then maybe they’d jump out of their skins too! You could lead a whole skeleton pony parade! Then maybe we’d join your parade as skeletons too! Cause now we’re your friends too! And friends do all sorts of fun things together!”

Due to the very fast speed of Pinkie Pie’s chattering, I could hardly keep up with anything she said. Hoping someone knew what she said, I turned to the other five ponies and asked, “Um…. Translation?” Each of them burst into hysterical laughter, as did I.

The party started without a hitch. Twilight and Pinkie Pie started by dancing to the music, though I never knew ponies could dance well at all and I am not certain exactly how to describe how quadrupeds dance at this moment. Rarity and Fluttershy started with friendly chatter while trying out the cake and punch. But what caught my eye the most was Rainbow Dash and Applejack bobbing for apples.

The last time I ever saw bobbing for apples at a party was way back when I was either three or four years old, so I felt a significant nostalgia rush as I approached the two bobbers. Applejack dunked her head into the tub, and then pulled it out with an apple in her mouth, which she chomped down with a single bite. Rainbow Dash noticed me approach them and waved at me. “You up for bobbing for apples, James?”

I took off my glasses and set them near the punch bowl. “I haven’t seen this at a party in ages, so sure thing.” I got down on my knees and gripped the sides of the tub for balance. I then dunked my face into the tub and felt around for anything to grab onto. After a few seconds, I felt something drift between my jaws and bit down on it. When I pulled myself out of the tub, a red apple was in my teeth.

“Nice one, James! And on your first try too!” Rainbow Dash applauded me while I removed the apple from my jaws.

“What’s wrong? Ya don’t want it?” Applejack asked, probably wanting it for herself since she…well…is all about apples.

“Not really. Red apples always leave my mouth feeling dried out. You can have it, AJ.” I handed the apple to the farm pony, who chomped it down vigorously.

“Found any of the special surprises in there yet?” Pinkie Pie asked as she came trotting over to check on us.

At the mention of something special, I asked, “What kind of surprises you talking about?”

The party animal pony merely giggled before replying, “I can’t tell you that, silly. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you knew!”

I looked back at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who then looked at each other and back at me. “You game?” Rainbow Dash asked me with a smirk.

“Let’s do it.” I replied with a smirk of my own. In unison, the three of us dunked our heads into the tub. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both pulled out apples, but I was having trouble with whatever I ended up grabbing.

Applejack noticed that I was pulling myself out of the tub too slowly and asked once my ears were above water, “Whatcha got there, pardner? A lead weight?”

I groaned through my teeth the best I could. “I don’t know! But I’m not letting go!” I had no way of knowing that what I grabbed was a yellow apple (my favorite kind) with a spring stuck into it that had been glued to the bottom of the tub.

Once the spring was visible to her, Rainbow Dash gulped nervously. “Uh, James? I think you better let this one go.”

My only response to the pegasus pony was a growl as I struggled to pull it until it stopped pulling back. My efforts were drawing attention from the other ponies since they had stopped what they were doing to come over and watch. All the while, I had no real idea of what they were so fascinated by.

“James, let it go! You’re not supposed to win when you get that one!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a hoof raised.

I think the thing that was keeping the spring from pulling me back in was that I was using my arms on the tub for extra leverage. Eventually, I had pulled so far back, I was almost to a standing position and the spring was almost completely straightened out. At that point, the spring came loose and was suddenly yanked out of the apple and I was sent stumbling backwards and falling flat on my back without knowing what happened.

“Oh dear, are you all right?!” Rarity asked as she and the other girls came to my side. I replied by removing the apple from my mouth and laughing.

“Man, why didn’t you let that go?” Rainbow Dash asked with a baffled expression.

“Why? Because golden delicious apples are my favorite, that’s why.” I chuckled before I took a bite. The ponies laughed in unison as well.

Once I had eaten my apple, I turned to Pinkie Pie. “Any other surprises in there?”

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes mischievously while speaking in an annoyingly dismissive tone, “Maaaaaybe.”

My first guess was that there were other fruit in the tub. I once again went to the apple tub and dunked my face in. But I was in for quite a surprise when I felt something soft clamp onto my face. (What the hell…?) I distinctly remember thinking at the strange feeling.

I immediately pulled my head out of the tub and opened my eyes. But to my shock, I could see nothing. I turned around and tried to ask what was on my face, but my voice was heavily muffled. I could hear Rainbow Dash snickering under her breath, struggling to keep herself from bursting into laughter.

Not getting a response from my friends, I tried feeling what was on my face. It felt wet, slightly slimy, and bumpy. I felt my blood chill as I immediately thought it was a piranha. I let out a muffled yell as I frantically tried to pull it off. My antics were clearly amusing to my friends since I could hear them all laughing at me. But when I began to have trouble breathing, I started to feel absolutely furious at Pinkie Pie for placing a live piranha in the tub.

Pinkie Pie seemed to notice that I was starting to suffocate since she loudly called out, “OK, that’s enough! Let him go, Gummy!” Right at those words, whatever was clamped onto my face let go and fell at my feet. But when I looked down, I saw not a piranha, but a baby alligator.

“A…..gator?” It was all I could say.

Pinkie Pie giggled and grinned at me. “Don’t worry, James! That’s just my pet alligator, Gummy! He’s got no teeth! See?” The alligator suddenly started biting my legs repeatedly. But each time, his toothless fleshy gums inflicted no pain.

“I think I’ve had enough applebobbing for today…” I said dazedly, slightly shell-shocked from the experience. I cut myself a slice of cake, poured myself a glass of punch, and took a seat while watching my friends enjoy themselves.

While I enjoyed my cake and punch, I silently thought of a way to get back at Pinkie Pie for putting me through one of the biggest scares of my life. My eyes soon fell upon the cake and I smirked slyly. I finished my plate and waited for Pinkie Pie to approach the cake for another slice before putting my plan into action.

“Hey, Pinkie Pie. I have something important to tell you.” I casually said while I approached her.

“Important? Oki doki loki! What’s up?” Pinkie Pie asked in her happy-go-lucky manner.

I smirked as I asked, “You sure love cake, don’t you?”

The pink pony laughed once before replying, “I love to party! It’s what I live for! And you can’t have parties without cake!”

I shook my head while not once losing my smirk. “Well then, you’ll love to hear this.” I then leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “The cake is a lie.”

At my words, Pinkie Pie froze. She then muttered, “The cake is a lie?” I nodded in silence. Right then, her mane suddenly let out a strange deflating sound as it…well…deflated. Like a balloon. Yes, I am not joking. Her hair LITERALLY deflated like a balloon. Where it was all puffy and full, it was now long and straight. The same occurred to her bushy tail, which was now similar in form to Twilight’s. I also noticed that her coat had become a darker hue. She then sobbed lightly as if she was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. “If the cake is a lie, the party is a lie. And if the party is a lie…” She then broke down into tears, literally crying a river of them. “My whole life has been a liiiihihiiiiiiieee!!!”

Pinkie Pie’s wailing got everyone’s attention since they immediately came rushing to her side. “What’s the matter, sugarcube? Nopony likes ta cry at a party.” Applejack said in an attempt to try to lighten Pinkie’s spirits.

“It’s all a lie… The cake is a lie… The cake I made… It’s not even really there! That big chocolate cake is all in my head! Heheheh… I’ve been living a lie all these years! Cakes don’t exist! So parties don’t exist either! They’re all just a bunch of sugary fluffy tasty nothings!” I steadily became increasingly intimidated by Pinkie’s rapid decline in mental stability.

By the time Pinkie Pie had started to foam at the mouth, I had seen enough. I pulled her up to a sitting position and spoke in a loud tone, “Pinkie Pie. I was joking. It’s just a prank some people came up with back where I’m from.” When she still did not listen, I cut another slice of cake and jammed it into her mouth. “Tastes good, right?”

Pinkie Pie’s tirade suddenly ended as she tasted the cake. “Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Can you EAT it? Then the cake is no lie.” I explained, hoping she would calm down.

Once she swallowed the cake, Pinkie Pie smiled brightly as her mane and tail suddenly ‘inflated’ back to their previous forms. “You’re right! If I can touch it, taste it, and eat it, there’s no way it’s a lie! The cake’s not a lie! The cake is the truth! Long live the cake!” We all watched as the enlightened pony bowed before the cake in worship.

Twilight turned to me and asked with a truly perplexed stare, “What did you…?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t ask. Seriously. Don’t ask.” I then muttered under my breath, “Good grief, that girl is a roller coaster. She’s either on top of the world or at rock bottom. There’s no in-between with her!”

“Later, girls! And love the headband, James! Looks awesome on ya!” Rainbow Dash called out before she flew off for home while mistaking my colored bandages for headwear. Or at least she would have if she had not suddenly stopped and came back as if she had forgotten something. After a full two hours, we decided it was late enough and decided to head home. But before we all parted ways for the night, I was subjected to my very first group hug when all six of my new friends gathered around me and embraced me all at once. It was an experience I simply could not describe. To have gone from a simple misfit vagabond in Ponyville to an honored guest in one evening was a momentous experience for me.

Since I was staying with Rarity, the two of us walked back to the Carousel Boutique together. I was not familiar with Ponyville’s layout, so I let Rarity lead.

“A stellar party, wouldn’t you say?” Rarity asked as she led me to her home.

I nodded in agreement. “A great party, to say the least. And Pinkie Pie is truly a party animal.”

Rarity giggled briefly before looking over her shoulder at me. “Oh, she’s been like that for most of her life. Don’t let it get to you.”

I rolled my eyes while retorting, “Get to me? I’m not sure if I should be annoyed or entertained. Though I guess it’s never dull with her around.”

The two of us continued to converse while we walked. Before I even knew it, we were at the Carousel Boutique’s front door. This time, I made sure to duck as I went inside.

“Now then, let me show you where you will be staying. Come with me.” Rarity led me upstairs as I wondered if there was a guest room on the second floor. At the top of the stairs, we stepped into a short hallway. “On the right here is the bathroom. And at the end down here is…” We looked into the room on the left at the end of the hall. “This is your new bedroom! Fabulous, is it not?”

The bedroom had an impressive canopy bed on one side befitting Rarity’s fancy tastes. There were also rolled up fabrics on shelves with a table holding a sewing machine next to it. There was also what seemed to be a drawing board with pins holding notes against it, probably orders from some of Rarity’s clients. But while I looked at the bed, I asked, “Wait… Where will you sleep?”

Rarity smiled as she replied, “I will sleep on the sofa downstairs.”

I could hardly believe that someone of Rarity’s standards would give up her own bed to someone she had only just met. I sighed in guilt before speaking, “Miss Rarity… I can’t let you do that. Don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the sofa. I’ve done it many times before, so it’s no trouble.”

Despite my insistence, Rarity continued to try to persuade me to use her bed. After a moment of thought, I approached the bed and measured its width. “Miss Rarity, this bed is wide enough for both of us to sleep in at one time. Should we just share it?”

Rarity’s response to my question was rather humorous as she suddenly began to fluster. “Together?! Well, I… I mean… It wouldn’t be…proper and…I have my…eh…reputation to think about… I mean…what would the others say?” I could tell that she was blushing. I am sure now that as much as she probably would not mind some company and probably would prefer her bed to her sofa, there would definitely be a lot of explaining to do if someone were to catch us sharing one bed.

“I see your point. And I guess we shouldn’t. I wouldn’t want a scandal to mar your name.” I replied in agreement before Rarity giggled nervously while giving a few frantic nods. A scandal for someone of her class would likely be devastating if the paparazzi picked up on it. Assuming Equestria even has any, of course. I walked over to the unicorn and smiled reassuringly. “Really, the sofa downstairs will be enough. Do you have a blanket I could use?”

Rarity sighed in defeat, “If that is what you want, I will respect that.” She then used her magic to levitate a quilt over to me that had floral patterns all over it. “This seems large enough. I made it myself.”

I took the quilt in hand and smiled before letting out a yawn. “It’s lovely. Now, I’ll go wash up before bed.”

Rarity smiled and nodded towards me. “Then I will see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, James.”

After taking the quilt downstairs and leaving it draped over the sofa, I made my way into the bathroom to bathe before bed. I was hardly surprised to find that the bathroom has a very elegant design that is reminiscent of bathrooms found in upper-class houses back home. Due to the limited space on the second floor, the bathroom is fairly small. Not wanting to wait any longer, I undressed and turned on the shower.

Once I had finished, I left the bedroom with only a towel around my waist. Before heading downstairs, I peeked into Rarity’s bedroom. Tucked under the covers on the bed was the generous unicorn, fast asleep as the moonlight shone on her face. I whispered quietly, “Thank you, Rarity. Good night.” I think she may have heard me since I noticed a smile spread across her muzzle.

Downstairs, I removed the towel and slipped my boxers back on. I then gathered a pair of pillows at one end of the sofa and rested my head on them. With Rarity’s hoof-made quilt covering me, (yes, I really said hoof-made) I closed my eyes as I tried to fall sleep.

As I rested, I thought over all that had happened to me today. And now I am chronicling this day in a journal. My first arrival in Ponyville was initially stressful, but the ending was better than I could have ever hoped for. At first, I was worried if I would ever find a way to return home. But now I am starting to hope I will never have to leave. I wonder how long that feeling will last before I decide that I would prefer Earth to this world.

This marks the end of my first day in Equestria. What will the next day have in store for me? I can only wait and see.

I awoke to the sound of what sounded like purring and the distant sound of conversation. Having a habit of turning my head to the right when I sleep, I was facing the back of the sofa I had slept on. When I glanced around at my surroundings, I noticed what seemed to be a white Persian cat curled up on my blanket. It had a purple bow on its head and an opal-studded collar with an especially large opal on the front. “I have a cat?” I remember asking out loud.

I glanced around, not recognizing my surroundings. While I tried to listen to the voices that were coming from outside my room, I shooed the cat off me and stood up. I then spread out the blanket, allowing the cat to curl up on it again. “Where are my clothes?” Clad in only my boxers, I walked outside and into the main room where I found a pair of ponies talking to each other. “Wait a minute….. Pinkie Pie and Rarity…” I muttered as I remembered the events from yesterday and my newest friends. I was initially nervous about approaching them while wearing only undergarments until I realized that they were not wearing clothes at all. “I guess they won’t mind much. And I need to find my clothes anyway.”

“You have no idea how hard it was to get that tub downstairs without spilling all that water! I’m amazed I pulled it off!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in her cheery tone. I smiled as I listened to her. But when she looked in my direction, she let out a sudden gasp. “Hey! You… You’re… AHHHHHH!!!” Pinkie Pie shrieked while I jumped back. “I know who you are! You’re that bear Rainbow Dash told me about! You’re Harry! And don’t try to deny it! I know you’re Harry because you ARE hairy! And you’re wearing James’ headband?!” I gulped nervously as Pinkie Pie started to cry in rage while displaying a shocking amount of emotion. “You must’ve eaten him just now and took that headband as a trophy! Cough him up!” I froze while the crazed pony charged me. But just before she could reach me, she suddenly levitated off the ground while running in place.

“Pinkie Pie, that’s quite enough! He’s wearing James’ headband because he IS James!” Rarity called out, her horn engulfed with a billowing light blue aura as she restrained Pinkie Pie with magic.

The silly pink pony froze in midair while her big blue eyes gazed at me. “Wait, really? You’re James?! But you’re so….hairy! You look kinda like a bear!”

I grumbled at her while I raised my hands, “So what if I am?! It’s not like I can help it! It runs in my family! On my grandfather’s side, at least.”

Pinkie Pie, misunderstanding the concept of genetics, let out an apologetic giggle. “Aw, it’s OK! I’m sure we can find you some coat restoration stuff at the pharmacy! You’ll have your whole coat back in no time!”

I winced at the idea of having a full-body coat of hair covering me. “The last thing I need in summer is an extra layer of insulating material! No thanks.”

Rarity giggled at our argument as she set Pinkie Pie down, “Having a coat of hair isn’t all bad! Pony coats are rather thin and do not trap in excess heat very well. Though it is because of this that we wear jackets in winter.” She then glanced up at me and winked, “And those bandages still look strapping on you, darling.”

At the mention of bandages, Pinkie Pie let out a gasp and asked, “Huh?! Bandages?! What happened?! Did you hurt yourself?!”

I smirked at the pink pony and replied with a question of my own. “Have you ever walked full-speed into a wall head-first?” Pinkie Pie shook her head in disagreement. I then added, “You don’t want to.”

Pinkie Pie thought my explanation over in her head for a moment before wincing. “Oooooh, that had to hurt. You feeling any better today?”

I tried applying pressure to the center of my forehead, where the impact struck. To my surprise, there was no pain at all. “Wow, that ointment really worked fast. Maybe I’ll take these off tonight. Thanks again, Rarity.”

The unicorn shook her head with a modest grin instantly creeping across her mouth. “There’s no need to thank me, dear. It was because of my eagerness that you got hurt in the first place.”

Just as I remembered that I needed to find my clothes, Pinkie Pie spoke up, “That’s right! You’ve still got some healing to do! And that’s why I’m here!” She pushed me over to a white box that seemed to be the type used in bakeries. “You need to get lots of nutrition to speed up your recovery! So I baked you some fresh blueberry muffins!” I could smell them the instant I opened the box. They were so fresh; they had likely only just been taken out of the oven less than an hour ago.

I remember feeling my mouth water at the sight and scent of the muffins. As I had eaten fairly little the previous day, I was feeling rather hungry. But before I could start on my breakfast, Pinkie spoke up again, “Just remember, some of those are for Rarity too.”

I handed Rarity a muffin while Pinkie Pie bid us farewell. The two of us enjoyed breakfast together, Rarity using magic to levitate her muffin since she does not have hands. As we ate, I remarked to her, “I never knew you had a cat.”

Once Rarity finished her muffin, she replied, “You met Opal? She’s so precious, is she not?”

I looked over at the hall leading into the back area and saw the cat, named Opal, walk out and curl up on a cloth that was spread out on a desk. “Well, Persian cats are the most popular breed of cat in the world.”

Upon finishing my share of the muffins, I asked, “Rarity, have you seen my clothes?”

The unicorn smiled and explained, “Oh, I’m just borrowing them for a bit. I need something to use for reference if I’m going to make some new clothes for you. Though I am almost done!” Her horn shimmered again as my clothes levitated over to me, which were concealed behind her sewing machine. The only clothing I had at the time was a red t-shirt and a pair of bluish gray cargo pants. “Now I just need to take some measurements.” She then levitated a type of measuring strip over to me. In response, I stood up straight and held my arms out to my sides. While the measuring tape floated about me, I could see Rarity taking down notes with a writing quill. “You have a rather pudgy build, don’t you?”

I sighed at Rarity’s remark about my weight, “Sorry about that. I’m not as big of an eater as I used to be, but I don’t lose weight easily. Although I am glad to say I have lost weight recently.”

Rarity surprised me with a giggle, “That’s quite all right, darling. Even if your body is somewhat unappealing, I can craft ensembles that truly bring out your inner beauty. It’s what I excel at! But you asked for casual attire, so casual it is.”

While Rarity worked her scissors and sewing machine, I proceeded to put on my clothes. I then headed upstairs to retrieve my socks and shoes from the bathroom. When I came back downstairs, I could hear Rarity muttering a song under her breath. “Thread by thread. Stitching it together…” I took a seat behind her, finding the tune to be rather catchy. “Always got to keep in mind my pacing. Making sure the clothe’s correctly facing. I’m stitching Twilight’s dress.” She really drew out Twilight’s name near the end.

Hearing the mention of a dress for Twilight Sparkle, I asked, “Um… I thought you were working on something for me. Is Twilight expecting something too?”

The unicorn flustered as she turned to face me. “Oh, don’t worry. This IS for you. That little tune was just a song I came up with a while back. I sing it sometimes while working. You could say it’s my variation of ‘whistling while you work’. Does it annoy you? I’ll stop if you wish.”

I smiled in response before replying, “Actually, I was listening closely. That’s quite a catchy tune.” Now that Rarity was facing me, I noticed that she was wearing a pair of stylish glasses with a red frame. They lacked temple arms, being securely balanced on her muzzle. “I never knew you wore glasses. Near-sighted or far-sighted?”

Rarity chuckled heartily at my assumption. “Oh, there is no such thing wrong with my vision. The lenses in these glasses are for magnification during stitching. This way, I can see every tiny detail on the fabric without having to get too close. I can easily look over them for normal vision when needed. I decided to get these after I ended up stitching my muzzle to a layer of fabric a few years back while using this sewing machine.”

Finding the thought of such an accident amusing, I joked, “I’m sure the client was like ‘Miss Rarity, I asked for brass buttons with this jacket. Not a white unicorn’s head.’ Something like that?” Rarity laughed wholeheartedly at the joke, myself snickering at the thought of her annoyed client and how absurd she must have looked with a garment hanging from the bottom of her jaw.

Rarity managed to stop laughing after a moment, adjusting the glasses on her snout. “Oh, James… You’re as witty as you are charming. I do believe we’re going to be fine housemates. Now, I have a few more things to add to your trousers. Could you wait just a moment more?” I nodded, tapping my foot in rhythm to her song.

“Yard by yard, fussing on the details. Jewel neckline. Don’t you know a stitch in time saves nine? Aaaaannndddd…..done!” I glanced upward, Rarity’s horn beginning to shine.

“I…. Oh dear… Um… It seems I made you a….” Rarity sheepishly grinned as she levitated my ‘pants’ over to me. They seemed to be made of denim. “It seems I made you….a bag.”

Rarity’s first attempt at stitching a pair of pants meant for a human had ended rather humorously. She got everything done right…..with the sole exception of the legs. With the lack of even leg holes, my ‘pants’ were nothing more than a shallow bag without straps to carry it with. Rather than criticize her blunder, I laughed. “Add a couple of straps to it and I can use it to carry groceries.”

The unicorn giggled loudly in response. “Oh, I can do that easily. And sorry for forgetting the legs. Ponies normally don’t wear anything over their hind legs, so it’s a new style for me. I’ll add the straps and get back to making your REAL clothes. This may take some time though.”

I nodded and handed the ‘bag’ back to Rarity. “OK then. Don’t rush yourself. I’ll go for a walk to pass the time.” But just before I could leave, I turned to her and asked, “Pardon me, Rarity. But I have a request. May I see some of your other works? I’d like to see just what some of your best creations are.”

Rarity suddenly beamed in excitement at my request. “The best, you say? Oh, then I have a treat for you! Right this way!” She quickly took off her glasses and led me upstairs. She opened the door to her bedroom and directed me to a pony-shaped mannequin near her bed. “This is my life’s work. Though I must admit it was really the others who finished it, thanks to Fluttershy’s extensive knowledge of sewing. But they followed my design down to every detail, so it was really a joint effort. But enough of my banter. Isn’t it fabulous?”

The dress that was draped over the mannequin was truly a work of art from what I could tell. The lower flowing half was mostly pink with three sets of pale yellow strips stretching horizontally across it. Between each stripe were what seemed to be gemstones sewn into the fabric. Along the very back of the dress was a wavy strip of fabric that brought to mind Rarity’s tail that reached past the dress itself. The edges were a darker shade of pink with the rest being the lighter hue, but the fabric completely became the darker hue around 2/3 the way down. The waist of the dress was the same darker shade of pink as the end of the ‘tail’. The upper half had two short sleeves for her forelegs with dark pink cuffs. The collar was also a dark pink, the majority of the top half being a brighter pink than any other part of it. And resting atop the mannequin’s head was a gold tiara that seemed to be studded with an amethyst. As I approached it, I muttered softly, “Fabulous indeed…”

Rarity waited in eager anticipation while I circled the dress. “This looks like something a princess would wear. Did you make this for one?”

I noticed that Rarity seemed to be blushing while she giggled, “Oh, that is actually my own personal dress! Granted, I would love to craft dresses for Princesses Celestia and Luna, though I’ve yet to receive a request from either of them. But after seeing the dresses I’ve woven for the participants of the Grand Galloping Gala year after year, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they come knocking!”

I was somewhat surprised to hear that the dress in fact belonged to Rarity alone. As I glanced back at it, I asked, “Rarity. May I see you wear this?”

The unicorn seamstress trotted past me in glee. “It would be my pleasure! One moment please.” I waited with my back turned to respect her privacy while she slipped into her outfit. “You may look now.”

I turned to face Rarity at her command. My gaze fell upon her, the dress complimenting her beauty well. Yes, I just called a pony beautiful. While certainly not human, she has the character of one and therefore I could not possibly label her an animal. After a moment, Rarity smirked and batted her gorgeous eyelashes at me. “Dear, I do believe you are blushing.”

I jumped a bit, not even aware that my face was red. “S-sorry, Miss Rarity. It’s just that you’re very beautiful in that dress. What else am I supposed to say? You look like a princess in it.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to blush. She giggled with a slight bit of a nervous tone to her voice, “You are too kind, James. But you do not need to use honorifics with me. We are friends now, correct?”

I nodded in agreement, unsure of what else to say. “Well then, I do believe it is time I get back to work on your new attire. Come back later and I should have it ready for you.” I thanked Rarity again for her generosity before heading downstairs and out the door.

While I strolled towards Ponyville proper, I frowned to myself. “Wait… What am I even supposed to do?” I crossed my arms and looked down as I walked, lost in thought. “This is only my second day here. So what do I do?” My thoughts went back to Rarity. She is allowing me to live in her house without having to pay for rent. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt. “Well, I guess I should start by trying to find a means to earn some income. I doubt Equestria accepts any of Earth’s currency…”

Many ponies were still staring at me and whispering to each other as I passed by. I took note of their gazes, but by then I was somewhat more used to it than the previous day. I looked around, wondering if there were any ‘Help Wanted’ signs in any shop windows. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Applejack pulling a cart of apples towards a food stall. “Farms always need manual labor.” I recall muttering as I approached her.

Applejack was quick to notice my approach since she looked my way and smiled. “Howdy, James!” Another pony was busy sorting the apples in the cart before placing them in the food stalls for sale.

“Morning, AJ. Whatcha up to?” I asked; feeling relaxed in the company of the farm pony.

“Just bringin’ more apples into town for sellin’. But I got plenty more ta harvest now that Applebuck Season is here.” Applejack replied while wiping some sweat from her brow.

“Applebuck? That some kind of harvesting season?” I asked while eyeing the many apples she had brought into town.

“It’s what the Apple family calls harvestin’ time. So my brother and I have ta get all the apples outta the trees in the whole Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack explained while snacking on an apple, having likely worked up quite an appetite by then.

I watched as the last of the apples were sorted before asking, “Picking apples sounds simple. Mind if I help out? I could use some income.”

Applejack, apparently not expecting me to offer help, replied with an enthusiastic grin. “Really?! Well, sure! We could always use a few extra hooves around at this time! You just mosey on over ta Sweet Apple Acres in an hour or two. If ya don’t see me, just ask Big Macintosh for advice. He’ll set ya up.”

I snickered at the name of her brother. “Wait a sec….. Big… Macintosh? Really?” I expected her brother to be a frail geeky type of pony obsessed with computers and the like. If you lived where I came from, you would know why.

“Yup. That’s his name. He’s the tall red guy. You’ll know him when ya see ‘im. Now, I gotta get back to the farm ta get some more applebuckin’ done. See ya there, James.” Applejack waved goodbye before she turned and pulled the cart out of sight.

Unsure of what to do to pass the time for the next two hours, I just decided to explore. But I did not go far before coming across a strange building with a design that was reminiscent of a jester’s floppy hat. “The…..prank parlor?” I read the name on the door. Curious of what types of pranks ponies like to pull, I decided to enter and investigate. But I stopped short when I remembered that most businesses in Equestria do not accept credit, meaning my debit card could not be used. And since I had no cash that could be used in Equestria, I could not make a purchase.

I turned to leave, but noticed something at my feet. A few golden coins of some sort were scattered on the ground after having likely been dropped by a careless pony. “Three coins, huh? Better than nothing.” I snatched them up and slipped them into my pocket. They were of an unusual design, being surprisingly thick. Hoping they would be enough to get me at least something, I stepped inside the ‘prank parlor’.

The layout was similar to old country-style stores back home with no actual aisles. I saw the clerk reading a magazine behind the counter, a stallion with a cutie mark depicting a catapult launching a cream pie. I chuckled under my breath, finding his cutie mark more than fitting for his profession. I then began to browse the merchandise. “Disappearing ink… Squirting turtles… Water-soluble paint… Sneezing powder… Hang on. What’s this?” One prop caught my eye. “Cutie mark removal tape?” I played the idea over in my head. I remember snickering as I imagined taking away Pinkie Pie’s balloon cutie mark to make her freak out. “Sold.”

The tape cost me every single coin I had just picked up. As I walked through Ponyville afterwards, I read the instructions. “To ‘remove’ cutie mark, apply to mark and pull off. To return cutie mark, apply other side of tape to area and pull off. So it just makes it look like the mark has disappeared. Good enough for me.”

I decided to look south of Ponyville near where I had first arrived. As it turned out, the area I had ended up in was really a public park. Many ponies were strolling about, playing simple games, or reclining on benches. I once again felt myself become the center of attention, my body becoming tense. Rather than stick around, I began searching for an area more secluded.

After several minutes of dodging stares, I found a large pond with a small strip of land extending into it like a peninsula. As I approached it, I noticed a sack on the peninsula that seemed to be filled with fish food pellets. Curious, I stood at the edge of the pond to see a few sizeable fish swimming just under the surface. I think they knew I was there since their swimming motions became excited. Knowing what they wanted, I took a seat by the sack, grabbed a handful of pellets, and scattered them over the surface of the water. To my surprise, the fish leapt out of the water to catch some before they could hit the surface. Whatever they did not catch, they ate while in the water.

I waited for the fish to finish consuming the pellets before tossing them anymore. Once every last one was gone, I reached into the sack for more. But before I tossed them, I heard the sound of wings flapping. “A bird? Maybe a swan?” I tilted my head back slightly while gently turning my head to look around. I then heard the sound of hooves clopping right behind me. “Wait a minute…” I looked over my shoulder and smiled to find Fluttershy standing behind me.

“Have you been feeding the fish, James?” She asked me in her signature quiet tone. I nodded before tossing some more pellets to the fish, who once again caught what they could before they could reach the water. Fluttershy giggled before she stuck her muzzle into the sack, then suddenly raised it out, flinging some of the pellets towards the fish by using her snout like a shovel. “I stop by here now and then to feed the fish. They always love the attention.”

I smiled as Fluttershy walked beside me and lied down. “You really have a gift with animals, don’t you?” I asked, curious of her cutie mark’s meaning.

The pegasus nodded while replying softly, “Oh, yes. Working with animals is my passion. I love all little creatures, great and small.”

Hearing Fluttershy’s words, I reached over her and rested my hand on her shoulder. “I’m an animal lover too. I’ve even had pets before. Dogs, goldfishes, a few birds, lizards, a snake, a few turtles, and some frogs and toads. And I loved them all.”

Fluttershy giggled quietly once I ceased speaking. “I wish I could meet them. It sounds like your home has a lot of interesting fauna.”

I nodded in agreement. “Oh, yeah. Earth has plenty of different animal species. I couldn’t even tell you how many, to be honest.”

The two of us continued to chat while I would occasionally toss some more food pellets to the fish. I told Fluttershy everything I could about Earth’s wildlife, but was careful to withhold any information about poaching, animal cruelty, and extinctions from human intervention, as it would surely upset her to no end. Eventually, I began to stroke her long pink mane with my hand.

“James, what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked as she felt me running my fingers through her hair.

“Oh, sorry. Started doing that out of impulse.” I returned my hand to her shoulder out of reflex.

I noticed Fluttershy had started blushing. She then asked, “Actually… That felt nice. Could you keep doing that, please?” I hesitated for a moment before complying with her wishes. I slowly dragged my fingers through her beautiful pink mane down to her neck and scalp. I heard her let out a sigh as she soon began to lean against me. “No one’s ever done this for me before.”

I replied in an attempt to be slightly witty. “Probably because they never had opposable digits.” The two of us lightly chuckled, knowing that ponies lack fingers and cannot do what I was doing.

The two of us cuddled for some time. I am sure at least thirty minutes passed with us leaning against each other. “This almost feels like a dream…” I heard Fluttershy mutter. I held her close to me, my hand grasping her shoulder. But a moment later, I began to hear what sounded like faint snoring.

“Fluttershy…?” I asked quietly. When I heard no response, I looked down at her face. To my amusement, the pegasus pony was fast asleep. “Feel like a dream? It looks like you ARE dreaming now, Fluttershy.” I stroked her mane as I chuckled quietly. I very slowly moved myself out from under her head, gently setting her down on her side. “Sweet dreams, little angel.” I turned to walk away, but soon turned around to look back at Fluttershy’s sleeping form. “She looks so precious… If there’s an angel in Equestria, it’s her.” I then remembered that I had a camera with me built into my DSi handheld game system, which I often carry with me. As fate would have it, I had it in my pocket when I ended up in Equestria. I pulled it out and turned it on before activating its camera function. I then stood over Fluttershy, trying to get as much of her body in the shot as possible. Once I felt I had the best view possible, I pressed one of the shoulder buttons. There was a click as the photo was taken. “Thank you, Fluttershy.” I then saved the picture to memory, happy that I now had something to look back on if I ever wanted to remember good times in Equestria.

I turned to leave again, but stopped before I looked back at Fluttershy once more. I had promised to meet up with Applejack in another ninety minutes or so, but I felt it would be rude to leave Fluttershy alone in her current state. “AJ can wait a bit.” I walked back over to Fluttershy and tried to lift her head up without waking her. I have no idea how I did it, but I managed to get back into the same position I was moments ago with Fluttershy sound asleep while leaning against me. With a yawn, I felt myself growing drowsy as well. No matter how hard I tried, the sound of Fluttershy’s light snoring was steadily putting me to sleep. “Oh, why not…” I muttered as I leaned against her, holding her close to me while I closed my eyes.

I remember awakening to the sound of Rainbow Dash chuckling, “Well, what’s this? You two out on a date?” My eyes shot open at Rainbow’s guess, Fluttershy equally embarrassed as she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

“This isn’t what it looks like, Rainbow Dash…” I muttered while trying not to blush. The two of us scooted apart nervously.

“Oh, no need to hide it, you two! Go ahead! Give her a big wet one, James!” Rainbow Dash jeered at me, trying to get me to approach Fluttershy while hovering a couple of feet off the ground.

I silently thought over a response in my head that would make Rainbow back off. Finally, I glared at her and spoke dryly, “I’d rather not. I don’t want to be arrested for bestiality.”

I was not expecting the response I got from both pegasi. Fluttershy seemed to be hurt since she started to tear up. But Rainbow Dash seemed to be stunned by my words. However, she soon landed and glared at me. “Bestiality? Are you serious?”

The pegasus began to slowly approach me as I started to feel a sinking feeling in my gut. “You know what that is, right? Bestiality?” I nodded silently in confirmation. Rainbow Dash then got right up in my face as she growled, “So, does that mean we ponies are just animals to you? Mindless beasts that hang out in stables all day and graze on grass and nothing else?! Whatcha gonna do next? Throw a bit in my mouth and ride me home?!”

I had practically been pushed to the ground with Rainbow Dash glaring down at me. But I completely understood her anger, as she probably felt that I had insulted her with the use of such a term. With a sigh, I muttered, “That came out wrong…”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head with a frown. “Really, now? Then would you mind rephrasing that?”

I sat up and looked at her and Fluttershy. “I didn’t mean to refer to you as animals. I know full well that you ponies are not animals. You’re people, just like I am. It’s just that….. Humans and ponies are very different. If a human like me were to have that kind of relationship with a pony, would the rest of Equestria condemn it?”

Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash calmed down as I explained myself to them. Fluttershy was the first to respond. “I don’t really see what’s wrong with that. Sure, we’re completely different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love, right?”

Rainbow Dash nodded with a defiant grin. “Hey, if everyone else doesn’t like it, that’s their problem! I won’t let anyone else tell me what to do with my love life! If I had one, that is.” She then nudged my shoulder with her hoof. “And honestly, if you were a bit more assertive, I would probably date you, James.” I blushed deeply at her teasing, Fluttershy giggling softly behind her.

Fluttershy approached me and asked, “James… When you used that term… It kind of hurt… What exactly are we to you?”

It was understandable for Fluttershy to question me after that. I stroked her mane and nodded with a smile. “When I look at you and Rainbow Dash, I don’t see a couple of lowly animals. I see a pair of pretty girls with lots of personality. But more than anything, I see two great friends I want to support.”

I could see Fluttershy blush with a smile at my words. Rainbow Dash chuckled, “Heheheh… That’s really sweet of you, James. But were you just saying that?”

I shook my head. “I’m being dead serious. Do you forgive me for using such an ugly term?”

Fluttershy replied with another one of her tender embraces. “I forgive you.” I held her against me, feeling somewhat guilty for almost making her cry.

Once Fluttershy released me, I turned to Rainbow Dash. She smirked and raised one of her forelegs. Her hoof was extended, causing me to understand what she wanted. I closed my hand into a fist and bumped it against her hoof. “Were you serious about dating me if I showed a little more guts?” I asked, wondering if a wild woman like her could have any interest in a softy like me.

Her reply did not answer my question at all. “Maybe. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

Starting to become nervous of Rainbow Dash’s intentions, I began to back away. “I just remembered that I’m supposed to meet up with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres in a little while, so I better get going before I’m late. See ya!” I turned and ran back through the park while my ears picked up the sound of Rainbow Dash laughing at my escape.

Once I had returned to Ponyville, I took an estimate of how much longer I had before needing to meet up with Applejack. “I think I have another hour or so to go… More than enough time.” Not sure of how else to spend my time, I decided to head to the house tree I had passed yesterday. If my hunch was correct, I could read about Equestria when I got there.

Along the way, I noticed Pinkie Pie seemingly taking shelter under a nearby shop’s awning. Her pink fluffy tail was quivering rapidly. She seemed to notice me since she called out, “James! Get under something! My tail’s twitching!”

I replied while feeling genuinely baffled, “I can see that! But why should I have to take cover?!”

Before Pinkie Pie could explain, I suddenly was knocked to the ground as something crashed onto me. Once again, my glasses somehow escaped damage. Just after I collapsed, a young woman’s voice spoke, “Muffins!”

The impact was not as painful as the last time, leading me to suspect that the pegasus who had fallen on me had dropped from a lower altitude. Remembering the only word she spoke, I asked, “What do muffins have to do with a crash landing?! And get off!”

The pegasus stood up and allowed me to stand. To my surprise, I recognized her cutie mark as the one with seven bubbles from yesterday. Her coat was gray while her mane and tail were a faded yellow with a hint of green to them. What caught my attention most were her yellowish eyes, which were cross-eyed. “Oh, hey! I saw you yesterday! The name’s Derpy Hooves. You new here?”

I stared at the odd pegasus while she gazed at me with her strange eyes. “Um… Yeah. I only showed up here yesterday… And….wait. Derpy? Your name is DERPY?” I snickered under my breath, knowing that ‘derp’ is a slang term that originated on the Internet back in my world.

“Yup! That’s my name! Now, where are the muffins? I can smell them!” Derpy asked while she glanced around.

I pointed past her and replied, “If it’s muffins you want, Sugarcube Corner is right over in that direction.” The pegasus turned and ran towards the bakery, shouting ‘muffins’ all the while. “She must have muffins on the brain.”

Pinkie Pie trotted over to me with a smile. “So I see you met the mailmare. You OK after that?”

I brushed myself off and groaned, “That was the most random thing to happen to me since I got here!” I heard Pinkie Pie giggle at my remark. I then asked, “So, what’s the deal with your tail? Is it like a dowsing rod or something?”

The pink pony explained, “Not really. It’s kinda like a sixth sense. I call it my Pinkie Sense since only I seem to have it. For example, when my tail twitches, it means something’s gonna fall! And something fell, all right!”

I glanced at Pinkie’s tail, seeing that it was still. “So, your whole body is like a hazard alarm? What other warnings do you get?”

Pinkie Pie explained further, “Well, let’s see… When my back is itchy, it means it’s my lucky day! And when my knee gets pinchy, something scary is about to happen! Oh! And I sometimes get ‘combos’.”

“You mean like more than one warning sign at once?” I asked, intrigued by this unique talent.

“Yeah! Like ear flop, then eye flutter, then knee twitch? That means to watch out for opening doors.” Pinkie Pie replied, acting out the signs with the mentioned body parts.

“OK, I’ll remember that one.” I cracked my neck to help relieve some of the soreness from being used as a landing cushion again while approaching the library’s front door.

“Uh oh… Ear flop… Eye flutter… Knee twitch!” I thought I heard Pinkie Pie mutter behind me. I now know at this moment of writing that is exactly what she said.

“Huh? What was that, Pinkie?” I asked as I turned around right in front of the door, not certain of what she said. A second later, I remember something suddenly pushing me from behind and smashing me against the tree. “Whoaaaph…” I groaned as I felt the wind get knocked out of me.

As the door closed, I noticed what seemed to be a small purple reptile walking backwards with a stack of books in his hands. He must have seen me past the books while he stopped and tilted his head to his left. “Huh? What’re you?” I was rather surprised to see someone in Ponyville who is not a pony at all. When I noticed his spaded tail, I was immediately enthralled at seeing a live dragon before me. His underside was a faded green while the rest of him was a shade of purple. The spines that lined his back, tail, and head were green while his large eyes were the same shade of green as a lime with narrow pupils.

“Spike, did you slam the door into somepony again?” I heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle as the door to the library opened once more.

The small dragon replied, “It’s not like I knew he was in the way! I can’t see through walls!”

I saw Twilight look around the door to see who had just been walled. She seemed rather shocked since she let out a gasp before exclaiming, “Oh! James! I’m sorry about this!” She helped keep me from falling since I was somewhat dazed from the force of the impact. “Here, let me help you.” The unicorn pony led me inside, leaving the dragon outside to carry on with whatever his current task was.

“Never had that happen to me before… Something straight out of a cartoon.” I muttered as I took a seat on a stool.

“Hehee… That happened to me once too. And I never saw it coming.” Twilight giggled, trying to brighten my mood. She brought me a glass of fruit punch, levitating it with magic since she is a unicorn. “By the way, that was Spike. He’s my assistant here.”

I gazed around at my surroundings. As I suspected, this house tree is indeed a library as shelves packed with books stood against the walls all around me. “You work here, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight giggled while replying with a grin, “I’m not the librarian, James. This library doesn’t even really have one. In fact, I live here.”

I sipped my punch casually and asked, “You LIVE in a library? Is that legal?”

The unicorn smiled and spoke, “Princess Celestia arranged it for me. And I really do like it here. Plenty of books to read. Come on! I’ll show you around.” I followed her upstairs while taking care to not spill my drink.

I was led past the second floor to the top floor, which seemed to serve as Twilight’s bedroom. “This is where I sleep. Of course, since this is a library, I get all sorts of guests every now and then looking to borrow books.”

Looking at her bed, I was somewhat surprised to see that her bed was only an ordinary bed and not shaped like a book. “I was expecting your bed to look like a book, Twilight.”

She was clearly puzzled by my remark as she asked, “Why does that surprise you so much, James?”

I answered wittily, “Because bookworms sleep in books, not beds.”

Twilight laughed loudly at my pun while I smirked. “That’s a good one! I need to remember that joke. And you’re right. I guess I am a bookworm of sorts. I do love to read.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a bookworm, but I like to read too. Mind if I help myself to some of the books here?” I asked while scanning a bookshelf.

“Go right ahead. Let me know if you need help finding anything.” She went back downstairs, leaving me to the many books before me.

I eventually found an encyclopedia and decided I should start with that since I knew virtually nothing about Equestria at that moment. Once I finished my drink, I climbed a ladder nearby that led to a balcony on top of the library. Some leafy branches provided partial shade as I found a telescope perched upon the handrails. Or should I say hoofrails? Regardless, I took a seat while leaning against the rails and opened my book.

“This encyclopedia looks as if it was published recently…” I muttered, noting the pristine condition of the book. I took off my glasses since I do not need them to see anything near me. “Equestria. Co-ruled by the princesses Celestia and Luna. They work together as a duo to raise the sun and moon each day… Wow. Such a feat must require god-like power.”

I continued to read as I muttered some of the text under my breath. “Nightmare Moon… Recently converted back to Princess Luna… Elements of Harmony… Hm. Never knew Equestria was such a magical realm.” I flipped the page as I read on.

“Read any good books lately, James?” I heard Twilight ask as she emerged through the hatch in the floor.

“Just catching up on what there is to know about Equestria. I’ve only been here for one day, you know.” I replied while glancing over at her.

“Well, that book was published just a month or two ago. You can’t get much more up-to-date than that.” Twilight giggled as she took a seat by me with a book of her own.

“I figured as much. This encyclopedia is in too good shape to be very old at all… Wait a minute. How long have I been here, Twilight?” I asked, remembering my schedule for the day.

Twilight looked up at me and replied, “I’d say about fifteen minutes. Why? You have somewhere to be?”

I nodded as I closed my book with a leaf acting as a bookmark, “Actually, yeah. I was looking for a job and Applejack hired me. I should probably start heading over to her place now. Could you hold onto this book for me?”

The unicorn nodded as I set the book beside her, “Sure thing, James. And tell AJ hi for me.” I waved goodbye before climbing back inside the library and heading out the front door.

Since I still had some spare time, I decided to explore parts of Ponyville I had not yet seen before. I headed directly west, coming to what seemed to be an old-fashioned red schoolhouse. “I guess even ponies have to go to school at some point.” I could hear what sounded like children shouting and laughing as I drew near. On the left side of the schoolhouse was a simple playground. About a dozen or so fillies and colts were playing and having fun, though there seemed to be more fillies than colts. I smiled a little while I watched the pony children playing, wondering what it must be like to grow up in Equestria instead of my world.

After a moment of observing the children, I noticed five that seemed to be in an argument of sorts. There were three normal ponies, one unicorn, and one pegasus. Two of the ponies were facing the other three, seemingly as a duo. Both were normal ponies without horns or wings. One’s coat was a faded pink and her cutie mark showed a tiara. Her mane and tail were styled in a very prim and proper design, the colors being thick stripes of white and faded violet. The other’s coat was a shade of gray while her cutie mark was a silver spoon with a red gem embedded in the end. Her mane and tail were a lighter shade of gray, also styled into an elegant form. She also wore blue-rimmed glasses and a pearl necklace. Since they both had their backs turned, I could not make out their eye colors. The other three fillies surprised me as they each lacked a cutie mark. The pegasus was giving the two upper-class fillies a defiant glare, her mane and tail being a fuchsia hue. Her coat was a bold shade of orange while her eyes were a faded purple. The unicorn filly seemed to be only mildly annoyed, her coat being almost as white as Rarity’s, though leaning slightly towards the color gray. Her mane and tail were two colors, being both faded hues of rose and purple. They were also styled into curls here and there. Her eyes were a darker than average shade of green. The last of the fillies, standing between the unicorn and pegasus, seemed to be an ordinary pony while also seeming unhappy with the two haughty fillies before her. Her eyes were a strong shade of orange while her coat was a faded olive hue. Her tail and mane were a brilliant rose color and she wore a large pink bow on her mane. Curious of what they were arguing about, I slowly drew closer while trying to avoid drawing attention.

“I don’t know why you even keep trying, Apple Bloom. It’s been over a year since you founded the so-called ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ and you STILL haven’t found your cutie mark! Just accept it. You’re blank flanks for life.” I heard the pink filly boast, immediately disliking her tone.

I saw the pegasus speak up, “What do you know?! Maybe we just haven’t found our special talents yet! EVERYPONY gets a cutie mark at some point! It’s just a matter of time before we find ours!” Judging by her tone and initial response, I suspected the pegasus was a tomboy.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. I’ve seen one pony who doesn’t have a cutie mark. And he’s an old guy. Don’t you think he would’ve gotten a cutie mark by now?” I heard the bespectacled gray filly speak in a taunting manner.

“No way. Who could possibly not have a cutie mark when they’re old?” I heard the unicorn ask with a disdainful scowl.

“It’s Mr. Greenhooves. I’m sure you’ve seen him. Old guy? Wears an old floppy hat? He’s the one. I’m sure you’ve seen him sometime.” I felt myself becoming steadily disgusted by the actions of the two bullies since there are few things in the world that anger and disgust me more than bullying, especially from children.

The pony with the pink bow almost looked like she was going to cry. “Yer lyin’! There’s no way that’s true, Diamond Tiara! Every single pony gets a cutie mark eventually! They always do!” I heard a noticeable southern accent in her voice, leading me to suspect she may be a cousin of Applejack.

“Oh, I can tell you’ve seen him. Maybe you can add him to your group as a new Crusader. Right, Silver Spoon?” The two schoolyard bullies giggled in unison as the pegasus gritted her teeth.

Under normal circumstances, I would silently report such behavior to the proper authorities at the school. But being a victim of bullying at points in my life, and actually being much bigger and stronger than these two bullies, I felt that this time I could do something about it. I walked up behind the filly who likely was Diamond Tiara and gently placed my foot squarely on her back.

“Wha…” She immediately stopped laughing and looked up at me. The other four fillies were equally surprised as they all turned their attention to me. With a sneer, I placed greater pressure on her, pushing Diamond Tiara into the ground with her legs spread out to her sides. “Ow! What’s this for?!” She yelled, clearly not expecting me to intervene.

The other four other fillies backed away, having never seen something like me before and probably being somewhat intimidated. I kept my foot on Diamond Tiara, making sure she could not escape while also taking care to not apply enough pressure to cause harm. “So, you have something against blank flanks, huh?” I asked without losing my scowl.

“What’s it to you?! I was just telling them the truth!” The filly yelled, drawing attention from the other children on the playground.

“Do you think they really need to be reminded that they don’t have cutie marks? I’m sure they see their flanks at least once a day. Besides, you didn’t have a cutie mark before either. Right?” I began to smirk, already knowing what I was going to do to her.

“Don’t remind me.” She grumbled in clear frustration.

“Well, I think you do need to be reminded of what it’s like to not have a cutie mark. You need a lesson in humility.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the cutie mark removal tape I had picked up at the prank parlor that day.

“What’re you doing?! Tell me!” Diamond Tiara screamed as she looked at the tape being stretched.

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine.” I smirked while I applied the tape over both of her cutie marks. Once applied, I stripped the tape off. “Welcome back to reality…blank flank.”

There was a loud gasp as all of the foals around me looked on. The tape worked like a charm, both of Diamond Tiara’s cutie marks nowhere to be seen. I heard one of the colts shout, “Wow! Now she’s a blank flank too!” With the exception of Silver Spoon, all of the foals burst into laughter.

Knowing that Silver Spoon was just as guilty for bullying, I adjusted the glasses on my face so that they were on a crooked slant. I then looked down at the gray filly with a twisted grin and the most menacing gaze I could make. “You wanna be next?” I said in a creepy tone.

Clearly frightened, Silver Spoon turned and ran. “NO! NO! PLEASE! NOT MY CUTIE MARK!!!” I watched as she disappeared into the schoolhouse while trying not to laugh.

I watched Diamond Tiara glance around at her schoolmates as they laughed at her. Since the punishment had been dealt, I felt it was unnecessary to keep restraining her. I removed my foot to allow her to stand. But she soon screamed, “SHUT UP!!! I KNOW I STILL HAVE A CUTIE MARK!!! IT’S JUST INVISIBLE NOW!!!” Her screams did nothing to stop the laughter, some of the foals shouting ‘blank flank’ at her. Seemed like she had built up quite a reputation and it was satisfying to see karma coming back to bite her on the rump. Finally she glared at me and demanded, “GIVE IT BACK!!!”

With a smug smirk, I shook my head. “No can do. It’s permanent. You’re a blank flank for life.”

Diamond Tiara kicked my leg with her hind hooves and shouted, “You’re lying! I know it! Now, give it back!”

I winced from the feel of her hard hooves striking my shins. “Ow! OK, I guess I can give it back. But only on the condition that you stop pestering ‘blank flanks’ about them lacking cutie marks. No one likes a bully.”

It was a reasonable enough bargain, but Diamond Tiara turned her snout up at it. “Stop telling them the truth? No deal. I refuse to make a deal that involves those losers.”

I frowned at her stubbornness. What a wretched child. “You’re one to talk, especially now that you’re on the same level they are. But my deal still stands. You are NOT getting your cutie mark back until you learn the errors of your ways. And that’s final!”

Diamond Tiara began to look absolutely furious at my denying returning her cutie mark. “I….. I’ll kill you…..”

Before the argument could continue, the bell on top of the schoolhouse rang. Diamond Tiara glared at me and growled, “This isn’t over, blank flank. You better sleep with one eye open from now on.”

As I watched her run back inside the schoolhouse, I scoffed at her threat. “Yeah, so what if I am? Humans don’t get cutie marks, dummy.”

I found that the three fillies Diamond Tiara had been harassing had stayed behind. All three were gazing up at me. “Um… I didn’t go too far, did I?” I asked, worried that I may have been too harsh in my methods.

The pegasus filly jumped and grinned before shouting enthusiastically, “Are you kidding?! That was awesome! I didn’t know you could take away cutie marks!”

I looked around to see if anyone was within earshot before whispering, “Actually, it’s just a prop I picked up at the prank parlor today. The cutie mark isn’t gone. Just covered. But the only way to make it visible again is to use the other side of the strip.”

The unicorn grinned and asked, “That’s a neat trick! And who are you, mister? Some kind of giant pony?”

I snickered at her endearing ignorance, “Actually, no. I’m a human. And the name’s James.”

The ordinary filly spoke up in her southern accent, “Ooh! I remember Applejack talkin’ about you yesterday! The name’s Apple Bloom. And this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. But if ya want, you can call us…”

The three fillies suddenly got very close together and shouted in unison, “THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!”

I took a moment to think over their title in my head. “So… Let me get this straight. You three are on a crusade to discover your unique talents so you can acquire your cutie marks?”

Apple Bloom grinned and replied, “Yup! We try everythin’ we can ta see what’ll bring out our cutie marks!”

Sweetie Belle then spoke up, “But we can’t talk now. That was the last bell for the day, so we need to go get our stuff and go home.”

I nodded and replied, “That’s OK. I’ll just wait out here.” I watched the three ‘crusaders’ run back inside the schoolhouse. I then took a seat on the very low wooden fence and just watched my surroundings to pass the time.

After no more than five minutes, the pony children started to emerge from the schoolhouse while wearing saddlebags. I noticed Diamond Tiara glare at me before running off with Silver Spoon. The last students to emerge were the Crusader trio, each of them saying goodbye before heading off in their own directions. However, Apple Bloom approached me and asked, “So, whatcha up to, Mr. James? Ya want me ta introduce you to big sis Applejack?”

Apple Bloom’s words answered a question I was pondering for the past few minutes. “Applejack is your sister? I thought you sounded a lot like her. I was actually on my way over to her place when I met you. Would you like me to walk you home?”

The filly jumped in glee. “Sure! Let’s go! I’ll lead the way.” Knowing that she knew her way around better than I did, I followed Apple Bloom while chatting with her along the way.

“So, what brought ya to Ponyville in the first place, Mr. James? I didn’t even know humans lived in Equestria.” Apple Bloom asked, trotting alongside me.

“I don’t think they do, to be honest. I’m not from this world. And before you ask, I have no idea how I got here. And another thing. You don’t have to call me mister. Just James will be fine.” I replied, not being accustomed to being called ‘mister’ by someone younger than me.

“OK then. So, what brings you over ta Sweet Apple Acres?” Apple Bloom asked while looking up at me.

I replied after a few seconds of thought. “Well, I have no real money right now as I only showed up in Ponyville yesterday. So I volunteered to help out. I need money to pay my rent at Rarity’s place.”

The two of us continued to converse while we walked. Before I knew it, we had entered Sweet Apple Acres. “We’re here!” Apple Bloom jumped before running towards the farmhouse in the distance. I chuckled as I watched the little filly run off, finding her to be undeniably adorable.

“OK then… No sign of AJ, so I should look for Big Macintosh.” I muttered as I looked around. “Though I have to wonder why such a geeky kind of stallion would be working on a farm anyway….. Hang on… THAT is him?!”

I could see a red stallion pony approaching the barn with a bushel of apples hanging off each side of him. Even from my current distance, I could tell that he was the largest pony I had seen so far. His coat was a brilliant shade of red and his mane and tail was the same shade of orange as Applejack’s coat. His coat extended somewhat down his hooves, which were more easily noticeable than on any other pony I had seen. His tail was also cropped, probably to prevent tangling when pulling a plough or other type of heavy farming gear as he was wearing a harness collar. His eyes were half closed and very gentle and soulful, being the same shade of green as Sweetie Belle’s. Like Applejack, he had a few freckles under his eyes. “How in the world did a big burly guy like him get the name ‘Macintosh’? Some things I’ll never understand…” I can recall muttering as I approached him. “Excuse me, but are you Big Macintosh?”

Despite having never seen anything like me before, the stallion calmly replied, “Eeyup.”

His one-word response gave me the impression that he is a man of few words. “I see. Well, I’m here to provide my services. Applejack sent for me.”

Big Macintosh nodded and replied, “I heard we would have some extra help today. Lemme offload these apples and I’ll go let ‘er know yer here.” I watched as he entered the barn before sliding the two bushels off himself. He then came back outside and stood before a pair of cellar hatches on the ground. He tapped his hoof three times on them rather loudly.

I listened closely just after Big Macintosh knocked. “I’ll be right there!” A voice from inside the cellar called. The two doors flew open to reveal a familiar orange pony with a stetson hat on her head. “Well, howdy! Ya have any trouble findin’ yer way here, James?”

I nodded while I shook Applejack’s hoof. “I had no problems. Especially since Apple Bloom showed me the way.”

Applejack let out a brief chuckle upon hearing the name of her sister. “Y’all met my sister, huh? Sweetest little thing you ever laid eyes on, right?” I heard Big Macintosh chuckle lightly too somewhere behind me.

“In my honest opinion, I would say Fluttershy gets that title. But Apple Bloom is definitely the runner-up.” I replied with a smile of my own.

“Well, I’ll respect that. In any case, let’s get ta work. Follow me.” Applejack spoke before leading me towards the vast apple orchard that surrounded the farm.

“So, what do I do out here?” I asked while surveying the many apple trees around us.

“Couldn’t be simpler! All ya gotta do is take the apples and set ‘em in the barn! And if there’s not enough room in there, we put ‘em in the apple cellar.” We stopped in front of one tree that had a few wooden tubs around it that strongly resembled the one used to hold the water and apples at my welcoming party. Each had two handles to lift with.

“Well, simple isn’t always easy. What’s the best way to get the apples down?” I asked, starting to have a bad feeling about my new job.

“All ya gotta do is shake ‘em loose! Like this!” Applejack turned her back to the tree and kicked it with both hind legs. Every last apple fell from the branches and into the bushels without a single one missing.

I looked over my glasses at the bushels of apples, hardly able to believe what I just saw. “It’s that easy?”

Applejack nodded while crossing her two left hooves in front of her right with a prideful stance. “Yup! That’s the way we do it!” I then noticed that she was wearing a special saddle with a hook extending from each side. She then got low to the ground and hooked two of the three bushels on them with each one hanging off her sides. “I’ll handle these two. You get the third.” I nodded and grabbed the third bushel by the handles. Although it was not very large, the apples in it made the bushel rather heavy.

“OK. Lead on, AJ.” I grunted while I waddled after her with my load. As we walked, I grumbled under my breath, “I can tell I’m not gonna like this job…”

Once we delivered the bushels to the barn, Applejack and I headed to the next tree. Three more bushels had already been set out under them. “OK then, James. It’s your turn ta try.”

I cracked my knuckles as I approached the tree. “Can’t be that hard…” I then threw a kick, striking the trunk with the bottom of my shoe. However, not one apple fell.

“What the hay…?” Applejack muttered, clearly surprised that I was nowhere near as strong as her. “Are all humans as flimsy as you?”

I grumbled to myself, “Maybe I didn’t do it right…” I turned around and got down on all fours in what I am sure was a very awkward stance for me. Mimicking Applejack’s kick the best I could, I struck the tree with both feet at the same time. I felt a slight boost in confidence as a single apple fell into one of the bushels, although I was also beginning to feel somewhat annoyed with my overall lack of progress as well.

“One… Really? How much harder do I have to hit it?” I grumbled while dusting my hands off. Somewhat frustrated, I rammed the tree with a shoulder barge.

“Ahaoo!” I groaned in pain as several apples fell from the branches and into the bushels. I rubbed my shoulder to soothe the soreness from the impact. “That was as hard as I could hit it…”

Seeing that I was not going to get all the apples out of the tree anytime soon, Applejack finished the job with a kick from one leg. The remaining apples fell and piled up in the bushels neatly. “James, are ya sure yer up for this?” I could feel a hint of concern in her voice.

“Sorry, AJ. I’m just not as physically fit as I could be right now. What’s more, humans don’t have the same kind of muscle you ponies do. You’re probably at least ten times stronger than I am.” I explained while feeling rather disappointed in myself.

Applejack smiled reassuringly and patted my side with one hoof. “Well, not everypony is cut out for this line of work. Tell ya what. I’ll kick the apples loose and you help carry ‘em back ta the barn. Deal?” Feeling slightly better, I nodded and lifted a bushel to my chest.

One by one, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and myself went back and forth, harvesting and transporting apples to the barn and cellar. However, I could not keep up, waddling along at only half the speed my two workmates were moving. I have no idea how much time passed since I started. Two hours? Three? I honestly lost count and merely tuned out almost everything going on around me while waiting for Applejack or someone else to tell me to stop. Regardless, I could not handle the strain of carrying so many heavy bushels. After god knows how many trips, I collapsed to my knees mid-transport, nearly spilling my load of apples.

“Whoa! You all right there, James?!” I heard Applejack call out before hearing her run to my side.

“That’s it… I’m done. I can’t keep going…” I panted while propping myself up on the bushel’s handles, dehydrated and exhausted. My clothes were completely drenched in sweat. “Sorry… I’m just not cut out for this line of work…”

I expected Applejack to be disgusted with my poor endurance. But she surprised me by helping me to my feet. “That’s all right, pardner. Y’all did quite a bit of work. I’m pretty sure ya got at least a hundred of them bushels into the barn and cellar on your own. Go wait by the barn and I’ll go grab yer pay.” I silently nodded, not expecting much for my lousy services.

I sat down next to the barn, resting my back against the wall. A few minutes later, I noticed Applejack and Apple Bloom heading my way. Apple Bloom seemed to be carrying a small sack in her mouth while Applejack was carrying a tin bucket. Once they had reached me, Applejack set down the bucket. I looked down at it and saw that it was filled to the brim with water. “To help freshen ya up after all that there work. Drink up, James. You earned it.” I did not refuse and dunked my face into the water and drank deeply. Even when I started to run out of breath, I kept drinking. The bucket was over half empty by the time I took a breather.

Apple Bloom gave me the sack she was holding and spoke with a rather cheerful tone. “It’s yer pay! Plus a lil’ extra.”

Despite its size, I found the sack to be rather heavy. “It’s all yours, James. Thanks again for the help. I threw a lil’ extra in there as a bonus for how hard ya worked.” Applejack said with a smile.

I sighed as I caught my breath from the long drink I took. “Thanks, AJ. I appreciate it.” I climbed to my feet rather shakily before bidding her farewell. “I’ll be going now… And thanks for letting me help.” I waved goodbye to my friends and headed back towards Ponyville.

Being too tired to really have any drive to search for another job at the time, I decided to head straight home. I knocked on the front door of the Carousel Boutique, waiting to see if Rarity was home. She soon answered the door, but immediately backed away from me. “Good gracious, what happened to you?! You smell hideous!”

I sighed, apparently not able to passively notice my own odor. “I was hired to help out at Sweet Apple Acres. Enough said.”

“Enough indeed! March right upstairs and take a bath! Now!” Rarity spoke loudly while she pointed towards the stairs.

“You read my mind.” I muttered as I headed for the stairs. A shower was exactly what I needed.

The warm flowing water washed away all the sweat and grime I had accumulated during the day. But as my clothes were saturated with my odor, I dare not put them back on. Not even my undergarments. “This could be a problem…” Once I finished bathing, I wrapped a towel around me and headed back downstairs hoping my new clothes were finished.

When I returned to the ground level, I found Rarity using a marker to draw out a client’s commissioned design before actually starting on it. “Yes, I do believe that’s what she wanted… Now for the hat…” I noticed her ears flick when I drew near. “Ah! Just who I was hoping to see! Oh, I just know you’re going to love your new attire, James!”

“You seem quite sure of yourself, Rarity. Now I’m really curious of what you came up with.” I said with a smile. She then led me over to some hangers that held the clothes she had promised me.

“As requested, I crafted you clothing that could not be more casual. Is it to your liking?” Rarity asked while I examined the clothing. The pants were a pair of new blue jeans made of denim while the shirt was a Hawaiian-style t-shirt that was mostly blue.

“Yup. Doesn’t get much more casual than that. Many thanks, Rarity. I’ll try them on right now…..wait.” I turned to the unicorn and hesitantly asked, “I hate to be a bother, but could you also craft me some…..underwear too? I only have one pair and it’s…..pretty tainted with body odor right now…”

To my surprise, Rarity chuckled, “Yes, I thought you might need a new pair. So I took the time to weave one for you on the side.” She reached into a drawer nearby and lifted a pair of checkerboard boxers out.

“But… But you never took the measurements for those! How are you so sure those will fit me?!” I asked, afraid they might be too small.

“Nonsense! I simply took an estimate from the measurements on your pants and made a few minor adjustments. Now, please do try them on!” She ‘handed’ my clothes to me and nudged me behind a screen for privacy.

“Well… OK then.” I muttered as I dropped my towel. Much to my surprise, I found that the boxers fit me perfectly. “She really knows her stuff…” I then slid on my jeans and buttoned my shirt. “OK, how do I look?” I stepped out from behind the screen, displaying my new attire to the fashion designer.

Rarity brought a hoof to her chin while she gazed at me. “Mmmm… For attire so casual, you look quite dashing in it! The two shades of blue really compliment each other well.”

I chuckled as I grinned, “I never knew dashing and casual could go together.” I then remembered my payment from Applejack. “Wait just a moment, Rarity. I need to give you something.” I ran back upstairs to the bathroom and retrieved the sack containing my payment. Upon coming back downstairs, I opened the sack while I approached Rarity and asked, “How much do I owe you for rent?”

The unicorn glanced down at the sack, many gold coins packed inside. But she shook her head and spoke softly, “Darling, I made it quite clear to you that you are free to stay here at your own will. I desire nothing in return. Your company is payment enough.”

I lowered the bag, once again amazed by Rarity’s generosity. “Really…? Not even one coin?”

Rarity nodded sincerely at me and gave me a rather thankful smile. “Yes, I am quite sure. I normally live alone with only dear Opal to keep me company. And such an interesting human fellow like you is a rare guest. Please, James. Don’t bring this up again. I will not be accepting any rent from you, as I quite simply do not want it or need it. Besides, I am sure you need the finances more than I do.”

As grateful as I was for her generosity, I could not help but feel an immense sense of guilt weighing on my shoulders. “I understand, Rarity… Thank you again…”

That night, I relaxed on the sofa with a blanket covering me like the night before. This was my second day in Ponyville. And like the first, it ended well. But I still felt guilty for not having to give Rarity anything in return for allowing me to live in her house. As I looked at the stars out the only window in the room, I made a silent promise to repay Rarity for her kindness. Somehow.

I closed my eyes, wondering what other careers I could pursue in Ponyville the next morning. And as I drift off to sleep, my second day in Equestria ends. I eagerly wait to see what the third day has in store for me. Wait, I cannot write this with my eyes closed. I had best put this down before trying to sleep.

The first thing I felt upon waking up was the feel of something jumping up and down on me. I tried to go back to sleep, but the stomping prevented me from doing so. Whatever was doing it felt about as heavy as a puppy that is a few months old, I wager. All the while, a familiar voice pleaded, “Wake up, Mr. James! Let’s play!”

I finally opened my eyes to see a familiar unicorn filly perched upon my covered belly. Her green eyes looked down at me with slight excitement. “Um… Who are you again?”

Before the filly could reply, I heard Rarity’s voice call out. “Sweetie Belle, leave James alone! He worked very hard yesterday and needs his rest!”

Hearing Rarity’s words, I remembered the filly’s name. “Sweetie Belle? Now I remember. What brings you over here?” I sat up, feeling rather refreshed. However, a part of me was telling me to go back to sleep.

“I came here to visit my big sister before going to my dentist appointment. Are you staying with Rarity, Mr. James?” Sweetie Belle asked, her big green eyes staring at me.

“I am, actually… Wait. Rarity is your sister?” I asked, my eyes scanning her carefully. “Now that I think about it…… I do see the resemblance.” I spoke with a smile while I reached out and stroked her elegantly styled mane.

“Sweetie Belle! You’ll be late if you don’t hurry!” I heard Rarity call once again.

“Coming!” Sweetie Belle replied as she hopped off me. “Bye, Mr. James! Give Rarity a hug for me!” I watched the little filly run out of the room, her hooves clopping all the while in a very quick rhythm with her short legs.

I sat up as I heard the front door of the boutique slam shut. I tried not to stretch too strenuously since my muscles were still somewhat sore from working at Sweet Apple Acres yesterday. When my hand brushed my forehead, I felt the bandages I was wearing. “Huh? Oh… Almost forgot about these.” I managed to undo them and set them upon the table in front of me. I found that not even a lump had been left behind. Pleased that I was healed, I started to get dressed.

Once I was fully clothed, I stepped out into the main workroom. “Looking fabulous in those new clothes, darling. And did you sleep well?” I heard Rarity say as I remembered that I was clad in the new clothes she had weaved for me the previous day.

“I slept pretty well… Though I kinda want to go back to bed… What’s for breakfast? More muffins?” I asked, expecting to hear that Pinkie Pie had delivered more muffins while I slept.

“I’m afraid it’s a little late for breakfast, James. It’s past 11.” Rarity replied while looking over at me from her sewing machine.

“11? Whoa. I really was tired.” I muttered, surprised to have slept as late as I did. “Then I guess I should forget about breakfast and go for some lunch. At least now I have a means to pay for it.”

Rarity nodded with a smile. “You do that, James. I’ll be here should you need anything.” I thanked her, took my pay from the previous day, and headed outside and into Ponyville.

The first place I could think of to find food was Sugarcube Corner, but the idea of eating nothing but sweets and cake everyday was sure to be bad for my body. “I need to find a place that has a healthier variety…”

As I looked around for a place that sold produce or any other sort of food, I realized that I was not wearing my shoes. “Oh… Right. No shoes means no service.” But when I turned to return to the Carousel Boutique, a thought crossed my mind. “Wait… Ponies don’t wear anything on their feet most of the time… Will they not mind?” After some debating, I decided to at least wait and see if anyone would refuse me service.

I looked around Ponyville for a short while before coming across an outdoor café. Numerous ponies were seated around tables, a very refined stallion pony tending to the customers. His coat was a creamy white and his navy blue mane was slicked back. I could also make out a tiny moustache on his face. His cutie mark seemed to be a covered serving dish. He was also one of the few ponies I had seen so far who wore any clothing at all. He wore white cuffs around each hoof and a small white vest around the base of his neck with a red bow tie. While I was disappointed to see that the only seats were piles of hay, I was too hungry to complain and took a seat at one of the empty tables.

“I still don’t get why these tables have to be so darn low…” I remember grumbling under my breath. Even with me sitting nearly parallel to the ground, my position with the table was undesirably uneven. “If I stand, I’m too tall. If I sit, I’m too low…” Rather than debate over what to do about my situation, I took my menu in hand and looked to see what was available.

“Grass pancakes… Flower sandwiches… Grilled vegetables of your choice?” After looking through the menu for a moment, I felt relieved to find something that I am fond of. “Mmmm… Grilled carrots are always awesome…”

“Hey, James!” My gaze left the menu while I glanced around at the call of my name. When I looked to my left, I saw Twilight Sparkle approaching me with Spike riding on her back. She smiled as she greeted me. “Is it all right if I join you?”

Pleased to see a familiar face, I nodded. “Absolutely. Be my guest.” I motioned for the unicorn to have a seat beside me, a small pile of hay serving as her seat.

Twilight opened the menu that rested on the other side of the table while Spike borrowed one from an unused table. I soon noticed Twilight gazing at me, her head slowly tilting up and down. She then asked, “I like your new clothes. Did Rarity make them?”

I nodded with a smile and replied, “Yep. All I need now are some clean socks.”

While we examined the menus, Twilight looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “You know, James… You seem a lot calmer now than you did when you first came here.”

I nodded, a sigh of calmness escaping my lips. “I know. Only two days and I feel right at home here. In fact, I almost think feel like I fit in Equestria better than I did back home.”

Twilight closed her menu, apparently having decided what she wanted to order. “Well, that’s good to hear. It’s hard to fit in anywhere if you constantly feel uncomfortable.” I nodded in silent agreement.

The waiter of the café approached our table and asked in a strong French accent, “Have you made your decision?”

I glanced at Twilight, trying to tell her she should go first. She nodded and looked towards the waiter. “I would like a daffodil and daisy sandwich.”

I winced at the mention of daffodils, knowing that they are mildly poisonous. But I decided to withhold any questions until our orders were taken. The waiter turned to Spike, who asked, “Do you have any rubies?” The waiter remained silent while he gave the young dragon a stern gaze. “No? What about sapphires? Emeralds?” When the waiter still did not give a reply, Spike sighed in disappointment while closing his menu. “All right then, I’ll have the hay fries. Extra crispy.”

The waiter then turned to me. I then spoke, “I would like a tossed salad with French dressing and an order of grilled carrots with a side of barbeque sauce.”

I watched as the waiter silently acknowledged my order and turned to leave. Once we were alone, I asked, “Twilight, why are daffodils on the menu? Aren’t those mildly poisonous?”

The unicorn seemed rather surprised by my question. “They are? I’ve never felt sick after eating any.”

I frowned while I pondered this fact. “Are they just a new edible breed? Or are ponies immune to any toxic substances in the plant?”

When I noticed that Twilight had not answered my question, I looked over at her. Both she and Spike were staring at me with blank expressions. Puzzled by their stares, I asked, “What?”

Spike spoke up first. “And I thought Twilight was the only pony in town who uses that kind of logic.”

Twilight took a moment longer to find the right words to speak. “Um… Yeah, what he said. You really think things out, don’t you?”

I crossed my arms and replied honestly, “Well, I try. I wouldn’t call myself a genius though.”

The three of us chatted for a moment before the waiter brought out our orders. His method of carrying four plates surprised me since he was balancing a tray on his head with our orders on top. “Let me help.” Twilight spoke up while her horn was engulfed in a billowing aura. The four plates floated off the tray and were set on the table.

Spike wasted no time in getting started on his food. The hay fries were…..well…..pieces of hay fried to a golden brown. There were also quite a few of them, the pile of fries extending up past his head. Curious, I took one and crunched down on it. “Mmmm….. I guess it’s true what they say. Anything deep-fried is always tasty.” The hay was actually rather soft under the layer of batter.

I watched as Twilight took a bite out of her sandwich. Not wanting to keep myself waiting, I dipped one of my carrots into the barbeque sauce and took a bite. “You like grilled vegetables, James?” Twilight was looking at my carrots, which had dark grill lines here and there.

“Not all of them. But I do love grilled carrots. The best grilled veggies anywhere. You should try them sometime.” I replied honestly, having always had a taste for grilled carrots.

While we conversed, I suddenly heard Spike belch out of nowhere. “Spike, was that necessary?” I asked, mildly annoyed by the sound. But I then noticed the green flame that emerged from his mouth suddenly condense into a tiny ember, then burst in a flash of green light. In its place was a paper scroll held together by a red ribbon that bore a gold emblem that seemed to have a horseshoe design engraved into it. It floated in the air while surrounded by a glittering white glow, probably the result of a magic spell preset into it.

“A message from Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked while Spike took the scroll in hand.

The baby purple dragon removed the ribbon and held it open. But as he opened his mouth to speak, he paused while appearing to quickly read it over. “Oh, you’ve already heard this.” He then reached into the scroll and held up what seemed to be eight golden slips of paper. “Tickets to…” He then whispered in a show of caution, “The Grand Galloping Gala.”

Twilight glanced around, seemingly hoping that no one had heard Spike. Thinking it would be best to remain quiet, I whispered, “Something special about the Gala?”

The unicorn replied quietly, “You have no idea. Pretty much everypony wants to go there at least once in their life. It’s only held once a year. And the only way to get tickets is to be directly invited by Princess Celestia herself. So when you get a ticket in Ponyville, you should be careful to make sure nopony knows you have an extra.”

I looked at the eight tickets in Spike’s hand. “Those are eight… Which means that there’s one for Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and both of you. So who’s the eighth one for?”

“Um… Maybe in here?” Spike replied while rereading the scroll. “Oh, this is new. Ahem… The royal sisters also extend an invitation to Ponyville’s new human resident. They request that he attend if possible.” He then handed the ticket to me. “I guess that means this one’s for you.”

I was initially excited to be invited to such a grand event, but I soon frowned in puzzlement. “Wait… How do they know about me? I’ve never even seen the princesses before.”

Twilight seemed puzzled too, but soon smiled and explained, “Oh, I remember now. I mentioned you in a report right after your welcoming party. I guess Princess Celestia and Princess Luna want to meet you.”

Somewhat excited to meet the rulers of Equestria, I slid the ticket into my pocket. “Sounds like it’ll be a good time. Where does it take place?”

Twilight pointed to the northeast with her hoof and spoke, “It’ll be held right up there in the capital city.” My eyes gazed up at the great mountain in the distance that I had seen when I first entered Ponyville. “You can see it from here. That city jutting out of the mountainside? That is the capital city of Canterlot.”

My eyes went wide as I realized what I was looking at. “THAT is a city? I thought it was a mountain fortress!”

I heard Twilight giggle at my shock. “Well, it’s really a city. I used to live there, so I know for sure. And don’t worry. We attended the Gala last year, so I can tell you what to expect. To be honest, it’s kinda boring and dull, but it should be much more enjoyable if you go with friends.”

Seeing the truth in my friend’s words, I smiled with some gratitude. “Very true. And since all seven of you will be attending with me, I have nothing to worry about.” Once we had finished our meals, we left our payment on the table and headed towards Twilight’s house.

Once we were inside the library, I asked, “Twilight, do you remember where I left that encyclopedia yesterday?” My eyes glanced around while I marched upstairs.

“Right over here, James.” Twilight spoke while she led me to her bed. The same encyclopedia was on a table near it. I could see the leaf I had stuck in it as a bookmark sticking out.

“Thanks for keeping it out for me.” I said with a smile. I sat down on a stool and flipped to the page I last left off at. “Pony types… Unicorn, pegasus, and earth ponies… Wait. You call ponies without horns or wings earth ponies?”

Twilight nodded and replied, “Yes, we do. And before you go thinking that they’re inferior to unicorns and pegasi, they are known for their close connection to the earth, making them skilled at agriculture while having strong bodies.”

I pondered this fact for a moment before replying, “So, there are three categories. Earth ponies are the muscle, pegasus ponies are the agility, and unicorn ponies are the intellect. They all come together as a whole.”

My eyes gazed at Twilight as she gave me an unusual stare. “I never really thought of it like that… I guess you’re right. Each of the three types usually excels in one area more than the other two. That’s a clever concept, James.” I chuckled before I went back to reading. I would occasionally glance over to Twilight while she seemed to be writing a note.

“Unicorns are able to use magic by channeling their focus through their horns… Pegasi are able to walk on and manipulate clouds… Wait, really?” I turned to Twilight and asked, “Is it true? Pegasi can interact with clouds?”

The unicorn faced me and nodded. “That’s right. In fact, most pegasi originate from Cloudsdale. It’s a city in the sky that is made entirely out of clouds.”

I could only stare at her, finding it hard to believe that an actual city was floating in the sky somewhere. “But… Just how can they interact with objects made of water vapor as if they were solid? Are their hooves made of a special material that repels water vapor like a magnet, allowing them to push it? Wait, any part of their bodies can interact with clouds as if they were solids... Is the secret in their coats? Does each individual hair secrete a substance that causes the vapor to compact into a solid as long as they are making direct contact? Has anyone ever experimented to…. Uh… Twilight? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Twilight was staring at me with a peculiar expression on her face as I pondered the pegasus ponies’ abilities to interact with clouds out loud. She did not blink once. With those wide eyes and what I believed to be a faint blush on her face, I suspected that I had unwittingly said something extremely offensive. “Twilight, if I said anything that offended you, I apologize.”

The sound of my voice seemed to snap Twilight out of her trance since she shook her head frantically. “Oh, uh… You didn’t say anything offensive. I was….just blown away by how logically you questioned the ability of a pegasus pony to interact with clouds… I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy with that kind of intellect before.”

Not certain if I understood Twilight’s fascination, I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not a geeky kind of guy… And I’m not a genius. In fact, science is one of my weaker departments.”

Twilight shook her head and explained, “It has nothing to do with your intelligence or your aptitude in a specific field. You think things out and debate things logically… I actually like that in a man.”

That last comment gave me a bad feeling in my gut. Trying to avoid seeming suspicious, I inched towards the stairs that led down to the lower levels. “Well, I appreciate the compliment. But I really should be going now. I’ll stop by another time to read some more of that encyclopedia. See ya around.” I then made my way to the door as quickly as I could.

“She likes guys who are logical in their thought processes? I hope that didn’t mean what I think it did…” I muttered to myself while I walked away from the library at a brisk pace. Despite seeing the ponies of Equestria as people and not animals, the thought of forming an intimate relationship with one still made me uneasy. “What would the princesses say? Would I be chased out of town? Are humans and Equestrian ponies even compatible?” Numerous questions passed through my head as I shuffled through Ponyville.

“James! Twitchy tail!” My head jerked up suddenly as I heard Pinkie Pie scream my name. “Get under something sturdy!”

I immediately stopped dead in my tracks and glanced around, seeing Pinkie Pie motioning for me to approach her at the front door of Sugarcube Corner. Before I could reply, a flowerpot dropped right in front of me and shattered upon hitting the ground. I took a step back, startled. I then looked up and jumped to the side as an anvil, of all things, fell right where I used to be standing. “Are you kidding me?! What is this, a cartoon show?!” I remember shouting, finding it impossible to comprehend an anvil falling right out of the sky.

“My tail’s still twitching! Stay on your toes!” I heard Pinkie Pie scream. I looked up, seeing what seemed to be a ‘moving trailer’ being pulled through the air by a pair of pegasus ponies. However, it seemed that the rear hatch of the trailer was open. I yelped as a wooden cart full of hay rolled out of it and fell near me. I then jumped out of the way just before an old piano crashed into the ground where I used to be standing while letting out a sound as if all the keys had been pounded on at the same time.

The sheer randomness of the situation was pushing my nervousness to the limit. Fearing that a bomb would fall on me next, I made a mad dash for Sugarcube Corner. I can distinctly remember screaming, “HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!!!”

Pinkie Pie closed the door behind me right as I got inside. The sound of what might have been a wooden crate crashing into the ground right outside the door was heard immediately afterward. “First Derpy and now this?! What’s next?! Raining cats and dogs?! Or hammer handles and pitchforks?!” I growled in frustration, utterly freaked out by my close brush with grave injury.

“You’re telling me! I almost never get multiple things falling out of one twitch! You OK?” Pinkie Pie asked while I regained my composure.

“I’ll live. But dang, that was close…” I muttered, still somewhat apprehensive that I would soon fall victim to the ‘Pinkie Sense’ again.

As I tried to relax, a thought came to mind. “Pinkie Pie, do you know if Sugarcube Corner is hiring right now?”

The pink pony replied with quite a bit of enthusiasm. “Hiring? Oh, sure! You wanna work here? There’s plenty of yummy perks!”

“Well, I need to earn some cash if I’m gonna stay in Ponyville.” I replied, hoping that I would not need much experience to work at a confectionary.

“Oki doki loki! Just let me go talk to Mrs. Cake and we’ll get you set up!” Pinkie Pie trotted back into the kitchen while I watched, wondering if she is even allowed in there to begin with.

A minute or two later, I watched as Mrs. Cake emerged from the kitchen’s twin swinging doors. “Oh, I heard the news. You need a place to earn some bits, dear? Well, we could always use an extra pair of hooves around here.”

I was puzzled by the term ‘bits’ and asked, “Bits? Is that the term used for currency in Equestria?”

“You don’t know? Well then, let me show you.” I followed Mrs. Cake behind the counter and saw a cash register hidden under it. Due to ponies having shorter bodies than humans, it was very low to the ground. She then pressed down on a small latch, causing the money tray to pop out with the chime of a bell that I rarely heard back home. Inside were more of the thick golden coins I had seen yesterday.

“These are bits. They’re what we ponies use as currency.” Mrs. Cake explained to me. “But in any case, when can you start?”

I replied with a nod. “I can start now, if you’re OK with it.”

Mrs. Cake grinned warmly in response. “Then now it is! It’s good to have you with us, dear. Come with me. I’ll show you to the kitchen.” I followed her into the kitchen where Pinkie Pie was apparently making taffy.

“Pinkie Pie! You have a new workmate!” I watched as the pink pony turned to face Mrs. Cake. “I’ll leave you to show him to his new duties. Teach him well, all right?”

Pinkie Pie beamed excitedly with that grin of hers reaching wider than usual. “Yes, ma’am! I’ll show him the ropes!” Mrs. Cake then left me alone with her, entering a side room that likely contained various baking supplies.

“OK, James! It’s just you and me today! Ready to get started?” I looked down at Pinkie Pie, wondering if she happened to be an employee at this bakery.

“Why are you even allowed back here at all? Do you work here?” I asked, half-expecting her to say yes.

The pink pony giggled before she replied, “I sure do! It’s my dream job! Mr. and Mrs. Cake are my bosses and landlords. They rent me the loft upstairs. That’s where your welcoming party was held!”

I snickered to myself, suspecting that Pinkie Pie consumes more Sugarcube Corner products than all other customers combined. “Just make sure you balance your diet a little. In any case, where do I start?”

Pinkie Pie replied while walking to the side of the room while never taking her eyes off me. “Oh, your first day is just an orientation. You know, to get you used to your role. Since I’m your superior, I’ll be taking you through everything step-by-step! First, let’s see how good you are at baking.” She then went over to what seemed to be an open cookbook and flipped through a few pages. I had to get down on a knee to read it since the counters (not to mention just about everything else in the building) were on a lower elevation than I was used to.

“These look good enough! Let’s start things off with some vanilla cupcakes!” Pinkie Pie spoke out loud after looking over one page. “Can you get all the ingredients together?”

I read through the list of ingredients. “Two eggs, a quarter cup of vanilla extract, flour, sugar, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Got it.” I went searching through the kitchen for the listed ingredients, finding the eggs and vanilla extract in the refrigerator and the rest in ceramic jars placed on the counters. But as I looked in the cabinets for a saltshaker, I came across a bag of chocolate chips. I know that I should probably have gone by the book, as this was a test of sorts, but the idea of chocolate chips in vanilla cupcakes sounded absolutely delicious to me. I glanced around to see if Pinkie Pie was watching. She was nowhere to be found, probably tending to her pet alligator upstairs.

By the time Pinkie Pie had returned to the kitchen, I had combined the ingredients and was in the process of mixing them together. “Everything going OK, James?”

I looked to my left while on my knees and replied, “So far, so good. Just need to mix this a little more.” Once the batter had been thoroughly mixed, I read the next step. “Preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake for twenty minutes… Simple enough.” I turned on the oven and set the temperature to the stated level. While waiting for the temperature to rise, I placed paper cupcake holders in a tin and filled each one with batter. There was enough to fill all twelve slots. I then used an oven mitt to place the tin inside the oven before setting an egg timer to twenty minutes. As I closed the oven’s hatch, I muttered, “Even the ovens are small in Equestria…”

“Now those are gonna be delicious!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as the egg timer ticked away. “While we wait for them to finish baking, wanna chat?”

I leaned against the wall and raised my hands to the height of my shoulders. “Sure thing. Whatcha wanna know?”

Pinkie Pie then asked, “Well, how’re you feeling today? This is your third day in Equestria, right?”

I nodded and replied, “I’ve been feeling much more secure lately thanks to you girls. I’m grateful for your hospitality.”

The pink pony grinned broadly and replied, “Aww, it was no problem at all. We couldn’t just leave you alone without any friends! And now I feel really good that you’re feeling right at home in Ponyville!”

The two of us talked and laughed together for a while, totally lost in conversation. The sound of the egg timer going off actually startled us. Not wasting any time, I grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the cupcakes out of the oven and placed them on the counter to cool. They seemed to be properly baked, the surface of each being a light golden brown. “Man… That DOES look delicious.” I can remember feeling my mouth water at the aroma coming from the baked goods.

“Aren’t they always?! Now, let’s see how you did.” I watched as she took a bite. But right after that, she noticed the chocolate chips in the rest of the cupcake now that its interior had been exposed. I snickered as she looked at me with an expression that seemed to say ‘Did you really mess up the recipe?’ all over it.

“Before you go criticizing me, tell me how that cupcake tastes.” I told Pinkie Pie with my arms crossed. She continued chewing and soon swallowed.

I became concerned as I watched her eyes open very wide. “WOW!!! Who knew chocolate chips and vanilla go so well together?!”

The two of us enjoyed our cupcakes together, both of us finding the chocolate chips to compliment the rest of the cupcake well. The pink pony then grinned at me. “OK, I say you’re ready for this job! Let me go get your pay.” I watched her leave the kitchen for a moment before hearing the sound of a cash register opening and closing. She then came back in with a vertical stack of coins in her mouth.

Pondering if ponies have difficulty carrying things in their mouths due to lack of hands, I asked, “Do you ever have problems carrying stuff like that?”

Pinkie Pie set the coins on the counter and turned to face me. “Nopey lopey! We ponies have big jaws, so we can carry a lot of stuff in them. We can hold some things with our hooves too if we can grip it just right.” She demonstrated by putting the bottom of her hoof down on top of a cupcake and lifting it straight up before snacking on it.

“Right, the hoof only surrounds the front and side edges of the foot. The center is still uncovered. And you can flex it enough to grab some things, huh?” I asked while I watched.

Pinkie Pie nodded after chomping down the unfinished cupcake. “Yup! But we gotta be careful. Our grip isn’t very strong. Anyway, here’s your pay! Twelve bits! Do you think you could start at around 11 tomorrow?”

I took my payment and added it to the bag of bits I had. “11 sounds just right. And may I take these cupcakes with me? Two is pretty much my limit for one time.”

Pinkie Pie nodded before she placed the remaining cupcakes in a box. “Oh sure! You can consider these as part of your payment!” I took the box in hand, said my goodbyes, and headed out the back door.

“So I’ve got a job at Sugarcube Corner now… Is there anything else I can do to earn some bits?” I muttered to myself while glancing around. A moment later, I noticed Rarity out of the corner of my eye carrying what seemed to be a basket of clothes on her back. “Are those…my old clothes?”

I ran over to Rarity while being careful not to scuff my bare feet on the rough ground. “Hey, Rarity. What’re you doing with my old clothes?”

The unicorn turned to face me rather abruptly, apparently not expecting to see me. “Oh, these? I just retrieved them from the laundry mat. I couldn’t just leave them stinking up my home, could I?” I chuckled, remembering how smelly they were after working at Sweet Apple Acres yesterday.

“Well, that was very kind of you. But are my socks and shoes in there?” I asked, starting to grow weary of walking barefoot on Ponyville’s roads.

Rarity nodded and motioned her head towards the basket. “They should be. I had them deodorized thoroughly.” I looked into the basket and found my socks and shoes at the bottom. But when I removed them, I found a familiar golden ticket under them.

“Did Twilight give you a ticket for the…um…Grand Galloping Gala?” I asked, checking my pockets to make sure that I still had mine.

The unicorn beamed happily and explained, “Why, yes she did! We crossed paths when I was on my way to the laundry mat. And I heard you received an invitation too!” I nodded in response, but Rarity then looked at my shoes. “But…you don’t have any sort of attire suited for such a grand occasion, do you?” My shoes were a pair of well-worn black shoes with Velcro straps. I had been wearing them for years.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t…” I muttered, feeling somewhat disheartened that I might not be permitted to attend.

However, Rarity giggled reassuringly. “Oh, don’t look that way now, darling. I’ll make a brand new suit just for you! And a new pair of shoes too! And don’t try to stop me! I’m quite inspired to make something for a human. All I need now is the measurements for your feet if I’m going to make you some new shoes.”

Once again, I found myself blown away by Rarity’s generosity. “I’m sure something for a formal event doesn’t come cheap. Do I owe you anything for it?”

I was certain Rarity would ask for at least a few bits in return for her efforts. But to my shock, she smiled and shook her head. “Oh, all I ask in return is that you wear your formal attire with pride. In such a manner that screams ‘Only Lady Rarity could craft ensembles this divine’! Can I ask that of you, James?” I could only nod in silence. “Then it’s settled! I’ll get started as soon as I return home! But first, is there a particular style you’d prefer?”

To be honest, I have never had a preferred style in clothing. Just as long as the clothing is comfortable and not embarrassing to wear in public, I will wear anything. “Well…all I can say is that I do not enjoy wearing suits. They’re always too stuffy for me. Something that is not as restricting would be best. I’ll leave the details up to you, Rarity. Surprise me.”

“Not a big fan of suits, are we? No matter. I’m sure I can come up with something you will adore. Now, hurry home when you can so I can take measurements for your feet. Ta-ta!” Rarity smiled and waved before she trotted away, leaving me feeling both grateful and ashamed for her generous offer.

I took a seat on a bench nearby and dusted off my feet before sliding my socks and shoes on. “Much better.” I then decided to rest a moment, snacking on a cupcake in the process. I seemed to be in the center of town, several food stalls lining the streets. I recognized a stall that contained nothing but apples, leading me to suspect that Applejack was in charge of it.

Just as I was about to stand up, I noticed something in the sky. Resting on what seemed to be a low altitude cloud right above the center of the market was Rainbow Dash. “She’s lounging around on a cloud… I guess what that book said is true then.” Curious if she could set me up with a job, I stood up and walked over towards the market’s center.

Once I was right under the cloud, I pondered how I was going to get her attention. I am not fond of raising my voice in public and did not want to draw attention. I was considering throwing something at her, but I feared hurting her or missing and hitting another pony. Before I could think about it further, a familiar voice spoke up behind me. “Any muffins here?”

I turned to face the owner of the voice and found a gray pegasus browsing a stall that was selling fruit tarts. “Derpy Hooves? Well, why not?” I muttered under my breath before I began to approach her.

“Hey there, Derpy. Could I ask you a favor?” I asked after tapping her on the back. The pegasus turned around, but I noticed something was different. Her eyes were not…well…derped. They were both looking directly at me. “Um… Are you Derpy Hooves?”

“Yup! I’m Derpy! Is it my eyes that threw you off? Those are just an on and off thing. I’m not always wall-eyed.” The pegasus explained, laughing in the process. “So, you needed my help?”

I pointed to the cloud above me and explained, “Yeah, could you let Rainbow Dash know I’d like to speak with her?”

Derpy looked upwards before nodding. “Sure thing! Just a sec.” I watched as she flew up to the cloud and reached over it. She seemed to say something before backing away a bit. I then saw Rainbow Dash poke her head out and look down. When I waved at her, she turned to Derpy Hooves, probably thanked her, and swooped down to me in a matter of seconds before landing right in front of me.

“Hey there, James! What’s up?” The rainbow-maned pegasus asked me while rubbing some sleep out of her eyes.

“Well… Uh… I just wanted to know if I could help out to earn some bits.” I was actually rather curious of what Rainbow Dash’s job was since I had not seen her doing anything productive since my arrival in Equestria.

“Doing a little job hunting, huh? Sure, you can help! I just need you to help me clear up the sky. A good kick should get rid of each cloud.” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as she began to hover.

I looked up at the sky, which had quite a bit of cloud cover, and asked, “Um… I’m supposed to clear the sky of clouds?” When Rainbow Dash nodded, I raised my hands. “And just HOW am I supposed to do that?!”

Rainbow Dash let out a laugh and replied, “Couldn’t be easier! All you gotta do is flap your…wings and…oh…” I crossed my arms and grumbled while scowling as she realized that I am not capable of flying, let alone interacting with clouds using my bare hands. She blushed while scratching her head, chuckling nervously. But she suddenly gasped, “Oh! I know how you can help! Right over here!”

I followed Rainbow Dash over to what seemed to be a wooden tower that was about twenty feet tall with a flat platform at the top. Just below it was a catapult of sorts with a square wooden platform on each end. I gazed up at the tower and asked, “Um… What am I supposed to do with this?”

Rainbow Dash pointed up at the top and explained, “Well, you gotta jump off from the top and land on the other end. That’ll launch me into the air faster than I can take off on my own. And if I start fast, I finish faster!”

As Rainbow Dash explained what I was supposed to do, I scanned the height of the tower. While I am not prone to vertigo, the idea of jumping from such a height worried me. “Are you sure I’ll be OK from that height? It’s not like I have hard hooves to absorb the impact.” I grumbled out loud.

The pegasus pony grinned enthusiastically. “Nah. You’ll be fine. Besides, the raised end will take a few feet outta the drop. C’mon! Those clouds aren’t gonna move themselves!” She then flew over to the platform furthest from the tower and sat on it.

Knowing I had nothing better to do at the time, I decided to take Rainbow Dash up on her offer. I climbed a ladder that was affixed to the back of the tower and slowly approached the edge of the platform. I looked down, finding that the platform I was supposed to land on was just under me. All I had to do was hop off and fall straight down. Even though the task was simple, I felt very unsure of myself as I feared getting hurt from the fall.

“Whatcha waiting for?! You’ll be fine! Just jump already!” Rainbow Dash called out to me, appearing ready to leap off of her side as soon as I dropped. Not wanting to disappoint her, I put my faith in the pegasus pony and jumped. My aim was perfect as I landed right in the center of the platform on my side. I watched as Rainbow Dash let out a shout of excitement the instant she was launched skyward.

I stood aghast while I watched Rainbow Dash blaze across the sky, leaving a rainbow-colored vapor trail in her wake. She shot through each cloud like a bullet, breaking them up upon impact. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I could swear she was flying at near supersonic speed. She was moving so fast; the entire skyline was free of clouds in less than fifteen seconds. I watched with my mouth hanging open as Rainbow Dash dropped out of the sky and landed before me. “Ha! I told you I’d get the job done faster with a little boost! I just broke my old record!”

I steadily regained my composure while I watched the rainbow vapor trails fade away. “Um… Rainbow? Are you sure your full name is Rainbow Dash and not Rainbow Flash?”

The pegasus pony laughed at my question. “You’re not the first pony…er…person to say that! I know Rainbow Dash sounds more like an earth pony name, but that’s what my name is. I don’t think I can change it. Though I guess Rainbow Flash DOES sound cooler…”

We chuckled together for a moment before Rainbow Dash spoke up, “Oh, right! I almost forgot your pay! You’re staying at Rarity’s place, right?” I nodded in silence. “OK then. I’ll drop it off there later. I’d give it to you right now, but I don’t normally carry a purse or wallet with me.”

I looked her over, not finding a single scrap of clothing on the pegasus. “Unless you have pockets built into your own coat, I don’t see how you could carry anything with you.” .

Once I had parted ways with Rainbow Dash, I decided to explore some more outside of Ponyville. I decided to look north of Sweet Apple Acres since I had yet to see what was over there at the time. I came across a meadow with what seemed to be a cottage off in the distance. “Someone lives all the way out here?” I can remember muttering to myself.

When I drew closer, I found that a shallow stream ran near it. A small arched bridge crossed the stream, allowing me to reach the other side without getting my feet wet. Numerous birdhouses and nests could be seen hanging from a few trees nearby with plenty of birds flitting to and fro. There were also many small woodland animals skittering about. They were also surprisingly tame, as they would pass right by me without showing any sign of fear or wariness. One of them, a squirrel, climbed up my pants and sat on my shoulder. Finding such a charming creature to be irresistible, I reached out and stroked its head with a finger. It seemed to enjoy the attention since it soon nuzzled my face. “This is too good to be true…” I remember speaking out loud.

Now that I was closer to the cottage, I could make out all the details. The roof was covered in grass and bushes, leading me to suspect that a layer of soil had been placed on the roof. I can distinctly remember saying, “I’ve heard of going green, but that is just ridiculous.” To the left, I noticed what seemed to be a doghouse with a white rabbit napping at the entrance. A carrot-shaped banner hung over the entrance. Just as I was starting to wonder who lived here, I heard what sounded like footsteps splashing through water. I turned around and watched as Fluttershy walked out from under the bridge.

I watched silently as the pegasus jumped out of the stream. When she noticed me, she gave me a calm smile and spoke, “Oh, hello James. What brings you out here?”

The squirrel that was standing on my shoulder hopped down and ran over to Fluttershy. I chuckled lightly while watching the squirrel scamper over to her. “Well, I’m mostly just exploring. Though I could use a job to earn some bits…” I then asked, “Um… Fluttershy? Are all these animals your pets? They seem a little too…..tame to be wild.”

The timid pegasus pony smiled and explained while nuzzling the squirrel, “Oh, they’re not my pets… Well, OK. One of them is. He’s right over there. His name’s Angel.” She pointed over to the white rabbit in the ‘dog’ house. “He’s taking a nap right now, so it’s best we don’t disturb him.”

I watched while Fluttershy tended to the many animals surrounding us. Since she was the only pony there, I deduced that the cottage was her home. I decided to lean against a tree nearby while I waited for Fluttershy to finish tending to her little friends. As I watched, I noticed that she seemed less uptight than usual and her timid eyes were brighter as well. It almost seemed as if she felt more at ease around animals than her own kind.

Once it seemed that Fluttershy had finished feeding the animals, I spoke, “You seem to really enjoy being around animals.”

She turned to face me and nodded with a meek smile. “Oh, yes. I actually prefer their company over the company of other ponies.”

Hearing this gave me the impression that Fluttershy would prefer that I leave her be for a while. “Oh… Well then, I’ll be going now so you can enjoy their presence in peace.”

When I turned to leave, I stopped as Fluttershy ran to my side. “But…why? It’s not like I don’t enjoy your company.”

I looked down at her and asked, “But didn’t you just say…”

Fluttershy then proceeded to explain. “There are exceptions. I’m completely open around my friends and anyone else I know well. And I don’t feel scared of you at all since you’re not a pony. I’m actually really…curious about you.”

As I listened to Fluttershy’s explanation, I found myself greatly relating to her. “To be honest… That’s exactly how I was back home. I preferred the company of animals to most other humans. At least animals are cuddly and never yell at you or use unnecessarily mean words.”

Fluttershy and I sat on the bridge overlooking the stream, our reflections looking back at us from the surface of the gently flowing water. Soon, she asked, “Well, do you feel nervous or uneasy around us ponies?”

I replied after a few seconds to think out my response. “No… It’s strange. You ponies are just like humans from my home, but I feel more at ease around you than them. I think it’s because I have never been given reason to fear or dislike you.”

I felt Fluttershy lean against me before she spoke softly, “That’s how I feel towards you. I’ve had a few bad experiences with some ponies in my life, so I’m a little wary of ponies I don’t know well. But you’re the first human I ever met. And you gave me a good first impression, so I don’t feel wary of you.” She then asked, “James… Are all humans as gentle as you?”

Lying to a friend as dear as Fluttershy would be a bad idea. So I sighed, “I would be lying if I said they are… If you ever meet another human, be very cautious until you are certain they are trustworthy. Many are not.”

I felt Fluttershy embrace me tightly with her forelegs once I finished speaking. “If that’s true, then I’m glad you were the first human I ever met. Because you’ve shown me that humans can be good people.” I sighed before draping my arm over her back and gently gripping her shoulder. If only she knew what things are like where I came from… It would be best to leave her innocence intact.

A moment later, we both glanced around at the sounds of birds chirping and screeching. In the largest tree nearby were various birds that were in a frenzy. At the base of the tree were a few snakes that seemed to have curled up in the shade. “I’m guessing the birds are a little apprehensive about snakes getting so close to their nests.” I muttered out loud.

“Yes… Snakes are known to eat eggs, so I’m not surprised. I’m sure they can’t reach the nests, but I guess the birds are still afraid of them.” Fluttershy added. She then asked, “Wait… Did you say you were looking for a job? I think you can help out.” I watched while the pegasus ran inside the cottage. She soon returned with a flute in her mouth that was made of either glass or crystal.

When she handed the flute to me, Fluttershy explained, “Play that flute and the snakes will follow you. Try leading them over there.” She pointed to what seemed to be a small den under a rock in the ground.

As I looked the flute over, I recalled something about snake anatomy. “Fluttershy… Snakes don’t have ears. They can’t hear anything, not even the sound of a flute. They're deaf.”

I looked on while Fluttershy seemed surprised by my revelation. “They are? But they always follow me when I play it…” I looked down at the sleeping snakes and back at the flute. Could it be that snakes in Equestria CAN hear sound? Well, if Equestrian ponies evolved into sentient creatures with human-level intelligence, perhaps snakes developed ears over time. Or perhaps they can feel the sound waves coming from the flute. Regardless, I took Fluttershy’s claims seriously and approached the snakes.

“I haven’t played a recorder in ages… I just hope those snakes aren’t venomous…” I recall muttering to myself. I placed my fingers over a few of the holes and blew into the flute. After playing only a few notes, I noticed that the snakes began to uncoil and rise up as if to look at me. “I have no idea what I’m playing, but hey. If it works, it works.”

I steadily walked backwards while playing different notes. The snakes seemed to like whatever I was playing since they followed close behind me. I looked over at Fluttershy while I played. She smiled and spoke softly, “Keep going. You’re doing fine.” The birds seemed pleased as well since they had stopped screeching at the snakes.

It did not take me long to reach the snake’s den. I slowly turned around, guiding the snakes towards the entrance. Once they were right in front of the entrance, I ceased playing. I watched as all but one of the snakes slithered into their den. The one that remained looked up at me with a somewhat unhappy expression… Wait. Snakes can display emotions? Well, regardless, I could tell exactly what the snake wanted. “Someone wants an encore.”

I brought the flute to my mouth and began to play again. In response, the snake reared up and began to sway from side to side. I tried making the tune livelier by changing notes rapidly. After around a minute or so of playing the flute, I stopped to catch my breath. Apparently satisfied, the snake slithered into its den. “You’re welcome.” I muttered after taking a deep breath.

When I turned around, I saw Fluttershy entering her cottage. “Well, where is she going?” I headed on up to the front door and waited, certain that she would soon come back out. I did not wait long as she soon opened the door with a small sack in her mouth.

Fluttershy set the sack down at my feet. “That’s your pay for helping move the snakes away from the bird nests. And that was a catchy tune you played too.”

I chuckled as I handed the flute back to her. “To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing.” We both laughed lightly together while I picked up the sack. When I opened it, I found it was full of bits. But I felt a twinge of guilt as I looked down at Fluttershy. Even though I knew I had earned them, it still felt wrong to take money from someone like her. With a sigh, I reached into the sack and took out one bit before closing it. “Thank you, Fluttershy. This is all I need.”

The pegasus seemed surprised by my refusing most of my payment. “Are you sure that’s all you want? You can have the whole bag…”

I shook my head with a smile. “It’s OK, Fluttershy. One’s all I need. But are there any other jobs you might need some help with?”

Fluttershy was silent for a moment as she looked around the area. “Well… I think I could use some help Sunday. It’s the official bunny census. We count up all the baby bunnies that were born this season. Could you stop by then sometime?”

The thought of interacting with absurdly adorable baby rabbits made me very eager to start. “Baby bunnies that don’t run away from you? Now that sounds like a special treat. I’ll be here Sunday afternoon.” I bid Fluttershy goodbye and started on my way back to Ponyville.

As I strolled through town, my thoughts turned to Rarity. She had been allowing me to stay at her home for free, not to mention crafting me new clothes without asking for anything in return. “I can’t keep doing this… I need to give her something in return.”

The first place that came to mind was Sugarcube Corner. “Can’t go wrong with tasty treats.” I stepped inside the bakery and found Applejack in the process of finishing up a delivery of apples.

“Got everythin’ ya need?” The farm pony asked Pinkie Pie, who was looking at a sheet of sorts on the counter.

“One bushel of apples! Check! Thanks again, AJ!” The pink pony crossed something off on the sheet with a writing quill in her mouth after speaking her thanks.

When Applejack turned to face me, her mouth curved into a grin. “Well, howdy James! Y’all still feelin’ sore from yesterday? Or are ya feelin’ fine and dandy?”

I replied with a brief chuckle, still feeling rather sore in a few spots. “I wouldn’t say I’m back up to 100%, but the soreness is pretty much gone for the most part. Thanks for asking though.”

Applejack patted me on the lower back lightly. “Glad ta hear that, James. I know yer not cut out for that kinda work, but if ya ever feel like helpin’ out again, y’all just give Big Macintosh and me a holler.”

Not thrilled at all about working for long hours in hot summer heat, I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I feel like getting a serious workout.” I waved goodbye before Applejack headed out the door.

Remembering why I was there, I turned to Pinkie Pie and asked, “Are you still open? I’d like to place a special order if you are.”

“We don’t close until 6, so we’re still open! What can I get you, James?” The pink pony replied with her cheery tone.

Keeping Rarity in mind, I asked, “Well, I’d like to get something special for Rarity. Do you know what she likes?”

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes while she tried to think. “Well… She always did like some of the more refined pastries we make. Usually ones with fancy names… How does le tarte du crème avec le poisson sound?”

I had no idea what it was she said since I am not fluent in French, at least I assume that was French, but it certainly sounded like something someone of Rarity’s lifestyle would like. “That does sound pretty tasty. I’ll take one of those.”

Pinkie Pie showed me her big toothy grin and replied, “Oki doki loki! I’ll get on it right away!” She then trotted back into the kitchen. I know I should have probably stayed out front, but I was very curious of what this treat was. After some debating, I followed Pinkie into the kitchen to observe.

I saw Pinkie Pie setting out a piecrust that seemed to be made of cookie dough. She glanced over at me and smiled. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” I nodded as I watched her fill the crust with a type of chocolate cream. But I gasped when I watched her pull out a whole carp from the fridge.

“Whoa! What’re you doing?!” I rushed over to Pinkie Pie before she could set the fish into the pie, trying to make her set it aside until I had a firm grasp of what she was doing with it.

Once she had set the fish down, Pinkie explained, “Don’t you know? Le tarte du crème avec le poisson means ‘pie with cream and fish’! And this carp is the fish!”

I felt slightly sick to my stomach at the thought of eating a sweet pie with a whole uncooked fish in it. “Uh…er….. I think Rarity would prefer that you leave the fish out of it this time… Actually, leave it out for ALL future orders of this dish. Please!”

“OK then! But I can’t let this fish go to waste! So…” I watched as Pinkie Pie gulped the fish down whole, leaving me frozen in disbelief. “Yummy! Now for…. Uh, James? What’s with that look?”

I shuddered a bit while I muttered under my breath, “I thought…ponies are…strictly herbivorous…” I began to feel that Pinkie Pie might be criminally insane if she ate meat, although I hoped it was all in my head.

Pinkie Pie topped the pie off with some whipped cream and colorful sprinkles. She also added strips of vanilla icing crisscrossing the center of the pie. “She’s gonna love this! Are you asking her out for a date?”

I blushed at her question and stammered out a reply. “Um… I’m not sure that’s legal. This is just a gift for her allowing me to stay at her house. Kinda like paying off some of my rent.”

I handed Pinkie Pie a few bits in exchange for the pie while she boxed it up for transport. “OK then, it’s all ready! Tell Rarity I said hi!” Pinkie said with a smile as she placed my bits in the cash register. I thanked her again and set off for home with the pie under my arm.

It was around 6 pm by the time I reached the Carousel Boutique. Finding the door unlocked, I opened it and stepped inside. “Ooooh, making human clothing is so cumbersome on these pony dress forms. I suppose I’ll have to improvise for now…” I found Rarity hard at work on something; probably whatever she was making me for the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Are we making progress, Rarity?” I asked as I walked up behind her.

The unicorn turned around abruptly, startled by my entrance. “Oh! You’re just in time! I finished part of your attire for the gala!” She led me over to her sewing machine. A black pair of pants rested upon it. “I did your pants first. Are they to your liking?

I had great faith in Rarity’s skill as a seamstress, so I felt it was unnecessary to test my new pants out. “It looks fine to me, Rarity. Thank you. But what do you have in mind for the top?”

She smiled while she adjusted the stylish glasses on her muzzle, “Well, you asked for something that is not as stuffy as a suit. Correct? I was thinking a robe would suit you best.”

The mention of a robe intrigued me, as I could not imagine one being worn to a gala. “A robe, you say? Sounds like an interesting alternative. I say go for it.” It was then I remembered what I was carrying. “Oh right, I also got this for you.” I set out the box that contained the pie and opened it. “It’s all yours, Rarity.”

The unicorn seemed taken aback by my offer. “James… Darling, you did not have to give me this. I made it quite clear that I do not want any payment for allowing you to stay here! Your company is enough!”

I smiled and replied, “I know. But this isn’t money, is it? Besides, my conscience wouldn’t leave me alone. You’ve given me a lot in these last three days. I wanted to repay you in some way, so I got you this. Is it OK?”

I could swear I could see Rarity blushing while I explained my actions to her. “You… I… Now I feel bad. Are you sure this was no trouble to you?”

I nodded reassuringly. “No problem at all. Pinkie Pie didn’t charge me much for this. Now go on. Enjoy it. I’ve got my own treats to enjoy.” I pulled a leftover cupcake out of the other box I was carrying and took a bite.

“Well… Thank you, James. I will enjoy this delectable pastry.” Rarity said with a faint smile. While she went to the kitchen to retrieve a knife, I headed upstairs to bathe for the evening. The great deal of walking I had done that day had tired me out somewhat.

When I reached for the doorknob for the bathroom, I felt the strange feeling that I was being watched. I closed the door behind me after I entered to prevent Rarity or any guests from seeing me undress. I stepped into the shower and pulled the curtains closed after I removed my socks and shoes. But just as I was about to pull my shirt off, the lights went out. “What the… A dead bulb?”

I felt for the curtains, but froze when I heard what sounded like someone tripping over something. “Ow! Stupid towel…” The voice sounded vaguely familiar, and I began to suspect I was in danger. Being as quiet as I could, I snuck out of the shower and felt for the doorknob. I then quickly opened the door, got outside, and wedged a chair under the doorknob to prevent it from being opened from the inside. I heard the voice yell, “HEY! LET ME OUTTA HERE! I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

I ran downstairs as quickly as I could to warn Rarity of the intruder. She was busy enjoying a slice of her pie while looking over designs she had sketched. “Rarity, you better come quick. We’ve got an intruder in the bathroom and she threatened to kill me.”

The unicorn turned my way with an alarmed expression. “Kill you?! Who would dare?! Show me this intruder. I’ll show her not to harm my guests!” I swiftly led Rarity upstairs to the bathroom, the chair still keeping the door jammed.

“When I open the door, you restrain the intruder with your magic. Ready?” I whispered to Rarity, who gave me a nod. I then removed the chair and opened the door before jumping to the side.

“Got you!” I heard Rarity shout while her horn was engulfed in a billowing aura. A familiar filly floated out of the bathroom, squirming in midair while trapped in Rarity’s magic clutches. I recognized her mane and coat coloration right away, as did Rarity. “Diamond Tiara? What are you doing out here in my home?!”

The angry filly growled as she flailed about in a futile attempt to break free, “I’m gonna kill that human! He stole my cutie mark!”

Rarity glanced over at me and asked, “You? Steal a child’s cutie mark? Why would you do such a thing?”

I crossed my arms and replied, “It was to teach her a lesson. She was bullying Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle because they lacked cutie marks. So I decided to make her walk a mile in a ‘blank flank’s’ horseshoes to understand what it’s like to be them.”

At the mention of her sister’s name, Rarity glared at Diamond Tiara. “You would dare harass my little sister over the fact that she does not have a cutie mark yet?!” I took a step back as her face was displaying a most frightening expression of anger. Even Diamond Tiara cringed in intimidation. Rarity then dropped the filly rather forcefully onto the floor and screamed, “OUT!!!”

Clearly too frightened to argue, Diamond Tiara dashed down the stairs and out the front door. Rarity and I followed her to make sure she actually left. “What a wicked child. Trying to commit murder just for being punished? Why do they never learn?” Rarity said with a frustrated sigh.

I shook my head in disgust as well. “I didn’t think she’d actually try to follow through with her threats. But she’s not getting her cutie mark back until she stops being such a jerk. And I suspect that’s not gonna happen for a looong time.”

However, Rarity smiled at me in a rather endearing fashion. “Even so, it was sweet of you to defend Sweetie Belle. Thank you, James.” I smiled warmly, feeling rather proud of myself for putting a schoolyard bully in her place. “Oh! Before you go upstairs, come over here for a moment. I need to measure your feet so I can make you some new shoes for the Grand Galloping Gala!”

About an hour later, I came downstairs with only a towel around my waist. I headed straight for the room I was to sleep in and found my old clothes neatly folded on the sofa. I then slipped my boxers on, glad to have a clean pair. However, I recalled that Rarity was not in her bedroom when I emerged from the bathroom. Curious of where she might be, I left my room to look for her.

My search ended almost instantly as I found Rarity slumped over the table that held her sewing machine. She was fast asleep, apparently having succumbed to exhaustion while in the middle of a job. Right beside her was a pair of black leather shoes with brass buckles similar to one I would see on a belt. “That’s an old-fashioned design. Just right for something so formal.”

Certain that sleeping in such a position would likely result in a very sore back in the morning; I decided to carry Rarity up to her bedroom. I reached under her and lifted the lovely unicorn onto my shoulders, finding that she was slightly lighter than I expected. But as I walked upstairs, she began to stir. “Ugh… What’s happening… I need to finish that robe…”

Trying to help her go back to sleep, I spoke softly, “Oh, but you are. Your sewing machine is sewing away on it. Just stay focused and it will be done soon.”

The drowsy unicorn seemed to believe my words as she muttered, “Oh, good… I need to finish it soon… Must…hurry…” I think she fell asleep right there since I could hear light snoring beside my head.

Once inside her bedroom, I pulled the covers of her bed down and set Rarity in the middle. I made sure to set her head on one of the pillows before covering her up. She seemed to be smiling in her sleep. I then reached out and placed a kiss on her muzzle, “Sweet dreams, Rarity.”

While I walked away, I froze as I realized what I just did. “Did I just…” I turned around and looked down at Rarity. Even in the poor lighting, I could tell that she was smiling. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my body, as I believe I saw a faint blush on her face as well. “Oh man… It was just an impulse… I didn’t mean…” I quickly, yet quietly, made my way out of the room and downstairs while many thoughts swirled through my head.

As I rest on the sofa in my room, I ponder the events of my third day in Ponyville. Starting tomorrow, I will be working at Sugarcube Corner. I can only pray I am up for the job. But while I write this, my thoughts keep going back to Rarity.

I cannot help asking myself. Do I love her? What does she think of me? Can a human and an Equestrian unicorn pony really…

No, I will not go there. Such a relationship would never work. We are too different. She is just my friend and landlord and it would be best if it stays that way.

But even so… The thought of such possibilities intrigue me… Regardless, I am too sleepy to continue writing. I shall end this journal here as my third day in Equestria ends. What does the following day hold for me? There is only one way to find out.

I awoke to the sound of a cat purring. When I opened my eyes, I found Opal pawing at my hand. I still felt very groggy, my hand stroking her fluffy head. The Persian cat bounded up onto the blanket where my belly was located and curled up on me. “Great minds think alike.” I muttered. Still feeling tired, I turned my head to the right and went back to sleep.

Another hour or so passed before I awoke again. This time to the sound of singing. I instantly recognized the voice as Rarity’s. Too curious to go back to sleep, I sat up and got dressed.

When I peeked out into the main room of Carousel Boutique, I found Rarity hard at work with numerous work materials floating about. I could also clearly hear her singing. “Piece by piece, snip by snip. Croup, dock haunch, shoulders, hip. Thread by thread, primmed and pressed. Yard by yard, never stressed. And that’s the art of the dreeeeess!”

I applauded as I approached my landlord. Her voice sounds lovely on its own, but makes for some fabulous singing. “Lovely tune, Rarity.”

The unicorn turned to face me with a blush while seemingly embarrassed. “Oh, I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I tend to tune out everything around me when I’m in the zone, as it were. Did I wake you up too soon, dear?”

The various floating objects were gently set down while I watched. “Nah. I slept long enough. But that was by far the best alarm clock I’ve ever woken up to.” Rarity giggled and grinned at my compliment while also taking a bow.

“Oh, James… And to think I came up with that song on the spot!” Rarity then glanced around and pointed to one of her grid-shaped shelves. “Now that you’re here though, could you bring me that clutch of thread over there?”

I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw what she was looking for. “Sure thing.” I then walked over to the shelves and pulled it out. But I nearly dropped it upon finding that it was far heavier than it looked. It seemed to be gold-colored as it shimmered in the light, but no fabric could possibly be that heavy. A thought then crossed my mind as I held it in both hands. I turned to Rarity and asked, “Rarity… This thread… Is this made of REAL gold?!”

My landlord giggled at my bewilderment. “But of course! I told you, didn’t I? I settle for nothing less than the highest quality in my work!”

I knew that Rarity’s designs are of the highest caliber in both form and material, but I never expected that she used precious metals in some of them. “Rarity, are you certain that you don’t want anything in return for that robe? Nothing at all?” I asked while suspecting that she was planning on using some of the gold threads in my robe.

Rarity shook her head in disagreement. “All I ask is that you wear this robe proudly when you attend the Grand Galloping Gala. Nothing more.”

All I could do was sigh at Rarity’s seemingly limitless generosity. “I…understand, Rarity… Thank you…”

It seemed that Rarity could sense my guilt since she soon approached me with a concerned expression. “James, what’s wrong? Is there something wrong with what I am doing? Did you change your mind about what you would like me to make?”

I set the bundle of gold thread by her sewing machine and took a seat nearby. “It’s just… How do I say this…” I then explained after letting out a long sigh, “You’ve been giving me so much since I arrived here in Equestria. And I actually feel really awful that you do not want anything from me in return. I truly appreciate your generosity, but… I just feel so guilty…”

The unicorn sighed as she walked over to me before speaking softly and reassuringly. “James… Darling, I want you to understand something. I’m not being generous to you so you can pay me back in full later. I’m doing all this for you because I simply WANT to. Is that really so wrong?” All I could do was bow my head. But she surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. “Still, you’re very sweet to be so concerned about me. I’m just grateful you’re not taking advantage of me. There are too many ponies in this world who would do just that if given the opportunity, so I’m grateful that you have such great restraint.”

I touched my cheek, finding it hard to believe that a pony would kiss me. Understanding Rarity’s appreciation of me, I felt somewhat better. But I could still feel some guilt in my heart for not being able to repay her for providing me with so much in so little time. “Thanks, Rarity… I think I understand now…”

“I’m glad to hear that, dear. If there is anything else you need, feel free to ask me.” Rarity said with a lovely smile. She then nuzzled me gently, prompting a smile from me.

I glanced over at a clock and saw that the time was around 10:30 AM. “Oh, right. I need to be over at Sugarcube Corner at 11. I better get going.” I stood up and made my way to the front door. “We’ll talk later, Rarity. See you soon.” I waved goodbye, but the unicorn ‘tossed’ me what seemed to be a polished yellow gemstone. I caught it, believing it to be plastic or glass.

“For Spike. Just in case.” Rarity said to me before turning to go back to focusing on her work. I shrugged my shoulders and placed the gemstone in my pocket before heading on my way.

As I headed into town, I noticed some of the ponies whispering to each other. They would often glance over at me from time to time. I was curious of what they were saying, but felt it rude to pry into others’ business. However, I soon noticed Applejack pulling a cart of apples to the market. Since I still had time before work, I decided to say hello. I approached the farm pony and smiled while speaking, “Morning, AJ.”

Applejack turned my way and while chuckling, “Hey there, lover boy. Y’all on yer way to pick up some flowers?”

I raised an eyebrow at her question. “Wait… What? Lover boy? What makes you say that?”

The farm pony grinned in a cheeky fashion. “I heard it straight from the source. Y’all got the hots for Rarity, huh?”

I can remember feeling a surge of heat as I began to sweat. “What?! But…how…when… She was asleep when that happened! And it was just a reflex action! How’d she know?!”

Applejack burst into laughter at my spazzing. “She was just testin’ ya, pardner. But don’t you worry none. It’s not like she’s plannin’ on jumpin’ your bones tonight.” After laughing some more, she asked, “Come ta think of it, what do ya think of Rarity anyhow?”

It was a question I was not expecting. I crossed my arms and thought over my response for a moment. “Well… She’s very sweet. She has an amazing sense of fashion, yet is not conceited or snooty. She’s very beautiful. And she’s impossibly generous.”

Applejack and I continued to converse about Rarity for a minute or more before I remembered where I was supposed to be. “Oh, right. I really need to get to Sugarcube Corner. I’m needed at 11.”

The farm pony nodded and waved goodbye. “Oh, sorry then. Didn’t mean ta distract. Y’all say hi ta Pinkie Pie for me!” We said our goodbyes and went on our ways.

Along the way, I passed by the library. I glanced around for a clock of any sort to check the time. When I could not find one, I estimated that no more than fifteen minutes had passed since leaving the Carousel Boutique. “I guess I can afford to pay a visit.” Feeling it was tedious to go back and forth to read a book at the library, I decided it would be more practical to simply borrow the encyclopedia I had been reading from time to time.

As I approached the door to the library, I noticed Pinkie Pie out of the corner of my eye. “Uh oh… Is her Pinkie Sense gonna act up?” I remember muttering under my breath. She suddenly stopped when her ears flopped. Her eyes fluttered next, followed by her forelegs trembling. “That means…opening door!” I jumped back from the library door, expecting it to open forcefully.

The sound I heard next was a distant door opening loudly. I looked around and saw a pony emerge from a house nearby. “Oh… Wrong door.” I breathed a sigh of relief. But when I reached for the library’s doorknob, I was bashed in the face as the door opened forcefully, slamming me into the side of the building…tree…whatever you want to call it.

“What…the crap…” I groaned as the door slowly swung shut. I fell to my knees, dazed by the force of the impact. “Note to self… Stay away from doors until Pinkie Sense stops detecting.”

Just like the previous time, Spike stepped out the door with a stack of books in his hands. The little dragon peeked behind the door to check who he had hit this time. “Huh? You again?” I nodded while adjusting my glasses, expecting an apology. However, Spike instead glared at me “Heh, serves you right for making a move on Rarity.”

Spike’s hostile tone took me by surprise since I had never done anything to make him angry with me. Or did I? “Wait… Rarity? What about her?”

The baby dragon growled and pointed a finger right at my face. “Look, let me make something clear with you since you’re new around here. Rarity’s MY girl. No one lays a hand on her but me. Got it?”

Suspecting that this was what Rarity had given me that gemstone for earlier, I reached into my pocket and pulled it out. “Um… This is for you, Spike.”

I watched in surprise as the baby dragon’s expression brightened immediately. “For me?! Awesome! Thanks!” He dropped his books and snatched the gem from my hand. I looked on in bewilderment while he chomped down on it like a piece of candy, the sound of the crunching coming from his mouth being rather loud.

“Spike… Does that…hurt?” I asked, amazed that none of his teeth were being broken.

The dragon licked his fingers while grinning broadly. “Nope! Gemstones are a dragon’s favorite food! And thanks again for that one! You’re an OK guy, James! Now I need to get back to work. See ya around.” He picked up the pile of books again and wandered off, having forgotten everything he was angry about.

I was still awestruck while I watched Spike walk away. “Dragons…can eat…and digest…gemstones…” I then shook my head to discard the thought since it was clearly not something I should think too hard about. “Well, I guess that explains the legends of dragons hoarding gems and other precious minerals.” I shuffled to the library’s front door, still dazed from being slammed into the tree structure. However, I noticed Pinkie Pie glancing around in a panic again while her knees were twitching. “……Crud.” I remember muttering a second before the door opened and slammed me into the side of the library AGAIN.

“Spike? Are you out here?” I heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle speak up from behind the door.

“No, but I’m here.” I replied, now fairly sore from the two impacts I had received.

I saw Twilight peek around the door and gasp at the sight of me. “Oh no, I’m sorry! Are you all right?” She asked, an expression of guilt on her face.

Feeling somewhat bitter, I grumbled, “How would you feel if you were slammed into a tree twice in two minutes?”

Twilight took a step back while wincing. “Twice? I’m so sorry! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

I replied while flexing my neck to loosen it up and get rid of some of the soreness that had set in. “Yeah… I’d like to borrow that encyclopedia I was reading yesterday.”

Twilight nodded and ran back inside. She returned a moment later with the encyclopedia in her mouth. When she gave it to me, she asked, “Is there anything else I can do? Anything at all?”

While I pondered her question, I noticed that Twilight seemed like she was on the verge of crying. Her lips were quivering slightly, a sure sign that she was trying to restrain her emotions. Feeling somewhat guilty that I almost made a girl cry, I reached out and stroked her mane. “Hey, sorry if I snapped. I just got a little grumpy, that’s all. I’m not mad at you, Twilight. Really.”

My words seemed to reassure the unicorn as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “OK… I was just afraid I hurt you. I don’t like upsetting my friends. So…I felt bad when I thought I might’ve hurt you. Do you forgive me?”

Trying to throw a little humor into the moment, I adjusted my glasses. “Let’s see… No broken bones. No cuts or scrapes. And my glasses are still intact. Yup, I forgive you.” I was especially grateful that my glasses were still fine since they are the only pair I have in Equestria and it would likely be costly to replace them.

My attempt at humor seemed to work since Twilight Sparkle let out a giggle. “You’re sweet, James. You go ahead and keep that book as long as you want. I won’t mind. And I’m sorry again for smashing you against my house.” I nodded with a smile while I stroked her mane. But I became puzzled when I noticed what seemed like a blush on her face.

Not wanting to ponder Twilight’s blush too deeply, I discarded the thought. “Not to be rude, but I need to hurry on over to Sugarcube Corner. I’m needed there at 11.”

Twilight smiled and gave me a nod of confirmation. “Oh, OK! Say hi to Pinkie Pie for me!” I waved goodbye and went on my way.

I managed to catch up to Pinkie Pie while she trotted through town. “Morning, Pinkie. What’s happening?”

The pink pony giggled while she looked up at me. “I was just placing an order for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. We have to get our baking supplies from somewhere, you know! You on your way into work?”

I nodded and replied, “Yeah. I’m not late, am I?” Pinkie Pie shook her head and pointed ahead. Sugarcube Corner was right before us. “OK. No way I’ll be late now.”

Pinkie Pie led me inside the confectionary, where I found an earth pony stallion minding the front counter. His coat was a brilliant shade of yellow while his mane and tail were a vibrant orange. His eyes were green and he wore an orange and white striped bowtie at the base of his neck. He also wore a hat with the same color scheme, the round shape bringing to mind a cookie tin. His cutie mark consisted of three square slices of cake topped with white icing. I also noticed that his lower jaw seemed to jut forward slightly, the first stallion I had seen with such a jaw structure. He spoke up, “Ah, so you’re our new hired hand? Pinkie Pie’s been telling us good things about you.”

I looked away out of nervousness, not used to such praise. Pinkie Pie nodded with a big toothy grin and spoke, “Yes he is, Mr. Cake! And he’s already come up with a new recipe! Who knew chocolate chips go so well with vanilla cupcakes?”

My employer smiled and looked towards me. “That does sound tasty. Mr. James, if I may ask a favor, could you provide us with any recipes you know?”

I nodded and replied promptly. “Sure thing. I know of a few recipes you may like.”

Mr. Cake was clearly pleased by my agreement. “Good to hear, James. Now then, you’ll be Pinkie Pie’s assistant for today. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.” I then followed Pinkie Pie into the kitchen.

“OK then, James! We need to make some more of those cupcakes from yesterday! Can you get the sugar and the eggs?” Pinkie Pie asked while she checked the cabinets.

“Will do.” I replied while I checked the refrigerator.

While I helped mix the ingredients together a few minutes later with a whisk, Pinkie Pie asked, “So, James? Any other recipes you wanna share?”

I thought the question over in my head while adding a pinch of salt to the batter. “Well… Do you know how to make blueberry muffins?”

The pink pony grinned widely at me and spoke with her characteristic enthusiastic voice, “Yup! Nopony I know doesn’t like those!”

I then added, “Well, I know of a twist on that recipe. Instead of muffins, put all the batter into a pound cake tin. Then you’ll have a blueberry pound cake. Also, try sprinkling a little sugar on top right after you take it out of the oven.”

Pinkie Pie gasped before giggling, “Pound cakes?! Why didn’t I think of that?! I gotta write this down.” I looked on while she opened a notebook and jotted something down in it with a pencil in her mouth.

“OK, that little reminder’s been taken care of. Any other recipes you know that we don’t?” Pinkie Pie asked while I turned on the oven.

I tried thinking my answer over in my head for a moment. “Um… Well, you ever heard of chocolate drops?”

The mention of chocolate instantly excited the pink pony. “Chocolate drops?! Is it like gumdrops, but with chocolate?!” She began hopping up and down repeatedly, almost as if she had springs in her legs.

“Um… No. It’s not a candy. It’s a pastry. You take dough and drop it on a baking sheet. That’s drop, not set. The impact causes it to flatten out a bit. When done baking, you have a flat plain cake. Then you spread chocolate on it. But it doesn’t have to be only chocolate. You can use icing, coconut, caramel, whatever. It’s a pretty versatile treat.” I explained, having enjoyed the treat many times in my life, especially during my elementary school days. I still remember when I would wake up after 5 AM and visit the place by going in through the backdoor and buying my breakfast before the place had even opened. Good times…

To my surprise, I found that Pinkie Pie was already gathering the ingredients needed to make chocolate drops. “All we need is cake dough, right?!” I nodded with a chuckle, finding her enthusiasm amusing.

As I watched Pinkie Pie prepare the dough for baking, she asked, “Did Rarity like the pie you gave her yesterday?”

I nodded and replied, “Yup. It seemed to be to her liking.” I then paused as I thought about the gossip I had been told by Applejack and Spike. “Um… Was Rarity in today?”

Pinkie Pie smirked while rolling her eyes at me. “Ooh, I know what you’re getting at. Rarity told me all about it!” I blushed, understanding that Rarity had told her as well.

“Well… Did she say why she tested me like that?” I had become very curious about my landlord’s intentions, but felt it would be a bad idea to ask her personally.

The cheeky pink mare grinned at me. “Oh, don’t worry too much! She just said it was to see how sweet you could be. But she did say the kiss was unexpected. You really surprised her!”

I bowed my head while I blushed. At least I suspect I blushed. “I’m not sure why I kissed her… I think it was just a reflex of some sort.”

The pink pony approached me and gave me a playful nudge. “You planning on asking her out sometime? I know a great place for a date!”

Although I am a romantic and do find romance and the like beautiful, I was hesitant to ask a pony out on a date. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea… She’s a pony. I’m a human. Would that kind of relationship really work out? And besides, I don’t think I have the kind of social stature to woo her anyway.”

Pinkie Pie surprised me with a laugh before speaking, “Oh, I’m sure you have a pretty good chance with her! Rarity’s not nearly as shallow as she seems! She’s very sweet and generous. I’m pretty sure even the poorest pony could win her heart if their character was good enough! And just between you and me, she really does wanna get married someday.”

I was surprised to find that Rarity is more into substance than style. “Is that so? Well, I hope I get invited to the wedding.”

After a couple of hours, Pinkie Pie and I had baked a couple dozen cupcakes, maybe a dozen blueberry pound cakes, and around forty ‘drops’. Due to only having a single oven like you would find in the average kitchen and not one of those massively wide ones found in traditional bakeries, we could only bake so many things at one time. And due to being new on the job, I had not yet worked myself into a routine and had no experience in the art. Fortunately, Pinkie Pie really knows her stuff in the kitchen and made sure we stayed on schedule while guiding me along. For being such a happy-go-lucky girl, she certainly does not mess around too much when on the clock. I have no idea what I would have done without her.

One dozen of those drops were topped with chocolate, another dozen was topped with vanilla icing, and the other dozen or so was topped with a combination of chocolate and…..hot sauce. Please do not ask. I honestly was afraid to know why. Pinkie and I did sample our finished works a bit now and then during the baking process, but I stayed far away from the stuff that involved hot sauce. I have already tasted chocolate mixed with chili peppers and the like. Unpleasant combination. Pinkie Pie eventually spoke with a hungry gaze focused upon our creations, “Those turned out awesome!”

I remember muttering, “Awesome… Right… As long as your tongue is lined with asbestos.” Pinkie Pie took one of the spicy pastries and took a bite. I winced, finding it hard to believe anyone would like hot sauce on anything sweet.

“Wow! This is great!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she gulped down her first chocolate…hot sauce…drop… I really have no idea what to call that one. But before she started on another, Pinkie Pie glanced towards the wall. “Wow. Past noon already? Guess we better get some lunch then.”

I then asked while glancing over at her, “Lunch? Are we allowed to do that?”

Pinkie Pie giggled at me once again and replied, “Don’t worry! Mr. and Mrs. Cake are taking their lunch breaks right now! They always stay here during business hours, so we can go out to get some food! But we have to be back in one hour. Do you know a good place for some good munchies?”

The first place that came to mind was the outdoor café I had visited the previous day. “How about that restaurant with the outdoor seating? It’s pretty close to Sugarcube Corner, right?”

The pink pony hopped in place with glee. “Perfect! You go on ahead. I’ll let our bosses know we’ll be right back!” She trotted out of the room to look for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Knowing I would not need my glasses to eat, I took them off and set them on the counter before heading out through the back door.

I knew where the café was, so I made a beeline for it without stopping in order to conserve time. I did not get far before Pinkie Pie caught up to me. “You know what you’re gonna get?” She asked while hopping alongside me.

“I’m sure I’ll get a salad, but I also think I’ll try something new.” I replied, curious of what else was on the menu.

When we arrived, we found that the outdoor seating had only a few customers. “Looks like our orders shouldn’t take too long with this many customers.” I said before we took a seat at a table. Once again, I found the table to be uncomfortably low. Not wanting to be uncomfortable by the time my order arrived, I went and borrowed a small stool that was nearby.

Pinkie Pie was unusually quiet while she looked through the menu. I suppose even someone as hyper as her needs to focus when reading. As I looked through my menu, I found an item that raised my spirits. “Pasta… Awesome.”

While I read over the list of pasta dishes on the menu, the sound of hooves came from near the table I was seated at. It was fairly loud, likely a pegasus setting down from a great height. A voice then asked, “Hey there, James. Pinkie Pie. What’s happening?” The two of us looked towards the source of the voice and found Rainbow Dash standing at the table.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash! Wanna join us for lunch?” Pinkie Pie asked with a joyful smile. The rainbow-maned pegasus grinned while she nodded as she took a seat on a pile of hay below the table.

“So, any luck with that job hunting?” Rainbow Dash asked me, a hoof holding her head up with her elbow on the table.

I replied with a nod and spoke, “Yup. Got a job at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie and I are currently on our lunch break.” Rainbow Dash congratulated me before bumping ‘fists’ with me. She then grabbed a menu from an unused table nearby and started looking through it.

“Anything you recommend?” She asked, looking over at me out of the corner of her eye.

“I really must recommend the grilled carrots. You won’t be disappointed.” I replied while showing a small grin.

While the three of us chatted, the same waiter from my previous visit approached us. “Have you made your decision?”

Pinkie Pie ordered a sandwich, Rainbow Dash ordered the grilled carrots, and I ordered a house salad and an order of fettuccine with broccoli and alfredo sauce. We decided to chat to pass the time while waiting for our orders.

A few minutes later, the waiter brought out my salad. I felt it was rude to start eating before my friends had received their orders, so I asked, “Should I wait for the rest to arrive?”

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked at each other, whispered something, giggled, and then smiled at me. “Sure! Go right ahead.”

I thanked my friends before taking a fork in hand. But Rainbow Dash then stood up and spoke, “I just remembered I’ve got something to do. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The pegasus trotted away, leaving me and Pinkie Pie alone.

For some reason, Pinkie Pie was giggling nonstop. Knowing her, she could be off in her own little world. But right as I was about to take a bite of my salad, I saw Rainbow Dash rocketing towards our table. “What the?! Hey!” I yelped as she blazed past us at great speed, creating a powerful gust that sent my salad and bowl flying into my face.

“Bwahahahaha! That was awesome!” Rainbow Dash laughed as she returned to the table. Pinkie Pie was laughing just as hard, having likely discussed the prank. I took the bowl off my face, the dressing smeared all over me. Having never felt so offended since I first arrived in Ponyville, I trembled in a fusion of anger and pain.

Pinkie Pie giggled loudly, “Pulling pranks is the best! It never gets old!” Rainbow Dash had fallen on her back while laughing. I was tempted to kick her, but at the same time I did not want to hurt someone I cared about. Settling for a less painful type of revenge, I gathered up what I could of my salad and placed it in the bowl.

I approached Rainbow Dash and stood above her while holding my salad bowl in my hand. “That was real funny, Rainbow. But how about this?” I slammed the bowl down onto her head, returning the favor as the salad was pushed into her face. “I never took you for the town bully. Jerk.” I placed my hands in my pockets and walked away, not paying any heed to the ponies’ calls.

Having lost my appetite, I went straight back to Sugarcube Corner. I wiped the salad dressing off my face with a towel once I was back in the kitchen. Just as I was about to get back to work, I heard a knock at the back door. I opened it without a second thought and found Pinkie Pie waiting for me.

“Um… James? Sorry we pra-” I interrupted her by slamming the door in her face. In hindsight, it was a very rude action. But at the moment, I was too upset to care. As I retrieved my glasses from the counter, I heard the door creak open. I did not even look in its direction while I read over the next list of goods that still needed to be baked.

“James….. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you don’t like to be pranked.” Pinkie spoke uncharacteristically softly as she apologized. She sounded more like Fluttershy at the time.

“Is that your attempt at a Fluttershy impersonation?” I asked while fetching some eggs from the refrigerator.

I heard Pinkie Pie sigh before muttering, “No… I’m really sorry… I didn’t know.”

Annoyed, I then asked, “Did you even bother to ask? Did you ever ask me if I don’t mind being pranked like that?” Pinkie Pie did not offer a reply. I cracked some eggs and mixed them with sugar and flour, “I don’t mind being joked with or being the victim of harmless pranks. But pranks that have results like the one you and Rainbow pulled on me really do not sit well with me. Keep that in mind next time you want to risk ticking me off.”

There was a moment of silence as I awaited a reply. After a moment, she sighed once more. “You’re right… I didn’t ask. I should’ve checked with you to learn what your level of tolerance is.” She then approached me and looked up at me before speaking, “I’m sorry… I’ll never play another prank on you again. I hate upsetting my friends. Can you ever forgive me?”

I could tell just by looking at her that Pinkie Pie was showing true remorse for her actions. With a sigh, I nodded. “OK. Apology accepted. But I’m still feeling pretty bitter right now. So I’d appreciate it if you give me some time to recover.”

Pinkie Pie hopped once before smiling calmly. “Oki doki loki. If there’s anything I can do to help make it up to you, let me know.” I nodded silently in response. She then asked, “You know, you still have a while before your lunch break ends. You wanna head back out for some grub?”

I sighed, not feeling hungry in the slightest. “No thanks… I lost my appetite from that little ‘prank’ you pulled on me. What about you? Didn’t finish your sandwich?”

The pink pony shook her head. “No… I felt too bad afterwards to eat anything… I wrapped it up to go for later.”

The two of us did not speak much for the next hour. Pretty much the only time we did communicate verbally was when exchanging baking instructions. Just after I had placed another batch of cupcakes into the oven for baking, Pinkie Pie asked, “James, would it be OK if I let you leave work early? You know, as part of my apology? I’ll make sure you get a full day’s pay.”

I looked over at the clock on the wall. The time was a little past 2 PM. “Are you sure that’s OK? Closing time is almost four hours away.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and smiled calmly. “It’s OK, James. Go ahead. Take the rest of the evening off. It’s the least I can do for making you feel so bad.” With some reluctance, I decided to take her up on the offer. I said my goodbyes and headed out the back door.

Even with hours of free time to myself, I was still feeling very rotten. As I tried to think of what to do to help lift my bad mood, the thought of feeding the fish at the local park came to mind. Seeing as how feeding fish in general is usually a relaxing activity, I made my way south without paying any mind to the ponies around me.

I was pleased to find that the park had few visitors at the time I reached it. Even more so when I found the pond deserted. The sack of fish food pellets had been restocked as I found it to be filled to the brim. I took a seat by it, opened the sack, and scattered some pellets over the pond. Like before, a few fish leapt out of the water to catch some of them. While I watched the fish jump, I could feel a slight smile creep across my face.

A few minutes passed before I heard the sound of wings flapping. I immediately thought it was Fluttershy arriving to feed the fish like before. The sound of the flapping steadily grew louder before being replaced by the sound of hooves clopping. I was still feeling bitter, so I did not offer a greeting. What happened next surprised me. The pegasus behind me walked up beside me and set a large paper bag down that was emitting a delectable aroma. I looked down at the bag before looking up at whoever had brought it to me. To my disappointment, I found Rainbow Dash looking at me with a somber expression on her face.

“It’s your lunch. I handled the payment for you. We’re still cool, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, clearly trying to repay me for the unwanted prank she had pulled earlier.

Although the offer was sincere, I was feeling especially bitter towards Rainbow Dash since it was she who carried out the prank directly. I looked away from her and spoke dryly, “I don’t want to see you right now. Leave me alone.”

I heard Rainbow Dash groan in apparent frustration. “Man, this sucks! This is the second time in a week that I hurt you! Am I really such a klutz?!”

I replied bluntly, “Maybe you should ask next time you plan on pulling a prank on someone. Most people don’t take kindly to the more aggressive types of pranks.”

The pegasus sighed and held her hoof to her face while shaking her head. “…..You’re right. I should’ve checked if you don’t mind being pranked. You’re like a combo of Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. You’re really smart and logical, but you’re also pretty sensitive.”

At the mention of being sensitive, I scowled. “You got a problem with me not being as tough as you?”

Rainbow Dash replied while taking a step back and shaking her hoof through the air in a nervous fashion. “Whoa, easy there. I didn’t mean it like that. Sensitive ponies are cool. They’re pretty nice to have around…” She then cleared her throat and walked up next to me. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I like you, James. And I feel bad that I really struck a nerve with you. I’m sorry. Really. I won’t ever prank you again. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

I looked at the pegasus out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were pleading so intently, I almost felt sorry for her. After a moment of thought, I nodded silently to express my acceptance of her apology. Rainbow Dash then surprised me by embracing me tightly around my upper body. “I was afraid you were gonna sock me one. But really, I’ll never do something like that again. I promise.’

I gently placed my hand on Rainbow Dash’s hoof. “I wouldn’t do that… The thought of hurting my friends is unpleasant to me. Even if they have hurt me before.”

Rainbow Dash sighed long and deep. “Man… You really are just like Fluttershy. You’re a total softy. But I mean that in a good way.” The rowdy pegasus nuzzled my cheek gently, prompting a calm smile from me.

“I’m gonna let you enjoy your food in peace, OK?” Rainbow Dash asked as she backed away. I nodded in silence and waved goodbye. “See ya around, James!” I watched as my friend flew away, my faith in her restored.

Not wanting to wait too long, I opened the bag that contained my lunch. Inside were two covered plastic bowls. One contained a house salad with French dressing and the other contained shell-shaped pasta in a white cream sauce with broccoli. “Thanks, Rainbow…” I muttered while I removed my meal from the bag.

After no more than twenty minutes, I had finished my lunch. The pasta was every bit as tasty as I had hoped. While I ate, I would occasionally toss more pellets to the fish in the pond. I placed my empty containers inside the bag that held them earlier. Still feeling slightly sore, I decided to remain at the pond a while longer to relieve more of my stress.

I soon heard the sound of wings flapping and suspected that it was Rainbow Dash returning. The pegasus landed behind me before walking up alongside me. I turned my head to look at her, but instead of Rainbow Dash, I found Fluttershy looking at me. “You really like this place, don’t you?” She asked me with her calming quiet voice.

I responded sincerely, “I do. It’s a great place to relax and let go of the bad things on your mind.” I tossed a few more pellets, watching the fish feed on them.

Fluttershy took a seat beside me and asked, “Bad things? Did something happen?” Her face showed genuine concern.

“It’s not important. I’m almost all better now anyway. A good meal helped with that.” I explained, not wanting to make her feel angry towards Rainbow Dash.

The mention of food seemed to interest Fluttershy since she then asked, “You had lunch? That reminds me. Applejack told me that humans eat all sorts of things. What do you like to eat?”

I looked over at her, not entirely surprised that Applejack had passed that tidbit of information along. “She told you that, huh? Well, she’s right. As for what I like… I enjoy pasta dishes, certain veggies, but I dislike spicy foods. I also love seafood, especially sushi.”

Fluttershy asked with a show of very slight surprise on her face, “You eat fish? Well…I can’t say we ponies eat much meat. We’re strictly herbivores. But some ponies sell fish at the market. Though they’re usually for certain pets. You could probably buy some if you want to cook it.”

The knowledge that there was some form of meat I could eat in Equestria lifted my spirits. “Awesome. I’ll make a mental note of that. But what do ponies do with fish anyway?”

“Well… We don’t actually eat fish. We just use it to feed animals that do eat it.” Fluttershy explained, although I now realize that I had practically caused her to repeat herself...

We continued to chat for a while, my hand stroking Fluttershy’s mane. “I like it when you do that…” She cooed softly in response to my touch.

“I’ll keep doing it as long as you want.” I replied, my fingers reaching her scalp.

After a moment more, I asked, “Are you feeling drowsy?”

Fluttershy replied with a relaxed sigh, “Yes… It’s so soothing…” I soon heard faint snoring, the pegasus once again having fallen asleep while leaning against me.

“Fluttershy… You’re too cute for words.” I can recall muttering. Hoping to sleep off the rest of my bad mood, I closed my eyes while leaning against her.

I suspect two hours had passed by the time I awoke. A tender familiar voice whispered, “Wake up now, sleepyhead.” I slowly opened my eyes and found Fluttershy looking down at me with a tender grin.

“What a pleasant sight to wake up to. Did you have a good nap?” I said with a chuckle. Fluttershy’s only response was a faint giggle while appearing to blush slightly.

“Um… I hope I didn’t keep you for too long. Is there somewhere you have to be?” Fluttershy asked with a look of slight worry.

I shrugged and replied, “Not really. I don’t think I have to be anywhere right now. Though I am curious. Do you still want me to show up tomorrow in the afternoon?”

The pegasus nodded with a noticeably excited grin. “Oh, yes. It’s not easy gathering up all those baby bunnies by myself. Please remember to stop by.”

I nodded while I stood up to stretch my legs. I then decided to take a walk around the pond. Fluttershy joined me by trotting alongside me. “So, how have things been with you and Rarity lately?” She asked quietly.

“She’s been hard at work making something for me to wear to the Grand Galloping Gala. I think she should be done with it by the time I return home.” I replied, still very curious of what the end result would look like.

“You were invited to the Gala?! Why…that’s wonderful! I’m looking forward to seeing you there!” Even when she was excited or raised her voice, Fluttershy somehow made it sound like a loud whisper when she spoke.

“Not fond of raising your voice, huh?” I asked. Fluttershy looked away with an embarrassed expression. “Me neither. I don’t shout unless I really need to. I guess Rainbow Dash was right. You and I are pretty similar.”

Fluttershy smiled at me before replying, “I’m glad to see I’m not the only quiet pony in Ponyville… Well, you’re not a pony, but… You understand, right?” I nodded with a smile of my own.

Once we finished circling the pond, I looked down at Fluttershy. “I should probably head back to Rarity’s place now. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, OK?”

“OK then. Take care on your way back.” Fluttershy waved at me while I gathered up my trash before heading back towards Ponyville.

I dropped my garbage into the first trash bin I saw in the park. But before I could leave, I heard what sounded like a small motor buzzing like one on a motorized scooter. “Equestria has automobiles?” I muttered aloud while I glanced around.

“Whoa, heads up, Mr. James!” I looked around just in time to see a familiar pegasus filly coming my way while riding a small purple scooter. I yelped in surprise as I jumped out of the way. She went a short distance before performing a quick 360 spin before riding back over to me and coming to a screeching halt right in front of me. She gazed up at me with an elbow on the handlebars. She was wearing a safety helmet that was purple with two bold white vertical stripes reaching from front to back. The filly grinned at me and spoke, “So, what’s up? I haven’t seen you in two days!”

The pegasus filly’s voice sounded familiar to me. I looked her over carefully while thinking back to what happened to me two days earlier. “A scooter… Wait… Scootaloo?”

She beamed at me and replied, “Yup! I’m glad you remembered me! So, what’s been happening these last two days?”

I smirked at the rowdy filly in amusement. “Well, I just have one thing to say. You’ve got some mad skills on that scooter, girl.”

Scootaloo laughed in response to my praise. “That’s a new one! I’ve never heard anyone compliment me in such a rad way before!”

As we laughed, a thought occurred to me. “Hey, Scootaloo. Shouldn’t you be at school right now? Or are you playing hooky?”

The filly chuckled briefly and explained, “School’s usually out at this hour. And besides that, it’s Saturday!” I groaned in embarrassment as I facepalmed. Wait, is that even a real word? Facepalm? In any case, Scootaloo merely laughed at my forgetfulness.

“Well, if this is the weekend, where are your fellow crusaders? Out crusading somewhere?” I asked, curious of what Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were up to at the time.

Scootaloo replied promptly, “Oh, we’re supposed to meet up at our clubhouse! I was just out here practicing on my scooter before heading on over.”

I nodded, but then looked down at her scooter. Even though it sounded like it was motorized, I could see no motor anywhere on it. Scootaloo seemed to notice me examining her ride since she asked, “What’s wrong? Is something on my scooter?”

In response, I asked, “Are scooters in Equestria always that noisy? It sounded like your scooter had a motor running when you got here, but I don’t see one.”

To my surprise, Scootaloo merely laughed a bit and explained, “I don’t need a motor to make this baby go! Just watch!” I jumped back as she began to flutter her wings extremely rapidly. The sheer speed of the flapping was giving off the sound of a small motor. She leaned back, pulling the scooter up on its rear wheels. After only a second, she took off at max speed. I could only watch as she zoomed all over the park. She then made her way towards a board that reached up to a bench, forming a ramp. I held my breath when Scootaloo went airborne. I think my heart skipped a beat as I watched her perform a kick flip, a stunt that is especially difficult to successfully pull off with a scooter due to the handlebars extending up from the board. She landed safely, then came to a screeching halt right in front of me again.

“Did ya see that?” Scootaloo asked, not the slightest bit frazzled by the danger involved with the kick flip stunt.

I could only mutter, “Girl… Either you know some sick tricks on that scooter…or you have a death wish. I’ve never seen a stunt like that with a scooter before.” The two of us laughed together, albeit rather softly.

All of a sudden, Scootaloo glanced over to her left. “What’s wrong? Thought you saw something?” I asked, curious of her wary glare.

“Uh… Yeah, I think I saw someone looking at us from behind that fountain. But maybe it’s just me.” Scootaloo spoke while she shrugged. I nodded, but I suspected there really was someone spying on us. I looked down at Scootaloo and held a finger to my lips. She nodded with a smile, understanding that I wanted her to stay quiet. I then quietly approached the fountain. When I drew closer, I could barely make out what seemed to be the top of a tiara sticking above it.

“Is that…” I muttered to myself. I then looked behind the fountain, finding a familiar earth pony filly gazing up at me in surprise. “Diamond Tiara. What do you want?”

The schoolyard bully growled, “I told you, didn’t I?! I’m gonna kill you unless you give my cutie mark back!”

I crossed my arms as Scootaloo rode her scooter over to us. “Just a second, kid. I need to know if you’ve improved first.” I then looked down at Scootaloo and asked, “How was she in school yesterday? Any less of a bully than before?”

The pegasus filly frowned and replied, “Not even close. She kept acting all high and mighty, saying that we ‘blank flanks’ aren’t special. But it didn’t help that everypony laughed at her every time she said that stuff since she’s a blank flank too.”

I glared down at Diamond Tiara and gave my answer. “Well then, it looks like I can’t give it back yet. You’re gonna have to stop being such a witch if you want to see your flanks not blank again.”

This did nothing to coerce the bully into cooperating as she yelled, “I’M NOT MAKING ANY BARGAINS INVOLVING THOSE LOSERS! NOW GIVE IT BACK!!!”

She tried to kick my exposed legs, but I snatched her up by the mane while she flailed defiantly. “I’ll kill you! Just you wait, blank flank! I swear I will!”

I could feel my already great disgust with Diamond Tiara become even greater as I listened to her yell. “You’re the most unpleasant child I have ever known, Diamond Tiara. Your name should’ve been Muddy Pebble.” Scootaloo laughed at my suggestion. I then held her over the fountain and dropped her in.

“Gah! You jerk! I’ll get you for that!” Diamond Tiara shouted as she climbed out while soaked to the skin. After she shook herself off, she glared at Scootaloo. “If I can’t kill you, I’ll kill those losers!”

Despite having been threatened, Scootaloo laughed at the hopeless bully. “Yeah right. I’d like to see you try!” Diamond Tiara then charged her with an angry yell. But the filly gave her a hard head butt made even harder by the helmet she was wearing.

I watched as Diamond Tiara held her head in pain, ready to step in if things got anymore intense. The bully looked at us both, appearing slightly intimidated. “This isn’t over… I’ll get my cutie mark back…or else!” She then ran off, leaving Scootaloo and I shaking our heads in pity.

“Why do some ponies never learn?” I asked, finding it hard to believe a child could be so impossibly stubborn.

Scootaloo sighed before speaking with a groan, “Beats me. I’d say she’s a totally lost cause. But it’s cool. She won’t be able to call us blank flanks once we get our cutie marks. It’s gonna happen someday. Just you wait.”

She took off her helmet and looked it over, apparently checking if the head butt had damaged it. Taking advantage of the moment, I reached down and scratched her ear with one finger. She giggled in surprise, “Mr. James, that tickles.”

I smiled as I scratched her before speaking softly, “You don’t have to call me that. Just James is good enough. We’re friends now, right?”

Scootaloo grinned up at me. “You bet! It was really cool the way you handled Diamond Tiara. It’s awesome to have somepony like you around. Almost like a big brother.”

I blushed at the mention of being like a big brother to Scootaloo. “That’s a…pretty big role to live up to… I feel honored.” I stroked her mane for a moment before letting her put her helmet back on. “If anyone gives you or the other crusaders trouble, you just let me know. OK?”

Scootaloo nodded readily and spoke, “You’ll be the first to know! I’ll let Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom know you said hi. See ya later…James!” I waved goodbye just before the filly took off on her scooter towards the northwest, leading me to suspect that the CMC’s clubhouse is located somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres. I watched until Scootaloo was out of sight before turning to leave the park. I can remember smiling brightly as I recalled Scootaloo comparing me to a big brother.

Once I was back in Ponyville, I went straight home to the Carousel Boutique. Upon entering, I found Rarity speaking to Applejack. “Yeah, it could use a lil’ TLC after last time. Don’t wanna go back ta the gala with tears and rips all over it.” The farm pony explained, apparently discussing her attire for the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Oh, it wouldn’t do for your dress to be in that condition! I’ll get started on it first thing on Monday.” Rarity said with a broad smile.

Applejack turned to leave and saw me standing at the front door. “Howdy, James! Whatcha been up to?”

I was expecting her to bring up the fact that I had kissed Rarity last night, but she never once mentioned it in front of the fashion designer. “Well, I started my new job at Sugarcube Corner. Went pretty well.”

Rarity spoke up at once. “Good to hear! I’m glad you’ve started to find your calling, darling!” I smiled and nodded at her while trying to not give the impression that I knew she had spread the word about last night.

“Well, I’m not so sure about it being my calling, but at least now I have a means to earn some bits. And I don’t have to work myself to the bone.” I chuckled, prompting a laugh from Applejack.

“Like I said, yer more than welcome ta help out at Sweet Apple Acres if ya ever feel up to it again. But anyway, I gotta get back ta work. I’d like to get one more haul of apples inta town before sundown. See y’all later!” Applejack waved at us before she headed out the door.

I waved goodbye as the farm pony left. But when I turned around, Rarity motioned for me to approach her with an excited gaze. “Now that it’s just us, I have something to show you. It took me quite a bit of work and a few redoes here and there, but I finally completed your attire for the Grand Galloping Gala! Now, don’t hold back! Tell me how it is!”

I watched as Rarity used her magic to levitate a robe over to us. As I expected, it was truly a work of art. However, I was blown away by the sheer quality of it. The robe had long sleeves and the body of it reached down to my knees. The coloration strongly resembled the night sky with a greenish blue nebula taking up most of the middle and lower sections of it. The rest was a dark blue or purple with numerous white dots representing stars. The collar, cuffs, and very bottom of the robe were composed of the same gold thread I had seen earlier and had been styled into bars with spiral patterns. What was more; the precious gold thread had been sewn into the robe all over, literally making the robe shimmer with thin lines of gold.

Rarity waited patiently for my input. She was giving me a toothy grin, probably feeling very proud of her work. However, I was anything but happy. Quite the contrary. I felt absolutely awful. Once again, Rarity had given me something without asking for anything in return. And this robe, with threads of pure gold woven into it, was by far the most extravagant and expensive gift I had ever received from anyone in my life. It had no flaws I could see from a glance. It was truly magnificent. And now, my guilt was stronger than ever. I could not allow her to give me something like this without receiving anything in return. I had to do something to return the favor.

“James, you’ve been quiet for a while. Is it to your liking or not?” Rarity asked inquisitively. I looked at her and tried to find the right words, but I kept fumbling them before I could speak them. “Darling… Did I make a mistake? I thought the vast deep visage of the night sky suited your calm demeanor well…”

After a moment more, I finally managed to speak. “No, it’s fine. Honestly, Rarity. This robe is more than I ever expected. To be honest…I feel guilty for accepting it. It’s just that amazing.”

The unicorn giggled and waved her hoof dismissively. “Nonsense, James. You needed something to wear to the gala and I was happy to provide you with it! Oh, I can’t wait to see how stunning you’ll look in it!”

I admired the robe for a moment more before I muttered, “Excuse me, Rarity. I remembered that I have something to do… I’ll be back in a while.” I waved goodbye and headed out the front door.

The guilt was gnawing at me more than ever. I had to give Rarity something for her hospitality. Something much more than just a chocolate pie. But what could I give her? What does she adore most? The first thing that came to mind was jewelry. Every woman loves gemstones, especially someone of Rarity’s standards. However, there must be a type of gemstone and precious metal that she prefers. And I knew just who to ask.

I headed straight for the library, knowing that Twilight Sparkle is a very knowledgeable pony. And being a fellow unicorn, she probably knows more about Rarity than her other friends. But when I drew near, I made sure to peek through the window to make sure no one would slam the front door into me a third time that day. From what I could see, there was not a soul on the first floor. I rushed to the front door and opened it gently. When I closed it behind me, I called out, “Twilight? Are you home?”

“Who?” A voice to my right asked. I looked down and found a tawny owl perched upon a podium that seemed to be made out of a tree stump.

“Well, aren’t you a cutie? You don’t bite, do you?” I asked as I reached out to pet the owl. He did not seem to mind at all while I caressed his feathers. Just then, I heard the clopping of hooves coming from the staircase that led to the second floor. A second later, I saw Twilight come into view.

“Oh, hey there, James! What brings you back here today?” The unicorn asked with a cheerful smile. But before I could answer, she looked at the owl and spoke with a slight giggle, “Oh, I see you’ve met Owlowiscious. Did he say hi?”

“Owlow…iscious? That’s a mouthful. And no, he didn’t say hi. He said ‘who’ when I walked in.” I replied, not surprised to find the owl’s vocabulary to be rather limited. “In any case, I came here to ask you for advice. It’s about Rarity.”

The unicorn smiled and began to draw closer. “I know quite a bit about her, so you came to the right place. What can I help you with?”

I took a seat on a wooden stool nearby before continuing. “Well, I’m thinking of getting her a gift. I was thinking jewelry, but I’m not sure what she likes. Do you know if she has any preferences?”

Twilight replied after a few seconds of silent pondering. “Oh, when it comes to Rarity, she isn’t picky about jewelry. Although I think for her, the more extravagant and complex, the better the item. But she loves all forms of jewelry, so you’ll have a hard time disappointing her.”

I nodded with a smile, surprised that my landlord is so easy to please. “Any kind of jewelry will do, huh? That’s good enough for me. Thanks, Twilight.” We said our goodbyes and I headed on my way.

Although I had been living in Ponyville for a few days now, I had never once noticed anything that looked like a jewelry store. I tried asking around, the various ponies more than willing to point me in the right direction. The local jewelry shop did not look like much from the outside. But when I stepped inside, I found that it was just as elegant and orderly as any jewelry emporium on Earth. The clerk standing at the counter seemed to be a very refined earth pony mare who was wearing a pair of tiny glasses on her muzzle. However, her coloration was eerily similar to that of Diamond Tiara. Her coat was a bolder shade of pink while her mane and tail were the same shade of faded purple, but without any white on them. Her eyes were azure while her cutie mark seemed to be a gold ring with a ruby on top. Suspecting her to be Diamond Tiara’s mother, I was very careful to not bring up the local bully in her presence.

When I approached the counter, the clerk looked up from what she was doing and smiled at me. “Hello, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?” Her polite manners were a stark contrast to the stuck-up attitude of Diamond Tiara. I immediately suspected she knew nothing of the filly’s actions at school.

“Um…I’m looking to purchase a gift for someone. Perhaps a...bracelet to go around her hoof? As for materials…um…..” I paused for a moment to try and decide on which gemstone Rarity would enjoy. “Something with opals, maybe?”

“Hmmm… Oh! I have just the thing!” She reached under the counter and pulled out a bracelet that seemed to be the right size. “This is one of our limited stock items. Does it fit your tastes?”

I closely examined the bracelet. The design was fairly modest, consisting of a simple silver bracelet with a line of opals embedded into it. While certainly modest in design, there is something to be said about keeping silver jewelry simple. That, and the opals would surely remind Rarity of her cat. “Perfect. I’ll take it.”

The clerk smiled as she set the bracelet in a small box filled with cotton. “Wonderful. Now, will that be cash or credit?”

I was about to say cash, but the mention of credit surprised me. “Wait… You accept credit cards?”

“Yes, we do. You want to use credit?” The clerk replied with a nod.

I could not believe my luck. Some businesses in Equestria actually accept credit cards. I reached in my pocket, finding that my debit card was still there. The bracelet was probably fairly expensive and would likely result in my account being overdrawn. But if I had no way to return to Earth, and that the people of Earth could not reach Equestria, then I had no reason to fear debt collectors coming after me. “Yes. I want to use credit.”

I handed my debit card to the clerk, but she then asked, “Wait. Are you sure about this? While certainly not our priciest merchandise, I can’t say it’s exactly cheap either. Would you prefer a slightly more affordable item?”

I shook my head and replied, “No, it’s OK. Go ahead. But please don’t tell me the price.” However, I suddenly became worried that the card would not work here since Equestria has no access to Earth’s banking companies.

Much to my amazement, the clerk handed my card back without showing any sign that something had gone wrong. “Do you want your receipt… Oh yes, you don’t want to know the price. I can’t say I blame you though.” The clerk chuckled with a smile.

“Yeah… I’d like to keep my sanity, please.” I joked, being somewhat afraid to know what the cost was. But considering the bracelet is just silver, which is less costly than gold, and that opals are mere semi-precious gemstones and are rather soft, I doubt the price was quite that high. Regardless, I finally had a means to pay Rarity back for her generosity. I said my goodbyes and headed back to Carousel Boutique with a bit of a spring in my step and a velvet-coated jewelry box in my pocket.

I waited until nightfall before making my move. Once I had bathed for the night, I took the bracelet and snuck into Rarity’s bedroom. The moonlight provided just enough light for me to clearly make her out. The unicorn was sound asleep, her forelegs’ hooves resting over her covers.

“OK…” I muttered softly as I carefully approached her. I had undone the clip that held the bracelet together beforehand, allowing it to open wide. Being extremely careful to not wake her, I closed the bracelet over her right foreleg just above the hoof. When it clicked upon locking the two halves together, I held my breath as I was afraid Rarity would wake up. Fortunately, she remained fast asleep. With a sigh of relief, I tiptoed out of her bedroom. But before I closed the door, I looked back inside and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Rarity.”

While I write this, I am resting on the sofa downstairs with a blanket over me. Now that I have given Rarity something valuable, all of my guilt has vanished. I feel as if a heavy burden has been lifted from my shoulders. I can only imagine how Rarity will react to her new gift when she wakes up in the morning. It will be an interesting way to start my fifth day in Equestria. But for now, I must sleep.

I awoke to the feel of someone tapping my face gently. The hardness of the object that was touching me made me realize that it was a hoof. When I opened my eyes, I found that the hoof in question had the same opal-studded silver bracelet that I had purchased the previous day clipped on above it. And looking down at me was none other than Rarity.

“James… This bracelet… I know I did not fall asleep while wearing it. Do you know where it came from?” Rarity asked me without taking her big azure eyes’ gaze off me.

I smiled shyly, remembering that I had purchased it for her the previous evening as a means to repay her for making such an amazing robe for me to wear to the Grand Galloping Gala in a few months. “You’re welcome. I hope opals are OK with you.”

Rarity looked back at her bracelet and held it up to look at it from other angles. “Just silver with a ring of opals embedded in it… A simple design, but there’s something to be said about keeping silver jewelry simple.” She said with a smile.

“My mom told me that once.” I replied, recalling the saying about silver jewelry.

She then asked while smiling in gratitude, “Well, I certainly appreciate this fine gift. But may I ask why you got this for me? And was there a particular reason why you chose opals?”

I nodded as I sat up before explaining. “It was to repay you for everything you’ve given me since I came to Equestria. And I felt bad that I had given you almost nothing in return. Especially for that robe. So I picked that up yesterday evening to return the favor. As for opals, I chose them because they have the same name as your cat. So all you have to do is look at it to think about her.”

Rarity blushed slightly before looking at her bracelet once more. “Oh, James… Even after making it clear that I wanted nothing from you, you got me this lovely little item. Such a gentleman you are.” She then surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll wear this all the time. And in return, I’ll weave you any clothing you want. Don’t be shy about it. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Even after receiving a gift for something valuable she had made for me, Rarity was STILL insisting on giving me something for free. Her generosity truly knows no bounds. “Well…thanks again, Rarity. I’ll try to not go overboard.” I replied with a uneasy grin.

“Well, I appreciate you not abusing my offer, but you don’t need to hold back too much. I enjoy the challenge of weaving clothing for the human body. But I really must get busy. Applejack’s dress could use quite a bit of patching up!” I watched as Rarity trotted out of my room, leaving me alone.

Now that I was wide-awake, I got dressed in the clothes that Rarity had made for me earlier. She also gave me a new pair of socks she had woven as well. “I forgot how nice it is to have clean clothes everyday.” I muttered, grateful that Rarity took my dirty clothes to be cleaned each day.

The first thing I found upon stepping out into the main workroom was Opal batting around a small ball of yarn. A thought occurred to me as I called out, expecting Rarity to be somewhere in the room. “Rarity, has Opal been fed this morning?”

Rarity’s voice came from behind me. “Not just yet, but she will be soon! Opalescence! Time for your breakfast!” Opal responded with a purr as she left the ball of yarn alone and walked into the kitchen.

I peeked into the kitchen and found Rarity opening what seemed to be a can of tuna with a can opener by using magic. She then turned it upside-down, shaking the meat inside into a small bowl before setting it on the floor. As Opal started on her meal, I asked, “When should I feed Opal tonight?”

Rarity replied while raising her head to look at me, “Perhaps around 5 or 6. It will take her some time to regain her appetite.” I nodded reflexively, making a mental note as I did so.

I turned towards the front door on the far side of the main workroom, but froze when I noticed the bottom half had been left open. “Rarity, did Spike just come in to visit?” I called while looking over my shoulder, not knowing of many short enough to only have to use the bottom half of the door.

My landlord entered the main workroom to see what I was referring to. “Strange… I wasn’t expecting any visitors this morning. And Spike always says hello once he comes in.”

While we pondered what may have happened, Rarity suddenly let out a yelp. I turned to face her and found Diamond Tiara trying to stand on her back. “I’ve got you nooowwowww! Whoa… I’m OK… I can do this…. Yah!” The filly seemed to be having great difficulty maintaining her balance just before she leapt at me. She climbed onto my shoulders and started lightly stomping her front hooves onto my head. “Does it hurt yet?! Are you gonna give my cutie mark back?!”

Despite the fact that hooves are quite hard, her stomps lacked impact and my thick hair absorbed most of it to begin with. I smirked while I crossed my arms. “That actually feels kinda good. Could you try rubbing it in a minute?”

Diamond Tiara growled loudly in frustration while she stomped faster. I looked at Rarity and asked, “Are you seeing this?” The unicorn laughed loudly, clearly amused by Diamond Tiara’s futile attempts to harm me.

After a moment, I decided to make things tough for the bully. I walked over to a wall, turned around, and leaned against it with my head pressing Diamond Tiara against it. “Oof! Let me go! I can’t breathe!” I smirked triumphantly as the filly squirmed behind me, not able to escape.

Rarity giggled while she listened to Diamond Tiara demand that I release her. “Darling, I think it’s time you let the little imp be on her way.” I shrugged and took a step forward, letting the filly drop to the floor before landing on her rump.

“Ow! You jerk!” Diamond Tiara groaned as she regained her footing. “This isn’t over! I’ll just keep coming back until you give my cutie mark back! Got it?!”

Rather than be intimidated, I was looking forward to whatever new futile antics Diamond Tiara had in store for me. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now get outta here, blank flank. Or do I have to introduce your flanks to my boot?” The filly needed no further encouragement as she dashed out the door. I closed the lower half of the door once she was gone. “She’s actually proving to be fairly entertaining, isn’t she?”

Rarity grinned with a rather sly expression. “I suppose even lowly bullies can be good for something. But now that you mention it, I should make a pair of boots for you sometime!” I chuckled, knowing that I was not really wearing boots when I made my threat to Diamond Tiara, nor did I really have any intention of striking her. It was just a means to get her to leave me alone for a while.

Remembering my daily job, I was on the verge of walking out the front door to head to Sugarcube Corner, but remembered at the last second that they close at noon on Sundays. And since they are not open long and that Sundays are known to be quiet, it would be unnecessary for me to go in. It was then that I remembered that I was supposed to meet up with Fluttershy in the afternoon to help her with an official…..bunny census? I could not quite recall what she called it at the time, but I was certain it involved working with baby rabbits.

When I turned around, I saw that Rarity was wearing a very exotic hat with a fluffy light blue brim and long peacock feathers. “Whoa, where are you going dressed like that?” I asked, finding the hat’s appearance to be like something from a fashion show.

Rarity replied while giggling briefly at my praise, “Oh, I only wear this on occasion. In any case, I’m off to rendezvous with Fluttershy at the local spa. It’s that time of the week again.”

I nodded in understanding as I bid her goodbye. “OK then. Say hi to Fluttershy for me.” I waved goodbye while my landlord headed out the front door.

With only Opal to keep me company, I just decided to look around to help pass the time. I found various unfinished dresses and vests hidden behind curtains that were draped over mannequins. Even though they were not complete, I could tell that they were still of high caliber and was curious of how they would look when finished.

I watched Opal play with a stuffed toy mouse, but soon began to find myself becoming bored. “It’s not so fun in Carousel Boutique if you have nothing to do, I guess.” I remember muttering out loud. More than anything, I just wanted to go outside and wander around Ponyville. However, I could not leave Rarity’s home since there was the possibility of customers arriving at any given time.

“Ugh… What is there to do around here if you can’t sew?” I grumbled, just wandering back and forth across the main workroom. Feeling there would be no harm in just going right outside the Carousel Boutique, I shrugged my shoulders and opened the front door for some fresh air.

Much to my surprise, I found a small wooden sign hanging from the upper doorknob on the outside. “Out to lunch. Be back soon?” I shook my head, knowing that Rarity had not left to get lunch. But in hindsight, I doubt stores sell signs that say ‘Gone to beauty salon’ very often if at all. Even so, if any customers were presented with that sign at the door, they would likely return in a few hours. Certain that it would be fine for me to leave for a while; I closed the door behind me and headed into town.

As I entered Ponyville proper, I found that fairly few ponies were walking the streets compared to other days of the week. Some businesses were still open, but it seems that Sundays in Equestria are generally days of rest like Sundays on Earth. Due to this, I was mildly surprised to see Applejack carting a load of apples to market. “There’s no rest during Applebuck Season until every last apple is picked, I guess.” I chuckled while I watched the farm pony hauling her produce through the streets.

I decided to say hi and walked over to Applejack, who seemed a bit too tired to notice my approach. “Morning, AJ. How’s the applebucking coming along?”

Applejack let out a yawn as she turned to face me. “Oh… Howdy, James. The applebuckin’s comin’ along just fine. Although…I reckon I didn’t sleep enough last night… But I’ll manage with Big Macintosh coverin’ me.”

I patted Applejack on the shoulder, but then examined the cart she was pulling. Thinking I could use some exercise, I attempted to ask if I could pull the cart for her. However, I stopped as I noticed it was too low since it was only as tall as Applejack herself. If I were to try to pull it from the front, it would tilt backwards on an angle and spill some of the apples. Even though I restrained myself from speaking, it seemed that Applejack had noticed me looking at the cart. “What’s the matter? Y’all wanna help pull this?”

I nodded and replied, “Yeah… But I realize that I’m too tall. If I pull, the cart will tilt and spill some of the cargo.”

Applejack’s expression became one of someone thinking deeply. A moment later, she asked, “Well, once I unload all these apples at market, would you like ta pull it back over ta Sweet Apple Acres for me?”

Knowing I would not have to worry about spilling anything while pulling an empty cart, I nodded readily. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

The farm pony grinned before retorting, “Then it’s settled. I’ll leave the cart at the market for ya. It’ll probably be ready in about, say, twenty minutes. You know where the market is, right?” I nodded, having visited it two days ago. With the time decided, I saw Applejack off and began to look around some more.

The first thing I did was try asking around for the location of the local spa since I had no knowledge it even existed until this day. Eventually, I noticed a familiar gray pegasus pony going from door to door with a mail satchel over her shoulder. “If she goes to each address everyday, she must know exactly where the spa is.”

I walked over to the pegasus and tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, Derpy. I could use some directions.” She turned to face me after placing some letters in a mailbox. Once again, her eyes were crossed.

“Oh, hey there! I didn’t see you yesterday! Where’ve you been?” Derpy Hooves asked, clearly happy to see me.

“Oh….. I’ve been around. But in any case, could you point me towards the spa?” I replied, certain a professional mailmare knew the location of every building in Ponyville by heart. Even someone like Derpy.

The walleyed pegasus grinned and pointed in one direction. “All you gotta do is head over to the town square. You’ll find it right next door to the prank parlor.”

I thanked Derpy and was about to leave. However, I then asked, “Um… Derpy? Just what exactly are you doing?”

She moved over to the next house and deposited a few letters into the mailbox. “Just doing my job. These letters don’t deliver themselves, you know.”

I stared in silence for a moment before frowning. “Derpy. I don’t know if you’ve looked at a calendar today, but this is a Sunday. Postal services don’t run on Sundays!”

The pegasus stared at me with her goofy eyes for a moment in silence. She then asked briskly, “They don’t?” All I could do was facepalm at her response. Once again, I am not certain if that is a real word, but it matches what I did accurately.

Once Derpy went back to work, I headed towards the town square. I had no trouble locating it since I usually pass right through it just after leaving the Carousel Boutique. I first located the prank parlor, its floppy jester hat roof making it easy to spot. I suspected the building on the left was the spa. It had a light fuchsia roof that almost looked like a curtain draped over it. Three needle-like spires jutted up from the roof as well. Two large windows were at the sides of the front door, one of them being open a crack. A mostly sea green banner hung above the door depicting an image of a pony with a flowing golden mane and tail. However, I froze when I noticed Pinkie Pie heading my way. When she noticed me, the pink pony waved at me.

I approached her cautiously, fearing that her ‘Pinkie Sense’ would soon detect something about to happen. She seemed to notice my wariness since she asked, “What’s wrong, James? You sprain your ankle or something?”

Once I was right next to Pinkie Pie, I replied, “No. I’m just minding my step in case your tail starts twitching. Wouldn’t want an anvil to crush my skull and send my brains oozing all over the ground while scaring the living daylights out of everyone who sees it.”

Pinkie Pie giggled with a reassuring grin. “My tail’s not twitching, silly! Though my shoulder is a bit achy… That means there’s an alligator in the tub!”

I stared at Pinkie Pie after hearing the most absurd prediction I had ever heard in my life. “An alligator? In a bathtub? And just where are you gonna find that?! Who would be taking a bath outside?!” As if to answer my question, a scream was heard from the open window of the spa behind me.

“Was that…Rarity?” I asked quickly. Fearing for my landlord’s safety, I rushed through the spa’s front door. Upon entering, I found an earth pony seated at what was likely the front desk. Her coat was cyan while her mane was a bright pink. I could not see her tail from my location, but I assumed it was also pink. She was also wearing a white headband and a white collar with a pink button keeping it in place. After glancing around to make certain Rarity was not in the room, I turned to the receptionist and asked, “Excuse me, but is a Miss Rarity here?”

The receptionist replied with a very strong accent that seemed to be European. Possibly Scandinavian or Greek, I could not honestly say. Do not worry about what those places are if you have no idea what I am referring to. “Why yes, she and Miss Fluttershy are resting in the hot tub. Are you here to make an appointment?”

I did not reply as I rushed into the spa. I found a large hot tub in the center of the main room, Rarity splashing about while shrieking in panic. The tub was fairly tall for ponies, but I found it to be just below my shoulders in height. Rather than run up the stairs, I reached out to Rarity and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a gator in the tub?”

The panicking unicorn replied without really looking at me, “I don’t know! Something has my tail and it won’t let go!” I reached down into the tub and felt around. Sure enough, I soon felt something bumpy and slick. I grabbed hold and yanked it out of the tub.

“I’ll be darned… There really WAS an alligator in the tub.” Gummy was dangling from my hand by his tail, his big purple eyes staring at nothing in particular. I made him face me before raising my finger to his face. “Listen, Gumball. You really shouldn’t go swimming in other pony’s bathtubs. Besides, hot tubs are too hot for cold-blooded critters like you. You could’ve ended up…” I stopped as Gummy snapped his jaws over my hand. The baby alligator was now dangling from the end of my arm.

“You’re like a bear trap without barbs.” I grumbled, doubting Gummy was going to release his grip anytime soon. I turned to leave, but suddenly felt Rarity tap me on the shoulder. “Yes, Rarity?” I asked, curious of what she needed.

My landlord replied with a very grateful smile, “Well, when you see Pinkie Pie again, tell her that I would appreciate it if she keeps Gummy on a leash when out and about.” I looked out of the corner of my eye, seeing Fluttershy giggle at me from the opposite side of the tub. After making a mental note, I stroked Rarity’s face gently to help calm her further from that unnerving ordeal and left the spa with Gummy still clamped onto my hand.

I did not have to go far to find Pinkie Pie since she was browsing a food stall right outside the spa. “Looks like your ‘Pinkie Sense’ proved correct again, Pinkie Pie. The only alligator in Ponyville was munching on Rarity’s tail in a hot tub.” I spoke as I held her pet out to her.

When Pinkie Pie turned to face me, she giggled goofily. “Wow, this is the first time he ended up in a bathtub that isn’t mine! I wonder how he got this far away from me.” She then approached Gummy and shook her poofy mane at him. Gummy responded by suddenly letting go of my hand and clamping his jaws onto Pinkie Pie’s mane. “He won’t be letting go anytime soon! Thanks again for finding him for me, James! See ya around!” I watched with a bemused smirk while shaking my head as Pinkie Pie trotted away while singing a casual song. Mostly just la la la and the like. However, I then snapped my fingers as I remembered that I had forgotten to forward Rarity’s complaint to her. Oh well. Perhaps another time.

It was then that I remembered I had promised to pull Applejack’s cart home and started to head towards the market. When I arrived, only a handful of stalls lined the streets. My eyes scanned the area, looking for any apple stalls. I soon spotted what I was looking for. An apple stall filled to the brim with red and yellowish apples while an empty cart stood next to it. An earth pony with a cutie mark depicting three wrapped candies who I had come to know as Bon Bon was standing near the stall while waving at me, probably to get my attention.

I approached the apple stall while weaving around other wandering ponies. “Applejack told me everything. I’m leaving the cart to you.” Bon Bon said with a smile. I stood between the two handles and gripped them both firmly. I then thanked Bon Bon and headed on my way.

As I pulled the cart, I noticed that it seemed unusually heavy for something so small. I looked over my shoulder and found the harness Applejack had been wearing resting in the cart’s empty body. I did not mind much. The extra weight would make for a harsher workout.

The trek to Sweet Apple Acres took longer than usual due to being careful to not let the cart tip over. When I arrived, I found Big Macintosh hauling a pair of bushels of apples towards the barn. I approached the burly red stallion and asked, “Just returning the cart. Where do you want it?”

Big Macintosh tilted his head towards the front of the barn and spoke briefly, “Right over there’s fine.” I nodded and released the cart where instructed.

I glanced around, expecting to see Applejack carrying a few bushels of apples as well. But there was no sign of the mare. I turned to Big Macintosh and asked, “Where’s Applejack? Taking a nap somewhere?”

He replied with one word. “Eyup.” I was hardly surprised, remembering how sleepy she seemed that morning.

I chuckled lightly before asking, “You don’t say much if a simple ‘yes’ will suffice, do you?”

“Eyup.” Big Macintosh replied once again. I found his brevity to be rather likeable. He is probably quite popular with the fillies in Ponyville.

“Well, I’m just gonna take a look around. Is that OK with you, Mac?” I asked, curious of what I would find out in the vast forest of apple trees.

“Eyup.” Big Macintosh said again. I had to restrain myself from laughing since it was the third time he had said that in a row. Wanting to get out of earshot so as to not offend him, I ran off in one direction before allowing myself to laugh.

I wandered fairly far from the main area of Sweet Apple Acres. No matter where I looked, every single tree was an apple tree. “I’m amazed they don’t get sick of apples. I’d probably be unable to stomach them if I had to live around them all year round.” I muttered out loud to myself. And as you may have noticed by now, I do have a habit of talking to myself when no one is around me.

After a good deal of wandering, I came to a secluded spot on the orchard that caught my eye. In a rather stout apple tree ahead of me was what seemed to be a tree house. It was rather small as the ponies who constructed it are smaller than humans. The design was more like that of a real house complete with a slanted roof. A ramp led up to it with a small deck extending out to the side. A single window was on the side with two shutters open. Since I rarely saw tree houses back home, I was naturally curious about it.

I carefully walked up the ramp, worried that it would not support my weight. The door to the house was shut, so I went around to the side to look through the window. I found that it was open and bent down low to peek inside. Inside were three familiar fillies chatting with each other while looking over what seemed to be a book of activities.

“OK then. What should we try out next? One of these is bound to lead to one of us finding our talents!” The small pegasus pony spoke up while her tiny wings fluttered. I immediately recognized her as Scootaloo.

“We’ve tried comedy, scuba divin’, mountain climbin’, makin’ taffy, hairdressin’, psychic trainin’, pig sloppin’, bein’ librarians… What else can we try?” The earth pony filly with a large pink bow on her mane asked. The southern accent made me remember her as being Apple Bloom. She then gasped and spoke up, “Ooh! I know! We can try skydivin’!”

The unicorn filly, who I recognized as Sweetie Belle, seemed hesitant about Apple Bloom’s suggestion. “Um… That sounds kinda dangerous… How about we try painting or hula hoops?” I understood Sweetie Belle’s unwillingness to try skydiving. That sport is too extreme for any kind of children.

After listening to the Cutie Mark Crusaders discuss a few other professions they could try out, I finally spoke up. “Sounds to me like you crusaders have been busy lately. I’m surprised that brainstorming doesn’t qualify as a talent.”

The three fillies turned to face me abruptly, apparently not expecting someone to be eavesdropping on them. But their expressions of surprise turned into gazes of glee. “Hey, James! It’s great to see you!” Scootaloo shouted before she ran out the door, looped around the deck, and leapt into my arms. It was then I recalled from the previous day on how she commented that I was almost like a big brother to her.

“Howdy, James! Whatcha doin’ out here?” Apple Bloom asked when she came to the window.

“Oh, just looking around.” I replied while stroking Scootaloo’s mane.

Sweetie Belle walked over to the window as well and asked, “How’d you find this place? Only Applejack and Big Macintosh know where our clubhouse is.”

In response, I asked, “Clubhouse? This place belongs to you three?”

Scootaloo grinned while she looked up at me. “It’s more than just our clubhouse. You could say that it’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders headquarters!” Curious, I peeked in through the window while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stepped out of the way. Pink curtains with a reddish floral pattern hung over the window itself. I could see a small table holding a vase of flowers with a couple of framed pictures hanging near it. On another wall was what seemed to be a hand…or rather hoof drawn map showing some familiar locations in Ponyville. There also seemed to be a small sewing machine with a rolled up sheet of dark red fabric near it. Aside from a box that seemed to contain a variety of snacks in a far corner and a desk against the far wall, the rest of the tree house was relatively bare.

“Pretty sweet pad you girls have here. And this is your base of operations?” I spoke with a smile on my face.

Apple Bloom grinned brightly while I turned to face her. “Yup! This is where we come up with new things to try ta find our hidden talents!”

I reached out and stroked the farm filly’s head, prompting a faint giggle from her. “Sounds like things are never dull with you three. Are there other members in your club?”

Sweetie Belle replied while looking somewhat unhappy before quickly brightening her expression. “Um… Not right now. It’s just us. But we’re always accepting new members! Anypony without a cutie mark can join!” However, she then began to gaze at me while circling me after climbing out the window. “Mr. James, don’t you have a cutie mark too? Why are you keeping your flanks covered?”

I winced at the thought of dropping my pants. “Girls, humans don’t have ‘flanks’, per se. Besides, it’s considered indecent for humans to walk around in public without anything covering the lower body.” The three fillies only stared at me with blank expressions, clearly not understanding what I was getting at. With a sigh, I grumbled, “OK, I admit I don’t have a cutie mark.”

The three fillies gasped loudly in unison. Apple Bloom frowned as she too jumped through the open window, “You don’t have one?! But yer all grown up! Don’t all adults have cutie marks?!”

Scootaloo stomped her hoof in determination. “Well, if you don’t have one yet, we’ll just have to help you figure out what your special talent is! Come on, James! You’re more than welcome to join!”

I was flattered to be invited to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders, even though I would normally be considered to be well over the age limit. “Girls… From what I know, humans DON’T get cutie marks. I’m not sure if we would…”

I was interrupted when Scootaloo ran up to me, reared up on her hind legs, and planted her forelegs against my chest while gazing up at me with her big adorable purple eyes. “Come on! It’ll be fun! Whaddya say, big brother? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Once again, I felt myself blush as Scootaloo compared me to being a big brother…no. She did not just compare me to one. She actually called me ‘big brother’ out loud. I lowered my glasses to look over them and asked, “Scootaloo… What did you call me?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle also seemed to be looking on in anticipation. However, Scootaloo continued to smile up at me with an uneasy grin. “I called you ‘big brother’. Um… Is that OK with you? I’ll stop if you want…” Her grin dissolved into an ashamed frown as she tried to avoid eye contact with me.

I closed my eyes for a moment while I thought it over. In actuality, having such an adorable pegasus filly for a little sister sounded like a likeable position to me. I snatched up Scootaloo in my arms and embraced her with her head against my cheek. “I’ve never had a little sister before. Especially one so cute and cool.” I can remember Scootaloo giggle excitedly as she threw her forelegs around my neck.

The other two fillies applauded together, apparently displaying their approval of me as a big brother figure. Sweetie Belle then asked, “So, will you join?”

I began to fluster while stroking Scootaloo’s mane. “Well…I’m not… I think I’m too… Is it really OK for… Ah, what the heck. Sure, I’ll sign up to be a ‘crusader’ with you girls.” The three fillies cheered in unison, clearly ecstatic that they had a new member.

“All right! Our first human member!” Scootaloo jumped out of my grasp and started hopping around the deck. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle cheered loudly too while they effectively started prancing about. All things considered, I am amazed they did not jump off the deck in the process.

“Now that you’re a member of the Cutie Mark Crusader’s, you get your own cape!” Sweetie Belle spoke with a smile before she ran back inside the clubhouse. I cocked my head to one side while I watched her through the window, wondering why I would need a cape. The unicorn filly reached into the desk and pulled out a cape that was made of the same dark red fabric leaning against the sewing machine. On each side near the corners was a blue emblem sewn into the fabric that depicted a rearing caped foal. Sweetie Belle then trotted out to me with it hanging from her mouth. But as she looked up at me, she glanced down at the cape. “Um… I think I need to make you a custom one…” I chuckled in response, the cape being several sizes too small for me. I probably could have used it as a reusable napkin.

As Sweetie Belle trotted over to the sewing machine, Apple Bloom tugged on my pants leg. “C’mon, Mr. James! Let’s get ta work on thinkin’ of what ta try next!”

I followed her and Scootaloo into the clubhouse while ducking through the surprisingly low door. “You don’t have to use honorifics with me. I’m not your boss or a stranger.” But when I stood up once inside, I bashed the top of my head against the ceiling. “Ow! Dang it!” I grumbled loudly while rubbing my scalp. The ceiling was so low; I could not even stand up straight.

Scootaloo stayed by my side while I took a seat in the middle of the floor. “You OK, James? I guess the clubhouse is a bit small for humans.”

I grumbled in response while still rubbing my head, “Hopefully this will make me remember to mind my head. In any case, what do you have so far on the list of stuff to try?”

Apple Bloom dragged over a notebook with a list of activities to try out. Around three dozen had been crossed out. One activity made me wince. “What the… Hydra wrestling? Are you outta your minds?!” The very thought of hydras existing in Equestria made me feel that this land is not nearly as safe as I had originally suspected.

Scootaloo chuckled nervously at my reaction. “Heheh… Uh…yeah. That one didn’t even make it off the ground. None of us had the guts to go into the Everfree Forest. That’s the closest place we know of where a hydra lives.”

Until then, I had never heard of the Everfree Forest before. “Everfree? Never heard of it.”

Apple Bloom proceeded to explain. “It’s that big forest ta the west of Ponyville. It’s kinda creepy, so most ponies never go there. But Zecora lives there, so it can’t be all that bad.”

I have hiked through forests a few times in my life and not one of them struck me as creepy. Although I am sure any heavily forested area can be frightening at night when the canopy prevents any light from the stars and moon from reaching the forest floor. “Doesn’t sound like a place I’d want to steer clear of…unless that hydra wanders it.”

Scootaloo chuckled reassuringly, “Oh, you’ll only find that hydra around Froggy Bottom Bog. If you stay away from there, I don’t think it’ll bother you. But anyway, whatcha think we should try next on the list?”

I turned my gaze to the notebook on the floor and read through the list of activities that had not yet been crossed out. “Um… How about trying out selling food at the local market?”

Apple Bloom gulped nervously for some reason while trying to avert her eyes. “Um… Just as long as it’s not apples. Last time I tried that, Applejack had ta give away freebies.” I felt it was wise not to ask for the details of what she was talking about.

“I didn’t mean just one product. It might be best if you try selling a variety of goods. That way, you’ll end up selling at least one product.” I explained to the fillies.

Scootaloo grinned as she comprehended my words. “Ooh! I never thought of that! Sounds like a good idea too!” But before we could discuss it further, Sweetie Belle trotted over to us while dragging what seemed to be a large cape.

“I finished your cape, James. Is it the right size?” She asked while I took the cape in hand. It was then that I realized that she had never measured my height. When I asked her about it, the unicorn filly replied, “I just measured the distance between the floor and ceiling! Since you hit your head on the ceiling, the cape just had to be a little shorter than that.” The overall design of the cape was the same as the smaller ones, but there was only a single large emblem on the backside right in the middle. I stood up to put it on, but ended up bumping my head on the ceiling again.

“For the love of…” I growled while I made my way to the door, the fillies giggling behind me. Once outside, I tied the cape around my neck. The cape reached fairly low, stopping just above my ankles. A breeze began to blow; lifting my cape and making it wave in the air.

“Whoa… You look much better in a cape than we do! Kinda like a superhero!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she came outside. I suspected that Equestria publishes comic books if ‘superhero’ can be in a pony’s vocabulary.

“It’s that good?” I asked, not really thinking I looked all that impressive.

“Yeah! You look awesome standin’ tall with that cape wavin’ behind ya!” Apple Bloom exclaimed while emphasizing my height by reaching high with her hooves.

Flattered by the fillies and their admiration, I crossed my arms to take a more heroic stance with two fingers gripping the rim encircling one of my glasses’ lenses. Sweetie Belle let out a giggle and spoke, “That looks beyond amazing! I wish Rarity could see this!”

At the mention of my landlord’s name, I remembered that she was likely still at the spa. In an attempt to dazzle my fellow crusaders, I jumped the railing on the deck and dropped down to the ground below. I could hear the three fillies cheer at my stunt. While they looked down at me, I grinned back at them. “Thanks again for allowing me to join and for making this awesome cape. But I have some things to do with Fluttershy at her place pretty soon. I’d also like to check up on Rarity before she leaves the spa. Could we meet up again sometime later?”

Sweetie Belle nodded with a bit of a dreamy smile on her face. “With Rarity? Are you asking her out to a candlelight dinner today? Or are you going to…um…”

Scootaloo interrupted the unicorn filly’s train of thought with a disdainful groan. “Ewww! Don’t bring up mushy stuff like that! You know I don’t like that kinda thing!” I snickered at Scootaloo’s response, realizing that she is more of a tomboy than even Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that I got kinda excited when I thought about that.” Sweetie Belle spoke apologetically.

“Thought about what?” Apple Bloom asked while looking quite curious. I gazed up at the fillies, as I was also curious of what Sweetie Belle was referring to.

“It’s just that… If Mr. James and Rarity were to get married, he would be my uncle!” Sweetie Belle explained while she hopped in place a few times with an excited grin.

I felt myself become hot when I heard Sweetie Belle’s words. A human and a pony? Getting MARRIED? The idea sounded impossible, but at the same time, I could feel a slight crooked smile creep across my face. “Well…uh… That’s a very tender thought, Sweetie Belle… But I really should be going now. Later!” I waved and ran off as quickly as I could. Before I was out of earshot, the fillies called out as they watched my cape wave in the wind while I ran.

Once I felt I was out of sight, I slowed to a walk. “Uncle James….. Heh… Has a nice ring to it, I guess.” I muttered to myself out loud while I walked through the great apple orchard, although I would actually become Sweetie Belle’s brother-in-law instead of uncle if I married her sister. I did indeed find Sweetie Belle to be adorable and likeable, and the thought of having her as a niece or even sister-in-law made me chuckle under my breath. But when I thought about her sister, Rarity, I also thought about my five other friends.

The more I thought about the six mares who had come into my life, the more I pondered if it was possible for one of them to become more than just a friend to me. There is Applejack, the hard-working earth pony with a country girl’s charm. Then there is Twilight Sparkle, the wise and knowledgeable unicorn who I could always count on for sound advice. There is also Pinkie Pie, the lively party lover whose crazy antics are just plain cute and entertaining. There is also Rainbow Dash, known for being athletic and tough while still being surprisingly attractive. Of course, there is also my landlord, Rarity. Generous to a fault and quite beautiful and elegant too. And then there is Fluttershy, the timid pegasus pony with a heart of gold and looks to match.

While I walked, I considered my options. “Pinkie Pie is fun, but she’s a little too crazy for me. If I somehow got involved with Applejack, I’d have to work myself to the bone on a daily basis… Ugh. That doesn’t sound like a lifestyle I want. Rainbow Dash… I’d have to be an adrenaline junkie to win her heart. Not my style. Twilight Sparkle does sound like a good match…..but she’s probably frequently too busy with her studies from Celestia to have time for a relationship. Not sure if it would work. I know it won’t work with Rarity. She’ll only settle for a prince. That leaves…” I then came to a stop. “Fluttershy…”

The thought of Fluttershy made me think deeply about her as a person. I recall speaking to her by the pond in the local park and on the bridge near her home. Her personality is fairly similar to mine, although I am not quite as soft-spoken as her. But I then remembered that she was the first pony in Equestria to come to my aid when I was under extreme mental duress when I first arrived in Ponyville. In my state of confusion and fear, she became my first friend. Perhaps she and I could…..

My train of thought was interrupted when I walked headlong into a tree. The impact snapped me out of my trance. However, I then pondered if such a relationship would ever work. Is it even legal for a human and a pony to have that kind of relationship? What was more, Fluttershy is extremely timid and shy. If I were to ever try to ask her out on a date or confess my feelings for her, she would probably turn me down. But no matter how many times I thought over my six friends, I kept coming back to Fluttershy. Of the six, she was the one I felt closest to.

I paused, uncertain of what to do. I certainly adore Fluttershy and cherish her friendship with me, but I also felt she would be a very sweet girlfriend. But I was also afraid of what the rest of Equestria would do if we…..

There was only one pony who could have the answer I needed. I then set a course for Ponyville’s library.

As I approached the main area of Sweet Apple Acres, I noticed Applejack leaving the barn. I suppose she had just woken up from her nap and had delivered a few bushels to the barn. I called out, “Hey there, AJ! Just woke up?”

The farm pony turned to face me and opened her mouth to speak, but she froze as she stared at me. “What in tarnation… Where’d ya get that?!”

I glanced at my cape. “Oh, this? Sweetie Belle made it for me. I was told all members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders get one.”

Applejack laughed wholeheartedly at my response. “Member?! Aren’t you a little old for bein’ part of a kids’ gang?!”

I blushed at Applejack’s remark. “Well… I’m a special case. I don’t have a cutie mark, so they insisted that I join. Although I doubt I’ll ever get one…”

The farm pony managed to stop herself from laughing any further. “Heheh… Well, that’s all fine and dandy ta me. Might do the fillies some good to have a man in their ranks.”

I chuckled, knowing full well that I am the only male member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders at this time. “Yeah, I’m surprised all the other members are girls. You’d think that there would be a few colts mixed in.”

Applejack grinned while letting out a brief chuckle. “You got a point there, pardner. But in any case, I need ta get back to applebuckin’. See y’all later!” I waved goodbye while Applejack hauled a pair of empty bushels out into the forest of apple trees.

As I headed back into Ponyville, I noticed that quite a few ponies were staring in my direction. More than likely ‘admiring’ my new cape. However, I hardly paid them any mind while I shuffled about while thinking to myself. A part of me was still telling me that I should go with Fluttershy. To escalate our bond. Yet at the same time, another part of my mind was holding me back. Afraid that her timid nature would reject me. But more than anything, we were vastly different. Would such a relationship even work?

I eventually passed by the library. Looking at it, a feeling of hope built up inside me. Twilight Sparkle is a very knowledgeable sort and could surely provide me with sound advice. Hoping she could help put my fears to rest, I walked inside. But not before peeking through the nearest window and making certain Spike was not about to slam the front door into me again.

Much to my surprise, I found that Spike was nowhere to be seen. On the other side of the first floor was Twilight with her back turned. She seemed to be reading a book that was resting on a podium. I then stepped inside and asked, “Excuse me, Twilight… Do you have a moment?”

The unicorn looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. “Oh, hello! Good afternoon, James!” As she approached me, she grinned brightly. “I saw the bracelet you got for Rarity. Very nice choice in jewelry. She’s been showing it off to everypony today.”

I chuckled shyly; surprised that my landlord would show off a gift from me to anyone she met. “I didn’t think it would be that big a deal. But seriously, I came here to ask you for some advice.” I took a seat on a stool while Twilight followed me. “I…need some advice regarding…..romance.”

It seemed that my request surprised Twilight, since she seemed mildly shocked. “Romance…? Well…I can’t say I’m an expert on that subject… But I’ll do anything I can to help. What exactly do you need to know?” My friend took a seat before me, waiting for my question.

I took a moment to find the right words. “Well… How do I put this… Do you think it’s possible for a human and a pony to develop a true lasting bond? Even though they are vastly different? And even if they can, would the rest of Equestria respect that bond?”

Twilight seemed to take a moment to think over her response. “Um… Well, love is a difficult thing to describe. It’s not really something you can learn about from research. But…in my honest opinion…I do think that such a bond is possible. As for the rest of Equestria… I don’t think that needs explaining. We’ve already accepted you as a resident here. I’m sure other ponies would respect it if you fell in love with a pony.”

Twilight’s words helped soothe some of my worries. But I still had a few questions left to ask. “OK… Next question… If such a bond was formed…” I began to sweat as my body temperature spiked, the thought entering my mind.

“What’s wrong? You can ask me. I don’t mind giving advice.” Twilight asked, apparently noticing my distress.

With some hesitation, I muttered, “This is a difficult question to ask… But do you think…a human and a pony could…” I covered my face with one hand as I spoke quietly, “Re…reproduce…”

When Twilight did not offer an immediate reply, I peeked between my fingers. Her face was frozen in surprise, a very deep blush on her face. Eventually, she muttered, “You mean…..having children together? Starting a family?” I am not sure why, but I am certain I heard a hint of excitement in her voice. In any case, I nodded. She then replied, “Well… I honestly don’t know about that. Humans and ponies can certainly bond, but I don’t know if their genetic code would be compatible. I mean…we both have the same level of intellect, but as for the rest…” She then let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry… I can’t really answer that question. There has never been an attempt like that, so no information has ever been recorded that could explain this…”

I sighed in disappointment, not really surprised that even Twilight could not answer my question. “It’s OK, Twi… I wasn’t expecting a real answer. Humans have never existed in Equestria before me, so I’m not surprised at all.”

Before I could stand up, I noticed that Twilight was blushing once more. “James… May I ask you something?”

There was a nagging feeling in my gut telling me to be cautious as I nodded. Twilight then asked, “Um… Why were you curious about those subjects in the first place? Is there…somepony you like?”

As I stated earlier, I had developed an attraction towards Fluttershy. So I would be lying if I denied that I did. “Well… They were only hypothetical questions I’ve had on my mind for a while.”

The unicorn nodded with a satisfied smile. “All right then. If you have anymore questions on your mind, I’d be glad to provide you with advice. Oh, and one more thing?” She blushed slightly while she spoke after a brief delay, “Don’t worry too much about bonding with ponies, James. Who knows? Somepony right here in Ponyville just might have their eyes on you.”

I saw the wisdom in Twilight’s words. There was no sense in worrying about developing a romantic bond with someone. Such things only occur gradually over time and should not be rushed. I could only be patient and wait for the time to arrive. “Thank you, Twilight. I’ll be sure and stop by if I need advice about something.”

I said my goodbyes and headed out the front door. But before I could close the door, I heard Twilight say, “And one last thing. Nice cape.” All I could do was chuckle lightly as I closed the door behind me.

I immediately headed towards the spa to check on Rarity and Fluttershy. Along the way, quite a few ponies continued to gawk and stare at me. The only explanation I could think of was my cape. (What’s next? They gonna expect me to go airborne and fly?) I thought to myself, starting to become more annoyed than nervous from the unwanted attention.

Before I could reach the town square, I noticed a shadow pass over me. When I glanced up, I saw the soaring form of Rainbow Dash curving back towards me. She swooped down before me and landed with a clop. “What’s up, James?” Before I could reply, she noticed my cape. “Whoa, love the cape! Makes ya look pretty heroic!”

I smiled awkwardly while glancing at the cape on my back. “I guess so… Sweetie Belle made it for me.” I had stopped paying attention to the ponies who were staring now that I was in the company of a familiar face.

Rainbow Dash walked behind me to examine the cape up close. “Isn’t that the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ emblem? Did they actually let you join?”

With a snicker, I explained, “They kinda talked me into it. Since I don’t have a cutie mark, they said I was eligible to be recruited. Although it was really Scootaloo who convinced me to join.”

The pegasus let out a laugh. “Man, Scootaloo sure does seem to like you after what you did to Diamond Tiara on the playground and at the park! I wonder what she’s gonna tell me next time I see her?”

At the mention of Rainbow Dash knowing Scootaloo personally, I took a closer look at my friend. Her mane and tail’s styling was somewhat reminiscent of Scootaloo’s, even though the coloration was completely different. “Rainbow Dash, I need to ask you something. Is Scootaloo your sister?”

I was not expecting Rainbow’s reaction. She laughed loudly, “You’re not the first to guess that!” I then waited for her to catch her breath before she could continue. “Phew… Man, that always cracks me up. But seriously, no. Scootaloo isn’t related to me at all. She’s just kinda… How do I say this… She just looks up to me. Ya know, like a role model! So we hang out every now and then.”

I crossed my arms as I replied, “Hero worship, huh? Can’t say I blame her. You two have a lot in common, it seems.”

“Yep, you can say that again. I can’t wait for her wings to grow so we can go flying together. But in any case, whatcha up to today?” Rainbow Dash asked while she hovered before me.

“Well, I was on my way over to the spa to check up on Fluttershy and Rarity. Gummy got into the hot tub and gave Rarity a good scare, so I just want to see if she’s feeling better by now.” I explained, still wondering if Rarity was truly fine after that incident and if Fluttershy had been hurt either.

Rainbow Dash snickered in response, “Gators in the tub again, huh? I’m glad I never have to worry about that.” She then asked, “I’m gonna go check on Scootaloo. Do you know where she might be?”

I replied after taking a moment to think of their current location, “If memory serves, she and the other crusaders are going to try their hands…er…hooves at being produce merchants. They’ll probably be set up in the market soon.”

The pegasus nodded before asking, “Thanks for the tip. Oh, and would you like to meet me at the café for lunch in an hour? It’ll be on me.”

Remembering what had happened the previous day during my lunch break, I gave her a stern glare. “Under the condition that you do not pull any pranks on me, sure.”

Rainbow Dash gulped while seeming rather nervous. “You don’t forget stuff like that, huh? I know you were mad about that. And I promised to never prank you again. Don’t worry. But anyway, see ya there, James!” I watched as the pegasus took off at her trademark speed, making me wonder if she is capable of breaking the sound barrier.

I entered the spa as soon as I returned to the town square. Seated at the desk was the same cyan and pink pony I had met before. She seemed to remember me since she asked, “Oh, welcome back, sir. Can I help you?”

I replied promptly while removing my cape and hanging it on a hat rack nearby. “I’m here to see Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy. Have they left yet?” I was hoping that I had not missed them after returning Gummy to Pinkie Pie.

“Oh no, not yet. They are currently getting the facial treatment and a horn filing. Right this way.” I then followed the pony into the main chamber. Along the way, I saw that her cutie mark was a blooming lotus flower with a pinkish hue to the petals. She then led me over to a pair of risen platforms where Rarity and Fluttershy were relaxing while another pony was using a file on the unicorn’s horn. She had the same eyes as my escort, but the rest of her colors were swapped with hers. Where my escort had a cyan coat and a pink mane and tail, the one who was tending to Rarity had a pink coat and a cyan mane and tail. Her cutie mark was identical too, being a blooming lotus flower. However, it had a faint bluish hue to it as opposed to pink. Since their eyes, bodies, hairstyles, and clothing were identical to each other’s, I assumed that the two ‘spa ponies’ are twin sisters.

I was about to speak up, but paused when I saw Rarity’s face. It had been covered with a thick pale green goop while two cucumber slices were placed over her eyes. I was literally at a loss for words as I could only stare at the bizarre state of her face. My escort spoke, “Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy, this gentleman wishes to see you.”

My landlord replied, her mouth’s movements unaffected by the goopy mask she was wearing. “Ah yes, Hoity Toity. I have not forgotten our appointment today, but you are a few hours early. Can we rendezvous at 3 PM as scheduled?”

I had no knowledge of who this ‘Hoity Toity’ fellow could be, but I replied regardless. “Actually…it’s me, Rarity.” Fluttershy let out a giggle at the case of mistaken identity.

“J-James?! Oh dear, I’m sorry! I could not see you through these slices!” Rarity gasped as she realized that she had mistook me for someone else.

“It’s OK, Rarity. I didn’t think you could see me through those pickles anyway.” I replied with a suppressed chuckle.

“Pickles?! I thought these were fresh cucumber slices! Aloe, please replace these with cucumber slices!” Rarity pleaded while waving her hoof at nothing in particular. I shook my head, not expecting her to take what I said literally.

The pink spa pony spoke through the file she grasped in her teeth, “Miss Rarity, those ARE fresh cucumber slices. We never use pickled cucumbers.” Her voice had the same accent I had heard from the other pony.

“Really…? Oh… Never mind then…” Rarity sighed in a defeated tone, probably blushing under the cream on her face.

While Rarity remained quiet for the duration of her…hornicure or whatever you call the trimming of a unicorn’s horn, I noticed that Fluttershy only had two spots of the green goop on her face right under the eyes. She also did not have any pillows under her forelegs while Rarity had two. Judging by the expression of her face, she seemed rather disappointed by the lesser treatment. I turned to the pony who had escorted me in and asked, “Excuse me, Miss…um…”

The spa pony smiled while she spoke, “Lotus, sir. I am Lotus and my sister is Aloe.”

I nodded and continued, “OK. Miss Lotus, would you mind applying more of that facial cream to Fluttershy’s face? The amount you’ve used so far seems…..inadequate.”

Lotus looked over at Fluttershy for a brief second before speaking, “Oh, I see. So sorry, Miss Fluttershy. I will get to you right away.” While she went over to a cabinet to fetch the cream, I slid a pair of pillows under Fluttershy’s forelegs.

Fluttershy whispered while smiling at me, “Thank you, James. I almost never get the full treatment since they tend to focus on Rarity more than me.”

I attempted to stroke her mane, but found that it was wrapped up in a towel. “No problem, Fluttershy. They shouldn’t skimp on quality for someone as beautiful as you.”

My words seemed to unnerve Fluttershy somewhat since she let out an adorable squeak while a very deep blush shone through her yellow coat. She stared at me constantly until Lotus returned and covered her face in the pale green cream. She did not look away until Lotus placed two cucumber slices over her eyes. “Um… Sorry?”

As Aloe continued to file away at Rarity’s horn, I took a seat between Fluttershy and my landlord. I then noticed Rarity was still wearing the bracelet I had purchased for her the previous day. “I hear you’ve been showing that off to just about everyone today.” I spoke while I patted her on the back. She was clad in a white bathrobe with golden yellow frills around the collar, cuffs, and bottom. Fluttershy was wearing the same thing with the only difference being that the frills were purple.

Rarity giggled despite being unable to see me at the time. “Oh, how could I not? This is a most darling gift you got for me. I only take it off to bathe so I don’t tarnish its brilliance.” I could hear Lotus and Fluttershy giggling behind me, making me uneasy. However, I think I heard Fluttershy let out a sigh.

While we chatted, I felt very relaxed in the presence of Fluttershy. A feeling of peace came over me that I had felt when she came to my aid when I took shelter in Sugarcube Corner after Rainbow Dash had fallen on me when I first arrived in Ponyville. She is just so precious. I did not see how it would be possible for anyone to dislike her. As I looked at her, I felt a desire to be with her. And more than anything, I wanted to protect her from anyone who would try to take advantage of her. If there is an angel in Ponyville, it is she.

After several minutes of chatting, Aloe set the file down. Rarity’s horn was perfectly smooth with not the slightest hint of uneven surfaces on it. Rarity then asked, “Is Quake here? I’m ready for my massage.”

Aloe replied with a slight frown, “Oh, I’m afraid she is currently on vacation. She won’t be back for a few more days.”

Rather than being disappointed, Rarity sounded rather thoughtful at the revelation. “Is that so? Hmmm…” She then smiled while looking in my general direction. “James, would you be so kind as to be my masseuse today?”

I was not expecting her request at all. Even Aloe seemed shocked by it. “Miss Rarity, he is not trained to be…”

Rarity then proceeded to interrupt the spa pony. “Oh, my intuition tells me that he is qualified for the job.”

Even though Rarity had faith in me, I had no professional experience in giving massages. Granted I have given a few amateur ones to elders in my family, but I digress. “I don’t think I’ll be able to satisfy you, Rarity… I have no real experience in the field.”

My words did nothing to discourage my landlord since she then pleaded, “Please?”

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that even Lotus and Fluttershy were looking in our direction. I could not make out Fluttershy’s expression under the facial cream, but I am sure she was intrigued. “Um… I really don’t think that’s a good idea… I might do more harm than good.” I explained again in the hopes of getting her to back down.

“Please, James? For me?” Rarity once again pleaded, sounding all the more insistent.

Before I could refuse again, Rarity asked, “Aloe, I think now would be a good time to remove this cream.” The pink spa pony nodded and fetched a warm wet towel and began to rub her client’s face with it.

“Sorry, Rarity. I’d like to, but I don’t think I…” I stopped short of what I was going to say as Rarity’s unobstructed face smiled at me.

“Please please please please!” She said quickly while holding her hooves together. Her mouth was curved into a toothy grin as her eyes pleaded with me.

I was utterly baffled by Rarity’s insistence that I massage her instead of using the professional skills of the spa sisters. Regardless, that pleading gaze was difficult for me to say no to. “Oh… All right, I’ll do it. Just don’t complain if I pinch a nerve.” I said with a sigh, hoping I would not regret going along with my landlord’s wishes.

“Oh, don’t be so modest! I’m sure those delicate flexible fingers of yours will do the job just fine.” Rarity said while she stood up and led me over to a few massage tables that were right next to the hot tub.

“I’ll be able to do a better job if you remove your robe, Rarity.” I said, knowing the fabric would absorb some of the pressure.

“Oh, of course. Wouldn’t want to miss anything, would we?” Rarity replied with an excited giggle as her horn was covered in a billowing aura. She stood on her hind legs while she ‘pulled’ her bathrobe off over her head. She then removed the towel that covered her mane and shook her head a few times. Her mane fell back into place, almost completely dry. Even the elegant curls were intact. I watched as my landlord climbed atop one of the tables and rested her head on the raised end where a few pillows sat. “I’m ready, darling.” She spoke to me while giving me an unnervingly inviting gaze.

I pondered what would be the best way to massage the delicate pony. I normally have the easiest time from behind, but a pony’s posture is different from a human’s. “Don’t move, Rarity. I need to try something.” I climbed onto the table and straddled her on my knees, being careful to not apply any weight to her.

“Do whatever you have to, James. I’m certain you’ll do just fine.” Rarity replied, her forelegs stretched out for easy access.

I hesitated for a moment, as I had no knowledge of a pony’s anatomy. Where should I start? What spots needed attention? Unsure of what was the best choice, I decided that I should focus on the joints. I placed both hands on the base of Rarity’s neck and began to knead it as firmly as possible without being too harsh. I dug my fingers into her silky smooth white coat, amazed by how silken it felt at the touch.

“Mmmm… This is a new sensation…” I heard Rarity mutter with a sigh. There was a small clock on the wall nearby. I glanced at it every now and then to keep track of how long I was tending to one spot. Once three minutes had passed, I reached forward and began to massage Rarity’s cheekbones.

I heard Rarity gasp lightly at my touch, probably because she had never received a massage on her face. “My jaw joints? I never thought it was possible to reach that spot.”

“I guess not. At least when you have hooves.” I replied while kneading her flesh and muscles as tenderly as possible. I heard Rarity giggle in response.

Once another three minutes had passed, I moved back down to Rarity’s shoulders. As I applied pressure to them, she let out a sigh. “Now that’s the spot that needs it most. Could you focus on those a little longer this time?”

I glanced back over to the clock before replying, “Sure thing, Rarity.” I decided to go for five minutes on the shoulders instead of three. They felt particularly tense, possibly having something to do with her profession and having to constantly use just her forelegs to work a sewing machine. It must put a fair amount of strain on her shoulders due to having to prop herself up with them. I made certain to apply extra pressure on them. Every now and then, I would feel Rarity shiver harshly.

“Is that long enough?” I asked once five minutes had passed.

“Oh, much better. Thank you, darling.” Rarity replied with a groan of release while she slightly flexed her shoulders. I then moved down to her knees. It was a fairly long reach, but I had little trouble. I made certain to get both sides. Once another three minutes had passed, I climbed down from the table and began to knead the center of her back. Her vertebrae were quite strong and the muscle around it was very firm, which I suppose I should have expected from an equine.

I spent a good five minutes on Rarity’s vertebrae due to its length. Once finished, I straddled her once again. Only this time I was facing the opposite direction so I could reach her flanks and hind legs. I started on her flanks first, my hands gripping each one firmly. But I heard her loudly gasp and shudder under me when my fingertips dug into her cutie marks. “Ooh…! What… What are you doing?!”

Rarity’s sudden outburst startled me, prompting me to release my grip on her immediately. “I was just starting on your flanks. Did I do something wrong?”

I watched while Rarity looked back at me. A faint blush was on her face as she watched my every move. “I… I don’t know. I’ve never felt such a thing before. What did you touch?” I reached out and poked one of her cutie marks, prompting another gasp from the unicorn. “Oh…my…”

Worried that I may have hit a pressure point, I asked, “Does it hurt?”

Rarity’s response puzzled me greatly. “No, there was no pain…. It’s just… Please refrain from touching that spot unless I request it. Which I doubt I will. All right, dear?” I raised an eyebrow at her request. Unless she requested it? Was it a ticklish spot? Regardless, I agreed and started massaging her flanks again while taking care to not touch her cutie marks.

Once I had finished with her flanks, all that remained were her hind knees. As I started on them, Rarity sighed, “James, you truly are a natural at this… I’ve never had a massage that balances firmness with gentleness so well.”

I replied while I kneaded the flesh around her knees, “Really? I have hardly any experience. Am I really that good?”

Rarity giggled softly in response. “More than good. You are simply marvelous.” I think I may have blushed at her compliment.

Once I climbed down from the table, Rarity stood up and stretched. “Mmmmm! Such relief! I can’t remember the last time I felt this limber!”

I took a step back as she hopped down from the table. “James, that was a most fabulous massage debut. You really should consider working here. I’m certain many ponies will come around to feel your magic touch.” I snickered in embarrassment, flattered by her praise.

Before I could do anything else, Fluttershy walked over to the massage tables. The facial cream had been removed from her face while her hair had been let down. She smiled shyly and asked, “I overheard Rarity’s praise for you, James. If it’s not too much trouble, could you give me a massage too? Um… If that’s all right with you, that is…”

I smiled warmly at Fluttershy’s timidity and modesty. “It would be my pleasure, Fluttershy. Remove your robe and we’ll get started.”

Fluttershy grinned widely before she slid out of her bathrobe and hopped up onto the massage table. Rarity levitated both robes with her magic and smiled at us. “I’ll take care of your robe, Fluttershy. Now, I must be getting back to Carousel Boutique. I have a few appointments that begin soon. Same time next week, dear?”

The timid pegasus looked over at my landlord and nodded with a grin on her face. “Definitely. Take care, Rarity.” I waved goodbye with her as Rarity moved out of sight.

I climbed onto the table and straddled Fluttershy the same way I had positioned myself above Rarity. “Just relax, Fluttershy.” Like before, I started on her neck before moving to her cheeks. Fluttershy did not seem to be accustomed to others touching her face since she winced slightly at my touch. “I’m just being thorough, Fluttershy. Don’t panic.” I spoke softly, trying to keep her calm. It was a struggle for me to resist the urge to be more affectionate to her.

“I… I know. I trust you, James…” She replied with a whisper. I felt her relax again as I started on her shoulders. But once I had climbed down from the table and started on her back, I took note of Fluttershy’s folded wings.

“Fluttershy, would you like me to do your wings next?” I asked, wondering what a pegasus’ wings felt like.

She replied while glancing at her right wing, “Oh… That sounds lovely. Go right ahead, please.”

Once I finished massaging her back, I spoke, “OK. Right wing, please.” She responded by extending her right wing only. I felt along the top of the wing, feeling the bone structure under the skin. There were two joints in all. I started on the one closest to the body, being very careful to not apply much pressure since I suspected the bones in Fluttershy’s wings are hollow and fragile.

“You don’t have to hold back, James. Pegasus wing bones are much denser than bird bones. They don’t break easily.” Fluttershy spoke up, likely detecting the lack of firmness in my kneading. I took her words to heart and began to apply the same amount of firmness as before. I heard Fluttershy let out a sigh as she muttered, “Rarity is right… You really are amazing at this.”

Once I had finished with both joints, I walked over to the other side of the table. “OK. Left wing now, please.” Fluttershy responded by folding her right wing while extending her left. I started by kneading the joint closest to the body for three minutes before moving onto the next. Once the left wing had been tended to, I climbed atop the table and straddled Fluttershy again while facing her rear. I was certain that Fluttershy’s cutie marks were not as sensitive as Rarity’s. It would be highly unlikely that two ponies have the same ticklish spot…..right?

My guess proved false since Fluttershy let out a suppressed gasp when my fingertips dug into her flanks. “J-J-James…! N-not there!” Fluttershy squeaked as I kneaded her flanks and the cutie marks on them.

I released my grip at once. “What’s wrong? Did it hurt? Are you ticklish there?” I asked, fearful that I may have hurt her in some way.

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder at me, her face flushed red with the deepest blush I had ever seen on her. “N-no, it doesn’t hurt. And I’m not ticklish there… It’s just a… Um…I’m not comfortable saying it out loud…”

Judging by her hesitation and the blush on her face, I began to fear that the cutie marks of some ponies are sensitive enough to function as a pleasure point. I began to feel my body temperature spike as I began to sweat. “Oh man… So sorry, Fluttershy…” I then went back to massaging her flanks, weaving my fingers around her butterfly cutie marks without letting a single word escape my lips for the rest of the massage. After that incident, I was very certain that Fluttershy would never accept me for a potential boyfriend. I even felt disappointed in myself that I had offended her in front of the spa sisters.

Once I had finished with her flanks and hind knees, I climbed down from the table. “I think I got everything…” When Fluttershy stood up and turned to face me, I froze as she gazed at me with an uneasy expression. “Did I…make any mistakes?”

To my surprise, Fluttershy smiled at me. “Not at all. Rarity was right. That was the most delicate and soothing massage I’ve ever had. You really have skill at this.” I think I blushed when she reached out to me with her head and nuzzled my face. “Thank you again, James. You’re sweet.”

I saw Fluttershy out the front door. “See you again in an hour or two.” I said while I waved goodbye. Now alone with just the spa sisters, I turned to find Lotus seated at the front desk again. “Excuse me, Miss Lotus. Are you hiring?”

The spa pony replied with a wide grin. “Oh, I was hoping you would say that. Aloe and I saw everything. Your fingers have the kind of precision and tenderness that our hooves do not. What would be the best days for you to work here?”

Since I already have a job at Sugarcube Corner, I had to think up a way to balance two jobs. “Well… How do Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays sound?” I asked, hoping I could work out a deal with the Cake couple to work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

“That would do nicely. Just fill out this application and we will see you on Tuesday, Mr. James.” Lotus said in her strong accent. She then gave me a job application that was surprisingly simple in comparison to those used by American businesses. There were only a few things to fill out. I signed my name at the end, handed the sheet back to Lotus, and then retrieved my cape from the corner of the room before heading on my way to get some lunch.

I went straight to the local café as promised, hoping to find Rainbow Dash waiting for me. For the first time, my dining partner had beaten me to the location as I saw her looking through a menu. I approached her and took a seat at the opposite end of the table after borrowing a small stool from nearby. “Let me guess. You got from the market to this table in ten seconds flat?” I asked while trying to be witty to the athletic mare.

Rainbow Dash looked over her menu and smiled at me. “Hey there, James! And you’re right! Ten. Seconds. Flat.” The two of us chuckled in unison. Is that a catch phrase of hers?

“So, how were the crusaders doing? Any sales?” I asked, wondering if they had made any progress in the activity I had suggested that day.

“Ya know, they surprised me! They’re actually doing pretty well! They had only just set up shop when I got there. But they started making sales in only a few minutes. I guess having such a wide variety of stuff really does catch customers’ eyes.” Rainbow Dash replied while showing a grin.

“I guess my suggestion paid off.” I spoke softly while I adjusted the cape around my neck. I had almost forgotten I was wearing it.

After a moment, Rainbow Dash closed her menu after having apparently decided on what to order. She then looked at me and spoke, “Scootaloo wouldn’t stop talking about you. Even said you’re like a brother to her. You two hit it off or what?”

I blushed at her remark and replied, “She told you, huh? Well…yeah. She even started calling me ‘big brother’ today for some reason. Can’t say I’m not flattered though.”

Rainbow Dash snickered briefly before she spoke up. “She told me about how cool you were when you stole Diamond Tiara’s cutie mark. And how you made her look like a joke in the park yesterday. I never knew you could be tough too.”

I did not think too highly of my actions and replied bluntly, “I was not being tough. I was just giving a pathetic bully what she deserved. That’s all there was to it. Nothing more.”

Despite my claims, Rainbow Dash smirked at me. “Yeah, I hear ya. But that still sounds like you were being tough when you needed to be. And you remember what I said about dating you if you were a bit more assertive, right?”

I froze while I looked over my menu at Rainbow Dash. She was giving me a sly smirk, making me sweat as I felt myself becoming extremely nervous. However, she suddenly burst into laughter. “Bwahaha! Gotcha! Sorry, I just had to do that. It was worth it to see the look on your face.”

Despite Rainbow’s attempt at humor, I was not amused. I glared at her for a moment before looking through the menu again. “Good thing you were kidding. I have my eye on someone else anyway.”

Rainbow Dash stopped snickering abruptly. She gazed at me with an expression that seemed to have ‘Wait... Seriously?’ written all over it. All I could do was nod.

“So… You actually have feelings for somepony? And that’s a pony and not a human?” Rainbow Dash asked, clearly interested in the unlikely idea of a human developing feelings for a pony.

I sighed before I explained, “Yeah… Only problem is I know it won’t work out… She’s too shy and would probably turn me down… What’s more, I think I offended her today at the spa. So we can only just be friends.”

Rainbow Dash inched over to my side of the table and glanced around for a second. “Can you tell me who she is? I promise I’ll keep it a secret. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

I glanced at Rainbow Dash and asked, “Stick a…CUPCAKE in your eye?”

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders before replying, “Pinkie Pie came up with it. But you know what I mean. So, can you tell me?”

After a moment of hesitation, I lowered my head and muttered, “Fl…Fluttershy…”

Rainbow Dash stared at me with a look of silent shock for a moment. “Whoa… Fluttershy? Really?” I nodded silently, somewhat embarrassed from revealing my crush to her. She then asked, “Um… I don’t want to sound like I think that’s a bad idea, but what do you see in her exactly? She never seemed like the kind of pony who’s looking for a sweetheart. To me, at least.”

I sighed and looked away. “I’m not sure if I can explain this very well… I guess it started just after I came to Ponyville when you crashed onto me.”

The rainbow-maned pegasus mare winced as she recalled that day. “Oh… Sorry about that. I really didn’t mean to fall on you… But anyway, what happened?”

I went on while still browsing my menu. “She was very supportive in my time of need… I think she was my very first friend in Ponyville… Heck, maybe even in Equestria as a whole.”

Rainbow Dash smiled in understanding. “Ya know, she normally has a very hard time opening up to ponies…..I mean people she’s not familiar with. Did she really not have any trouble opening up to you?”

That sounded just like Fluttershy to me since she had even confessed to me that she is wary around ponies she does not trust or know well. And yet, she came right over to me with little hesitation. “No… She walked over to me and took a seat at my side. But maybe the reason she wasn’t that nervous was because I’m not a pony… And that I was far too distressed to really pay any mind to her…” I explained, knowing that she had never met a human before, let alone be hurt by one.

Rainbow Dash nodded before replying. “Yeah, I see whatcha mean. First impressions are really important to Fluttershy.” She then placed an elbow on the table and asked, “So, it started there? Like she was your first friend in Ponyville? What else draws you to her?”

Her question was not easy for me to answer. But I tried. “I… When… I’ll put it like this. Whenever I think of her, I feel…a warm tingly feeling inside me… She’s so sweet, yet so beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl as sweet as her in my life. Even before I ended up in Equestria….. Sorry. That’s the best I can describe myself.”

I looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was looking back at me. She then muttered, “Well… I’m no expert in this kinda thing… I’ve never had a crush in my life, so I can’t relate. But…I know Fluttershy really likes you. I mean, she likes all of her friends, but she really likes you for sure. I guess what I’m saying is to just be careful to not rush it. And another thing…” She placed a hoof on my shoulder before speaking uncharacteristically softly, “She could really use somepony like you. Someone who can always be there to support her.”

I could see the wisdom in Rainbow’s words, which is weird coming from a jock like her. Fluttershy had told me she had always been wary of ponies she is not familiar with. This led me to believe she has been bullied in the past. Rather than feel pity for the timid pegasus, I felt my desire to support her increase as I felt the urge to help soothe the pain she had endured in her earlier years. “I will, Rainbow… I won’t ever leave her.”

My friend patted me on the back. “Awesome. Don’t forget those words, OK? She needs you.” The two of us shared a hug before she moved back over to her side of the table just as the waiter arrived.

“Welcome back, sir. Have you made your decision?” The waiter asked, apparently having come to recognize me.

“Yes, I will have the house salad with French dressing and an order of spaghetti and…meat…balls?” I could hardly believe that there was actual meat on a menu in a town of herbivorous ponies.

The waiter turned to Rainbow Dash, who spoke, “I’ll go for the sub. Extra tomatoes.” The waiter nodded and walked back inside the café.

“Rainbow… Are the meatballs in the pasta made of REAL meat?” I asked, wondering if Equestrian ponies are actually omnivores.

The pegasus snickered at my apparent bewilderment. “Nah. It’s not real meat. Just fake meat made of soy bean stuff.” I chuckled for a second, having completely forgotten about the likes of tofu hotdogs and veggie burgers.

It did not take long for our orders to arrive. The meatballs in my spaghetti appeared to be made out of actual meat and probably tasted the part too, but I was certain they were not what they seemed. A layer of tomato sauce covered the whole dish. Rainbow Dash’s order was a long submarine sandwich with various vegetables clamped between the slices of bread. “Aw yeah, let’s chow down.”

I watched while Rainbow Dash planted her hooves at the sides of the sandwich and lifted it before taking a bite. Not wanting to be left out, I started on my food. The tomato sauce was zesty and had just a hint of spiciness to it.

Not surprisingly, Rainbow Dash finished her meal first. “Mmm. Good stuff. You almost done, James?” I had finished my salad and was halfway done with my entrée.

“I should be another minute or two. And sorry that I can’t finish all this in ten seconds flat.” I replied, not wanting to scarf down my food. Rainbow Dash could only snicker at the reference I made to her speed record.

Once we had finished, Rainbow Dash flew away suddenly and returned less than a minute later with a stack of bits in her mouth. Once she set them down on the table, she turned to me and explained, “As promised, I’ll handle the bill.” I nodded, but then reached into my pocket and pulled out a few bits of my own.

“A tip for the waiter.” I explained while I set the money down.

Rainbow Dash began to hover while I put the stool I was sitting on back where I found it. “I’m gonna go check on Scootaloo and the other crusaders. Say hi to Fluttershy for me!” I waved goodbye as the pegasus took to the sky and flew south. Remembering what I had promised to do, I started to head west towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

When I began to press into the meadow that bordered Fluttershy’s home, I noticed an unusually high number of rabbits milling about. There were various hues of white, black, brown, gray, and the like. They would often watch me as I passed by, probably because they had never seen a human before. “I guess it’s rabbit season. Or is it duck season?” I could not help muttering out loud.

When Fluttershy’s cottage came into view, I found the timid pegasus resting upon the bridge that crossed the creek in front of her house. Once she saw me coming, Fluttershy stood up trotted right over to me. “Hello again, James. You’re right on time. And thanks again for that wonderful massage today.”

I stroked Fluttershy’s mane with a smile while replying, “Next time you come in, try to make it a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. Those are the days I work there now.”

Fluttershy smiled softly and nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. Next time Rarity and I meet up at the spa, I’ll ask for you by name. But now that you’re here, shall we get started?” I followed Fluttershy a short distance away from her home, finding many of the same rabbits I had seen on my way in still milling about.

“Fluttershy… Are all of these rabbits just babies?” I asked, finding their close proximity to be making me mildly giddy.

“Oh yes. These are the baby bunnies I need help rounding up. But remember, they’re a timid bunch and need to be handled gently.” She replied with her soft voice.

I have caught wild baby rabbits before with just my hands without being forceful, so I have experience in handling young rabbits. Only this time, it seemed that they would not have any fear of me. “OK then. Where should I set them as I gather them up?”

Fluttershy pointed towards a partially fenced-in area that was bordered by a very low white wooden fence. “Just place them over there. I’ll keep them from wandering off.”

Eager to get started, I calmly approached a trio of grazing baby rabbits and got down on one knee. They looked at me when I drew near, their big adorable eyes showing curiosity instead of wariness. “Hello there, little guys.” I spoke softly while slowly outstretching my hand. I ran one finger between one rabbit’s ears. That area seemed to be a soft spot since the baby bunny immediately warmed up to me by nuzzling my finger. The other two also drew closer.

“OK, little fellas. Just hold still.” I spoke before I carefully scooped them up in my arms. The rabbits seemed very calm in my grasp as they nuzzled my chest. This was one such experience I would never forget and hopefully would not be the last.

“Very good, James. Just set them down right here.” Fluttershy tapped her hoof in one spot as I approached her with the bunnies in my arms. I carefully released them from my grasp as low to the ground as I could get. I petted each bunny on the head to reassure them before going off to find some more.

I repeated the same process over and over for the next thirty minutes at least. But I never got bored. In fact, I cherished every minute with the baby bunnies. After making one last trip to the bundle of bunnies I had rounded up, I made a quick sweep of the area to see if I had overlooked anyone. When I found that no baby bunnies had been left behind, I returned to Fluttershy. “I think that’s everyone.”

Fluttershy nodded with a pleased grin. “Thank you again, James. Will you do the honors?” I smiled and gazed down at the many baby bunnies at my feet. I silently counted them while Fluttershy did everything she could to keep them from moving.

“Whoa… Sixty bunnies. That’s quite a few.” I spoke out loud as I finished counting them in my head.

“Sixty? Wow… We seldom have that many in one season.” Fluttershy remarked while the bunnies looked up at us. But when I looked down at them, a thought popped into my head.

“Fluttershy, could you keep them all together for a bit longer? I’d like to get a picture of this.” I asked before I pulled my DSi game system out of my pocket and turned it on.

“James, what is that? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Fluttershy asked me while trying to not get too excited.

“It’s a camera. Well, it’s more than just a camera, but I’m using it as a camera for now.” I replied as I activated the camera feature. I got down on one knee while adjusting the top half of the DSi to get the best angle.

“If you’re going to take a picture, make sure the flash is turned off. It might scare them… Oh? Hello, Angel.” Fluttershy spoke before apparently being distracted by something. In actuality, the DSi’s camera does not have a flash function. But at the mention of Angel, I looked behind me to find the same white rabbit I had seen resting in the ‘dog’ house next to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Before I could say anything, Fluttershy gasped lightly. “Oh, I know! Angel, could you take the picture so James could be in the shot too?” As ridiculous as it sounded, the rabbit nodded his head in agreement. I froze for a moment as I tried to comprehend how a rabbit could use such a complex gadget. I was also hesitant to let someone other than myself use my DSi, but it was the only way I could be in the picture too.

When Angel came over to me, I set the DSi down and adjusted the top half, as well as the camera lens on it, so that it was standing up on a ninety-degree angle. “Thanks, Angel. Just press this button here to take the picture when we’re ready. And watch the top screen to see how we look before the picture is taken.” I explained, hoping he would understand. I then approached the pile of baby bunnies and got down on one knee beside them while Fluttershy stood at the other side. The two of us smiled while Angel seemed to adjust the DSi’s location to try and get us all in the shot.

Eventually, I heard a familiar click when Angel pressed the button. I then stood up and went over to see how the picture had turned out. There was no motion blur and the lighting was just right. It also captured us all at just the right angle. For the DSi, it was of the highest quality. “Thank you, Angel.” I spoke as I saved the picture and returned the DSi to my pocket. I then scratched Angel between the ears, coaxing a content smile from him.

“May I see the picture before you go?” Fluttershy asked while she approached me, the baby bunnies beginning to wander off behind her. I nodded and pulled the DSi back out, opened the photo album, and brought up the picture before turning the screen to her. “Oh my… That turned out lovely. Now we have something to remember this day by.” Fluttershy spoke softly while she observed the photo.

I stood up before I returned my DSi to my pocket. “Thanks again for inviting me to help you with this. Just interacting with baby bunnies is a treat in itself.” I smiled while I stroked Fluttershy’s mane.

“Hehee… You’re very welcome, James. Feel free to stop by if you’re ever in the area. You’re always welcome here.” Fluttershy spoke before we embraced each other gently in a tender cuddle.

A moment passed, as I did not let go of my friend. While we embraced, I ran my fingers through her beautiful flowing pink mane. I heard Fluttershy sigh happily, clearly enjoying my touch. But we both froze when Angel momentarily tapped Fluttershy’s leg with one foot. We both looked down to see him giving her a stern gaze.

“Something wrong, Angel?” I asked while I let Fluttershy down.

Fluttershy meekly replied, “Oh, it’s nothing important. He just wants a snack.” For some reason, the white rabbit glared at her as he tapped her on the leg again several times.

What was this rabbit doing? Was he trying to persuade Fluttershy to say something? Fluttershy then lowered her head down to him and whispered, “I can’t tell him, Angel. I want to…but I can’t…”

I suspect Fluttershy thought I would not hear her. But I was close enough to hear every word. I then asked, “Tell me what?”

Fluttershy blushed as her head jerked up suddenly. “You… You heard that? Oh dear… Um… Well…” I crossed my arms while looking down at her, puzzled by what it was Angel was trying to get her to say.

After a minute of stammering and incoherent muttering, Fluttershy finally asked, “Um… Well… May I ask you for some advice, James?” She was shyly looking at me from between her long bangs with one eye, a gesture I found utterly adorable.

“Sure thing, Fluttershy. Whatcha need help with?” I replied earnestly. I noticed that Angel had raised his paws and was shaking his head as if to say ‘Close enough’.

The timid pegasus blushed while she spoke, “Well… There’s this boy… I mean stallion… I mean… There’s somepony I really…like… But I don’t have the courage to tell him… What would be a good way to…confess my feelings to him?”

I felt immense disappointment upon finding that Fluttershy had already developed feelings for another person… Or rather, another pony. However, in my heart, all I really wanted was for Fluttershy to be happy. Even if it meant being happy without me. And if that meant losing her to someone else, so be it.

I was careful to hide my disappointment as I thought over a response. “You have a crush on someone and are afraid to tell the guy in person? Well… Why not just write him a love letter?”

My suggestion seemed to surprise my friend since she stared blankly at me for a moment. “A love letter…? I’m surprised I didn’t think of that earlier…” She then smiled faintly and spoke softly with a very deep blush. “Tha… Thank you, James… That’s all I needed. See you later. I have a letter to write.” I watched while she trotted up towards her cottage and went inside. I looked down at Angel, who seemed to sigh in disappointment while looking at the ground and shaking his head. With nothing else to do, I said goodbye to Fluttershy’s pet and headed back towards Ponyville.

I was fairly tired from all the walking I had done that day and decided to return home. It was late in the afternoon at the time. When I entered the Carousel Boutique through the front door, I found Rarity talking to Twilight Sparkle. “Yeah, what a coincidence. I guess we all got a little messy at the end of the Grand Galloping Gala, didn’t we?” Twilight spoke before letting out a chuckle. Near her was a pony mannequin with a dazzling dress draped over it that was mostly shades of blue with many stars embroidered into it. However, it had rips and tears here and there.

“Oh yes, and it certainly wouldn’t do for your lovely gown to be in this state when the next Gala arrives! I will make certain it is back to normal within the week.” Rarity replied with some enthusiasm. It was then that she noticed me at the door and trotted over to me. “Hello, James! Still looking dashing in that cape. Is there anything I can get you?”

“No thanks. I’m good. Just a bit tired from all the walking around I did today. All I wanna do is relax on the sofa and read some more of that encyclopedia.” I replied, remembering that I had borrowed the book from the library.

Twilight approached me with a smile. “Hey there, James. I was just dropping off my dress for some fixing. And I saw your robe. Very impressive. I can’t wait to see you in it at the Gala!”

I replied while trying to hide my real mood, “Thanks, Twilight. It was more than I expected too. But come to think of it, where’s Spike? I haven’t seen him all day.”

The purple unicorn giggled while she replied, “Oh, he’s been busy with his chores. That’s why he wasn’t home when you visited today. Although I think he was a little jealous when Rarity showed us that bracelet you bought for her. Probably because he wanted to eat it. I think I even saw him drool a little.” I could only chuckle while wondering if he would have been able to digest the silver as well.

Once we said our goodbyes, Twilight headed out for home. But I then turned to Rarity and asked, “Excuse me, Rarity. May I ask you something about Fluttershy?”

My landlord smiled wholeheartedly. “But of course! Since she’s my best friend, I’m sure I can answer anything you want to know.”

While making certain to hide my emotions, I then asked, “Well… She told me today that there is this guy she has a crush on. Do you know who it is?”

Rarity brought a hoof to her chin and seemed to ponder my words for a few seconds. “Hmmm… Fluttershy has found love? That’s odd… She never once mentioned such a thing to me. Are you certain it was not a joke?”

I shook my head before replying, “I think she was serious. She asked me for advice on how to confess to him, so I suggested she write a love letter to him.”

At my claim, Rarity nodded with a rather serious expression. “Yes, writing a letter is certainly more like Fluttershy’s style. But who is this dashing gent who could’ve won Fluttershy’s heart? I must remember to ask her tomorrow.” I nodded in agreement, still feeling an unpleasant bitterness in my heart from being rejected. With nothing else to ask, I went to my room to read some more articles from the encyclopedia I had borrowed from Twilight.

“OK… Next page…” I muttered to myself as I removed the bookmark. “Ponyville….. Founded by earth ponies long ago. Now home to all three species of ponies… Canterlot… Capitol of Equestria… Home of unicorns… Like Ponyville, has become home to all three pony types over time… Cloudsdale… Home of pegasus ponies… Made entirely out of clouds, unicorn and earth ponies cannot reside there…” Each description included illustrations of the locations described in the articles.

The next article contained details on various flora and fauna of Equestria. As it turned out, many animal species that could be found on Earth also resided in Equestria. With a few notable exceptions. The first to be mentioned was the cockatrice, having the body of a snake and the head of a rooster. As I expected, its gaze could turn whoever it looked at into stone. Another was the hydra, but I had already heard of it from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Next was the manticore, a creature with the body of a lion, a pair of wings, and a scorpion’s tail complete with a stinger. Another entry mentioned the Ursa, colossal bear-like creatures with bodies that share the coloration of the night sky dotted with stars. But the last entry on the page puzzled me. “Parasprites…? Tiny and cuddly, but have ravenous appetites… Infestations can lead to catastrophic food shortages…” An illustration was provided, showing me a round insect of sorts with big eyes. Like the article claimed, it seemed to be quite adorable and far from menacing.

By the time I looked up from what I had been reading, it was nearly 8 PM. “Whoa… Time sure flies when wrapped up in a good book.” I muttered out loud. Outside the window, I could see that the sun was setting over the horizon. I was still feeling full from lunch, so I decided to skip dinner. But as I looked back at the encyclopedia, I remembered that while it did offer great detail about some of the more colorful creatures of Equestria, it was a bit lacking in other areas of flora and fauna. I decided to head back to the library to borrow another book that may have more information on the subject. As I headed to the front door, I found Rarity ‘in the zone’, as she likes to say it, while working on repairing Twilight’s dress. Rather than interrupt her, I left as quietly as I could.

It got dark out fairly quickly while I walked through Ponyville. I had not been out this late since my first night in Equestria. The cicadas were hissing loudly all around me, lending a familiar atmosphere to the moment. Few ponies were out and about at the time, which was not surprising to me. I was only hoping that Twilight was not asleep yet.

To my relief, I found that there were still lights on inside Twilight’s house when I arrived. I peeked in the window and found Twilight tidying up on the first floor. I knocked on the door gently to let her know I was coming in.

Twilight turned to face me as I closed the door behind me. “Good evening, James! I wasn’t expecting to see you this late.” She spoke while trotting over to me with a smile.

“Well, when I looked up from reading, it was almost 8. I’m sure you can relate.” I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. Twilight chuckled heartily since she is an avid reader too. But before I could ask for her help in finding a certain kind of book, there was a thumping sound at the door.

“Another visitor at this hour?” Twilight asked as she used her magic to open the front door from a distance. Once it was open, Angel ran inside with a scroll in his mouth.

“Angel? What’re you doing out here?” I asked, puzzled why Fluttershy’s pet would come all the way into Ponyville without her. He looked up at me with a gaze that seemed to show irritation. Whether it was to me or someone else, I could not say.

Twilight spoke while pointing with her hoof, “I think that scroll’s for you, James. Should I let you read it first?” I nodded in agreement while I took the scroll from the white rabbit. Twilight went back to straightening up the library as I leaned against the wall to read it.

“Let’s see here…” I muttered before I opened the scroll. I began to read it silently, but I soon began to sweat as I beheld its contents.

The note read, “To my beloved James. I’m sorry for not telling you this in person, but I can at least express my true feelings to you with this scroll. I have never met anypony like you. Somepony who never judges or shuns others despite their flaws. Whenever I see your face, I feel as if I am standing on a cloud of butterflies. And when I hear your voice, I feel as if I just heard an angel sing. I wish I could tell you just how much I adore you, but words alone can’t describe it. It goes beyond just mere friendship. But please believe me when I say this. I love you, James. And I hope you will continue to remain in my life for the rest of our lives. With love, Fluttershy.”

I felt somewhat dizzy by the time I finished reading the scroll. Was this for real? Was it a prank? I could hardly even think straight. “Twilight…” I stammered out.

My friend looked over at me before asking, “Something wrong, James? And why is your face red?”

I held out the scroll as she approached me. “Is this…a prank from Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight’s horn was engulfed in a billowing aura as the scroll floated over to her. “Let’s see… Beloved James…..express my true feelings…. Oh…my…” Twilight said with an unusually loud tone as she blushed deeply. She read in silence for a moment before speaking, “This is…just so poetic! And it’s in Fluttershy’s writing! She didn’t hold back when she wrote this!”

I could hardly believe it. The pony I have a crush on is actually in love with me. Or is she? I had my doubts if this love letter was real or forged. But it is far easier to express one’s feelings through text than through voice, so I am certain even Fluttershy could get quite expressive in written form.

“If that’s really Fluttershy’s handwriting…” I muttered lightly. I then looked down at Angel and asked, “Did Fluttershy really write that?” The white rabbit nodded in response. It was real. Fluttershy…was…is in love with me.

Twilight rolled up the scroll and gave it back to me. “Wow… I never knew Fluttershy could be so artistic with love letters… But are you all right?”

I took the scroll in hand and nodded. “Yeah… Just a little dizzy and overheated… It’s a lot to take in.”

I then looked down at Angel again. “Did Fluttershy ask you to deliver this to me?” To my surprise, he shook his head with an annoyed expression. It was then that I suspected that Fluttershy had finished writing the scroll hours ago but had chickened out on sending it to me. Certainly something I would expect from her. Angel must have snuck it out of her cottage without her noticing.

Twilight asked quietly, “James… What are you going to do about this?” She almost sounded afraid.

I replied while I approached the front door with Angel, “I’m gonna ask her about this. Can I come back tomorrow for the book I was looking for?”

The purple unicorn nodded with a frown. “Sure… Have a nice night, James.” I had never seen Twilight look so sad before. Probably because she was worried that the confrontation with Fluttershy would not end well. Regardless, I said my goodbyes and followed Angel back towards Fluttershy’s home.

By the time Fluttershy’s cottage came into view, the sun had very nearly vanished over the horizon for the night. While I walked up the slope to the front door of her house, I could hear Fluttershy’s voice from an open window. Out of curiosity, I walked over to it and peered inside. Curtains were hanging in the way, but they were sheer enough for me to see through. But since that meant she could see through it too, I remained still to avoid detection.

Fluttershy was frantically looking about for something while constantly talking to herself. “Ooooh, where is it? I know I left it on that desk when I was done writing! I hope it didn’t somehow make its way to James… Did I put it in the mailbox? Hopefully the mailmare didn’t stop by after I did… I better go check.” As she ran to the front door, I hurried over to it to meet her. As soon as the door opened, Fluttershy yelped in a surprisingly high pitched tone. “Ah! James!” I had to restrain myself from laughing at her skittish reaction to my unexpected presence.

“Uh… Good evening, Fluttershy. Expecting anyone?” I asked, trying not to sound like I knew what she was searching for.

Fluttershy blushed while trying to regain her composure. “Um… No, not really… I was just looking for a….. Oh…my…” Her gaze rested upon my hand. In my grasp was the love letter she had written. “You… You didn’t happen to read that…did you?”

I could not bring myself to lie towards someone as tender as Fluttershy, so I replied honestly. “Yeah… I’m the guy you wanted advice on confessing to, right? So… Is this real? Or did you just send it to me as a test to see how well you could convey your feelings in text? And please be honest.”

I watched as Fluttershy backed away from me with a very deep blush on her face. I could see tears welling up in her eyes. “That scroll… I wrote it… The guy I like… I love…” She curled up in a corner in the room and covered her face with her hooves as she sobbed, “It’s you, James… Please don’t hate me…”

The sight of Fluttershy sobbing in fear and shame was truly one of the most pathetic sights I have ever seen. She looked so miserable, I felt sorry for her. Hoping to put her fears to rest, I slowly approached her and ran my fingers through her beautiful pink mane once I dropped to my knees. “I don’t hate you, Fluttershy. Please don’t cry. It hurts when I see you this scared.”

Ever so slowly, the timid pegasus removed her hooves from her face. I slowly stroked her face just under the eyes to wipe away her tears. “You… You’re not angry? Not offended at all? Not even a little?” She asked shyly in her signature quiet tone.

I nodded with the softest smile I can make. “I could never hate you. I can’t even see any real flaws in your behavior. If there is someone in this world who doesn’t like you, then there’s something wrong with that person.”

Fluttershy sighed while she leaned against the hand that was stroking her mane. “There are a few…but many more do like me…”

With a smile, I spoke, “Only I like you the most.”

I watched as Fluttershy blushed deeply while she let out a light squeak. Her modesty and shyness made my heart melt. I wanted to protect her. To always be there for her. I helped her climb to her feet before I lifted her up in my arms. “You look tired. Let’s get you somewhere to rest.” I carried her over to a green sofa of sorts and lied down on it with Fluttershy atop me. The length was fairly short, so I had to raise one leg over the back while letting the other hang off the side.

Fluttershy rested her head next to mine as she lay upon my chest. I held her against me with my hands on her back. “Have you stopped crying?” I asked softly.

“Yes… I’m OK now…” Fluttershy replied with a whisper.

I continued to stroke my friend’s mane. At my touch, Fluttershy cooed softly, “I love it when you do that…”

“Is that why you came to love me?” I asked, curious of how she came to develop feelings for me.

Fluttershy blushed deeply while she muttered, “I don’t know…if I can put it into words… You’ve just…always been so kind to me… You showed me how gentle you are with animals… And… And…” She began to tear up once again while pausing briefly. “I’m sorry… That’s the best I’ve got… I can’t describe it anymore than that…”

She was probably expecting me to reject her feelings if she could not explain them properly. But I understand that love is not something that can always be explained. I could tell that her feelings were sincere. And I wanted to be with her always. Because she…was… No. She IS the girl I love.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, afraid to look at me. However, I brought my lips to her ear and whispered, “I love you, Fluttershy.”

Her eyes shot open instantly at my words. She gazed at me with a deep blush on her face. “You mean… Re…really?”

I replied with a question of my own. “May I kiss you?”

Fluttershy’s blush only deepened further. But she soon smiled meekly and whispered, “Ye…yes… I would like that.”

I stroked her face before I brought my lips to hers. When they touched, I felt a tear drip onto my neck. Our kiss was brief as Fluttershy began to sob quietly. She was likely overwhelmed with emotion since she had never received love of this magnitude before. “Fluttershy…?” I asked while I placed my hand over her hoof.

She gasped for breath as she sobbed, “Please… Hold me…” She threw her forelegs around my neck as she held her face against the side of my head as she wept quietly. For all I know, she was likely releasing years of pent-up loneliness from being so withdrawn.

I gently caressed the pegasus pony’s back, trying to make her know that she was loved. “Don’t cry, Fluttershy… I won’t ever leave you… I promise.”

To my surprise, Fluttershy muttered, “I’m not…hurt. I’m just…so happy to have…somepony like you…” After a moment more, she asked, “James… May I…kiss you? If that’s all right with you…”

Even though I had expressed my feelings towards her, I was flattered by Fluttershy’s modesty. I had her look at me before I smiled and whispered, “You don’t ever have to ask me that, Fluttershy. You may kiss me whenever you want.”

Fluttershy smiled timidly before pressing her lips against mine. We both closed our eyes, my hand behind her head. Before I knew it, we had parted our lips and allowed our tongues to touch. This more intimate kiss did not last long since Fluttershy soon pulled away from me suddenly. “What’s wrong? Did I…go too far?” I asked, seeing that she appeared a little dazed.

“N… No… I just…felt a sudden rush when we…” Fluttershy muttered as she shook her head to get her bearings. But she then asked with a blush, “May we do that again?” I nodded and we began to kiss again. Fluttershy made the first move to make the kiss more intimate. I felt her tongue touch my lips before I could open them for her. The strange sensation of our tongues touching was new to me, but I enjoyed every second of it. By the time we broke the kiss, I think we were both blushing while lightly panting from a spike in body temperature.

“Did you like it?” I asked, somewhat concerned for my lover.

Fluttershy groggily replied, “I…loved it…” She then surprised me by nuzzling my face, “But I love you most of all…”

Her words touched me deeply. To me, Fluttershy was the most precious and loveable pony in Ponyville. Maybe even in all of Equestria. To know that she had chosen me over all others made me feel like the luckiest man alive. I held her in my arms tightly as I whispered, “And I love you more than anything, Fluttershy…”

The two of us just continued to cuddle and kiss for… I do not know. Forty minutes? An hour? Regardless, by the time we looked out the window, it was nightfall. The moon was high in the sky and the stars could be seen.

“Time flies when you’re with someone you love, huh?” I muttered, surprised by just how late it had gotten.

Fluttershy blushed as she whispered, “Um… I’m sorry if I kept you…”

Sweet little Fluttershy. Always so modest and submissive. It only made me love her more. I stroked her mane while I smiled. “Don’t be. I don’t have anything planned for tonight. I loved every minute with you.”

My words did the trick since Fluttershy smiled brightly. “So did I… I’m so glad to have you as my boyfriend, James.”

I felt a very warm sensation come over me when I heard that word. Boyfriend. She had actually acknowledged me as her lover. It felt as if nothing could go wrong. I then placed my hand over Fluttershy’s hoof and asked, “Fluttershy. If it’s all right with you, may I move in with you tomorrow?”

I expected Fluttershy to be nervous. Instead, she beamed brightly at me. “You mean… Us living together? Like a couple?” She went airborne while flapping her wings as she smiled, “That sounds…so wonderful… I’d love to have you here with me!”

Looking forward to tomorrow, I sat up from the sofa and climbed to my feet. “Then I’ll pack my bags as soon as I get home from work tomorrow.”

I stepped outside Fluttershy’s cottage and looked around at the untouched natural landscape bathed in moonlight. Many fireflies would glow every few seconds. I was already looking forward to living with Fluttershy while surrounded by nature. “I’m gonna love it here.” I remember muttering out loud.

“Do you think it would be OK for me to visit you while you’re on the job tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked while she closed the bottom half of the front door behind me.

I thought over my response for a moment before replying, “Actually, how about you meet me during my lunch break? I think I’ll take it at a little past noon.”

Fluttershy smiled and gave me a nod. “Some time for just us? That sounds lovely. How does the café sound for a place to meet up at?”

“That’s where I always go for lunch on work days. So it’s decided?” I asked, looking forward to our first meal together.

“Absolutely.” Fluttershy said with a smile. However, she then frowned and spoke with a rather disappointed tone. “I…guess this is goodbye then…”

I could understand why Fluttershy seemed unhappy. I did not want to leave her either, even if it was just for one night. But I placed my hand on her cheek and smiled. “Yeah… But just for tonight. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be living together. So please be patient. All right, honey?”

Fluttershy blushed deeply when I called her ‘honey’ just then. It was clearly the first time she had ever been called something so tender before. “O…K… I hope I dream about you tonight. Have a safe walk back to Rarity’s place, James.” She then gave me a kiss on the cheek, prompting me to smile as she had learned that she did not have to ask permission to do so.

I casually walked along the path that led from Fluttershy’s cottage out into the meadow that separated it from Ponyville. But every moment, I would look over my shoulder to see if Fluttershy had gone to bed. To my pleasant surprise, she was still standing at the doorway while watching me. Just before I was completely out of view, I waved back at her. She clearly must have seen me since she raised one of her forelegs and waved back. With a spring in my step, I hurried on through Ponyville to return to Carousel Boutique.

When I arrived, I found that no light was shining through the windows. I suspected that Rarity had gone to bed and locked me out before doing so. Fortunately, I found that the back door was unlocked. “Thanks, Rarity.” I muttered, grateful that she had left a way back inside for me.

I am writing this from the sofa in the room where I sleep. I have just finished bathing for the night and am happier than I have been in a long time. I have found my very first girlfriend in the unlikeliest of ponies. Fluttershy. While I do have some doubts about the future, I still feel the desire to protect and support her however I can. Tomorrow will be our first day as lovers. I wonder if I will have enough time when I wake up to visit her before work.

Thank you, Fluttershy. Thank you for coming into my life. I love you.

“Darling, you have a visitor. Wake up, please.” Those were the first words I heard as I was awakened by Rarity. I groggily opened my eyes before I looked up at her.

“What time is it…?” I asked as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

“Oh, a little past 10. And please do get up. It is rude to keep a lady waiting.” I watched as my landlord left the room. With a shrug, I sat up while wondering who would want to see me in the morning. I then put on the clothes Rarity had made for me and walked out into the main workroom to meet my visitor. This marked the beginning of my sixth day in Equestria.

“Oh yes, I’m actually surprised by how torn up it got… Though I guess I kinda deserved it after how forceful I was to the animals….” My eyes fell upon Fluttershy as she chatted with Rarity. I think I felt myself blush while I watched her, remembering what had happened the previous night.

It did not take long for Fluttershy to notice me standing at the entrance to the hallway. The instant her timid eyes looked in my direction, they brightened up with excitement. “Oh, James!” I braced myself as she suddenly ran towards me and leapt into my arms. I had to drop down on one knee so I was the same height as her.

“My oh my, am I missing something here?” Rarity asked while Fluttershy nuzzled my face lovingly with her eyes closed. For some reason, Fluttershy did not seem to notice Rarity’s words as she cuddled with me.

“Uh… Fluttershy? Rarity asked you something.” I muttered into her ear. Fluttershy then finally opened her eyes and looked over at her friend.

Before Fluttershy could say anything, Rarity gasped before asking, “Oh, I see now! The dashing gent who won your heart. It was James, was it not?!” The unicorn seemed to be very excited as she inched closer to us.

We were both hesitant to admit our feelings to anyone. I could feel my body temperature increase as I became nervous. Fluttershy then asked with a painfully timid tone of voice, “Can you…keep a secret, Rarity?”

Rarity winked at us and grinned brightly. “Oh, but of course! Any secret from you is safe with moi!”

Fluttershy looked up at me with an uncertain gaze. We both then silently looked at Rarity before looking back at each other and nodding. Fluttershy then muttered, “Well… James and I… We…”

I held Fluttershy’s head to my chest as I finished the sentence for her. “We’re…lovers now.”

Neither of us was certain of what Rarity’s reaction would be. However, the unicorn beamed brightly and hopped in place once. “Really? Truly?! Well, congrats to both of you! Am I invited to the wedding?! Ooh! Leave the tuxedo and dress to me! I can hardly wait to get started!”

Rarity’s bravado flattered me to no end. Fluttershy and I had only been together since last night, yet Rarity already believed we were going to get married someday. Granted, the idea excited me, but it was far too soon to say for sure.

“You…really don’t have a problem with us being together?” Fluttershy asked with a deep blush on her face.

Rarity grinned and spoke with great enthusiasm, “Oh, not only do I not have any trouble with you. I absolutely support your bond! But truly, when is the wedding?”

I chuckled lightly, though more out of being flattered by her words. “We haven’t decided on a wedding date yet… Besides, we only started seeing each other just last night. It’s way too soon to say if we’ll ever…”

Fluttershy interrupted me with a smile on her face and spoke, “Actually, we would appreciate it if you did make our wedding clothes when we’ve decided on when it happens…..” She then looked up at me with an uneasy expression and asked, “Um… If that’s all right with you, that is…”

It is understandable that Fluttershy would be concerned about my thoughts on the matter, as we had only been lovers since the previous night. However, I could tell that her love for me is true and powerful if she had already asked Rarity to make our clothes for the wedding if I ever proposed to her. I replied with a smile while I stroked her mane, “That’s fine with me, honey. No one makes better garments than Rarity.”

At my words, Fluttershy smiled softly as she leaned against me. Rarity then let out an adorable giggle. “Oh, you two are simply darling together. Your wedding will be so grand, even the princesses will want to attend!”

It was then that a question popped into my head. “Come to think of it, what brings you here today, Fluttershy?”

The timid pegasus smiled shyly and explained, “I came to see you, James. I wanted to walk with you on your way to work. Your shift starts at 11 AM, right?”

Before I could answer, I felt something climbing up my back as I was on my knees. “What the… Is that Opal?”

A familiar voice spoke out while I felt a pair of small hooves on top of my head. “I got you this time, blank flank!” I then felt the hooves stomping on my head, although my thick hair absorbed most of the impact to the point where it actually felt pleasant.

“Is it Diamond Tiara again?” I asked the two ponies before me. They both nodded with amused expressions. I then crossed my arms and asked, “Would you mind doing that a little harder? And maybe some rubbing?” I heard the filly growl as she intensified her efforts to no avail.

After a moment of stomping, I yelped when I felt Diamond Tiara kick me in the back of the neck. To my surprise, I saw Fluttershy glare at the filly and fly up to her. “Stop it, now!” The timid pegasus spoke in an unusually loud tone. She then grabbed the filly’s mane by her teeth, flew over to the front door and tossed her outside. I heard the ever-softening sound of galloping hooves as I assume Diamond Tiara made a run for it.

“Whoa… That’s the most assertive I’ve ever seen you get, Fluttershy.” I muttered, having not expected her to come to my aid.

Fluttershy seemed rather embarrassed by her outburst while she shyly approached me. “I’m sorry… It’s just… When I heard you were hurt, I… I think I just snapped…” She looked away in shame, probably thinking that her outburst had disappointed me.

Before I could speak my opinion, Rarity spoke up first. “Come now, Fluttershy. There is no shame in coming to the defense of those you hold dear. In fact, it was very noble of you to protect James like that. You should be proud of yourself.”

I nodded as I approached my lover. “I’m actually flattered that you helped me, Fluttershy. Thank you.” I stroked her mane gently in an attempt to calm her.

At my touch, Fluttershy blushed with a meek smile. “Oh, James… You really don’t mind it when I get assertive?”

I snickered in response. “I actually find it more endearing than frightening. You’re cute when you get serious like that.” Fluttershy could not really offer a retort, as she was too flattered to speak.

Rarity approached us and asked in a more urgent tone of voice, “James, shouldn’t you be on your way to work now? Only twenty minutes left before 11.” She pointed at a clock on the wall to prove her statement.

“Whoa. I better get going then. Thanks for alerting me, Rarity.” I said while I headed for the front door.

“Wait for me, James! Let’s go together!” Fluttershy called as she trotted up alongside me. The two of us waved goodbye to Rarity before closing the door behind us.

As we headed into the town square, Fluttershy looked over towards the spa and asked, “You start working there tomorrow, right?”

I looked over at the elegant building and nodded while replying, “Yup. Not sure how well I’ll do on my first real day, but I won’t know until I try.”

Fluttershy smiled as she looked up at me. “I’ll be your first client tomorrow. So you can practice on me before other customers show up.” She then blushed while speaking in a whisper, “And…you can massage my cutie marks too, if you want…”

I winced as I recalled that her cutie marks are sensitive enough to function as a pleasure point. “Is that really a good idea? I thought you didn’t want me to touch it last time.” I replied, worried that it would draw attention to her, something that I know Fluttershy dislikes.

My girlfriend then explained, “That was before you and I became…closer…” She then smiled shyly and spoke, “And to be honest, I’m curious of how gentle you can be with me. Besides, it’s not like I’m new to that stuff. Just recently, after the first few days you started living in Ponyville, I would…sometimes…”

Fluttershy’s blush only deepened as she spoke. There was clearly something she wanted to tell me, but her shyness would not let her. “Is it something personal?” I asked out of concern.

She nodded rather reluctantly and replied, “Not just that… I don’t think it would…be a good idea to say it in public…”

This only piqued my curiosity further. “Well, could you give me a hint?”

Fluttershy glanced around, probably to make certain no one was looking our way. “OK…” She began to slowly raise and lower her forelegs, making a clopping sound with each step. “Do you hear that sound?”

I nodded and asked, “The sound of clopping. Right?”

Fluttershy then continued while blushing, “It’s not only a noun, though… It’s also a verb. And not just the term associated with walking…” She could hardly even look at me while she spoke.

“You mean…you would recently clop after meeting me?” I could not understand what could be so embarrassing about clopping in place, and even more so as there does not seem to be much point in doing it unless for exercise. “How is that hard to talk about? It’s pretty much just walking in place.”

At my words, Fluttershy looked up at me with an amused expression while she giggled at my ignorance. “I don’t mean that kind of clopping. It’s a…slang term… The kind of clopping I mean is…”

She paused for a moment, clearly too embarrassed to say it out loud. “Um… Could it wait until we’re alone at my place today?”

I felt it would be a bad idea to inquire further until we were alone. “Sure thing. But just remember that you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Fluttershy giggled while she blushed at my words. “Thank you, James. I love you.” I was still getting accustomed to hearing her say those words as I could only chuckle nervously.

The two of us continued to chat casually as we headed towards Sugarcube Corner. But when we drew near, Pinkie Pie came out of nowhere and ran over to us. “James! Fluttershy! Twitchy twitch! Twitchy twitch!” She was standing on just her forelegs with her rump in the air, her poofy tail twitching furiously.

“Twitchy tail?! Oh no… Is there anything above us?” Fluttershy asked as she slunk up against me.

Fearing that a moving trailer was above us, or possibly the ever-unpredictable Derpy Hooves making her rounds, I looked skyward while taking care to not move. My eyes scanned the sky above us, but found nothing passing overhead. “Are you sure that ‘Pinkie Sense’ of yours is 100% accurate? Has it ever failed before?”

Pinkie Pie promptly replied while still looking fearful, “No! It’s never been wrong before! Something’s gonna fall! I just don’t know when!”

At this, Fluttershy moved away from me and began to head towards Sugarcube Corner. “Then we should get inside before something does fa… Wah?!” Before she had gone even one foot from us, Fluttershy stumbled and was about to plummet face first into the hard ground. Without even really thinking, I quickly reached down and grabbed the timid pegasus before she could fall.

“Huh… So Fluttershy fell this time?” Pinkie Pie muttered, her tail having stopped twitching.

Until then, I had always believed that the twitchy tail sign meant that something ABOVE Pinkie Pie was going to fall. Not something that was already on the ground. Regardless, I asked, “You OK, Fluttershy?”

In my arms, she blushed while looking up at me. “Y-yes… I’m OK now, James… Thank you. You’re my hero.” She surprised me by placing a soft kiss on my cheek. All I could do in response was blush.

Pinkie Pie was quick to notice Fluttershy’s display of affection and smirked at us. “Ooh, is something going on here? Should I get a heart box full of assorted chocolates?”

Both Fluttershy and me froze as we looked at Pinkie Pie out of the corners of our eyes. I muttered softly, “Not now, Pinkie. And besides, is that tail of yours still acting up?”

The pink pony looked at her tail and grinned. “Nopey Dopey! The twitching stopped. For now, at least.”

The term ‘for now’ made me feel uneasy. The twitching could start again at any given time. Which meant the risk of Fluttershy falling. “Hang on a minute, Fluttershy.” I spoke before I scooped her up in my arms.

“I’m fine, James. Really… You can put me down.” Fluttershy muttered with a blush as I walked along with her in my arms.

Even though Sugarcube Corner was just ahead, I was getting a lot of awkward stares from various ponies nearby. I began to feel that carrying Fluttershy in public was not a good idea after all. As we approached the front door, Pinkie Pie ran ahead. “I got it!” She then held the door open for me.

“Thanks, Pinkie Pie.” I said while I walked inside with her close behind me.

As I set her down, Fluttershy spoke, “I could’ve just stayed off the ground by flying. You didn’t have to carry me.”

I remained silent for a moment before placing a few fingers on my forehead. “Eheheh… Uh, whoops?”

Pinkie Pie merely giggled at my forgetfulness. But Fluttershy smiled warmly and replied, “But it was still very sweet of you to make sure I wouldn’t trip again. Thank you, dear…..” However, Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth as she gasped upon realizing that she had let that pet name slip in front of her friend.

“Dear…? I’ve never heard you call anypony…that…” Pinkie Pie muttered before she suddenly froze and smirked at me.

“It’s not what it looks like, Pinkie. We’re just friends.” I retorted at my friend’s smug gaze. When she did not stop, I raised my voice slightly. “Don’t you look at me like that! You’ve got it all wrong!”

Pinkie Pie then spoke in a calm voice and asked, “You two are sweethearts now, aren’t you?” Fluttershy looked at me while I looked at her. We then both faced her and nodded without saying a word. At this, Pinkie Pie grinned and barked, “AH HA! I knew it!”

“You… You did?” Fluttershy asked with a blush on her face.

I was puzzled as well. I could not recall telling Pinkie Pie anything about my feelings for Fluttershy. However, the silly pink pony giggled and retorted, “Nah! Not really. But are you two really sweethearts now? Because you’re sure acting like it!”

“I don’t think that’s any concern of yours…” I replied, somewhat annoyed by Pinkie Pie’s prying into my personal life.

However, Fluttershy nodded and quietly pleaded, “We are… Please don’t tell anypony, OK?” I froze; mildly shocked that Fluttershy would openly admit our bond to someone. Even if it was one of her closest friends.

I was half expecting Pinkie Pie to run out the door and shout out her discovery to the world. To my surprise, her response was nothing of the sort. “No problem! My lips are sealed! But before I forget…” Fluttershy and I watched while she trotted back into the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone. A moment later, she came back out with what seemed to be…..a curved stick of chocolate on her head?

“I really hope that’s not what I think it is…” I muttered out loud, afraid that what Pinkie Pie had in mind was perverted.

“James, I think that’s a chocolate-covered banana.” Fluttershy replied while Pinkie Pie set it on the front counter.

“That’s exactly what it is! And it’s a really popular dessert with couples. So, help yourselves! You’ll see what I mean!” The pink pony said with a giggle. I noticed a ring of what seemed to be white chocolate around the very middle of the treat, probably to show where the very center is.

“Well, I haven’t had breakfast yet, so thanks for the snack.” I said before I took the banana in hand.

As I was about to take a bite, Pinkie Pie spoke up. “Hold on! That’s for you AND Fluttershy! You gotta share it!”

I froze, embarrassed that I had forgotten that it was for couples. “Whoops… Well, would you like to share it with me, Fluttershy?” I asked as I looked down at my girlfriend.

Fluttershy nodded while giving me a smile. “I’d love to. Chocolate-covered bananas are one of my favorite fruit treats.”

I held the banana by the middle as Fluttershy flapped her wings so she was high enough to take a bite. “Ladies first.” I said calmly. Fluttershy smiled before she took a bite. I then took a bite of the same size. The chocolate was probably milk chocolate, judging by its sweet and creamy flavor. It went very well with the flavor of banana. Back and forth, we took bites.

When there were only two bites worth of banana left, Fluttershy smiled and asked, “Shall we take the last bite together?”

I nodded and replied promptly. “Sure. Just don’t bite me.” At the same time, we reached forward and took a bite. However, when we closed our mouths, our lips touched. Our eyes stared at each other while Pinkie Pie burst into laughter.

“And that’s why it’s so popular with couples!” The silly pink pony laughed while she rolled on the floor.

I could see how the chocolate-covered banana became known as a couple’s treat. If both sides take the same number of bites and take the last bite simultaneously, their lips would touch and form a kiss once their mouths had closed. A simple but clever trick, to say the least. Fluttershy was blushing, but she soon smiled and pressed into the kiss. I did the same as I held her in a warm embrace.

“Wow. So you really ARE together now, huh?” Pinkie Pie spoke with a giggle while she watched us kiss.

I soon broke the kiss and nodded shyly. “Yeah… I hope that’s all right with you.”

Pinkie Pie grinned with obvious approval. “Oh, it’s more than just all right. It’s super fabulously awesome! You and Fluttershy have so much in common, I just know you’ll live happily ever after! Only this isn’t a fairytale, right?”

Fluttershy blushed at her friend’s enthusiasm and nodded before asking, “Yes… This isn’t fiction. It’s reality. And…it’ll last forever. Right, James?”

She looked at me with her big beautiful cyan eyes, awaiting my response. In all honesty, the thought of losing either of my beloved pony friends, either by separation or death, frightened me. But the thought of losing precious little Fluttershy scared me more than anything. “Yeah… Forever.” I held her tightly in my arms while Pinkie Pie awed at our affection towards each other.

“Cute couples always get me! But anyway, we should get to work! We’ve got some special orders to bake!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she moved towards the swinging doors that led into the kitchen.

I nodded while I looked at my workmate before looking back at Fluttershy. “12:15 sound good?”

Fluttershy smiled and whispered, “That sounds great. See you then, James.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek before turning and heading out the front door.

With nothing else to do, I entered the kitchen and found Pinkie Pie looking over a list of orders that needed to be filled. “Anything special for today?” I asked while looking over her shoulder.

She glanced over her shoulder and explained, “Those chocolate drops have really caught on lately! We need a big batch of them for a birthday with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ written on them with icing.”

“Never knew a recipe I brought with me from home would be the talk of the town.” I muttered, surprised by just how popular the simple chocolate drop had become.

I got to work mixing some of the dough for baking. But while I did so, I noticed Pinkie Pie swallowing a leftover cake whole. Do not ask me how she managed to fit the whole thing in her mouth. Though I should probably get around to reading about Equestrian pony anatomy sometime. “Did you buy that?” I asked, wondering if our bosses would mind if she consumed Sugarcube Corner products while on the job.

Pinkie Pie giggled lightheartedly at my question. “Oh, that was just one of our leftovers from yesterday. If we don’t sell something at least one day after it’s been baked, I eat it before it goes bad! Nopony likes stale cakes, you know.” She then proceeded to eat a few cupcakes that were likely under the same rules.

As I watched her eat the day old pastries, an unpleasant thought popped into my head. From what I had seen since I had first arrived in Equestria, Pinkie Pie’s diet seems to consist of an absurd amount of sugary sweets. Such a high level of sugar intake could not possibly be healthy, even for her. And while I watched her consume some muffins, a sense of dread came over me as I imagined what would happen to my cheerful and happy friend if she developed diabetes. I know for a fact that horses on Earth can develop the disorder, so it would not surprise me if Equestrian ponies can too.

Just as she was about to consume some cookies, I spoke out. “Pinkie Pie. You got a minute?”

My voice got her attention since she looked away from the cookies and directed her gaze towards me. “Sure, James! What’s up?”

I then asked, “I need to ask you something important. Do you have diabetes?”

My question seemed to baffle my friend since she then asked, “Dye a bee tease? What’s that? A board game? I love games!” She then hopped in place with her signature springy jump in excitement.

I facepalmed while I let out a sigh. “It’s not a game. This is serious. I’m talking about diabetes. A very serious medical condition.”

My serious tone seemed to cause Pinkie Pie to realize that I was not trying to be amusing. She stopped hopping in place immediately. “Oh… Well, what about it? Is it something that only happens where you’re from?”

I replied with as serious a tone I could muster. “I don’t know. And you sound like you’ve never heard of it before. But judging by your diet….. I’d say you’re at risk of getting it.”

To my surprise and disappointment, Pinkie Pie giggled at my words. “My diet? Oh, I get it. You started getting ideas when you saw me eat that cake! Well, I’m still perfectly healthy, so that dye a whatever thing probably isn’t gonna get me.”

Her enthusiasm was beginning to annoy me as I grumbled, “Just listen. Diabetes is a medical condition that occurs when your body is no longer capable of producing insulin due to prolonged excessive sugar consumption or something similar. There's two types of it and... Since you're not a kid and judging by how much sugar you eat every single day... You are probably at risk of coming down with the second type.”

My words seemed to be sinking in since Pinkie Pie began to look noticeably unnerved. She then asked, “Is it…really that bad? What happens if I get it?”

I paused for a moment while trying to find the best way to put the explanation into words. “Well, I'm no doctor, so I may be getting some of this wrong, but... Where I’m from, thousands if not millions of people have it all over the world. As for what happens, you can’t eat very much sugar anymore without becoming weak or even collapsing. And you have to give yourself an insulin injection every single day. You know, needles that you stick in yourself.” The mention of needles seemed to frighten my friend since she gasped and backed away while shivering. I could not say I blame her though since I too strongly dislike injections. But I then added, “And worst of all, there’s currently no cure. If you get diabetes, you’re stuck with it for the rest of your life. Of course, if you don’t take proper and meticulous care of yourself once you get it, you can die. Of course, I'm no doctor, so you'll have to ask a professional for the full details.”

This revelation seemed to shock Pinkie Pie to her core since she merely stared at me for a moment. I truly felt bad for discussing such a depressing topic with her, but I felt I had to warn her instead of just watching her gamble with her health everyday. After a moment of silence, I saw that Pinkie Pie was starting to tear up. She then asked, “James… Could you watch the place for me? I need to go do something important…” I could hear her voice breaking as she spoke.

I nodded while trying to crack a slight smile to reassure her. “Sure, Pinkie. Go do what you have to do. And take your time. I’ll tell the bosses you’re out making a delivery if they ask.” Pinkie Pie smiled thankfully before running out the back door.

I think around half an hour to forty-five minutes passed before I heard a knock on the back door. I had just placed some dough into the oven for baking when I heard it. The door creaked open a notch before I heard Pinkie Pie ask, “Everything OK in there, James?” Her voice sounded calm and cheery, just like it always does.

“Yeah, it’s cool. No problems.” I replied, wondering where she had gone. The pink pony pushed the door open all the way and walked inside. To my shock, I found that she had a small bandage around her upper left foreleg that had a noticeable red stain in it along with some sort of pamphlet sticking out of her mane. “Wha… Where did you go?”

Pinkie Pie replied rather calmly, “I went over to the hospital to have some tests done to see if I have dia…um…whatever you called it. They had to draw some blood to check.” She then breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m clean… I’m not in danger of getting it.”

I smiled in relief. The thought of Pinkie Pie developing any form of diabetes is a truly depressing thought indeed. However, she began to tear up once again while looking up at me. “James…”

I saw what was coming, so I got down on one knee. My friend sailed into my arms and embraced me tightly while lightly sobbing, “Thank you for warning me… I don’t wanna be unable to eat my favorite foods anymore…”

It was surprising to see just how seriously Pinkie Pie was taking this matter. She normally just takes even the direst situations in stride. For her to be breaking down like this, the fear of developing diabetes must be prevalent in her mind.

“It’s OK, Pinkie. You don’t have it and you’re not in the danger zone. You don’t have to cry.” I muttered as I held her gently in my arms. I even felt myself tearing up. Seeing Pinkie Pie so unhappy is truly not easy to keep a straight face with.

“I know… But… The thought still scares me. And I’m not just scared…” She looked me in the eye and showed a tearful smile. “I’m also happy… James, I think you just might’ve saved me. I’m glad to have a friend like you.”

I saved her? By explaining the subject of diabetes to her? Who knew such a simple chat with her could have such an impact. Pinkie Pie smiled at me while continuing to speak softly. “If you never showed up in Equestria, I probably would’ve just kept on eating myself to death. And to be honest… Twilight’s scolded me a few times on eating too many sweets. But I always blew her off thinking that something so tasty couldn’t be bad for you… But…was everything you said about diabetes true? That lots of ponies have it where you’re from?”

She had good reason to question me, as Pinkie Pie has no knowledge of my homeland. But I nodded and replied, “I would never lie about something so grim. Plenty of humans have it all over the world. And not just them. Various other creatures get it too. Including ponies.”

I cuddled with Pinkie Pie for a moment longer as she tightened her grip on me. “Was I too harsh in my use of words?” I asked, worried that my blunt and down-to-earth explanation of diabetes may have seemed harsh.

Much to my surprise, Pinkie Pie let out a giggle as she pushed away from me so we were looking right at each other. “It’s OK! I’m actually really glad you told me about this! Now I know I have to be more careful with how many sweets I eat in a day. If I could only eat just a little each day, that would be super duper lame! And don’t get me started on the insulin injections! I hate hate HATE needles! That’s the last thing I ever want!” I chuckled under my breath, relieved to see that my friend was already back to her silly energetic self. "And the nurse gave me this pamphlet that's all about diabetes. I'll read it tonight before bed to make sure I understand it better.

Once she had finished talking, I tried to get a word in. But Pinkie Pie then asked, “Come to think of it, what should I do to avoid getting diabetes? Can you tell me?”

I replied as honestly as I could. “Well, the simplest way to do it is to balance out your diet. You should eat sweets the least. It’s OK if you eat some everyday, but you should be careful to not overdo it. I’d say the equivalent of half a dozen cupcakes a day should be your limit. I guess it’s all right if you go overboard once in a really long time, but that’s it. Keep your sugar intake under control and you should be fine. Then again, that pamphlet can probably do a better job of explaining it than I can.”

To my surprise, Pinkie Pie was jotting down every word I said into a notebook. “You’re taking this really seriously, huh?” I asked, impressed that she was taking my advice to heart.

Pinkie Pie set her pencil down before nodding at me. “Yup! I want to be able to enjoy my favorite foods without any restrictions! I mean… If I had to watch what I eat for the rest of my life… You might as well call me ‘Blandy Pie’ if that happened. I would be soooo depressed.”

When she went to the oven to check on the baking dough, I thought over what she meant. I recalled right there when I told her the infamous ‘the cake is a lie’ joke at my welcoming party on my first night in Ponyville. I could remember just how upset and delusional she became. While I found it to be mildly entertaining at first, now that Pinkie Pie and I have become closer, the thought of her being that way 24/7 for the rest of her life…..quite literally had me feeling like I was going to tear up. Pinkie Pie had become an important part of my daily life, not only as a friend and workmate, but also for adding a healthy kick of excitement to my life on a daily basis. Life without her would be, as she put it just a moment ago, ‘blandy’.

I watched as the pink pony carried the tray of baked dough circles to the central counter to cool with a potholder in her mouth to protect her from the heat. “Looks like they’re ready for the icing!” She then went over to a metal container that held the chocolate meant for the dough. But before she could grab it, I walked up behind her, got down on my knees, and embraced my friend from behind. “Um… James? Is something wrong?” She asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

I sighed as I whispered into her ear. “Pinkie Pie… Never ever change. Please.”

Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder at me, apparently having trouble processing what I had just told her. But she soon smiled and spoke in an unusually calm tone, “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll always be Pinkamena Diane Pie.” She then surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. “And I have a request too. Don’t ever change either, James. OK?”

I was genuinely touched by Pinkie Pie’s show of affection while I took off my glasses just in case I would start to cry a little. “That’s a promise, Pinkie…” I replied as I tightened my embrace on her. She managed to turn herself around and embrace me as well.

But our moment together was interrupted when we heard the swinging doors to the storefront open. “Oh my… Am I interrupting anything, dearies?”

We both looked out of the corner of our eyes to see Mrs. Cake standing in the doorway. We then silently looked at each other before nervously backing away from each other. Both of us began to nervously stammer simultaneously, trying to explain ourselves. However, neither of us could speak coherently.

“Well…. Uh… I see that everything is coming along smoothly. I’ll just…um…be tending to the customers out front. Don’t make a mess now, dearies.” Mrs. Cake chuckled before she left us alone together.

“Do you think she thought we were…” I asked without even taking my eyes off the swinging doors.

“Yep.” Pinkie Pie replied bluntly.

“She’s gonna ask everyone who comes in if we’re dating, isn’t she?” I asked blankly.

“Yep… I mean, no… I mean…maybe?” Pinkie Pie replied with a blush in her cheeks, although it was difficult to tell with her coat already being pink. I honestly hoped that Mrs. Cake would keep quiet about what she saw. Granted, I do adore Pinkie Pie and she certainly loves me as a friend. But Fluttershy is the girl I love. And that would never change. At least I hope it will not ever change.

“Maybe we should just get back to work.” I muttered as I carried the tin of chocolate over to the ‘drops’ for spreading.

“Yep.” Pinkie Pie replied once again. I watched as she went into the storeroom at the side of the kitchen, probably to fetch the icing to be used once the chocolate had settled.

After topping all the dough, I looked over to the doorway that led into the storeroom. Pinkie Pie was taking a while to come out, as a few minutes had passed. If she had come out while I was busy spreading the chocolate, I would have surely heard her footsteps. Curious, I peeked inside the storeroom. But she was nowhere to be seen.

“Um… Pinkie Pie? You having trouble finding something?” I asked without moving from the doorway.

“Nope! I found what I was looking for!” Her voice replied from right behind me.

I jumped slightly as I turned around to face her. “Wait a sec… How’d you get outta there without using this doorway?!”

The silly pink pony giggled and replied, “I can’t tell you that! It’s a secret!”

I suspected that perhaps there was another door in the storeroom that led out front. But when I went inside to check, I found no other means to get into the room. I raised an eyebrow as I pondered this. Is Pinkie Pie able to teleport? Can she walk through walls like a ghost? It was then that I decided this was a question better left unanswered. I wanted to remain sane. “Some things about Pinkie Pie are not meant to be understood…”

After an hour or so of preparing treats, I took the time to look at the closest clock. “12:05…” I then looked at Pinkie and asked, “Is it OK if I take my lunch break now?”

She replied with a grin, “Sounds good to me! I know this is supposed to be a private meal with Fluttershy, but may I tag along too? I wanna start my new healthier diet now.”

It did my heart good to hear that Pinkie Pie was quite serious about improving her diet. Not wanting to deny her company, I nodded. “OK then. Just don’t bother Fluttershy, all right?”

Pinkie Pie grinned and hopped once in place. “Oki doki loki! I’ll go let Mrs. Cake know we’re taking our lunch break now. You go on ahead!” I smiled as she ran out to the storefront while I slipped out through the back door.

I had walked for less than a minute before Pinkie Pie caught up to me. “What’s the meeting spot? The café?” Once she was walking alongside me, Pinkie Pie began to perform her characteristic springy hop instead of walking.

“Yup. That’s where we agreed to meet up. Anything you planning on ordering?” I replied while watching her hop.

“I hear spinach is a really healthy food, so I’ll get some spinach pie or something.” Pinkie Pie said with a smile. Spinach is also one of my favorite vegetables, so the mention of a pie with it got me feeling hungrier than usual.

The café was fairly busy that day. All but one table was taken outside. I recognized a few ponies among the customers. Namely Bon Bon, Lyra, Berry Punch, Daisy, Carrot Top, and even Derpy Hooves. We were quick to grab the last table and request a third menu from the waiter. As usual, I borrowed a stool from nearby so Fluttershy could use the stack of hay below the table as a seat.

While Pinkie Pie browsed her menu, I kept a constant eye out for any sign of Fluttershy. Knowing that she is a pegasus, I watched the sky. I did not wait long as a familiar yellow pegasus mare with a long pink mane and tail flew towards the café. I waved up at her to get her attention. She immediately made a shallow dive and landed right beside me. “Right on time, Fluttershy.” I said with a smile.

My girlfriend grinned brightly as she took a seat next to me. “I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”

I shook my head and smiled at her. “Nope. You arrived right on schedule. And besides, even if you were late, Pinkie Pie here would’ve kept me company.”

Fluttershy looked across the table to see Pinkie Pie smiling while waving at her. “I hope you don’t mind me tagging along. I needed to get some healthier fare into my system.”

Pinkie Pie’s explanation seemed to surprise my lover since she asked, “Healthier…fare? That’s… I’m amazed, Pinkie. I never knew you would actually believe Twilight’s warnings.”

Our friend giggled before explaining, “Actually, it was James who got through to me. He told me all about this nasty little disease or something called diabetes. Lots of people all over where he comes from have it, and even us ponies can get it! So, starting today, I’m gonna start eating healthier!” She then grinned at Fluttershy with her lips spread wide to show her shining white teeth. “You’re so lucky to have such a sweet guy as your boyfriend, Fluttershy. I’m kinda jealous, to be honest!”

I saw Fluttershy blush at Pinkie Pie’s compliment. “Yes… I’m very blessed to have met him…”

In response, I chuckled and spoke while averting my eyes, “I’m not all that special. Really.”

Pinkie Pie looked as if she was about to say something, but paused when Fluttershy leaned against me. “Maybe… But you’re special to me.” Fluttershy whispered without looking at me.

“Awww… You two are such a great couple! Am I invited to the wedding?” Pinkie Pie asked with a grin.

I replied promptly, “Well… If we do get around to planning the date, we’ll be sure to pass you an invite. Right, dear?” I looked down at Fluttershy and awaited her response.

“Oh, yes. And we could ask you to plan the after party since that’s your special talent.” Fluttershy said with a nod.

At the mention of the word ‘party’, Pinkie Pie grinned brightly. “Ooh, that’ll be a fun challenge! I’ve only had to plan a wedding party once so far. It’ll make for an interesting change of pace! I just hope I’ve still got the touch!”

After we conversed a while longer, the waiter approached our table. “Have you made your decision?”

Pinkie Pie spoke up while I looked through the pasta section of the menu. “I’ll have a slice of spinach pie. What about you, Fluttershy?”

My girlfriend replied without taking much time to think, “I think I’ll have the same thing.”

When the waiter turned to me, I found a pasta dish that had a butter, olive oil, and garlic sauce with spinach, diced tomatoes, and even scallops in it while being topped with shaved parmesan cheese. The very thought of such a delicious combination made my mouth water. “I’ll have one of these, please.” I do not recall the name of the entrée, but the waiter nodded and headed back inside to place our orders.

Pinkie Pie gave me an odd stare while she asked, “Um… Did you just order something with MEAT in it?”

I replied while giving her a whimsical smirk, “You’re one to talk. You gulped down a whole carp a few days ago when making that pie for Rarity.”

Fluttershy stared at Pinkie Pie with an expression that seemed to say ‘Are you serious?’ before the silly pink pony chuckled nervously, “Touché”. The two of us laughed in unison.

“So, whatcha planning on after work, lovebirds?” Pinkie Pie asked with a smirk.

Fluttershy seemed too shy to offer a reply as she began to blush and stammer without offering a real answer. I placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her and explained, “Well, I’m gonna pack my bags and move in with Fluttershy once I get off work. I mean, if we’re lovers now, shouldn’t we live together?”

Pinkie Pie nodded before gasping suddenly, “That’s what couples are supposed to do…. Ooh!” I swear I thought I saw a glowing lightbulb above her head for an instant. But as I said earlier, some things about Pinkie Pie are not meant to be understood. It was for the best that I did not ask. “That just gave me an idea! I gotta plan a special party for somepony in a few days!”

“A…party? For who?” Fluttershy asked while looking puzzled. I was also curious of where this sudden plan came from.

“It’s. A. Se. Cret.” Pinkie Pie replied with a mischievous grin.

Rather than try to pry further into something that probably did not concern me, I decided to change the subject. “So, Pinkie… Have any of those new recipes I’ve shared caught on besides the chocolate drops?”

She replied right away. “Oh, yeah! The blueberry pound cakes are really popular now! Most customers say the sugar on top gives it a satisfying crunch. And those chocolate drops are so versatile! Our most popular types are those with chocolate topped with icing. I’ve been getting all sorts of requests for other types of toppings too, like coconut and buttercream!”

Fluttershy then added, “I’ve heard about those lately. And they’re from where you come from, James?”

I nodded while thinking back on the pastries the discussion was revolving around. “Yeah. Can’t say I’ve ever made them myself while back home, but I pretty much grew up with them. I would often get my breakfast from a local bakery that sold the stuff during my school days.”

“Then I’d love to try some. May I buy a few once we’re done here?” Fluttershy asked with that soft smile of hers.

Pinkie Pie grinned while nodding. “Of course you can! We should have some fresh ones too!”

Not much time passed before the waiter returned with our orders. The slices of spinach pie looked appetizing, but my pasta dish made my mouth water with its aroma. Even my dining companions could not help staring at it. “Whoa, that looks awesome! I wish I ordered that instead!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she literally began to drool a river over her side of the table.

“Good grief, Pinkie. Get a towel!” I grumbled as I lifted mine and Fluttershy’s entrees up to prevent the drool from reaching them. Fluttershy backed away from the table as well while wincing at the sight of the drool dripping off the table.

“Uh… Oops?” Pinkie Pie muttered with a blush. Fortunately, another table had opened up while waiting for our meals. So we moved over to that one instead.

“OK, now can we enjoy our food without anymore drool leakage?” I asked once we had made ourselves comfortable.

Pinkie Pie could only chuckle nervously, clearly embarrassed that she let her appetite get the better of her. Without further delay, the three of us started on our meals.

My entrée tasted every bit as delicious as I had expected. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie seemed to be enjoying their entrees as well. “Mmmm, who knew eating healthy could be so tasty?” Pinkie Pie said as she took another bite of her pie. Wait….. A Pie eating a pie. What delightful irony.

Fluttershy said little while she ate. Probably as a means to avoid distracting us from enjoying our food. We all finished less than a minute apart from each other. “Boy, that was yummy. Not sweet, but still really yummy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she rubbed her belly.

“Food doesn’t have to be sweet to be good, ya know.” I replied, equally satisfied with my meal.

“I enjoyed my time with you two. And the food was great too.” Fluttershy said as she pulled some bits out of her mane. I had to wonder just how ponies carry money around without the aid of bags or purses. Well, yes. I remember that Rainbow Dash cannot carry bits with her unless she has a bag or something. But how does everyone else do it? I was tempted to ask, but chose not to as it was not necessary to know.

The three of us placed our payments on the table and turned to walk back to Sugarcube Corner together. However, Fluttershy spoke up, “Could you go on ahead? I need to talk to Derpy Hooves for a minute.”

“OK, you do that. We’ll walk slow so you’re not left behind.” I replied. Pinkie Pie and I began to make our way back to work while Fluttershy trotted over to the walleyed pegasus who was dining nearby.

We were probably around halfway to Sugarcube Corner by the time Fluttershy caught up to us. “What’d you need to chat with Derpy for? Needed a letter mailed right away?” Pinkie Pie asked as Fluttershy trotted alongside me.

“I just needed to place an order for delivery. She doesn’t just work with letters, you know.” The timid pegasus replied.

I was curious of just what other lines of work Derpy Hooves is involved in, but I felt it was not my place to ask. We arrived at Sugarcube Corner in a matter of minutes. Although she was not an employee, Fluttershy followed us into the kitchen.

“Right, you wanted a chocolate drop and blueberry pound cake?” I asked as I turned to Fluttershy. When she nodded, I went to fetch some fresh ones for her. “Here we go. Baked just this morning.”

Fluttershy grinned excitedly as she looked at the two pastries. “And to think that these came from another land. I feel like I’m buying some exotic candy.”

However, I replied, “Buying? Not this time. It’s on me.” I could not bring myself to ask for any money whatsoever from the love of my life. Even if I would not end up keeping the money.

“But… It’s OK, James. I can afford it no problem. You don’t have to buy it for me.” Fluttershy replied with a blush. Her modesty truly made my heart melt.

“It’s OK, Fluttershy. These don’t cost much anyway. It won’t be a big loss. I can handle it. Really. So please. Take them and enjoy them.” I explained, hoping that she would accept my gift without an argument.

After a brief moment of silence, she finally gave in. “OK… But please don’t treat me to everything, James. I don’t want to be a burden.”

I replied while I boxed up her order, “Don’t worry. You’re never a burden to me.” I then placed a kiss on her cheek as I handed the box to her. “See you after work, honey.” Fluttershy giggled quietly as she blushed, the box resting on her back. I then saw her off with a smile while holding the door open for her.

Pinkie Pie and I chatted casually with each other to help pass the time as we worked, although I often fell silent to focus more on some tasks. It is just how I am. Before I even knew it, the clock struck 6 PM. Right as I was putting on the finishing touches of a few cakes; there was a pop as a stream of confetti flew over my head.

“Congratulations, James! You just finished your first full day on the job!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she held a party popper in her mouth.

“Ugh… So what if I did? It’s all because nothing came up that could’ve resulted in me being called away.” I replied, not finding Pinkie Pie’s enthusiasm to be very appropriate.

My light scolding seemed to work since Pinkie Pie giggled, “OK, OK, sorry. Just couldn’t help myself in celebrating.”

However, it was then that I realized that it was closing time. “Wait, it’s time to close up shop already? Time sure flew by fast today. What do I do before I punch out?”

As if to answer me, Mr. Cake walked into the kitchen from the storefront. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. The Mrs. and I handle closing time. You two are free to head on home whenever you’re ready.”

I nodded and replied, “Thanks, Mr. Cake. I guess this means I’ll see you Wednesday.” I waved goodbye as I headed out the back door. I knew Pinkie Pie did not have to go anywhere since she lives right upstairs in the loft.

Now that I was free for the evening, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I wasted no time and took the most direct route I could back to Carousel Boutique. But along the way, I remembered that I still needed to borrow a certain book from the library. Certain that it would not take long; I made a detour for Twilight’s home.

As usual, I peeked in through the window to make certain no one was near the front door. The only person near it was Owlowiscious. I then hurried to the door and rushed inside before anyone could beat me to it. “Who?” Owlowiscious hooted once he saw me.

“You should’ve been named Dr. Who, if you ask me.” I replied as I stroked his feathers. But I then looked towards the stairs leading to Twilight’s living quarters as the sound of hooves clopping drew near. In seconds, I saw the purple unicorn come into view.

“Oh… Good evening, James.” She spoke softly. I noticed a distinct lack of her usual enthusiasm in her tone. Every time I had seen her until that day, she had always been very happy to see me.

“Are you OK, Twilight? You don’t sound too good.” I asked, concerned as I drew near.

My friend took a step back as her ears drooped. She was clearly upset about something and was probably not willing to tell me why. “Twilight… Is there something wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?”

She sighed while she motioned for me to follow her upstairs. “I’d like to get comfortable first…” I followed her upstairs without a word.

When we reached the second floor, I took a moment to actually study the layout. There was a fireplace on one side and a small flight of stairs that led up to a higher floor in the room. Right next to the stairs was a glass door that led out to a balcony. There were a few bookcases around, but not nearly as many as on the first floor. There was even a large telescope extending through an open window on the upper floor. In all honesty, this floor did not bring to mind a library at all.

I watched as Twilight took a seat on the stairs that led to the upper floor. “OK then… Can I help you with anything?” She asked calmly.

I replied, “I should be asking that. You don’t seem like yourself at the moment, Twilight. Are you feeling OK?”

My friend sighed, as she once again looked very distraught about something. “How did things turn out when you went to Fluttershy last night?”

I nodded in response, but was careful to not smile. “It went very well. It started out awkward, but in the end, we became lovers… Is that all right? A human and pony falling in love with each other?”

Twilight nodded halfheartedly. “Yeah… It’s all right… And I’m glad you two worked things out…”

I knew there was something she was not telling me as I noticed that Twilight was starting to tear up. “…But there’s something you don’t like about it, isn’t there?”

It took a moment for Twilight to speak. “Yeah… I know Fluttershy is my friend and I would never want to hurt her… But…I envy her…”

From what I could see, it seemed that Twilight had become lovelorn over time and seemed to unwillingly resent the fact that her friend had found love. “You mean you wish it was you who found a boyfriend first?” I asked, curious of what she truly meant.

Her answer shocked me as she looked at me while a tear fell from her eye, “No… I envy her because…..I was hoping…you would turn her feelings down so that I could have you…as a boyfriend.”

I felt my body temperature spike as I began to sweat. “Twilight… You really mean that?”

She nodded slowly. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner… But…in hindsight, I think it was best that it happened yesterday than today. I was planning on asking you out to a picnic for lunch today so I could confess my feelings for you in private…” She then gave me a very faint smile. “I’m actually kinda grateful that she decided to tell you about her feelings for you last night instead of today. It would’ve hurt more if you had told me at the picnic when I confessed to you.”

As I watched, Twilight’s smile dissolved into a crooked grimace as her tears began to fall more fluidly. “But… Why does it hurt? I know we can’t be together, but….I can’t accept it…”

I felt a twinge of guilt in my heart as I thought back to the time I was walking through Sweet Apple Acres. I remembered thinking about my six friends before settling on trying to win Fluttershy over. Before I had made my final decision, I remembered strongly considering Twilight Sparkle as a potential girlfriend since she felt like a great match for me. But now…

As I approached my friend, I felt as if I had made a terrible mistake. I took a seat by her and gently held her in my arms. “I’m sorry…” I whispered as I felt myself beginning to tear up.

Twilight’s sobbing slightly weakened as I held her against me. “James… I know we can’t be together… But…will we still see each other everyday?”

In response, I whispered, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Twi… You’re like the big sister I never had.” It was true, after all. I have never had a sister in my family.

I felt Twilight’s sobbing rapidly slow. She spoke softly, “Big sister… But I thought you were older than me…” She then giggled a little for a moment.

“Twi…?” I asked, worried that she may hold a grudge against Fluttershy or me for breaking her heart.

“James… I think what I was most worried about was the thought of Fluttershy taking you away from me entirely. But if we can still see each other on a daily basis… I think I can live with that.” I felt her embrace me with her forelegs, her face against my shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re OK with this, Twilight?” I asked, amazed that she would be willing to give up her future with me as long as we could keep seeing each other everyday.

She nodded before she wiped her tears away. “I’m sure… Besides, I think Fluttershy needs you more than I do. Somepony who understands her quiet and benevolent nature. Somepony like you. Please. Never leave her.”

I smiled warmly as I placed my hand over her hoof. “I promise. Thank you for supporting us, Twilight.”

We continued to embrace each other for a moment before Twilight suddenly gasped, “Actually, this gives me an idea!” She released her grip on me and ran over to a podium that had an ink quill and a blank scroll on it. “I think I learned something important from all this.”

Curious of what she was doing, I walked up behind Twilight and looked over her shoulder as her horn was engulfed with a billowing aura. The quill rose out of its ink container and began to write. Twilight spoke aloud as she wrote. “Dear Princess Celestia. Today, I learned a very important, yet painful, lesson about both friendship and the concept of love. I have recently developed romantic feelings for my new friend, James. However, his feelings are directed towards my other friend, Fluttershy. I learned that rejection hurts, especially when you lose that special somepony to a friend of yours. And while you may feel anger or envy towards them, you must put aside your feelings and accept their new bond in order to keep your friendship with each of them. I shall honor their bond and support them however I can, because while their bond may have become stronger and more intimate, they will always remain my friends. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s handling of the situation truly amazed me as she was showing wisdom beyond her years. She then rolled up the scroll and set it on the podium. “I’ll ask Spike to send this first thing in the morning. I doubt Princess Celestia will be expecting a report on such a deep subject.” I nodded silently, still surprised by her levelheaded response.

My friend looked up at me and showed a cautious smile. “I’m sorry if I made you feel bad, James… I was just afraid of losing you as a friend more than anything. But you’re not going to abandon me, right?”

The thought of losing any of my six pony friends was actually very disheartening to me. I reached out and stroked her mane. “No way. I’m never leaving you girls. Without you….. Actually, I don’t even want to think about that.”

My hesitation seemed to pique Twilight’s curiosity since she asked, “Without us… James, what are we to you? Just how important are we in your eyes?”

I took a moment to think deeply on my answer. Once I knew what I was going to say, I took a seat on the stairs that led to the upper floor. “I’ll say it like this… When I first arrived in Equestria, I literally had nothing but the clothes on my back and the stuff in my pockets. I was completely lost and alone. I was scared and not sure of what was going to happen to me. But then you six…”

I smiled warmly as I closed my eyes and remembered my welcoming party during the evening of my first day in Equestria. “You girls had never even met me before. You knew nothing about me, and yet you still helped me. That day, each of you became important parts of my life.” I then sighed, “Twilight… I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. And you. The six of you…have made my life worth living.”

My words seemed to touch Twilight deeply as she began to tear up with a smile. “You…really mean that?”

I nodded and explained, “Before I ended up in Equestria, I was very uncertain of my future. But now, I feel at ease about my place in this world. And it’s all thanks to you girls.” I then frowned, “If I lost either of you… Or worse, if I lost all of you…”

Twilight spoke up and completed my sentence for me. “Your life would be as empty as possible, wouldn’t it?”

I sighed in response, “Not just empty. It would be… I would essentially be dead. My life would be virtually over.” That may sound like an overly dramatic response, but think about it. If you lost what has been most important to you since day one, how would you feel?

My unicorn friend approached me and rested her hoof on my shoulder. “I promise that will never happen. Because…I know each of us can’t bear the thought of losing you either. Life without you would never be the same. Sure, we would still have each other. But…it would be like a piece of a puzzle that has been lost forever. No matter how enjoyable our lives are, it will never be complete.” She then embraced me and whispered; “I don’t know who or what brought you to Equestria, James. But I’m grateful you did come here.”

I muttered lightly as I embraced her as well, “So am I…”

After a moment more, Twilight giggled lightly. “OK, I think that’s enough sentimental subject matter for one day. We shouldn’t dwell too long on stuff like that. Now then, is there anything I can help you with?”

It was only then that I remembered why I had even come to the library in the first place. “Oh, right. I was looking for a book that has detailed information on the flora and fauna of Equestria. That encyclopedia you lent me is good, but…”

Twilight nodded and replied, “But you need something with a little more, right? I think a copy of ‘Natural Wonders of Equestria’ is what you need. Right this way.” I followed her downstairs, where she picked out a book from the many rows that lined the wall.

“Many thanks, Twi.” I said with a smile as I took the book in my hands. “I’ll return this once I’m done with it.”

“Feel free to bring it on back whenever you wish. There are no late fees, you know.” Twilight replied as she nuzzled me.

Before I left, I asked, “Come to think of it, where’s Spike? I don’t think I’ve seen him today.”

The purple unicorn smiled and glanced over at the window. “Oh, he’s been out and about with his chores. He’s a pretty busy little guy. He should be back soon since his bedtime is in a couple of hours.”

“OK then. Tell him I said hi.” I said before making my way towards the front door.

“James… Before you go?” Twilight spoke up as I reached for the doorknob. When I turned to face her, she smiled warmly. “No matter what happens, I’ll always love you. OK?”

I felt an immense feeling of reassurance at Twilight’s words. Something in my gut told me that even if the entire world were to turn against me, I would still have Twilight Sparkle at my side. I think I was blushing as I replied, “Thank you, Twilight… Sweet dreams.” I waved goodbye and headed on my way home.

The sun was just on the verge of setting when I reached Carousel Boutique. Upon stepping inside, I found Applejack talking to Rarity while wearing a pair of saddlebags. “Much obliged, Rarity. And how’re the other dress repairs comin’ along?” Applejack asked my landlord.

“Oh, they’re coming along steadily. I have other orders to fill, so I can’t work on them all the time. But don’t worry! They’ll all be in pristine shape by the time the Grand Galloping Gala arrives.” Rarity replied with a confident smile.

I did not want to interrupt the two mares, but I did not go undetected for long. Rarity noticed me behind Applejack almost immediately and trotted over to me. “Welcome home, James! I don’t believe you’ve ever come home this late before. You stay for a full day at work?”

I nodded and replied, “Yeah, but it was a pretty good day. Pinkie Pie kept things fun for me.”

Applejack then approached me and asked, “Ya know, I never saw ya this mornin’. Sleep in today?”

She was right. With the exception of Rarity, Applejack is usually the first friend I see everyday. It was rather unusual that I did not see her that morning. “Yeah, sorry about that. I had a feeling something was a little off this morning. And now I know what. I never saw my favorite country girl hauling her prized apples through town.”

The farm pony chuckled in response, “So, I’m yer favorite now? Well, I must be, seein’ as how there ain’t any other farm fillies in Ponyville. Well, unless ya count Apple Bloom and Granny Smith, that is.”

Until then, I had no knowledge of Applejack’s grandmother. I wanted to ask her to tell me more about her, but I did not want to keep her, as it seemed she was on the verge of leaving. “I’ll have to say hi to them next time I wander into Sweet Apple Acres. Please give them my regards.”

Applejack nodded and began to make her way to the door. “I sure will. But now I gotta head on back ta lock up the barn for the night. See y’all later!” Rarity and I bid Applejack farewell as she trotted out the door.

Before I could say anything, Rarity approached me with a smile. “Now that you’re here, there is something I must show you.” Her horn began to shimmer as something was levitated over to us. I recognized it as her failed attempt at making a pair of blue jeans for me. The only difference was that it now had a long strap bolted to the sides, allowing it to be worn over the shoulder. “Remember how you said you could use it to carry groceries if I added a strap to it? Well, that is exactly what I did!”

I chuckled as I slipped the strap over me so the ‘bag’ was resting against my side. “Thanks again, Rarity. But now I need to pack my bags. I promised I would move in with Fluttershy after work today.”

My revelation seemed to surprise Rarity, but she then solemnly nodded. “I understand. She is your betrothed, after all. I’ll go gather up your old clothes.”

As Rarity headed for the edge of the main workroom, I asked, “Rarity, is something wrong? You sounded…..displeased.”

The beautiful unicorn turned to face me and smiled. “Oh, it’s not what you think, darling. I know that Fluttershy is most precious to you. Although…I confess that I will miss your company. You truly have been a likeable guest to me.”

I approached my landlord and stroked her lovely mane. “That doesn’t mean you won’t ever see me again. I promise I’ll stop by here as often as I can just to say hello. You’ve done a lot for me, Rarity. And I’m grateful for your generosity.”

Rarity giggled with an endearing smile spreading across her lips. “I know that. It’s just… With the exception of visits from Sweetie Belle, the only company I have is Opal. And let’s just say she isn’t always the sociable type.”

I nodded, knowing Opal has a habit at swiping at others with her claws when not in the mood to be approached. “Well… How about you drop by the spa tomorrow? That’s when I start working there. And my work days are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”

Rarity looked up at me and grinned. “Ooh, then I will certainly stop by just to feel your magic touch. When do you head into work tomorrow?”

I thought back to the previous day. “Um… I think at 11 AM… Do you know if there’s a dress code?”

“Oh, I doubt it. Most ponies don’t wear much to begin with, so I’m sure you can wear whatever you deem fit for the job.” Rarity replied as she gathered up my clothes.

As I fetched the encyclopedia I had borrowed from Twilight days earlier, I asked, “Rarity, would it be OK with you if I left my formal clothes here?”

My landlord replied without looking over her shoulder at me, “That is fine. I will make sure they stay in pristine condition for you.”

In a matter of minutes, I checked the contents of my bag. “My t-shirt, shorts, a few pairs of socks, that encyclopedia, a copy of ‘Natural Wonders of Equestria’, my camera… Is there anything I’m forgetting?”

Rarity replied, “I do not believe so. But if you do happen to forget something and I happen across it, I will send it along to you.”

I nodded and got down on one knee. “Thanks again, Rarity. I really enjoyed my time here with you, but it’s time I change homes. But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

The unicorn placed a sweet kiss on my cheek and spoke softly, “Definitely. Expect me around 2 PM tomorrow. And do take care on your way over to Fluttershy’s, darling.” I sighed happily as I embraced her gently. Once we had said our goodbyes, I headed out the door with my belongings at my side.

The sun had just started to set as I passed through the town square. Fairly few ponies were walking the streets at the time. Summer was on its last legs as August was nearly over. As a result, night had begun to come sooner. But while I walked through Ponyville, I took a moment to take in the sights and sounds around me. The air was calm and warm as the hissing of cicadas filled the air. I closed my eyes as I took in the scent of evening meals being prepared. Tomorrow will be the last day of my first full week in Equestria. And strangely enough, I feel more at home here than I have ever felt back on Earth. These ponies are nothing like me. And yet, I… “Equestria is the closest thing to paradise I’ve ever heard of.” I muttered quietly. It is true. While this world certainly has some problems, there are far fewer than those that plague my home world. How many other worlds out there can brag about being anywhere near as wonderful and universally peaceful as this one?

I casually resumed my walk towards Fluttershy’s cottage, glancing around at my surroundings as the sky bathed the area in a gentle orange light. But my eyes then glanced upwards when I saw a moving trailer being pulled through the air by a pair of pegasi. To my surprise, Derpy Hooves was flying alongside it. “She deals with packages too?” I muttered out loud. But right then, I noticed Rainbow Dash pass by the trailer before she swooped down towards me.

“Whoa, this is an all-time late for me meeting you in a day. Where ya been?” Rainbow Dash asked while descending. She was right. I was talking to her for the first time that day and it was almost nightfall.

“I’ve been around. Mainly just doing my job over at Sugarcube Corner. I didn’t get out until closing time today, which probably explains why we didn’t meet earlier in the day.” I replied, feeling very glad to see my boisterous friend.

“That reminds me. What are your work hours?” She asked upon landing before me.

I replied, “Well, I work at Sugarcube Corner on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Starting tomorrow, I start working at the spa on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. For my days at Sugarcube Corner, I work from 11 AM until closing time. I’m also allowed a one-hour break for lunch. I usually take it at 12:15. As for the spa, I think I start at…uh…10:30, I think? Not sure when I get out though. I’m not even sure if I’m allowed to have lunch breaks yet.”

Rainbow Dash began to hover around me while speaking. “Oh, I’m sure the spa sisters take lunch breaks everyday. They’ll probably let you take a break too if you ask.” She then draped herself across my shoulders, her upper body hanging over one with her lower body over the other.

I looked at the rainbow-maned pegasus, finding our faces were now barely an inch apart. “You know… You’re a lot lighter than you look.”

She snickered at my observation on her weight. “Well, duh. Pegasi have to be light in order to fly. If we were as heavy as earth ponies and unicorns, we wouldn’t even be able to get our hooves off the ground!” After the two of us chuckled together for a moment, Rainbow Dash asked, “Come to think of it, what’re you doing out here at this hour? Taking an evening walk?”

I began to walk with my friend draped across my shoulders. “Well, I guess you can say that. I’m taking an evening walk, but my destination is Fluttershy’s cottage since I’m moving in once I get there.”

Rainbow Dash gave me a surprisingly naughty smirk. “Ooh, your first night together, huh? You gonna do IT with her?”

It? What was she referring to? A game of ‘spin the bottle’? “Not sure I follow. Care to enlighten me?” I asked in return.

I felt a twinge of uncertainty as Rainbow Dash jumped down from my shoulders. “You’re a pretty modest guy, aren’t you? You ever hear of innuendoes?” I nodded silently. “Then you probably know what I mean by ‘plough her corn field’ or let her ‘climb your ladder’. Right?”

Rainbow Dash’s straightforward references to…that particular activity made me wince. However, I was not entirely surprised. With her being as wild as she is, I had long suspected that Rainbow Dash was slightly perverted as well. I replied with a suppressed chuckle, “I’m not sure if humans and ponies even work like that. Besides, Fluttershy’s way too reserved for that kind of stuff. She would probably faint if I asked her to…..do THAT with me.”

As anyone would know, human and pony anatomy are vastly different. I doubt that Fluttershy and I are even compatible. However, my claims did nothing to dissuade Rainbow Dash. “Oh, come on. I know you think us fillies are easy on the eyes.” She then turned her back to me and began to sway her hindquarters at me. “I’ll bet you want some of Fluttershy’s smoking-hot flank. Dontcha?” I facepalmed at her brazen display, not able to understand why she would do such a thing in the middle of town. Fortunately, her tail prevented me from seeing anything too explicit. And, though I am embarrassed to admit this, her display was proving to be rather arousing.

“Rainbow Dash… Not in public. Please.” I grumbled out loud. I suspect it was only then that she realized that others were staring at her.

My pegasus friend regained her composure with a nervous grin on her face. “Eheheheh…. Um… Don’t mind me. Just lost my balance for a second.” The other ponies around us continued to stare for a moment as they went about their business.

“Rainbow Dash… Just how unladylike can you possibly get?” A familiar voice spoke in a disgusted tone from behind me.

“Oh boy….. You saw that, Rarity?” Rainbow Dash replied, clearly embarrassed that one of her friends had witnessed her more promiscuous side.

“Oh, hey there, Rarity. Um… Not to be rude, but was that normal behavior for Rainbow Dash?” I asked upon seeing my former landlord approaching us.

Before she could reply, Rarity was interrupted by Rainbow Dash. “Whoa, don’t go thinking I’m really like that! I’m not some cheap whore! I’m still a virgin! I was just having some fun with him! Uh…. Just not THAT kinda fun.” It was rather entertaining to see Rainbow Dash flustering over such a sensitive subject like that.

“Yes, I know. As naughty as you can be, I know that you are not at all like a prostitute. But that is beside the point.” Rarity then turned to me and smiled. “I came here to bring you something, James. It turns out you left just one little thing behind.” Her horn was engulfed in a billowing aura as a slip of golden paper emerged from her mane.

I recognized the slip of paper almost immediately. “I had a hunch I was forgetting something. That’s my ticket to the Triple G, isn’t it?”

Rarity nodded and placed the ticket in my palm. “If you mean the Grand Galloping Gala, yes. Take great care not to lose it. I doubt replacements are ever given.”

I nodded while sliding the ticket into my pocket. “I’ll keep it together with Fluttershy’s. What about you, Rainbow? You still have yours?”

Our pegasus friend nodded promptly. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way I would lose something that important. It’s still safe and sound in my house.”

Rarity nodded before looking back at me and smiling. “Well, that was all I needed to do. You enjoy your first night with Fluttershy, darling.” I thanked her and watched as she headed back home.

Rainbow Dash accompanied me while I headed towards the western edge of Ponyville. She asked, “Ya know, speaking of the spa, I think I’ll let Applejack and Twilight know. I’m sure they’d like to get some of your magic touch. At least, that’s what Rarity called it.”

I shrugged my shoulders at that remark. “What is it with ponies and my fingers? Am I really all that special because I have hands instead of hooves? Even Spike has hands with fingers.”

My pegasus friend snickered lightly. “Don’t ask me. I’m not really into beauty stuff, so spas aren’t one of my preferred hangouts.”

Before long, we reached the meadow that spanned the area between Ponyville and Fluttershy’s home. “Well, this is as far as I go. Since this night’s gonna be all about you and Fluttershy, I probably should leave you two be.” Rainbow Dash explained as she began to hover.

“Thanks, Rainbow. I’ll try to see you earlier tomorrow.” I replied while I stroked her mane.

“Heheh, no problem. And before I forget, just remember that Fluttershy does NOT like it rough. See ya around!” Rainbow said with a grin before she took off for home.

As I watched my friend fly away, I grumbled loudly, “Rainbow Dash… How the hell did you even get that information?!”

I tried to not think about anything perverted as I approached Fluttershy’s home. But when it came into view, I found the same moving trailer from before hovering above the cottage. Right outside the front door was Fluttershy and Derpy Hooves. My girlfriend seemed to be signing a piece of paper on a clipboard that was hanging from the mailmare’s mouth. “Fluttershy ordered something big?” I asked out loud as I quickened my pace.

Just as Derpy Hooves was about to fly back up to the moving trailer, she and Fluttershy looked my way. “Oh, hello! You’re just in time to try it out!” Derpy said as she placed the clipboard in the satchel hanging from her shoulder.

Of course, I had no knowledge of what she meant. “Try what out? I didn’t order anything.”

Fluttershy then explained while smiling meekly at me. “It’s what I ordered today after lunch. Since we’re going to be living together as a couple, I thought we should share the same bed. The only problem was that it wasn’t big enough for both of us. So I ordered a bigger one today and sold my old one.”

I had not even seen her previous bed, but I took Fluttershy’s word for it. “Oh, I get it. It’s good that you thought ahead, honey.” I blushed as Derpy giggled at my use of a pet name towards Fluttershy. But can you blame me for using it?

“OK, I should let you two lovebirds get ‘cozy’. Bye now!” Derpy Hooves waved as she flew back up to the trailer and spoke to the two pegasi who were pulling it. They then flew back towards Ponyville, leaving the two of us alone.

“So… It’s just us now, huh?” I asked, slightly nervous that this would be my first time spending the night with Fluttershy.

Fluttershy nodded with a blush. “Yes… I’m pretty excited about it…” I would not know it just by looking at her since Fluttershy did not show her excitement very well.

Before we went inside, I took a look at the area outside Fluttershy’s home. “If it’s all right with you, may I take a look around out here first?”

She nodded, but then asked, “Oh, you’re very welcome to. But may I go too?”

I turned to her and cracked a smile. “It’s your house, Fluttershy. I can’t tell you what to do around it.” I then began to walk to the left side of the cottage with Fluttershy trotting alongside me.

Just to the side of the cottage, we found Angel sleeping soundly in his dog…or rather rabbit house. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t he kinda picky about who he’s nice to?” I asked, since Angel would often look at me with a stern expression.

Fluttershy replied while looking up at me, “Well, I have gotten some complaints from my friends about him. But I think he kind of likes you.” She then asked, “Wait… Was it Angel who brought you that love letter yesterday?”

I nodded and retorted, “Yeah, but he seemed kinda annoyed about it. Almost like it was a bother for him to do it.”

In response, Fluttershy blushed. “Maybe he got tired of waiting for me to send it to you. He does have a habit of trying to help me be more honest with my friends.”

I paused for a moment while I looked at the sleeping rabbit. “If he hadn’t brought me that note…”

Fluttershy completed my sentence. “We might not have been brought together… Oh, Angel… It’s like he’s our own little cupid.”

I chuckled at the thought of Angel hovering over us with white wings and a little bow and arrow in hand while giving us an annoyed scowl. “Yup. But I’ll be darned if that white rabbit led me to Equestria through a rabbit hole just so I could meet you.” The two of us laughed lightly together.

When we reached the area behind Fluttershy’s cottage, I paused as I found a penned area with a few chickens milling about. There were six in all, with three being white, two being a golden hue, and one being brown. A coop stood at one end of the pen just under a tree. It was not quite nighttime yet, so the hens had good reason to not be roosting at the time. “You keep chickens?” I asked before I approached the pen.

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “Oh, yes. They’re very sweet girls and they give me plenty of eggs to sell to Sugarcube Corner.”

I know not all people find farm animals to be cute, but I personally find chickens to be adorable. When I stepped into the pen, the chickens distanced themselves from me. I was hardly surprised since chickens can be…well…chickens. By which I mean timid. Fluttershy seemed to notice this before she jumped the low fence and made a familiar clicking noise with her mouth. The kind of noise people make to try and earn an animal’s trust. “It’s OK, girls. James here is my boyfriend. And he’s really sweet with animals.”

Fluttershy’s steady coaxing caused the chickens to steadily approach us. She remained close to me to insure that for them to approach her, they would have to get near me as well. One of the white hens walked over to me and clucked softly while pecking at the ground. I reached out and gently caressed her feathers.

“Aww, I think Elizabeak likes you now.” Fluttershy said with a smile. Tickled that such a cute little hen would open up to me, I gently reached down and picked her up in my arms. ‘Elizabeak’ did not struggle and even seemed to nestle in my arms as if to take a nap.

I brought my face close to Elizabeak and nuzzled her while one hand stroked her back. “Pet the chicken… Pet the chicken…” I muttered in a quiet yet goofy tone. If you who are reading this happen to know where that quote came from, congratulations.

Once I had spent enough time getting to know Fluttershy’s feathered friends, the two of us looped around the side of her house and stepped inside. However, I turned and looked out through the open top half of the door at the natural landscape. “Man… This brings back memories.” I muttered aloud.

Fluttershy approached me and asked, “Memories? But I thought you haven’t been in Equestria for very long.”

I nodded and proceeded to explain. “True, but I was referring to memories from my past. Seeing this place reminds me of my grandmother’s house. I used to spend every weekend of my childhood out at that place. It was nestled in a little cul-de-sac out in the county. It was a tiny and quiet little neighborhood with plenty of greenery and even a little forest nearby that I would sometimes take a peek in. She eventually had a patio and fishpond constructed in the backyard. When that happened, I spent more time hanging out there than playing video games indoors. God, I loved that place. It’s a crying shame she had to move away from there after my grandfather died… I mean, sure. She moved in right next to me at home, but…” I then let out a sigh. “My days out there were some of the best days of my childhood and teenage years…”

I remained silent for a moment as Fluttershy leaned against the lower half of the front door with her forelegs resting over the top. “It sounds like a place I would’ve liked to live.”

“To be honest, the location of the house was kinda like this one. Away from the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape.” I then smiled at my girlfriend and spoke softly, “Your home is my dream house. This is the kind of house I’ve always wanted to live in.”

Fluttershy giggled with a slight flattered blush on her face. “I’m glad to hear that. I was actually a little worried that my house wouldn’t be to your liking. Is it really that perfect?”

I placed my hand over her hoof. “Well, it is in my eyes. In all honesty, Rarity’s place wasn’t entirely to my liking. The living room and bathroom was nice, but the rest was…I dunno. Maybe I didn’t spend enough time there to fully appreciate it. Although I certainly wouldn’t prefer living in a house that also functions as a workplace. With customers coming and going all the time, I would not have much privacy.”

“Well, I really hope you enjoy your time here, James. But now that it’s getting late, is there anything you’d like to do?” Fluttershy replied as she moved me back so she could close the door.

While I thought of something to do, I remembered a question I wanted to ask. “Oh, right. You remember earlier today? On how you wanted to wait until we were alone?”

Fluttershy looked at me with a baffled expression. “Until we are alone? Well, we’re alone now. But what did you….. Oh…my…” She blushed deeply, probably because she just remembered what I was referring to.

“Is it really that embarrassing to talk about? You don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.” I spoke, concerned that she felt I was trying to force her into explaining.

She replied while stammering slightly, “No, I’ll tell you. Lovers shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.” Fluttershy then took a deep breath to calm herself. “It’s about ‘clopping’, right?”

I nodded, remembering what it was called. She then explained, “Well… It’s a slang term, as I said before… It involves…touching yourself somewhere on your body… Usually between the legs…”

I froze as I suddenly realized what ‘clopping’ is. “You mean…masturbation?”

The timid pegasus mare nodded with a deep blush. She did not even speak and tried to avoid eye contact. I then asked, “And…what do you think about when you…clop?”

She replied with a barely audible squeak. “Y-you…”

I was both flattered and shocked at Fluttershy’s revelation. How could she even find a human male physically attractive when she knows nothing of how one looks without any clothing? Granted, I know she loved me at the time. But…was that really enough? Can love alone really arouse someone?

“Um… Bathroom?” I asked while feeling rather flustered. I felt myself becoming hot, so I felt the need for a cool shower.

“It’s upstairs… Just use the first door you see…” Fluttershy muttered in response. I silently went up the stairs, still reeling from Fluttershy’s confession.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, I found the new bed Fluttershy had purchased. It was fairly wide, just wide enough for both of us to sleep in. A window that overlooked the area behind the cottage was just behind one side of it. “Looks just right.” I muttered softly. I then noticed the only door in the room and peeked inside.

Fluttershy’s bathroom was a little more spacious than Rarity’s, but it had a humbler feel to it. The bathtub was in an unusual location, positioned right up against the only window in the room. Fortunately, teal curtains hung near the window to provide cover if needed. It almost looked like a modified wooden tub like the kind used for bobbing for apples during my welcoming party. While smaller than the bathtubs back home, it was wide enough for me to sit down in. The showerhead was also of a lower elevation than desired, so the only way for me to use it effectively would be to sit down. The faucet looked more like one you would see outdoors, but the showerhead could be attached easily. Yellow shower curtains hung from a wooden half circle affixed to the wall above the bathtub that went all the way around the edge of the tub to provide privacy. They were decorated with a floral pattern, something I would expect from Fluttershy. Not wanting to wait any longer, I turned on the shower and began to undress while waiting for the water to heat up.

Just as I was about to take off my shoes, I took another look at my surroundings. The walls were mostly shades of green while there was even a wooden green cabinet in one corner. Various small shelves stuck out from the walls, holding either bottles of soap or conditioner or flowers in vases. But what caught my eye the most was an old-fashioned humidifier against one side of the bathroom. “Whoa… Haven’t seen one of those since my elementary school days.” I muttered out loud. There were also…a pair of…birdhouses hanging from the ceiling…

“Oh, for the love of… How am I supposed to get any privacy?” I grumbled as I looked inside them. The ceiling was low enough for me to peer inside them without having to get up on a stool. To my relief, I found that they were unoccupied. “I guess they’re just for décor… Birds must be some of Fluttershy’s favorite animals.” Not wanting to stall any longer, I slid off my shoes.

Just after I had removed my shoes and socks, I heard a knock at the door. I did not leave it locked, so I waited for Fluttershy to enter. I mean the only other person in the cottage at the time was Fluttershy, so who else could it have been? The door soon creaked open before my girlfriend peeked through the opening. “Um… James? If it’s all right with you… May I…wait in here for you to finish? I promise I won’t peek.”

I nodded while glancing over at her. “OK. But wait three minutes so I can undress first. I don’t think you want to see what a male human looks like under his clothes.” Fluttershy replied with a light squeak before backing away and out of sight. She pulled the door shut, but left it open a tiny crack. Probably just so she could hear me when I was behind the curtain.

Once I had undressed and stepped into the bathtub, I closed the curtains around me. After another minute or so, I heard the door close when Fluttershy entered the room. The shower curtain was fairly sheer, so I could make out her form behind it. “Is the shower to your liking, James?” The timid pegasus mare asked from behind the curtain.

“Actually, it feels just right. But do I have to be careful about how much hot water I use?” I asked, having a habit of taking long showers and being afraid of running her water and gas bills through the roof.

I heard her giggle lightly before replying, “No, you don’t have to worry about that. The hot water tank is heated by dragon fire that never goes out. It runs out slowly and reheats quickly. And don’t worry about the water. Mine comes from an underground stream. But everything that goes down the drain goes to a water treatment plant in Ponyville for conversion into fertilizer.”

The mention of dragon fire as a heat source surprised me, not expecting a renewable energy source to be in use instead of natural gas. “Wow… Sounds like Equestria is a friend to the environment. I’m loving this place even more now.”

I watched as Fluttershy’s silhouette took a seat right beside the bathtub. I paid her no mind as I took a seat in it. I then browsed the soap and shampoo that was stacked at the front of the tub. Not surprisingly, they were all a type of natural bathing supplies that seemed to have a lovely flowery fragrance. “No wonder she always smells so pretty.” I muttered under my breath.

The first thing I did was wash my hair. I bowed my head to make certain it was right in the middle of the falling water before lifting it out of range. I scrubbed the shampoo into my soaked hair while allowing the water to wash over the rest of me. But as I rinsed my hair out, I thought I heard a whisper of sorts over the sound of the water crashing down on me.

At first, I thought I had been mistaken. How could I hear a whisper over the sound of splashing water to begin with? But when I turned to face Fluttershy, I could see her silhouette very slowly rocking back and forth. Judging by the fact that her mouth has hanging open slightly, she seemed to be panting. “J-James…” I could barely hear her mutter over the sound of the water.

I initially thought she was trying to get my attention. But if that was the case, why was she not looking in my direction? I noticed her wings suddenly spread wide, puzzling me further as I pondered what she was doing. I then brought my eye as close to the curtain as possible while keeping the other closed. From such close range, I could see through the sheer fabric somewhat. I could make out the pink coloration of Fluttershy’s mane and tail and even the movement of her forelegs as one was…reaching between her…

I froze as I realized what she was doing. One of Fluttershy’s hooves were reaching down low while she remained seated. Knowing what was down there between her legs, I came to the conclusion that she was masturbating. But what was she thinking about? Did she borrow Rarity’s copy of ‘Playmare’ earlier and was imagining a fantasy involving a handsome stallion? What she muttered next answered my question. “James… Ooh… I…love you…”

I could hardly believe what I had just heard. She was not thinking about some random stallion. She was thinking about ME! While I indeed felt flattered that she adored me so, I was also mentally overwhelmed that she felt that strongly for me. I returned to a sitting position as I moved my face away from the curtain. "She…really…REALLY loves me…" I can remember thinking to myself. At that moment, I felt immensely lucky that I was in a relationship with sweet and beautiful little Fluttershy. But at that instant, I realized that I had become…quite aroused.

My…manhood, if you will, was standing straight up as I found that seeing and hearing my girlfriend masturbate while whispering my name was very enticing. I was no stranger to masturbation myself, so I knew how to deal with this situation. But first, I had to think of something arousing to help.

I closed my eyes and began to think as my left hand gripped my…you know. My first thoughts were of Rainbow Dash from just a short while earlier. The way she swayed her rump at me was surprisingly arousing, even though she obviously lacked some of the traits a human woman would have. I tried to imagine Fluttershy in her place; her mane and tail becoming longer and pink while her cyan coat became a bright yellow. I felt a slight smile creep across my face as I imagined Fluttershy moving her tail aside as she granted me a perfect view of what it had been obstructing. “Fluttershy…” I muttered out loud.

My voice must have gotten my girlfriend’s attention since she suddenly spoke, “Huh…? James, did you say something?”

I froze as I snapped out of my train of thought. “Uh… Um… Not really…” I spoke in reply. The last thing I wanted was for her to push the curtain aside and see me completely nude.

There was a moment of awkward silence as neither of us was sure of what to say next. Fluttershy was the first to speak. “James… If it’s…um…all right with you, may I…join you? It’s OK if you…want to finish first…”

It took me a few seconds to actually process what I had just heard. “Um… There’s nothing covering me right now… You’ll see how I look… I’m not a pretty sight.” I have never been fond of my physical appearance and I was very certain that the sight of me would revolt her.

However, she replied softly, “Actually… I think you’re…cute… Like a big teddy bear…”

I froze as those words reached my ears. She saw me? When? Before I could even ask, she explained, “I…watched you through the…opening in the doorway… I wanted to know how you really look and…” I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was struggling to speak honestly. “I… I really do…think you’re cute… Please believe me…”

I took a moment to think over my response to Fluttershy. She certainly did not sound like she was lying. “Well… If you really want to, I guess that’s OK.” I replied while still having doubts about my body.

I remained perfectly still as Fluttershy pushed the curtain aside. Her big strong cyan eyes slowly scanned my body, but they stared at my crotch more than anything else. My erection was still there, my arousal having not diminished.

A deep blush spread across Fluttershy’s face, leading me to believe she was either embarrassed or horrified. I closed my eyes and turned away, afraid she was going to stomp me there or just turn and leave. But instead, I felt her lie down on me with her back against my chest. “Um… Is this OK?” She asked shyly and quietly.

I looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder and found that my erection was sticking up right between her legs. “Um… Is it OK with you? I don’t want to…uh…touch you anywhere you don’t want me to.”

Fluttershy replied with a meek smile. “It’s OK… You can touch me, if you want… But could you please pass the soap for now?”

I was about to do what she asked, but then pondered how a pony could rub soap onto themselves without the use of hands. I suppose they could hold the bar in their mouths, but it would certainly taste bad. “Um… How do you normally use it?”

The pegasus pointed upwards toward the windowsill behind the showerhead. Resting on it was a dried sponge attached to a long stick. “Oh… I was wondering how you could reach all over you.” I replied, surprised that I had overlooked the tool. I then asked, “Well, is it OK if I wash you myself?”

Fluttershy paused for a moment before replying meekly, “OK… Just be gentle.”

I nodded before I started to rub the soap all over her underside. The feel of her coat was very soft and silky. But as my hand reached lower, I noticed a pair of round mounds on Fluttershy’s lower belly. “Um… Are those what I think they are?”

My girlfriend blushed deeply as I reached out to touch one. In the middle of each mound was a firm bump. “Um… Those are my teats…” She muttered quietly.

I immediately pulled my hand away, afraid I had offended her. However, Fluttershy whispered, “If it’s all right with you… Could you…please do that some more? It felt…nice.”

“Are you sure about that? I won’t do it unless you really want me to…” I replied, suspecting Fluttershy was asking me to continue just because she thought I was enjoying it.

Fluttershy blushed deeply and nodded. “But…I do want you to… It really felt…nice. Pretty please?”

I did not say a word as my hand reached down and caressed Fluttershy’s teats. She shuddered at my touch while letting out a sudden gasp. However, she showed no signs of discomfort, so I did not stop. Her teats felt soft to the touch, her wet coat only adding to the softness. I had never actually touched a woman’s breasts before, but I knew a pony’s teats were no different. “They’re very soft, dear… And they’re pretty big too.” I muttered softly.

“They…are? I thought Rainbow Dash was joking when she said they’re pretty big…” Fluttershy replied with a blush.

I winced at Fluttershy’s words. I knew Rainbow Dash is somewhat perverted, but was she also a lesbian? How else could she have found out about Fluttershy’s…..teat size? “Um… How did she ever find out? Were you in a relationship with her once?”

Fluttershy blushed while becoming mildly flustered. “You don’t mean… Oh no, of course not. Rainbow Dash may be brash, but she’s not homosexual. She just happened to…see me down there once. I think she was a little jealous when she said mine are bigger than hers.”

I chuckled at the thought of Rainbow Dash looking envious at Fluttershy for being more endowed than herself. “Well, large or small, you’re still very lovely.” I continued to rub her soft teats. All the while, I felt my erection throb every now and then.

“James… Do you…want to…” Fluttershy squeaked as she pointed at my erection. It was very clear that I was aroused. And I would be lying if I said I was not thinking about mating with her, even though we are two completely different species.

I paused for a moment before finding the words to speak. “I would…never do such a thing to you… Not unless you wanted me to…” I knew full well that Fluttershy was far too reserved to even consider mating with anyone. Maybe soft-core stimulation, but never going all the way.

Neither of us spoke for a moment before Fluttershy broke the silence. “But… I…” She then turned and looked at me with a fearful gaze. “I…want to…”

She wanted to mate. I could hardly believe what I had just heard. “Re…really?” I asked nervously. Fluttershy replied with a slight nod. I then asked, “Are you sure? You don’t absolutely have to do this.”

Fluttershy smiled very faintly while blushing deeply at me. “My mind is saying I shouldn’t, but…my heart is saying I should… I do want to… It’s something only two lovers do together, right…? I… I want to make sure that…you really love me just as much as I love you…”

This was certainly not what I would ever expect to hear from Fluttershy, of all ponies. I suspected that she was in heat and that her hormone levels were affecting her judgment. “Um… Not to be rude, but are you just in heat and that it’s the hormones talking?”

At my question, Fluttershy blushed deeply while showing an awkward grin. “Um… No. Ponies only go into heat a few ties a year and I know I haven’t gone into season yet… But…” She then turned around so we were facing each other. “I… I would like to mate with you when I do…”

I knew enough about heat cycles to understand what would happen if we were to mate while she was in season. I asked, “Why…? Don’t you know what would happen if we did?”

Fluttershy replied with a deep blush while smiling warmly, “Yes… I’m not just good with animals, James… I’m also good with kids. And…I would love to have a foal or two of my own someday. I would teach them all about being kind to nature and to respect other ponies despite their flaws….. And we could…”

I was lost in thought as Fluttershy continued to speak. She wanted to have a child someday. Not just any child. She wanted MY child. The concept of parenthood intimidated me, as I was uncertain of how I would fare as a father. But at the same time, the thought excited me. Having an adorable little foal with Fluttershy… It sounded so wonderful to me. Granted, I doubt we were anywhere close to being ready for parenthood. And I have seen what it is like when a young couple has a child long before they are ready. Even so, maybe… Perhaps a couple of years from this day… Just maybe.

“James, are you listening?” I heard Fluttershy ask as I began to come out of my trance.

I replied while rubbing my eyes to clear my vision. “Sorry… I kinda zoned out for a minute… The thought of having children kinda overwhelmed me for a moment.”

Fluttershy blushed as she averted her eyes. “Oh… I’m sorry. I think I got too excited about having kids someday… We don’t have to have children if you don’t want to…”

Dear little Fluttershy. Even though I did not show any anger or fear, she was quick to apologize for any wrongdoing she suspected to have caused. I reached out and stroked her mane, “Don’t be. I’m not sure if our genes are even compatible, but… I would love to have some foals with you someday, honey… Maybe not just yet, but possibly someday. We should plan it out carefully if we really want to.”

My girlfriend blushed very deeply, but she also smiled brightly. “I know… It’s just that the thought really gets to me sometimes and… You… You mean it?”

I responded with a kiss. I felt Fluttershy gasp as our lips touched, but she soon relaxed with a sigh. I was pushed against the back of the tub as the beautiful pegasus leaned against me. I felt our lips part as our tongues touched. That sweet warm flavor… I doubt I could describe it even if I tried. All I can say is that she tasted like…..herself. And I loved it.

My eyes shot open as I felt a strange softness rubbing against my erection. It felt like two…soft folds taking…me into…

It was then that it hit me. Fluttershy was preparing us for our first time. The two soft folds I felt rubbing against me was Fluttershy’s vulva. She felt moist, but not from the water falling from the showerhead. It felt different somehow. Do not ask how I could tell the difference. But I knew that it was some of Fluttershy’s own fluids as an indication of her own arousal.

“Honey… Are you…?” I asked once we ended the kiss. Fluttershy seemed dazed, yet happy too. She seemed to be in a trance as she continued to rub herself against me. “F-Fluttershy…”

She soon came out of her trance as she softly moaned. “James… Please be gentle… I’ve never done this before…”

I reached down past her and gently gripped her flanks. “So this is your first time… It might hurt if this is your first, but all future times will be painless. Are you sure you wanna do this?” I asked, fearful of inflicting any pain on her at all.

“Will it…be brief? If it’s only temporary, I think I can handle it…” Fluttershy replied with a nervous blush.

“OK, honey. Just relax for now.” I whispered into her ear. I then carefully lowered her hips onto me as I felt myself pushing into her. The soft warm flesh enveloping me brought an intense shiver to my body. We were not even the same species, yet it felt so amazing. I am not certain how to explain how sex feels. All I can say is that it is truly an experience for the senses.

I did not go very far into her before I felt an obstruction of sorts against the tip of my length. It was more than likely her hymen. “Fluttershy, I’m going to push all the way. This might hurt. Are you sure you want me to go through with this?” I asked, not looking forward to hurting such a precious mare.

She replied with a calm smile, her face flushed with a blush. “I’m sure… I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure about something before. I really…really want to do this with you, James… So, please. Do it. Even if it hurts, as long as you’re with me, I can endure it.”

I was utterly amazed by Fluttershy’s faith in me. “Fluttershy… Do you really trust me that much?”

She nodded and whispered, “I’ve never felt so much confidence in somepony before… You’ve never given me reason to doubt you. I’ve never even felt this calm around a man before. Most other boys were mean to me, but you’ve always been so sweet… I love you, James. I’m very grateful that you came to me.” She followed-up her claim with a sweet kiss on my lips.

This destroyed any remaining doubts I had of Fluttershy’s faith in me. I knew she loves me for certain now. And I wanted to not disappoint her. “OK then, honey… Just relax. I promise that if this does hurt, it’ll only be for a moment.” I pushed in as deep as I could, the feel of the obstruction suddenly giving way.

Fluttershy yelped loudly an instant later, her forelegs tightly clinging to my shoulders. Her eyes were pinched shut as she gritted her teeth while shuddering violently. Even though I knew there was no way around it, I still felt guilty for having hurt the girl I loved. I held her in my arms while gently caressing her soaked mane. “I’m sorry…”

After a moment of us being drenched by the falling water, Fluttershy whispered, “I… I think most of the pain is gone… Please, keep going…” I nodded without releasing my grip on her body. I pulled out of her before pushing back in as deeply as I could. “Oh…my… I don’t even…feel the pain now…”

I gently kissed my lover’s cheek before I whispered, “Just relax, honey. I’ll do all the work this time.” Fluttershy sighed as she melted in my grasp. I then began to thrust up into her at a slow rate. I wanted to make this occasion last as long as possible.

“James… I…love you…” Fluttershy muttered as we mated. Her body had gone limp from the pleasure from our coupling. And with the extra weight of the water in her hair, she felt rather heavy on top of me. But I did not relent in my efforts to pleasure her. After a minute or two, I began to thrust into her more vigorously and with more force.

The level of pleasure I was feeling as we mated was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Not even masturbation could compare. And the level of joy I was feeling was grand as well. Perhaps mating with someone you love most of all only adds to the pleasure. And I have no doubt in me that Fluttershy is the most precious person in my life. I can only pray that this fact never changes.

I began to feel my length throb from time to time as Fluttershy’s inner folds began to quiver. “I…feel something… What is it…” The beautiful pegasus asked while her eyelids quivered.

I replied while also feeling a pressure building within my loins, “I think…you’re about to have an orgasm. Don’t worry; it’s not a bad thing. Just let it happen.” I then held onto her body as firmly as I could.

My thrusting sped up, the force of each movement making Fluttershy yelp in bliss. Then it happened. Her insides clamped down onto me as they quivered rapidly in orgasm. Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as they rolled back in her head. She was clearly not used to such levels of pleasure. I was just behind her as I pushed in as far as I could and groaned her name. My head spun as my length throbbed as I injected my human sperm into her equine womb. Even though she is a pony and I a human, it felt so…right. Like we were meant for each other.

For a moment, I just basked in the afterglow with her. My first orgasm through intercourse... I felt so lightheaded. Not quite dizzy, yet still disoriented. And that scent among the shower's steam. That powerful musk... The smell of sex. It was all so new to me. And all so wonderful as well.

“Fluttershy… How was it?” I asked while I panted for a moment. I had to hold back a laugh as I saw that her eyes were rolling around in her head.

“So…wonderful… Wanna…do it again…” Fluttershy muttered to my face, clearly out of her senses from the sheer pleasure rush she had felt a moment earlier.

“Oh, honey… You just take it easy for now. You did great.” I said before I kissed my half-conscious lover on her nose.

Around half an hour later, I carried Fluttershy into her bedroom while clad in just my boxers. I was still feeling lightheaded, although it would soon fade. She had finally regained her senses and was unusually clingy as she constantly nuzzled me. “Feeling better, Fluttershy?” I asked while she leaned her head against my chest.

“I feel…wonderful… It almost feels like nothing can possibly go wrong now…” She said with a calm smile. My lover then looked up at me and blushed cutely. “I love you, James… Oh so much. I just wish I knew how to express it…..”

Once we were at the bed, I set her down on one side and pulled the covers down on the other. “Well… I can sum up how I feel about you like this.” I then explained, “With all the conveniences and technology my homeland has, I would still choose living with you over having them.”

She then asked while looking mildly surprised, “But….. But aren’t things here in Ponyville a little primitive compared to where you’re from? Wouldn’t you rather live back home?”

I replied as I pulled the covers over her, “No. You’re far more important to me. And…I really hope I don’t have to go back. Because I found someone who truly makes me happy to be alive.” I then kissed her on the forehead.

Fluttershy stared at me with a smile before tears began to form in her eyes. “You…make me feel so special… So complete… I don’t even want to think about life without you, James…” She reached out and embraced me with her forelegs as her tears spilled over.

“I won’t ever leave, Fluttershy… The only way I’ll ever leave you is through death.” I whispered while cuddling with her.

“I… I hope that day doesn’t come for a very long time…” The beautiful pegasus whispered in response. I could feel her grasp on me tighten.

I am writing this entry while resting in bed beside Fluttershy. Our first night together has ended splendidly and I am feeling happier than I have ever felt in a very long time… Fluttershy, I know you are looking over my shoulder. I am sorry if the sound of the quill scratching against paper is keeping you awake. I will be done soon.

All right, she has set her head back down to sleep. Now then, time to finish up this journal. As I said, Fluttershy and I are now officially lovers. And….. Excuse me. I just teared up for a moment as I thought about what will happen once we have a foal together. Will it be a healthy little colt? A beautiful charming filly? I suppose it is far too early to say. It will definitely take some time before we are properly prepared for that endeavor. But a part of me is actually looking forward to it.

So much can happen now, but I will look toward the future with a smile. As long as I am with the woman I love, it feels like everything is better. And now, I am off to sleep with my beautiful girlfriend by my side.

Fluttershy… I only wish I could effectively describe how much you mean to me. I hope I can someday soon.

“Wake up, little sleepyhead.” Those were the first words I heard as I slowly awoke inside Fluttershy’s cottage. “It’s kind of late in the morning, James. You must be a heavy sleeper.” Fluttershy spoke softly as she looked down at me while standing on the bed.

At the sight of Fluttershy’s adorable face looking at me, I smiled warmly. “That’s the best sight I’ve woken up to all week.” My girlfriend giggled as a faint blush added some red to her face.

“Speaking of a week, this is the last day of your first full week in Equestria. How do you feel now that you’ve been living here for several days?” Fluttershy asked while she hopped down from the bed.

I replied honestly, “I feel…..amazing. I’ve got wonderful friends. The air is clean and refreshing. I have a steady job. And now I’ve got the best girlfriend I could ever ask for. Life here is far better than life back home… Oh, wait. Equestria IS my home now, isn’t it?”

The timid pegasus mare before me bowed her head while only barely smiling. “Am I really that perfect to you? I know I have a lot of flaws…”

I stood up from the bed and approached her before getting down on one knee. “I have flaws too. No one’s perfect, honey. But you’re perfect to me.” It is true. If Fluttershy has any flaws, I felt that they are minor at most.

Fluttershy responded to my words of encouragement with a brief kiss on the lips. “I’m so glad to have met you, James… I…love you…” She then nuzzled me gently while barely blushing at all.

Before I could forget, I asked, “What time is it anyway? Am I late for work?”

Fluttershy glanced over at a small clock that was resting on a shelf. “It’s just a little past 10 AM. Did you say you had to be at the spa at 11?”

I nodded as I went over to a wooden wardrobe to get some clean clothes. “Yup. It’s my first day on the job. Is there anything you’d like me to pick up on my way home from work?”

She paused for a moment in thought before replying, “Well, could you pick up some apples from the market? Preferably golden delicious ones. I was thinking of making a pie today.”

Fluttershy surely knows her stuff when it comes to baking. Golden delicious apples are ideal for the job. “I’ll make a mental note. Actually, I’ll stop by on my way to work to ask Applejack to bring a bundle by. Just in case she’s closed up shop for the evening by the time I get off work.” I replied as I slid my pants and t-shirt on.

Just before I could put my shoes and socks on, Fluttershy came up behind me and embraced me with her face against my back. “Um… Fluttershy?” I asked, puzzled by this display of affection.

“I love you.” She replied softly while peacefully breathing deeply.

Her words touched me, almost as if proving that my memories of the previous night were true. “May I turn around, please?” I asked quietly while my fingers rested on her foreleg. Fluttershy released her grip on me, allowing me to turn around. I then threw my arms around her and whispered into her ear, “I love you too.”

I smiled as I felt Fluttershy embrace me with her forelegs. “I’m so glad you came to Equestria… I only wish I knew who brought you here so I can give them my thanks.”

I nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Same here. Don’t know who did it, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t grateful.” I stood up and looked out the window that overlooked the area behind Fluttershy’s cottage. “Coming to Equestria was one of the best things to ever happen to me. This world is the closest thing to a utopia I’ve ever seen.”

Fluttershy propped herself up on the windowsill with her forelegs and nodded. “It is a very peaceful land. But I wouldn’t say it’s a true utopia. We have our share of troubles and not everypony is without sin. Even I’ve done some things I still regret…”

I draped my arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to me. “Likewise… Nopony can truly say they’re free of sin… Huh?” I winced as I realized what I just said. “Fluttershy… Did I just say ‘nopony’ instead of ‘no one’ a second ago?”

My girlfriend giggled at my obvious nervousness. “I think you did. But there’s nothing wrong with that. I think it’s cute when you say it.”

I rolled my eyes before I retorted, “But it’s not funny when other ponies say it? How does that work?” We both chuckled in unison at that question. Neither of us had a real answer.

I watched in silence as Fluttershy went downstairs. I then slid on some clean socks and shoes and followed her. But before I could leave the house, I noticed some odd…..decorations? All across the living room near the walls and spiraling around the fireplace were numerous tiny stairways. There were also a few birdhouses near them. There were even a few narrow walkways hanging from the ceiling. At the end of each stairway and walkway was a hole in the wall or ceiling that seemed just large enough for a squirrel to pass through. “Um… Honey? What exactly are up with these…er…knickknacks?”

Fluttershy was just about to head out the front door herself when I asked. She looked at where I was pointing before looking at me with a smile on her face. “Oh, that? Those are for all my little friends who come and go as they please… Oh, there’s one now!” A chipmunk came out of one hole in the ceiling and scampered across one of the walkways that seemed to lead towards the kitchen. I cracked a smile as the little critter disappeared through the hole in the wall at the end.

“I hope you don’t mind us having some guests at times. All of the animals that live in my house are well-behaved and never cause any trouble.” Fluttershy explained with her beautiful cyan eyes gazing up at me.

I replied while glancing back at the hole in the wall, “Actually, I think that’s pretty cool. I’ve heard of houses where I’m from that have similar stuff that allow cats to go wherever they want throughout the house without getting in the way of their owners. Never thought I’d ever live in one.”

My lover smiled slightly brighter than she normally does, probably due to being intrigued with the thought. “So I wasn’t the only one who thought of using that design? I guess great minds think alike.” She then turned and opened the front door for me. “But anyway, I shouldn’t be keeping you. I’ll get out of your way so you can hurry to work. Tell Lotus and Aloe I said hi please.”

“Will do, honey. See you this evening.” I replied just before kissing her goodbye. I then followed the path across the bridge that spanned the brook in front of her cottage and headed towards Ponyville. But before I went too far, I turned and waved at Fluttershy. She was standing at the doorway and waved back at me. I then turned around again and made my way into the meadow that separated my home from Ponyville.

Upon entering Ponyville, I saw many familiar faces going about their daily routines. Derpy Hooves was delivering letters, Rainbow Dash was napping on a cloud, and Applejack was pulling a cart of apples to market…. Wait. Applejack? “Just who I wanted to see.” I muttered as I quickened my pace to catch up to her.

“Morning, AJ. Still in the middle of harvest season?” I asked once I was right behind her.

The farm pony looked over her shoulder at me and grinned. “Howdy, James! What can I do ya for?”

I looked over the cart she was pulling. It was filled to the brim with red and yellow apples. “Well, I don’t have enough time to make a roundtrip. If you have time, could you deliver…say…a dozen golden delicious apples to Fluttershy’s cottage today? She wanted…um….. Yeah, I guess a dozen will do.”

The farm pony nodded right away. “Sure thing, James. It’ll be easy since she lives just north of my place. I’ll save a dozen for ‘er. Y’all buyin’ now, or would ya like me ta bill you?”

I nodded while I reached into my pocket. “I’ll handle the payment right now. How much for a dozen?”

Applejack replied promptly, “Six bits for a dozen. Just slip ‘em under my hat.”

I cracked a smile as I pulled out six bits and placed them under Applejack’s hat. But not before I took the opportunity to tussle her hair. “Much obliged, pardner. I’ll stop on by Fluttershy’s once I sell the rest of this haul. Wanna just chat for now on the way ta market?” Applejack asked once she made certain that her hat was on tight to prevent the cash from sliding out.

Having nothing better to do for the time being, I nodded. “Sure thing. Just lead on.” I walked alongside Applejack as she headed towards the marketplace in Ponyville.

After a moment of friendly chatter, Applejack asked, “Come ta think of it, how’d y’all get all the way over to the west side of town? Dontcha work at Sugarcube Corner? You went right past it if ya came this far.”

I chuckled, not the least bit surprised she was unaware. “I didn’t come into town from the southeast. I came into town from the west. I moved out of Rarity’s house yesterday and moved in with Fluttershy.”

Applejack stared for a moment before asking, “Um… And just why did ya wanna do that? Granted, it’s away from the hustle and bustle of Ponyville, but I thought ya were right at home at the Carousel Boutique. And last I checked, Fluttershy doesn’t have any guest rooms.”

I replied with a slight smirk, “That’s why she sold her old bed and bought a bigger one yesterday. So we could share it.”

My friend paused for a moment, apparently trying to comprehend what I told her. But she then smirked, “Fluttershy ain’t the kinda girl who would share a bed with some guy, even if they’re friends. For ‘er to share a bed with ya…” She then stopped and stared me right in the eye. “Y’all got the hots for ‘er, dontcha?”

I looked around to make certain no one was listening in. If word got around of Fluttershy being in a relationship with the only human in Equestria, it would certainly bring the two of us a mountain of unwanted attention. Since nopony was nearby (drat, I said nopony again) I replied quietly, “In all honesty, Fluttershy made the first move.”

Applejack took a step back, clearly not expecting that timid little Fluttershy would make the first move in a relationship. “Well, don’t that beat all… For Fluttershy to… How’d she do it? Did she tell ya herself?”

“With a love letter, if you can believe that. Although I think she chickened out in sending it since Angel snuck it away from her and brought it to me.” I explained, trying to suppress a laugh as I remembered how flustered she was when I arrived at her cottage two nights ago with the love letter in hand.

The farm pony snickered as well. “That sounds like Fluttershy, all right. She’d never have the guts ta confess to a guy in person. But how’s it been with ‘er? You two the talk of the town?”

I replied after briefly recalling my day yesterday, “I sure hope not. I don’t like being in the spotlight that much and I know for certain that Fluttershy doesn’t either. We’ve been trying to be subtle about our affection in public so far.”

Applejack nodded with a rather serious expression on her face. “I getcha. Well, I’ll keep quiet about it too then. But what about the other girls? Do they know?”

I thought my response over for a moment. Did one of them not know yet? There was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity. “Um… Nope. They all know about us being together. I think even Derpy Hooves might be onto us by now too. But we don’t necessarily want EVERY pony in town to know.”

My friend nodded while letting out a light snicker. “Yeah, Fluttershy wouldn’t like that. The paparazzi would be all over that stuff. I’ll be careful who I tell. That all right with ya?”

I thought over the risk of Applejack spreading the news of my relationship with Fluttershy. “Well… I guess that’s OK. Just be certain that whoever you tell it to can keep a secret. I have no idea if that kind of bond between a human and pony is even legal.”

This only caused Applejack to laugh. “Legal?! Humans have never been seen in Equestria before you came along! I’ll bet my left hind leg that Princess Celestia has no plans on makin’ that lil’ thing taboo. Land sakes! If she even did try ta pass that law, I’d vote against it!”

We had only just arrived at the marketplace as I asked, “You’d really do that?”

Applejack nodded without hesitation. “I might not be keen on romance and the like, but I’d say yer just right for Fluttershy. I mean she did make the first move, right? Doesn’t that say enough on whatcha mean to ‘er? There’s nothin’ right ‘bout keepin’ two perfect sweethearts away from each other.”

I watched while Applejack set up her stall. Although I confess that I am not as close to her as my five other loved ones, I felt touched by Applejack’s devotion to Fluttershy and me. “AJ… Thanks for sticking with us. It feels good to know somepony like you has my back.”

The farm pony chuckled while she glanced at me, “Anytime, James. If anypony gives you or Fluttershy trouble, y’all come tell me about it. I’ll bring the thunder!” Knowing just how strong Applejack is for her size, I am fairly certain it would be very unwise to incur her wrath.

As I pondered if there was anything else I needed to discuss with her, I took a look at myself. While the diet of Equestria was very healthy, I felt I could use some exercise. “AJ, are you still hiring at Sweet Apple Acres?”

My friend replied while looking noticeably baffled, “Hirin’? But I thought y’all weren’t cut out for that line of work.”

I nodded and proceeded to explain my reasons. “Well, not for extended periods of time at least. I was thinking that with most days you harvest apples, you could leave a certain number of bushels out for me to carry to the barn. I earn a little extra pocket change and get a decent workout in the process.”

Applejack smirked while her eyes glanced down at my midsection. “Oh, I see whatcha mean. Tryin’ ta lose some of that flab, huh? Well, sure. I can set up some bushels for ya. How many a day we talkin’?”

I paused for a moment to think of a proper number. “Let’s start with ten. Once I can carry all those without breaking much of a sweat, let’s increase the number.”

My friend nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. Feel free ta stop on by sometime today. I’ll leave out the bushels for ya.”

“Thanks again, AJ. And tell Fluttershy hi for me when you deliver those apples.” I waved goodbye before I headed towards the spa for my first day of work.

Upon arriving in the lobby, I found one of the spa sisters seated at the front desk. “Morning, Lotus…. Or was it Aloe? Hang on, I can remember this…” I spoke as my eyes scanned the coloration of her coat and mane. “Blue coat. Pink mane… Lotus, right?”

She replied in her strong accent, “Good memory, Mr. James. And you’re right on time. Let me show you to your workstation.” I followed my employer into the spa’s main chamber. Aloe was restocking various cosmetics and other supplies near some of the platforms where ponies receive facials and pedicures.

“Before I get started, is there a dress code?” I asked, afraid that I would need a uniform since t-shirts are not normally proper attire for working at such a high-end spa.

“Um…” Lotus turned to look at me before her eyes glanced up and down. “I think you’re fine as is. We ponies don’t wear much usually.” I grimaced while averting my eyes for a moment at her explanation, having realized that I had overlooked an obvious detail about the ponies of Equestria.

I took a seat on the counter just behind the massage tables where my clients would rest. The counter was rather low, being just less than three feet in height. I soon noticed that Aloe was running to and fro with pillows and a file in her mouth. “The file must be for trimming a unicorn’s horn…” I muttered under my breath. I waited patiently for our customer to come over to me for a massage. I was tempted to look past the hot tub, which was obstructing my view, but I chose to be patient and await the customer.

Several minutes passed before I heard Lotus speak up. “Right this way, Miss Twilight. James will provide you a massage today.”

Twilight? My first client of the day was to be Twilight Sparkle? Sure enough, my purple unicorn friend emerged from behind the hot tub. Her horn was perfectly smoothed out, the result of a….hornicure? Oh, wait… I can figure this out. The beautification of a unicorn’s horn is probably called…a cornicure or something very similar. But I digress.

Twilight Sparkle paused for a moment as she approached me. “James? You work here now?”

I nodded with a slight smile. “Yeah, Rarity insisted I do after I gave her a massage a few days ago. So I decided to give it a shot. You ready for one?”

The purple unicorn mare smiled as she climbed atop a massage table. “In that case, I’d be glad to let you start on me.” She then lied down and rested her head on a few pillows at one end.

I gently kneeled above her, being careful to avoid applying weight to her back. “OK then, Twilight. Just relax.” She did exactly as she was told, letting out a sigh as her body became limp.

Like the previous times I massaged Rarity and Fluttershy, I began with the base of Twilight’s neck. My fingers dug into her smooth coat as I kneaded the muscles around her joints. “Your coat feels remarkably soft today, Twilight.” I said softly.

My friend replied with a voice that was just above a whisper. “Thank you, James. I always take a shower before bed and give myself a thorough grooming every morning. That’s probably why my coat is so soft all the time.”

It was then that a thought occurred to me. “Just how do ponies groom themselves?” Horses and ponies from my homeland groom themselves using their teeth, but I doubt creatures as civilized as the ponies of Equestria do the same.

“Oh, we use brushes with short bristles for our coats and brushes with longer bristles for our tails and manes. Isn’t that what you use when you groom yourself?” Twilight replied with a smile as she looked at me over her shoulder.

“I do, although I prefer the use of a comb to a brush… Oh, and before I forget… Your cutie mark. Is it particularly sensitive?” I asked in return.

The purple unicorn seemed to ponder my question for a moment. “Um… I’m not sure I follow. Sensitive in what way?”

I replied while I firmly massaged her shoulder joints, “Well, I learned from Rarity and Fluttershy that the cutie marks of some ponies can function as a pleasure point. And I don’t want to offend anyone, especially someone who is such a good friend of mine.”

Twilight replied while I noticed her irises shrink slightly, “Oh, that kind of sensitivity. Well… Now that you mention it, my cutie mark is sensitive enough to work like that.”

I looked behind the two of us once three minutes had passed of me massaging Twilight’s shoulders. My employers were nowhere to be seen. “OK. I’ll be sure to not apply pressure to them when I reach your flanks.” I spoke as I reached for her knees.

“Um… Actually, you can touch them if needed… In fact, I would prefer it if you did.” Twilight spoke softly with a faint blush in her cheeks.

I froze, fearing what would happen if someone were to see me touching Twilight in such a spot. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked nervously while feeling myself becoming quite hot.

Twilight replied softly, apparently also wary of anyone who may be nearby. “I’ll keep a straight face in case anyone is looking.” She was showing very little uncertainty, as if she knew exactly what she wanted.

Even though I had permission, I knew that touching Twilight’s cutie marks in such a fashion would be an intimate action with her. “Twilight… You do remember that I’m with Fluttershy, right?”

My friend nodded with a smile. “I know. And I’m happy for both of you. But I really don’t mind you massaging my cutie marks along with my flanks. I trust you won’t go too far.”

I had a nagging feeling that Twilight was not giving me the whole story. “Is that the only reason? Because you trust me and want me to be thorough?”

She replied after a moment of hesitant silence. “No… Do you remember what I said? That I will always love you?”

Those words brought up a painful memory from the previous evening where I confessed that Fluttershy and I had become lovers. Twilight did not take it well at first, and I was still feeling rather guilty that I had broken her heart.

“James… You’re not still dwelling on that, are you?” Twilight asked with a concerned gaze. It was almost as if she knew exactly what I was thinking about. “I respect your bond with Fluttershy and I cherish our friendship. So please don’t think that I’m trying to get between you two, OK? I don’t want to see either of you hurt. Just think of this as a show of trust between friends.”

Although it would still be awkward for me to touch a girl’s sensitive spots in a public area, I had faith in Twilight. She is not the type of person who would use underhanded tricks to get between friends to further her own personal desires. “OK then, Twi. I’ll give you what you want.” I said as I reached up to her jaw joints.

Twilight seemed to jump slightly when I touched her cheeks. “Um… My face?”

I nodded while my fingers rubbed over them. “I focus on the joints. And the only joints in your head are your jaw joints. Don’t worry, Fluttershy and Rarity were quite pleased when I did it.”

I felt Twilight relax as I gently rubbed my fingertips into her cheeks. “Mmm…” Twilight hummed without moving her mouth to keep her jaws still. She was clearly enjoying the attention.

Once three minutes had passed, I started on Twilight’s neck. “Just curious, but what brings you to the spa today? You don’t seem like the kind of girl who dotes on her looks very often. Not that I mean anything by that. You’re quite attractive as is…” I asked, curious of what a bookworm like Twilight Sparkle would come to the local spa for.

She replied quietly, apparently having come to find that the atmosphere seemed to encourage silence. “You’re right, I’m not quite as self-conscious as Rarity. But I do come here about once a month for a cornicure to keep my horn from becoming uneven. That can require me to adjust my focus when using magic, something that can be quite irritating at times as I would have to adapt with it every single time I use a spell.” It was then that I discovered that my assumption of the term used to describe the beautification treatments of a horn was correct.

Once I had finished with the vertebrae in her neck, I climbed down from the table so I could reach all of Twilight’s back. “I’m just curious, but did Celestia offer a reply to that report you sent her?” I asked while I started on her vertebrae. Like Rarity, there was a great deal of strong muscle around it, but I had no trouble reaching every individual joint.

“Mmm, that’s the spot… Oh, that report? I had Spike send it first thing this morning, but I haven’t gotten a reply just yet. But don’t worry. I’m sure Princess Celestia supports your relationship with Fluttershy.” Twilight replied as I very slowly worked my way down her back.

Before I could ask anything else, a thought popped into my head. “Come to think of it, if Celestia and Luna are princesses, who’s the king and queen?”

Twilight opened her mouth to offer a response, but seemed to pause a minute. She eventually replied, “Now that you mention it… I have no idea who their parents are! I’m sure they’re out there somewhere, keeping watch over Equestria from behind the scenes.”

A reclusive king and queen, huh? Seems rather odd to me. I then asked, “OK then, but why is Celestia and Luna referred to as princesses instead of queens if they govern Equestria?”

My friend held a hoof to her chin while she fell silent. After a moment of deep thought, she offered a retort. “Well, this is just a hypothesis, but I have a theory. You see, neither Celestia nor Luna is the absolute ruler of Equestria. They share the throne and the duties associated with the role. Therefore, since neither of them rule over Equestria alone, I don’t think they are eligible for the title of ‘queen’. That’s just a guess though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m wrong.” Her explanation actually made a lot of sense to me. It would not surprise me if that assumption turns out to be a fact.

“OK, that’s all for your vertebrae. Time for the flanks.” I spoke as I climbed back onto the table and faced Twilight’s rear. However, I felt uneasy about touching her cutie marks. “Are you sure you won’t mind if I massage your cutie marks as well?”

My friend looked at me over her shoulder while I looked over mine. She smiled sincerely and whispered, “Yes, I’m OK with that. Feel free to massage them as long as you want.”

With some hesitation, I gripped her flanks in my hands and dug my fingers into them. I kneaded them gently, trying to not avoid her cutie marks. But the instant my fingers rubbed them, I felt Twilight shudder under me. She kept her voice down though, so I suspected that she was not quite as sensitive as Rarity or Fluttershy. “Am I going about this the right way?” I asked without taking my eyes off my hands.

Twilight replied softly while also letting out a noticeable gasp, “You’re doing fine… Just fine…” I nodded in response and continued to dig my fingertips into her flanks. But over the course of five minutes, I began to notice that Twilight was beginning to breathe deeply. Out of curiosity, I looked over my shoulder to check on her. Her eyes were closed as a deep blush was on her face.

(Oh boy… I better stop here.) I distinctly remember thinking as I realized that even Twilight was not immune to the pleasuring sensations brought on by someone firmly rubbing her cutie marks. All I could do was hope that not all ponies share that pleasure point. I released my grip on her flanks after over five minutes had passed. “How’d I do, Twilight?” I asked while feeling somewhat apprehensive about what her response would be.

My friend looked at me over her shoulder and smiled with a deep blush in her cheeks. “Very relaxing, James. Those fingers have great precision and a very soft touch. I would take your hands over Quake’s hooves any day.” I was relieved that she had not given in to her more inappropriate desires. The last thing I wanted was to be caught in a love triangle between Fluttershy and one of my friends.

“Glad to hear that, Twi. Now, just relax. All that’s left are your knees.” I spoke as my hands gripped the knees on her hind legs.

Twilight let out a giggle as my fingertips dug into the back of her knees. “James, I’m ticklish…..”

I smiled awkwardly while being tempted to take advantage of that little weakness. “Well, the backs of the knees are commonly ticklish. Maybe if I apply more pressure…” I pressed my fingertips more firmly into her. Common knowledge is that the firmer the touch, the less ticklish the spot becomes.

“Hey, that doesn’t tickle much at all anymore.” Twilight said while looking over her shoulder.

“That’s what I was going for.” I replied while making certain to not miss a spot.

Once another three minutes had passed, I finished the massage with her ankles. I then hopped down from the table. “I think that’s everything, Twilight. How do you feel?”

I watched as Twilight stood up on the table and stretched. “Mmm, my joints feel so relaxed and limber! I should come by more often for this. How often do you work here?”

I replied after recalling my work schedule. “Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You planning on coming back for another?”

The purple unicorn mare nodded with a very pleased smile spreading across her lips. “You bet! Although I think I’ll restrict my visits to once a week. But in any case, thanks again. I’ll see you later, James.” She followed her words with a tender embrace. But she then asked, “Come to think of it, today marks your first full week in Equestria! Do you have anything planned to celebrate?”

I had all but forgotten that this is my seventh day in Equestria. “Well… To be honest, I was just gonna enjoy it same as any other day.”

At my response, Twilight seemed to become lost in thought. “Really? Well, I guess that’s OK. In any case, when’s your lunch break?”

I was going to say 12:15, but I was not certain if the spa employees are permitted to temporarily leave for lunch. “Not sure, really. Could you ask whoever is at the front desk?”

Twilight nodded and turned towards the main chamber’s exit. “OK. Wait here.” I watched as she passed under the arched doorway that led to the lobby. A moment later, my friend returned and smiled at me. “Lotus says everypony who works here has a one hour break to get lunch. When do you think you’ll take your lunch break?”

I thought over my response for a moment before replying, “I guess after tending to one more customer.”

My friend seemed pleased with my answer and spoke “Then I guess I’ll see you in around forty minutes. Later!” I waved goodbye as she disappeared from view. But once I was alone again, I pondered what she meant by ‘seeing me in forty minutes’. How did she know how long it would take for me to leave? As if to answer my question, I heard what sounded like an argument at the front desk. Curious, I left my post to investigate.

“I know I don’t have any bits with me, but could you take an IOU until I do?” A familiar voice spoke. I peeked around the corner and found Scootaloo looking up at Lotus, who was blocking her way.

“Scoot? Aren’t you supposed to be in school right now?” I asked, puzzled of how a child could be out of class on a weekday. From what I know, today was not a holiday of any sort.

The tomboyish pegasus filly looked towards me and ran past Lotus with a grin. “Hey, big bro! I just snuck outta the playground after lunch. I heard you had a new job over here, so I rode my scooter here to save time. What’s up?”

I shook my head with a smirk, rather amused that my little ‘sister’ had the courage to escape from her school during recess. “I really hope you get back to school before recess ends. As for what’s up, I give massages here. Rarity insisted I work here after I gave her a massage once.”

Scootaloo smiled with a fairly fascinated expression on her face. “A massage? You mean when you rub somepony all over? I heard that makes you feel really nice once it’s done.” She then chuckled, “Actually, that’s why I’m here. Sweetie Belle told me and Apple Bloom that Rarity said you give awesome massages and would start working here today. Do you think you could give me one so I know what it’s like?”

Lotus spoke up in her heavy accent, “Miss Scootaloo, this spa does not give out free massages. If you want to use our services, you must provide us with bits.”

However, I decided to interrupt. “Actually, that’s OK, Lotus. I wouldn’t mind giving her one. I can cover it this time. It’ll make for a change of pace since she’s so small.”

Scootaloo looked up at me with excitement as Lotus looked back down at her before looking back at me. “Well… I suppose you can, Mr. James. But please don’t do this too often. It might make the other customers jealous.”

I smiled while I led the little filly into the main chamber of the spa. “So, all the other kids are out having recess?” I asked as I lifted Scootaloo up to a massage table.

“Yeah, but I slipped out no problem. I think we’re all supposed to be back inside in about thirty minutes, so no rush.” Scootaloo replied as she looked around, clearly having never visited a spa before.

“Well, I’ll make this shorter than usual since your joints probably have little need for a massage. Now, lie down and just relax.” I spoke while motioning my hand towards the pillows at the end of the table where Twilight had been resting her head.

Scootaloo did as she was told and lied down with her head resting on a pillow. “Is this gonna take long?” She asked with a more inquisitive gaze. I was hardly surprised, as most children do not enjoy sitting still for very long even for a massage. Let alone someone as energetic as Scootaloo.

I replied while looking her over, “I’ll just go for one minute on each joint, if that’s OK with you.” Considering how young her joints were at the time, she hardly needed a massage to begin with.

“Sounds good to me! Lemme have it!” Scootaloo replied as she stretched out her legs for me to reach.

The pegasus filly was only half the size of the average adult pony, so having me kneel above her would make things difficult for me. So instead, I chose to massage her while standing at the side of the table. “Um… Should I start with your wings?”

Scootaloo readily nodded, “Sure! That’ll get them nice and loose for when I ride my scooter back to school.”

I nodded while I watched her extend her wings. Compared to the wings of adult pegasus ponies, Scootaloo’s wings are absolutely tiny. I was afraid I would break them. However, I remembered Fluttershy telling that the bones of a pegasus are much sturdier than bird bones. Ever so carefully, I felt through her feathers for the two joints. “OK… Just relax and don’t move.” I spoke softly.

Sitting perfectly still was something I would never expect a child to have an easy time doing. But Scootaloo remained almost as still as stone. She even breathed less frequently than usual, almost as if she was afraid. As I tenderly rubbed and kneaded the tiny joints in her wings, I came to understand that the reason why she was doing exactly what I requested of her was out of trust. “You afraid I might hurt you, little sis?” I asked, knowing that she looked up to me like a big brother.

“Nah. I know you would never hurt me. Big brothers are always nice to their little sisters.” She replied without moving an inch.

“Yes, they are. Especially when their little sisters are so cute and cool.” I said with a chuckle. I felt Scootaloo twitch as she also laughed softly.

Once I had finished with her right wing and had started on her left, Scootaloo spoke softly, “James… Don’t ever go away…”

I paused for a moment at her words. They certainly were not ones I would ever expect to hear from her. “Scoot…?”

Scootaloo paused for a few seconds while she seemed to smile. “I’m glad I met you. You’re like a real big brother to me.” She then gulped loudly, “James… I wanna tell you something, but only if you promise to not tell anypony.”

I leaned in close so she could whisper to me without anyone else hearing her. “It’ll be our little secret. Whatcha wanna tell me?” I asked quietly.

A faint blush filled Scootaloo’s cheeks, likely out of bashfulness. She then whispered, “It’s hard for me to say this to anypony, but… I love you, big brother.”

She… She actually just said ‘I love you’ to me? Such displays of affection are very uncharacteristic for Scootaloo. I was almost expecting her to grin and say ‘Psyche!’ at any second. But fifteen seconds passed as I waited. Her face was still flushed red as her gaze was tilted downwards. I finally whispered, “Did you really mean that?”

Her response was brief and touched me deeply. “Yeah…”

At that one word, I felt my adoration for Scootaloo rise even higher. Knowing you are loved… It is a wonderful feeling. Especially when someone who is like a little sibling to you says those words. At that instant, I felt a desire to watch over her and guide her in any way I could. I smiled as I gently caressed her mane and ears before whispering, “I love you too, little sis.”

Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder at me, almost as if she was not expecting me to accept her feelings. I then added, “I won’t tell anyone. OK?” She could only nod with a bright smile.

Once I had finished with her tiny wings, I started on Scootaloo’s neck. For a pony so small, her muscles were quite developed. “You been working out?” I asked with a smile.

“Not really. I just run around a lot.” Scootaloo replied with a happy grin. Tomboys like her are usually the type of girls who like running and jogging. Or in her case, scooter riding. The prolonged periods of rapidly flapping her tiny wings surely must burn a lot of calories.

By the time I had finished massaging her cheeks, shoulders, and front knees, Scootaloo began to seem a little TOO relaxed. “Man, these massages are awesome for chilling out…” She muttered quietly.

“Well, massages are excellent ways to relieve stress and tension. Just be careful to not…..” I replied just as I began to hear faint snoring. “…fall asleep…” Scootaloo, probably from my gentle touch, had fallen asleep where she lay. “Kids… I guess all youngsters need naps now and then.”

Regardless of my little sister’s napping, I continued to massage her as planned. I went down her vertebrae to her flanks before finishing with her knees and ankles. It was especially tricky to get to every individual back joint due to Scootaloo’s small size. But I managed. Even by the time I had finished, the pegasus filly was still fast asleep. “How can anypony so spunky be so angelic?” I muttered aloud as I looked at her sleeping face. Unable to resist, I placed a small kiss on her forehead. She seemed to know what had happened since her neutral expression turned into a calm smile.

As I checked the clock, I remembered that Scootaloo had snuck out of recess and that it would likely be ending soon. I did not want her to get in trouble with the teacher, so I gently scooped her up in my arms before carrying my little sister to the front desk. Lotus was seated behind the counter, apparently looking over a list of appointments. “I’ll be taking Scootaloo back to school before starting on my lunch break. Is that OK, Lotus?”

My employer looked my way and nodded. “That will be fine. Please hurry back when you can.” I nodded at her in response before heading towards the door. But I then noticed Scootaloo’s scooter leaning against the wall right next to the door on the outside. I would have taken it with me, but I needed both arms to carry my little sister. I made a mental note to remind her once she woke up to come back for it after school.

Once I was outside, I deduced that the schoolhouse was directly west of the spa’s location. I cradled Scootaloo in my arms as if she was a toddler. I tried to avoid making too much movement with my arms out of fear of waking her. As the sight of a human carrying a filly as if she were my own daughter was certainly odd, I was getting a lot of awkward stares from the many ponies I was passing.

It only took me around five to ten minutes to reach the schoolhouse. But as I drew near, I could not hear the sounds of children playing outside. The playground to the left side of the schoolhouse was empty. “Uh oh… Hope I’m not too late.” I muttered under my breath. I ducked low to avoid bumping my head on the awning and knocked on the door by tapping it with the tip of my shoe.

I did not wait long as the door was answered by who I assume was a teacher. She was an earth pony with a mane and tail that sported two shades of rose. Her eyes were the same shade of green as Sweetie Belle’s and her coat was a type of fuchsia hue. Her cutie mark depicted three round flowers that had closed eyes and wide smiles on them. She glanced me over for a second before smiling. “Oh, are you Mr. James? I’ve heard about you from the Cutie Mark Crusaders every now and then.”

In response, I cracked a slight grin. “Speaking of those three fillies, I found one of them napping under a bush just outside the playground.” I lowered my arms to show Scootaloo, who was still sleeping soundly.

“She was asleep? I was wondering why she didn’t come back inside after recess. I feared she had run off for some reason.” The teacher replied with a more sympathetic smile. “The poor dear must’ve played too hard out there today. Oh, and before I forget, my name is Cheerilee.”

I nodded in understanding. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cheerilee. And hang on. I’ll wake Scootaloo up for you.” I adjusted my grip so that I was holding the pegasus filly in just one arm while I stroked her ears with my spare hand. “C’mon, Scoot. Time to get back to class.”

Her ears twitched as I tickled her. Before long, she let out a yawn before looking up at me with her big purple eyes. “Huh? Did I really pass out?”

I replied with a smile, “Yeah, I found you under a bush. You play too rough at recess today?” I winked at her, trying to subtly inform her that I was trying to keep her real activities secret from her teacher.

Scootaloo looked over at Cheerilee before looking back to me. She winked and smiled at me. “Oh, yeah. I was beat. Thanks for bringing me over here.”

I set my little sister down as she stretched. Cheerilee then asked, “Would you like to meet the other students, Mr. James? We just started on ‘Show & Tell’ and I’m sure the other foals would like to meet someone who’s not from around here.”

Scootaloo jumped while she looked up at me, “Yeah! I could show you off to the whole class! Whatcha say, big brother? Wanna be my Show & Tell partner?”

I had never seen the inside of the schoolhouse before, so I was naturally curious. However, I have never been comfortable about standing before large crowds either. Even if they all happen to be children. “Um… OK. But please remember I’m not one for public speaking…” I spoke quietly.

Cheerilee smiled reassuringly and motioned for me to follow her. “Then it’s settled. Come on in and we’ll get started.” Scootaloo and I followed her inside. We first entered a small room that was possibly a lobby. It was very narrow, as I expected from the size of the schoolhouse. On one side seemed to be a doorway that led into a tiny restroom. The doorway on the other side led into what seemed to be the classroom. As Cheerilee entered, I saw Apple Bloom standing before the blackboard with what seemed to be a rag doll of sorts that looked like either a pony or mule wearing a pair of polka-dotted shorts.

“And that’s how Big Macintosh found Mr. Smarty Pants!” Apple Bloom said as I heard what was probably applause, as I could not see the rest of the students from my current location.

“Thank you for sharing that with us, Apple Bloom. Now it’s Scootaloo’s turn.” Cheerilee said before the little farm filly walked out of sight, probably just heading back to her seat. Scootaloo followed Cheerilee into the classroom and stood in front of the blackboard. I waited for her to call me in, still feeling somewhat apprehensive about standing in front of numerous people.

“All right! I’ve brought somepony special today for Show & Tell!” Scootaloo then looked over in my direction and motioned for me to approach her. I ducked low to pass through the doorway and stood beside her while facing the other students. I saw a few familiar faces among the students. Along with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, I saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon sitting at small wooden desks lined up in three rows.

Before Scootaloo could even begin talking, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jumped over their desks and ran towards me. They both called out, “James!” In response, I got down on one knee as the two fillies jumped into my arms.

“Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, you already had your turns for Show & Tell. It’s Scootaloo’s turn now.” Cheerilee spoke, her amused smile showing that she was enjoying the sight of me cuddling with the two schoolgirls.

“It’s OK, Miss Cheerilee! They can do it with me!” Scootaloo replied with a broad grin.

Sweetie Belle looked up at me and asked, “You’ve never come inside before, Mr. James! Did you come to say hi?”

“I was kinda talked into taking part in this…” I replied quietly, somewhat embarrassed that my friends were getting so cuddly with me in front of their classmates.

“Well, it’s good to see y’all here, James! Whatcha wanna do?!” Apple Bloom asked with a smile.

I shrugged and replied, “Just take part in Show & Tell, I guess.”

Scootaloo then cleared her throat as I stood up with the other two fillies at my feet. “OK! Today for Show & Tell, I brought my own big brother! Say hi, big brother!” She looked up at me with a grin, trying to coax me into saying hello.

I was feeling very nervous at the time, but I was able to force out a ‘Hello’ while waving at the rest of the class. The other students politely responded in kind with the exceptions of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, both looking on with expressions that shifted between wariness and a brooding scowl. However, one of the fillies with a blue coat and a bow and arrow for a cutie mark asked, “Scootaloo? Is he really your brother? He doesn’t look like a pony.”

Scootaloo chuckled for a second before looking up at me, “James, you wanna tell them?”

I nodded and proceeded to explain. “Well… I’m not a pony at all. I am a human. I’ve only been in Equestria for a week starting today, but I’m really enjoying living here.”

Sweetie Belle then spoke up, “Mr. James is also the newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! He’s been helping us come up with new activities to try so we can earn our cutie marks!”

Apple Bloom then added, “He’s also really brave and knows how ta deal with bullies! So don’t be mean around ‘im!” I facepalmed at that particular praise and snickered under my breath, having never viewed myself as being heroic. The students before us began to chatter with each other quietly, apparently sharing various comments. However, Diamond Tiara was constantly glaring at me while Silver Spoon was constantly watching me with a wary gaze. I suspect she was expecting me to try and remove her cutie mark like I did with her friend. Of course, I did not have that particular prop with me at the time, so she had nothing to worry about. Maybe I should carry that little device with me at all times, just in case.

One of the fillies in the first row asked, “Scootaloo, juth why ith James your brother? He doethn’t look related to you.” She spoke with a noticeable speech impediment, her s’s sounding like th’s. With her large glasses, pale coat, and frizzy red tail and mane, she seemed to be a stereotypical nerd. At least by looks and voice. I could not tell if her personality and interests were that of a nerd just by looking at her.

Scootaloo replied promptly, “You’re right, Twist. We’re not really related. But… If I had to choose one guy out of all the colts in Equestria to be my big brother, it would be James! He’s been an awesome big brother to me!” I blushed in embarrassment as I held my face in one hand, unable to look at the other students while being praised.

The response from some of the other students caught me by surprise. “I wish I had a big brother like him! He must be really helpful in reaching tall things!” One of the kids spoke out.

Another called out, “He must be really strong too if he’s that big! Can he carry you around?” More and more of the kids began to spout a slew of questions at Scootaloo. All the while, she just stood there beaming in pride.

After a few more questions, I carefully scanned my surroundings in the hopes of seeing a clock. When I found none, I decided to cut my visit short so I had enough time to get some lunch and get back to the spa before my bosses docked my pay. “Excuse me. I don’t want to be a bother, but I’m currently on my lunch break and should get something to eat before I end up spending too much time away from my job.”

Cheerilee seemed to glance at something on her desk before looking back at me and replying, “Oh dear, I’m sorry if we kept you for too long. But it was good to meet you, Mr. James! Please feel free to visit anytime.”

Apple Bloom then tapped my leg and asked, “Do y’all think we could meet up at the clubhouse later?”

I nodded with a smile. “Sure thing. I’ll see if I can get off work at around 5. Can you wait until then?”

Sweetie Belle nodded while grinning happily. “That sounds like a good time! Please don’t take too long!” I reached down and stroked their manes, prompting brief giggling from the two fillies.

“Maybe I’ll stop by again sometime. See you later, kiddies.” I said as I waved goodbye. All of the students waved goodbye and said farewell politely. All except for Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, that is. The latter was still glaring at me as I left the classroom while the former seemed to be holding her breath.

Just as I stepped right outside the schoolhouse, I heard Scootaloo call out from behind me. “James, hang on a second!” I turned and found the tomboy running out to me.

“Did I forget something?” I asked, knowing that it was far too soon for the school day to be over.

Scootaloo peeked over her shoulder while apparently checking to see if anyone was watching from inside the schoolhouse. She then looked up at me and whispered, “Thanks for covering for me. I would’ve gotten in a lot of trouble if anypony found out I had left school, even if it was just to see you.”

I chuckled while I tussled “That’s what big brothers are for, right? It’s my duty to keep you out of trouble.” Scootaloo chuckled as well while I stroked her mane.

Before I could say goodbye, Scootaloo peeked over her shoulder again before looking up at me. “Hurry up… Before somepony sees.” She stood on her hind legs and held out her forelegs as if waiting for something to fall into her grasp.

“Scoot, you don’t have to do that. I know you’re not big on showing affection like that.” I spoke, knowing that she was offering a hug.

“Why do you think I waited until we were alone before trying to give you one? I don’t want anypony to know I have a soft spot for somepony I like. You’re the only guy I like giving hugs to. So hurry up! Before somepony sees!” Scootaloo replied, a hint of panic in her voice.

After looking past her to make certain no one could see us, I snatched my little sister up in my arms and held her tightly while she threw her forelegs around my neck. I wanted to keep the embrace going longer, but knew that Cheerilee would come looking for Scootaloo if we took too long. Before I set her down, I whispered into her ear, “I love you, little sis.”

Scootaloo let out a faint giggle before replying, “I love you too, big brother.”

Remembering that her scooter was still at the spa, I whispered, “You left your scooter over at the spa. Don’t forget to retrieve it after class.”

She nodded, “Thanks for reminding me. I’ll go get it right after school is out.”

I gently set Scootaloo down before stroking her mane. “See you this evening, OK?” I asked, remembering my promise to the other members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“You got it. I’ll be there. See ya there, James!” Scootaloo replied with a smile. I then turned and headed back into town, feeling in the mood for some seafood pasta.

I made a beeline for the local café, eager to fill my belly with some tasty yet healthy food. The outdoor seating area was hardly in use, only a few ponies here and there. But as I drew near, the waiter noticed me and approached me. “Ah, just in time. Right zis way, please.”

His words baffled me, as I had not made any reservations. I also was not that much of a repeat customer at the time, as I had only visited the café no more than five times since arriving in Equestria. Regardless, I followed the waiter to a table that had a foldable sign on it with the word ‘Reserved’ on each side. I also noticed that there were six piles of hay situated around the table with a single stool for me. “May I fetch you anyzing to drink, monsieur?” The waiter asked as I took my seat.

I replied without much thought, “I suppose some sasparilla will be fine. Light on the ice, please.” I then looked over my menu as the waiter disappeared into the restaurant. I muttered to myself, “That pasta was awesome, and the salads are good… Should I get an appetizer too?”

Before the waiter could bring out my drink, I heard a sudden noise behind me while a flash of light shone onto the table past me for a split second, almost as if someone had used the flash function on a camera. “Equestria’s got some noisy cameras…” I said to myself.

As if to answer me, I felt the rounded tip of a unicorn’s horn press against my back. A familiar upper-class woman’s voice then spoke, “Well, if we were using a camera, you would’ve looked far more charming if we took the shot with you facing us.”

I immediately recognized the voice before I looked over my shoulder. “Rarity? And… What’re all of you doing here? And when did you even get here without me hearing your footsteps?!” Along with Rarity were Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh, that was just a lil’ spell Twilight knows. Kinda like… Um… What’s that fancy word ya used for it?” Applejack replied before turning to Twilight, who seemed slightly dazed for some reason.

“Uh… You say something, AJ…?” She asked with a rather groggy tone. However, she then cleared her head by shaking it for a second. “Oh, the spell? That was a teleportation spell. A pretty advanced spell at that. It was the first time I’ve used it on more than two ponies at once. Kinda took a lot outta me.”

The thought of teleportation being possible in Equestria was both not surprising, yet mind-blowing to me. “Looks like my initial guess of that magic being a form of telekinesis wasn’t too far off.” I said with an amused smirk.

Pinkie Pie giggled at my words and spoke, “You know a lot of fancy words, James! What’s that one?”

Twilight answered for me. “He means using the power of the mind to move objects. It’s mostly just urban legend and doesn’t have any real connection to unicorn magic.”

Not surprisingly, Pinkie Pie jumped into the air with an impressed expression on her face. “Wow! Moving things with just your mind? Without magic?! I gotta try this!” She then stared at the small paper sign that read ‘Reserved’ at the center of our table. Her stare soon turned into a glare as she began to grit her teeth. “C’mon… I can do this…”

I heard Fluttershy whisper to Rainbow Dash, “Do you think we should stop her?”

The boisterous pegasus mare replied quietly, “Nah. It’s always fun to watch Pinkie Pie try something weird.” And she was right. I wanted to speak up, but it was rather entertaining to see Pinkie Pie try something unusual, especially if she ended up looking like a fool in the end.

After a brief moment of silence, a gentle breeze blew and tipped the sign onto its side. “AH HA! This telekinesis stuff really works! Did you see that?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, obviously believing that it was her mind that knocked the sign down.

Before anyone could comment, I sighed with a smirk while shaking my head. “Pinkie Pie….. That was just the wind.”

The silly pink pony pouted at me. “Oh, come on! I tried so hard and the wind beat me to it?!” The other ponies laughed in unison as I chuckled under my breath.

“All righty, girls. Let’s not wait any longer. We all came here for a reason, right?” Applejack spoke up as she took a seat on a pile of hay on one side of the table.

It was then that I caught on why there was a ‘Reserved’ sign on the table the waiter had led me to. “Wait a second… You made reservations for me?”

Twilight grinned whimsically at me. “I told you I’d be seeing you in around forty minutes, didn’t I? And besides, today’s a special occasion!” The purple unicorn mare then took a seat two piles of hay down on my left.

Rarity smiled as she took a seat just to my left and proceeded to explain things. “Today marks the first full week since you appeared in Equestria. You came here with virtually nothing, but now look how far you’ve come in just a paltry seven days!”

Rainbow Dash flew over the table and took a seat opposite from Twilight. “You looked like you were having a really rough time when I fell…er…bumped into you back then. But check you out now! You look like you’re right at home in Ponyville! And I was starting to wonder if you’d ever fit in.” She said with a laugh.

Pinkie Pie giggled enthusiastically as she took a seat opposite from Applejack. “You really added some diversity to Ponyville! I mean, think about it! You’re the only human in Equestria! That makes you one-of-a-kind special!” That particular praise made me snicker under my breath.

The last pony to take her seat was dear Fluttershy, who took a seat just to my right. “You’ve become an important part of our lives, James. We’re grateful to have met you.” She then whispered into my ear, “Only I’m the most grateful.”

In response to my friends’ words, I smiled warmly. “No… I’m the one who should be grateful. Like you said, I had nothing when I came to Equestria, but you girls reached out to me when I needed help most. I would’ve never gotten that kind of unconditional hospitality back home.” I was not exaggerating in the least.

Fluttershy reached out and kissed me on the cheek in a reassuring manner. “But this is your home now. And it always will be. OK?”

I froze as I felt my lover kiss me in front of my other friends. I expected them to be shocked, but they all just watched silently. Rainbow Dash had a giddy grin while Rarity nudged me gently as if to say ‘Go to her’ to me. Seeing that they certainly did not mind our bond, I smiled at Fluttershy and nodded. “Yeah… Equestria is home to me now. And I don’t want that to ever change. Don’t know how I got here, but I’m glad I did end up here.”

A moment later, the waiter returned with my drink. “Are you ready to order?” He asked after handing me my drink from a small tray on his head.

“Ladies first.” I spoke while still looking over my menu. In truth, I was not entirely certain of what I wanted at the moment and was merely trying to buy myself a bit more time to look my choices over.

One by one, my companions placed their orders. Pinkie Pie was the last to place an order, and her choice of food surprised me. She ordered a slice of spinach pie, a salad with ranch dressing, and plain water for a drink. My order was the same pasta dish as before, a house salad with French dressing as a side dish, and a small order of hay fries for an appetizer.

Once the waiter had left us alone, Twilight was the first to speak up. “Nothing sweet at all, Pinkie? I’m amazed you’re actually watching your diet!”

Pinkie Pie grinned while glancing over at me. “It was James who got through to me! He told me all about this nasty medical thing called diabetes, and I actually got scared about it! Even ponies can get it!”

Rainbow Dash replied with a rather surprised tone of voice, “And you thought we can’t?! It’s a good thing he got to you when he did!” I tried to avert my gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed at Pinkie Pie’s praise for me.

Twilight then turned my way and asked, “Is it true, James? Did you really warn her about the dangers of high sugar intake?”

I nodded and replied quietly, “Yeah… Seeing her scarf down all those cakes and sweets got me wondering, so I brought it up. The last thing I ever wanna see is Ponyville’s famous party animal come down with diabetes. Those parties just won’t be the same if that happens.”

Rarity reached out and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek. “That was very noble of you to warn Pinkie Pie of that. I simply cannot imagine life with Pinkie Pie having to live with such a horrible condition!” I think I felt myself blush as I became somewhat worried that Fluttershy would take offense to her friend kissing me. Fortunately, she did not seem to mind at all.

Before we could chat further, the waiter returned with my friends’ drinks. Pinkie Pie then spoke out, “Hey, you know what this calls for?!” I expected her to say ‘a party’, since she would often follow up those words with that.

“A party?” Fluttershy asked, apparently thinking the same thing.

To our surprise, Pinkie Pie held her glass of water in one of her ankle joints and raised it. “A toast! To our great new friend!”

Applejack grinned while she replied, “What a swell idea! C’mon, girls! Glasses up!” She did the same with her drink, a bottle of apple cider.

I can distinctly remember my face tensing up as a deep blush filled my cheeks. One by one, my friends and lover raised their glasses and bottles. “Whatcha waiting for, James? Raise your drink!” Rainbow Dash spoke as all six of them looked at me.

This was beyond flattering. I had only been in Ponyville for one week, and now my closest friends were making a toast to me? Regardless, I did as I was told and raised my bottle of sasparilla. Pinkie Pie then showed a much more serious and even serene expression as she spoke with a surprisingly royal tone, “I, Pinkie Pie, declare that this day be remembered as the day when our dear human friend James had been with us for a full week! May he be with us for many years to come!”

Rarity giggled for a second before retorting, “Well said, Pinkie Pie! Cheers!” In unison, we all lightly tapped our drinks together. I actually had some trouble keeping my arm steady as I was slightly overwhelmed by just how big a deal my friends were making this day.

Once the toast had been made, we all set our drinks down and resumed conversing with each other. However, Fluttershy then whispered to me, “You’ll always be with us, right? And…with me?”

I looked into my lover’s beautiful eyes and smiled. “Always, honey.” We then leaned towards each other and pressed our lips together for a kiss. By some miracle, no one seemed to notice.

“So, how’re the repairs comin’ along for our duds? They gonna be done in time for the Gala?” Applejack asked while looking towards Rarity.

Rarity replied with a dismissive motion of her hoof. “We have around eight months before the Gala! Your dress, as well as everypony else’s, will be in pristine shape by then.” I was actually rather curious to see what the dresses of all my friends looked like, but I decided to withhold any questions until the big day arrived since it would be more satisfying to see them being worn after the repairs were complete.

After some time and chitchat, the waiter brought out our meals. There was such variety that I could not honestly say what all the dishes were aside from Pinkie Pie’s sugar free choice of food. Well… All right, I suppose I can remember the entrees. Applejack had a large slice of apple cobbler, Rarity had ordered… Well, it was something with a French name. I could not tell you what it was even if I tried. Pinkie Pie had ordered…wait, I already explained earlier. Twilight had ordered grilled carrots with a side of barbeque sauce. Rainbow Dash had ordered a submarine sandwich and Fluttershy had ordered a daffodil and daisy sandwich.

Before we started eating, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Don’t worry about the price today, James. It’s all on us!”

This sudden offering caught me by surprise as I almost took a bite of my salad, making me pause just before I chomped down. “Really? You don’t have to. I can pay for myself.”

However, Rarity was quick to counter my words. “Darling, this is a special occasion! Please, allow us to treat you to this meal. After all, I feel I should at least do something to repay you for this fine piece of jewelry.” She then raised her hoof, showing off the opal-studded silver bracelet I had purchased for her a few days ago.

Pinkie Pie then let out a giggle and added, “Don’t forget me! I owe you big time for warning me about diabetes! You just might’ve saved my life! Um… At least I think you did. Can diabetes really be lethal?”

Twilight spoke before I could reply. “Yes, Pinkie. Diabetes can have fatal side effects. So yes, he probably did save you in the long run.”

The silly pink pony froze as her expression suddenly darkened. “Um… OK, now it’s starting to sink in… Wow, I really am lucky to have a friend like you, James.”

I replied with a simple nod. “Sometimes, all you need is someone with a little personal experience with something to understand how real it is. I’m just glad I didn’t wait to tell you.”

Applejack then spoke up, “Let’s save all the hugs and kisses for later. We’ve got some grub ta enjoy!” She was right. We were not waiting on anything else, so we may as well start eating. Especially those of us who ordered hot foods.

The process of eating our meals was fairly uneventful, so I will not bother going into detail. But once we finished, I am certain we were all quite satisfied. “Never knew hay fries could be so tasty.” I muttered as I set my silverware down.

“That was good eatin’, huh?” Applejack asked before suppressing a belch, clearly satisfied with her meal.

Rarity replied upon wiping her mouth with a napkin, “Quite. Dining with friends is so much more enjoyable than dining alone. The food always seems to taste better.” In unison, my friends set a pile of bits on the table. Even though they had promised to treat me to lunch, I still tossed a few bits into the pile as a tip.

“I really enjoyed myself, girls. But I should get back to work. I don’t want to end up getting fired on my first day.” I spoke up, full and ready to return to the spa.

Rainbow Dash grinned before swooping over to me and nudging my shoulder. “You mean the spa, right? Mind if I tag along?”

Rarity then asked, “You? At a spa? I never once took you for the type who is mindful of her beauty, Rainbow Dash. What changed your mind?”

I decided to beat Rainbow to the punch. “Because when Rainbow Dash isn’t tending to the clouds and weather, she’s just chilling. And what better place to relax than at a spa? Am I right?”

The rainbow-maned pegasus mare snickered under her breath. “Read me like a book!”

Pinkie Pie then spoke up, “I’ll go too! I wanna feel those ‘magic fingers’ for myself!”

Applejack then grunted while she flexed her neck. “I’ve been gettin’ a might sore from applebuckin’ all summer. Mind if I squeeze in too, pardner?”

I cracked an awkward smirk, not expecting so many of my friends to want a massage from me all in one day. “I don’t see why not. What about you two, Rarity? Fluttershy? You wanna join in?”

The unicorn and pegasus whispered to each other for a moment before nodding. Fluttershy then spoke with a smile, “I guess we could have our weekly spa visit today.”

Rarity then added, “I can hardly wait to feel those delicate fingers going to work on my shoulders! And the facial and sauna, of course. Ooh, and can’t forget the cornicure…”

I cracked a smirk at Rarity’s enthusiasm. “Get enough of those and your horn will turn into a needle! And you, Twilight?”

The purple unicorn shook her head. “I’d say once a day is good enough for me. But thanks for the offer!” The rest of us saw her off before heading back towards the spa for a group visit.

“How many customers did you get before taking your lunch break today, James?” Rarity asked as I led her and the other four ponies through the streets of Ponyville.

“Just two. The first was Twilight and the second was Scootaloo.” I replied, still wondering how the tomboy was able to escape from the playground undetected.

Rainbow Dash snickered upon hearing that filly’s name. “Scootaloo played hooky today, huh? A chip off the old block, I swear.”

Applejack rolled her eyes in clear disdain. “That ain’t exactly somethin’ to be proud of, Rainbow.”

I then decided to explain the aftermath of that visit. “Actually, I took her back to school once she was done there. Believe it or not, she told me that she snuck out of recess to see me at my new job.”

Rarity giggled at my explanation. “Well, it’s certainly touching to see one of the fillies take such a liking to you, James. Perhaps having a big brother figure will help her mellow out somewhat.” In the back of my mind, I was hoping Scootaloo would not change much. I honestly adore her tomboyish nature.

Once we reached the spa, I held the door open for my friends and lover. Aloe was seated at the front desk and asked in her strong accent, “You were gone a bit longer than expected, James. Everything all right?”

I replied honestly, “Had to carry Scootaloo back to school, but she made me stay for Show & Tell. Then I pigged out with the ladies here.”

At the mention of Show & Tell, Pinkie Pie asked, “Ooh, Show & Tell?! What’d she have to show?!”

My reply caught her by surprise. “Me. That’s what.”

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing when I said that. “Man, Scoot always knows how to pull a fast one! But wait! What’d she tell the rest of the class about you? I don’t think she knows you THAT well yet.”

I was about to explain, but paused as I noticed I was keeping myself away from my workstation. “I’ll tell you over a massage.”

As my friends followed me into the main chamber, Rarity spoke to Aloe while she passed her by. “The usual!” She and Fluttershy followed her over to the sauna while my friends headed over to the hot tub.

“I reckon a good soak’ll set me up for a massage.” Applejack spoke as she flung her hat onto a coat rack nearby. It was the first time I had ever seen her without her hat on. In all honesty, she seemed more feminine and attractive without it covering her blond hair.

“Sounds good to me. Gimme some room!” Rainbow Dash said as she dove into the tub before resurfacing and lounging in a corner.

“Me too!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she jumped in. I was amazed by just how childish the two ponies were acting. It was almost as if they were viewing this spa as a personal playground. All I could do was snort in a muffled laugh at the scene playing out before me.

Before I could ask them to be a little more civilized, Applejack spoke for me as she slowly entered the tub. “Ease up, girls. We’re all here to relax and loosen up, not ta make a mess. Right?”

While my three friends relaxed in the hot tub, I went to check on Rarity and Fluttershy. They had just come out of the sauna and their manes were tightly wrapped up in towels while wearing their personal robes. I watched as Lotus covered Rarity’s face with that pale green facial cream using a small brush in her mouth. She then did the same with Fluttershy, but only put a small amount on just her cheeks like the previous time.

I frowned, seeing that Lotus was skimping on Fluttershy’s treatment again. I approached them as Rarity and Fluttershy lied down on the raised platforms for a cornicure before looking at Lotus. “Miss Lotus, I think you made a mistake.” I then pointed at Fluttershy, “You used too little facial cream again for Fluttershy. Could you fix that please?”

My employer seemed rather embarrassed; probably due to remembering the previous time Fluttershy got a facial. “Oh dear, old habits die hard. I’ll get to that right away.” While Lotus went to fetch the facial cream again, Fluttershy reached out and touched my hand with her hoof.

“Thank you again, James. I love you.” My lover said quietly while smiling warmly.

I replied with a kiss on her cheek. “Love you too, baby. If there’s anything you need, ask Lotus or Aloe to fetch me. I’ll handle all your needs.” I then went back to my post when Lotus returned and covered up my girlfriend’s face with the facial cream.

While waiting for one of my friends to finish soaking in the hot tub, I stood by its side with an elbow on the rim. “How’s the water?” I asked, trying to pass the time with conversation.

“Just right, that’s what. Nothin’ like a good soak ta soothe your tired muscles.” Applejack said with a sigh as she rested her head on the rim near me.

Pinkie Pie let out a long yawn before looking my way. “I think I’ll be done in about five minutes. Could you give me a massage when I dry off, James?”

I nodded at her and replied, “That’s what you’re all here for, right? Of course I’ll give you one.”

The four of us chatted for a while, Applejack mentioning that she had more than 80% of Sweet Apple Acres harvested, Rainbow Dash discussing some new aerial tricks to dazzle the Wonderbolts with like the ‘Buccaneer Blaze’ or something like that, and Pinkie Pie was asking her friends if they could help her set up a special party tomorrow. But whenever I tried to get some details on said party, all three of them would tell me that it was ‘for a young couple’.

In five minutes, Pinkie Pie climbed out of the hot tub and wrapped herself in a towel. “OK, I’m ready for my massage!” She then trotted down the steps next to the hot tub and hopped up onto a massage table with a single bound.

“I can do a better job if you remove the towel, Pinkie.” I explained while watching my friend ready herself.

“Oh, right. Wouldn’t wanna miss anything!” My friend giggled as she flung the towel onto a stand nearby. She then lied down and spread out her legs for easy access.

“OK then. Don’t move and just relax.” I said as I kneeled above Pinkie Pie while being careful to not apply too much weight to her. As always, I started on her neck joints. But it took only a second for me to notice the firm and thick layers of muscle surrounding them. “Whoa… You earth ponies sure are buff, aren’t you?”

Pinkie Pie giggled and even let out a rather silly snort. “Buff? Oh, we’re just strong like that! Earth ponies are about as strong as they get in Equestria!”

Rainbow Dash then looked over the side of the hot tub and laughed, “Just make sure you keep your distance at parties when she’s dancing! One slip and you’re a new wall decoration!” I snickered under my breath, taking Rainbow’s words for granted.

I had to apply more pressure than I am used to using in order to effectively massage Pinkie Pie’s joints due to the extra muscle. But I was clearly doing it right since I heard her let out a sigh. “Ooh, that’s the spot…”

“Am I doing this right?” I asked while firmly digging my fingertips into her neck.

“Yep! Feels soooo good…” Pinkie Pie replied with a shudder. It was my assumption that she seldom got massages if she was reacting this strongly to one.

After three minutes, I moved my hands up to her cheeks. The amount of muscle up there seemed to be no different from a pegasus or unicorn. “Wow, my jaw joints too?” Pinkie asked as I began to rub them. With how much she likes to talk, laugh, and eat all sorts of tasty treats, I would assume that they could often get tense.

“Considering how much sweet stuff you eat, these must get a little sore at times.” I replied while gently kneading the joints near her cheeks.

“Not really! I gotta be careful to not pig out on sweets anymore.” She replied with a smile. She grins often too, and that can cause one’s jaw joints to become sore.

“Please refrain from talking until I’m done here. Hard to massage these when your mouth is moving…” I spoke lightly. Pinkie Pie remained silent until I spent three minutes on her jaws.

Once I had started on her shoulders, Pinkie Pie began talking again. “Hey, James? Do you have any other recipes you’d like to share with me and Mr. and Mrs. Cake?”

I thought over my response, thinking through the list of pastries I knew about. “I’ve already told you about chocolate drops and blueberry pound cakes… What else can I share? Um… I’ve got nothing right now. Want me to let you know if something comes to mind?”

“Sure! The bigger variety, the better our products!” Pinkie exclaimed with a grin.

Once I had finished with her shoulders and knees, I started on Pinkie Pie’s back. Once again, I was stunned by just how much muscle she had as it hindered my efforts to massage her joints. I had to apply even more pressure than before, but I was able to get to each vertebrae. “Mmmm… Now that feels nice… A little lower…” Pinkie Pie muttered as I steadily went down her spine.

Something I feel I should mention is a peculiar smell I had picked up once I had started massaging Pinkie Pie. It was faint, possibly because she had just soaked in a hot tub, but I could still detect it. It smelled…sweet. Almost like pastries being baked. I suppose that would make sense since she works in a bakery. I decided to say nothing to her about it, but the scent just seemed to say ‘Pinkie Pie’ to me. If I did not know better, I would say that it was her natural scent.

As I had to spend three minutes on each joint, my hands and fingers were quite sore by the time I had finished with Pinkie Pie’s back. I had lost count of how many minutes had passed after her sixth back joint, although I suspect I spent well over half an hour on it. “You earth ponies are too buff for your own good…” I grumbled, my fingers somewhat red from overuse.

I turned around so I could easily access Pinkie Pie’s flanks and hind knees and ankles. I was too frustrated to ask her if her cutie marks were sensitive as I went to work right away. It took around a minute before I realized that my fingertips were digging into the three balloons on each of her flanks. “Uh… Are you sensitive back here?” I asked, the last thing I wanted being a kick from an earth pony.

Pinkie Pie glanced over her shoulder at me and smiled. “Nopey dopey! Everything feels just peachy! Keep it up!” I breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see that not all ponies are sensitive near their cutie marks.

After another short while, I was finally complete with Pinkie Pie’s massage. “Finally… How do you feel now, Pinkie?” I asked with a sigh as I climbed down from the table.

Pinkie Pie stood up and stretched for a moment before groaning, “Wowee! That got out every last kink! I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed! Almost like I just woke up from a nap on the softest cushion!”

While Pinkie continued to spout compliments at me, I muttered under my breath. “Tell that to my hands… Almost feels like I was rubbing a brick wall for ten minutes straight…” Even though her soft coat had added some padding to my touch, my fingers and palms were a startling shade of red at the time due to the amount of force I had to use when rubbing her.

Once she had finally stopped talking and flexing, my friend reached out and nuzzled my cheek. “Thanks a lot for that, James! I’m gonna be feeling good all day now! I’ll make sure to give you a special tip for such a great job…” She paused for a moment while bringing a hoof to her chin. “What was I supposed to do after this…? Um…oh, right! I need to plan a special party for somepony, so I can’t stick around! See ya later!” She then gave me a quick hug and ran out into the lobby.

However, before she went out of sight, I called out to her. “Hey, Pinkie! Just a sec!” The pink pony stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. “Do your bosses know I work here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays now?” I had completely forgotten to discuss adjusting my workdays with the Cake couple and was afraid I might end up fired.

Pinkie Pie gulped rather loudly while giving me a rather shocked glance. “Uh oh… They don’t know! I’ll go put in a word with them right now! I’m sure Mrs. Cake would love a massage sometime! Don’t worry, just leave it to me!” She then ran out the door, leaving me grateful that she was going to speak to them on my behalf.

I took the time to rest my hands by submerging them in the hot tub where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were still soaking. The instant I felt the bubbling warm water touch my tired flesh, I winced in brief pain. But the pain quickly vanished as I felt pleasure with the water soothing my worn skin and muscles.

“Pinkie Pie all done over there, James?” Applejack asked as she moved closer to me. All I could really do was nod without saying anything. I was hoping she would not have to get out of the tub just yet.

“Well, all righty then. Y’all wanna go next, Rainbow?” Applejack asked the pegasus mare who was lounging at the other end of the hot tub.

Rainbow Dash yawned before replying, “Nah. I’m gonna soak a while longer. He’s all yours, AJ.”

Applejack then turned and smiled at me. “Then I reckon I’m up next. Does five minutes sound OK to ya, James?”

I nodded halfheartedly, hoping that she would have made it ten instead. “Yeah… Just enough time to rest my hands.” I could almost feel my hands and fingers throbbing under the surface of the water.

Once five minutes had passed, Applejack climbed out of the tub at the far end and wrapped herself in a towel. However, I was quick to notice that she had removed the ties that held her tail and mane together, with her mane in particular having spread wide across her neck and upper back. For some reason, I heard Rainbow Dash snicker at what I assume was the stare I was giving Applejack.

The farm pony seemed to hear her friend’s muffled laughter and turned to face us. She then asked, “Uh… James? You see something weird? Y’all weren’t starin’ at my haunches, were ya?”

It was then I realized that I must have been blushing. I shook my head to get my mind in order and replied, “Actually, I was looking at your mane… The way it was all wet and spread out like that while not tied was… I’ll admit that it was….. Sorry, I can’t put it into words.” In all honesty, I wanted to tell her that she looked ‘hot’ with her hair spread out like that, but knew better than to use such a term towards her for fear of suffering a bone-shattering kick.

However, Rainbow Dash seemed to know exactly what I wanted to say as she smirked and spoke, “He thinks you look hot with your mane down like that!”

Hearing those words, I raised my voice. “Rainbow…!” But Applejack could only stare with what I think was a faint blush. “Um… AJ?” I asked, uncertain of what her reaction would be.

“Well… Uh… I’m awfully flattered, James… Nopony’s ever complimented me on my looks before…” Applejack spoke as she slowly made her way down the steps and over to one of the massage tables.

When I took my hands out of the hot tub and approached Applejack while shaking the water from them, I noticed her holding a brush in her mouth. “Beggin’ yer pardon, James. But would ya mind brushin’ my mane to get all the curls out of it?”

I was relieved to not have to strain my fingers just yet as I took the brush in hand. “It would be no trouble at all, AJ.” I then let her jump up onto the massage table as I stood by her side. With long straight strokes, I brushed her mane and tail until they were as straight as possible.

While I brushed, I was somewhat amazed by just how long Applejack’s mane was. And I will be the first to admit that I find long hair on women attractive. “You have lovely hair, AJ.” I spoke softly.

The farm pony chuckled at my praise. “Aw, shucks… You don’t have ta keep complimentin’ me like that.”

I replied with a smile, “I’m just speaking my mind. Without that hat covering your hair, I think you look even better.”

Applejack smiled while she looked back at me. “Really? I reckon I should keep my hat off when I’m not on the job then.” I merely smirked whimsically at that.

Once I had gotten her mane and tail as dry and straight as possible, I asked, “Do you keep your hair tied near the end?”

My friend nodded at me and explained, “Sure do. But y’all can leave that bit to me.” She then spread herself out on the massage table. “I’m ready when you are, pardner.”

I climbed onto the massage table and straddled Applejack like my other customers that day. But before I could start massaging her, I had to push her long blond mane off to the side so it would not get in the way. “OK, AJ. Just relax and leave it to me.”

When I felt Applejack go limp under me, I gripped the base of her neck. I was expecting her to be no easier to massage than Pinkie Pie, but I was in for a surprise as I dug my fingers into her coat. “What the…” Even for an earth pony, Applejack’s body was frighteningly well toned. It felt more like I was trying to massage a professional bodybuilder!

“Somethin’ wrong back there, James? It feels like yer not even tryin’.” Applejack spoke as I struggled to dig my fingers into her flesh.

“Applejack… I can’t believe how buff you are! Would I get just as ripped as you if I did just as much applebucking as you?” I asked, not able to comprehend how a woman could be this absurdly muscular. And the crazy thing about her is that it looked like her overall muscle mass was no different from other ponies!

“Probably! Why’d ya ask?” She replied in kind. After a moment more, I tried to dig my fingers into her flesh with as much force as I could muster. My efforts paid off as I heard Applejack sigh, “Whoa… That’s the spot.”

I already wanted to not have to do anymore massaging for Applejack as my hands and fingers were sore enough from massaging Pinkie Pie. But she was my customer and friend, so I did not want to disappoint her. Once I had finished massaging the base of her neck, I cracked my knuckles and flexed my fingers to help prepare them for the rest of the job. I then reached out and began to tenderly rub her jaw joints. “Now there’s a spot I never knew needed that kinda attention.” Applejack muttered at my touch. To my relief, the muscle on her face was not nearly as firm as the rest of her body.

“Well, it is a joint. And I focus more on the joints than anything else. But if there are any particular muscles that need specific attention, let me know.” I spoke while trying to keep Applejack from speaking.

Once three minutes had passed, I went down to Applejack’s shoulders. Like the area around her neck, her muscles were shockingly firm and it was almost painful for me to apply enough pressure to push deep enough. “It almost feels like I’m massaging a two dollar steak…” I grumbled under my breath.

Applejack’s knees and ankles were easier to massage since the muscle layers around those joints are thinner. But her vertebrae… Do not even get me started on that. It felt like my job would never end as I went from joint to joint, pushing into her impossibly firm back muscles to reach them. It was so frustrating; I hardly noticed the faint scent of apple pulp and sweat lingering in her coat.

Once I had finished with her back, I rubbed my fingers together as they were now very sore. I mean they were sore once I had finished with Pinkie Pie, but now… Ugh, I do not even want to remember that pain. Fortunately, I had only a few more areas to tend to. And I was anxious to get this massage over with.

I turned around and straddled Applejack again. But as I looked down at her flanks, a potential danger came to mind. “AJ, are your cutie marks particularly sensitive to touch?”

She replied without even a second of a delay. “Nope. Knock yerself out, James.” I swear, it was almost as if she knew exactly what I was referring to.

Like her shoulders, Applejack’s flanks were amazingly toned. I have no idea how I was able to effectively massage her there for three minutes. Her knees and ankles were a welcome change to the almost rock-hard muscle I had been working with for the past hour or so. By the time I had climbed down from the massage table, my fingers and palms were almost as red as my blood. It was hard for me to even look at.

“Hooowee! That really loosened me up!” Applejack exclaimed as she hopped down from the table. She stretched and flexed the best she could, testing out her rested joints. “Ya got a knack for this line of work, James. Much obliged!”

I smiled halfheartedly and spoke with a sigh to my voice. “At least one of us enjoyed it… I mean…it was my pleasure, AJ.” I did not want her to know just how much my hands hurt at the time. Although it took a good deal of willpower to not voice my soreness and frustration.

Applejack flexed her neck before grinning at me. “I’m gonna sleep real well t’night. Oh, right. Still need to get ten bushels ready for ya over at the orchard. Feel free ta swing by when you have time today.” I nodded in agreement, remembering my promise to carry some bushels for her as a workout. The farm pony then headed out of the main chamber and into the lobby after retrieving her hat.

Like before, I went over the hot tub and leaned on the side with my tired hands soaking in the warm water. I wanted nothing more than to just stand there and let my hands heal. But I knew that Rainbow Dash was next on the list and I did not want to disappoint her. Speaking of that brash pegasus mare…

“Something wrong, James? You look beat.” Rainbow Dash asked as she came over to my side of the tub.

“You try massaging an earth pony with craggy muscles and tell me how your hooves feel afterwards…” I replied while still in some pain.

Rainbow seemed to know what was wrong since she lifted one of my hands out of the water with a hoof and looked at my palm. “Yeesh! That’s a scary shade of red you got there! Is that healthy?”

I sighed in mild exhaustion. “It means that they’ve been overworked. Badly. Please don’t touch them.”

I watched as Rainbow Dash looked my hand over with a focused gaze as if pondering something. “Well, if this happened because you were giving massages, maybe they need a massage too. Hang on a sec.” I stared in shock as she opened her mouth and placed my hand between her gaping jaws.

Expecting her to bite me, I winced as I prepared for pain. Instead, I felt what seemed to be Rainbow Dash’s teeth grinding gently against my flesh. Even more to my surprise, the feel of her teeth rubbing my sore flesh felt…..pleasant. She was massaging my hand the only way she could. And it was a very effective means to do so.

“Am I doing OK?” Rainbow Dash managed to speak with my hand in her mouth.

“That feels great, Rainbow.” I replied while feeling quite pleased. She then continued to move her jaws, changing the pressure and position of her teeth as needed. I would occasionally feel her tongue brush against me, but I paid no mind. This was truly an act of friendship I would never have expected from the most tomboyish of my friends.

Rainbow Dash spent a full ten minutes massaging my hand while my other hand soaked in the hot tub. “Feel better yet?” She asked with my hand resting in her jaws.

I pulled my hand out and moved my fingers. While they still felt somewhat inflamed, some of the soreness was gone. “It really helped, Rainbow… Thanks.” I said with a smile.

Rainbow Dash gave me a rather giddy grin. “I actually wasn’t too sure on how well that would work. But now it’s time for the other.” She then lifted my other hand from the water and took it in her mouth like before.

Another ten minutes passed as my friend massaged my hand with her teeth while my other hand soaked in the hot tub. Like before, her tongue would occasionally brush against my palm. I finally felt the need to ask. “How do I taste, Rainbow? Good enough to eat?”

She replied once she had let go of my hand, “I dunno. You don’t taste like anything I’d wanna eat.” My hand felt just as good as the other by now. I felt like I could get out a few more massages. She then asked, “You still up for that massage?”

I looked over my hands again before nodding. “Give me five more minutes and I’ll be right there. Feel free to make yourself comfortable in the meantime.” Rainbow Dash grinned and climbed out of the hot tub before wrapping herself in a towel. I watched as she walked down the steps and started reading a magazine once she hopped up onto one of the massage tables.

After a short while, I looked over my shoulder and asked without removing my hands from the hot tub, “Has it been five minutes yet, Rainbow?”

My friend looked in the direction of the closest clock and replied, “Yup! I’m all set too!” She then flung the towel that covered her onto an empty massage table and stretched out her legs.

I lifted my hands from the water and looked them over. The undersides were still fairly red, but they were not nearly as sore as before. “Much better…” I then approached Rainbow Dash and stroked her mane, “Thanks again, Rainbow. It would’ve been much harder to do a good job when my hands were that sore.”

Rainbow Dash grinned, “Anytime, James. I’m just glad that little dental treatment actually worked.” I then climbed onto the massage table and straddled the pegasus. She then asked, “Just relax. Right?” I nodded silently as she let her body go limp.

As usual, I started on the base of her neck. The amount of muscle I felt on her was almost no different from Fluttershy’s as it was quite soft and easy to work with. “They say muscle’s heavier than fat. Which means you must be a lightweight, Rainbow.” I muttered casually.

The rainbow-mane pegasus chuckled, “Ya got that right. If I worked out as much as Applejack, I probably would have a harder time flying as fast as I can now. But anyway, you promised me a chat over a massage. Right?”

I nodded as I remembered our chat on our way to the spa. “Oh, right. Sure thing. You wanted to know about what happened between me and Scootaloo, right?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, “Yeah, that’s it. Especially what happened once you got her back to school. You said something about Show & Tell?”

As I did not want to interrupt Rainbow Dash’s commenting, I decided to move onto her shoulders instead of massaging her jaws. “Well, like I said, her Show & Tell partner was I. And she showed the class…well…me.”

I heard my friend snicker, “She showed her classmates the only human in Equestria?! How’d they react?”

I replied, “Well, Diamond Tiara was still giving me the evil eye. And Silver Spoon seemed kinda scared of me. But the rest of the kids were really interested. They complimented me on my height and thought I was really strong too.”

Rainbow nodded, “Well, that’s how big guys are most of the time. The bigger they are, the stronger they are.”

I retorted with a grunt, “Heh… Yeah, right… I pale in comparison to earth ponies. But that wasn’t all she said.”

My words seemed to pique Rainbow Dash’s curiosity as she asked, “There’s more? Oh, right. What’d she have to say about you?”

I smiled as I replied, “Let me see if I can remember everything… She said that I’ve been an awesome big brother to her. And out of all the guys in Ponyville she knows, she would choose me to be her big brother. I felt pretty flattered when she said that.”

Rainbow Dash snickered, “Man, that’s awesome. Never knew the pipsqueak had taken THAT much of a shine to ya. But I can see why. You really are good with kids from what I can tell.” But she then smirked, “Come to think of it, what do her parents think of ya?”

That was a thought that never crossed my mind. “Um… Actually, I’ve never met them before.”

Rainbow then chuckled, “Me neither.” The two of us laughed in unison.

Once I had finished massaging Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, knees, ankles, and jaws, I prepared to start on her vertebrae. But before I could begin, Rainbow looked towards the doorway that led out into the lobby and pointed, “Well, look who’s here!”

I turned my head out of curiosity and found Scootaloo standing at the doorway. “Oh, hey! What’s up, Scoot?” I asked with a wave.

The little pegasus filly trotted over to us, “I just got off school and came over here to get my scooter! Whatcha up to?”

I replied as I started massaging Rainbow Dash’s back, “Just doing my job. And it’s Rainbow’s turn.”

My little sister looked up at her role model and asked, “How’s it feel, Rainbow Dash? Good enough to knock you out?”

My friend laughed, “Man, you know it! This guy really knows how to loosen up the joints!” The two of them began to chat with each other while I worked on massaging Rainbow Dash’s vertebrae.

I was about halfway done with Rainbow’s back when I heard Scootaloo speak my name. “James? You’re still gonna come by the clubhouse in a while, right?”

I looked down at her and nodded, “Sure thing. I’ll ask my bosses if I can head out once I finish with Rarity and Fluttershy.”

Scootaloo grinned, “Awesome! I’ll see ya there! Later, Rainbow Dash!” The two of us waved goodbye as the filly trotted out of sight. Just before we heard the front door shut, the sound of a small motor buzzing was heard.

“I swear that Scootaloo is the ground based version of you.” I said to Rainbow Dash as the sound of Scootaloo’s flapping faded out of earshot.

The pegasus mare nodded, “She’s a regular speed demon on that scooter.”

Once I had finished with Rainbow Dash’s back, I remembered to massage her wings. “Almost forgot. Could you extend your right wing please?” I asked as I climbed down from the table.

“Oh yeah, these could really use that.” Rainbow replied as she extended her right wing.

I felt along the wing’s bone structure, checking to make certain that I remembered where the joints were. But as I felt along it, I noticed that Rainbow Dash’s wing was coated in feathers and not fur. How does a pony grow both hair and feathers? I doubt even she could answer that question. But another question popped into my head. “Rainbow, do pegasi ever have to preen?”

She replied, “Nah. We might have feathers, but we’re not birds. But we do molt! Just not all at once. I wouldn’t be able to get outta my own house if all my feathers just dropped off one day!”

I chuckled at Rainbow Dash’s response, but I then paused for a moment. “Wait a sec… Where IS your house? And how would being unable to fly make getting to and from it a problem?”

She snickered, “Well, if your house floated in the sky and you ended up losing all your feathers overnight, just how would you get down to the ground or even fly places?!” Of course. Pegasi originate from the city of clouds, Cloudsdale. Which more than likely means Rainbow Dash’s own house is made of clouds too.

Without further delay, I began to carefully knead the flesh around the joints of Rainbow Dash’s wings. She shuddered at my touch, “Oooh, yeah…. That’s the spot.” Considering that she is almost always airborne when I see her, Rainbow’s wings must get a lot of use on a daily basis and therefore must frequently get quite tense.

I worked on each of the wing’s two joints for six minutes each due to how tense they were. Once I released my grip, Rainbow Dash flexed it as far as she could. “Next wing, please.” I asked. In response, Rainbow folded her right wing and extended her left. I walked to the other side of the table and repeated the process.

“How’d I do?” I asked once I had finished massaging Rainbow Dash’s left wing.

My friend flexed her wing as best she could before folding it. “Man, that feels awesome. Anything else left to massage?”

I replied as I climbed back onto the massage table while facing the opposite direction. “All that’s left are your flanks, hind knees, and ankles.” But before I could start, I remembered how sensitive Fluttershy’s cutie marks were as she was also a pegasus like Rainbow Dash. “Um… Are your cutie marks particularly sensitive in any way?”

Her response surprised me. “Yeah, they’re super sensitive to touch! One good poke turns me on in no time flat. Feel free to massage them all you want.”

I could hardly believe that Rainbow Dash WANTED me to touch her pleasure point. “You’re…uh…kidding me, right?”

She shook her head, “Nope! Go ahead!”

I looked down at her lightning bolt-shaped cutie marks, wondering if this was a good idea. But when I looked up, I saw that the hot tub was right across from me. And looking over the side was Rarity and Fluttershy. Their faces seemed to say ‘What are you doing?’ which prompted a nervous chuckle from me. “Uh… This isn’t what it looks like, ladies…”

Rainbow Dash looked back and asked, “Whatcha waiting for? Go ahe… Uh…” I could tell she was also nervous just by looking at her face. After a moment of awkward silence, Rainbow Dash responded to our friends’ staring with hysterical laughter. “OK, OK, you don’t have to massage those…” She then muttered quietly so only I would hear her, “This time.”

Not wanting to make Fluttershy jealous, I carefully kneaded the flesh on Rainbow Dash’s flanks while taking great care to not touch her cutie marks. And once I had finished with those, I wrapped up the massage with her knees and ankles. “So, how was your first massage from a human, Rainbow?” I asked as I hopped down from the table.

Rainbow Dash stood up and stretched every part of her body. “Whoa… That really loosened me up. You think we can do this again sometime?” She then whispered, “I really wanna know what it’s like to have gentle fingers touch my cutie marks sometime.” I sighed and nodded, unable to understand my friend’s overly brazen nature.

“Awesome! Thanks again, James! I’ll see ya around!” Rainbow Dash said with a smile before trotting out the front door of the spa.

All that was left was Rarity and Fluttershy. I turned to face the two mares and asked, “I hope you didn’t get any ideas from watching that. But in any case, who goes first?”

The two friends quietly discussed their answer between each other before Rarity smiled, “We have decided that I shall go first and that you get to massage Fluttershy last. Does that sit well with you?”

I nodded, “The best for last, eh? Sounds good to me.” However, this seemed to coax a mischievous gaze from Rarity.

“The best for last? Are you saying I’m not as fabulous as Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. I could tell just by looking at her that she was merely teasing me.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that Fluttershy is my girlfriend, so…” I replied, trying to find the right words to avoid offending my friend. I suppose I could view such an outlook as being biased, but you can only understand that feeling when you are in love. How that one special someone seems more important and beautiful to you than anyone else.

Fortunately, Rarity giggled, “Oh, darling. I was merely having fun with you. Of course I know what you meant! Nopony is more precious to you than your betrothed.” This prompted a blush from Fluttershy.

As Rarity climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel, Fluttershy whispered to me, “Are you sure you can handle anymore massages? I’m sure your hands must be a little worn out by now.”

I replied with a smirk, “You don’t know the half of it.” I revealed the undersides of my hands to her, which were still an unpleasant red hue. Fortunately, they were not quite as sore as before.

The sight of my red palms shocked Fluttershy as she gasped, “They… They look like they must hurt!” She then gave me a concerned gaze as she spoke softly, “I can’t have you give me a massage when they’re that sore. Please, let’s wait for another day.”

I looked back down at my hands and back to her before smiling, “Thanks, honey. I’ll give you the massage tomorrow. My hands should be fine by then. Does tomorrow evening sound OK?”

Fluttershy nodded, “That sounds perfect. It’ll be just the two of us, right?” I nodded in response while giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Not wanting to keep Rarity waiting, I turned and followed my former landlord to the massage table. Once she had cast aside her towels and sprawled herself out onto the table, I climbed onto it and straddled her. “Same as last time, Rarity?”

She nodded, “Absolutely, darling. Do whatever you have to.” She was completely relaxed under me as I began to massage her neck.

“So, what’s it been like since I moved out?” I asked while gently kneading her flesh.

Rarity sighed, “Well… It has certainly been duller than before without your company. I’m still getting used to not finding you sleeping in the side room when I wake up in the morning.”

I felt somewhat guilty for leaving Rarity all alone by moving in with Fluttershy. I was about to apologize, but she asked, “But enough about me. How was your first night with Fluttershy?”

I replied, “It was great… I loved sleeping out there surrounded by nature. Fluttershy’s house is my dream home.”

Rarity giggled, “I see. So you prefer a more natural environment. I’m sorry to say that such themes do not suit me.”

The two of us continued to casually chat for the next forty-five minutes or so until I finished massaging her vertebrae. “Whoa. Done already? Time sure flies.” I muttered, amazed that I was already done with Rarity’s upper and middle body.

“It’s easy to lose track of time when lost in conversation with a dear friend, darling.” Rarity replied with a smile. I then turned around and faced her rear while remaining on my knees. Before I could ask, Rarity spoke, “Mind my cutie marks, James. I’d rather not be touched there while others are watching.” Fluttershy was watching from the hot tub and giggled at those words.

“Perish the thought.” I spoke as I began to massage her flanks. I took great care to make certain that my fingertips never touched the three diamonds on her flanks, being even more cautious as I massaged the areas between them.

The final minutes of the massage were fairly uneventful as I finished with Rarity’s flanks, knees, and ankles. “Did I miss anything, Rarity?” I asked as I hopped down from the table.

The beautiful unicorn stood up and stretched thoroughly. “Mmmmm… Fabulous job as always, James. I’ll be certain to leave a sizable tip for your efforts.” Rarity then turned to face Fluttershy, who was walking down the steps next to the hot tub.

“Was James as good as the last time?” She asked Rarity while removing her towel.

“Oh, more than good. Simply superb! I would take those hands over Quake’s muscles any day!” Rarity replied with some of her dramatic flair.

As the two friends chatted with each other a moment longer, my gaze turned to face the clock. Much to my shock, it was already past 5 PM. “I had completely forgotten just how long a full-body massage can take with these ponies.” I muttered quietly.

I followed Fluttershy and Rarity to the front desk as I had a question for the spa sisters. Aloe was seated at the desk and took the two mares’ payment for the services. Before they could leave, I asked, “Excuse me, Aloe. But when does my shift end again?”

My employer glanced at the clock and smiled while speaking in her heavy accent, “You may head out now, if you wish. You’ve done a fine job on your first day and we’re looking forward to seeing you again in two days.” She then handed me my payment for the day. It almost seemed to amount to the payment I received from Applejack after my first and only time of helping out at Sweet Apple Acres.

“Much obliged, Aloe. I’ll see you and Lotus again soon.” I said my goodbyes and headed out the front door with Rarity and Fluttershy by my sides.

“Are you on your way to help Applejack again?” Rarity asked once we were outdoors.

“Yeah. I just hope she remembered the set out ten bushels of those apples for me. I could use the exercise.” I replied. It would also make for some extra pocket change.

Fluttershy smiled, “Just be careful to not overdo it, dear. Will you be coming home afterwards?”

I nodded, “Absolutely. Though I still have to attend that meeting with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But I’ll head home right after that.”

Fluttershy reared up on her hind legs and embraced me with her forelegs. “OK then. Don’t work yourself too hard.” I responded in kind with a warm embrace of my own.

I heard Rarity giggle, “It seems I was right. You two really are just darling together.” The two of us blushed in unison.

I waved goodbye to my friend and lover and began to head west towards Sweet Apple Acres. But along the way, I looked down at my hands. They were still somewhat red and swollen. The thought of picking up a heavy bushel of apples made me wince. There was no way I would be able to carry something so heavy without feeling harsh pain. After some thought, I decided to pay a visit to Twilight Sparkle. She, of all unicorns, must surely know of a spell that can help soothe swollen flesh.

It did not take me long to reach the library. As Pinkie Pie was nowhere nearby, I had to manually check to see if anyone was near the front door by peeking through a window. What I saw shocked me. Sitting in a corner with a few large books was Diamond Tiara. “Her? In a library? Since when?”

I ducked low to avoid bumping my head as I entered the library. Diamond Tiara glanced over at me for a moment before going right back to reading one of the thick books that sat beside her. As Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be seen, I tried looking upstairs.

As I was expecting, Twilight was upstairs while looking over a book herself. “Evening, Twi. Still feeling good from that massage?” I asked as I approached her.

She turned to face me and smiled, “Oh, I’m still feeling great. The effect from those massages last a while.”

I then asked, “Twilight… This probably isn’t any of my business, but do you know Diamond Tiara is downstairs reading?”

The purple unicorn nodded, “Yeah, she needed help looking for some law books. I have no idea what she needs them for though, but she doesn’t seem to be up to any trouble.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Law books? What, is she in training to be a lawyer someday?” Someone as mean as Diamond Tiara would make for a very corrupt lawyer, which made me fear for my future.

“I really doubt she has the dedication to be a lawyer. But in any case, can I help you with something?” Twilight spoke as she approached me.

I nodded, “Yes. See these? I was hoping you know of a spell that can help them heal faster.” I showed her the undersides of my hands.

Twilight winced at the shade of red my palms were. “Ugh… I’ve never seen anything so swollen before… Well, except for Pinkie Pie’s tongue after she touched some Poison Joke. But I think I can help you.” She then lowered her head until her horn was pointed at my hands. “Keep them close together, please.”

I held out my hands while keeping them close together with the palms facing her horn. Twilight grunted as her horn was engulfed in a billowing aura. I froze as I saw an aura of the same color coat my hands. But my uneasiness was soon erased as I felt the dull soreness in my hands rapidly fading away. In another moment, the aura faded as Twilight sighed, “Phew… Haven’t used that spell in a while. Do they feel any better?”

I looked at my palms and felt relief, as they were no longer an unsightly shade of red. “Just what I needed. Thanks again, Twilight.”

My friend grinned, “It’s the least I could do in return for that amazing massage today. Just take care of yourself. And tell Fluttershy hi for me when you get home.”

The two of us shared a tender embrace before I went downstairs and out the front door. But before I left, I noticed that Diamond Tiara had a sinister smirk on her face while reading. Just what in the world was in that book?

I wasted no time in heading southwest towards Sweet Apple Acres. When I arrived, I was fairly surprised to find Applejack with her hat off while waiting for me in front of the barn. “Howdy, James! Just in time!” She called out once she noticed me approaching her.

“What happened to your hat, AJ?” I asked once I was right next to her.

Her response surprised me. “Well, y’all said I looked better without it, so I took it off once I was done applebuckin’ fer the day.” She then twirled her ponytail, showing it off.

“Heh. You really do look prettier without it obstructing your hair. But in any case, are those bushels ready?” I replied with a grin.

“Yup! Right this way.” Applejack replied, leading me out into the orchard. We did not go very far before we came across ten bushels of apples packed together. “This far enough fer ya?”

I nodded, “Just far enough, AJ. May I get started?”

Applejack nodded in response, “Sure thing. I’ll keep the barn doors open fer ya so you won’t have any trouble gettin’ ‘em in.” As she headed on back towards the barn, I rubbed my hands together before grabbing a bushel at its sides. The bushels were just as heavy as I recalled, but I only had ten to carry this time. Surely they would not be too difficult to carry.

I waddled back and forth between the barn and orchard. While certainly tiring, I was at least not soaked with sweat once I had carried the tenth bushel into the barn. “That was a pretty good workout.” I muttered as I caught my breath.

“Y’all did a swell job of that, James. Keep it up and ya just might be able ta work here fulltime! Lemme go grab yer pay.” I watched as Applejack trotted off towards the farmhouse in the distance.

As I rested against the side of the barn, I looked at the sky as it had begun to go from blue to orange. But before long, a familiar voice spoke up from just beside me. “OK, blank flank. I’ve finally found a way to make you give my cutie mark back.” I looked down and found Diamond Tiara glaring at me by my feet.

“You again… What new half-baked trick do you have in mind this time?” I asked, finally starting to get annoyed by her hopeless grudge against me.

Diamond Tiara smirked, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt you or anything. I’m just here to warn you of something. You remember those books I was reading?” I nodded in silence. “Well, those were books that had info on the laws of Equestria. And you wanna know what I found is illegal?”

I asked, “Is wearing pants illegal in Equestria?”

The schoolyard bully retorted with a menacing grin, “It’s illegal for humans and ponies to have sexual relationships together… Um…whatever ‘sexual’ means.”

I felt a sudden chill go down my spine at this revelation. “You’re…serious?” I asked, not certain if Diamond Tiara was bluffing or if she was being honest.

She nodded, “Yeah, can you believe that? Humans have never lived in Equestria before and there’s still a law that applies to them! I couldn’t believe my luck when I read that! And if you want to check the book yourself, it’s on page 83.”

I could hardly believe it myself. And I strongly doubted any of my friends were aware of the law either. “And what’s the penalty for committing this crime?” I asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

The filly responded with a confident smirk. “Death. For both parties.”

I felt my blood chill. If word got out about my relationship with Fluttershy… The thought of my lover with her head under a guillotine flashed through my mind. I was hardly worried about myself. But dear Fluttershy on death row? I could not allow that. She, more than anyone I know, does not deserve such a fate.

Diamond Tiara was clearly enjoying my display of horror as she smirked, “I’m not lying, you know. It’s a real law. What would happen if Princess Celestia learned of what you’ve been doing with Miss Fluttershy?” She then smiled calmly, “I’ll be fair. You’ve got until this time tomorrow to make your decision. If you won’t give me my cutie mark back by then, your relationship with Miss Fluttershy goes public. Until then, Mr. James.” She then turned and headed back towards Ponyville, leaving me alone.

I was still reeling from the information even after Diamond Tiara was no longer in sight. Fluttershy and I had committed a felony-level crime. But I could not return that bully’s cutie mark if she was blackmailing me. I would never surrender to a bully like that. But as I pondered what I was going to do, a thought flashed through my mind.

“Wait a second…” I muttered out loud. I then chuckled, “How would she even contact Celestia in the first place?! All the way up there in Canterlot?! What, she gonna hike all the way up that mountain? The only person in town who can contact Celestia is Twilight! And there’s no way she would ever rat me and Fluttershy out in…a…report…”

A sickening sensation of dread filled my mind as I felt my stomach churn. Twilight had already sent a report to Celestia explicitly stating that Fluttershy and I had become a couple. I could even remember her speaking the words aloud while she wrote the report. And if the princess had not sent a reply all day, she was more than likely pondering what to do with us. Which meant….. I gritted my teeth as I yelled, “Oh ssshhhhhhh…. Deerrr… Geh….. GAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

A voice spoke from behind me after my brief tantrum, “What’s gotten into ya, James? I’m not even gone five minutes and yer already getting’ this impatient?” I turned and found Applejack standing before me with five bits balancing on the tip of her muzzle.

“Uh… You didn’t see anything.” I muttered, rather embarrassed that she had watched me snap like that.

“Right, right, none of my business anyway. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Anyway, here’s yer pay! Five bits!” She replied as I placed my payment in my pocket.

Before I said anything, my thoughts went back to Fluttershy. Our love for each other was illegal and we were now in danger of being arrested. And if we were arrested… “AJ… I have a favor to ask of you.”

The farm pony nodded, “Sure thing, pardner. What can I do ya for?”

I frowned, “Could you please head over to the Cutie Mark Crusader’s clubhouse and let the girls know I won’t be able to attend today? Something very important has come up and it can’t wait. And please tell Scootaloo that I am especially sorry that I couldn’t see her this evening.”

Applejack nodded with a faint smile, “Ya did seem pretty stressed out when I got back. Well, all right. I’ll let ‘em know you’ve got business ta tend to. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“Thanks again, AJ. Now, I’ve really gotta get going. See ya around.” I waved goodbye as I headed back towards Ponyville. I had to act fast before it got too late outside.

I went straight back to the library and entered without even bothering to check if anyone was about to come outside. “Who?” Owlowiscious hooted as I closed the door behind me.

“Not now, Dr. Who. I don’t have time to chat.” I replied as I noticed that the same books Diamond Tiara had been looking through were right where she left them. One was still open, so I assumed that was the book she had found the information in. I reached down and found that it was open to page 83. And in the third paragraph from the top was the very law she had warned me about. “The act of sexual intercourse between a human and pony… Felony… Punishable by…death penalty…”

I felt my legs becoming weak as I now knew for certain that Diamond Tiara’s threat was not a bluff….. No. Not just a bluff. The rulers of Equestria already knew of my crime. Fluttershy and I would be put on trial and then executed. But if they could not arrest and get the truth out of BOTH guilty parties…

A plan formed in my head. I knew how to keep Fluttershy safe. I left the library swiftly and began to look around for specific stores.

I went to a local clothing store and purchased a pair of saddlebags to be worn against my hips. But as they were connected by a strap that was meant to lie on top of a pony’s back, I had to purchase a belt to connect them so they would not fall while I stood upright.

My next destinations were the various food carts that littered Ponyville’s streets. I purchased as much food as I could that would not spoil easily while taking care to leave enough room in my saddlebags for more gear. My next stop was a store that sold various kitchen appliances. I only purchased one item though. A large steel pot lid. Why? Well, read on and see.

My final stop was a store that specialized in camping equipment. I purchased cooking gear for use with campfires, a compass, a sleeping bag that I could actually fit in that came with its own carrying bag, and a beauty of a survival knife. The blade was an impressive ten inches in length and came with its own sheathe. I could go on about it as I have long had a fascination with swords and other bladed weapons, but I digress.

I was ready. I had all I needed. But it was too soon to put my plan into action yet. And what was more… I wanted to spend one last evening with the woman I love. Hoping she would not inquire as to why I needed all this gear, I made my way home towards the edge of the Everfree Forest.

The sun was beginning to set once I reached the edge of the meadow at the western edge of Ponyville. As I approached Fluttershy’s cottage, many thoughts filled my mind. What should I tell her? Should she know that she is a wanted criminal? I felt dazed, scared to death of what Celestia would do to her.

Once I came close enough, I saw Fluttershy tending to the various baby rabbits we had gathered up a few days earlier. I stopped in my tracks. More than anything, I was afraid of her finding out about our predicament. “Keep a straight face… Don’t give any impression that something is wrong…” I muttered to myself as I approached my lover.

The rabbits had begun to scatter as I drew near. “Such sweet little angels.” I heard Fluttershy mutter as they hopped about. But once she looked my way, she suddenly went airborne and gave me the most joyous grin I had seen all day. “James! Welcome home.” She flew over to me and embraced me while still remaining airborne.

“Hey there, honey. How’re the kids?” I asked as I hugged her back.

Fluttershy giggled, “They’re doing fine. You just saw them all a second ago, didn’t you?”

I nodded, “Yeah. Still a bunch of adorable little critters.”

Fluttershy kissed me on the cheek, but then she seemed to notice the various supplies I had picked up back in town. “James, what is all this? Saddlebags, food, a pot lid and…a knife?”

I shrugged, “You never know. In any case, let me go put this stuff away.” I went inside our cottage and unloaded my luggage onto the sofa that rested near the stairs. But just before I could turn around, I felt the gentle breeze caused by wings flapping as I detected Fluttershy hovering just behind me. “Uh… Fluttershy?” I asked, curious of why she was so close to me at the time.

My lover was hovering just above and behind me. “Uh… Am I too close?” She asked while moving backwards.

I turned to face her and replied, “No, I have nothing against you getting so close to me. But…it’s not like you to be this…um…clingy.”

Fluttershy slowly lowered herself to the floor and blushed, “I…just wanted to be near you…” I cocked my head to one side slightly. I knew that we are lovers and probably always will be, but was still puzzled as to why she was staying so close to me.

She explained further, “It’s just… I’ve always had friends and others who respect me. But I never imagined I would ever have a boyfriend… We’ve only been together for a couple of days now, but I still feel…so happy around you. Being near you fills me with a type of warm fuzzy feeling that I never got from being around anypony else. And…I wish I could feel it all the time.”

Fluttershy’s words melted my heart. I knew she adores me, but for her to come out of her shell that easily when it was just the two of us was quite impressive. However, this also served to make it more difficult for me to go through with my plan.

I approached my lover and got down on one knee. “If you want to feel that way all the time, I’ll gladly stay with you forever.” I tenderly cupped her face as I spoke those words.

“Forever…? Really?” Fluttershy asked with tears forming in her eyes. I answered with a kiss on her lips. In response, she closed her eyes to squeeze the tears out and embraced me so tightly; I suspected she might have been exercising frequently at Sweet Apple Acres.

The following hours were of little extravagance. Until the sun went down, the two of us tended to the various animals that lived near our home. The baby bunnies I had helped round up a few days earlier even seemed to remember me as they swarmed around me while Fluttershy hovered nearby to not get in their way. They even clambered all over me when I lied down in the grass.

The apples I had purchased from Applejack that day were put to use in our dinner. Fluttershy had baked several apple strudels for us. While it was certainly odd to eat pastries for dinner, I did not complain, as they were quite tasty. I have never even been a big eater of apple treats to begin with!

Once we had finished dinner, I headed upstairs to bathe for the night. For some reason, I never heard Fluttershy knock on the bathroom door once to ask to join me. I thought for sure after the previous night she would always want to bathe with me. But in hindsight, it was probably for the best. I was having a great deal of difficulty keeping my willpower up to go through with my plan. If I faltered and gave into my heart’s desires, it would mean disaster for us both.

My shower was without any unusual happenings. I slipped on my boxers once I had finished drying off and peeked out through the bathroom door. Fluttershy was resting on our bed while reading what seemed to be a slip of paper. “Whatcha reading, dear?” I asked as I took a seat on the bed next to her. The only source of light in the room was an old-fashioned lantern that rested on a shelf next to Fluttershy’s side of the bed.

Fluttershy looked at me and smiled, “I was just looking over your journals. You put a lot of effort and detail into these.”

I think I felt myself blush at her words. “My journal?” I looked over her shoulder to read the sheet of paper. “Yes, you read that right….. Look out below… I won’t bite…” Fluttershy had been reading the journal entry chronicling my first day in Equestria. “Where did you even find these?” I asked, as I kept them well hidden from others.

The timid pegasus giggled, “I got curious about your belongings, so I took a peek in them while you were in the bathroom. They’re very fun to read. I’m enjoying them. May I read the rest later?”

I was actually quite flattered that she felt I was doing a good job in how I was detailing the daily events of my first week in Ponyville. “Well… Sure. Go right ahead, if you think they’re that good.”

Fluttershy smiled, but then yawned. “Thank you, James. But it’s getting late… May we go to sleep now?”

I nodded as I pulled the covers over both of us. “Sounds good to me. Good night, honey.”

My lover giggled once she blew out the flame in the lantern, “Sweet dreams, James. I love you so much.”

I kissed her on the ear as she had her back to me. “I love you too, Fluttershy. More than you know.”

I would have gone to sleep right there, but I had other plans. I waited patiently for Fluttershy to start snoring before whispering, “Fluttershy? Honey?” When she did not respond, I knew she was fast asleep.

With no one to interfere, I began to prepare. I slid on the blue jeans Rarity had woven for me, but opted to wear the t-shirt I had worn that day instead of the Hawaiian-style shirt the lovely unicorn had made to go with my pants. Once my socks and shoes were on, I snuck downstairs as quietly as possible. I then snatched a writing quill and a blank scroll from a shelf next to the sofa and began to write. Before I could leave, Fluttershy had to know.

“This is for your eyes only, Fluttershy. If you are reading this, I am gone. It has come to my attention that our actions as a couple are highly illegal and even punishable with the death penalty. What is worse, Princess Celestia has been made aware of our illegal activities by a report sent from Twilight Sparkle. Please do not fault her, as I am sure even she was not aware that the law even exists. I am sure that by the time you have started reading this, Celestia will have dispatched her guards to arrest us. If that is the case, you must gather our friends and try to convince Celestia to grant us a pardon. If she is as… No. I am very sure that she is as wise and understanding as I have heard. She will surely grant us her consent. I just know she will. However, the possibility that she will not remains. I can’t take chances with this matter, Fluttershy. Not when your life is at stake. I am hiding out in the Everfree Forest. I have heard nothing but bad things about that place, so I am sure even the local law enforcement officials will not dare set foot into it. If Celestia… No. When Celestia gives us her blessings, please come find me so I know it is safe to return. It may be wise to ask Rainbow Dash to do the job due to her speed. But if, and this is a very unlikely if, if Celestia refuses to pardon us, claim innocence. If they cannot arrest both guilty parties, they will not be able to effectively try you in court. You will be safe if they cannot arrest us both. But I pray that will not be the case. I love you, Fluttershy. And I cannot bear the thought of you under a guillotine. I shall be waiting for Celestia’s decision in the Everfree Forest. I am placing my faith in you and our friends. With love, James.”

I tied a string around the center of the scroll once I had rolled it up. I then left it at the base of the stairs so that Fluttershy would surely notice it once she came downstairs in the morning. I then went over to the supplies I had purchased that day and strapped on my saddlebags. I then slid a strap through the hole in the steel pot lid’s handle and began to tie numerous more straps to it while securing them around my left forearm. Once I was done, the pot lid was tightly secured to the side of my forearm, allowing me to effectively use it as a makeshift shield. It was almost as big around as a beach ball, so it covered a fairly large area too. Yes, I know a pot lid makes for a poor defensive tool. But from what I know, Ponyville does not have armories. So I had to make due with the resources that were available.

I wore the survival knife I had purchased across my chest so I could easily draw it with either hand when needed, although I am right-handed and therefore would hold it with my right hand. But even after I had gathered up all my gear, going out through the front door was the biggest challenge for me. More than anything, I wanted to take off all my gear, go back upstairs, and climb in bed with Fluttershy and sleep with her in my arms. It pained me to leave the woman I loved, even though it was to keep her safe. It took several minutes for me to muster the willpower I needed to reach out, grasp the doorknob, and push the door open.

“Please be safe, honey…” I can distinctly remember muttering as I closed the door behind me. I think I felt a tear trickle down my face. I had to get as far away from Ponyville as possible. And the ‘unnatural’ Everfree Forest would make for the perfect hideout.

I walked north, finding the imposing forest to be surprisingly close to Fluttershy’s cottage. There was even an obvious path that led into the forest. But wait. If a path is obvious, some of the braver investigators might follow it a short distance into the forest. I had to stay off the path and venture into the dense trees if I was to remain undetected the following day. Before entering the forest, I turned around and took one last look at the cottage where my lover was sleeping soundly.

I am writing this from within my sleeping bag. I found a few flowering bushes no fewer than five minutes into Everfree Forest. They seemed like a safe place to rest, so here I am. My sleeping bag even comes with a flap that is connected to the top of the bag with a zipper. A wire mesh allows the person inside to see out while remaining completely covered. The bag is snug, but it is doing its job well.

…..I have never run away from home before. I pray this will be the last time I do so. My first week in Ponyville has ended, yet I am already facing a major crisis. Dear lord… May this ordeal end on a happy note. That is all I ask.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi5AzLzCj9k

Where do I even begin on this entry….

The moment I awoke, I had to remind myself that I was no longer in Ponyville. What was more, I had to remind myself that it was no longer safe for me to be there. I am on the run from the law. Celestia knows of my illegal romance with Fluttershy. If we are both arrested, we will both receive the guillotine.

I snacked on a few leftover apple strudels that Fluttershy had baked for us the previous night. But the more I ate, the worse I felt. The sweet taste of apples brought to mind my friend Applejack. I almost always saw her first thing after leaving home to go to work. And the strudel itself had been made by Fluttershy…..

I had to catch myself as I began to tear up. More than anything, I could not believe that I was no longer with Fluttershy. The mare I love. I was certain Celestia would grant us a pardon, but the possibility that she would stick with the law was still there. Once I had finished my breakfast, I packed up my gear and prepared to head deeper into the Everfree Forest.

But before I went any further, I paused. Fluttershy’s cottage was still very close by. Perhaps I could peek out from the forest to see her. But there was also the possibility that Celestia’s royal soldiers were already combing the area while searching for me. The risk was high, but I wanted to see my beloved again so dearly…

I made up my mind as I began to head south towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. I knew that Fluttershy was surely awake by now and tending to her precious animals. It took only five minutes or so for me to reach the edge of the forest, but I was careful to stay off the main path. When I did reach the edge, I stayed concealed behind a bush to make certain no one would see me.

Much to my pleasure, I saw Fluttershy indeed going about her morning duties right outside her cottage. She did not seem to suspect anything was wrong, leading me to believe she had not yet read the message I had written before leaving her home the previous night. However, she would occasionally look around, even going airborne to get a better view of the area around her. I suspected that she was worried of why she did not wake up to find me next to her and was hoping I would appear soon. I oh so desperately wanted to call out to the beautiful pegasus mare, but I restrained myself knowing that it would only make it harder for me to distance myself from her.

After some time had passed, I saw my lover go back inside her cottage. But not before looking over her shoulder to see if I was heading her way. I waited several minutes, not moving an inch. The front door to the cottage suddenly flew open before I saw Fluttershy dash down the path that led towards the meadow with a scroll in her mouth. Just after crossing the earthen bridge that spans the creek near her house, Fluttershy stumbled and fell. Instead of immediately climbing to her feet, she just lied there with her face buried in her forelegs.

She was crying. There was no other possible reason for why Fluttershy had her face buried in her arms…I mean forelegs. And the scroll that was now on the ground before her. It was surely the message I wrote. The fact that Fluttershy was reacting so strongly to my departure helped erase any doubts I had of her as she was clearly distressed that I was gone. She loves me dearly and her weeping was proof.

I wanted nothing more than to rush out of the forest and comfort my lover. But I could not. It took a massive amount of willpower to keep myself rooted to the spot. Fortunately, a familiar pink earth pony came trotting along. It was Pinkie Pie. I recognize that pink poofy mane and tail anywhere. I immediately guessed that she had come looking for me since I was supposed to head over to Sugarcube Corner for work at that time and I was probably late.

Pinkie Pie quickly went to Fluttershy’s aid, tapping her on the shoulder while appearing to say something to calm the weeping pegasus. Fluttershy slowly turned her face up at her friend before replying and pointing to the scroll that was now next to Pinkie Pie’s hooves. Pinkie then held the scroll down with one hoof and unrolled it with the other. She spent the next minute or two reading it over before apparently flipping out. While she never once seemed to cry, her erratic movements showed that she too was extremely concerned for me. She then helped Fluttershy to her feet and patted her on the shoulder while probably giving her words of reassurance, considering how optimistic Pinkie Pie tends to be. Fluttershy seemed to nod in response. Pinkie then pointed towards Ponyville just before the two of them went running off in its direction with Pinkie Pie carrying my message in her mouth. Just before turning to retreat back into the forest, I muttered softly, “It’s all up to you, girls…”

I am not really certain how much time passed after I turned back and headed deeper into the Everfree Forest. I had no means to tell time and the thick canopy made it hard to check the position of the sun. But my biggest problem was the symptoms of separation anxiety I was suffering at the time, which are not symptoms I am prone to feeling. I had never gone so long without being with those I hold dear since arriving in Equestria. And it was an emotional hell for me. I would occasionally tear up without warning and it took a massive amount of willpower to keep myself from running back towards Ponyville. Knowing what you want and knowing that it is very easy to access it while also knowing you should not is nothing less than an exercise in restraint.

All I could really do to stop myself from becoming overwhelmed by my anxiety was to just take in the sights and sounds around me. I let my curiosity take over as I trekked through the dense forest. The vegetation of the Everfree Forest differed from what I had seen so far. Compared to the many trees I saw in and around Ponyville, the trees and shrubs of the forest looked much more exotic. Some trees appeared to be willows due to their branches drooping low.

Another trait I found unusual about the Everfree Forest was its wildlife. There were various snakes, birds, and even bats. But they all kept their distance from me. I began to suspect that unlike the wildlife around Ponyville, which are borderline tame, the wildlife that dwell in the Everfree Forest are completely…..well…wild. Of course, this did not bother me since all wildlife back on Earth are the exact same way.

Some time later, I came across a patch of flowers growing in a small clearing with a little sunlight shining through a gap in the canopy. But what caught my eye the most was their coloration. Every single part of the flowers was blue. I can recall mumbling, “I’ve heard of blue roses, but never blue…whatever you call these.” The flowers strongly resembled a type of tropical flower in form, but the name of the type of flower eludes me. I also am not particularly knowledgeable in the field of botany, so I could not effectively describe the form of the flower even if I tried.

I got down on one knee and gently stroked the petals of one of the flowers. The scent was peculiar as it was unlike anything I had ever smelled…. Why am I writing about an unimportant blue flower? Moving on.

I suspect at least two hours passed before I came to an area within the forest that I was not expecting. Spread out over a vast area were numerous muddy pools of water separated by thin strips of land. Bubbles were constantly rising to the surface and popping. Many mangrove trees were all over the place, the majority growing out of the muddy bog itself near the shorelines. Due to them not growing out in the middle of the bog, the sky was completely visible and unobstructed.

As I slowly entered the bog while minding my feet, I noticed large numbers of frogs in the area that seemed to be as large as my hand. For some reason, the sight of so many frogs brought to mind one name. “Froggy Bottom Bog.”

When I muttered those words, I gasped as I remembered what the Cutie Mark Crusaders had told me once. A hydra resides near or in Froggy Bottom Bog. But when I glanced around, I saw no sign of anything large or potentially dangerous. No large footprints. No slender trails in the mud that might be left by a serpent. Even the frogs seemed calm and showed no signs of being aware of a predator being in the area. “Maybe the hydra only comes by here occasionally. Or maybe it moved on to claim a new territory…” I muttered under my breath.

I do not know about you who is reading this, but I find frogs to be fairly charming. Especially due to the sounds they can make. I approached one and found that it seemed to be quite tame, as it did not flee from me. I reached down and picked it up, the frog giving a quiet croak as I held it in my hands. “What’s up, frogger?” I asked playfully. I may have been imagining it, but I could swear I saw that frog smile at me.

A few minutes passed while I rubbed the frog’s back before I saw a shadow move along the ground and water at high speed before coming to a sudden halt over one pool of the muddy bog. When I looked up, I felt my heart leap at the sight of Rainbow Dash hovering above the center of the bog. She had one of her forelegs up against her brow, probably to keep the sun out of her eyes as she scanned her surroundings. “Rainbow! Over here!” I called out as I waved my arm while dropping the frog into the bog.

I do not think Rainbow Dash heard my call since she did not respond right away. But it did not take her long to look in my direction. The instant she saw me, Rainbow swooped down at me and tackled me against a tree that was right behind me while squeezing me with her forelegs in the tightest embrace I had ever received from a pony. “Darn it, James! I thought you were a goner! Don’t ever pull something like that again!” When she looked at me with her big rose-colored eyes, I suspect she may have been tearing up slightly. But I will never forget that expression of absolute relief.

I lightly patted my friend on the back reassuringly as I asked, “I’m guessing Fluttershy showed you the message. Am I right?”

Rainbow Dash nodded while showing a very prominent smile. “Yeah. When the other girls showed me that note, I bolted over here to find you. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna last long enough… Huh?” She looked at my left forearm with a bemused expression. “James… Why is there a pot lid tied to your arm?”

I could not help snickering. I suppose it must have looked rather absurd to see a pot lid affixed to my arm in a similar manner to a shield. “From what I know, Ponyville doesn’t have an armory. So I had to use something makeshift as a shield. I don’t know what lives out here in the Everfree Forest, so I wanted to be on the safe side.”

The rainbow-maned pegasus glanced at my makeshift shield again and smirked in a silly manner. “Yeah, I guess it’s better than nothing.” However, she then shook her head and asked, “But anyway, what happened? Why are you even out here? Did that little brat have something to do with it?”

At the mention of a ‘little brat’, I asked, “Hang on… Are you suspecting Diamond Tiara?”

Rainbow Dash nodded while showing a rather irritated frown. “Well, who else could it be?! That little witch’s been a pain in the flank for you since the day you met her! And besides, that message you left behind mentioned that there’s a law condemning humans and ponies falling in love! And Twilight mentioned that Diamond Tiara was in the library yesterday reading law books. When Fluttershy showed her the note, she put two and two together and thought Diamond Tiara pulled a fast one on you. But did she? I mean, you’re the only one who knows.”

I thought back to the previous day for a few seconds. “Well, all she really did was alert me to the law. I thought she was bluffing at first, but I found that law written in a book on page 83. Can’t remember the title, but it’s still in the library.”

My friend nodded in understanding. “Uh huh… And Twilight said she wrote a note to Princess Celestia pointing out that you and Fluttershy are a couple now, right? No wonder you freaked out…”

After a brief moment of silence, Rainbow smiled at me. “Ya know, it was really brave of you to hide out here in the Everfree Forest. But leave the rest to us. We’ll put in a good word with Princess Celestia for you. She’s not some kinda tyrant, so she’ll probably make an exception for you and Fluttershy.”

Rainbow Dash really seemed to know the princess well. It was almost as if they had met in person before. “Thanks, Rainbow. You’re always someone I can count on. But until I’ve officially been given a royal pardon, I can’t go home. Please tell Fluttershy that and that I love her.”

The spunky pegasus mare nodded with a more somber expression. “Yeah… About her… She was really freaking out when she came into town. I’ve never seen her cry like that. She was really scared for you. Knowing you’re OK will definitely calm her down.”

Knowing that my actions had caused dear little Fluttershy to cry gnawed at my conscience. “She was crying?” I asked with a sigh.

Rainbow Dash nodded calmly. “Yeah… She was almost hysterical once all six of us had gathered at the library. Man… For her to get that worked up, she must be CRAZY for you. You’re a really lucky guy, you know that?”

I sighed as my thoughts drifted back to the memories of that darling pegasus mare waiting for me back home. “Yeah… Really lucky… All I want right now is….. Wait a sec…” Before I could finish speaking, I noticed a large shadow steadily falling over the area behind Rainbow Dash and me. When the two of us looked towards the bog to my left, I was taken aback at the sight of what seemed to be a massive four-headed armless bipedal reptile rising out of the murky water that towered over the Everfree Forest’s canopy. I gulped in wariness and asked without even looking at my friend, “Lemme guess….. That’s a hydra?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ZE2DqCOl4

Rainbow Dash, who seemed just as intimidated as I was, replied while her gaze did not once look away from the towering creature. “Eeeeeeeeeyup.”

The four heads of the hydra stared down at us with its eight green eyes, likely surveying us as a potential meal. I knew right then that something that large could very easily outrun me. In fear, I drew my knife and held it in a reverse grip in my right hand. Of course, I would have to be mad to attack something like a hydra. After a moment more, I felt my blood chill as all four of the hydra’s heads looked at me directly before licking their lips in hunger. Since humans are far more rare in Equestria than pegasi, it was clearly choosing the more exotic prey for its first course.

Rainbow Dash was quick to notice that the hydra was going after me first and shouted, “James, it’s going after you! Get outta here! I’ll hold it off!” Before I could protest her apparently suicidal proposition, Rainbow Dash took to the air and kicked one of the heads with both hind legs. “C’mon, eight eyes! Wouldn’t you rather have some fast food?!”

Such boldness! Rainbow Dash was completely outmatched by the hydra, yet she was trying to draw its attention even though she could easily be swallowed whole. Clearly irritated, the hydra’s four heads turned their gazes away from me and started snapping at my friend. Fortunately, Rainbow lived up to her surname of ‘Dash’ and easily moved out of range. Even though I was certain she would be all right with that kind of speed, I could not help but call out to her. “Girl, you crazy!”

While messing with the hydra, Rainbow Dash yelled in my direction. “Get outta here, James! I’ll keep this lunkhead busy until you’re outta sight! And don’t worry about me! No way a slowpoke like this can catch the fastest flier in Equestria!” That is quite a title to live up to and I took her claims seriously. Still keeping my knife ready, I made a mad dash out of Froggy Bottom Bog while hoping that Rainbow Dash would return to Ponyville safely with the information I had entrusted her with.

I suspect I had been running through the thick vegetation of the forest for at least five minutes straight before I slowed down to catch my breath. I turned back and bowed my head while silently offering my thanks to Rainbow Dash for being there for me. If she had not come looking for me, I would have never escaped that hydra with my life.

I walked along for a while, just taking in the sights and sounds of the forest. I was in slightly better spirits now that I had spoken to one of my dearest friends and that the situation was likely to improve. But I would not know for certain until they came looking for me again. However, for the time being, my hopes were the highest they had been all day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm6CKVvl63M

Not long after escaping the hydra, I came across a rare sight. Huddling together on a low tree branch ahead of me was a pair of doves. Judging by their mostly grayish-brown feathers and conspicuous black and white patches on the sides of their necks, these doves were turtle doves, famous for being universal symbols of peace and everlasting love.

Since I had never seen wild turtle doves before, I was naturally awestruck as I drew closer. Since they were out of reach, I doubted they would fly away unless in immediate danger. But once I had come closer, one of the doves suddenly flew away while the other stayed where it was. The lone dove looked in the direction its partner had flown off in before lowering its head, almost as if in sorrow.

This is entirely conjecture, but I suspected that the dove who flew away had effectively ‘dumped’ its mate. But as I watched the mourning dove before me, I could almost see Fluttershy in its place. I could almost hear her voice begging me to stay as I entered the Everfree Forest. Tears began to cascade down my face as if summoned from nowhere. It was true. I had left the woman I loved in order to keep her safe. But at the cost of her happiness.

In only a minute or two, I heard a fluttering as I looked to my left. A second later, the same dove as before came into view and flew over to its mate with what seemed to be a twig loaded with many seeds in its beak. The dove that I had initially believed to be abandoned by its mate suddenly looked up at its mate before plucking a seed from the twig and ingesting it. I felt myself smile while feeling glad to see that the other dove had not abandoned its mate, but had merely gone to get a gift for its beloved.

After a moment, the dove holding the twig set it down on the tree branch in a manner that would prevent it from falling off. Once that was done, both doves began to feast on the seeds. As I watched, I could almost see Fluttershy and myself together. The beautiful pegasus rushing over to me while I hold out my arms. “We may be apart… But it’s only temporary. True lovers never leave each other.” I can recall muttering quietly so as to not disturb the two ‘lovebirds’ as they feasted together.

Once the two turtle doves had plucked the twig bare, they began to preen each other. Seeing these two beautiful birds’ devotion to each other had reinvigorated my desire to return to Fluttershy, not to mention the rest of my friends. If I had any doubts in my heart before that moment, there certainly were not anymore. I knew then that this crisis would be resolved in our favor. I just know it will.

The rest of the day passed by with little oddities. I merely wandered about, exploring this vast forest while occasionally using my cooking gear to prepare a meal or snack. But once the area around me began to get dark, I knew the sun was setting. Although my first night camping out in the Everfree Forest was peaceful, I was unwilling to spend the night out in the open knowing that a colossal hydra was on the prowl. But just where was I supposed to rest for the night?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-rF-rJjt_k

I quickened my pace to find a safe and secluded location before it became too dark. However, as the area became increasingly darker, I froze when I thought I saw something through the trees. I waited silently for any movement. And sure enough, there was. Up ahead was a lone earth pony. Judging by the body’s size and the styling of the mane, it was likely a filly who was around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But the first thought that came to my mind was how in the world did a child get this deep into the Everfree Forest, especially when most children are absolutely frightened of this place.

As I drew closer, I lowered myself closer to the ground to remain hidden. The filly’s tail and mane were styled in a way that was similar to Twilight Sparkle’s, although not entirely identical. Her coat was a somewhat pale shade of gray while her mane and tail were vibrant shades of yellow and orange with each being patterned in vertical stripes. She almost brought to mind candy corn with those colors. At one point, she began to turn her head. I froze when she looked in my direction and showed me a perfect view of…her glowing golden eyes…

Yes, I am not exaggerating. The sclera, pupil, and iris of each eye were identical shades of yellow. What was more, they looked almost as if they were glowing with a ghostly yellow light. Who, or rather WHAT was this child? I wanted to stand up and call out to her, but my gut instinct told me to stay hidden. After a moment of surveying the area, the mysterious filly walked off.

Wait… No child would ever come this far into the Everfree Forest alone. Which meant… I suspected that perhaps she had a home nearby. With some hope that she would allow me to stay at her home until the next sunrise, I hurried off in the direction the filly had gone.

I walked along for a few minutes, but saw no sign of the filly. I was baffled by just how someone so small could get so far ahead of me. It was almost as if she had just disappeared. But after a few minutes more of walking, I glanced to my right and saw a barely noticeable path along the ground. And at the end of the path was what seemed to be a gentle light.

“Awesome.” I said softly, thankful that there was indeed civilization nearby. As I knew that there are no towns or cities anywhere within the Everfree Forest, I deduced that I had somehow made my way all the way over to the other side of the entire forest and that there was another town bordering it like Ponyville. I hastened my pace, eager to take a bath, eat dinner, and sleep in a soft bed for the night.

Once I had actually drawn close enough to see the source of the light, I found myself at the edge of what seemed to be a humble village inside the Everfree Forest itself instead of being on the other side of it. But…..this made no sense. I had already read plenty of information about the towns and cities in Equestria and not one of them was inside the Everfree Forest. This village before me is not on any map I know of. However, I was in no mood to complain since it seemed safe from where I was standing. “I guess this beats roughing it in the forest.” I muttered to myself as I entered the village.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhdibdC4azQ

As I suspected, ponies inhabited the village. Though I only noticed no more than three from the entrance. There seemed to be a quiet party going on at the time since there were a few tables lined with drinks and various foods. Once I took a few more steps into the village, an earth pony stallion trotted over to me while grinning brightly. He wasted no time in greeting me with quite a bit of enthusiasm. “Well, look at you! It’s been a looooong time since we last had a human guest! Welcome to Sunny Town!”

I was about to offer a retort when the stallion’s words registered with my mind. I was not the first human visitor they had ever received? How is that possible? Humans have NEVER existed in Equestria before I ended up here. Hoping to get some answers on the questions that were swimming through my head, I asked, “I’m not the first? Then how long ago did you last get a human visitor?”

My host held a hoof to his chin while momentarily being silent. “Hmmm… That’s a good question. Years, at least. We used to get them all the time. Poor fellas must’ve died out from a plague or something. I’m amazed there’s still one left.” He then laughed in such a manner that seemed to show he had just remembered something out of nowhere. “Oh, but where are my manners? Gray Hoof at your service. Celebration planner extraordinaire.”

Gray Hoof certainly lived up to his name. His coat was completely gray while his mane and tail were very dark shades of gray. His eyes were equally gray. Lastly, his cutie mark depicted…..nothing? Wait, where was his cutie mark?! Gray Hoof seemed to be well into his adult years, yet he still had no cutie mark?! Fearful that he would become upset about being reminded that he had not yet acquired one at his current age, I calmly smiled while dismissing the observation. “A pleasure to meet you, Gray Hoof. The name’s James.”

My host smiled warmly while he stepped out of my way. “Well, it’s good to have you with us, James. The party only started just a little while ago, so feel free to help yourself to food and drink.” I thanked my host and headed over to the nearest table to help myself to some food.

Near the closest table was a pair of earth ponies. One stallion and one mare. The stallion had a faded yellowish orange coat with what I think was a cobalt shade of blue for his mane and tail. The mare had a coat as white as snow while her mane and tail were a scarlet hue. I had difficulty making out the colors of their eyes from a distance, but I could plainly see that they too did not have cutie marks. “Sunny Town? More like ‘Village of the Blanks’ if you ask me.” I muttered quietly to myself. I would have said hello, but the two of them appeared to be young lovers since they would frequently nuzzle and even kiss each other. I decided to leave them be as I walked through Sunny Town with a drink cup in one hand and a plate of assorted foods in the other.

It did not take me long to notice that the Everfree Forest’s canopy covered up most of the view of the sky above town. Barely any light was getting through the branches. To compensate, numerous decorative lanterns were strewn about all over town. Since they were hanging from wires, I strongly suspected that they were electrical. The gentle glow from the lanterns really added to the cozy atmosphere and caused me to feel particularly relaxed.

I found that Sunny Town is far smaller than Ponyville. It even seemed too small to be called a village either. I suspect it is more of a hamlet than anything else. But a very cozy hamlet nonetheless. Once I had reached what I believe was the center of town, I noticed two more earth ponies. I was starting to suspect that Sunny Town’s population is exclusively earth ponies. One was a stallion with a brownish green coat and a faded orange mane and tail. The other was a mare with a leafy green coat. Her mane and tail were an even deeper shade of green. Like the other ponies I had seen so far, they lacked cutie marks. I was still utterly baffled by how full-grown ponies could not have found their cutie marks yet. But even though this was certainly strange, I chose to not ask them about the matter since they were friendly and hospitable towards me and gave me no reason to suspect that it was a bad sign.

As I was about to round one of the stone houses that stood in Sunny Town, one of the lanterns began to flicker. The instant it turned off, all of the other lanterns shut down as well. “OK… Faulty wiring?” I asked no one in particular as the area around me went dark. However, once my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I froze as I surveyed my surroundings. “Whoa….. What happened here?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8_FVsdGGEc

What in the world happened to this place? The buildings around me were in complete shambles. Few remained standing while almost all the others had collapsed in on themselves. The atmosphere had instantly gone from warm and comforting to desolate and frightening as I felt that I had stumbled into some abandoned ruins.

Wondering if any of the ponies I had seen earlier were still nearby, I looked to my right. “Where is everyone…….” I froze as my eyes gazed at the stallion I had seen only a moment ago. Or…..was he the same stallion? He was standing right where I last saw him, but… My god, what happened to him?

He was looking right at me. The lighting was poor, but I could make out that he was…not normal. His body… It looked as if he was…dead. Yes, I know it sounds impossible to comprehend, but the pony I was looking at appeared to be alive, yet dead… Undead. His coat was dark and filthy and his body looked heavily decayed with what I think were parts of his entrails hanging out of his ribcage. But what frightened me most…were those eyes… The empty sockets glowed a hellish unholy shade of red. And to top it off, his only intact eye was hanging out of his skull by the optic nerve.

I could feel a cold sweat all over me as I shuddered madly. I was dead. My fate was sealed. This zombified pony was going to… “What’s wrong with you? Got a leg cramp?” The pony called out to me. His voice had a raspy tone to it, but he sounded genuinely concerned for me. It was almost as if he was oblivious to his half-rotted state.

Before I could calm myself enough to offer a reply, the place suddenly lit up as the lanterns turned back on. I glanced around and found Gray Hoof on a stepladder while adjusting one of the lantern’s light bulbs. “I really need to get around to adjusting the wiring for these…” I heard him grumble out loud.

The instant the place was bathed in light, I found that everything, from the houses to the ponies, was back to normal. The pony that I had seen a moment ago was also alive and well. But even though the atmosphere was cozy once again, the memories remained. “What in the world did I just see…?” I asked myself quietly.

Gray Hoof trotted over to me while the other pony who had called out to me did the same. “You all right? You look like you saw a ghost.” He asked with a look of concern in his eyes.

“I’m sure he’s fine, Gladstone. He’s probably just beat after wandering around the Everfree Forest.” Gray Hoof replied with a soft smile. He then looked at me and asked, “Sorry if the sudden blackout spooked you. You know what they say. If one light goes out, they ALL go out. Are you OK?”

I doubt he would have believed me if I told him that the entire village was in ruins and that they had become zombies when the lights went out, so I nervously replied, “Eh…uh… Um…yeah… Yeah, I’m OK. It’s just that when the lights went out and it suddenly got dark, I started seeing spots. It’s…not a big deal. My vision’s already clearing up. Thanks for asking though.” I then turned and began to walk along through Sunny Town like before. However, the memories of what I saw were still vividly embedded in my thoughts. “At least… I hope I was only seeing spots… Were those…zombies? God, I hope not…”

When I rounded one of the houses, I noticed a lone earth pony mare lying on the ground with her head resting on her forelegs. Her gaze seemed to be directed at nothing in particular. Her eyes were a bold red color while her mane and tail were a crimson red. Her mane was fairly long as it extended past her shoulders and was styled in a very wild, yet surprisingly attractive manner. Her coat was the same shade of gray as Gray Hoof’s coat and, like all the other ponies I had seen, she lacked a cutie mark. However, she stood out from the others. Unlike the other ponies I had seen, who seemed quite happy and friendly, this lone mare seemed absolutely miserable. Since I felt I could not help her, I chose to leave her be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGumdFm3F0w

However, right as I was about to walk away, I noticed her head tilt upwards slightly. She then suddenly turned her gaze towards me. When her eyes fell upon me, her expression went from depressed to shocked. “You… What are…” She muttered before standing up and rushing over to me. “What are you doing here? I thought your kind was…” She then shook her head to gather her composure and pleaded, “You have to go! Get outta here! Before it’s too late!”

This kind of reception bothered me. All the other ponies in Sunny Town were happy to see me and welcomed me with smiles, but this mare was ordering me to leave. However, I chose to hear her out and made clear how I felt I was not in a hurry to leave without good reason. “Um… I really don’t see why I have to. I just got here and need a safe place to stay for the night. And everyone here is friendly and hospitable.”

The mare shook her head with a displeased frown on her lips. “True. Everything about this town seems normal. Until the sun goes down. Once the night begins….. Sunny Town’s true form is shown. You don’t want to be here when that happens. And we only have a few minutes before the night actually begins. You need to go. Now.”

I crossed my arms, pondering her words. She then asked, “The lights went out for a moment a minute ago, right? Did you see this place and the ponies in it change?”

She was right. The instant the lights failed, the village and everyone around me… What a chilling sight. Was that this village’s true form? “But…why does this village look fine now?” I asked, wanting to get a firm grasp on the situation before making a choice.

The mare replied promptly, “When the sun is out, the town looks normal. But when it has set over the horizon, the curse takes effect. These lanterns were installed some time ago in an attempt to keep the curse at bay. But once all sunlight has faded and the night has begun, even they can’t keep the curse at bay.”

The mention of a curse caught my ear. “Hang on. You say this town is cursed? And so is everyone who is living here? Then…how do we break it?”

The pony bowed her head as she solemnly frowned. She seemed to be quite depressed. “Please… If you truly want to do the right thing… Don’t try to break the curse. Every last pony in this village… We have all committed a horrible sin that can never be excused. This curse… Living by day. Walking corpses by night. Century after century. It is our everlasting punishment. What we truly deserve.”

It was then that I was able to put the pieces together. This town was in fact an ancient ruin that has been left untouched by outsiders for centuries. And the ponies that I had just seen… “But…what happens if I don’t leave before nightfall?” I asked while feeling somewhat confident that the ponies of Sunny Town would not harm me. After all, the pony Gray Hoof referred to as Gladstone showed concern for me when I saw him in the dark as a horrific monster instead of attacking me.

The pony’s reply gave me a sense of impending doom. “If you don’t leave before the night comes… You just might never leave again. Don’t be fooled by their friendly behavior and hospitality. They’re all murderers. Please. You must leave. I don’t want to see anyone else suffer her fate… Or to share ours…”

Somewhere in my gut, I had a feeling that this pony was being completely truthful towards me. And even though she claimed she deserved no help, I actually felt sorry for her. But nightfall would come any minute now. I had to escape Sunny Town immediately. “OK… I’ll go now. But could you please escort me in case something goes wrong?”

The pony nodded with a more focused expression on her face. “OK. Stay close to me.” I nodded in return and stayed by her side as we both headed for the entrance to Sunny Town.

When we neared the area that I first entered upon reaching Sunny Town, we found Gray Hoof casually chatting with the young couple I saw before. Only…I suppose they were not nearly as young as I suspected. I was starting to question just how old this village really was, especially considering that Gray Hoof had claimed to have met humans before despite there not being a pony alive anywhere else in Equestria who had encountered my species before.

Just as my escort and I were about to leave Sunny Town, I heard Gray Hoof call out as he trotted over to us. “Whoa, James! Where you going?! I thought you just got here! Stick around! Enjoy yourself!” He almost sounded afraid. Did he truly want me to stay as a guest? I was tempted to remain in Sunny Town, but my escort clearly knew something about the other ponies that they were not willing to share with me. And her mood’s stark contrast to their happy personalities only made me question them further.

Trying to not sound suspicious, I replied to Gray Hoof with a calm smile. “Sorry, Gray Hoof. I appreciate your hospitality, but there’s someplace I need to be. And someone needs me. Don’t get me wrong. I like this village. You’re a good host and good company. But I just have more important things to tend to. And it can’t wait. But if I’m ever in the area again, I’ll be sure to stop by and say hello. But for now… I really need to get going. You understand, right?”

I was not really making up excuses right there. I really had to return to Ponyville soon and my friends and lover were likely eagerly awaiting my return. But regardless, Gray Hoof took the explanation rather well. He responded with a more thoughtful gaze. “Hm. I see what you mean. We all have priorities to tend to. Well then, I hope to see you again really soon, James. Take care out there.”

I nodded with a smile while I waved goodbye. “See ya again.” I then left with my escort by my side while we both ventured out into the Everfree Forest.

Our timing could not have been better. No fewer than twenty paces out of Sunny Town, the light coming from behind us suddenly faded. Somewhat curious of what had really become of Sunny Town now that nightfall had officially fallen over the Everfree Forest, I turned to look behind us.

Even from my current distance from the entrance, I could see enough into the village to make out the radical changes to it. The house in the distance was in shambles, just like the others I had seen for a brief moment. And Gray Hoof… Oh lord… He was waving at me with one foreleg. His whole body was rotten and I could even see through a few parts of him. And his eyes… Just like with Gladstone, they were a demonic shade of red and glowed like embers in the darkness, although it is difficult to say if he still had eyes at all or that his empty sockets were giving off crimson light. He spoke up with a raspier tone than before, “See you later, friend.” All I could do was nervously wave back at him before looking away and continuing down the path.

“That was too close, James… That is your name, right?” My escort asked from my right.

I nodded and looked down at her. “Yeah, that’s my… Wha… What the hell?!” I jumped back at the sight of the mare at my side. Like the other ponies I had seen, she too had changed once night had fallen. Her eyes gazed at me with an evil red glow. I drew my knife in defense, fearful that she would soon attack.

“Are you afraid of me?” She asked quietly, showing no signs of hostility. As I waited for an assault, my eyes scanned her body. Unlike the other ponies in Sunny Town, her body still seemed to be whole. I could see no exterior signs of decay anywhere on her. Her gray coat had become almost black and was filthy and matted with grime. Her crimson mane and tail had also become faded and dirtier, almost as if they had gone years without grooming. I could also detect a faint stench coming from her that was similar to rotten meat.

It was at that moment that I understood what I was seeing. “This curse… It prevents your soul from ever finding rest.” I slowly sheathed my knife, feeling immense sympathy for the poor mare before me.

She sighed deeply while bowing her head. “True… This is my fate… And I have accepted it.”

It was almost painful to see the pony who helped me in such a horrid state. If the physical state of the body was determined by the state of the victim’s soul, then she is indeed a very good person with how little decay her body had gone through. Which meant that the other ponies of Sunny Town… They are nothing more than monsters disguised as ponies by day. I got down on one knee and placed my hand on her shoulder. “You saved me… May I know your name?”

She replied after only a few seconds of silence. “Mitta…”

I then reached out and held my savior in a tender embrace. “Thank you, Mitta… I’ll try to return the favor someday.”

In my grasp, I felt Mitta shudder. “What are you doing…”

I replied softly with her ear near my face, “Hugging you… I’m trying to show you my gratitude.”

Mitta remained silent for a second before speaking, “Please… Let go of me…” I did as I was told and released her from my grasp. She then staggered backwards a few steps before bowing her head as her glowing crimson eyes closed, streams of red tears flowing down her face. “I don’t deserve your compassion…” She sobbed heavily, her choking voice being difficult to listen to.

I felt truly helpless as I watched Mitta cry. Here she was, standing before me as an undead abomination. Yet she went out of her way to warn me of Sunny Town’s morbid history and even personally escorted me to safety. And despite these commendable acts, she was cursed to exist forever as a monster.

This was not right… There was no way her suffering could possibly be right. I wanted to cry. To share her pain and give her at least some comfort. But at the same time, I knew anything I did would not help in the long run. “I wish there was something I could do…” I muttered out loud while holding back tears.

Mitta replied unexpectedly to my words. “Thank you, James…”

I looked at her, those glowing red eyes looking at me while what seemed to be a solemn smile began to spread across Mitta’s face. I retorted softly, “For what… There’s nothing I can do to help you.”

She nodded solemnly before explaining, “I know. But…you gave me something that nopony ever did. You gave me your compassion. That…meant more to me than anything else for the last several centuries. Even if I don’t deserve it…”

Remembering Gray Hoof’s words from when I first entered Sunny Town, I asked, “Mitta… How long ago was this village cursed?”

She replied after letting out a sigh, “I honestly don’t remember… All I do know is that the night they did it… Over a thousand years ago. We’ve been here ever since. Never resting… Never redeeming ourselves… The others refuse to understand what they did was evil… And at this rate, they never will.”

A thousand years… Those words reminded me of the tale of Nightmare Moon, who I feel sympathy for. And Mitta was no different. However, my new friend then looked down the path ahead of us. “We’ve wasted enough time. You need to go. The others may have respected your choice to leave, but the rest won’t.”

I nodded while I stood up before asking, “OK… But will we ever meet again?”

Mitta began to shed a few more crimson tears as she replied, “It’s for the best that you never return… Please. You should just leave us to our fate. But maybe… Just maybe…” She then reared up on her hind legs and embraced me for all she was worth. “I really hope me meet again…”

I cared little for the bloody tears Mitta was shedding as they stained my shirt. I truly wanted to help her. And in the back of my mind, I made a solemn promise to return to Sunny Town if I ever found a way to save her. It would probably be for the best that I keep my knowledge of this place secret for the time being, but I will not forget that promise. I then placed my hand on the back of her head and whispered, “I hope so too, Mitta…”

Once she dropped back down to her feet, Mitta wiped her tears away. “Be careful out there, James. And if you see them… Run. Don’t stop. Run for your life.”

“I will, Mitta. And thank you again.” I replied before I headed down the path. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw that she was still watching from where she stood. Those haunting crimson eyes… For some reason, I found her gaze to be less frightening and more reassuring. As if she was not haunting me, but protecting me.

Just as I reached the end of the path, I froze at the sound of what might have been…..the earth moving? I carefully scanned the area while the lighting was poor. I did not have to search long as just ahead of me, it seemed that something was beginning to rise out of the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlBv6uR1IQU

The first thing I saw emerge from the shifting ground were a pair of hooves followed by a curved vertebrae arching as if trying to pull itself out of the ground. And then…the head rose. The skeletal remains of an earth pony stood fully emerged from the ground. But unlike the other ponies I had seen in Sunny Town, this one’s state of decay was more extreme. There was next to no flesh on it. It was barely more than a skeleton. But…it still had the eyes. Those piercing evil crimson glowing eyes that left me rooted to the spot in terror.

This zombified pony shuffled towards me at a very slow pace. I suppose I should not have been surprised, as all of its muscles had rotted away. But even though I could have easily outrun it, I could not bring myself to move. However, I still managed to draw my knife and held it in a reverse grip. As the abomination drew closer, it began to mutter, “Please… All we want is friendship…”

If the stories of zombies are true, all this creature would have to do is bite me and I would become just like it. A traumatizing thought, to say the least. Too afraid to run, I waited for the zombie to come within range. Once close enough, I bashed it in the face using my makeshift shield before ripping my knife through its neck while it was reeling from the blow. The bone that composed its body was somewhat brittle as the neck practically shattered upon being slashed, likely due to being exposed to the elements for so long. Once the head had been severed, the body collapsed to the ground. The head…or rather skull rolled along the ground for a moment. As the hellish red glow in its eye sockets began to fade, it muttered, “Please… Stay… Friend…”

When the skull became still and lifeless, I breathed a sigh of relief. However, my relief was short-lived as I heard Mitta shout, “Don’t just stand there! There’s more coming! You need to go!” I turned to see the cursed mare standing at the entrance of the path that led back into Sunny Town. She pleaded, “Please! Get outta here! The others won’t listen to reason! Please, James!”

Knowing that more zombies were approaching my location gave me a terrible sensation of dread. I would never survive against a swarm of them. Before I did anything else, I looked back at Mitta. She nodded, seemingly reading my thoughts. “Hurry… If you stay, you’ll…” Without a word, I ran over to her, dropped down on one knee, and held her against me in one final embrace.

“Goodbye, Mitta… Let’s meet again someday.” Those were my last words to her before I turned and ran.

Mitta had not been exaggerating. As I ran through the Everfree Forest, more and more zombified ponies slowly rose out of the ground all around me before slowly pursuing me. They had no chance of catching up to me, but I had to be careful to not change direction since they may take the opportunity to surround me. If that happened, I would be a dead man. All the while, they called out, “Wait… Friend… Come back… All we want…is friendship…”

I have no knowledge of how much time passed as I fled. I was far too frightened at the time to focus on anything other than my own survival. But once I was certain I had placed a great deal of distance between my pursuers and myself, I took a moment to catch my breath.

“Is the entire forest coming after me?” I wheezed while propping myself up against a tree with one hand. But after no more than ten seconds, I thought I saw some movement up ahead of me. I raised my voice the best I could as I called out, “Who’s out there….. Show yourself!”

A few seconds later, a familiar face emerged through the trees. The very same filly with glowing yellow eyes who had unknowingly led me to Sunny Town in the first place. I breathed a deep sigh of relief before asking, “I’m glad to see a friendly face… You’re not one of them, are you?”

She replied with a displeased frown on her face. “No, of course not! I would never be friends with those jerks! But are you OK?”

Aside from being extremely out of breath, I nodded in response. But when she drew closer, I finally got a good look at her cutie mark. “A…magnifying glass as a cutie mark? Are you a detective?”

The filly replied with a giggle before explaining, “No, but I am very good at finding things. If you ever lose something, I can probably help you find it. But I never thought I would find a human tonight! It’s been a really long time since I last saw one!”

Once again, I was baffled by just how she had ever encountered humans before. But at the time, I did not care. All that mattered at the moment was that I find a safe place to hide out in for the night. “Sorry to be a bother, but I really need to find a place that those freaks can’t get to. I don’t wanna end up zombie chow.”

To my surprise, the filly replied with a smile before pointing behind herself. “If it helps, I know of someplace safe you can stay. There’s this big stone castle not too far from here. I found it a while ago. I don’t think anypony lives there anymore, but it’s probably safe. I know the way, if you wanna go there.”

A castle in the Everfree Forest? More than likely the former home of the two royal sisters. I replied quickly while still panting, “Really? You know the way? Awesome. I really need someplace safe to stay for the night. And a big stone castle would probably do the trick! Lead on… And hurry! I don’t know how much distance we have…..between us and…”

I froze when I turned around to look behind me. In the distance between the trees were….. All I can say is that there must have been dozens of demonic glowing red orbs slowly shambling towards us. All those haunting red lights….. It was by far the most frightening sight I had witnessed all night. I turned back to the filly and spoke quickly, “Uh… Spoke too soon! C’mon… Go go go go!”

My guide nodded before she turned and ran with me close behind her. “OK! Just don’t fall behind! Let me know if you need me to slow down!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8aW1fXRhMo

We ran nonstop. I followed the filly as if my life depended on it. And it probably did. Fortunately, we did not have to go far. We emerged from the trees and found ourselves standing before an old rope bridge that spanned a deep ravine that was filled with a thick fog. And on the other side was… Wait… That was all that remained of the castle of the royal sisters?!

“There it is! The stone castle! You’ll be safe and sound over there for sure!” The filly spoke as she trotted across the bridge. Not wanting to be left behind, I too crossed the bridge while being extremely cautious to not fall over the side, since the bridge was too small to have been meant for humans.

When I got to the other side, I beheld all that remained of the castle…if you could even call it that. From where I was standing, the vast majority of the castle had collapsed or just otherwise decayed over the course of a thousand years. The stone walls on the outside were rather low at some points and the tops were jagged and uneven. Even the roof was completely missing. The windows were gone as well. However, the large wooden doors at the entrance had miraculously escaped the fate of the rest of the castle, since they were still whole. “Don’t worry. The others won’t ever come over here. They think the place is haunted.” My escort spoke while she looked at me with a smile.

Although I was immensely disappointed by the dilapidated state of these castle ruins, it was certainly a safer place to rest than out in a forest where cursed walking corpses were prowling around. I looked down at the filly and smiled gratefully. “You really are good at finding things. Thank you.” But before I could say anything else, I added, “Now that I think about it, what’s your name?”

The little filly replied while showing a bright smile. “I’m Ruby. What’s your name, mister?”

I replied promptly, “James. And thanks again for getting me outta there.” I then stroked her mane, prompting a giggle from Ruby.

My new friend soon turned away and began to head towards the rope bridge. Not liking the idea of a child walking into such a danger zone, I called out to her. “Hang on. Those freaks are still out there!”

However, Ruby looked at me with her glowing yellow eyes and smiled softly. “It’s OK, James. They can’t hurt me anymore. I’ll be fine.” She then waved at me with one hoof. “Good night, James. It was nice to meet you.” To my shock, she seemed to slowly fade away into nothing as she crossed the bridge. Once I could no longer see Ruby, I pondered why her eyes constantly glowed the way they did. Could it be that Ruby…is a ghost?

I was not in the mood to ponder any puzzling questions too deeply. I had spent the entire day walking and was exhausted from all the running I just did. I wanted nothing more than to lie down and go to sleep.

Wasting no time, I pushed the wooden doors of the castle open and closed them behind me. The walls, though heavily damaged, were still high enough to provide me some cover if I stayed low. But I was quick to notice that this did not seem to be the entrance to a castle, but rather an isolated chamber. There were no other ways in or out of the area. Unless you count the low walls and broken windows, that is.

Plenty of ivy was growing over the walls and support pillars. And in the center of the room was what seemed to be a display stand of some sort. There were five ‘arms’ extending from it near the top that seemed to have been used to hold something…or was it six? As I thought back to the encyclopedia I had read days before, I knew that the castle had formerly housed the fabled Elements of Harmony. This stone display stand was probably meant to hold them.

I was tired and rather sleepy, so I began to search for a good spot to lay out my sleeping bag and curl up for the night. But before I could take out my gear, I noticed something not too far away through one of the empty windows. A fairly tall stone tower of sorts stood nearby that seemed to have endured the elements far better than the chamber I was in. “I guess I do get a roof over my head tonight.” I muttered to myself before I left the chamber and headed towards the tower.

There was a long flight of stairs that led up into the tower from the outside. Once I had climbed that one, another flight of stairs led up in a spiraling fashion. I could hear my soft footsteps echo inside the empty stone stairwell. It was eerily silent aside from the occasional sound of a cool night breeze. I was even beginning to feel apprehensive of what I may find at the top and was ready to draw my knife at a second’s notice. When I reached the top, I came out into a rather long room or hall that had numerous stone support pillars at the sides with a very low raised platform at the far end. There were numerous arched windows as well, and some of them still stood. And situated near the back of the platform was…..an old deteriorated throne?

“Is this the castle’s throne room?” I muttered aloud as I approached it. I could hear my footsteps echo throughout the very long stone chamber while I walked. At the sides on the throne were two horse head effigies. And to the sides of those were a pair of round pedestals. However, as I drew near, I began to feel a…peculiar presence. It felt as if I was…not alone.

I glanced around, fearful that one of those zombies had managed to tail me here. But to my relief, I was completely alone. There was no sign that I had been followed. My eyes scanned the chamber more thoroughly. And at the top of the room in the darkest corners of the ceiling, I saw it. Extraordinarily dark shadows that seemed to be slowly moving like a billowing gas.

It was then that I recalled something from the encyclopedia I had recently read. “Isn’t this…where Nightmare Moon was defeated? Then that…billowing dark mist in the corners… Could it be that…this is all that’s left of her?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frfKbXxmpM8

I felt my heart leap in hope. Even though she was reviled in Equestria and even the encyclopedia itself had labeled her as a power-mad tyrant, I felt immense relief that Nightmare Moon still existed. Even if just barely. I knew the tale of why she tried to bring eternal night to the world. And I sympathized with her for it. I looked towards the billowing shadows and spoke, “Is that you, Nightmare Moon?”

The billowing of the darkness slowed down greatly as I spoke. Was it a means of displaying emotion? I approached a support pillar that remained attached to the ceiling, hoping to coax the shadow to approach me. After all, shadows can only move along surfaces. They are unable to come off a solid surface. “It’s an honor to meet you, m’lady. I really enjoy the calm and cool tranquility of your beautiful nights.”

I was not lying. I have a habit of staying up late and I prefer the night to the day due to how quiet it is. Have you ever seen snow falling at night? Truly beautiful. And have you ever been sitting near a window while watching and hearing rain fall during a warm summer night? Very easy to relax to. But I digress.

I watched the shadow as it began to move from the darkness and creep down the support pillar. When it stopped on the pillar right in front of me, I reached out to touch it. “They just don’t understand… I know you were angry and just wanted to be appreciated. Well, let me be the first to say that I am thankful for your soothing night.”

At my words, the black-as-ink shadows began to creep over my arm as I touched it. I thought I saw some movement in the shadow that remained on the pillar. To my shock, an eye opened and stared directly at me. The pupil was teal while the sclera was a lighter shade of the color. But the iris caught me by surprise as it was narrow like that of a cat’s. I recognized the appearance of the eye from an illustration I had seen. Nightmare Moon still lived. And she was looking right at me.

“Is that you, Princess?” I asked, feeling the shadow coiling around me. I did not feel afraid. And the shadow did not feel cold. It actually felt warm. I watched as the eye seemed to quiver for a moment. I then spoke softly, “I know the rest of Equestria fears you. But… Maybe someday, you’ll be able to walk with us again. Not as a monster, but as the princess of the night.”

I watched silently as the eye became half-closed. The shadows that had coiled around me seemed to…tighten? It was almost as if a snake was constricting me, but with less force. I felt warm, as if someone was gently embracing me. The eye… A thin trail of water leaked from the lowest point, trickling down the pillar it was attached to.

Tears. Nightmare Moon, despite her horrible reputation, was displaying sorrow right before me. This was all the proof I needed. She was not a heartless monster. She possessed a soul. She could feel sorrow and pain just like me. And just like her fellow ponies. I reached out and wiped her tear away with a finger before speaking quietly to her. “Are you crying, m’lady?”

I then heard a voice whisper as if from nowhere. It belonged to a woman, but it resonated with a hint of boldness to it. “I…feel…happy…” The voice whispered. It then added, “You…were the first to…thank me…”

Knowing that the voice was coming from what remained of Nightmare Moon, I nodded slowly. “No. Thank you, Nightmare Moon. For creating a beautiful night that allows those who are exhausted from working in the sunlight to rest in the cooling darkness.”

The shadows retreated to the pillar as I took a step back. All the while, Nightmare Moon’s eye stared at me with what was likely a grateful gaze. I then kneeled before her and explained, “I know you see sleeping through the night as an insult, but please understand. It is because of the night that I am able to sleep so well. And I am absolutely exhausted. I need to rest.” I then walked over behind a collapsed pillar and set out my sleeping bag.

“M’lady, may I sleep here tonight?” I asked, respecting Nightmare Moon’s presence. In response, her shadowy form crept over to me and coated my sleeping bag. It was as if she wanted to be near me. Her lone eye gazed up at me from the shadow, as if granting me her permission to rest in her presence. “Thank you, m’lady.” I replied with a smile.

I am writing this from my sleeping bag, my only company being the lingering remains of Nightmare Moon. This day has been an emotional roller coaster for me. But I have high hopes for tomorrow. I just know that Princess Celestia will make the right choice. And even though I am out in a no-man’s-land with the living dead searching for me, I feel safe. Perhaps it is Nightmare Moon’s presence that is helping me relax.

OK, I have to stop here. My eyes are getting heavy and I really want to close the flap over my head to keep out the wind. Good night, Nightmare Moon. And once again, thank you for creating the night so I may rest for tomorrow.

Fluttershy… Please be safe. I hope to see you soon.

Hello, everypony! This is Pinkie Pie! You know, the pink pony who’s friends with absolutely everypony in Ponyville! Anyway, I thought I’d jot down what happened today.

It started like pretty much any other day for me. I woke up, got dressed… Oh wait, I forgot I don’t wear clothes. Not unless it’s for something special. In any case, today was a workday for me. So I went downstairs to the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner.

“Oh, good morning, Pinkie. Did you sleep well?” Mrs. Cake said to me when I went into the kitchen.

“Morning, Mrs. Cake! What do we have to do today?” I replied to my boss. Am I making these interactions sound too bland and short? Sorry! I normally don’t write journals.

She smiled at me while carrying a mixing bowl to the table. “Well, we need a few dozen of those chocolate chip cupcakes baked. They’ve become very popular lately.”

I smiled, remembering that yummy recipe James helped me come up with. Oh, right! I don’t think you know who he is! James is a human. He showed up in Ponyville exactly one week ago. He’s pretty shy, but really nice too. He’s become one of the best friends I’ve ever known! Speaking of which, he should be showing up any time now. He works here three days a week.

“Oki doki loki! I’ll get started right away!” I said with a hop. Mrs. Cake just smiled and went out to the storefront.

I went ahead and punched in for the day. Then my punch card punched me back. Oh, wait! That was just Gummy biting me. Good thing he has no teeth! “Silly Gummy! You don’t belong in the kitchen!” I carried him back upstairs and left him on my bed. “Be a good little gator for me! I’ll see you this evening!”

I went back downstairs and into the kitchen. I mixed together the eggs and sugar before adding the flour… Come to think of it, does anypony even like reading the details on how somepony bakes something? Maybe I should skip ahead.

Anyway, I popped the tray of cupcake batter into the oven and waited. But as I waited, I noticed something was wrong with the clock. James should have been in ten minutes ago. He’s never been late before, so maybe this is his first time. Maybe he got caught up with doing something with Fluttershy. Oh, right. Fluttershy is one of my best friends. And just a few days ago, she and James became sweethearts! He lives with her now. But why is he this late…?

“Ooh, you naughty things.” I giggled out loud. What is something lovers like to do together? I better not write it down here, just in case some fillies or colts read it.

Eventually, the egg timer went off. So I opened the oven and removed the cupcakes. Mm, that smell always gets me so hungry. But when I put them on the counter to cool, I noticed that James was now half an hour late.

“Huh… I can’t imagine why James would be this late.” I said to myself. Maybe he caught a cold?

As a good friend, I felt it was my duty to check on him. So I poked my head out of the kitchen. “Mrs. Cake? James is running late. I just took the cupcakes outta the oven, so may I go check on him?”

Mrs. Cake looked at a clock before looking back at me. “Oh my, he’s late? Well, maybe you should go check on him, dearie. Don’t be long!”

I nodded and put on my biggest smile. “Will do, Mrs. Cake! See you in a bit!” I then trotted out the back door. I guess I could’ve just jumped to the next panel, but I needed the exercise. Huh? You want to know how I ‘jump panels’? Heehee, that’s a long story. Don’t worry about it!

I didn’t have time to chat with anypony, so I just ran through Ponyville towards the western edge of town. Once I had cleared that, I saw Fluttershy’s cottage coming up ahead. But…why was Fluttershy on the ground and… Was she crying?!

I ran over to her as fast as I could. She really was crying. I could hear her sobbing. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?!” I asked. For Fluttershy to be crying, it must be bad.

She looked up at me with her eyes full of tears. She couldn’t talk, but she pointed to a scroll that was behind me. “In this?” I asked when I opened it and held it flat.

The scroll was written in James’ handwriting. It read… Hang on, I can remember this… Oh right! It read, “This is for your eyes only, Fluttershy. If you are reading this, I am gone. It has come to my attention that our actions as a couple are highly illegal and even punishable with the death penalty. What is worse, Princess Celestia has been made aware of our illegal activities by a report sent from Twilight Sparkle. Please do not fault her, as I am sure even she was not aware that the law even exists. I am also certain that by the time you have started reading this, Celestia will have dispatched her guards to arrest us. If that is the case, you must gather our friends and try to convince Celestia to grant us a pardon. If she is as… No. I am very sure that she is as wise and understanding as I have heard. She will surely grant us her consent. I just know she will. However, the possibility that she will not remains. I can’t take chances with this matter, Fluttershy. Not when your life is at stake. I am hiding out in the Everfree Forest. I have heard nothing but bad things about that place, so I am sure even the local law enforcement officials will not dare set foot into it. If Celestia… No. When Celestia gives us her blessings, please come find me so I know it is safe to return. It may be wise to ask Rainbow Dash to do the job due to her speed. But if, and this is a very unlikely if, if Celestia refuses to pardon us, claim innocence. If they cannot arrest both guilty parties, they will not be able to effectively try you in court. You will be safe if they cannot arrest us both. But I pray that will not be the case. I love you, Fluttershy. And I cannot bear the thought of you under a guillotine. I shall be waiting for Celestia’s decision in the Everfree Forest. I am placing my faith in you and our friends. With love, James.” Phew! Chalk one up to the memory banks!

Anyway, I couldn’t believe what I had just read. James in the Everfree Forest?! That’s suicide! I jumped in the air and gasped my hardest. “WHAAAAAT?!”

Fluttershy looked up at me with big clear tears rolling down her face, “What’ll we do, Pinkie? He won’t last in there… And…what if that law is real? I love him… I don’t want us to be torn apart…”

She was right. Two lovers being kept apart is just plain wrong! And anything that makes Fluttershy cry is extra wrong! No way was I going to stand for that! I gave Fluttershy my biggest smile and said, “Hey, don’t worry, Fluttershy! James has friends like us to help him! Let’s go find Twilight and show her the message. She’ll know what to do!”

I helped Fluttershy stand up. She dried her tears before nodding. “OK… She always knows what to do in times like this.”

I grinned before we started to move along. “Exactly, silly filly! Let’s go! The sooner we get James out of there, the better!” I then ran back towards Ponyville with the scroll in my mouth. Fluttershy followed right behind me the whole way.

We went straight to Twilight’s house after that. I bonked my head against the door to get her attention. “Oooh… I hope she’s home…” Fluttershy said beside me.

The door opened a second later. And sure enough, Twilight was right behind it. “Oh! Good morning, Pinkie! Morning, Fluttershy!”

I couldn’t wait, so I barged right in. “Twilight! We have an emergency! A ‘friend lost in the Everfree Forest’ kind of emergency!”

Twilight, as usual, seemed to be totally confused by my words. “Huh? The Everfree Forest? What about it?”

Fluttershy came in and spoke before I could. “It’s James, Twilight… He… He left a note behind.”

I then put the scroll down before Twilight used her magic to hold it up in the air. “This scroll? Um…” After a minute, she looked past the scroll at us. And she looked really freaked out. “Are you serious?! There’s a law against that?!”

Fluttershy nodded while still looking really worried. “Yes… And he took it seriously. He’s somewhere out there… I don’t know what to do…”

Twilight frowned while looking kind of confused. “That really doesn’t sound like a law Princess Celestia or Princess Luna would ever allow to pass. No, I’m sure of it! That law is far too harsh!” She then called towards the stairs, “Spike! Please bring a scroll to me!”

A moment later, Spike came running down the stairs with a scroll in one hand and a quill in the other. “OK, I’m here! What’s wrong?”

Twilight replied while turning to face him, “I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia. It’s urgent.”

Spike then held the quill’s tip to the scroll. “OK then, shoot.”

Twilight then started pacing around the room. “Dear Princess Celestia. I stumbled across something in a book that seems to be a law that punishes intimate relationships between humans and ponies with death. Why did you pass a law like this? And please respond quickly.” When Spike stopped writing, Twilight nodded at him. “Please send it right now, Spike.”

“You got it.” Spike said before going over to a window and blowing green fire into the scroll. It was burned up into smoke and carried away on the wind. Still, how does that work exactly? If Spike were to breathe fire on me, would I get turned into smoke and taken to Princess Celestia? I need to try that sometime!

“Do you think it’s a good idea to let her know about that law?” Fluttershy asked, looking very worried.

“I was careful to not mention either you or James. It was just a hypothetical question.” Twilight replied while looking a bit calmer than before.

A moment later, Spike burped as a scroll came out of his mouth. “Wow! That’s a new record! Not even a full minute!” He then opened the scroll and spoke, “Dear Twilight Sparkle….. I have no idea what you’re talking about! Where did you find such a ridiculous law?”

Wait… Seriously?! Princess Celestia doesn’t even know about the law?! I think Twilight’s response summed up what we were all thinking. “Wait… WHAT?!”

Fluttershy raised her voice too. “You mean… He’s out there in the Everfree Forest without any idea that the law is fake?!”

Twilight set her hoof down a bit loudly. “Well, I think we all better look into this. Let’s gather up our friends. Fluttershy, you go find Rainbow Dash. I’ll go round up Applejack. Pinkie, you go get Rarity. Let’s all meet back here.”

Fluttershy nodded with a tiny little smile on her face. “OK… Let’s hurry.”

I smiled too. Got to keep up the morale! “Oki doki loki! Let’s go! Look after the place for us, Spike!”

Our little dragon boy then gave us a salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

We ran out the door and in different directions. I know Rarity doesn’t have any big plans today, so I know she’s still home. I ran along, saying hi to everypony I passed, but not having any time to chat. That would have to wait. My buddy James was in danger! And I wanted to get to the bottom of this fake law business! Private Eye Pinkie Pie was on the case!

As soon as I got to Rarity’s house, I went right inside without knocking. “Rarity! Are you home?!”

I heard a clatter of stuff hitting the floor. “Pinkie Pie! You ruined my concentration! At least knock so I know you’re coming in without startling me!” Rarity was looking pretty miffed with a whole bunch of sewing junk on the floor around her.

“Sorry, sorry! It’s just that we’ve got an emergency here! James is lost in the Everfree Forest!”

Rarity gasped really loudly. “The Everfree Forest? Heavens, no! He’ll never survive in such a horrid place! Why would he ever set foot in there?!”

I explained, “He found out about some law that says ponies and humans falling in love is punishable with the death penalty! And you know he and Fluttershy are sweethearts now! He went into hiding to protect her!”

Rarity shrieked, “WHAT?! The death penalty?! How dare they! Those two are a perfect couple! Of all ponies, why would our princesses even pass such an abominable law?!”

I explained some more. “They didn’t! Twilight sent a message to Princess Celestia asking about it and she didn’t even know it exists!”

Rarity’s jaw hung open for a second before she spoke, “What…? Then… How did this happen? Is the law a fake?”

I was feeling kind of burned out by all the stress of the situation, so I sighed. “I dunno… Twilight and Fluttershy are gathering up Applejack and Rainbow Dash. I came here to get you. Let’s head over to Twilight’s place so we can figure this out.”

Rarity nodded with a confident smile. “Yes, let’s. James is a very good friend of mine and I would hate to lose him. Let’s get this mess sorted out and get him back home where he belongs!” We then ran out the door, but Rarity then stopped. “Wait! One moment please.”

“Huh? Oh, OK!” I replied as she went back inside. A few seconds later, she came back out and hung a sign on the door. “Out to lunch? It’s too early for that!”

Rarity gave me a pretty sly smirk. “How many ponies would take a ‘Gone to search for lost friend’ sign particularly seriously?” We both got a good laugh out of that. It’s true, after all! Friends don’t get lost in Ponyville very often!

Rarity and I ran the whole way back to Twilight’s house. I barged right in with her right behind me. “We’re here!”

I heard Applejack reply, “Hold yer horses, girl. We’re here too.”

Rarity smiled when she came inside. “I do hope everypony is here now.” Sure enough, Twilight and Fluttershy were there with Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Pinkie, tell us straight! Is James really gone?!” Rainbow Dash said when she flew over to me.

“I don’t wanna believe it either, but that’s what it looks like!” I replied while waving my arms. But maybe now that everypony was there, we could figure out what to do. It kind of reminds me of when Applejack disappeared after going to that rodeo contest. Only she didn’t try to hide in the Everfree Forest! And at least James didn’t leave us guessing on why he had to leave.

Rarity then asked, “Wait. You said something about finding some sort of law in a book, right? Do you know which one?”

Twilight then spoke up with her hoof rubbing her chin. “Now that I think about it, Diamond Tiara was in here yesterday looking through a bunch of old law books. You don’t suppose…”

Rarity suddenly growled, “Her?! That little imp?! She’s been harassing James daily all week! What book was it?!”

Spike called out to us while pulling a book from one of the shelves. “It’s right here! Equestrian Law 101.”

He brought the book over to Twilight, who levitated it up to her face. I have to admit, that book looked reeeally old. “OK… Which page…” She started flipping through the pages while her eyes glanced back and forth.

Spike raised his hand while speaking up. “Oh, I think it was open to page 83 when I put it away.”

Twilight smiled at her #1 helper. “Thank you, Spike. Page 83… Here we go. The act of….. Oh no…”

Her face looked like she was really disturbed by something. Fluttershy then barged in and looked at the book. “What does it say?!”

I couldn’t stay quiet either. I had to know! “Well, what does the law say?! I can’t take the suspense!” I felt like I was gonna burst if they didn’t tell me soon!

Fluttershy soon looked our way, but… That face. I’ve never seen her so horrified. Those tears rolling down her face… “No… No… I can’t let him…”

Applejack then tried to calm her down since she’s pretty good at it. “Easy there, girl. What’s wrong? What does it say?”

Fluttershy then just made a run for the door! “I can’t let them get him! I won’t!”

“Grab her!” Rainbow Dash yelled before she swooped right down at her. We all ponypiled onto Fluttershy to keep her from getting outside. I’ve never seen her that hysterical before!

“I need to find him! I… I don’t want him to die!” Fluttershy kept sobbing hard while trying to wiggle out from under us. And did I ever mention how much it hurts to see Fluttershy cry?

Applejack put her head right beside Fluttershy’s and tried to smile. “We know, sugarcube. That’s why we’re gonna get this all figured out. I’m tellin’ ya the honest truth. James ain’t gonna die. All right?”

Fluttershy looked so confused, kinda like she wanted to believe Applejack while still thinking that something really bad was gonna happen to James if we didn’t find him soon. Twilight then smiled reassuringly, or she at least tried to. “We will, Fluttershy. He’s our friend and we’re going to make sure that Princess Celestia knows just how absurd this law is.”

I think by then Fluttershy believed us. “OK… I just… I need to calm down…”

As we climbed off of her, Rarity smiled. “Don’t worry, dear. We know you love him.”

Rainbow Dash then asked while taking a really close look at the book Spike was holding, “Wait a sec. That law looks really old! You think maybe it’s outdated?”

Twilight nodded right away and said, “More than likely. But how did James even learn about this law? He’s never seemed like someone who has an interest in law, so I can’t imagine him looking through a law book.”

That sounded kinda funny. No way James would ever want to be a lawyer! “No kidding! Law is sooooo boring! He’d probably fall asleep if he even tried to read one!”

Applejack then asked, “Then how do y’all suppose he… Oh, don’t tell me!”

Rainbow Dash must’ve been having the exact same thought since she then growled, “Yeah! I’ll bet that’s it! Diamond Tiara told him about it! That little witch was trying to blackmail him!”

Fluttershy sighed while she frowned. “To think she would go this low…”

However, Twilight raised her hoof at us. “Wait a minute. We can’t be too sure of that. The note James left never once mentioned Diamond Tiara’s name. Even though I wouldn’t be surprised if she did have something to do with this, only James knows for sure.”

Rainbow Dash then gave us her trademark confident smirk while flexing her wings. “If that’s the case, I’ll go find him. Leave it to me!”

Fluttershy nodded after glancing over at the note James left behind. “He did request that you go find him.”

I then hopped forward, feeling super pumped and excited that things were getting interesting! “OK then! You go find him, Rainbow!”

Rainbow Dash then opened the front door to the library. “You got it. Wait here for me. I’ll be back in ten minutes flat.” And like that, she was gone.

I don’t think anything interesting is gonna happen while we wait, so I’ll stop writing here. When Rainbow Dash gets back, I’ll let her write the rest of the journal! In any case, thanks for reading! I just hope James is going to be fine when this is all over.

Hey there! This is Rainbow Dash! You’ve probably heard of me. #1 flier in Equestria? First pegasus to ever do a Sonic Rainboom during the Best Flier Competition? The only pegasus with a rainbow-stripped mane and tail? Yeah, that’s me!

Anyway, today was a mess. Turns out James disappeared from Ponyville and went into hiding in the Everfree Forest, of all places! Oh right, I guess I should tell you who James is. He’s… Wait. Didn’t Pinkie Pie already explain that? Let me check…

Yup! Pinkie Pie already explained it, so there’s no point in me doing it too. In any case, he left behind a note saying that he wanted me to come find him since I’m the fastest flier around. Good choice!

Anyway, once I had met up with my friends, I went flying out to the Everfree Forest. This place gives me the creeps, but I guess James had the right idea in going there. Nopony in their right mind would ever set foot there.

I really reeeeeeeally didn’t want to go through the forest on foot, so I flew overhead. Man, the canopy stretches for miles. Just a big sea of green.

I flew along for a little while before I found a huge gap in the canopy. A muddy swamp was below me. I think Fluttershy called it Froggy Bottom Bog. Wait… Froggy Bottom Bog?! Isn’t that where a hydra lives?!

Even though that would be a good spot to find James, I was scared that the hydra might’ve gotten to him by then. I flew out over the middle of the swamp…er…bog and looked around. “Don’t be dead, James…”

When I looked around for a minute, I saw someone waving at me next to one of them funky mangrove trees. Was that… Yeah, it was him! I swooped down and tackled him against the tree and gave him my tightest hug! “Darn it, James! I thought you were a goner! Don’t ever pull something like that again!” Um… Did I tear up a bit when I found him? I hope he doesn’t mention that to anypony. I’ve got a reputation to keep up!

Well, anyway… I felt James pat me on the back. “I’m guessing Fluttershy showed you the message. Am I right?” He said while looking down at me.

I nodded and explained what I was doing there. “Yeah. When the other girls showed me that note, I bolted over here to find you. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna last long enough… Huh?” Was that…a pot lid tied to his arm? “James… Why is there a pot lid tied to your arm?”

He looked down at his arm before snickering. I guess even he thought it looked totally silly. “From what I know, Ponyville doesn’t have an armory. So I had to use something makeshift as a shield. I don’t know what lives out here in Everfree Forest, so I wanted to be on the safe side.”

I looked at the shield and smirked. I guess I should’ve known better. James is smart. He would definitely plan ahead for a trip into this place. “Yeah, I guess it’s better than nothing.” It was then I remembered what I wanted to ask. “But anyway, what happened? Why are you even out here? Did that little brat have something to do with it?”

James replied, “Hang on… Are you suspecting Diamond Tiara?”

I groaned while throwing my hooves into the air. “Well, who else could it be?! That little witch’s been a pain in the flank for you since the day you met her! And besides, that message you left behind mentioned that there’s a law condemning humans and ponies falling in love! And Twilight mentioned that Diamond Tiara was in the library yesterday reading law books. When Fluttershy showed her the note, she put two and two together and thought Diamond Tiara pulled a fast one on you. But did she? I mean you’re the only one who knows.”

He got quiet for a moment, probably thinking back to whatever happened yesterday. “Well, all she really did was alert me to the law. I thought she was bluffing at first, but I found that law written in a book on page 83. Can’t remember the title, but it’s still in the library.”

Page 83, huh? Looks like Spike got it right. “Uh huh… And Twilight said she wrote a note to Princess Celestia pointing out that you and Fluttershy are a couple now, right? No wonder you freaked out…”

Right after that, I smiled at James. “Ya know, it was really brave of you to hide out here in the Everfree Forest. But leave the rest to us. We’ll put in a good word with Princess Celestia for you. She’s not some kinda tyrant, so she’ll probably make an exception for you and Fluttershy.”

James gave me a look that seemed to show a lot of weight had been taken off his shoulders. “Thanks, Rainbow. You’re always someone I can count on. But until I’ve officially been given a royal pardon, I can’t go home. Please tell Fluttershy that and that I love her.”

Yeah, that sounded just like him. James isn’t the kind of guy who likes taking chances. But in any case, that reminded me of her. “Yeah… About her, she was really freaking out when she came into town. I’ve never seen her cry like that. She was really scared for you. Knowing you’re OK will definitely calm her down.”

James looked kinda pained from what I just told him. He let out a sigh and asked, “She was crying?”

I nodded and said, “Yeah… She was almost hysterical once all six of us had gathered at the library. Man, for her to get that worked up, she must be CRAZY for you. You’re a really lucky guy, you know that?”

He let out another sigh, but also seemed to crack a smile. “Yeah… Really lucky… All I want right now is….. Wait a sec…”

Whoa, where did that shadow come from? I looked to my right and…dang. Was THAT the hydra Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy told me about?! That thing is HUGE! Probably bigger than an Ursa Minor! James looked at me and asked, “Lemme guess… That’s a hydra?”

There was only one thing I could say that could do justice to the whole thing. “Eeeeeeeeeyup!” I know lots of ponies think I’m totally fearless, which I am, but that thing… Yikes.

That thing’s four heads looked back and forth at James and me for a minute before all of them looked at him with creepy smirks. They were going after him! Well, no way was I gonna let some creep eat one of my best friends! “James, it’s going after you! Get outta here! I’ll hold it off!” I flew right up to that thing and kicked one of its heads. “C’mon, eight eyes! Wouldn’t you rather have some fast food?!”

Sure enough, all four of them started snapping at me. But I just swooped between their necks and dazzled them with my Fantastic Filly Flash… OK, I’m going waaaay off topic here. I think James must’ve thought I was nuts since I heard him yell, “Girl, you crazy!”

I yelled back at him while staying on the move. “Get outta here, James! I’ll keep this lunkhead busy until you’re outta sight! And don’t worry about me! No way a slowpoke like this can catch the fastest flier in Equestria!” He must’ve heard me since he made a break for the trees.

Once James was out of sight, I waved at the hydra. “Sorry, boys! I’d love to mess with ya more, but I gotta get back! See ya!” All four of them snapped at me one more time, but I was too fast for them anyway. I was still kinda worried about James being out there in the Everfree Forest by himself, but he was packing a pretty mean looking knife. I can’t imagine him getting into a fight, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be OK out there for one more night.

In any case, I hightailed it right back over to Twilight’s place without stopping for anything. I was really tempted to go Sonic Rainboom on my way there, but I decided to hold off on that for another day when I had a bigger audience. In any case, I barged right into the library and shouted, “Found him!”

Pinkie Pie instantly looked my way and grinned in her usual excitement. “Ten minutes flat! Right on time! And you found him?!”

I nodded and trotted on in while strutting my stuff. “Yep! He was over at the Froggy Bottom Bog. And don’t worry, Fluttershy. I made sure he got away when the hydra popped up.”

Applejack asked with a freaked out expression, “Hydra?! It was there?! Are ya sure James got outta there OK?!”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I kept that thing busy until he was long gone.” I said while giving her a wink.

But then, Fluttershy glared at me. Was that the ‘Stare’ I had heard about? “If you found him, then why didn’t you bring him home?!”

Man, Fluttershy has one intimidating glare. I grinned nervously while trying to calm her down. “Yeah… That… He told me he didn’t want to take any chances. Until he knows for sure that Princess Celestia has pardoned you two, he’s not coming home.”

That look in Fluttershy’s eyes quickly calmed down, but she also looked really disappointed and I don’t blame her. “Oh… But…he was OK, right?”

I patted her on the shoulder. Had to try to be as friendly as possible to keep her spirits up. “Yeah, don’t worry about that. He was in good shape when I found him. He’ll be fine, Fluttershy. If he could survive one night out there, he can do it twice.”

Fluttershy gave me a pretty worried smile, but Rarity then asked, “One moment, Rainbow Dash. Did you find out if Diamond Tiara was the one who revealed that absurd law to James?”

I frowned before I replied. I knew they were gonna be really ticked off by what I was about to say. “Yeah. She’s the one who showed him.”

Twilight frowned while talking really sternly, “Then we need to pay a visit to Ponyville Elementary. This is the last straw.”

Applejack nodded while flexing and cracking her ankle joints. “Yeah. I’ve been tryin’ ta tolerate her abusin’ Apple Bloom, but this is goin’ way too far!”

Rarity then stepped forward with her head held high. “Then let us be off! It’s time to confront that wretched filly!”

Pinkie Pie then looked back at Spike and waved with that goofy grin she always shows, even in serious moments like that. “Watch the place for us, Spike! We’ll be back!”

Spike nodded before giving us all a salute. “You got it! Good luck!”

We all marched right out of the library and towards the schoolhouse. And… Well, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, but I was going outta my way to keep out of Fluttershy’s way. That look… Man, I’ve never seen her look that ticked off before!

Well, we got to the schoolhouse without any trouble. We didn’t talk much on the way, probably because of how mad we were. Seriously, what the hay is wrong with that kid to try to blackmail someone with a death threat?!

We all went into the lobby and waited while Twilight looked into the schoolroom. It was pretty quiet. Maybe they were taking a test? In any case, Cheerilee looked our way while Twilight motioned for her to come to us. “Cheerilee? I need to speak to you. It’s urgent.”

Cheerilee looked back at the students and spoke up quietly, but loud enough for all the kids to hear her. “Excuse me for a minute, class.” I could see Diamond Tiara sitting at the far end at the head of the class. Man, I just wanted to fly over to her and sock her one!

“Hello, Twilight… Oh, what are all of you doing here?” Cheerilee asked once she was standing in front of us in the lobby.

“Beggin’ yer pardon, Cheerilee, but we’re here on important business. We’ve gotta see Diamond Tiara.” Applejack spoke next while doing a really good job of keeping her anger under wraps.

I’m guessing Cheerilee was starting to get worried from our angry expressions. We were trying to be civil, but it wasn’t easy not looking really peeved. “Did something happen? You all seem very troubled. What did she do this time?”

I finally decided to speak my piece. “She tricked James into hiding out in the Everfree Forest, that’s what!”

Yeah, I can tell Cheerilee really didn’t see that one coming. “Wait… The Everfree Forest?! What happened?!”

Rarity then took one step forward and asked, “You do know she has been very hostile towards James lately, do you not?”

Cheerilee nodded right away. “Yes, I heard he somehow took away her cutie mark as punishment for her actions. I did not pay any mind to it. I thought for sure it would teach her that her actions have consequences. But… Did she really?”

Pinkie Pie gave Cheerilee a big scowl. And you know Pinkie doesn’t make looks like that unless it’s serious. “Yeah! She found this really old outdated law in an old law book saying that romantic relationships between humans and ponies are punishable by the death penalty! She told James about it to blackmail him into giving her back her cutie mark!”

Fluttershy then spoke up with an equally serious scowl. “James is my boyfriend, Miss Cheerilee.”

I think that was all we needed to say. Cheerilee stuck her head back into the classroom and spoke in a pretty loud voice. “Diamond Tiara! In the lobby! NOW!” Ooooh man, I can only imagine the look on her face.

We could hear the other students jeering at Diamond Tiara when Cheerilee looked back at us. I think I heard Scootaloo laugh, “Oooooh, sounds like Miss Cheerilee is ticked off! Whatcha do this time, Tiara?”

That rotten little filly came to the doorway with a very annoyed look on her face. “OK, I’m here… Huh?”

Cheerilee got between her and the doorway that led back into the schoolroom while the rest of us glared down at her. “Um… What’re you all doing here?”

I snorted before growling at her, “Don’t you dare act like you did nothing wrong, you little witch. We know what you did.”

Twilight then asked, “James. Do you know where he is?”

I think Diamond Tiara knew she was in trouble when we mentioned his name. “Um… What about him? He was supposed to return my cutie mark this evening.”

Applejack then bared her teeth a little while letting out a really long and menacing sigh. “Or else ya would tell Princess Celestia about ‘im and Fluttershy so they would be executed? Even she don’t know ‘bout that law!”

Diamond Tiara looked pretty shocked by that. “What?! Then…nothing will happen?! Darn it! I’ll just have to think of something else…”

That little… No remorse at all! I stomped my hoof in front of her and tried hard to not yell. “You little nitwit! Do you have any idea what you did?!”

She backed away from me when I said that. “What… What did I do?!”

“James took your threat very seriously. Instead of giving in to your demands like a coward, he chose to protect dear Fluttershy by hiding in the Everfree Forest so the proper authorities could not get any proof of the so-called crime! You just put his life in danger!” Rarity explained while giving that little punk one of the most menacing glares I had ever seen on her.

Diamond Tiara shouted right out of nowhere. Looks like her plans had gone up in smoke. “WHAT?! He wasn’t supposed to do that! That idiot! He was supposed to give me my…”

Whoa… Fluttershy didn’t even let her finish. She got right up in her face while looking more ticked off than I’ve ever seen her before… Oh, wait. There was that time at the Grand Galloping Gala. I’d say she looked just as mad back then as she did right there. “Idiot?! The only idiot around here is you! You’ve been nothing but a thorn in our sides and now you’ve sent one of our dearest friends into one of the most dangerous places in Equestria! James is my boyfriend! I love him very VERY much! And you… You are the most selfish, egotistical, cruel…EVIL! Yes, evil filly I have ever known! I swear, if he dies out there, I can’t be held responsible for what I might do to you!”

Dang… I think Fluttershy may have really struck a nerve. Diamond Tiara was utterly cowering before her. Tears were rolling down her face, probably just out of fear. “Woo! You go, Fluttershy! You tell her like it is!” Pinkie Pie cheered while applauding. Fluttershy didn’t really reply. She was just glaring at Diamond Tiara while breathing hard. Man, I was afraid to say anything to her at that point!

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Scootaloo peeking through the doorway. Oh man… Did she hear everything? I inched over to her and asked, “What’s up, Scoot?”

She then asked with a really worried expression, “Rainbow Dash… Is he really out in the Everfree Forest?” Yeah, not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but Scootaloo and James have become really tight lately. Almost like a brother and sister, if you can believe that!

Anyway, I nodded before trying to perk her up. “Yeah, he is… But don’t worry! I saw him today. He’s doing fine out there. I’ll even bet fifty bits that he’ll be home tomorrow. Just give him a little time, OK?”

Scootaloo nodded with a little smile, but I could tell she was still worried sick. It wouldn’t surprise me if she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to take matters into their own hooves at some point. “OK… I’ll wait for him. If you see him again, please tell James I said hi.”

I nodded and rubbed Scootaloo’s head. “You got it, squirt. Now, get back to your test. I know it’s boring, but it’s gotta be done.”

That little sparkplug saluted me and said, “Yes, ma’am!” I watched as she went back to her desk. She then seemed to whisper something to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

“Just stay outta trouble…” I muttered to myself. I hope I don’t end up regretting telling her what I did.

Cheerilee spoke up while Fluttershy still hadn’t budged from where she stood. “Miss Fluttershy, please calm down. I will make certain that Diamond Tiara is properly disciplined for this most recent grievance.”

That wasn’t enough for Applejack, judging by what she said next. “No can do this time, Cheerilee. This time, I’m gonna make sure her pappy knows about everythin’ she’s done. Not just ta James, but ta everypony she’s ever crossed. She’s gotten away with her nonsense for far too long, and I ain’t gonna stand for it any longer.”

Rarity nodded while moving up beside her. “I’ll go with you, Applejack. I shall provide details since I have personally witnessed her most recent acts of violence.”

Twilight then glared at Diamond Tiara, who looked way too scared to say anything with Fluttershy still up in her face. “You are in a world of trouble, young lady. I’ll be sure to mention this to Princess Celestia as well.”

Just before we could say anything else, Pinkie Pie pointed into the classroom. “Um… Cheerilee?” Turns out all of the students had gathered near the door and were watching the whole thing.

Cheerilee looked back at the classroom before looking back at us. “Oh dear… It seems this confrontation is creating quite a distraction. Could we wrap this up? I need to make sure my students finish their tests on time.”

Twilight nodded with a stern frown still on her face. “Right, so sorry to have been a bother, Cheerilee. But please keep a close eye on Diamond Tiara. After this last stunt, I wouldn’t trust her at all.”

Cheerilee nodded while also looking pretty serious. “I will. And good luck on finding your friend. He really does seem like a nice person and is very good with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.” She then walked back into the classroom with Diamond Tiara, who looked like she might as well have been on death row. I almost felt sorry for her, but after this last stunt, all my sympathy was tossed out the window. “All right, class. Let’s get back to the test.”

We had turned to leave, but Fluttershy was still standing where she had been yelling at Diamond Tiara. “Fluttershy, let’s get going.” I said to her, not wanting her to be left behind. There wasn’t any business in us sticking around the schoolhouse.

Fluttershy turned and followed us, but… That face. It looked so…drained. As soon as we were outside, she collapsed with a thud. “Whoa! What’s wrong?!” I asked while I sat by her side. The rest of our friends gathered around too.

Big tears were rolling down Fluttershy’s cheeks. “I’m sorry… I’m just so scared… I’ve never gone through anything like this before…”

Applejack patted her on the shoulder, but she also looked pretty worried too. “None of us have, sugarcube. We’re worried sick too. And I know it’s especially hard on ya because of just how much he means to you.”

Rarity then helped her stand up while showing a smile. “Chin up, darling. James loves you too much to allow himself to die out there in that dreadful forest. He will survive and we will make sure he comes home safe and sound. So please, have faith in your beloved.”

Fluttershy bowed her head before smiling in a sad way. Does that make any sense? Smiling while still looking sad? In any case, she spoke softly, “Thank you…”

“Come on, Fluttershy! Say that with a real smile! He’s gonna be fine! And it’s all because he has friends like us to help him out!” Pinkie Pie said with a big grin. Heh, she always tries to keep her chin up in situations like this. That’s pretty awesome.

“I’ll try… It’s just…” Fluttershy muttered before stopping short.

Twilight smiled at her too before talking. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’ll contact Princess Celestia about this matter as soon as I get back home. I’m sure she’ll think of something to help.”

Well, right after that, we headed back into Ponyville. Applejack and Rarity have gone to see Diamond Tiara’s folks while I’m heading back to the library with Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. I think I’m done writing for now. I really hope James is gonna be OK out there for at least one more day. The guy’s pretty timid and laidback, so I worry about him sometimes. Still, he’s a great friend and I really do appreciate his levelheaded approach to everything. Guess that’s because I totally lack it!

Anyway, I’m stopping here. I just hope whatever Twilight has in mind helps us get James home faster.

Howdy there, folks. This is Applejack writing today. You all probably know me as the local country girl who runs Sweet Apple Acres with one mean kick. In any case, I’m giving my two bits on this whole mess like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash did.

In any case, it looks like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie already did a nice job of explaining what’s been going on today. No need to backtrack and explain everything, I reckon. Anyway, Rarity and I hurried on over to the jewelry store that Diamond Tiara’s mom runs. If memory serves, I think her name’s Ruby Ring.

When we were standing outside the front door, Rarity held her hoof up to stop me from just barging in. “Now, Applejack. I know this is a stressful situation, but we don’t want to frighten anypony. Let’s be as civilized as possible.”

I really didn’t care for that idea. “Ya kiddin’ me? I’d say that Diamond Tiara’s folks are the ones responsible for this whole mess. They’ve been screwin’ up on raisin’ her if she turned out like this!”

Rarity just shook her head at me. “Well, I certainly can’t deny that they may have some fault in this. But I have met them before. They certainly do not give me the impression of being awful ponies. Just let me take the lead for now.” I had nothing to say to that, so I decided to just follow her lead for the moment.

Rarity led the way into the jewelry store. Pretty nice place, to be honest. There weren’t any customers in there at the moment, but there was somepony minding the cash register. “Huh? Filthy Rich? Ain’t ya supposed ta be over at Barnyard Bargains right now?”

Turns out Diamond Tiara’s dad was minding the store. He didn’t seem all that keen for watching the place though. “Oh, hello there, Applejack. My wife had to step out for a bit, so I’m watching the store for her. Can I help you?”

I let Rarity get in the first words. “Actually, we are not here to do business, Mr. Rich. We have come here to alert you to an unfortunate incident involving your…daughter.”

Filthy let out a sigh, almost as if he knew what we were getting at. “Oh boy, what happened this time? Must be pretty extreme for you to come see me directly.”

I barged past Rarity and told Filthy to his face. “She blackmailed one of our friends inta hidin’ in the Everfree Forest! That extreme enough for ya?!”

I normally don’t raise my voice, but this warranted an exception. In any case, Filthy looked at me with a look that seemed to show real shock. “Wait… My daughter did WHAT?!”

Rarity explained before I could get anything else in. “You may have noticed that her cutie mark has been missing for a week now. That was the result of our dear friend punishing her for repeatedly tormenting Applejack’s and my little sisters. She did not take kindly to that and began to attempt to do him harm every single day since then. Yesterday, she used some convincing information to try to force him into returning her cutie mark. He took the information very seriously and is now hiding in the Everfree Forest. Alone.”

Man, that look on Filthy’s face said it all. He looked mad, shocked, but ashamed too. I stepped forward and gave him my sternest glare. “Ya heard that right, Filthy. Our friend is out there, alone, barely armed, and with nopony ta back ‘im up if he runs inta trouble. Yer daughter’s been nothin’ but a nuisance ta my sister, but I’m puttin’ my hoof down this time! If James gets eaten by a hydra out there, I’m gonna be holdin’ ya responsible! Got it?!”

He didn’t say anything at first. Rarity then looked at me and spoke, “Applejack, I think you may have gone too far.”

I shook my head. At that moment, I didn’t give a rotten apple core on what anypony thought. “I don’t care. I’ve been tryin’ ta be patient waitin’ for Diamond Tiara ta change ‘er ways, and she really crossed the line with this last stunt. I ain’t gonna soften the blow this time.”

Finally, Filthy Rich spoke up while letting out a sigh. “No, it’s all right, Miss Rarity… She’s right. I’ve known about my daughter’s problems in school for a while now and I thought I was addressing them correctly. I see now that I wasn’t being strict enough.”

I nodded while making sure to not let up on my criticism. “Yeah. And ya better fix that before she does somethin’ even worse. If ya don’t, she might end up takin’ a knife to ‘is throat when we bring ‘im home. If he lasts long enough out there, that is…”

He winced at that line. “Good lord, I swear I won’t let it come to that. Leave this whole situation to me, Applejack. And thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Filthy then smiled before… Heh, I hope he doesn’t read this. I know he prefers to be called Rich, but Filthy is first in his name. “In any case, would you like to pick up anything while you’re here?”

I didn’t have any interest in jewelry at the time, but Rarity seemed to get excited by the offer. “Ooh! Well, if you insist, I’ve had my eye on some…”

There she went again, what with her prissy pants obsession with fancy stuff! I groaned, “Rarity, we don’t got time for that right now. Save it for later!”

Rarity chuckled nervously when I called her out on that. I thought she was finally somepony who sees the big picture by now. “Oh, right… My apologies, Mr. Rich, but we really should be rendezvousing with our friends right now.”

He nodded while looking a little calmer than before. “I understand. And once again, I apologize for my daughter’s behavior. I swear I won’t let her repeat them.”

I gave him one last frown to make sure I still had my eye on him and his kid. “Y’all better not. I’m all outta patience with that filly. And good luck with settin’ her straight.” We then moseyed on outta there and headed back to Twilight’s place.

“Did we really have to leave so suddenly, Applejack? There were quite a few trinkets in there I wanted to inspect!” Rarity complained as we walked through town.

I rolled my eyes at her. We might get along pretty well now, but her obsession with stuff like that really grates on my nerves now and then. “Y’all know we don’t have time ta indulge in that stuff, Rarity. Besides, didn’t James getcha somethin’ a few days back?”

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks and raised her right hoof. Had she been wearing that all day without my noticing? “Of course… How could I forget this priceless little keepsake?” It looked like a silver bracelet that had opals all over it.

“Ya wear that all the time?” I asked while looking closely at it. Now that I think about it, she wears that almost everywhere she goes. Guess she must really like it.

“Oh, yes. I wear this at all times. I woke up one morning to find it around my hoof. It turns out that James had purchased it for me without my knowing as a gift for allowing him to stay with me. Such a gentleman.” Rarity said while closely inspecting the bracelet.

I chuckled a little at how she didn’t stop gawking at it. “He ever ask ya out on a date?”

I can tell I ruffled Rarity’s feathers with that one. At least I would’ve if she was a pegasus. “Oh, him?! Of course not! I mean… I could never get between him and Fluttershy. She’s my best friend! But even then…” She looked at her bracelet again, “He is still very dear to me. And I want to see him brought home as soon as possible.”

“In that case, enough stallin’! Let’s get ta Twilight’s place!” I said with a grin. Rarity followed me as I galloped through town before Twilight’s house came into view.

All the girls were inside when we went in. Poor Fluttershy still looked worried out of her mind, but good old Pinkie Pie was staying by her to keep her spirits up. In any case, I asked, “Hey there, everypony. Got any news?”

Twilight gave me a smile while the girls gathered around. “I just sent a message to Princess Celestia explaining to her what we discovered as well as what has happened. I even included James and Fluttershy’s names.”

Rarity didn’t seem to like the sound of that idea right off the bat. “Oh dear… Are you sure that was a good idea?”

I wasn’t too keen on making their relationship known to the princess just yet either. Last thing we need is a bunch of royal guards showing up at Fluttershy’s front door. “Do ya think we should’ve waited a little longer?”

Spike walked up to me and smiled. “Don’t worry about it! She already said she doesn’t even know about that law, so…erk…”

Spike wasn’t looking too good right there, so I tried to check on him. “What’s the matter, Spike? Y’all got somethin’ in yer… Whoa, nelly!” I ducked just in time to avoid his fiery burp. Wouldn’t be the first time, so I kinda saw it coming.

“I hope it’s nothing but good news…” Fluttershy said as the flames turned into a scroll.

Spike grabbed it out of the air and started reading it to us. “Dear Twilight Sparkle… I understand the situation now and am very sorry that you happened to stumble across that law. Please believe me when I say that such prejudice will never be tolerated in Equestria. I have dispatched a platoon of royal guards to search the Everfree Forest by air. When they return, I will update you on the situation immediately. Be strong. Your friend is in good hooves now. And tell Fluttershy that she and your friend have my blessings.”

Fluttershy’s face brightened right as soon as she heard that last line. “You mean…she’s OK with me and James being together?!”

Spike rolled up the scroll and handed it to Twilight. “Looks like it. I don’t see what the big deal is anyway.”

Pinkie Pie then gave Fluttershy an Ursa hug while squealing as happily as a sow in fresh mud. “You see, Fluttershy?! There’s nothing wrong with you and James being sweethearts! Everything’s gonna be OK!”

Fluttershy let out a big sigh before returning that hug. “Thank goodness…”

Rainbow Dash then patted her on the back. “Don’t worry about anything from now on, Fluttershy. Once they find James, everything’s gonna be all right.”

I nodded too while letting out a huge sigh of relief. “Well, that takes a load off my chest. And those guards are pretty thorough in search and rescue, if nothin’ else. They’ll find ‘im. I know it.”

Rarity smiled while she took a seat on the floor. “Then all we can do is wait. I just hope James doesn’t run into trouble before the guards can find him.”

Pinkie Pie then spoke up while putting her hoof over Rarity’s mouth. “Don’t jinx him! What if something’s listening?!”

Twilight giggled at that little quip. Some things just don’t ever change. “Oh, don’t worry about that, Pinkie. Jinxes are the same as curses. And as we’ve already established, curses aren’t real.”

That goofy party girl giggled, “Ooh, right. Sorry… Oh, wait! If there’s nothing else for us to do, I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner! I think I left the oven on!”

I gulped at that thought. The Cakes would probably kick her out if she set the place on fire! “Whoa! Y’all better get goin’ then! Tell the Cakes we said hi!”

Pinkie nodded as she ran for the door, “Will do! I’ll tell them just before I bake them!”

We all just looked at her in silence before Fluttershy muttered, “Wait… You don’t mean…”

Rainbow Dash groaned while holding her head in her hoof. “Not THOSE kinds of cakes, Pinkie! We meant your bosses!” We all got a good laugh out of that just before Pinkie left.

I then nodded while remembering some things I still had to do. “She’s got a point there. I need ta get goin’ too. Those apples ain’t gonna buck themselves.”

Rarity grinned while brushing her mane out of her face. “If James were here, he would likely say ‘Of course they can’t. They don’t have legs.’ Am I right?”

Fluttershy got a bit of a giggle out of that one. “Yes, he would say that…” Her smile quickly became a frown though. I could tell why.

I walked over to Fluttershy and laid my hoof on her shoulder. “He’s gonna be OK, Fluttershy. How ‘bout I walk ya home?”

She looked at me and gave me a smile while somehow still looking a might down. “OK… Thank you, Applejack.”

A little bit later, I was on my way back to Fluttershy’s cottage with Fluttershy herself by my side. She didn’t talk much, but I tried to perk her up with some friendly conversation. “So…uh… Fluttershy. Does James have any pets like you do?”

Fluttershy shook her head before talking. “No… Although he did say he’s had lots of pets back home. Like frogs, turtles, a snake, dogs… What else was there?”

I chuckled, never knowing James is such an animal lover. Guess I should introduce him to Winona sometime. In case you don’t know, she’s my herding dog. “Never knew he was that good with animals. No wonder the two of ya get along so well.”

She giggled really softly. “Maybe. He’s gotten along very well with all the animals I’ve introduced him to.” I felt relieved I was able to make her smile about something. When Fluttershy’s feeling down, I swear everypony feels down. Or maybe that’s just me.

The two of us just chatted on and on about all sorts of stuff, but I won’t bore you with the details. Probably wouldn’t be too enticing anyway. You know, stuff that only sounds interesting between friends. Anyway, we finally made it to Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Well, here we are, Fluttershy.” I spoke up while surveying the place.

Fluttershy nodded before looking at me. “Thank you for your company, Applejack. That walk and chat did help me feel better.”

I gave her a nuzzle all friendly like. “Glad it helped, but don’t you fret none. James is gonna be fine now that the royal guards are searchin’ for ‘im.”

She nodded, but also gave me a frown. “I hope so… We’ve been together for such a short time, but…”

I knew exactly where she was going with that. The girls and I have only known James for one week. Even so, in that short time we’ve all gotten pretty tight with him. He’s a good guy. Even though him and I aren’t the closest of buddies, he’s still my friend. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a might worried about him at the time.

I patted Fluttershy on the shoulder again to try to reassure her. “Like I said, don’t you fret. I’m sure he’ll be OK when this is all over.”

Fluttershy nodded a bit again, looking a bit more relaxed. I then smiled and said, “Now, I gotta get back to Sweet Apple Acres. Still got plenty of apples ta harvest.”

Fluttershy nuzzled me goodbye right on the cheek. “OK… Take care, Applejack. And please let me know if anything happens.” I nodded, said my goodbyes, and headed on my way.

Once I got back home, I gathered up a few bushels and dragged them out to the orchard and placed them under a tree that was still chock full of apples. I turned around and gave that tree a buck with both of my hind legs. Sure enough, every last apple fell out of the tree and into the bushels.

I gathered up one of the bushels onto my back and… Aw, who am I kidding? Nopony wants to read about actually harvesting apples. They only wanna eat them! I guess I’ll stop writing here. Kind of hard to do that with a heavy bushel on your back anyway. In any case, thanks for reading! Now I gotta get back to work.

Um… Hello. My name is Fluttershy. I’m the very timid…and pretty yellow pegasus mare who lives just north of Sweet Apple Acres. At least some ponies say I’m pretty… I don’t know if I’m pretty… I mean, I guess everypony is entitled to their opinion. I mean, I guess I must be pretty to have become a model for Photo Finish once. I know my boyfriend thinks I’m pretty…

Am I going off topic? I’m sorry… My boyfriend has been writing journals since he showed up in Ponyville one week ago, so I think it would be a good idea if I did it too. A lot has happened today, so it seems journal worthy too. If you want to read what happened today, you can keep reading. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can’t make you read it, but… It’s OK if you don’t want to read it…

I’m sorry. It’s just that today has been very stressful for me. My boyfriend, James, disappeared in the night. When I woke, up, I found… Oh, wait. I think Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack already wrote journals of their own today. Maybe I should just skip ahead to parts that haven’t been mentioned yet.

Applejack had walked me home from Twilight’s house after we got word back from Princess Celestia. When she left, I tried to do something to take my mind off of my stress. I had already fed all the animals around my home for the morning. What else could I do?

I noticed one of my chickens wandering around by the side of my cottage. Was that Elizabeak? Oh, of course it was. She gets out more often than any of my other chickens. I walked over to her and smiled before lowering my face to her. “And where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

Elizabeak looked right up at me, but then went to pecking at the ground as she walked away from me. I didn’t want her to get lost with the Everfree Forest being so close by, so I did the only thing I could think of to get her back to the coop. I jumped in front of her and gave her my ‘Stare’. She froze in her tracks and started to back away from me.

“Go on, Elizabeak. Time to go back to the coop.” I spoke while making sure to keep my Stare going. She turned and started fluttering back to the coop while making such cute soft little clucking sounds. “Such a good chicken.”

I made sure to close the pen once I got her back inside. But before I left, I noticed the empty pail next to the coop. “The eggs… I forgot to collect them this morning.” Well, at least I found something to do that should keep me busy.

I hovered over to the entrance to the coop and crawled inside. It was hard for me to get in while carrying the pail in my mouth, so I hooked the pail’s handle on my tail and pulled it inside after me. All of the chickens were outside, so there was no one to get in the way.

I had no trouble collecting the eggs and putting them in the pail. I guess I could go into detail on how I did it… Wait, I don’t think most ponies would be interested in reading about that. I mean, I wouldn’t mind writing it. It’s just… Most would probably find it boring. I’m sorry.

I carried the pail of eggs into my cottage and took them to the kitchen. But once I was done there and came back into the living room, my eyes fell upon the bottom of the stairs. That… That was where I found the note James wrote…

Oh, I think I forgot to mention him. James is my boyfriend. He’s a human… I did not know that humans even existed until I met him. He was so timid when we first met… So sensitive… Just like me.

He has been so sweet to me ever since we met… I liked how quickly he opened up to me when we first met. He made such a good first impression with me. He has never belittled us ponies even though he’s completely different from us. Well…except for that one time at the park, but that was just a slip of the tongue. I know he didn’t mean to say it like that…

He has never tried to use or take advantage of me. He is always very patient with me. Most other stallions would just push me around and make me do things for them… I love him… I love him so much. I don’t care if there is a law forbidding us from being together. I love him!

I felt tears trickling down my face as I remembered him. I knew that there were royal guards trying to find him out there in the Everfree Forest. But…I couldn’t stop worrying. What if they don’t find him in time? What if that hydra finds him again? What if…

I collapsed from the stress I was feeling. I buried my face in my forelegs and just cried. James… I miss you… Please don’t die out there…

I’m not sure how long I stayed there. I may have cried myself to sleep. I woke up when I felt someone tapping me on my leg. When I looked up, I found Angel looking at me with a very worried expression.

“Angel… I’m sorry if I worried you…” I muttered weakly. Angel has always been very supportive of me whenever I have had a bad day. In any case, he pointed at the front door. There was a knock a second later. “Who could that be?”

I hurried over to the door and opened it. And standing outside was my best friend, Rarity. I must have been asleep for a while. The sky was dark and the moon was hanging in the sky. “Oh, Rarity! What brings you out here?” I asked with a smile. I did not want her to know I had been crying.

“Oh, I came out here to let you know we finally received word from Princess Celestia! Maybe they found him!” She exclaimed with a very excited smile on her face.

Already?! I gasped, “They have?! Really?!” I felt my heart leap at those words. I was almost expecting to see him within the hour. James was coming home!

However, Rarity frowned slightly right away. “Well, I can’t say for sure. Twilight sent word to us before she read the scroll. She wants us all present at her home when she reads it.”

I ran out the door and down the path in front of my house. I could not wait! “Then let’s go! Hurry!”

Rarity closed the door and ran after me. “Goodness, Fluttershy! I have never seen you get this worked up about anything!”

I could only reply with a smile, “My boyfriend is probably coming home tonight. I have every right to be this excited!”

We ran through Ponyville without stopping for anything. Maybe… Maybe James was already at Twilight’s house by now! I must have been excited since Rarity was having a hard time catching up to me. “Darling, wait up! I’m excited that he might be all right too, but I’m… Just please wait!”

I could not bring myself to stop running. But I did at least wait for Rarity to catch up to me before going into Twilight’s house. She had her head hanging low, a lot of sweat dripping off of her. Was she sprinting the whole way? “Um… Just how fast was I going?” I asked, worried that I had made Rarity mad at me.

She panted, “Oh no, of…course not… It is…perfectly understandable why…you are so…invigorated to…hurry over here…” After taking a deep breath, she then smiled at me. “But now that we’re here, let’s not delay.”

I pushed the door open and ran inside. “James?! Honey?!” I could not help shouting.

“Whoa, easy there, Fluttershy! He’s not here yet!” Rainbow Dash spoke while looking at me. All four of my friends were present, but James was nowhere to be seen…

Applejack frowned while she adjusted her hat. “Sorry, Fluttershy. I know ya had yer hopes up, but we haven’t even looked at what Princess Celestia sent us yet. We were waitin’ for ya and Rarity ta show up first.”

I sighed while I looked at the floor. “Oh… I see. Then the message?”

Spike then held up a scroll and said, “It’s right here!”

Rarity then stepped forward. She looked very determined. “Then let’s not wait any longer.”

Twilight smiled while looking at our cute little dragon friend and asked, “Spike, if you don’t mind?”

Spike nodded and unfurled the scroll. It was pretty big too. It was probably twice Spike’s height. “OK… Um… Dear Twilight, the royal guards I sent out to search the Everfree Forest were ordered to return to Canterlot as soon as the sun had set. When they returned, they provided me with the information they had amassed out there. As it turns out, they found James.”

I could not contain myself at those words. I jumped and hovered for a second while squealing out my joy. “YES!!!”

“Hehehee, take it easy, Fluttershy! We haven’t heard the rest yet!” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle while looking up at me.

I think I may have blushed when I landed and folded my wings. “Sorry… It’s just…”

Twilight shook her head while smiling at me. “No need to apologize, Fluttershy. Spike, please continue.”

Spike looked back at the scroll and continued speaking. “Unfortunately, they were not able to reach him. They stumbled across him entirely by chance as they were evacuating upon nightfall. What is more, it seems he was being pursued by…some sort of dark creatures. I had instructed the guards to not engage in combat of any sort, so they did not render assistance.”

I felt my heart race. James…was in danger?! I felt weak and began to sway, but Spike then spoke, “Do not fear though. He was easily able to outrun them. What is more, I think I have a good idea of where he is at this moment. At the time they saw him, James seemed to be heading in the direction of the castle ruins where you and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon. I am certain he will be safe there for the night. If he is as smart as I suspect he is, he will remain there until tomorrow.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness… He was still in the Everfree Forest, but at least he would be safe tonight. But…wait. If the guards found him, why did they not try to bring him home? Almost as if Princess Celestia knew what I was thinking, Spike spoke aloud again. “Please understand why the guards did not evacuate James when they found him. With how deep he was in the Everfree Forest at the time, it would have been very hazardous to escort him through the forest and an airlift would have been difficult due to his size and with the canopy in the way. Especially with creatures like his pursuers lurking about.”

Applejack spoke up while flexing her neck. “Well, that explains a lot.”

Spike then spoke, “I think this is the last part… Twilight, I feel this situation requires my personal attention. Tomorrow morning, Luna and I will be paying a visit to Ponyville. Please do not worry. I assure you no harm will come to your friend. I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow as well as meeting your new friend. Her royal highness, Princess Celestia.”

Twilight gasped in excitement. “Both of the princesses are coming tomorrow?! That’s amazing! We almost never see them together!”

Pinkie Pie added, “At least now we know James is OK out there. But how will we get him home tomorrow?”

Rainbow Dash smirked while patting her hoof against her chest. “That’s easy! Fluttershy and I will fly out to those ruins and tell him the good news! Right, Fluttershy?”

At any other time, I would have been terrified to go that deep into the Everfree Forest. But if we stayed above the canopy… And if it was to bring my boyfriend home… I nodded with a smile. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Rarity then smiled at me . “You two take care when you head out. Stay above the treetops.”

Applejack then said, “They ain’t goin’ yet, Rarity. And James ain’t goin’ anywhere ‘til mornin’. So we can wait.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Yes, it would be dangerous to try to get him out of there at this hour. Although I am curious what those dark creatures were that Princess Celestia mentioned…”

After a second, a scary thought entered my mind. I gasped, “Do you think they were…Changelings?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Nah! Changelings can fly! There’s no way James could’ve outrun those!”

I smiled a bit. She was right. Changelings do have wings. “Good point.”

Rarity then asked, “Well, it is starting to get rather late. What should we do now?”

Twilight looked towards a bookshelf and used her magic to bring a book to us. “Let’s figure out exactly which way to go when Rainbow and Fluttershy go to get James tomorrow. We all know where the Everfree Forest is, but the castle ruins is what we need to find specifically.”

She opened the book to what looked like a really old map. “Aha! Right there! The ruins are directly west. All you need to do is keep flying west and you’ll find it. Also, you remember how they were in a wide-open area with no trees covering them, right? That should make them easy to spot.”

Rainbow Dash nodded while showing a determined smirk. “Easy peasy! This’ll be a snap!

I smiled while feeling so much more confident. “Yes, it does seem like a very simple approach. We shouldn’t have any trouble at all.”

Applejack then spoke while yawning. “Then it’s settled. We’re countin’ on ya girls ta find ‘im tomorrow. But anyway, it’s getting’ late and I need ta close up the barn before bed. Let’s all see this through in the mornin’, all right?”

Twilight replied while rubbing her eyes, “Sounds like a plan. See you all tomorrow, everypony. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

“Oki doki loki! See ya tomorrow, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie replied happily. One by one, we all headed out the door and went home.

Right now, it’s very late. I’m… What is wrong with me? It is very late. Maybe around midnight by now. I am resting in bed, but I just can’t sleep…

I’m looking at the other side of my bed. No one is there… It feels so lonely to be sleeping in my bed alone after sleeping with the man I love more than once. I know he is safe right now, but…

I love him so much… I want him to come home. But I’m so tired too… I think I will try taking some sleep aids.

OK, I just had some sleep aids. Maybe now I can get to sleep. But I’m still so worried. Maybe if I try thinking happy thoughts… Thoughts of James… I can almost feel him holding me… Running his fingers through my mane.

I hope this little journal thing wasn’t boring to read. I mean, I think some ponies might have thought it was boring. I mean, I guess it’s OK if you think it’s boring. I just wanted to get my feelings down on paper. I hope I did a good job.

I’m going to sleep now. If anypony is reading this, good night. Or if it is morning, good morning. Or good afternoon? Well, in any case, thank you for reading. I just hope this whole mess works out in the end. I just want everything to go back to normal…..

I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. Through the screen mesh that covered the head section of my sleeping bag, I could see the sturdy stone walls of the castle tower I had taken shelter in the previous night. “Right… I’m still in the Everfree Forest somewhere…” I muttered as I tried to reach for the zipper that held my sleeping bag shut.

To my bewilderment, I could not grasp the zipper. In fact, I could not even feel my fingers! “Did I get frostbite last night? It wasn’t THAT chilly out!” I grumbled rather loudly as I found that I was literally trapped inside the confines of my own sleeping bag. It was difficult to see into it, so I doubt any predators would think that the bag was alive or had anything living inside it if I remained still. I was safe inside my sleeping bag, but…I had to go. You know what I mean by that.

Wondering how I would get out of this predicament, I remembered that I was not alone. I gazed upward, trying to make out any movement in the corners of the ceiling. It did not take me long to detect a familiar billowing shadow mixed in with the other shadows. “Nightmare Moon? If you’re up there, could you come down here for a moment?”

The shadow responded to my voice and began to creep down the wall while staying out of the sunlight. To allow Nightmare Moon to reach me, I managed to roll my sleeping bag with myself still in it over and into one of the shadows. I watched as the shadow drew closer. Once it came close enough, a familiar teal eye opened in the pitch-black shadow, staring at me silently.

“Thank you. Now, I hope it’s not too much trouble, but could you please open my sleeping bag if you can? I can’t seem to grab the zipper anymore.” I asked while hoping the royal unicorn…pegasus… What do you even call a pony that has the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn? Regardless, I tried to be as polite as possible since I was speaking to a princess.

Nightmare Moon’s beautiful teal eye’s gaze seemed to shift down slightly as I felt the warmth of her shadowy form creep over my sleeping bag. In a moment, I heard the recognizable sound of a zipper being undone. Once the sound stopped, I pushed my head forward to move the flap out of the way. And for some strange reason, I had a much harder time than before getting myself out of it. What was wrong with my body?

Once I was out of my sleeping bag, I attempted to stand up. But for some reason, I immediately lost balance and fell right back down onto my…hands? “What the…” The sound I heard when I fell onto my hands was very familiar… The sound of hooves clopping… Oh no…

I looked down at my hands and found that they had somehow become hooves. My arms were coated with a pale tan coat. Wait… A coat?! I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized that the pot lid I had tied to my arm was no longer there. Knowing it was still in my sleeping bag, I stuck my head inside and pulled it out by my teeth. It was tricky getting it to land on its top, but I managed. The underside was somewhat reflective, so I could see my reflection in it to a certain degree. But when I looked at my reflection, I did not see a young human man looking back at me. Instead, I saw…..a pony.

My eyes were quite large and I had an angular muzzle like most stallions do. My mane was the same shade of brown as my hair, so I suspected my tail was too. Of course, this was far from a pleasant surprise. The only words I could say were, “Are…you…KIDDING ME?!”

I swear I could almost hear Nightmare Moon laughing at my reaction. If I did not know better, I would have assumed she had caused the change with some magic. But I strongly doubted that there is a spell that could cause a creature to change into an entirely different one. Nor could I find any reason in her doing so. Something else must have caused this change. And by god, I pray that it is only temporary. I simply cannot imagine life without my hands.

It was a struggle getting out of my pants. I did not want to be seen naked, but they just did not feel right on me. My socks were no easier to yank off either, but I was especially frustrated that the change in my body mass had torn my shirt open. It fell right off me without trouble. “I guess I better ask Rarity for a new one when I get home… If I can ever go home...” I said while I grumbled under my breath.

Once I had climbed to my feet again, I pondered just how I was supposed to walk on all fours. I tried taking a step, but I immediately stumbled and staggered to my side. I froze as I heard a loud crack. “Oh man, what now?”

I looked down as I raised my right hind leg. Under my foot…hoof…whatever, were my glasses. Or rather, what was left of them. The lenses were cracked and the frame had been twisted. In other words, they were ruined. And it did not help that my eyes as a pony were hardly any better than as a human. Needless to say, this pushed my anger and frustration to a new level.

“Oh, come on! What’s next?! What else can go wrong today?!” I even broke down in frustrated laughter, utterly overwhelmed by my very big stroke of bad luck. I began to awkwardly laugh in irritation. “This is too much! Why this? What kinda sick joke is this?”

As I lied on the stone floor in frustration, I thought I heard a voice speak up. The shadow of Nightmare Moon must have heard it too since she hurried up into the shadows on the ceiling. I remained still while I looked towards the stairwell at the opposite end of the chamber.

“Are you sure he would really make it this far? It’s an awfully long way from Ponyville for one person to go, even though we did the same in one night.” One voice spoke in a very familiar quiet tone that echoed up the stairwell ahead of me. Fluttershy. What was she doing all the way out here?! She, more than anyone I know, would never dare enter the Everfree Forest alone! But wait… She was talking to someone?

“Yeah, I know it sounds like a bit of a stretch. But this is one of the safest places in the forest! If I was him, I’d sit the night out here too!” A more boisterous woman’s voice replied. I know that tone anywhere. It was Rainbow Dash.

As thrilled as I was to hear my friend and lover approaching, I was also embarrassed by my new form. I could not let them see me like this. In a very clumsy fashion, I clambered over to a collapsed support pillar and hid behind it.

“James, are ya here?!” Rainbow Dash called out as I heard her footsteps draw closer.

Fluttershy spoke next; raising her voice the best she could as it echoed down the long chamber. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore! The princesses abolished that law! We can be together again!”

My heart swelled with excitement at those words. As I had hoped, Princess Celestia had indeed been wise enough to see how flawed and oppressive such a law is. I very nearly jumped up to call out to them, but managed to restrain myself out of fear of what they would do upon seeing me. Would they ever believe that someone who was human the previous night was now a pony? My guess? Not very likely.

The two pegasi walked slowly down the throne room, steadily drawing near. I feared that they would peek behind the pillar I was hiding behind as I covered my head with my arms…or rather forelegs. However, Rainbow Dash gasped soon after. “Oh man… Fluttershy, I think you better see this!”

My lover replied in just mild alarm, “What did you find, Rainbow?”

The brash pegasus mare then spoke with what sounded like fear in her voice. “I think we’re too late… Look at this. Something ripped right through James’ shirt and smashed his glasses!”

I froze. She had found my torn shirt and crushed pair of glasses. The last thing I wanted was for my friends to think I was dead. I was about to stand up and call out, but Fluttershy then spoke up. “Um… Wouldn’t there be a lot more blood around here if something killed him?”

Blood? I suppose I should not be surprised about Fluttershy’s knowledge of predatory behavior since she is very knowledgeable when it comes to animals of all kinds. Fluttershy then continued to speak while apparently analyzing her surroundings. “It doesn’t look like there was a struggle. I don’t think James was hurt. Maybe he just got careless and stepped on his glasses by mistake.”

“You don’t know the half of it, dear…” I grumbled under my breath while trying to keep my voice down.

Rainbow Dash replied after a moment of seemingly thinking her words over. “Now that you mention it… Yeah! There’s no way James would go down that easily! Not with that knife he had! He’s fine! Probably just went outside to…uh…”

Fluttershy then proceeded to finish her friend’s sentence. “Use the bathroom?”

That got Rainbow Dash to snicker. “Yeah, maybe. He probably didn’t go that far.” I then heard the sound of what sounded like plastic hitting the floor. “I’ll hold onto his glasses. Whatcha say we take them back home to be fixed?”

I heard Fluttershy reply, “I think he’d like that. The poor thing probably can’t see a thing without them.” Her assumption was actually rather far from the truth. My vision is certainly not perfect, but it is not THAT bad. Although my left eye is worse than my right for some reason. But I digress.

“OK then, just follow my lead.” Rainbow Dash said as I heard her footsteps. I peeked out from behind the pillar and watched as the two pegasi headed towards the stairwell at the opposite end of the throne room. I silently thanked them for taking my glasses to Ponyville for repairs as they are the only pair I had.

Once I was alone again, I pondered how I would place my saddlebags onto my back. I know that is how they are meant to be worn, but just how do I pick them up? In any case, I managed to place everything I had into their respective bags. Getting my sleeping bag’s sack onto my back with my saddlebags took a good deal of experimenting. I managed to slide the two straps of the sack past one of the saddlebags, effectively placing it right in the middle of the band that connected the two saddlebags. Actually getting the saddlebags to hang off my sides was a challenge, but I succeeded by pushing my head under the band and sliding it down my neck until it was on my back.

As I prepared to leave, I looked up at the remains of Nightmare Moon that were billowing in the shadows in the corners of the ceiling. “Thank you for watching over me, Nightmare Moon. I hope we can chat again someday.” As I walked…..or rather staggered towards the stairwell, I could swear that Nightmare Moon’s shadow was…bigger than it was the previous night. Was I just imagining it?

I was very hesitant to walk down the stone stairs that led outside, as my new hooves did not offer the kind of traction my shoes did. “Crap… Easy, Jimbo…” I grumbled as I tenderly took one step at a time, still not used to my new posture. “Whoever pulled this on me is getting a boot to the head…”

It probably took me over five minutes just to get down every last step, from the top of the stairwell to the very bottom outside the tower. Or it at least felt that way. I first made my way back over to the rope bridge that led back over into the bulk of the Everfree Forest. Although I was lower to the ground and less likely to topple over, I was still very intimidated by the deep ravine. The fact that I still had not become accustomed to walking on all fours did not help my confidence either. One stumble and I would very easily fall between the planks or even right over the side.

Of course, that was not the only reason why I was so hesitant to cross. The fear that the zombie ponies from Sunny Town were still prowling the Everfree Forest up ahead was still prevalent in my mind. If I encountered one, I would never be able to run away in my current condition.

I froze as I suddenly felt something tap me on my butt…or should I say flank? Regardless, I was not accustomed to being touched there. “Excuse me, mister. Are you lost?” A little girl’s voice asked. It sounded strangely familiar too.

I carefully turned around to face the owner of the voice. Standing behind me was a familiar gray filly with glowing yellow eyes. “Phew… Don’t spook me like that, Ruby.” I spoke with a sigh, glad to see a familiar face.

Not surprisingly, Ruby did not seem to recognize me since I clearly was not the same human she had met the previous night. “How do you know my name? And…hey! You’re one of those ponies from Sunny Town! Your flank is blank!”

I sighed and rolled my eyes in minor irritation. “No, I am not. And I know you don’t recognize me, but I’m James. You know, the human guy you helped last night?”

Ruby paused for a moment while she examined me with a focused stare. “Oh… I was wondering why you have James’ stuff. And you sound just like him too… But…um… Why are you a pony now, Mr. James?”

I was hardly surprised to find that I did not have a cutie mark. But it made sense that I did not since I was still technically a human. Regardless, I replied with a frown. “Your guess is as good as mine. I woke up like this. You wouldn’t happen to know what might’ve caused this, do you?”

The ghost filly shook her head. “Nope. Sorry. I’ve never seen this happen to anypony before. It’s weird.”

As I looked back over across the bridge, I asked, “Um… Ruby? Do you know if those zombie ponies are active at this hour?”

My little friend smiled before saying, “Them? No, they’re always in Sunny Town during the day. And even then, they rarely leave at night.”

This relieved me greatly. I had nothing to worry about once I crossed over to the other side. “That’s all I needed to know, Ruby. Thanks.” I said with a smile as I began to make my way across the bridge.

The process was long and tedious. Since I was very clumsy with my hoofed feet, I had to gingerly watch my every step to make certain I had set my foot down on one of the wooden planks before taking another step. Ruby was clearly irritated by my slow progress as she called out, “What’s wrong, Mr. James?! You’re taking way too long!”

Before I replied, I noticed that the voice seemed to come from ahead of me instead of behind me. I paused where I was standing and looked ahead. Ruby was already on the other side of the ravine, even though I had gone first and was still not on the other side. “Ghosts have it easy, I guess…” I muttered under my breath.

The instant I set foot on solid ground, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Man, I miss my hands and feet.”

Ruby smiled while letting out a very brief giggle. “Well, at least you didn’t fall. It’s a really long way down back there.”

I grumbled at the thought. While I have never been afraid of heights, I do have a fear of falling. “Don’t remind me. In any case, which way to Ponyville?”

My friend gazed at my with a puzzled expression and asked, “Um… Where?”

Figures. She has probably never gone very far from Sunny Town before. At least I assume she lived there at the time of her death. I then asked, “Well… Which way to the eastern edge of the Everfree Forest?”

She pointed directly into the forest and said, “Over there, I think.”

I smiled slightly at those words. “OK. Thanks. I need to get back home. And it’s gonna be a long walk with these klutzy legs of mine.”

Ruby giggled and smiled at me before speaking, “Well, it’s been nice meeting you, James! If you ever come this far into the Everfree Forest again, say hi if you see me!” I nodded and waved goodbye before heading on my way.

I have no idea how long I spent staggering through the trees. No matter what I did, I could never get used to walking on all fours. In fact, I found it easier for me to walk BACKWARDS as opposed to forward. Of course, that turned out to be a bad idea since I could not see where I was going very easily even with a longer and more flexible neck. And at one point, a dead branch had fallen in my way and I could not see that it was partially sticking up from my point of view. And since I was not wearing anything when I backed into it….. I will just say I now know why stallions seldom walk backwards. Ouch…

I am uncertain just how long I had been walking (though it was more like limping for a while after that branch poked me between the…..never mind), but I suspect it was around noon before I tripped and fell for the umpteenth time. “Son of a… How many more tumbles am I gonna take?!”

I was far too frustrated to move or even attempt to walk, so I just decided to rest where I had fallen. However, a few minutes later, I thought I heard footsteps approaching me. “Great… What is it this time?” I grumbled under my breath. When I looked up, I noticed what seemed to be a cloaked pony coming my way. The body and head was covered by a brown cloak, but the legs and the muzzle were in plain sight.

As the pony approached me, I noticed five gold bangles being worn on the left foreleg. The muzzle seemed to be as angular as my own, but not as long and was mostly black. But what caught my eye the most was the color pattern of the coat. It was mostly a very light gray with dark gray stripes while the black hooves were plainly visible. The cloaked pony looked down at me, displaying its turquoise eyes. Recognizing the color patterns of the coat, I spoke, “A zebra in a forest? I thought you preferred the savannahs.”

The zebra replied with a voice that was clearly female, but spoke with a very heavy African accent that was surprisingly deep in tone. “How did you come this far into the Everfree? Was it, by chance, to speak to me?”

I replied after a second of scanning the zebra above me, “I don’t even know who you….. Wait a sec… You’re a zebra… Ze…” It was then that I recalled what the Cutie Mark Crusaders once told me. “Zebra. Zecora. You’re Zecora, right?”

The zebra smiled at the mention of the name. “Indeed I am, for you correctly assume. Did you learn my name from little Apple Bloom?”

One thing I learned very quickly about Zecora is that she has a habit of almost always speaking in rhyme. Not that I found it annoying. It actually suits her mysterious nomadic character quite well. In any case, I replied, “Yes, I first heard your name from Apple Bloom. Or was it from Sweetie Belle? Or maybe Scootaloo? Anyway, it was from one of them. But I’m not out here to see you. It’s…a long depressing story.”

I tried climbing to my feet, but staggered about once again before I could regain my balance. Zecora then asked, “Such an erratic and clumsy stance. Were you always this way, by any chance?”

I sighed, “No. I woke up to find myself like this. It’s almost like someone played some kinda joke on me. And I’m not liking it!”

Zecora circled me for a moment, as if to examine me. “A prank of sorts? This prank of which you spoke. Could it be that the cause is Poison Joke?”

Poison…..what? “Poison Joke? What’s that?” I asked, baffled by the strange name.

The zebra explained, “It is a plant similar to poison oak. Only instead of causing harm, its effects are like a joke. It is a flower most blue. When touched, it plays a joke on you.”

…….Of all the… That random patch of blue flowers I found the previous day. THAT was Poison Joke?! “Are you saying just touching that crap was enough to turn me into this?!” I yelled, evermore frustrated that I brought this ‘prank’ upon myself.

Zecora chuckled at my frustration, “A most bothersome predicament, to be sure. But you are in luck as I happen to know of a cure.”

I think I felt my ears flick at Zecora’s words. “A cure? Really? Well, whip me up a batch! Where do I find it?”

My new zebra friend smiled and motioned with her head for me to follow. “All of my brews are concocted within my home. Let us go, so you may feel more welcome.” She led on with me stumbling behind her all the way. Once we came to a path, I noticed rows of the so-called Poison Joke lining the edges. I grumbled to myself, almost feeling that the blue flowers were laughing at me.

After some trekking through the forest, we came to what seemed to be a lone tree that was rather big around with a door on one part. Its outer form was very strange and spread out. And the door combined with the two windows almost made the ‘house’ appear to be looking at us with a face of sorts. An African style ceremonial mask hung over the doorway that seemed to depict an equine face. An even larger mask of similar design was sticking out of the ground to the left. Lastly, numerous different colored bottles were hanging from the larger branches of the tree. “Interesting home you have here, Zecora.”

My guide led me indoors where I saw the interior design. The inside of the tree had been very effectively hollowed out. Many bottles of different shapes and colors lined the shelves that protruded from the walls. A few more ceremonial masks hung from the upper walls while facing the center of the main room. And sitting in the middle of the room was an empty cauldron. With the house being a hollowed-out tree and Zecora giving off the vibe of a wise and knowledgeable person, I felt I was in the home of the Everfree Forest’s version of Twilight Sparkle.

“Make yourself at home, friend. I won’t be long. I shall help pass the time with an old folk song.” Zecora spoke as she cast off her cloak. It was then that I got a good look at the zebra pony. She was not like a zebra from my world, as she seemed to be predominantly light gray with numerous black stripes and patterns adorning her coat instead of being absolutely covered in black and white stripes. Her mane was styled into a Mohawk with evenly spaced black and white bars. She also had a cutie mark, which depicted a spiraled sun. Like on her foreleg, she was wearing five gold bangles around her neck that brought to mind a certain African tribe I had read about years ago. And hanging from each ear were large round golden earrings. While certainly a very mysterious individual, Zecora in my eyes radiated a type of simplistic nomadic beauty I had never felt from any woman before. Truly a one-of-a-kind person of the region.

As she filled the cauldron with various tonics and herbs, I heard Zecora chanting a type of song with lyrics I could not decipher. Possibly Swahili in origin, but I could not say for certain. With nothing else to do, I slid off my saddlebags and took a seat against the wall while surveying my surroundings.

Zecora set a fire under the cauldron once it seemed full to warm the contents before use. But I soon noticed her looking my way with an unusual stare. In response, I asked, “Um… Yes?”

She replied, “Most ponies are frightened when they behold me for the first time. Do you not feel the same, new friend of mine?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “No, I’m not afraid of you at all. You’re different from the ponies I’ve met so far, but I find that difference to be fascinating. You’re a very interesting person, Zecora. And I find you to be good company.”

Zecora retorted while showing a warm smile, “Such open-mindedness is rare in Ponyville. It is almost as if you hail from another world.” I would have told her that I was indeed from another world, but I doubt she would have believed me.

We continued to chat a while longer, with Zecora speaking in rhyme more often than not. But before long, the tonic in the cauldron began to bubble as it neared boiling temperature. Zecora responded by dumping a pitcher of water onto the embers, causing a plume of steam to fill her home. She quickly tasted the deep green tonic before nodding, “The perfect temperature for ending the Poison Joke’s game…” But she then asked, “But first, may I know your name?”

I was surprised that I had forgotten to introduce myself. Even though I knew Zecora’s name before meeting her, I had never bothered telling her mine. “Oh, whoops… It’s James.”

My name seemed to surprise Zecora since she frowned in thought. “James… A type of name that almost sounds….. No, it couldn’t be. But first, immerse yourself in the brew.” This was one of the few times she spoke without rhyming once. At least in my presence.

I approached the cauldron and managed to stand up on its rim with all four of my feet. I then slowly submerged myself into the green tonic. Despite the fact that it was bubbling, I found the temperature to not be at boiling level. I was able to completely fit my body into the cauldron and even submerge my head. In seconds, I suddenly regained the feeling in my fingers. I tried wiggling them, feeling them move. An immense sensation of relief filled me, grateful that Zecora had whipped up a cure for my troubles. But while my head was under the surface, I think I heard what sounded like the hut's door opening forcefully. The sound was heavily muffled, but I am certain that is what it was.

Once I felt I had been in the tonic long enough, I raised my head and upper body out of the cauldron. The tonic was very thin and slid off my upper body like water. But the instant I surfaced, a familiar voice shouted, “HWAAAAH!!! What the hay are you cooking up this time, Zecora?!”

My host replied calmly, “A wayward soul in need of aid. So a visit to my home he paid.” I looked past Zecora, who was standing between the front door and me. And standing at the front door was Rainbow Dash.

I felt my heart leap at the sight of the rainbow-maned pegasus. “Hey there, Rainbow. Are my glasses all fixed?”

She replied in surprise, “What the… James?! How’d you… And how’d you know I took your glasses back home for repairs?!”

I chuckled at her bewilderment. “I was in the old throne room when you and Fluttershy came looking for me. I heard everything you said. Including Fluttershy saying that it’s safe for me to come home.”

However, Rainbow Dash did not seem pleased with me hiding from her back then. “You were there all along?! Then why didn’t you say something?! I was worried sick, especially when I found your shirt torn open and your glasses smashed!” She sounded fairly angry with me, and I could not fault her.

I replied hesitantly while feeling anxious, “You wouldn’t have recognized me at the time. That Poison Joke crap messed up my looks, to say the least.”

Rainbow Dash’s expression went from angry to amused in an instant. “Oh boy, you touched it? I guess I should’ve warned you about that stuff.” The two of us had a good laugh, as coming in contact with that plant made for a very interesting day. However, I soon noticed Zecora giving me a very wary gaze.

“Uh… Zecora? What’s with the glare?” I asked while finding that expression to be very unlike her.

The zebra replied as her expression darkened, “A human… So I see. A ruthless race tainted with treachery.”

It was an awkward moment, seeing my friendly host suddenly refer to my kind with such a harsh outlook. But how did she know exactly what I am even though she more than likely had never seen a human before? Rainbow Dash seemed equally puzzled as she asked, “Treachery? Ruthless? What’re you getting at, Zecora? James is nothing like that!”

Zecora spoke with her deep bold voice while showing a rather grim look in her eyes. “Tales of yore told by my people around the fire. Of a time centuries past where there was much ire. Humanity lived with ponies in harmony for a time. But that harmony was shattered by human crime. They betrayed and invaded their friends’ settlements, only to have the entire human race face swift and harsh judgment.”

From what I could tell, Zecora seemed to know what she was talking about. And her nomadic tone of voice only added more impact to her words. Even though I had found no proof behind her claims, it is highly likely that Zecora’s people, like the African tribal people of my world, place great importance on the stories and legends of the ancient past and keep them known and accurate with frequent use of word of mouth. Which meant…..there was likely much truth to this legend she had just spoke of. No wonder such a law had been passed...

I remained silent, uncertain of how to respond to Zecora’s story. But Rainbow Dash came to my defense as she spoke up loudly while holding up an arm in front of me, “Hey, don’t go calling James a traitor! He’s way loyal to us! We’ve only known him for a week, but he’s still a great friend! I don’t know what humans did in Equestria in the past and I don’t care! All I know is that James is a really good guy. I wouldn’t have come all the way out here to find him yesterday if he wasn’t.”

Zecora looked at me, then back at Rainbow Dash, and then back at me. She then asked, “The pegasus of rainbows seems to have high praise for you. But do you share her praise for ponies too?”

I felt unsure if I should toot my own horn, so I instead turned to Rainbow Dash. “I’d say it myself, but I think Rainbow Dash here could vouch for me better. Care to do the honors, Rainbow?”

My friend nodded and looked back at Zecora. “Sure thing. Like I said, we’ve only known him for one week. But a few days ago, he and Fluttershy became sweethearts! Would someone who looks down on ponies ever fall in love with one?”

Zecora stared at me with wide eyes, prompting me to avert my eyes in nervousness. “Is it true? Romance with Fluttershy?” The zebra asked. I silently replied with a nod. In response, Zecora smiled warmly, “Now I see where your loyalties lie.”

I looked at Zecora as she bowed her head. “To think that I judged you merely with a look. I should have remembered my own advice to never judge the cover of a book.”

I smiled and waved my hand at her. “If that’s your way of apologizing for mistaking me for someone who looks down on ponies, I forgive you.”

Before we could discuss anything further, I heard what sounded like a small motor buzzing while steadily growing louder. “Is that who I think it is?” I asked as Zecora and Rainbow Dash looked towards the front door.

The motorized sound suddenly came to a stop right outside Zecora’s home. A very familiar voice then asked, “Are you sure this is the place, Apple Bloom? I’d hate to get lost here!”

A little girl’s voice replied with a noticeable southern accent, “Yup! I know my way ta Zecora’s place like the back of my hoof! Let’s see if she’s home.”

A third little girl’s voice spoke as there was a knock on the door. “Miss Zecora? Are you home? And have you seen a human guy wearing glasses around here?”

Rainbow Dash answered the door and grinned at our three guests. “If his name’s James, you’re in the right place!” She then stepped out of the way to show the three Cutie Mark Crusaders standing in the doorway.

Before I could say anything, all three of the fillies charged at me while shouting my name simultaneously. They tried to climb up the cauldron to reach me, but only Scootaloo had enough drive to reach me as she vaulted up the side and leapt into my arms. She did not say anything at first. She merely held me in a tight embrace while shuddering slightly. “Sis…?” I asked, concerned by her prolonged silence.

Sweetie Belle spoke up first. “We got worried when Applejack said you couldn’t make it to the meeting two days ago. And we got REALLY worried when we didn’t see you at all yesterday.”

Apple Bloom was the next to speak. “Applejack told us y’all ran away ta keep Fluttershy safe or somethin’. But wow, y'all should’ve seen the look on Diamond Tiara’s face when Miss Cheerilee called ‘er outta class! Priceless!”

Rainbow Dash spoke next with a smirk, “When I got back to Ponyville and told the others what you told me, they were miffed! But then again, I was too. We went straight to the schoolhouse and talked to Cheerilee.” She then snickered, “Man, you should’ve heard her when she called Diamond Tiara out of class. Never thought I’d ever hear her sound mad about anything.”

“And her story?” I asked, curious of what they got out of the little bully.

Rainbow replied, “Well, she never expected you to run away, that’s for sure. She also didn’t know that Princess Celestia already knew about what you did. But in any case… She won’t be bothering you again anytime soon. We made sure her parents knew about EVERYTHING she’s done lately. Needless to say, they weren’t happy.”

I could not help snickering under my breath at those words. “I’m guessing their punishment for her is no cutie mark for a month?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle laughed with Rainbow Dash. However, Scootaloo remained silent. I noticed the lack of a verbal response from her and asked, “Scoot? Are you sick or something?”

The little tomboy muttered, “You promised you wouldn’t go away…”

She was right. I had indeed promised to never leave her on the day she visited me at the spa. And I still ended up leaving Ponyville for two nights. I let out a sigh as I gently stroked her back. “I know… And I’m sorry. Things got dangerous for me, so I had to leave town. But everything’s OK now. I’m coming home. And I won’t ever leave again.”

Scootaloo looked up at me with her big purple eyes, which seemed to be filling with tears, and asked, “You promise?”

I replied while gesturing with my hand, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” As I said ‘eye’, I closed my hand into a fist and pressed it against my closed eye.

Rainbow Dash let out a laugh, “I can’t believe you actually used the Pinkie Pie Swear! That’s pretty awesome!” I think I blushed at her remark.

Despite Rainbow Dash’s laughter, Scootaloo looked up at me with a smile. “I…really missed you, James.”

I replied with a tender embrace, “You have no idea how much I wanted to see you girls again.” However, I then realized that Scootaloo was showing me affection in front of others despite the fact that she is very hesitant to show any affection while being watched. But as she was plainly aware of that, I chose to not bring it up as I am sure she trusted her friends to not spread the word.

Rainbow Dash smiled while she came closer to me. “Speaking of us, Fluttershy wanted me to give you a message. When you get back to Ponyville, she’s waiting for you over at her cottage.”

As excited as I was to see my beloved again, I was also worried about what she would do to me for leaving so abruptly. “Um… Is she angry at me?”

The rainbow-maned pegasus shook her head, “Nah. She’s just really anxious to see you again. Hay, all of us are! Just about everypony in Ponyville caught on when you didn’t show up yesterday morning! When you’re the only human around, it doesn’t take long for ponies to start wondering where you went when you don’t show.”

Still concerned for Fluttershy, I then asked, “Well…was she hurt when she found out about me leaving?”

Rainbow Dash frowned instantly. “Well… She was just as hurt as the rest of us when we found out you were gone. But she didn’t blame you. She knew you were just trying to protect her. And to be honest…” She then grinned and said, “She told us that she feels like the luckiest mare in Equestria to have a boyfriend who would put her safety before his. But she does worry about you. She’s almost afraid she’s a burden to you. But she’s not, right?”

I shook my head. “Heck, no. I did what I did because I love her. And all in all, spending time in the Everfree Forest was not entirely bad. I even made a friend or two while I was out here. Made some interesting discoveries, met Nightmare Moon or what’s left her, found a whole village of…”

I was suddenly interrupted by Rainbow Dash as she raised her voice, “Whoa whoa whoa, back up! You met Nightmare Moon?! She’s still around?!”

I was about to explain just what had happened the previous night when I noticed that the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rainbow Dash, and even Zecora were gazing at me with eyes filled with what might have been dread or just fear. I remembered reading that Nightmare Moon had always been viewed as a mad tyrant who wanted to cover the world in eternal night out of sheer spite. Of course, I knew the truth about her from personal experience. She was not nearly as selfish or cruel as widely believed. But I strongly doubted my friends would believe that she never once tried to harm me. I may have to hide this entry later along with the one from the day before to prevent this information from being discovered...

In order to prevent Nightmare Moon from being harmed further, I explained, “Actually… I don’t think it was really her. Just some shadows dancing across the walls. I just thought they looked like Nightmare Moon now and then.”

Rainbow Dash bought my story and breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew… Don’t scare me like that. I never wanna see those creepy eyes again.”

However, Rainbow Dash then looked at me directly, as if scanning me. “Um… Come to think of it, why’re you not wearing anything? Don’t you have an extra shirt?”

I nodded and pointed to my left. “Yeah, it’s in my bag over there. I just have to take all my clothes off whenever I take a bath. Not to mention I wasn't even wearing anything several minutes ago.”

Rainbow Dash gazed at me with her eyes wide in curiosity. “Wait… You mean you’re not wearing anything down there right now?” When I shook my head, her wings suddenly sprang open as a blush spread across her face. She then smirked at me in a way I did not like. “I gotta see this.”

Of course, I was not at all comfortable about showing her my bare body. Especially in front of children. I dropped Scootaloo and threw up my hands, “Nooo way! Not in front of the kids!”

At my words, Rainbow Dash laughed loudly, “Bwahaha, gotcha! You’d think I’d really do that in front of the kids?!”

I frowned at her while leaning towards her with one arm resting on the cauldron's rim. “As a matter of fact, yes.” But I then took note of her spread wings and asked, “Uh… Rainbow? What’s the deal with your wings? They spring-loaded or something?”

This prompted a very nervous expression from the boisterous pegasus as she quickly folded her wings. “Uh… That? Don’t worry about it. Just a reflex we pegasi sometimes have.”

But Scootaloo then shouted, “I know! It’s a wingboner!”

I looked at my little sister, then at Rainbow Dash. “A…..wing…..boner?” I tried to hold in my laughter, but ultimately failed as I busted out laughing. Rainbow Dash did not say anything as she looked away with an irritated expression.

Once I had finished laughing at the absurdly funny term for Rainbow Dash’s ‘reflex’, I finally asked, “OK, enough of that… Would it be OK if you girls left the room for a bit? I’d like some privacy so I can get dressed.”

Zecora nodded and began to make her way towards the door. “Very well, we will give you some space. Merely knock when you do not need us to be outside my place.” She led the Cutie Mark Crusaders out the door with Rainbow Dash staying behind a moment longer.

“I’m not getting outta this tub…er…cauldron until there’s nopony looking, Rainbow. Please, step outside.” I declared, hoping my friend would give me some privacy for a moment.

The brazen pegasus mare nodded without objection. “OK, sure… Actually, I’ll go find Twilight and let her know you’re here. She knows her way from Ponyville to Zecora’s place, so she can lead you home. See ya there, James!” She waved goodbye before trotting out the door and closing it behind her.

The tonic flowed right off me as if it were water, so I hardly needed to dry myself. I went over to my saddlebags and retrieved some clothes. However, since my previous t-shirt had been torn due to my body’s change, I had to wear the Hawaiian style shirt Rarity had woven for me. One thing in particular I was looking forward to about returning home was being able to wear clean clothes again.

However, as I was getting dressed, I felt like I was being watched. I glanced around quickly, just barely catching a glimpse of a familiar rainbow-striped tail being pulled out of sight from outside one of the windows. I winced at the thought of who had been there. “Rainbow Dash… You better not bring this up with anyone!”

Once I had myself completely clothed, I opened the front door to peek outside. “OK girls, it’s safe to look.”

Zecora and the three fillies were just outside the tree hut. Leaning against the side of the tree was Scootaloo’s scooter with a red wagon connected to the back of it. More than likely a passenger seat for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle seemed to recognize the design of my shirt as she spoke up, “Ooh! Rarity made that! I know all of my sister’s designs!”

I being someone who never seemed all that fashion savvy despite her interest in it, I was mildly surprised by that observation. “You can tell Rarity made this just by looking at it? That’s pretty impressive, Sweetie.”

Once we were back inside, I decided to pass the time by chatting with my friends. Scootaloo asked, “So, what was it liking hanging out in the Everfree Forest by yourself? Was it scary?”

I replied while leaning against the wall, “Not really. It was especially calm and cozy at the old castle ruins deeper in the forest.” But I winced as the memories of being pursued by the undead denizens of Sunny Town flashed through my mind. “Although…..it was downright frightening when I was being chased by those zombies…”

Not surprisingly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders all laughed at my claim. Sweetie Belle grinned and exclaimed, “Zombies?! You almost got us with that one! You’re a really funny guy sometimes, James!” I could only remain silent while I rolled my eyes, not surprised that they thought I was joking around.

However, I noticed that Apple Bloom was not laughing. In fact, she seemed somewhat disturbed. I watched in silence as she headed outside. I had never seen such an expression on her face before, so I was naturally worried. “Hang on a sec, girls. I’ll be right back.” I spoke while I headed out the door to check on Apple Bloom.

I found the little farm filly just sitting next to Zecora’s home while looking at the ground. I then quietly walked up alongside her and sat down too. “Something on your mind?” I asked, worried about my little friend.

Apple Bloom hesitated for a few second before she turned to me and asked, “You said y’all were chased by zombies out here, right?” I replied with a nod. She then muttered, “Then…I wasn’t seein’ things after all…”

“Seeing things? Don’t tell me you went to Sunny Town too!” I asked, fearful that Apple Bloom had somehow wound up there in the past. That would be such a hellish scare for a child to go through.

She looked up at me and nodded. “Uh huh… I thought it was all in my head, but if ya saw ‘em too… Then they must be real!” Apple Bloom then reared up onto her hind legs and placed her hooves against me. “Are you all right?! They didn’t get ya, did they?!”

I shook my head while gently tussling her mane. “No, they were too slow to catch me. And besides, one of them warned me in time and escorted me outta there before it got too dark out.”

Apple Bloom dropped back down onto all fours while looking and sounding quite relieved. “Phew… I’m glad yer OK, James… But wait! Did ya see a lil’ gray filly ‘round my size?”

I replied after a moment of thought, “You mean Ruby? She showed me the way to the old castle in the Everfree Forest. Nice girl. You friends with her?”

That got a smile out of her. “Yeah! We didn’t talk for very long, but she tried ta help me out! And…uh… That pony who warned ya… Did she have a red mane?”

I knew exactly who she was talking about. “Mitta… She was the one who warned me…” I still felt a sting in my heart, regretting that I was unable to help her escape the curse that plagued her and her fellow ponies.

“That’s ‘er name? Mitta?” Apple Bloom asked while tilting her head to one side. I assume she knew who I was speaking of.

“Yeah…” I said with a nod while not having much else to say.

Apple Bloom then asked with a worried gaze, “Um… Is she yer friend, James?”

I nodded and managed to smile just slightly. “Yeah… I want to help her… She’s not like the others. She saved me… She doesn’t deserve that fate.” I then looked into the forest while knowing that out there somewhere, Mitta was still mourning her fate. “I promised myself that I’d save her…”

The little farm filly nodded while showing a more somber smile. “Yeah. She’s a nice pony. If you can save ‘er, would ya mind bringin’ Mitta over ta Sweet Apple Acres? I wanna introduce her ta Applejack and Big Macintosh sometime.”

I looked down at my friend. Seeing that she also had sympathy for my cursed friend warmed my heart. Apple Bloom seemed to have the wisdom to not judge someone on looks alone. Even someone with a body that is essentially a walking corpse. “When I get her outta there, sure. I'll try to make sure that you'll be the first to know.” Apple Bloom responded with a tight hug as I stroked her mane.

Before long, I noticed what seemed to be a unicorn approaching us from down the path that led away from Zecora’s home. I squinted my eyes to focus my vision better as I did not have my glasses at the time. All I could tell was that the unicorn was mostly a shade of purple. I then heard a familiar voice call out to me. “James!”

The unicorn up ahead broke into a run as she approached me. I then recognized her voice. “Twilight?” I asked as I stood up. I then got down on one knee as she sailed right into my arms.

“You have no idea how relieved I am to see you! Are you OK? Rainbow Dash told me you were over at Zecora’s place.” Twilight Sparkle asked as she looked up at me with a worrisome gaze.

I held her head in a gentle embrace and spoke softly, “I’m just fine, Twi… And I’m really glad to see you again…” I tightened my grip on her, starting to feel sentimental now that I had been reunited with one of my closest friends.

“Rainbow Dash let me know you were here, so I hurried on over…” She said quietly. Twilight then whispered, “I missed you…”

I felt myself choke up slightly at Twilight’s words. This was the first time I had seen her in two days and I was more than just happy to see her. “Is everything really OK back in Ponyville?” I asked, wanting oh so much to go home, yet wanting to know for certain if it was safe for me to return.

Twilight looked up at me with a tearful smile. “Yes. Everypony’s been asking about you. They’re wondering where you’ve gone. And we…” She then rested her face against my chest. “We missed you so much… Please, come home!”

I knew that Twilight Sparkle indeed loved me at the time, but this response proved just how much. And it pained me to hear her sound that upset. I stroked her tidy mane and whispered, “I will, Twilight… Just let me grab my stuff and we’ll be on our way.”

At my words, Twilight looked up at me with a relieved smile. “Here… I’ll go get your supplies. Just wait here for me, OK?” I nodded and watched as my unicorn friend went inside Zecora’s house, leaving me with Apple Bloom.

“Twilight really seems ta like you, James.” Apple Bloom said with a smile. All I could do was blush. At least I think I was blushing. She then grinned and started to trot towards the hut's door while watching me. “Well, I’ll go let Sweetie and Scoot know it’s time ta go. Be right back!” I watched as the little farm filly ran inside, leaving me alone.

While I waited alone, my eyes scanned my surroundings. I looked in one direction, certain that in that direction was the dreaded Sunny Town. And somewhere within was my friend Mitta. How I wanted to save her…

It was strange… As I thought about her, I thought about those two turtle doves I had seen shortly before arriving in Sunny Town for the first time. I remembered imagining myself and Fluttershy in their place as they huddled together. But as I thought more about it, I began to see myself with my friends as well. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and even Mitta…

I swear, it was almost as if my thoughts were trying to tell me something. I do not know if it was symbolic, but I knew one thing. I love them. Fluttershy is certainly the most precious to me, but even so… I could not imagine life without any of my friends. If they were all going to die and I could only choose one to stay alive…..I would most likely choose to die with them. I quite simply could not put one before the other. They were all precious to me. Possibly even more precious than my own life. I muttered to myself, “I… I love you, girls… I won’t ever leave you again…”

The instant I finished saying that, I felt something come over me. It was a sensation I could never hope to describe. It only lasted a few seconds, but it still puzzled me. I glanced around, wondering if perhaps a breeze had blown something into me. However, all I found was Twilight Sparkle with my supplies levitating near her, Zecora standing beside her, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders behind them. However, Twilight and Zecora were gazing at me with expressions of shock. “Um… What’s with the stare?” I asked, fearful that something scary was right behind me.

Twilight spoke first. “James… Did you see what happened?” I shrugged my shoulders, unsure of what she meant. She then pointed her hoof at me. “Look at your upper arm! That just appeared out of nowhere!”

I did as I was told and looked down at my right arm. Partially concealed under my shirt’s sleeve was what seemed to be a…..white tattoo? It was as if it was part of my skin, yet I know I never had a tattoo in my life. I then pulled up the sleeve to reveal the tattoo’s full form. And what I saw shocked me. “When did that get there?”

The ‘tattoo’ was completely white and extended almost down to my elbow. It seemed to depict the form of two doves facing each other with beaks touching and lower bodies connected while apparently clasping their talons together. Their wings were spread and their tail feathers were elegantly curved. In the way that they were posed, the two doves’ bodies seemed to form a stylized heart shape with a smaller perfect heart shape formed from the gap between their bodies. “Twilight, I’m getting kinda weirded out by this. What is it?!” I asked while somewhat worried as I found an identical ‘tattoo’ on my other arm in the same spot.

As Twilight looked up at me while I kept my ‘tattoo’ visible, she spoke, “Um… I know this is likely to sound crazy… And I know humans aren’t supposed to get them, but… I think…you just earned…a cutie mark.”

At those words, all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders shouted, “SAY WHAT?!” They pushed their way past Twilight and Zecora to get a better look at me.

I was equally skeptical at Twilight’s claims. A cutie mark? On a human? Impossible… Right? “Well… Cutie marks are supposed to represent a…pony’s unique talent, right? If…and I really do mean IF this is a cutie mark, which it probably is not, what special talent or part of my character does it represent?” I asked, refusing to believe that I did indeed have a cutie mark.

Twilight approached me and took a closer look at my ‘cutie mark’. “Those are…doves, right?”

I nodded after a few seconds of thought. “I think so. Why?”

Twilight then looked out of the corners of her eyes, apparently thinking. “Um… Well, doves are a universal symbol of peace, right? And they’re known for being loyal mates and never leave each other and are often a symbol of undying love. And… Oh! Look at that! There’s a heart between them!”

I grumbled in mild irritation, “Yeah, I noticed. And the two doves seem to resemble a heart themselves.”

At this, Twilight smiled brightly. “That’s it! That cutie mark doesn’t represent any particular talent of yours, James. What it DOES represent is your character! You don’t like having to hurt people, right? And you love Fluttershy enough to do anything to protect her…”

I began to blush a bit, flattered by where this was going. “Um… What are you saying?”

Twilight smiled warmly at me. “What I’m saying is that your cutie mark represents your preference for peace and your devoted love towards those you care for. I’m very sure that’s what it stands for. But for a human to get a cutie mark… I wonder how that happened? I should study this a bit when we get home.”

Even though I still could not wrap my head around how a human could acquire a cutie mark even though only Equestrian ponies can get them, Twilight’s explanation did make a lot of sense to me. Despite my fascination with swordplay and that I am relentless in voicing my hatred about things I despise, I am a lover. Not a fighter. It would be very difficult for me to bring myself to hurt anyone. No matter how angry I would feel towards someone, I would never be able to bring myself to seriously harm them, let alone kill them. I even try to avoid killing insects and other bugs whenever possible, with the exceptions of mosquitoes, roaches, wasps, and other particularly dangerous bugs. But I digress.

Scootaloo then spoke up in clear jealousy, “No fair! We’ve been trying to get our cutie marks for a long time! How’d you get yours in just over a week?!”

Apple Bloom also complained, “We left no stone unturned, no mountain unclimbed, no meal uncooked, no sock unworn, and we STILL didn’t find ours before somepony found theirs in just a week?! We’ll never find our cutie marks at this rate…”

However, Sweetie Belle then asked, “But… Now that you have your cutie mark, does this mean you’re leaving the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” She seemed rather sad. Even Apple Bloom and Scootaloo appeared to be more worried than jealous.

I too was worried that I would be booted out of the group, as I no longer was a ‘blank flank’ like them. “I don’t want to leave… But do I have to?”

Scootaloo made the first move as she leapt into my arms and held onto me the best she could. “No way! I’ll never agree to my big brother leaving us! Right, girls?” She asked as she looked down at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No! I don’t want James to leave us! It’s been really nice having a human with us!”

Apple Bloom then frowned at me while showing a pathetically sad expression on her face. “Ya don’t have ta go… If yer a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, yer a member for life! But…y’all can quit, if you want…”

I looked down at the three fillies while they looked up at me. They clearly did not want me to leave their group. And in all honesty, neither did I. So I honestly replied with a smile, “Me? Quit? I don’t think so.” I then set Scootaloo down and extended my arm with my hand closed into a fist. “Cutie Mark Crusaders forever, right?”

The three fillies glanced at each other and grinned before extending one foreleg each, touching their hooves together, and pressing them against my fist. Simultaneously, they all cheered. “Cutie Mark Crusaders forever! Yay!”

“Man, I love you girls.” I said with a chuckle at their enthusiasm.

Before anything else could be said, Twilight spoke up. “OK, that’s enough. We really should be returning home now. The others are really anxious to see James again!”

Scootaloo nodded and began to back away towards her scooter. “OK then! Just let us suit up!” The three fillies ran over to the scooter and wagon and started putting on their safety gear. As they did that, I strapped on my saddlebags.

Just as Scootaloo pulled her scooter and passengers over to us, Zecora spoke up. “So, this is goodbye, my human friend. I pray that my quick judgment did not offend.”

Twilight cocked her head to one side and asked, “Judgment? For what?” She seemed rather baffled by Zecora’s words since she was not present when Zecora told me the legend of her people.

I replied while smiling, “No, I wasn’t offended. But I appreciate the apology.”

Zecora smiled rather gratefully at me. “I am grateful for your understanding. But now you must go where your friends are waiting. Do stop by again someday. I will prepare my finest hay.”

At her offer, I felt myself chuckle. “I prefer my hay fried. And thank you for the offer, Zecora.” The five of us waved goodbye to the wise zebra before heading on our way back to Ponyville. Wherever that was.

I stayed close to Twilight, as she was my guide in navigating the Everfree Forest. All the while, I could hear the Cutie Mark Crusaders chatting with each other a short distance behind us while Scootaloo propelled her scooter with her legs instead of her wings as a means to avoid passing us.

Twilight eventually spoke with a smile while looking up at me, “I’m really glad you’re OK, James. The Everfree Forest isn’t the safest place to spend the night. I could hardly sleep knowing you were out here.”

I replied while flexing my neck, “Well, you know why I’m out here. Are you sure that law was real?”

My unicorn companion frowned in clear bewilderment. “That’s the strange part! According to Princess Celestia, that was a real law! But it was so outdated, it just isn’t enforced anymore.” Of course, I had already heard testimony from Gray Hoof and Mitta from Sunny Town that humans had indeed existed in Equestria before and even Zecora’s tribe had stories about them that likely dated back centuries. But due to the ominous and clearly dark nature of the tale Zecora told me, I felt it was for the best that I did not inquire about the past any further.

I then asked, “And what about Diamond Tiara? I heard she was punished for tricking me into leaving Ponyville.”

Twilight could not help flashing me a smirk. “Oh, you have no idea how much hot water she’s in now. When Rainbow Dash got back with the information you gave her, I sent a message to Princess Celestia herself to ask her to send out a search party. And you won’t believe what happened later.”

I could not quite imagine what Diamond Tiara's punishment could have been. Blackmailing someone into fleeing into a hostile environment has got to carry a heavy sentence, even for a child. “Did Diamond Tiara receive the guillotine?”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but paused and smiled instead. “Actually, you’ll see for yourself today. But first…I think you better wash up when you get home.”

I grumbled while feeling rather grimy myself, “Don’t even have to tell me. I can’t wait to take a shower.”

It took surprisingly little time for us to reach the edge of the Everfree Forest. “Whoa. Zecora lives that close to the entrance?” I asked out loud.

Twilight nodded while glancing up at me. “Yeah, she doesn’t live that far in. That makes it pretty easy to reach her.” She then pointed to our right, “And there’s your stop.”

In the distance was Fluttershy’s cottage. And even though I was a good distance away, I could plainly see the timid pegasus mare resting on the small earthen bridge that spanned the brook that flowed before our home. “Is she…waiting for me?” I asked, extremely nervous of how she would react to me returning, especially since I left without a word.

Twilight responded by nudging me gently. “She’s been waiting for you all day. Go to her, James. She needs you.”

I looked down at her, but glanced back over at Fluttershy before nodding. “OK… Can I trust you to take the fillies home?”

Twilight smiled before glancing at the three fillies behind us. “Sure thing. Come on, girls! James needs some time to himself for now.”

Scootaloo propelled her scooter and wagon over towards Twilight while showing me a smile. “OK! We’ll see you later, James!”

Sweetie Belle waved at me while they passed me. “Rarity said she was making something special for you! Be sure to stop by Carousel Boutique today!”

Apple Bloom then waved as well before speaking, “Applejack also said she’d bring by somethin’ special for ya and Fluttershy! Keep an eye out for ‘er!” I smiled and waved goodbye as the four of them headed south towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Alone again, I turned my gaze towards my home. “OK… Just one thing left to do.” I muttered to myself while I approached Fluttershy’s cottage.

Fluttershy did not seem to hear me approach while she looked down at the shallow brook that flowed under the bridge. I heard her let out a sigh as she rested her chin on her forelegs. At this point, I felt my body temperature spike as I began to sweat. It was strange. The woman I love was right in front of me, yet I was extremely nervous. It took me a moment of mental struggling to force myself to walk up beside her.

I looked down at the slowly flowing water, our reflections being displayed. Fluttershy’s half-closed eyes opened wide when she saw me in the reflection. When she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not seeing an illusion, I smiled and waved down at the water as if it was a mirror. It was then that Fluttershy looked up at me, our eyes sharing a long stare.

It was Fluttershy who broke the silence first. “Um… Could you stand in front of that bush over there?” She asked while pointing towards a thick bush growing against the side of her house.

“Uh… OK?” I replied as I did as I was told. I walked over to it and stopped right in front of the bush. I then turned to face my lover and asked, “OK, what now… GWAH?!”

The next thing I knew, Fluttershy tackled me head-on and caused me to fall backwards into the bush. No wonder she wanted something soft and flexible behind me. She squeezed me tightly with her forelegs as she sobbed quietly, “I missed you, I missed you, I missed you…..” For some reason, the way she quickly spoke those words reminded me of Pinkie Pie. But I digress.

I looked down as Fluttershy buried her face in my shirt while sobbing heavily. Hearing her cry was difficult to take as I also felt tears building in my eyes. I stroked her back and mane while I whispered, “Don’t cry, honey… I’m home now. And I’ll never leave again…”

Fluttershy shuddered as she spoke while choking on tears, “I read your message… Did you…really do that for me?”

I nodded while I nuzzled my head against hers. “I was scared for you… I can’t bear the thought of you in prison. Or under a guillotine.” I then whispered into her ear, “I love you too much for that… I won’t let anything like that happen to you.”

Fluttershy remained silent for a moment before looking up at me with her big cyan eyes, tears streaming down her face. “I’m not afraid of what anypony thinks as long as I have you… I don’t care what happens… Just please… Don’t leave me again…” She tightened her embrace as she once again buried her face in my chest.

I could not hold back any longer. I let my tears fall as I embraced my beloved for all I was worth. “I won’t leave again… But please stop crying. I’m home now, right? I just want things to go back to normal.”

At my words, Fluttershy slowly began to calm down. When she looked up at me again, she asked, “Were you crying too…?”

I nodded, feeling no shame in being honest with her. “Yeah… I’m just glad to be back home with my friends. And you.”

The two of us shared a prolonged gaze before we sealed lips with each other in what was our first kiss in days. It did not last long, but… Well, all I can say is that the kind of closure I got from that simple display of affection is not easy to describe. Fluttershy then whispered, “I love you, James…”

I replied as I cupped her cheek, “You have no idea how much I love you, Fluttershy… Or our friends…” It was then that I looked down at the ‘cutie marks’ on each of my upper arms. “Love… I guess Twilight was right.”

When Fluttershy took the time to look at the twin dove symbols on my arms, she gasped, “Are those cutie marks? And…are those doves?”

I nodded while also looking at them. “I don’t see how I could’ve gotten them, but Twilight says that’s what they are. And yeah, I think those are doves.”

Fluttershy then smiled as she rested a hoof on one. They were quite long as they reached from just below my shoulders to just above my elbows... Wait, did I already describe that earlier? “A pair of doves facing each other, forming a heart between them and with their own bodies… James, this fits you perfectly!”

I think I felt myself blush at my girlfriend’s praise. “R…really?”

She nodded while smiling before she explained, “Doves are very peaceful and they mate for life. They also represent everlasting love and are symbols of peace. That’s…so perfect for you. You’re so loving and nonviolent… If you were an animal, you’d be a dove. And so would I.”

Such poetic use of words. She was right. And the more I looked at them, the more I began to accept that these symbols on my upper arms were not tattoos, but cutie marks. And strangely enough, having something permanently engraved on my body with the word ‘cutie’ in its name did not embarrass me at all. In fact, I felt a twinge of pride in my heart. “I have the heart of a dove, huh…? That’s…..really nice.”

Fluttershy nuzzled my face with a delighted smile. “Isn’t it lovely? Such an elegant and beautiful cutie mark you have.” After a moment more, Fluttershy asked, “You must be tired after all that walking around. Would you like me to get the shower ready for you?”

Those words reminded me that I had gone a full day at least without bathing. I nodded readily. “Thank you. I can’t wait to wash up.”

My lover pushed herself off of me and trotted up to the front door of our house. “I’ll be just a few minutes. But feel free to unload your supplies.” She then disappeared inside, leaving me sitting where I had fallen.

As I sat in the bush, my eyes scanned my surroundings. The vast amount of untouched nature I adored was once again all around me. But before I could drink it all in, I heard the door open again and looked to my left. Fluttershy peeked out and said, “The water’s getting warm. You wanna come upstairs and get ready?”

I replied with a grin, “Music to my ears.”

I followed Fluttershy upstairs as I heard the sound of running water. Before I could undress, I unloaded all of my supplies in a corner. “You really stocked up before leaving, didn’t you?” Fluttershy asked as my bags hit the floor with a thud.

“I knew next to nothing about the Everfree Forest at the time and everything I’d heard about it was nothing but bad news. I wanted to be certain I was ready.” I replied as I cracked my neck to loosen it up.

Fluttershy nodded while she walked towards the bathroom door. “I’m glad you took so many precautions before going there. It isn’t the safest place in Equestria. But can we talk while you wash up?”

I replied as I pulled off my shirt, “Sure thing. Some interesting things happened to me while I was out there.” I entered the bathroom and finished undressing there. I then stepped into the bathtub and sat down, reveling in the feeling of warm water raining down on me.

“Man, I really missed this…” I muttered as I reached for the soap. But as I began to scrub myself down, I noticed Fluttershy’s shape take a seat just outside the shower curtains. “Is that you, dear?”

I heard Fluttershy’s voice reply as she reached for the end of the curtain, “Yes, James. May I see your face as we talk?”

I smiled at those words. “Go right ahead, honey. I wanna see your reaction to some of the stuff I tell you.”

At my words, the shower curtain was partially pushed aside to reveal Fluttershy’s face. She smiled at me as she spoke, “I can’t wait to take a shower with you again, James… But anyway, what was it like out there in the Everfree Forest?”

I spoke while rubbing soap all over me. “It wasn’t that bad, actually. I kinda enjoyed myself at times. But…it wasn’t all that enjoyable without my friends with me.”

Fluttershy sighed with a frown, “I know… Rainbow Dash told me that you were really happy to see her when she found you.”

I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes for a moment. “She was the first friend I had seen all day. So yeah, I was happy to see her.”

Fluttershy then asked, “Well… What were the most memorable moments of your time out there?”

I strongly doubt she would ever believe that I discovered a whole village full of zombified ponies, so I decided to leave that detail out. I also felt it was best that she did not learn that Nightmare Moon still lived. But I still replied, “In order, I saw Rainbow Dash distract a hydra while I got away, I found a pair of turtle doves huddling together, I found the ancient ruins of the royal sisters’ castle and spent the night there, and I even made a few friends out there too.”

Once I had paused, Fluttershy grinned brightly, “You made friends? How wonderful! Who are they?”

I smiled as I looked towards the window, “One was a gray earth pony with a red mane and tail. Her name is Mitta. A very kind girl who even helped me out. Then there’s Ruby. She’s a little filly with bright yellow eyes who led me to the castle ruins to sleep in for the night. Not sure what they were doing out there, but I never bothered to ask. And then I met Zecora today. You know about her, right?”

Fluttershy nodded in response. “You met Zecora? She didn’t give you any trouble, did she? I mean, she wasn’t bad at all when we got to know her, but still…”

I chuckled, “Nah, she didn’t bother me. She actually helped me out when I touched some Poison…Joke? Well, anyway, she helped me and we parted on a happy note. I really like mysterious women like her.”

The mention of Poison Joke seemed to alarm Fluttershy as she asked, “Oh my… Poison Joke? What did it do to you?”

I raised my hands and shook my head. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” The two of us shared a chuckle.

I decided to cut my shower short, as I only wanted to wash up enough to get rid of the grime and sweat from going a full day and night without bathing. Fluttershy was kind enough to avert her eyes while I put my clothes on, although I noticed out of the corner of my eyes that she would occasionally glance at me before blushing. I smirked once I was fully clothed and said, “You know, you don’t have to look away if you want to watch.”

Fluttershy blushed while looking at me and asked, “You mean… I don’t have to look away when you’re…not wearing anything?”

I nodded while I combed my hair and said, “Well, we did take a shower together. And even…did you know what together. So, don’t you think it would be OK for us to be comfortable around each other when our bodies aren’t covered?”

At my words, Fluttershy turned her back to me while still keeping her eyes on me by looking over her shoulder, “I guess I just have to get used to it. But…would you really be fine seeing me exposed back there?”

My eyes fell upon her long pink tail, knowing exactly what was behind it. It was a very awkward question and I was rather uneasy about seeing her…um…genitalia, even though we are now lovers. After all, she is a pony and I am a human. But if I was to truly view her as an equal, I would have to adjust to the differences in anatomy from human women. So I answered her question. “Yes… Go ahead and show me if you want to, honey.”

Fluttershy seemed to gulp nervously as she blushed deeply. “O… OK then…” She then moved her tail to the side, exposing her marehood. It was the first time I had ever gotten a good look at one, so it is needless to say that I was taken aback somewhat at what I was seeing.

“Is it…ugly to you?” Fluttershy squeaked out quietly. She almost seemed to be shivering, which was to be expected from someone so timid.

After a moment of observing her, I took a deep breath to gather myself. “No, honey… It’s beautiful. Just like you.”

Her blush only deepened at my praise. “It’s… Buh… Buh… Beautiful? Really? Me?”

Such modesty. It only made me adore her more. “I’m serious, Fluttershy. You’re beautiful. Every part of you is beautiful.”

The beautiful pegasus smiled meekly before moving her tail back to its usual location. She spoke while turning to face me, “I think it’ll take me some time to get used to this… But… I think I can be more confident whenever it’s just us. I’m just glad my body is beautiful enough for you, James.”

I smiled as I reached out and stroked my lover’s beautiful mane. “Your soul’s beauty is what really matters, Fluttershy. It’s so pure, I could easily mistake you for an angel.” I got down on one knee and embraced her, prompting Fluttershy to rear up on her hind legs and embrace me with her forelegs as we remained in that spot for at least a minute or two without saying a word.

We were brought back to our senses by the sound of someone knocking at the front door downstairs. “We have a guest?” Fluttershy asked while she let go of me and flew downstairs. I followed her and reached the ground floor just as she opened the door. “Oh, hello. What brings you out here today, Rainbow Dash?”

I saw my friend standing just outside the door with a smile. “Oh, Twilight asked me to let you two lovebirds know that we have some special guests who wanna see you really soon. They’re at the library.” She then looked over Fluttershy and noticed me. “Hey, James! Ya made it! You all settled back in now?”

I waved at her with a smile. “Yeah, and I just finished washing up. And who’re these ‘special guests’ who wanna see us?”

Rainbow Dash grinned slyly at me before she said “Well, it’s really just you they wanna see, James. But they know you and Fluttershy have been apart for a while, so they decided they wanted you both to show up to keep each other company.”

I gave her a rather silly frown and asked, “That still doesn’t answer my question. Who are these special guests who want to see us?”

Like before, Rainbow responded with a sly smirk. “Why don’t ya head on over and see for yourself? I promise they’re looking forward to meeting you.”

Seeing that I was not going to get a straight answer out of her, I decided to just let that question go. “Well…OK. I’ll head on over. And you, Fluttershy?”

My lover then asked, “They’re not…anypony I haven’t met before, are they?”

Rainbow Dash proceeded to pat her on the shoulder. “Oh, you’ve met them before. Several times, actually! Trust me when I say you know them pretty well.”

At her friend’s words, Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “OK then. I’ll head over right now. Are you coming, James?”

I nodded and headed towards them. “Yup. Let’s go.” I followed her outside while closing the door behind me.

“OK then! I’ll hurry on over and let Twilight know you two are coming. See ya later!” Rainbow Dash said with a smile before she took to the air and flew away at great speed.

“Does that girl always have to be in a hurry?” I asked as we headed towards Ponyville.

Fluttershy smiled while also letting out a slight giggle. “She’s been that way for as long as I’ve known her. And we’ve known each other since our days at flight school. Is her energy too much sometimes?”

I replied honestly, “Quite the contrary. I love that about her. She’s fun to have around. And her occasionally perverted quirks make her pretty funny too. But I’m afraid Pinkie Pie has her beat in terms of sheer quirkiness.” The two of us chuckled together.

Once we entered Ponyville, I noticed that quite a few of the ponies around us were waving in my direction or otherwise acknowledging my presence. I waved back, but found this attention to be very unusual. I whispered, “Fluttershy, why is almost everypony waving at me?”

Fluttershy replied just as quietly, “It didn’t take long for everypony in town to notice you were gone yesterday. They’re just welcoming you back.” It is strange. When I first came to Ponyville and was subjected to constant staring, I found it to be very intimidating. But now, I was finding this type of attention to be…..heartwarming. I was a welcome citizen of Ponyville now, and this warm welcome confirmed it.

The two of us reached the library without incident, though I could almost see Pinkie Pie just popping up out of nowhere at anytime. However, standing just outside the front door was a pair of pegasus stallions with brilliant white coats and blue tails. They seemed identical in appearance and both had very stern expressions and were clad in what seemed to be a type of golden plate armor. The armor was worn in similar fashion to a saddle, leaving the legs and undersides exposed. They also wore elegant golden shoes or armored boots over their hooves with a type of golden helmet that covered the front and sides of their necks while reaching down over the tops of their muzzles. Their ears poked out of the tops of the helmets while their faces and front of their necks were not covered. The tops of their helmets bore semicircular blue plumes that were very similar to Roman galea that almost looked like axe heads at first glance. On the very front of the armor that covered their chest was a shining teal star. Seeing how they were armored and had very serious expressions, I asked Fluttershy, “Did something happen while I was away that prompted Twilight to hire security?”

Fluttershy replied with a giggle, “They’re not security. They are part of the royal guard.”

Those two pegasi are part of Equestria’s royal defense force? Even though they were smaller than me, I certainly did not want to give these two soldiers reason to think I would cause trouble. As I approached the library’s door, I noticed them glance at me for a second before they stepped sideways without saying a word as if to allow better access to the library. It was almost as if they knew who I was and were expecting me.

I knocked on the door before stepping inside with Fluttershy right behind me. Just in front of the stairs that led up to Twilight’s living quarters was Spike with a tray of empty teacups with a teapot to match. He must have heard the door close behind us since he looked over at me and smiled, “Oh, hey! I haven’t seen you in a few days! How’re you doing?”

Spike seemed unusually jovial towards me, considering that he displayed hostility towards me in our first encounter and most of our following ones too. However, I dismissed it and asked, “I’m feeling pretty good now that I’m back home. But is Twilight here? She said there were a couple of guests who wanted to see me and Fluttershy.”

The young dragon, while initially looking puzzled, soon nodded at me. “Twilight? Guests? Oh, right. They’re all upstairs. Come on up! I’ll let them know you’re here.” He then ran upstairs while holding the tray over his head. Without a word, my lover and I headed upstairs too.

“Here you go, your majesties! One serving of jasmine tea and some sweet honey tea.” I heard Spike speak as we neared the top.

“Majesties?” Fluttershy asked quietly while looking up at me.

I shrugged my shoulders and replied, “Is Twilight training Spike to speak before some nobles for an upcoming party?”

As we neared the top of the stairwell, I heard Twilight Sparkle’s voice speak, “I’m sure he’ll be very thrilled to meet both of you. It’s very rare that we get to see you two in public together.”

Very rare? Seeing them in public? Just who were these guests who wanted to see me? Right as we entered Twilight’s quarters, Fluttershy gasped and suddenly…..bowed? That stance where she lowered her upper body towards the ground was probably a bow. She squeaked in surprise, “Oh my... Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! I… I wasn’t expecting you!”

Wait… The royal sisters?! Celestia and Luna?! The bringers of the night and day?! Needless to say, I was taken aback by their presence. However, Twilight smiled as she looked over at us. “Don’t be afraid. They’re here just to talk to you.”

Twilight’s words reminded me of when Fluttershy called out to me that morning as she claimed that the law I feared had been abolished. I took a moment to calm myself as my eyes fell upon the two royal sisters. They were seated before a small round table placed in the center of the room. My eyes trailed towards the larger of the two…pegasi? Unicorns? Just what do you call a pony that has the physical attributes of both types? Regardless, since she was the larger of the two, I suspected she was the eldest. Her coat was a brilliant white with a hint of pink to it while her eyes were magenta. Her cutie mark was, predictably, an orange sun. Her spectacularly long mane and tail were…well, as difficult as this is to believe, they were four colors and were constantly billowing as if being caressed by a gentle breeze. The four colors were in stripes and consisted of cyan, purple, turquoise, and azure while frequently giving off sparkles. I almost felt as if I was standing before a goddess, so radiant was her beauty. True to her royal stature, she was clad in golden jewelry. Each hoof wore pale gold shoes that branched out at the top to resemble a fleur-de-lis and what seemed to be a cross between a necklace and gorget was worn around the base of her neck. It too was gold and held what seemed to be a purple gemstone on the front. I also noticed that her muzzle shape was broader than the average mare, but not quite as broad as a stallion’s. The horn on her head was different from the average unicorn’s as well. Where most unicorn horns are fairly short and have blunt rounded tips, hers was long and slender, though the tip still seemed to be slightly blunt. She was also by far the largest pony I had ever seen, with an impressive wingspan and long lanky legs and a slender body to boot. Atop her head rested a golden tiara with three points with the central point reaching the highest. It too held a purple gemstone in the center. I spoke quietly, “Princess Celestia…”

I then looked towards the smaller of the two… All right. Until I learn exactly what these unicorn pegasi hybrids are called, I will refer to them as ‘royal ponies’ since Equestrian royalty seem to be the only ones of their kind. But I digress. My eyes gazed towards the smaller of the two sisters, who I deduced to be Princess Luna. Her overall body shape was nearly identical to Celestia’s, but was slightly smaller. Even so, she seemed to be at least 30% larger than the average pony. Her coat was a grayish shade of blue and her eyes were the same shade of teal or cyan as Nightmare Moon’s without the catlike irises and with some lovely light sapphire blue eye shadow … Actually, wait... I believe her coat was…a dark sapphire blue? Regardless, her cutie mark depicted a crescent moon surrounded by a very dark purple coloration that seemed to represent the night sky. Her mane and tail were similar in form to Celestia’s as they constantly billowed gently, but were slightly shorter. A single thick lock of her mane hung over her face, a trait I found to be very charming. The coloration of her mane and tail… This is difficult to describe. The innermost parts seemed to show the deep blue night sky complete with glittering stars, but the outermost edges were a transparent shade of blue. Actually, scratch that part about the stars. The innermost part of her mane and tail were a solid blue color, but constantly glittered, giving the optical illusion that they were filled with twinkling stars. Like her sister, she was also clad in jewelry. Her shoes and necklace were identical in design to Celestia’s, although they both constantly glittered beautifully. Her glittering shoes were a very pale shade of blue while her necklace was the same shade of dark purple or black as the ‘night sky’ part of her cutie mark while also bearing a crescent moon. An equally dark tiara rested atop her head. While not quite as outrageously beautiful as Celestia, she exuded a type of gentle elegance that drew me to her. I then nodded and said quietly, “Princess Luna.”

Celestia spoke first with a smile, “At last we meet. We’ve been hearing good things about you, James.”

Luna spoke next. Or rather, bellowed. Her expression became rather serious as she effectively shouted at me with her voice echoing while a strong gust seemed to be blowing at me from nowhere. “INDEED. IT IS AN HONOR TO MEET THOU, HONORED GUEST FROM A DISTANT WORLD.” I would have fallen right back down the stairs behind me if Fluttershy had not gotten behind me and pushed me against the wind.

“Luna, you’re relapsing.” Celestia spoke with a rather hearty chuckle.

Luna’s serious expression became one of shock as she covered her mouth with a hoof. “Oops… There I go again, resorting to my old habits…”

I adjusted my frazzled hair and asked, “Is that normal for you, Lady Luna? I would’ve expected the bringer of the beautiful calm night to speak softly.”

The Princess of the Night replied somewhat bashfully, “Forgive me, that was just out of habit. It is tradition to speak with that much volume when addressing our… Wait, did you refer to the night as ‘beautiful’ just now?” She was gazing at me with a very shocked expression.

I nodded casually and explained, “Well…yeah. I actually prefer the night over the day since it’s so calm and relaxing. Especially on rainy…gwah?!” I was interrupted as Luna rushed over to me, reared up on her hind legs, and embraced me tightly with her forelegs.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, friend! At long last, somepony truly appreciates me and my beautiful night! Your admiration is cherished!” Luna almost sounded hysterical with joy as she spoke. I looked over her shoulder at Celestia, who seemed to be holding back a laugh as she covered her mouth with a hoof. Twilight seemed to be rather shocked by Luna’s direct response to my praise for her while Spike was snickering while holding his face to not get too loud. Since Fluttershy was behind me, I could not get a good look at her. But I swear I heard her mutter ‘Oh…my…’ in a very quiet tone.

Now that Luna was standing straight up, I could really see how tall she is. While most ponies stand with their heads parallel to roughly the center of my torso, Luna seemed to be just as tall as I am if not a few inches taller. Naturally, this meant that her older and bigger sister would likely tower over me if she rose up on just her hind legs. But I digress.

I wanted to offer some words to Luna, but as I was being hugged by royalty, I had no idea how to respond without offending her. I motioned with my hand for Twilight to approach me. She whispered once she came close enough, “What’s wrong?”

I replied quietly and a bit frantically, “What am I supposed to do? I’ve never been in front of royalty before!”

Twilight responded while clearly uncertain about her own advice. “Um… Maybe just hug her back?”

I braced myself for any unpleasant reactions as I gently wrapped my arms around Luna. I placed one hand on the center of her back between the shoulders while placing the other on the back of her head. To my surprise, I found that her mane was solid despite appearing to lack physical mass. I muttered quietly, “I see the creator of the night is just as gentle and beautiful as her handiwork.” As flattering as those words may have sounded, I was being completely blunt in my use of dialogue. Luna, at least at that moment, seemed to be the physical embodiment of the night I cherished in both form and character.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye what seemed to be a faint blush on Luna’s face. I heard her giggle before smiling. “You are too kind. I doubt anypony has shown this level of appreciation for me before. And as you are the first, I feel you must be rewarded.” I did not have time to react as Luna pulled her head back and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

There was a moment of silence throughout the entire room. Clearly, no one saw this coming, and certainly not me. I was frozen to the spot, unsure of how to react to this unexpected kiss. Granted, I had been kissed by ponies before, like Rarity and Fluttershy, but a kiss from a princess?! What was I supposed to say? Or better yet, how would Celestia take this?

My eyes immediately glanced over at Celestia. I was expecting her to be angry, but her expression showed surprise as she looked on silently. She soon spoke, “Oh my… Have you made a friend, Luna?”

At her sister’s words, Luna dropped back down on all fours and smiled at Celestia before exclaiming, “Oh, a most special friend indeed! At least…I hope so.” She then looked back up at me and held out a hoof. “Kind James. May I ask you the privilege of being your friend?”

This request caught me by surprise. I had not been in their presence for even five minutes, yet one of the royal sisters was now offering me her friendship? But in hindsight, I suppose I should not be surprised. As Luna and Nightmare Moon were once one entity, she likely carried the reputation of Nightmare Moon for a time after the Elements of Harmony purged her of her darker half. This more than likely caused Luna to feel very lonely and rejected, leading to an ever-growing desire for friends who saw past her reputation and viewed her as the elegant princess she is.

These thoughts made me feel great sympathy for Luna, as I had seen firsthand just how emotionally devastated Nightmare Moon was when I found her lingering remains in the castle ruins within the Everfree Forest the previous night. Of course, it would probably be very unwise to mention that name in front of either of the royal sisters, so I chose to not mention Nightmare Moon to them at all. But in any case, I dropped down to one knee and took Luna’s hoof in my hand. “It would be an honor, m’lady.”

Luna’s facial expression went from hopeful to ecstatic at my words. She suddenly looked over at Celestia and beamed with excitement, “Did you hear, sister?! He agrees!” I heard Twilight and Fluttershy giggle at Luna’s enthusiasm.

Celestia smiled warmly at her sister and nodded. “Yes, I did. I told you that you would make friends someday. Though I admit it was surprising to see the only human in Equestria become your friend less than five minutes after meeting you.”

I asked, “Do you think I should’ve turned down her offer until later?” This prompted an unhappy frown from Luna.

Celestia replied with a shake of her head, “Now, don’t be that way. Granted, you just met. But some friendships take just the tiniest push to start. And your heartfelt appreciation for Luna and the night she worked so hard to create was just the push that was needed.”

Luna looked at me with a smile, as if trying to reassure me that she was being serious when she requested that we be friends. I then asked, “Lady Luna, was I really the first guy to ever thank you for creating the night?”

She replied with a slight frown, “Well, the ponies of Equestria have come to embrace me this past year, but…no. You were the first pony…I mean person…to ever vocally express gratitude for my work.”

I muttered under my breath, “Just like Nightmare Moon…”

Luna’s ears perked up as she asked, “Come again? I didn’t quite catch that.”

Knowing that she would probably not appreciate being reminded of her darker half, I replied with a smile, “Oh… Just mumbling to myself. It wasn’t anything important.”

Luna nodded as she held out a hoof again. “I see. But…we are still friends, aren’t we?”

I nodded as I held her hoof and shook it once. “Yes, your highness.”

I watched when Luna bowed her head humbly before smiling. “I am relieved to hear that, James. But enough sidetracking. Celestia and I called you here for important business.”

Fluttershy gasped as she stood by my side, “Oh, right. What did you need to see us for, your highness?”

Celestia spoke first. “A few days ago, I received a report from my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, that revealed to me that you and Fluttershy had become lovers.”

Fluttershy and I froze. We knew then why we had been called to appear before the royal sisters. Were we going to be arrested? Or even executed on the spot? Being able to raise the sun and moon, Celestia and Luna were more than likely capable of destroying us with the use of their godly magic. I held my breath, fearing what was going to come next.

Luna spoke next. “And it was brought to our attention that you had fled into the Everfree Forest in order to protect Fluttershy by hiding evidence. Or something to that effect.”

Celestia then frowned, almost appearing ashamed at that moment. “In all honesty, we had completely forgotten that law had ever been passed. It was so long ago that law had been made, we never got around to abolishing it…”

I felt myself calm down slightly at Celestia’s words. From what I could tell by listening to her, she had no intention of harming Fluttershy or me. If anything, she seemed remorseful for ever passing that law to begin with. Fluttershy then asked, “Does this mean…you’re not going to arrest us?”

Luna and Celestia looked at each other for a brief moment before laughing together. Celestia then chuckled, “Why would we ever do such a thing?! When I read that report, I was not only surprised. I felt proud for you two. Seeing past your biggest differences and embracing each other for what you are… That is perfect harmony. How could we ever condemn that?”

Luna then spoke with a smile, “As of today, that ridiculously outdated law is abolished. There will be no such prejudice under our reign.”

All I could do at that moment was embrace Fluttershy for all I was worth. I think she may have started to cry as I heard her whisper with her voice breaking, “Everything’s OK now… I’m just so happy…”

I gently stroked her mane with one hand as I whispered, “Me too, honey… Me too…”

Celestia spoke softly with a tone of compassion in her voice, “There is no need for tears, you two. Be happy. There is nothing wrong with being in love.”

Fluttershy and I huddled together for a moment longer before we heard Twilight speak. “Princess Celestia? May I ask a question?”

Celestia replied promptly, “Of course, my faithful student. What is on your mind?”

The purple unicorn mare then asked, “I’m only asking this out of curiosity, but why was there ever a law that applied to humans in the first place? I thought they were only creatures of myth!”

This question seemed to unnerve both of the royal sisters, as they seemed very surprised and even nervous. Luna quickly spoke, “Well… You see, the truth of the matter is…”

Something was very wrong here. Celestia and Luna seemed to know something about Equestria’s past. Something they clearly did not want us to know. At that moment, I truly wanted to demand that they explain why that law had ever been passed. Especially since I had received testimony from the ponies of Sunny Town, who had claimed to have personally met humans in the past. Even Zecora seemed to have heard stories lending credibility to their claims. The royal sisters were hiding something. And I wanted to know the truth.

Fluttershy asked, “Princess Celestia… Surely you know the truth. Could you please tell us? James deserves to know more than anypony.”

She was right. I had the right to know. But at the same time, I was afraid. Did I really want to know why a law had been passed that applied to humans? For such a steep penalty, there must have been a very brutal origin behind the initial passing of the law. What happened in Equestria? How long has it been since humanity disappeared? Or were there ever any humans in Equestria to begin with? Do I really want to know the awful truth? Or was it a pleasant and harmless truth? Either way, I would not know unless I asked.

After a moment of pondering, I spoke up. “Lady Celestia. You don’t have to tell us. It’s probably not important.”

Twilight did not seem pleased with my refusal to learn the truth as she frowned, “But…James! This is about your kind! You, more than anypony, deserve to know the truth!”

I replied, “Maybe so… But my gut is telling me that I don’t really need to know. And I’m following that instinct this time.”

Luna asked with some hesitation, “Are you absolutely certain? We… I suppose we can reveal this information to you if you truly wish it.”

I sighed as I shook my head. “No… It’s fine. I think I’d be better off not knowing. Curiosity might not kill the cat, but it may mentally scar you.”

Celestia’s expression seemed to calm rapidly as I spoke my decision. “I see… We will respect your decision.”

But Twilight loudly asked, “But could you at least tell me? I’m very eager to know the truth! Please, your highness!”

I finally decided to speak up, “Twilight. Let it go.”

She looked at me and asked, “Why?! This is an important matter! Why shouldn’t I know?”

I shrugged my shoulders and explained, “Think of it like this. Something happened a thousand years ago and no one really knows about it. If you were to learn what happened, would that really make an impact on today?”

Twilight started to say something, but began to stutter while apparently trying to find something to counter my claim. After a moment of indecision, she groaned, “Fine… Maybe it’s not important after all.”

Celestia nervously chuckled, “Yes, very true. What happened hundreds or thousands of years ago is of no importance today. You put it best, James.” I chuckled lightly as I tried to avert my eyes, finding her praise to be embarrassing.

Hoping to change the subject to get our minds off of the question at hand, I asked, “I know this may not be the best thing to ask, but what of Diamond Tiara?”

Luna smirked as she glanced at Celestia, who also smirked slyly. The Princess of the Night then explained, “We made certain that her parents knew of everything she has been doing for the past week. It goes without saying that they were not the least bit amused with her uncouth antics.” I could imagine. As I had met Diamond Tiara’s mother before in the jewelry store where I purchased Rarity’s bracelet, I knew just by talking to her that she was not a stuck-up sort of pony. No way she would ever appreciate her own child being a schoolyard bully.

“And her sentence?” I asked, curious of what her punishment was.

Celestia grinned rather mischievously and said, “One month of no cutie mark! Seems fitting enough.”

At the mention of cutie marks, I remembered that I too had acquired a cutie mark. Or at least it seemed to be one. “Um… Your highness? I know this may sound ridiculous, but…” I then rolled up my sleeve to display the mark on my upper arm. “Is this a cutie mark? It only showed up on me today.”

I think I heard a faint gasp come from the two sisters as they beheld the elegant dovelike design on my arm. Luna spoke first. “Celestia, is that…?”

The Princess of the Dawn nodded as she smiled, “Yes, I do believe so.” She then stood up and walked over to me. “I recognize that shape and color. If memory serves, I’ve seen only one or two other ponies with this cutie mark in my life. And yes, that is indeed a cutie mark.”

I think I may have blushed at that claim. If the rulers of Equestria say that it is a cutie mark, then it must be so. “Well… Does it represent anything in particular?” I asked, curious of its purpose.

Luna trotted over to us and spoke, “Allow me. The birds depicted in this cutie mark are doves, which are universal symbols of love and peace. And as you can see, they are forming a heart with their bodies.”

Celestia continued, “It represents that its wearer has a big heart and is very nonviolent, preferring peace and harmony over conflict. And if there is conflict, he chooses to resolve it as peacefully as possible. Of course, it also shows that he is very loving towards those he holds dear. And if memory serves, doves are also shy. Just like you if what I’ve heard is true.” She then looked towards Fluttershy and smiled warmly. “You are most blessed, Fluttershy. I do believe that one of those doves is James while the other is you.” Fluttershy could not even offer a response to that. All she could do was blush deeply while partially hiding her face behind her long pink mane.

However, a question still lingered in my mind. “OK, so I have a cutie mark now. But is it really possible for humans to get them? I thought only ponies could.”

Celestia nodded once more. “Indeed, only ponies can acquire them normally. But there are exceptions. Would you care to explain, Luna?”

Luna then stepped forward. “Gladly. While us ponies acquire them naturally, it is possible for other races to acquire them as well. But for this to occur, they must be capable of living in perfect harmony with the ponies of Equestria. Doing so creates a subtle harmonious force between the two races. Once the other race has become as close to BEING a pony as possible, that race will acquire their own unique cutie mark much like their dear friends.”

A harmonious force… As close to being an Equestrian pony as possible. Living in perfect harmony with this completely alien race. That was what acquired me this unique symbol on my upper arms. “Harmony… I never had this kind bond with my own kind back home…” I then asked, “Lady Celestia… Lady Luna… Do you know who brought me to Equestria?”

Seeing as how they are the most powerful ponies in Equestria, I thought for sure that they had brought me here. And if their answer were ‘yes’, I would drop down on my knees and bow to them for bringing me to this paradise. However, they merely smiled and shook their heads. Celestia then spoke, “I really wish we knew. I would like to say it was us, but I would be lying if I did.”

Luna bowed her head as she replied, “It is indeed puzzling. We know nothing of the world you are from, yet you appear out of thin air near Ponyville not even two weeks ago. But that does not mean we do not appreciate your presence.” She then smiled warmly at me. “It is a pleasure having you here, my friend.”

It was actually quite flattering to be told that a princess appreciated my presence. I never once thought that I would be so openly accepted by any community. But my train of thought was interrupted as Celestia spoke, “I’m sorry to have to bring this up, but we must be going soon. The mayor has requested an audience and we are due at the town hall in several minutes.”

As I heard those words, my hand brushed against my side where my pockets were. I felt a rectangular form bulging slightly from it. My DSi. It had been a while since I last used it. I then asked, “Um… Before you two leave, may I take a photo of you together?”

Luna replied with a hint of excitement, “A photograph? But of course!”

I then pulled out my DSi, flipped it open, turned it on, and activated the camera feature. Celestia looked closely at the device in my hands and asked, “I’ve never seen a camera like this. Is it a device from your world?”

I nodded without looking away from the screens. “Yeah, and it has numerous features. But I only use it for taking pictures these days.”

Twilight came over to me and looked at it, the top screen displaying whatever the lens was facing. “It shows you exactly what the picture will look like before you even take it? That’s impressive!”

Hearing Twilight’s voice gave me an idea. “Twilight, could I trust you to take the picture? I’d like to be in the shot too.”

She nodded before appearing to use the levitation spell to take hold of the device. “Sure. How do I do it?” Her horn was engulfed in a billowing aura as the DSi floated out of my hands.

“Just push the A button in to take the picture. And try to keep it from shaking.” I then stood between the two royal ponies with Celestia on my right and Luna on my left. I gently rested my hands on their shoulders and smiled. They too smiled warmly as Twilight began to adjust her position in the room to get the right distance and angle.

“OK, this angle looks good. Everypony in place? Three, two, one!” At the end of the countdown, I heard a familiar click. Twilight then smiled as she looked down at the DSi, “Perfect! How does this look, Fluttershy?”

My girlfriend looked down at the screen and smiled as well. “That looks just about perfect.”

I took the DSi in hand and showed the royal sisters the photo. Luna seemed quite pleased with the results. “The lighting was just right, wouldn’t you say?”

Celestia nodded with a matching smile, “A perfect balance. Let’s do this again at our next meeting, James.”

I nodded in confirmation as I turned the device off and closed it. “It would be my pleasure, your highness.”

I shook Celestia’s hoof as we said our goodbyes. But instead of a hoofshake, Luna rose up on her hind legs and embraced me once again. “Next time we meet, let’s talk over a spot of tea.”

I stroked her beautiful billowing mane and replied quietly, “Sounds like a plan, Lady Luna.”

However, she pushed away from me and smiled, “Please, James. Just call me Luna.”

I watched as Luna trotted down the stairs that led into the library. But before Celestia could follow, the Princess of the Dawn whispered into my ear, “I’m looking forward to watching your friendship with my sister progress. Be good to her.” I merely replied with a happy grin and brief chuckle. My friends and I said our goodbyes and watched the beautiful princess follow Luna downstairs.

“I really like your mentors, Twilight.” I said as I turned to face her.

The purple unicorn giggled while showing a delighted grin. “They’re always good to have around. Princess Celestia is almost like a second mother to me. But don’t tell her I said that. OK?” Fluttershy, Spike, and I chuckled at that request.

Spike then walked over to me with something in his hands. “Hey, James? I think I was supposed to give these to you.” In his grasp was a pair of glasses.

“Glasses? Wait a sec… I know that frame. Aren’t these mine?” I asked while remembering that I had accidentally crushed and twisted them that morning.

Twilight nodded and explained, “Rainbow Dash brought them to me this morning. I had the frame straightened out and new lenses put in to replace the broken ones. Try them on and tell us how they work!”

I did as I was told, placing them on my face. The instant I did, everything became much clearer. “Whoa, much better. Thanks, Twi… Wait…” One thing I noticed right then was that the lenses were absolutely spotless. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get my glasses to be 100% clean, as there would always be visible streaks across the lenses. “How’re these so clean? What’s your trick?”

Twilight smiled with an amused grin. “That’s the special quality about glasses in Equestria. A tiny bit of magic is woven into the lenses that repels all grime, grease, dust, you name it.” I tried putting her claims to the test by pressing my thumb to one lens. To my surprise, there was not even the slightest trace of a thumbprint on it.

“Huh… No wonder I never saw Rarity clean her glasses.” I said while placing my glasses back on my face. “Thanks again, Twilight. You have no idea how frustrating it was to get my old glasses completely clean. By which I mean I never could.”

Fluttershy smiled while gently nudging me. “Well, now you never have to worry about cleaning them again.”

Before anything else could be said, Twilight spoke up again. “You know, I’m sure Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie would be thrilled to know you’re back, James. You should stop by their places before you head home.”

I smiled at the thought of seeing them. “Should we head over there now?”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “That sounds like a nice idea. May we go see them now, Twilight?”

Our friend nodded promptly. “Sure! Give them my regards, please.” The two of us bid farewell to Twilight and Spike and left the library before making our way to the home of our nearest friend. In this case, Sugarcube Corner.

Along the way, I chatted with Fluttershy. “Before I forget, what did Diamond Tiara do when you told her I had run away into the Everfree Forest?”

Fluttershy replied with a displeased frown spread across her lips, “Well, she certainly didn’t expect you to go there. She actually seemed a bit shocked. But that was probably because if you died, she would never get her cutie mark back.” I smirked to myself, amazed that she had not figured out that the ‘cure’ to her missing cutie mark could be easily purchased from the local prank parlor.

The overall distance between the library and Sugarcube Corner is rather small, so we got there in only several minutes. As we reached the front door, Fluttershy spoke up. “I’ll go first. Just to be safe.”

To be safe? Not sure what she meant by that, but I nodded and watched while she went inside. I did not wait long as there was a sudden shriek somewhere inside Sugarcube Corner. Next thing I know, something comes rocketing out the door and tackles me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. Not a very pleasant feeling. “OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE BACK! I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!!!”

Clinging to me like a leech while being her usual energetic self was Pinkie Pie. I was stuck on my back with her head right next to mine. “Uh… May I stand up now?” I asked while catching my breath, rather annoyed from being knocked to the ground as it did not feel pleasant at all and was borderline painful.

The silly pink pony opened her eyes and grinned as if her worries had suddenly vanished. “Oki doki loki!” She hopped off of me, allowing me to climb to my feet. “Ooh! Are those your new glasses?” She asked while pointing to a spot just behind me.

I flinched when I saw them on the ground behind me. “Those better not be scratched. I just got them back!” I quickly snatched them up and examined the lenses. Much to my shock, there was not a single scratch or speck of dust on them. “Wow… That’s some tough glass.” I muttered in appreciation for Twilight's foresight in their repairs as I put them back on.

Pinkie Pie then started hopping around me with her signature springy skip. “I knew you were gonna be all right! Rainbow Dash told us how you had a wicked knife with you! Did you ever have to ‘make your point’ with anypony out there?”

I chose to reply honestly while keeping some of the details to myself. “Yes, but only once.” I was referring to the skeletal zombie pony I first encountered during my escape from Sunny Town the previous night. Still impresses me how easily the bones shattered when I took a swing.

My cheerful pink friend giggled as she came to a stop in front of me, “Ooh, I’ll bet everypony who saw that point were sent scurrying away! Did you actually chop anyone with that? Huh, huh, huh?”

I replied with a frown, “Oh, please. I’m a lover, not a fighter. I’d never kill anyone with that.” Of course, I did actually have to defend myself at the time. But would she have believed me if I told her I was being attacked by zombie ponies? I would have to say…..no.

Fluttershy replied with a warm smile as she stood in the doorway, “Yes, you are. As Pinkie Pie would probably say, you’re as sweet as candy.”

Pinkie Pie retorted with a giggle, “Oh, he’s more than just sweet! He’s like a mountain of sugar topped with caramelized cherries and chocolate and vanilla with a strawberry on top!” She then paused momentarily as she seemed to process what she had just said before a faint gurgling sound was heard. “That’s weird. Now I’m hungry! Let’s go get some goodies!” She then trotted back into Sugarcube Corner while I took a moment to think over what she said while describing me.

“A mountain of sugar…topped with caramelized cherries and chocolate and vanilla…with a strawberry…” I winced when I put the images together in my head. “Instant diabetes right there.” Fluttershy giggled as she covered her mouth while we followed Pinkie Pie into Sugarcube Corner.

We had only just gotten inside when we found Pinkie Pie waiting at the counter with three cupcakes lined up in a row. “It’s your favorite, James! Those special chocolate chip ones you helped me come up with!”

I smiled as I took one in hand and took a bite. “Aw yeah, I missed this.” Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie helped themselves to the other two.

Pinkie Pie then asked, “So, how’s it been going with you two now that we know it’s not illegal for ponies and humans to…uh… You know what I mean.”

I nodded while trying to hury up with the bite of cake I had just taken so I could speak. “Things have been going good. Right, honey?” I looked down at Fluttershy, who was halfway done with her snack.

“Yes, things have gotten much better now that we’re together again.” She said with a smile. But she then whispered while looking up at me, “When we get home, could we do some…um…special things together to make up for lost time?”

Pinkie Pie apparently overheard as she suddenly asked, “Ooh, something special?! Is it a game of spin the bottle?!” I could only laugh at Fluttershy’s response, as she began to fluster uncontrollably while her wings spread wide. But once she looked back up at me, I nodded with a smile to show I agreed to her request.

Just after all three of us had finished our snack, a thought occurred to me as I observed Sugarcube Corner’s interior. “Oh man… Pinkie, did Mr. and Mrs. Cake mind that I didn’t show up for work yesterday?” I was worried that I had been fired due to my absence on a workday.

To my relief, my energetic friend grinned without any signs of worry. “Oh, they thought you were just running late or something. But when Rainbow Dash told us about why you ran off like that, they understood it was important and decided to wait for you to come home.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that I was still employed at my favorite bakery. I then asked, “Then I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, right?”

Pinkie Pie’s response surprised me as she giggled, “Sorry, but not this time. I’ve got a private party to set up. You can have the day off!”

“Do you really need to close Sugarcube Corner for the day just for that?” Fluttershy asked while clearly just as puzzled as I was.

Pinkie Pie nodded giddily and explained, “Yeah, it’s a really special one. I need plenty of time to make sure it’s just right.” But she then asked, “Come to think of it, did you say hi to everypony now that you’re back home, James?”

I shook my head and said, “Not just yet, but we were on our way to do so. Next stop is the Carousel Boutique to say hello to Rarity. We’ll then stop by Sweet Apple Acres on our way home to say hi to Applejack.”

Pinkie Pie responded by nudging me and Fluttershy towards the door. “In that case, I better not keep you two! Rarity told me she was working on something special for you, so you better head on over! You shouldn’t keep a lady waiting!”

I chuckled at my friend's boundless enthusiasm. “OK, we’ll go right now. Thanks again for the treat, Pinkie.”

Fluttershy also smiled as she nodded towards her friend. “It was delicious. Thank you for providing them.”

However, Pinkie Pie giggled as she waved at us. “But it was James who added the chocolate chips to the recipe! But anyway, get going! Rarity’s expecting you!” The two of us said our goodbyes to our friend and headed on our way.

As we headed towards the southeastern edge of Ponyville, Fluttershy looked up at me and smiled. “When Rarity learned that it was safe for you to come home, she said she would make you something special as a gift for your troubles.”

Once again, I felt somewhat guilty that generous Rarity was making something for me for free. It had been some time since I last felt this way. “I hope she doesn’t make anything too extravagant. I don't want her wasting too many of her resources on me.”

We came to the elegant form of Rarity’s home and knocked on the door. I suspected that Rarity did not hear us, maybe due to her singing, since no one answered right away. “Think we should just go on in?” I asked while looking down at my lover.

Fluttershy nodded and reached for the door while saying, “That’s OK. Most customers get her attention by ringing the bell that hangs over the door. She won’t mind.” I then grabbed the handle and pushed the door open, ringing the bell that hung over the doorway in the process.

“Even though it rides high on the flank, Rainbow won’t look like a… Ooh! I’ll be just a moment! I have only a few more stitches to make!” Rarity called out as she moved a piece of yellow fabric across her sewing machine. “There we are! Now then, how may I… Oh! James, you have returned!” My beautiful former landlord rushed over to me, reared up on her hind legs, and embraced me very tightly. “It must’ve been dreadful for you to have to camp out in that vile forest. Are you well?”

I replied with a smile while stroking her beautiful mane, “It wasn’t that bad. I partially enjoyed myself out there.”

My laidback response seemed to catch Rarity by surprise since she gasped, “Enjoyed yourself?! Are you mad?! How could anypony enjoy themselves in such an untamed dangerous forest?! Miles from civilization, not a single bathtub, so much dirt and mud… The list goes on and on!” She was being rather dramatic, even raising a hoof to her forehead as if she was about to faint.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I dunno. Maybe I was just too absorbed in the untamed wonders of the Everfree Forest to feel afraid. Granted, I did come across a hydra, but Rainbow Dash made sure I got away.”

Rarity nodded as she regained her composure, “Yes, I recall Rainbow Dash telling us about that daring escape. But enough about that! Surely your clothes must be absolutely filthy after spending two whole days out there! Come over here.” She led me and Fluttershy over to what seemed to be a row of t-shirts. “I know you prefer casual, so I made them as simple as possible. How are they, darling?”

There were six t-shirts in all. No, wait... They were actually polo shirts, which I prefer. It would seem Rarity tries to avoid making even her most basic designs look too basic. And each were…wait a moment. Each was a different color that seemed very familiar. Yellow, white, pink, orange, cyan, and a faded purple. I then realized that each of these shirts were the same colors as the coats of my six friends! And on each corresponding color was a matching cutie mark emblem on the left side of the chest. The white had Rarity’s cutie mark while the cyan had Rainbow Dash’s and so on. When I looked on the back, a much larger emblem depicting the same cutie mark rested in the center. “Are they to your liking? I felt that this way you would think of us while wearing them.” Rarity spoke with a proud smile.

These designs for my shirts were absurdly clever. Never once did I imagine I would ever be literally wearing my friends' colors. I chuckled while shaking my head, “To my liking? I love them, Rarity. May I try one on?”

My former landlord... Or is it landlady? Anyway, she grinned proudly and said, “But of course! They are yours, after all.”

I removed my glasses and pulled off my shirt. But as I took a moment to decide which shirt to wear, Rarity asked, “What an elegant design! Did Zecora give you that white marking on your arms?”

Seeing that she was referring to my cutie marks, I replied, “I know this’ll be hard to believe, but these are cutie marks. At least that's what I was told.”

Rarity stared at me for a moment. That blank expression seemed to say ‘wait…seriously?’ before she spoke, “Let me take a closer look.” She reared up on her hind legs for extra height while closely examining one. “They seem to be doves… Such tender little birds. If you were a bird, you would most certainly be a dove, James. This cutie mark suits you quite well. But just how did you get it?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “No idea, really. I’m not even sure what triggered their appearance.” I then slid on the shirt that bore Rainbow Dash’s colors, as she was the first friend I saw after going into hiding.

“Well, they certainly suit a gentle fellow like you. Wear them proudly! You earned them.” Rarity replied with a giggle. She then turned to Fluttershy and asked, “And how have you two dears been now that you’re reunited?”

Fluttershy smiled and spoke softly, “Things have improved greatly since he got home. It’s really all I could ask for.” I remained silent as I let the two friends talk. Just then, Fluttershy glanced up at me and smiled. “Oh, I just remembered! Aloe and Lotus said they understand why you couldn’t be at work today, James. So don’t worry. They’re not mad at you.”

I had all but forgotten that I was supposed to be at the spa today for work. Which, of course, was impossible since I was deep in the Everfree Forest for much of the day. “Man, I almost forgot about them. I’ll be sure to show up for work on Saturday.”

Rarity then began to neatly fold my new clothes and set them in a stylish paper bag that bore her trademark, a pair of azure feminine eyes staring out with a slender trail of indigo hair curving around it in a very elegant fashion. “Is there anything I owe you, Rarity?” I asked, feeling slightly guilty about receiving her heartfelt creations without being asked for anything in return.

The beautiful unicorn calmly smiled and shook her head. “All I ask is that you wear the shirt that sports my colors and cutie mark when I arrive for a massage at the spa on Saturday. If you don’t, I just might take them all back!” I snickered at her playful threat, knowing that it was likely a bluff.

Rarity then asked, “My apologies, but may we talk tomorrow? I’m running on a rather tight schedule and really must get started on making repairs on Pinkie Pie’s dress before starting on this recent commission.”

I nodded and gently stroked my finger over her ear. “Sure thing. I’ll see you tomorrow, Rarity. And thanks again for these sweet shirts.”

Fluttershy also nodded and said, “Don’t work yourself too hard, Rarity. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”

Rarity grinned as she waved back at us while we made our way to the door. “I will, Fluttershy. Take care! And be good to her, James!” We bid each other farewell as Fluttershy and I left the Carousel Boutique and headed west towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Still can’t believe Rarity made me one of each kind of shirt to match you girls.” I chuckled out loud while looking down at the bag I was carrying.

Fluttershy looked up at me with a grin. “She’s very thoughtful when it comes to surprises. It’s like she always knows exactly what the customer will like.”

We continued to chat casually while passing through Ponyville. But in time, we passed in front of the jewelry store where I had purchased Rarity’s bracelet. I immediately thought of the refined earth pony who sold me the bracelet as she bore a resemblance to Diamond Tiara. I began to wonder if she was indeed the schoolyard bully’s mother. “Fluttershy, could you go on ahead? I need to tend to something important.”

My lover smiled and nodded at me. “OK. I’ll be waiting over at Sweet Apple Acres.” She then walked off while I entered the jewelry store by myself.

I immediately found the same elegant mare as before standing behind the counter while apparently checking her stock. When she heard the door close, she looked up at me and spoke, “Welcome to…” She froze for a second while she seemed to recognize my face. “Oh my goodness, it’s you! I’m so sorry for what my daughter did to you. I made certain to give her a thorough scolding.”

My guess was correct. The clerk of that jewelry store is indeed Diamond Tiara’s mother. “Is she here?” I asked with a bit of tension in my nerves. I knew that by then school was out for the day. I mean it must have been if all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders came looking for me in the Everfree Forest.

The mare nodded and said, “Yes, she’s in the back. But she’s not allowed to come out for now.”

“Did you know that she is a bully at school?” I asked calmly.

“No… She never gave me the impression that she has a sadistic side to her. I always thought she was my precious Diamond Tiara…” The clerk replied with a frown. I could only imagine her shock and disappointment when the news was relayed to her.

I paused for a moment before speaking. “I’m sorry to hear that… But may I see her? It’s important.”

Diamond Tiara’s mother nodded with a bit of a sigh. “All right, but don’t keep her for too long. I’m being very strict with her right now.” She then went over to a door that was behind the counter and knocked on it. “Tiara, this gentleman wishes to speak with you. Come on out.”

I watched as the door opened. Due to her height, Diamond Tiara was concealed by the counter. But I could hear her footsteps as she headed to the left. When she came into view, her head was bowed with a rather unhappy expression on her face. Her mother watched us constantly, likely on guard to make certain her child would not try anything violent.

When she looked up at me, Diamond Tiara immediately averted her gaze. She was clearly unable to look me in the eye. I crossed my arms and asked, “What do you have to say for yourself? I could’ve been killed out there in the Everfree Forest. And don’t even try to say I’m exaggerating. I ran into a lot of danger yesterday while I was out there. Almost got eaten by a hydra.” Diamond Tiara did not speak as she winced at my words.

Diamond Tiara was scared. I could tell just by looking at her. “You have no one to blame for your punishment but yourself. Do you have anything to say to that?”

I thought I heard a whisper from Diamond Tiara, but it was too quiet to make out. I got down on one knee and asked, “What was that just now?”

She squinted her eyes shut and muttered, “I’m sorry…”

I paused for a moment. She actually apologized. That was the last thing I ever expected Diamond Tiara to do after all of those attempts to hurt me. I looked down at the filly. She could not even look at me.

After a moment of thought, I made up my mind. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the very same cutie mark removal tape I had purchased at the prank parlor a week ago. I stretched it out and placed the opposite side onto Diamond Tiara’s flanks. She gasped as she noticed what I was doing. As I removed the tape, I spoke, “Apology accepted.”

I heard Diamond Tiara’s mother gasp. As I expected, Diamond Tiara’s cutie marks were now visible again. Her mother then spoke, “You should be grateful he gave them back to you, Tiara. You weren’t supposed to get them back for another month.”

The filly before me looked at her flanks for a moment in silence. She then looked up at me while sniffling, her eyes beginning to tear up. I had never seen Diamond Tiara on the verge of crying, so I was naturally perplexed by this display of emotion. “What’s wrong? You got what you wanted, so why are you crying?”

Diamond Tiara shuddered for a moment, probably struggling to restrain her emotions. This did not last long as she suddenly wailed, rearing up onto her hind legs and embracing me tightly while sobbing loudly. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

This outburst of emotion caught her mother and me by surprise. My father once told me that this kind of crying is often a sign of guilt. She sobbed while trying to speak, “I’m sorry I tried to hurt you… I’m sorry for calling the Cutie Mark Crusaders blank flanks… I’m sorry for being a jerk… I know what it’s like to not have a cutie mark again… It’s not nice.”

I gently caressed the child’s mane, doing what I could to comfort her. I do not know what her parents said to her, but they must have made her understand the errors of her ways. “All you need to do now is apologize to them at school tomorrow. And tell your friend Silver Spoon that she shouldn’t be mean either.”

Diamond Tiara looked up at me with teary eyes while choking on her tears. “OK… You’re… You’re really nice…”

I then looked over at her mother. “Go easy on her. Maybe just reduce her punishment to one week?”

The mare nodded while still keeping her expression stern. “That sounds reasonable. Diamond Tiara. Instead of a month of no cutie mark, you get one week of no dessert.”

The filly looked back over at her mother and nodded tearfully. “OK… I think I can handle that.” She then looked back up at me and asked, “Mr. James… I’m sorry… Can you forgive me?”

I smiled warmly at her heartfelt willingness to atone and stroked her mane gently. “I forgive you.” She then buried her face in my shirt again, nuzzling me strongly as I think she had started to cry again.

I continued to stroke Diamond Tiara’s mane gently for the entire time she cried. Her mother continued to watch us silently, a warm smile on her face. I then smiled slightly and said, “You know, you’re not the only one who got a cutie mark today.”

Diamond Tiara looked up at me, her eyes still filled with tears. “You mean…one of those three got them?”

I chuckled as I pulled up my shirt’s sleeve and replied, “You forget that there’s four Cutie Mark Crusaders now.”

The filly before me gasped when she saw the cutie mark on my upper arm. “You… You actually got one too?!” I nodded in silence. “It’s…really pretty. Those are doves, right?” I nodded once again. The filly then smiled as she dried her tears. “It really suits you.”

Receiving wholehearted compliments from Diamond Tiara was certainly something different. I stroked her mane as I smiled and said softly, “You’re a lot sweeter than you originally led me to believe.” I think she may have blushed at my words as she glanced down to hide her face.

Diamond Tiara’s mother then spoke up. “All right, that’s enough for now. I’m sure Mr. James has some business to tend to now that he’s back home.”

Her daughter nodded and said quietly, “OK, Mom…” She then hugged me again and whispered, “Thank you… And I’m sorry again…”

I dragged my fingers through Diamond Tiara’s mane again. “I forgive you. Just make sure you’re nice to ponies who don’t have cutie marks. You were just like them once, so it wouldn’t be fair if you insult them.” She merely nodded in silence.

As I stood up, Diamond Tiara’s mother approached me with a smile. “I’d like to thank you for helping my daughter get that awful habit out of her mind. The next purchase you make here will be half off.”

I chuckled as I immediately considered making my next purchase my and Fluttershy’s wedding rings. Or are they bracelets? It would be quite difficult to fit a tiny ring onto a hoof, so they are likely bracelets. Besides, it is far too soon to say when that day will come. But I digress.

“Thank you. Just don’t forget that offer. It might be a while before I make another purchase here.” I replied as I stood up.

The mare nodded while also chuckling briefly. “I’ll make a mental note of that.”

I waved goodbye at Diamond Tiara and her mother while backing away towards the door. “I need to get going. Applejack is probably waiting for me to show up. See ya later.” I headed out the door and headed west, hoping to catch up with Fluttershy before she could reach Sweet Apple Acres without me.

I took no detours as I headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. When the farm came into view, I found Fluttershy and Applejack talking to each other next to the barn. Before I could say anything, Applejack noticed me approaching and dashed over to me. “Hoowee! Y’all got some spunk ta head on inta the Everfree Forest! Didja do all right after ya got away from the hydra?”

As she drew near, I dropped down on one knee and embraced Applejack once she drew close enough. “Yeah, I was OK for the rest of my time there. But I’m feeling even better now that I’m back home with all of you.”

Applejack remained silent for a moment. She then asked, “Uh… Ya know, this is the first time you’ve ever gotten this chummy with me. Somethin’ up?”

I froze for a moment, realizing that I was hugging her. I then sighed and proceeded to tighten my grip on her. “I… I’m glad to be back together with you girls… I know I met up with Rainbow Dash yesterday, but… I still missed all of you.”

It was true. Yesterday was the first day since I arrived in Equestria that I went an entire day without interacting with any of my friends. Granted, I did encounter Rainbow Dash. But our time together was too brief to be satisfying at all. Regardless, Applejack smiled and embraced me with her forelegs. “We missed ya too, James. We really did… It’s good ta have ya back, pardner.”

Before either Fluttershy or me could speak up, Applejack suddenly gasped and let go of me. “Right! I whipped somethin’ special up for ya! Right over here!” She then led us into the barn, where a small wooden cart was full of…..apple products?

Applejack trotted over to the cart and started pointing out various apple products. “Thought y’all might be hungry after all that time in the Everfree Forest, so I cooked up a lil’ bit of everthin’ for ya. I’ve got apple pie, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplin’s, apple crisps, apple crumbles, and here’s a new one. Fresh applesauce!”

I still could not wrap my head around just how many of those homemade apple products were in that cart. “Well…uh…thank you kindly, AJ. We’ll…uh…be sure to enjoy those…”

Fluttershy also nodded nervously. “Yes… This is…um…very generous of you.”

Applejack grinned while she crossed one of each of her hooves in front of the other in a type of smug leaning stance. “No need ta be modest, lovebirds. Y’all help yerself to the whole thing.”

Fluttershy and I glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at Applejack. I then spoke, “AJ… Not to be rude, but I’m not sure we can even finish all this before they spoil. If there’s anything left in two days, would you like to help us finish it off?”

I was expecting Applejack to be disappointed. But instead, she merely smiled with a bit of a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I thought I went a might overboard there. Sure thing. If y’all got some ya can’t finish in time, let me know and I’ll bring some of the leftovers back home. If there's one thing the Apple family is known for, it's our high bloomin' appetite for apples!” She then worked herself into the harness so she could pull it. “Lead on, you two. I’ve got this.”

Fluttershy and I led the friendly farm pony over to our cottage just north of Sweet Apple Acres. Once there, she helped us carry each apple product into the kitchen. “Thanks again, AJ. Could you set up another ten bushels for me to carry tomorrow?” I asked, feeling I could still use the exercise.

“Sure thing, pardner. Come on by when ya have the time. See ya tomorrow! And have fun, Fluttershy!” Applejack replied with a smile as she hauled the cart back home with her.

“It’s just us now, James.” Fluttershy said with a smile as she closed the door behind her.

“Yeah… Home at last.” I said while I reclined on the sofa next to the window. It felt good to be home. Especially after being afraid that I may not have been able to return at all.

Fluttershy brought me some of Applejack’s apple brown betty with a fork sticking out of the top. “Can I get you anything to help you feel more at home?”

I took my snack and smiled. “I’m good as is, honey. But thanks for asking.”

“OK. But if you need anything, just ask.” Fluttershy replied with a endearing smile. As I munched on my snack, which I found to be quite enjoyable, I froze as I heard a low-pitched buzzing next to my ear for a second. I then turned my head and found a small green hummingbird perched on my shoulder. Fluttershy was quick to notice and said, “Hello, Hummingway! Have you met my boyfriend yet? His name is James.”

The hummingbird…I mean Hummingway looked at me and nuzzled me gently. “A pleasure to meet you, Hummingway.” I said before the little bird flew up alongside Fluttershy.

My girlfriend then smiled excitedly at me. “Oh, we have a special trick he wants to perform. Wanna listen?” I nodded calmly while munching on my treat. Fluttershy went first, loudly humming…singing… I am not sure what to call it. It was basically humming with her mouth open, but there were no lyrics. Regardless, her singing voice was simply angelic. I literally froze as I heard my girlfriend’s beautiful voice sing, only to be followed up with Hummingway humming the rest. And for some very strange reason, the tune they sang and hummed felt…..extremely nostalgic.

“Did I just hear an angel sing?” I asked, probably blushing while doing so.

My compliment clearly flustered Fluttershy since she blushed heavily. “An…angel? Oh, I don’t think it was an angel… But if you mean Hummingway, he does have a pretty voice, doesn’t he?”

I smirked at Fluttershy’s modesty. “I meant you, honey. Hummingway’s version was cute, but yours was gorgeous.”

Her face turned as red as a beet. “I…uh… I don’t know what to say…” I reached out and stroked her beautiful mane to help calm her. “But if you want… I can sing more if you want me to.”

I grinned with a chuckle. “You can sing whenever you want, honey. I don’t ever get tired of your voice.” Fluttershy giggled in response, placing a kiss on my cheek in the process.

I listened to Fluttershy sing as she went about cleaning. But as I watched her, I remembered a promise I had made to her. “Honey, I just remembered something. I promised you a massage, didn’t I?”

Fluttershy stopped what she was doing and grinned at me. “I completely forgot about it! When would you like to start?”

I replied after a moment of thought, “How about just before we bathe tonight?”

Fluttershy smiled warmly while blushing just a little bit. “That sounds like a perfect time to relax. I’ll be patient.”

The next few hours were calm, quiet, and very relaxing. They were of little extravagance, but every moment was spent with my beautiful girlfriend. Such simple pleasures are difficult to describe, so I will leave it to the readers to imagine what may have happened during those hours.

Once the sun had almost completely set, Fluttershy lied down in the middle of her living room floor with her head resting on a pillow. “Is this OK?”

I nodded as I approached her, “That’ll do. Just stretch out your legs so I can reach them easily.” She did as she was told and extended her legs the best she could.

I straddled Fluttershy while on my knees and began to massage the base of her neck. “I really needed that…” She muttered quietly.

“Well, we’re just getting started, so don’t get up yet.” I replied while smiling slightly. I also felt better since this massage session would help keep my skills sharp for my next day of work at the spa.

Like before, I spent no fewer than three minutes on massaging Fluttershy before moving on to another spot. Namely her jaws. “Don’t talk until I finish with this spot, honey.” Fluttershy replied with a ‘mmhm’ without moving her mouth at all.

Once I had finished with her jaw joints, I moved down to Fluttershy’s shoulders. As I kneaded them as gently yet firmly as I could, I attempted to make casual conversation. “Were you OK while I was gone, honey?”

Fluttershy sighed before speaking, “I was worried sick… I was afraid I wouldn’t ever see you again. It wasn’t until Rainbow Dash got back after finding you that I was a little more hopeful you would be OK.”

I felt somewhat guilty that I had worried Fluttershy so much, even if it was to protect her. “Did you…ever doubt me?” I asked, worried that she may have considered breaking up with me.

Fluttershy shook her head and looked back at me. “Why would I ever do that? You explained yourself very thoroughly in that note you left behind. I had no reason to doubt you.”

I sighed while still feeling rather guilty. “I’m glad to hear that… And I’m sorry if I worried you too much.” I then moved on to her knees and ankles.

My lover smiled warmly at me. “It’s OK. More good came out of it than bad, right? We got Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s blessings, you made some friends while you were out there, and now you’re home to stay.” One other good thing that had happened was that Diamond Tiara had learned the error of her ways. But Fluttershy probably did not want to hear about the former bully, as it was her actions that caused me to leave Ponyville in the first place.

When I started massaging Fluttershy’s vertebrae, I asked, “What about the other girls? How did they handle the news?” I had seen Pinkie Pie myself when Fluttershy showed the note to her, but I had no knowledge of how the other four reacted.

“Well, they were all equally worried. But I think Twilight has the most worried besides me. She wouldn’t stop pacing until Rainbow Dash came back with the information you gave her. Rarity was also really worried. She fainted when she found out. But then again, she does occasionally faint in times of crisis. And right after she read the note, Rainbow Dash took off to find you. She seemed pretty scared at the time too.” Fluttershy explained to me while remaining very still.

I listened silently as I went from vertebra to vertebra. “When Rainbow Dash came back after finding you, we were all furious at Diamond Tiara and went straight to the school to…um…interrogate her. Although it was mostly Rarity, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash who did most of the interrogating... Although... I might have...exploded at her a bit.” Fluttershy went on about the events that had unfolded in my absence while sounding noticeably uneasy when she spoke that last part.

Once I had finished with her back, I turned around so I could reach Fluttershy’s hind legs. “Would you like me to save your flanks for last?” I asked, knowing that her cutie marks are quite sensitive.

“Oh, yes. And don’t worry about the cutie marks. You can massage them too.” Fluttershy replied with a bit of a blush.

I tended to her knees and ankles first. Once those were finished, I dug my fingertips into Fluttershy’s flanks. She gasped the instant they rubbed her cutie marks. “James… If it’s not too much trouble, could you…keep massaging them until I…um…you know?”

I think I felt my body heat spike at the request. If she was asking me what I think she was, she wanted me to massage her cutie marks until she had an orgasm. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do it. Now just relax, honey.” I replied as I began to massage her.

Fluttershy was breathing deeply the whole time I kneaded the flesh on her flanks. I could tell this was very arousing to her. Even after the usual three minutes had passed, I kept on rubbing her firmly.

I think it was about five minutes into the massage that Fluttershy began to gasp loudly. She was probably getting close. I took a moment to look under her tail, finding her vulva to be coated in liquid. Not even a minute later, she shuddered violently in orgasm while struggling to not raise her voice too high. All the while, I must admit I was getting quite turned on myself.

“Was that enough, honey?” I asked as I climbed off of Fluttershy. Her face was covered in a deep blush while panting in the afterglow.

“That felt… Oh, James… I love you so much…” Fluttershy muttered quietly. I think I may have blushed at her words.

“I love you too, sweetie.” I replied as I placed a kiss on her muzzle.

I stayed by her side until Fluttershy had regained her composure. But the first thing she said surprised me. “You know, James… I’ll be going into heat in a few weeks.”

“Heat… You mean…you want to try?” I asked, knowing exactly what she was getting at.

Fluttershy gently nuzzled me as she whispered, "Well... I don't know how compatible we are, but... I wouldn't mind trying...” I caressed her beautiful pink mane. The concept of parenthood was certainly intimidating to me. But Fluttershy seemed a bit more sure about herself than I was. And more than anything, I wanted to make her happy.

“That…sounds very sweet, honey.” I replied quietly.

Fluttershy giggled as she began to hover in place, “I can hardly wait. But let’s go wash up for the night. May we bathe together again?”

I nodded as I climbed to my feet and said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I am writing this while lying in bed. It feels great to finally go to sleep while squeaky clean. Fluttershy is sleeping soundly beside me. And she seems very happy too.

Now that I am home to stay, I feel more at ease than ever before since arriving in Ponyville. But…

I just looked outside the window at the Everfree Forest. Somewhere out there, the ponies of Sunny Town are shambling about as walking corpses. And Mitta along with them. And beyond that, Nightmare Moon’s shadowy remains linger in the castle ruins where she was last seen.

I may be home and safe and sound, but I cannot help worrying for my new friends. Mitta is still suffering and Nightmare Moon is all alone without anyone to make her feel appreciated…

I swear, if I ever find a way to help them, I will return to the Everfree Forest to find them. But as I currently have no means to do so, I can only wait until that time arrives.

So tired… My eyes are heavy and I really want to sleep. I would like to write some more, but Fluttershy is asleep beside me and I am eager to join her. So the rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

I awoke to the feel of Fluttershy’s silky smooth mane in my face. I was up earlier than usual, which was certainly odd for me since I tend to be a late riser. I was considering going back to sleep, but soon noticed Fluttershy beginning to move in front of me. “Honey?” I asked quietly, wondering if she was waking up or if she was merely stirring in her sleep.

My girlfriend slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder since she had her back to me. Her big beautiful eyes stared at me groggily while her mouth curved into a pleased smile. “Good morning, James. Did you sleep well?”

I felt particularly refreshed since it was the first time in two days that I had slept in a real bed. It felt great to be back home while knowing there is nothing wrong with falling in love with a pony in Equestria. I could hear birds chirping outside. The start of a new day in this wonderful land that had become my new home. Not wanting to delay for too long, I responded with a smile. “I slept very well, Fluttershy. And I had some nice dreams too. I think having you close to me helped with that.”

I remembered them at the time, but lord help me if I could remember them now as I write this. It is nigh impossible to remember dreams once you wake up. And those that you do remember usually do not remain in your memory for very long, almost as if the memory fades once you are wide awake. I am certain many people can relate.

Fluttershy replied with a quiet whisper as she rested her head against me. “I had nothing but nightmares when you left... I’m glad that changed when you came back.”

“Can you ever forgive me for that?” I asked, feeling guilty for forcing Fluttershy through such an ordeal. Even though it was to protect her, I still felt like I was in some sort of trouble for what I had done.

The timid pegasus looked up at me with her groggy eyes. “I never blamed you in the first place, James. It hurt when I read why you left, but it also made me feel honored. I’m amazed you would go to such lengths to protect me.” She then whispered, “I’m glad…Angel brought you that love letter I wrote.”

As if to reply to those words, we both looked towards the stairs when we heard a thumping sound. A second later, Angel himself hopped up to the top of the stairs and gave us a look that seemed to show impatience. I spoke with a light chuckle, “Speak of the devil. Our own little cupid is here.”

I watched as Fluttershy hopped down from the bed and approached her pet rabbit. “Thank you for bringing us together, Angel. You don’t know what this means to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?” Almost as if on cue, I heard a faint rumbling sound. It was probably Angel’s stomach growling from hunger. No wonder he seemed so irritated at the time.

“Oh, I see what you want. OK then, let’s go get you some breakfast.” Fluttershy said with an embarrassed smile as she lifted Angel before placing him onto her back and trotting down the stairs.

Now that I was alone, I decided to get dressed. I would probably have to go to work soon. I slid on my shorts, but then eyed the six specialized shirts Rarity had given me the previous day. Each bore one of my friends’ cutie marks and their coat colors to match. After some thought, I decided to wear the one that displayed Applejack’s cutie mark. After all, I would soon be eating some apple pastries that she had made herself.

Before I could go downstairs, I heard Fluttershy coming back upstairs. Once she reached the top of the stairs, I noticed that she had some impressive bed head. Her mane, which is normally tidy and curled at the tips, was now messy and unkempt. “You want me to help you with that, honey?” I asked as I noticed she was heading for the bathroom.

Fluttershy smiled with a faint blush in her cheeks, apparently knowing what I meant. “If it’s not too much trouble. I think it’ll go by faster if you do it.” I followed her into the bathroom, minding my head to avoid bashing my forehead into the low doorway.

I watched as Fluttershy opened up the green cabinet that was to the left of the sink and pulled out a hair comb. “It’s actually pretty tricky for ponies to comb most of their manes. Unless you’re a unicorn, that is.”

“That’s why I’m here. Just hold still and it’ll be done in no time.” I replied as I wet the comb down. Wetting a hair comb before use increases its effectiveness. I ran the comb through Fluttershy’s pink mane with long straight strokes. Whenever enough of the moisture had been absorbed into the hair, I would wet the comb down again and continue after plucking out any stray hairs stuck in teeth. I had to repeat the process several times due to the sheer amount of hair on Fluttershy’s head. While I adore long hair on women, including ponies, it is certainly more inconvenient to manage when it is that long.

“There we go. You’re all set.” I said as I finished returning Fluttershy’s mane to its former glory. She then looked at herself in a mirror for a moment to evaluate my work. And she seemed to like what she saw.

“I see no problems, James. Thank you.” Fluttershy spoke in her quiet voice before placing a kiss on my cheek. She then asked, “Would you like some eggs with your breakfast today?”

It had been a long time since I last ate eggs of any kind for a meal. I nodded and replied, “Scrambled, please.”

Fluttershy smiled cutely while she headed for the bathroom door without taking her eyes off of me. “OK. While I’m cooking, could you please gather the rest of the eggs from the chicken coop? Use the pail that’s right next to it to carry them.”

“Ok then. I’ll see you in a bit.” I retorted with a nod before following Fluttershy downstairs.

I went outside and looped around to the backside of Fluttershy’s cottage. It seemed that all of the chickens were already outside milling about in the pen. “Morning, girls. Don’t mind me.” I spoke as I stepped into the pen. The hens did not pay me much mind, but they certainly did not show any fear either. But to make sure that there were no chickens left in the coop, I knocked on the wooden structure. “Anyone else in there?”

I received the mother of all surprises when a pony poked her head out of the coop’s entrance and smiled at me. “Hello!”

I jumped back in surprise as I recognized the face immediately. “What the… Derpy?! What’re you doing all the way out here?!” I swear, it seems that Derpy Hooves has the strangest habit of suddenly popping up where you least expect her.

The wall-eyed pegasus mare appeared somewhat sheepish as she replied, “I got lost…”

She got lost? Seriously? How could a mailmare who delivers mail on a daily basis to practically every address in Ponyville possibly get lost there? If you know your mail route through town, you would seldom lose your way. I facepalmed at her absurd lack of a sense of direction. Once again, I am not certain if that is a real word, but it describes the action well.

“Could you please point me in the right direction?” Derpy asked as she crawled out of the coop.

I then pointed to the east. “Ponyville’s right over there. You can’t miss it.”

Derpy grinned while she spread her wings. “Thanks! I’ll see you later!” She then went airborne and began to fly towards…..the Everfree Forest?!

“Whoa, where you going, Derpy?! That’s the Everfree Forest you’re heading to!” I called out, knowing that she would get lost for certain in that natural labyrinth.

The silly pegasus stopped in her tracks before flying back to me. She remained airborne while she asked, “Oh… But isn’t that where you pointed?”

I was starting to become mildly annoyed by Derpy’s misinterpretation of my directions, although I confess that I was rather amused too. “I pointed east. Just where do you think I pointed?”

Derpy’s response dumbfounded me. She crossed her forelegs with each hoof pointing in opposite directions. But with her eyes not even looking in the same direction as each other, I suppose I should not have been surprised. Even so, I placed my hand on my forehead and shook it in disbelief. “For the love of…” I then grabbed Derpy and pointed her in the direction of Ponyville. “Fly straight ahead and don’t go off course. You’ll be there in no time.”

“OK. Just straight ahead, right? I’ll see you later then!” Derpy replied happily before flying towards Ponyville. I was expecting her to veer off course, but she thankfully kept moving in a straight line. At least she had no way of getting lost by then.

It was a tight squeeze, but I was able to squirm my way into the chicken coop. The ceiling was very low, forcing me to crawl as I collected the eggs. There was a good haul of them. Over a dozen in all. “I’m seeing omelets somewhere in this week’s timeline.” I muttered to myself.

I had to set the bucket outside first before crawling out of the coop. The chickens did not seem to mind me taking their eggs. Due to the lack of a rooster in their ranks, they probably knew that the eggs would never hatch. “Thanks for the fresh eggs, girls.” I spoke towards the chickens while waving my free hand. One of them, I think Elizabeak, walked over to me while clucking quietly. I remembered that Fluttershy told me that she seemed to like me, so I reached down and stroked her fluffy white feathers. The little hen clucked softly at my touch, playfully pecking my hand a few times. “Pet the chicken… Pet the chicken…” I whispered to myself in a goofy voice.

When I looked up, my gaze fell upon the edge of the Everfree Forest. I was about to turn and head back towards Fluttershy’s cottage, but I then looked back at the forest. A lot had happened the previous two days I was in there. I wondered what my new friend Zecora was up to out there. A very interesting woman, to say the least. But the more I thought about my time in the Everfree Forest, the more my thoughts went towards the two haunted souls I had met. Mitta of Sunny Town and Nightmare Moon.

As it was during the day, Mitta and the rest of the cursed ponies probably looked completely normal at that moment. But even so, they would revert to walking corpses once the night came. And I could not forget Nightmare Moon. For someone who was long reviled as a monster, I could not forget those tears she showed me. Those beautiful teal eyes staring at me. The same refined elegance of Princess Luna. A monster would never cry. Those tears were real. And I could still remember her warm touch when her remnants ‘embraced’ me. She even stayed by my side while I slept, watching over me. I could only imagine what kind of power she may possess in such a weakened state, but I can distinctly remember feeling genuinely safe in her presence.

“I’ll be back, Mitta. And I’ll find a way to help you, Nightmare Moon.” I spoke quietly while feeling mildly frustrated with myself over having no means of helping them at the time. And it felt like alerting the princesses to their existence would be a bad idea. Our time together may have been brief, but I truly felt a strong desire to help those two mares. I will return to them someday. Hopefully someday soon.

I headed back into Fluttershy’s cottage with the pail of eggs in hand. When I entered the kitchen, I recognized the crackling sound of frying. Fluttershy was standing at a stove while stirring some scrambled eggs with a spatula that was being held in her mouth. I decided to not try to get her attention until she turned the stove off since having her head that close to a stove’s flame was obviously hazardous and required focus. And with Fluttershy’s mane being as long as it is, it was highly susceptible of coming in contact with the flames with one careless movement of her head.

Cooking scrambled eggs takes very little time as Fluttershy turned off the stove in only a minute or so. She picked up the pan by its handle using her mouth and turned her head sideways to spill the eggs onto a plate that rested on the kitchen table. A pair of stools sat across from each other. Understandable since ponies would likely have some trouble remaining seated on an actual chair… Wait. The first time I went to Sugarcube Corner, they had chairs at the table I sat at instead of stools… Perhaps stools are simply more popular than chairs? Or is it the other way around? I never took the time to actually count how many more chairs than stools I could find in Ponyville. But I digress.

The eggs were a puffy yellow color. Just the way I like them. Fluttershy then turned to face me and smiled as if she knew I had been standing there all along. “You got here just in time. I’ll get some of the apple treats out. Could you put the eggs in the fridge please?”

“Sure thing, honey.” I replied as I reached for the refrigerator. I also took the time to grab a bottle of ketchup for my eggs. Yes, I like ketchup on my scrambled eggs. But I do not ever go overboard with it. I also grabbed some of the applesauce Applejack had whipped up for us. “It’s gonna be a while before we clear out all this stuff…” I muttered while surveying the sheer volume of apple products piled in the refrigerator.

Fluttershy nodded and said, “I think Applejack may have gone a bit overboard. Maybe it’s because she wanted to make sure you got the warmest welcome home as possible. She does tend to go the extra mile for her friends.”

I smiled while I thought of our farm friend. “Yeah, she does put effort into helping friends. I think I’ll make her something special when I go to work today... Nah, it won't compare to whatever she cooks up. Hmm...” The two of us then sat down at the table. It was rather small for me, but I had grown accustomed to all the furniture in Ponyville being a few sizes too small.

I started by spreading a trail of ketchup over my eggs while my girlfriend watched. “You like ketchup on your eggs?” Fluttershy asked with a slightly perplexed gaze.

“Uh huh. I’ve always liked ketchup with my eggs ever since I was a kid.” I replied as I took a bite.

“I have my own taste for my eggs.” Fluttershy retorted with a smile. I noticed that there were a few rose petals on her eggs. Unlike mine, hers were sunny-side-up.

It was interesting to watch Fluttershy eat without the use of hands. She would either eat the food right off the plate, or hold the morsel on the underside of her hoof turned upright.

The two of us engaged in friendly conversation throughout the meal. I swear, our food seemed to taste even better in the process. “Come to think of it, what did you need to visit that jewelry shop for yesterday?” Fluttershy asked after taking a sip from a glass of orange juice.

“I had to have a word with Diamond Tiara. Her mom runs the store, so I thought I’d find her there. We had a heart-to-heart talk and I think it’s safe to say she’s a better person now.” I replied while pausing between bites.

“You got her to change? Really? I thought she was beyond help.” Fluttershy replied, sounding rather surprised by my explanation.

“She told me she was sorry while crying. That seemed pretty sincere to me.” I spoke while looking at the beautiful pegasus before me.

Fluttershy smiled sweetly and whispered, “If I had known that’s why you went in there, I would’ve been afraid you were gonna beat her up. But that’s not how doves think, is it?” I knew she was referring to my cutie mark, which was concealed under my shirtsleeve. The two of us chuckled in unison.

As the two of us dined on eggs and apple products together, Fluttershy asked, “I heard you met Zecora yesterday. Were you scared of her at first?”

I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. “Not at all. And I don’t know what the deal is with everyone being so suspicious of her. She a former thief?”

Fluttershy seemed somewhat embarrassed as she muttered, “It’s a…long story. Since she looks so different from the ponies of Ponyville, we were afraid of her at first.”

I found this reasoning to be somewhat insulting. “Then why in the world didn’t you ponies run me outta town when I first showed up? Zecora looks different from you, but she’s still a type of pony. I look nothing like you, yet you gave me a very warm welcome.”

My lover seemed to notice my slight irritation as she bowed her head. She seemed noticeably embarrassed. “It was her cloak she always wears. It gave her a sinister presence since she always hid her face with the hood up. And she lives in the Everfree Forest. I think you already know how unsafe it can be in there.”

I suppose she has a point. The Everfree Forest is certainly not always safe to visit or explore. What with the likes of that hydra and the denizens of Sunny Town residing there and all. Anyone who is bold enough to actually live there would probably develop quite the reputation very quickly. Since the ponies of Ponyville knew nothing about my origins while I made no attempt to hide my appearance, it is understandable that they would not suspect me of being a threat. “OK, I think I get it now. But Zecora’s a welcome guest now, right?”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile and said, “Yes. It was Apple Bloom who got us to understand.” I chuckled to myself as that name brought to mind that little farm filly. Apple Bloom always has had a bit more wisdom than most fillies her age, from what I have gathered from the few times we have interacted with each other. After all, she came to judge Mitta through her actions and not her ghastly appearance.

Before we even knew it, the time was 10 AM. “Whoa. Time flies when you’re lost in conversation.” I spoke as I looked at the clock on the wall.

“Oh, right. You have to go to Sugarcube Corner now, don't you? Tell Pinkie Pie I said hi.” Fluttershy said as she began to clear the table.

“Will do, honey. I’ll see you after work.” I replied while placing a kiss on her forehead. I then hurried out the front door and on my way into Ponyville.

The weather was clear while the temperature was rather warm. Although I knew autumn was not very far off. Ponyville was bustling with activity as always. I saw Derpy Hooves going from door to door delivering mail. I saw Spike carrying a stack of books, although I did not know what his destination was. And, like almost every morning so far, I saw Applejack hauling a cart of apples through the streets.

I do not think Applejack knew I was there since she did not react to my presence until I spoke to her after walking up alongside her. “Morning, AJ.”

The farm pony turned her head to face me and grinned upon locking eyes with me. “Howdy, James. Didn’t hear ya…come…uh…” She stared at me for a brief moment before bringing a hoof to her mouth while trying to muffle her laughter. “Pfffft… What the hay are ya wearin’?! Y’all tryin’ ta flatter me or somethin’?!”

At first, I had no idea what was causing Applejack to crack up. At least until I remembered what I was wearing. I looked down at my shirt, the coloration being the same shade of orange as Applejack’s coat. Her cutie mark was on the left side of my chest like a badge. I know that an even larger print of her cutie mark was on the back. “Rarity made this for me yesterday. She even made another five with the colors and cutie marks of herself and our other four friends.” I explained, trying to keep Applejack from bursting into laughter.

Applejack took a second to catch her breath. “Well, that’s mighty sweet of ‘er. Was I the first thing ya thought of when you put that on today?”

I nodded and said, “Yeah. It also made me think of all those apple treats you baked for me and Fluttershy. They made for some good breakfast too.”

My friend seemed pleased with my appreciation for her baking. “Glad ya liked ‘em, pardner. So, where ya off to? The spa?”

I replied while stepping to the other side of her so that she was out of my way, “That’s tomorrow. I work at Sugarcube Corner today.”

My response seemed to surprise Applejack since she seemed to be having trouble coming up with a response. “Oh… Well, that’s all fine and dandy, I reckon… I need to…uh…make a special delivery there taday too. Maybe we’ll see each other again over there?” There was something odd about Applejack’s response. She was rather nervous, I could see that much. Was she hiding something? Probably not. I know Applejack is one of the most honest friends I have ever had.

“Yeah, maybe. But I can’t stay and chat. Don’t wanna be late. I’ll see ya later, AJ.” I said as I waved goodbye before starting to head towards Sugarcube Corner without taking my eyes off her.

“Sure thing, pardner. I’ll… Hang on! I wanna see somethin’!” Applejack raised her voice before I got too far away from her. “I heard from Twilight that ya got a cutie mark. Mind if I see for myself?”

I shrugged my shoulders and approached her before getting down on one knee. “OK. It’s right here.” I then raised the sleeve on my left arm, revealing the twin dove shape on my upper arm.

Applejack’s eyes glittered in fascination. “Well, I’ll be… Never thought ya’d actually get one. And boy howdy, that shape really seems ta suit ya, James. What’s it mean? Do ya know?”

I explained as I recalled the explanation Princess Celestia and Princess Luna gave me the previous day at Twilight Sparkle’s house. “It means that its bearer is very nonviolent and prefers peace over conflict. And that he or she tries to avoid conflict whenever possible. I think it also represents shyness too.”

Upon hearing my words, Applejack chuckled lightly. “That part ‘bout bein’ shy is right on the money. Y’all were really on edge the first time we met. Good ta see yer finally settled in by now, James.” I nodded with a smirk, remembering how impossibly nervous I was when I first came to Ponyville. I do not believe I had ever been so nervous or apprehensive in my life at the time.

Applejack then asked, “Now, I know ya weren’t all for the term ‘cutie mark’ when I first met ya, but are ya feelin’ a bit more open to ‘em now?”

It was rather odd. I used to be rather disdainful towards anything that was overly cute. In fact, some parts of Equestria sounded like they were right out of a children’s television show meant for little girls. And yet, I had become strangely accepting towards these terms and places. It was as if living among these wonderful ponies had opened my mind to the deeper meanings of these unusual terms and names. Besides, it is their traditions and I really do not have any say in them.

“Yeah, I don’t mind anything with the word ‘cutie’ in it anymore. I can even say them with a straight face now.” I replied to Applejack’s question with a smile.

“Glad ta hear, James.” Applejack responded with a smile of her own. But she then nudged me with her head and said, “Right, I’ve been keepin’ ya for too long. Get over ta Sugarcube Corner! Sorry for holdin’ ya up!”

I nodded and began to hurry along. “Right, got it. See ya around!” I then hastened my pace as I headed in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. Once I turned my back though, I heard Applejack start laughing. Probably because she saw the especially large print of her cutie mark on the back of my shirt.

It did not take long for me to reach Sugarcube Corner. However, I was in for a surprise as I reached for the front door. I noticed that a sign was hanging from the door's handle. “Closed for private party?” It was only then that I remembered that Pinkie Pie had told me the previous day that I could have the day off. But as I turned to leave, I remembered that since I am an employee there, I could still get paid for my services in helping set up this private party.

I knocked on the door, hoping Pinkie Pie or Mr. and Mrs. Cake would hear it. I heard a click as the door was unlocked before it swung inward slightly. I then recognized the familiar pink coat of Pinkie Pie as my party animal friend peeked through the crack in the doorway. “Oh, good morning, James! Did you forget you have the day off?”

“Yeah. But I can still come in to help set things up for the party, right? I have some experience in that field.” I replied while preparing to push the door open further.

Pinkie Pie’s response caused me to get slightly suspicious. “Um… About that… We already have enough ponies helping out in setting things up! We don’t have that much left to do anyway, so you’d be wasting your time if you came in. Go on! Enjoy your day off!”

I crossed my arms while I studied Pinkie’s face. She seemed to be keeping that toothy grin up and was clearly showing signs of nervousness. “Are you hiding something from me?” I asked with a slight scowl.

“Me? No way! I just don’t want you to…um…have to bother helping set up a party that’s almost done already!” Pinkie Pie said with her toothy grin on full display. I could tell she was up to something. But I dismissed it as unimportant. Probably had nothing to do with me to begin with.

“OK, I get it. I’ll see what I can do around here to pass the time. See ya around, Pinkie. And stay outta trouble.” I said with a slightly amused smile as I nodded in understanding with her claims.

“Oki doki loki! If something does come up, I’ll come find you. Bye!” Pinkie exclaimed before she closed the door and locked it again.

Well… This was certainly a first for me in Ponyville. My first time since finding a job that I had received a free day. What was I supposed to do to pass the time? I stood in front of Sugarcube Corner with my arms crossed while staring at the ground. “Hm… What to do…”

The first thing that came to mind was the park. It was a great place to relax. Or I could just wander around Ponyville to see what I may have missed. Or maybe I could visit a specific place to see what was happening at the time… Wait…

An idea popped into my head as I thought about my little sister. Scootaloo. She was surely in class at the time. I had not yet seen just how schools in Equestria work, so I decided to see what was happening over at the schoolhouse. I was sure they would not mind a visitor as long as he did not interrupt the class.

I began to head towards the northwestern part of Ponyville where the schoolhouse is located. Along the way, I passed by the local jewelry store. Diamond Tiara’s mother was likely inside, tending to her customers. As I passed it though, I heard a door open and close in the shop’s direction. A moment later, I heard a man’s voice call out in a rather deep tone. “Hey! You! Hang on a second! I want to talk to you!”

I turned to face an earth pony stallion trotting over to me. It seemed that he had just emerged from the jewelry store. The color of his coat was somewhere between light brown and tan while his mane and tail were a dark gray or dark brown. Hard for me to tell, to be honest. His eyes were a faded shade of blue. His cutie mark consisted of three bags of money with an American dollar sign on them. Why did they have the symbol of a form of currency not seen in Equestria emblazoned on the sides? Best not to ask. He was also wearing a gray vest with a white collar and a red necktie with another dollar symbol on the front. I asked when he drew closer, “Um… You mean me?”

The pony nodded as he came to a stop and said, “Yes, you. I mean you’re the only human in Equestria, right?” He then bowed his head for a moment before speaking, “I just want to apologize on my daughter’s behalf for all the trouble she’s given you lately. I knew she has some social problems, but I never expected things to get so out of hoof.”

It was clear to me that the stallion before me was Diamond Tiara’s father. His friendly and sincere demeanor was a stark contrast to the former bully’s ego. Of course, as the two of us had come to an understanding the previous day, I merely smiled at him. “Thanks, but she’s a better person now. We had a little talk yesterday and I think she took it well.”

The noticeably rich pony smiled in what seemed to be relief. “Well, I’m glad you managed to talk some sense into her. But before I forget my manners any longer, allow me to introduce myself. The name’s Filthy Rich, head of ‘Rich’s Barnyard Bargains’. I’m sure you’ve already met my wife, Ruby Ring.”

I nodded and replied, “I have. You wife is a very sweet lady. And it’s a pleasure, Filthy.”

Filthy Rich chuckled for a second before retorting, “Please, I would appreciate it if you just call me ‘Rich’ if that's all right.”

I stared at him in silence for a moment. “Rich… Rich?! That’s my dad’s name!” And no. I am not joking. To top it off, the way he styles his mane strangely reminds me of my father’s hairstyle.

Filthy… Or should I say Rich? Regardless, he laughed, “Is that so?! Well, just don’t go around calling me your father.” I was really starting to like this guy. He certainly seems like a good man.

“Not to cut our conversation short, but I was heading somewhere when you popped up. May we chat another time?” I asked while wanting to hurry on over to the schoolhouse to see my younger friends.

“Oh, absolutely. Don’t let me stop you… Oh, before you go, I didn’t get your name.” Filthy Rich replied before reaching out to me as I was about to step away.

I turned to face him and said, “It’s James. And say tell your wife I said hi.”

“I certainly will. And if Diamond Tiara gives you trouble again, let me know. I won’t stand for my daughter to bring shame to the Rich family.” Filthy Rich spoke as he saw me off.

“Will do. See ya.” I then waved goodbye as I headed on my way.

I ran into no other interruptions on my way to the local schoolhouse. Once it came into view, I found that the playground next to it was empty. This did not surprise me, as it was not even noon yet. I was about to go to the front door when I noticed that one of the windows at the side of the schoolhouse was open. Probably due to just how nice it was outside. Rather than interrupt class, I decided to watch what was going on from the window.

The window was rather low with the windowsill reaching just above my knees. I got down on one knee as I looked through the window. A low bookcase was in the way, allowing me to rest my elbow on it. It seemed that the rows of desks had been rearranged since my last visit. Each row was four desks long and four desks wide. And seated at the front of the row closest to me was my own little sister, Scootaloo.

I watched as Cheerilee spoke from her desk, “All right, class. You have fifteen minutes to complete your math assignments.” She then directed her gaze at some papers on her desk.

My eyes scanned the rest of the students. In the row to Scootaloo’s left was, in order, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, and Diamond Tiara. Seated directly behind Scootaloo was Sweetie Belle. The classroom had become very quiet as the fillies and colts looked over their test papers. I was curious of how ponies would write without the use of hands. I know that unicorns use magic to levitate pens and pencils to write, but how do earth ponies and pegasi get the job done?

I did not wait long for an answer. The students would take a pencil in their mouths and would write down the answers on their tests with skillful movements of their jaws. But while the other students seemed to be working on their assignments at a reasonable pace, with the sound of pencils scribbling being pretty much the only sound I was hearing at the time, Scootaloo was taking her time. She seemed more bored than stumped though. I am sure she would much rather be outside running around on the playground.

Scootaloo let out a yawn before looking around, clearly a sign of boredom. But when she looked in my direction, her listless expression suddenly changed to surprise before changing again to a display of joy as she grinned brightly and waved at me. I returned the favor with a smile. Sweetie Belle seemed to notice Scootaloo looking towards the window and also turned to look in my direction. Upon seeing me, she too smiled and waved. However, the two fillies’ distraction from their assignments did not go unnoticed as Cheerilee promptly spoke up, “Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle. Is something taking your attention away from the test?”

The other students looked over at the unicorn and pegasus fillies as Cheerilee watched. Scootaloo smiled nervously and said, “Sorry, Miss Cheerilee. It’s just that…” She then pointed towards me. When everypony looked in my direction, I sheepishly waved with a smile.

Cheerilee smiled while she stood up from her desk and approached the window. “Well, hello there! What brings you over here today, Mr. James?”

I shrugged and replied, “I was told I wasn’t needed at work today, so I tried to find a way to pass the time. And so I came over here to see what’s up with my little friends.” I could see Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom chuckling under their breathes as they clearly knew I was referring to them.

“Well, we always welcome guests. But since we’re in the middle of a test, could I ask you to avoid interrupting the class until after all of the students have turned in their assignments?” Cheerilee replied while starting to back up towards her desk.

“Sure thing. I’ll keep quiet until then.” I said with a nod.

As Cheerilee returned to her desk, she looked back at me and smiled. “You can come inside, if you want. The door’s unlocked.”

“OK. I’ll be right there.” I then left the window and entered the schoolhouse through the front door. Once I was in the classroom, my eyes scanned the students. Apple Bloom waved at me for a brief moment before she went back to looking at her assignment. Much to my surprise, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked in my direction with smiles as well. It seemed that my talk with Diamond Tiara had paid off as it seemed that she had even spoken to her friend about their mistakes. I felt rather proud of the two fillies at that moment, though I was especially pleased with Diamond Tiara. “May I take a seat wherever I wish?” I asked while glancing at Cheerilee.

The teacher looked up at me and nodded. “You may be seated anywhere as long as you don’t distract my students.”

I decided to take a seat right next to Scootaloo. There was no chair, so I merely sat down on the floor. Scootaloo could not help grinning at me before going back to work. I know she adores me, so I was naturally worried my presence would distract her.

Scootaloo would only glance at me on occasion, probably because she knew that she might get scolded for not focusing on her assignment. I looked down at the sheet of paper. It was covered in simple math problems dealing in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. She seemed to not have any issues with the addition and subtraction problems, but the multiplication and division problems seemed to be giving her trouble since they were all still blank. Once she had finished with all the addition and subtraction problems, Scootaloo looked down at the paper while holding her head up with one hoof as her pencil hung from her mouth.

I looked at one of the multiplication problems. 9 X 9. Simple enough. If she was having problems with this basic problem, then math is probably not one of Scootaloo’s strong points in school. I can relate since the more complex forms of math, such as algebra and especially calculus, gave me headaches in high school. But this simple problem was child’s play. Or since I am in Equestria now, foal’s play. “Hey, Scoot. Having trouble?” I whispered as quietly as possible to avoid disrupting the class.

The little pegasus filly looked at me and nodded. “Yeah, I just can’t get the hang of this stuff.” She too was whispering in a very quiet tone.

“9 X 9, right? What does 9 X 10 make?” I asked, hoping to give her a push in the right direction.

Scootaloo replied promptly, “All you do is put a zero after the number with those.”

I nodded and then said, “Now take away 9 from 90.”

I smirked as I saw my little sister’s purple eyes open wide. “That makes…81! Wow, that IS easy. Thanks, James!” As Scootaloo jotted down the answer, I glanced over at the teacher’s desk and froze as I saw Cheerilee eyeing us. I expected her to be unhappy, but she instead smiled warmly. Perhaps she could tell I was merely giving Scootaloo pointers instead of outright giving her the answers.

The next question was a division problem. “These are even worse…” Scootaloo muttered as she eyed it.

I glanced at the numbers. 10 divided by 10. “Worse? These are easy. If the number is divided by itself, it always rounds down to the same number regardless of what it is.” I then whispered, “I’ll give you a hint. It’s the second lowest number.”

Scootaloo pondered my words for a moment before replying, “2? Is that the second lowest?” When I shook my head, she brought a hoof to her chin. “Then…if 1 isn’t the lowest…” Her face brightened up suddenly as she glanced up at me. “Oh, yeah! 0 is the lowest number! That makes 1 the second lowest!” She then jotted down the answer.

For the next fifteen minutes or so, I watched as Scootaloo began to solve the problems on her own while I provided advice when needed. Once time was up, Cheerilee spoke out. “Times up, class. Pencils down.” I heard the sound of pencils being set down on the wooden desks. Cheerilee then asked, “Mr. James, could you please gather up the tests and bring them over to me?”

I glanced at her and replied, “Me? OK.” I then stood up and started by collecting Scootaloo’s sheet of paper. I then went down the row and collected Sweetie Belle’s. The last desk I went to was Diamond Tiara’s.

As I picked up her assignment, I noticed Diamond Tiara smile at me. She then whispered, “Thank you.” I suspect she may have been referring to when I returned her cutie mark the previous day.

Cheerilee smiled as I set the papers on her desk. “Thank you, Mr. James. Would you like to stay for story time? We have it just before lunchtime.”

Before I could even think about my response, Scootaloo spoke up. “Ooh, I know! You can tell us about what happened when you were in the Everfree Forest! It was really weird in there, right?!”

Cheerilee let out a chuckle. “Now, Scootaloo, I know you and James are very good friends. But you shouldn’t force him to take part in class activities.”

My time in the Everfree Forest? That was certainly full of unusual events. And some in particular would make for good storytelling. “Actually, Miss Cheerilee? I wouldn’t mind sharing my experience out there. Although some of what happened out there might not be suitable for minors.”

Those words seemed to excite Scootaloo as she grinned broadly. “Oh, sweet! Was there a lot of action out there?! Maybe a hydra going up against an Ursa?! C’mon, big brother! Tell us!”

I shrugged while finding some amusement in her enthusiasm. “OK, I’ll talk. But I’ll try to keep it tasteful.” I leaned against the wall right next to the blackboard so I was facing the class. “You can all come closer if you want.” I spoke while gazing at the students. One by one, each of the fillies and colts left their desks and took a seat before me with the Cutie Mark Crusaders being at the very front of the pack. Even Cheerilee seemed to be giving me her undivided attention.

I felt slightly nervous as I was not comfortable talking in front of a crowd, even if the crowd is made up only of children. But some of my closest friends, and my own little sister, were with them. I regained some of my confidence as I began to speak. “Three nights ago, I headed into the Everfree Forest. There’s no need to tell you why I had to go there, so I’ll skip to the good parts.” Each of the children were watching me with wide eyes, though Diamond Tiara seemed to be rather ashamed of being reminded that it was because of her actions that I had to go there in the first place.

“Firstly, I happened to come in contact with some flowers that I would later come to know as Poison Joke.” I continued while watching the kids.

At the mention of Poison Joke, Apple Bloom spoke up. “Poison Joke?! Uh oh… What’d it do to ya?” She clearly seemed to know what its effects are, as if she had seen the results firsthand.

I sighed as I shook my head. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I explained it to you. But it did make for a very rude awakening the next morning.”

I continued to describe my first day in the Everfree Forest as my audience watched intently. “The first really big event in my first day in the Everfree Forest was when I ended up in Froggy Bottom Bog. As it turns out, a hydra lives there. And trust me, those things are huge. But I was in luck since my good friend Rainbow Dash was there to keep it busy. If she hadn’t been there when it showed up, I probably wouldn’t have gotten very far.”

At the mention of my brash pegasus friend, Scootaloo jumped up with an excited grin shown upon her face. “Awesome! That’s Rainbow Dash for you! She’s always there to help her friends! Did she knock that hydra for a loop?” I had forgotten for a moment that Scootaloo really looks up to Rainbow Dash.

“I did see her give that thing a few good kicks to the faces, but I didn’t stick around long enough to really see the kind of damage she could pull off. But man, am I glad she showed up when she did.” I replied with an uneven smile.

I then continued, “A little while after that, I came across a pair of turtle doves huddling in the tree.”

Sweetie Belle then asked while looking noticeably puzzled, “How is that something unusual?”

I smirked as I reached for my shirt sleeve. “Because if I hadn’t seen them, I don’t think I ever would’ve gotten this.” I then rolled up my sleeve, displaying my cutie mark for all to see. I heard most of the children ooh at the sight of it.

“A cutie mark? You really got one, Mr. James?” Cheerilee asked with a look of interest. When I nodded, she smiled and said, “It’s very beautiful. And it suits you well.”

I then went on, “The next odd event to happen to me occurred when it was getting dark. I was looking for a safe place to stay and I stumbled across a little gray filly with a yellow and orange mane and tail. She didn’t see me, but I followed her since she probably lived nearby.” At those words, I noticed Apple Bloom tense up with an expression of either dread or anticipation on her face. Since she knew full well of whom I was referring to, I could tell she was not looking forward to what I was going to say next.

“I lost sight of her a minute later, but I ended up finding a humble little village in the Everfree Forest. The ponies there didn’t have any cutie marks, even though they were all adults. But I didn’t think too hard on it. They were friendly enough and welcomed me into their home. From what they told me, they call the place Sunny Town.” I explained while watching the expressions of my audience gradually change.

Before I went on, I noticed Cheerilee looking through a textbook. “Miss Cheerilee?” I asked, wondering what she was up to.

The teacher looked over at me and asked, “Mr. James, is this a true story? There doesn’t seem to be anyplace called Sunny Town in Equestria. And there certainly isn’t a town INSIDE the Everfree Forest.”

It was hardly surprising to here her say that. I crossed my arms as I replied, “There’s a good reason why that town isn’t on the map, but I’ll be getting to that bit in a minute. And yes, it’s a true story. I wouldn’t lie about what happened to me out there.” Cheerilee seemed to take my word for granted as she closed her textbook and continued to watch me.

“As I was saying, the ponies who lived there had no cutie marks. But they were friendly and hospitable.” I explained while Apple Bloom kept giving me a most uneasy look. “However, there was one pony who didn’t seem very happy. She had a gray coat and crimson hair. When she saw me, she warned me to leave town right away.” I noticed Apple Bloom’s expression brighten as if to say ‘thank goodness’.

Silver Spoon then raised her hoof and asked, “Why did she tell you to leave Sunny Town when all the ponies there were happy to have you there?”

I smirked slightly at her curiosity and said, “I’m very glad you asked that, Silver Spoon. For you see, the happy and cozy Sunny Town…is not what it seems. During the day, it looks like a humble little hamlet with happy ponies living there. But at night…” I then frowned sternly and spoke, “The town’s true form is revealed. During the night, Sunny Town is a deathtrap.”

Every last pony in the classroom looked at me with a shocked expression. Sweetie Belle asked rather loudly, “Deathtrap? Why?!”

I explained sternly, “Sunny Town is a cursed town that has been that way for...possibly centuries. It’s just a bunch of crumbling ruins. And the ponies…” I almost felt my skin crawl as I remembered those…horrifying glowing red eyes… “They’re all dead. Zombies. I know it’s hard to believe, but every last one of those ponies become zombies at night. With glowing red soul-piercing eyes. You really don’t wanna see that in the dark.”

Everyone, including Cheerilee, were displaying expressions of shock at my claims. And why not? There was really a village full of zombie ponies out there in the Everfree Forest. If I was back on Earth and I learned that there was really a city of zombies somewhere in the world, I would most certainly be shocked too, if not somewhat skeptical at first.

“If she hadn’t led me outta there… I probably wouldn’t be here right now…” I spoke softly, remembering Mitta’s act of kindness. “The pony who led me out of Sunny Town… She told me her name is Mitta. And she’s the only good soul in the whole place.”

Diamond Tiara then asked, “Is she a zombie too?”

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah… She’s affected by the same curse as the others. But her body… How do I put this… She isn’t as…decayed as the others. Her body is still whole when the curse is working. She has the same eyes, but at least she is still in one piece…” I then sighed while turning my gaze towards the nearest window. “I promised myself I would come back for her if I ever found a way to lift the curse… She’s my only friend in Sunny Town.” I heard the children aww at my display of the bond I had developed with Mitta before we parted.

Sweetie Belle then asked, “So, you got out of Sunny Town before the zombies could get you?”

I shook my head. “Well, I did get outta there in time. But that’s when things got scary.” I could see Apple Bloom’s eyes open wide. The zombified ponies surely must have pursued her as well when she tried to leave. I then explained, “The few ponies I saw in town didn’t come after me, but a whole swarm of them just crawled out of the ground and started chasing me. They were almost nothing but bones, but they still had those glowing red eyes and were constantly moaning for me to not flee from them. Scariest thing I’ve ever seen since coming to Ponyville. My saving grace was that they were so slow. I easily outran them.”

The students were fixated on me as I recounted my encounter with the undead denizens of the Everfree Forest. Even Cheerilee was listening while constantly watching me. However, Diamond Tiara was bowing her head as if in shame while her ears were drooping. I can understand why. It was because of her actions that I went to the Everfree Forest in the first place. Which meant that it was her fault that I almost ended up as zombie fodder. I did not hold anything against her though. After all, I gained a few friends from the experience. And it was definitely an experience worth writing home about, if nothing else.

“In any case, I stumbled across the same filly who had led my to Sunny Town in the first place. She said her name is Ruby.” I saw Apple Bloom smile at my words, surely remembering her time with the little ghost filly. “She helped me out by leading me to probably the only safe place in the Everfree Forest.”

Scootaloo then asked, “And what’s the safest place out there?”

I replied with a smile, “The ancient castle ruins of the royal sisters. Ruby told me those zombie ponies think the place is haunted, so I didn’t have to worry about them following me there. In any case, the moon was out and the night had started. So I headed into the ruins to make sure I had a roof over my head for the night.” I then smirked while feeling myself getting giddy at the thought of surprising them with what I was about to say. “What happened next was probably the most memorable part of that day for me. When I entered the old throne room, I saw her. Or what was left of her, at least.”

Silver Spoon was the first to speak up. “Her? Who was it?”

“You probably won’t believe me, but...” I replied, doubting that anyone would believe what I was about to say. “The Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon.”

There was an audible gasp as every last pony in the room became frightened. I chuckled for a moment before speaking, “Oh, cut that out. If she was really the monster you all think she is, do you think I would be standing here now?”

My words seemed to reassure my audience as they calmed down slightly. Apple Bloom then asked, “But what happened next? Did she try ta gobble ya up?”

I rolled my eyes, wondering what kind of rumors might have been stirred up that caused them to believe Nightmare Moon was carnivorous. “Lord, no… She was…very gentle towards me. And I felt honored to be in her presence.”

I was not expecting Cheerilee to speak up next. “But why were you so honored to be in her presence? She was always a threat to Equestria.”

I glanced over at Cheerilee and smiled. “She made the night. And I prefer the night to the day. And I know she thought that no one had ever been grateful for the night. So I thanked her myself for making it so we can sleep at the end of the day.” I then sighed while reflexively glancing up. “I heard her voice. She told me that I was the very first person to ever thank her for her work… When I slept there, I could feel Nightmare Moon watching over me. She protected me while I was asleep.”

I was actually rather impressed by how well the students and even the teacher were handling this information. Rather than freak out, they seemed to be thinking deeply. As if rethinking their opinions about the dreaded Mare in the Moon. Apple Bloom was the first to break the silence. “Yer right! The night is purty nice! An’ it’s all thanks ta Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna that we have it!”

Sweetie Belle nodded and said, “It always feels nice and quiet when I go out for dinner with my mom and dad when it’s dark out. It makes going home a lot more relaxing.” All of the children began speaking in unison, pretty much drowning each other out like one big conversation.

“Now, class. Let’s be quiet to allow Mr. James to finish telling his story.” Cheerilee spoke up to get their attention. All of the kids stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes towards me.

I decided to leave out the part where I was turned into an earth pony courtesy of Poison Joke. I mean, really. Would anyone believe me if I told them I was turned into a pony? Probably not. “I met Zecora the next morning. She took me to her home for a little while for shelter. And right after that…” I then smiled at the three Cutie Mark Crusaders. “You girls found me.”

All of the students looked at my three friends. The three of them grinned, blushed, or rubbed their heads in response to the attention. “Thanks for coming to me, girls. I was really happy to see you.”

Scootaloo responded first by running over to me and leaping into my arms. “We missed you too, big brother. And it’s awesome to have you back home.” The two of us cuddled as the rest of the children applauded in unison.

Cheerilee then smiled as she got up from her chair. “That was a very descriptive story, Mr. James. And you said it's all a true story?”

I nodded as I set Scootaloo down. “Every word of it. Even the part about Nightmare Moon. But don’t worry about her. She’s not a threat to anyone anymore.”

The teacher smiled slightly awkwardly. “I certainly hope so. But now that story time is over, it’s time for lunch. Would you like to stick around a little longer?”

I nodded and said, “Sure. I’ll go grab some lunch for myself in a while.”

Cheerilee then looked at her students and said, “All right, class. Grab your lunches and gather out in the playground. Just be sure to come back in when the bell rings.” I watched as each of the foals went over to their individual saddlebags, which were lined up in rows on a table, and took them outside through the door that led out into the lobby. With nothing else to do, I followed them outdoors.

I watched as the foals spread out on the playground. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, as expected, grouped themselves together as they took out their lunches. But I was surprised to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon join them. They showed no signs of hostility and even seemed to greet the three fillies. I smiled to myself, glad to see that the two school bullies had turned over a new leaf.

I approached the five fillies and took a seat by them as they munched on their meals, which mostly consisted of fruits. Apple Bloom looked up at me and smiled while she waved at me. “Howdy, James! Wanna bite?” She held up her half-eaten apple to me. It was a red delicious apple, a kind of apple I am not particularly fond of.

“No thanks, Apple Bloom. I’ll grab a bite in town once recess ends. But thanks for the offer.” I replied while holding up my palm to signal that I did not want it. I then looked over at Diamond Tiara and asked, “So... You learned your lesson?”

The former bully nodded as she paused from eating her lunch. “Yeah, I’m done being mean… I know what it’s like to have a blank flank. It’s not fun.”

Silver Spoon then solemnly asked, “Can you forgive us?” She seemed to be displaying genuine regret. It was almost as if she was unhappy with her actions despite me having never confronted her about it.

“I think you should be asking your real victims.” I replied as I turned my gaze to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Well, girls? Do you forgive them?”

The three of them began to quietly discuss among themselves. It did not take long for them to come to a decision with Scootaloo being the first to speak. “If you’re really sorry about it, then sure!”

Sweetie Belle then added, “As long as you don’t ever do it again, I’m OK with you being friends with us.”

Apple Bloom, who I suspected had been tormented the longest by the duo, nodded with a smile. “I guess y’all can hang with us now. But no more ‘blank flank’ tomfoolery. Or else, James will be comin’ after ya again. Right, James?”

I smirked while glancing at the two former bullies out of the corner of my eye. “You know it. Better behave, you two.” The two fillies grinned quite nervously in response. They seemed to have learned a lot in the past week.

I listened to the fillies converse while eating lunch. The overall length of the lunch period was rather short as the school’s bell rang after no more than twenty minutes. I watched while the other students gathered up their saddlebags and began to head back into the schoolhouse. However, the five fillies who were with me stayed a moment longer. “Are you leaving now, James?” Sweetie Belle asked as she put her saddlebags back on.

“Yeah, I’m getting pretty hungry by now. So I’ll go grab a bite at the café or something.” I replied while I started to get up. But before I could climb to my feet, three of the five fillies suddenly caught me in a group hug. The only ones who did not take part was Silver Spoon, who seemed rather surprised as she watched, and Scootaloo, who opened her mouth and seemed to point her hoof into it as a sign of disgust. I knew it was just an act though since she does not mind hugging me in front of her closest friends. She was probably just trying to keep the ‘tough girl’ image up around those who might try to spread the word. Namely Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Diamond Tiara nuzzled my chest as she held onto me. “Thanks again, James… It feels good to have friends for reasons that don’t have anything to do with being mean.”

I stroked her mane as I smiled slightly. “I’m glad I was able to help you change for the better. Just don’t ever go back to being that mean little witch, all right? I’ll have to take your cutie mark away again if you do.” She seemed to not have any intention of reverting to her old ways, as she showed no signs of being intimidated.

Sweetie Belle then winked at me as spoke, “Don’t worry about her or Silver Spoon. We’ll keep them on the right track.”

Apple Bloom then looked up at me and asked, “You wanna come by the clubhouse today? We’ve got lots of stuff ta talk about.”

It was then that I remembered that I had not been able to attend the meeting we had planned on the day I left Ponyville and headed into the Everfree Forest. “Sounds like a plan, girls. Right after school?”

The farm filly nodded and said, “Yup! But we better get back ta class. We’ll talk later!” I watched as the fillies gathered up their saddlebags and ran back inside. However, Scootaloo remained outside with me.

“Aren’t you going back in too? You’re gonna be late.” I spoke while looking down at Scootaloo.

“I am. But I just wanna do something first.” She walked over to the front door of the schoolhouse, which was then shut, while I followed close behind. “I didn’t want anypony seeing us.”

“Yeah, I know you have a bit of a tomboy reputation.” I replied as I recalled how she acted disgusted when her three friends embraced me. It was just a charade to make her still look tough in front of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “Since we’re alone now…” I said with a smirk as I got down on one knee.

Scootaloo grinned as she lifted her arms. “You got it.” She then leapt into my arms and nuzzled her head against my chest.

I held my little sister against my chest while stroking her mane. I then whispered, “You know, you can still be affectionate to your friends and still be tough.”

Scootaloo replied quietly, “I know… It’s just… Well, you’re the only guy I don’t mind getting cuddly with. You’re family, after all.”

I felt a warm fuzzy feeling when she said that word. Family. “Scoot, I’m not even the same species as you. I don’t think I qualify as a family member to you...”

She surprised me with her response while she looked up at me with her big purple eyes. “In that case, adopt me!”

I was amazed by Scootaloo’s devotion to me. Adopt her? I am certainly old enough to do so, but she already has a family. Regardless, I was rather touched by her desire to truly be my sister. Having a little sister… It does feel nice. “OK, Scootaloo. I hereby adopt you as my own little sister.”

I felt the pegasus filly shiver in my grasp with what I think was excitement. I could hear her snicker as she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. “Awesome! Now I really do have the best big brother I never had!” However, her tone then became more somber as she spoke softly, “Just please don’t go away again, James…”

Those words brought to mind the unpleasant memories of when I had to temporarily leave Ponyville only a few days ago. I had certainly gained something out of the experience, but it was still not a good feeling knowing I had worried my loved ones so. “That’s a promise, Scoot. I’ll never leave again.”

The two of us continued to cuddle together for a moment longer before I noticed the door in front of me open a crack. I saw Sweetie Belle poke her head out before she called out, “Come on, Scoot! You’ll be late for class!”

The pegasus filly looked over her shoulder and nodded at her friend. “I’ll be there in a sec!” Sweetie Belle winked at us before ducking back inside as if saying that the extant of our relationship was safe with her.

I patted Scootaloo on the head before setting her down. “See you at the clubhouse in a few hours?”

Scootaloo nodded, but then said, “Yeah, but I’m gonna take a scooter ride through the park first since it takes longer for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to get there on foot. You wanna come watch?”

I remembered the last time I had seen her perform stunts at the park. A successful kick flip on a scooter should not even be possible, yet she made it look easy. I was curious of what other tricks she had up her sleeve. “You bet. Three hours sound right?”

“Yup! See ya there, James!” Scootaloo replied before going back into the schoolhouse in a hurry. Now that the students’ lunch period was over, it was time for me to get something to eat for myself.

My trip to the local café was rather uneventful. When I arrived, I found nearly all of the outdoor tables to be empty. Only one or two were in use with none of the ponies who were seated at them looking familiar to me. I took a seat at the nearest table and opened a menu. But after less than a minute, I heard the sound of hooves clopping as someone approached me from my left. I was expecting it to be Twilight Sparkle or maybe Rainbow Dash. But I got a surprise when I heard a voice I did not recognize. “Excuse me, but may I have this seat?”

I turned to face the owner of the voice and found Lyra standing to my left. I know I have mentioned her before in an earlier entry, but I have never described her appearance. She is a unicorn with a coat being mint green and her eyes are a yellowish shade of orange. Her mane and tail are a...um...a pale light grayish cyan with white highlights while her cutie mark depicts a lyre. I then asked, “Um… You’re Lyra, right?”

The unicorn mare smiled and nodded. “Actually, my full name is Lyra Heartstrings. But just Lyra is fine. In any case, may I join you?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Sure. I don’t mind company.” I watched as Lyra…I mean Lyra Heartstrings took a seat at the opposite end of the table. Is mentioning her full name really necessary though?

At first, Lyra did not say anything. But every time I glanced over the top of my menu, she was gazing at me with what seemed to be an expression of fascination. She had her head resting upon her upturned hoof in the same manner a human would hold up his or her head while seated. I eventually asked, “Um… Is there something on my face?”

Lyra giggled briefly before she replied, “No, it’s not that. It’s just that… Well, I’m amazed that humans really exist. I always wanted to meet one.”

Her unusual fascination with my species caught me by surprise. “You knew about humans before I showed up?” I asked, hoping to get a little more information out of her.

“Uh huh. I read about humans in books regarding legends and myths. I was always fascinated with the stories about them and wondered what they might be like since they were described as being absolutely nothing like ponies. And they were right. You humans look nothing like us.” She explained while never once breaking eye contact with me.

Before we could converse further, the waiter came to our table. “Have you made your decision?” He asked with his strong accent.

Lyra spoke first. “I’ll have a deluxe salad please.”

“I’ll have a house salad with French dressing and an order of spaghetti and meatballs please.” I spoke before the waiter took our menus and headed back into the café. Now that I think about it... How is there French dressing sold in stores while Rarity sometimes weaves French haute couture designs despite France being a nation from my world? Probably a mystery I will never solve.

“That reminds me. I never got your name.” Lyra mentioned as her eyes fell upon me again.

“It’s James.” I replied while still finding her fascination with me to be rather awkward, if not flattering.

Lyra then smiled and said, “OK, James. I heard you’re not even from this world. Could you tell me what it’s like where you come from? And what are humans like where you’re from? They just as friendly as us ponies?”

I paused for a moment, thinking over my answer. I did not want to lie to her, but my answer would not be pleasant. “You’ll probably hate me if I tell you.”

Heartstrings was clearly not expecting that response. “Hate you? What makes you say that? You’re a nice guy, from what I can see. You can tell me the truth.”

I sighed, feeling somewhat reluctant to speak. In hindsight, I may have been overly harsh with my bluntness. “OK, but you’ll regret it. The world I come from… Well, it’s not all bad. There’s a good deal of nice things about it. But even so… Compared to this world and all its beauty and hospitality…” I paused for a moment before speaking, “When you compare the whole of my world to this one... The place is a nightmare.”

My dining partner stared at me with a blank expression for a moment. “A…nightmare…? Is it really that bad?”

It was hardly surprising to see her not fully comprehending my words. I then explained, “Don’t go thinking my world is unpleasant because it just is. It's not nearly that simple. The cause of all the evils in my world stems from human sin. Pollution, animal extinctions, war, murder, prejudice, greed, terrorism, genocide. Not a day goes by without a horrible act being committed by at least a few hundred humans. Probably even more. There are good people in the world, but there just aren't anywhere near enough... And there never will be. At the rate things are going, humanity will just end up destroying itself. Good riddance, if you ask me.”

I was being completely honest, if not a little blunt, in my use of words. My world may certainly not be without its good parts, but Equestria is a perfect paradise when compared to it. I suppose actually seeing a place like Equestria only made me even more disillusioned with the state of my own home, thus adding to my bitterness towards it. I said nothing else as I waited for Lyra to offer a reply. However, I soon noticed that she seemed to be tearing up. “Are you being serious? There are that many humans who are…really that horrible?” All I could do was nod. To my surprise, Lyra got up from her seat, walked over to me, and held me in a tearful embrace. “Thank the sun and moon you were able to escape from that world…”

“You…don’t think I’m a monster? Even though I’m a human too?” I asked while wondering why she had not become even slightly wary of me.

Lyra looked at me with teary eyes. “Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve been living with us like any other pony I know. You’re nothing like those awful humans from your world you were talking about. You have a good heart.” She then smiled and said, “I’m glad the first human I ever met was you. You warned me about the others, so I know to be careful around other humans. If I ever meet them, that is.”

I placed my hand on Lyra's back to help comfort her. “I’m sorry if what I said disturbed you. I just don’t like keeping others in the dark about my world. You'd be amazed by how many people downplay the worst things about it.”

What Lyra said next actually touched me. “I hope you never have to go back… You’re too nice to deserve to live there.”

I wholeheartedly agreed with her on that. Life without my friends in Equestria is a nightmarish thought. By now, I truly do not wish to leave them. “I hope so too… And thanks for hearing me out, Lyra Heartstrings…”

The unicorn smiled at me and said, “You can just call me Lyra, if you want. My friends prefer calling me that because they feel Lyra Heartstrings is just too much of a mouthful. And it sounds similar to what my cutie mark is.”

I nodded in understanding. “OK, Lyra. Is there anything else you want to ask me right now?”

“Um… I think that’s all for now. That last bit of info was a lot to take in.” She replied with a somewhat uneasy expression.

“I just hope I didn’t make you lose your appetite. Because here our orders come now.” I spoke while pointing towards the café. The waiter was carrying our food out to us on a tray that rested atop his head.

Once the waiter left us with our orders, I asked, “So, Lyra… You and Bon Bon have anything happening?”

Lyra Heartstrings… All right, I will always refer to her as just Lyra from now on since it takes up less space on my paper and consumes less ink. In any case, she replied, “Oh, Bon Bon and I have been good friends for a long time. We're even housemates. And speaking of friends, I’ve seen you and Fluttershy together pretty often.”

I shyly smiled while averting my gaze. “Yeah… We’ve been sweethearts for a few days now.”

Lyra smiled brightly at my words. “Really?! Wow, I never knew humans were so open towards other species!”

I frowned and rolled my eyes. “Actually, most aren’t. Where I come from, humans are the only truly sentient beings on the planet. But there are some like me who ‘think outside the box’, so to say. I even take some pride in that.”

My words seemed to elate Lyra as she grinned and said, “There are others like you? Nice! Maybe they’ll find a way to come to Equestria someday!”

I got a chuckle out of her enthusiasm before I replied, “Not likely. I don’t even know how I got here yet.”

The two of us conversed casually while dining on our meals. Like most unicorns, Lyra used magic to levitate her fork to eat her salad. Once we finished, the two of us left a handful of bits on the table as payment. While we stepped away from the café, Lyra looked up at me and spoke, “It was good talking to you, James. You think we could chat again sometime? I’ll have more questions about humans by then.”

I nodded with a slight smile on my face. “Sure thing, Lyra. Check around here for me at noon. I think this will be my usual lunch spot. Oh, and dessert will be on me next time, if you want.”

“Aww, you’re sweet. But I better go see Bon Bon. We had plans today and I don’t wanna be late. See you around!” Lyra replied with a smile before galloping down the road away from me.

I was on the verge of going back to Sugarcube Corner before I remembered that I was given the day off. Force of habit. With nothing else to do, I decided to go back home and spend time with Fluttershy. But I had barely reached the meadow that separated her cottage from Ponyville when… Well, in all honesty, I have no idea what hit me. All I remember was something bashing me right on top of the head with a loud crack followed by my senses fading fast, the feel of me falling flat on my back while my eyes rolled around in my head, and the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice repeatedly shouting ‘oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh’ over and over again.

I am not entirely certain how long I was out. When I finally came to, I found Rainbow Dash standing over me with an extremely worried and even mildly panicked expression on her face. Fluttershy was by my side while holding my head in her arms. Or rather forelegs. Unsure of what happened, I then asked, “Um… How long was I out?”

Rainbow Dash spoke first with a loud sigh of relief. “Oh man, I thought your skull was split open! Are you OK? Everything in your head where it should be?”

Speaking of my head, I could feel an ice pack against it. I could also feel an acute soreness under it. “OK… Did someone hit me over the head with a 2x4 or something?”

Fluttershy replied with a bit of a nervous grin, “Um…no. A tortoise fell on you.”

…..What? I looked around and found a green tortoise looking at me with a relatively unhappy gaze. I winced as I asked, “Are you saying…..this guy fell outta the sky and hit me on my noggin at terminal velocity?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously while she rubbed the back of her head. “Uh… It wasn’t THAT long of a drop. I’m just glad he was that low to the ground when his propeller’s motor went dead.” Next to the tortoise was a small pair of goggles and…a type of propeller-powered flight apparatus that was most likely meant to be secured around his shell.

“I can’t believe that didn’t give me a concussion. Although that’s the first time I’ve ever been knocked out cold before.” I replied while my hand gently rubbed the top of my head. I doubt it could be seen under my thick hair, but I could feel an obvious lump on my scalp.

I watched as Rainbow Dash motioned for the tortoise to approach me. “Come on, Tank. James was nice enough to let you use his head to break your fall. C’mon and say thanks.”

The tortoise, who I assume is named ‘Tank’, very slowly approached me with what I think was the slowest gait I have ever seen. Even for a tortoise. I think it took at least half a minute for him to come up next to me. I looked down at him without saying a word, his eyes slowly blinking once. I could not fathom what prompted Rainbow Dash, who is someone obsessed with speed and agility, to choose a sluggish tortoise to be her pet. There must have been a deeper connection between them than I initially suspected.

I shrugged my shoulders while caressing the tortoise’s neck. “I guess it’s OK. I’m just glad I haven’t shaved my head in a while.”

Rainbow Dash grinned while still looking rather apologetic. “Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe I should get a parachute installed for him in case that happens again.” Tank also smiled at me, albeit taking about four seconds for his frown to become a smile.

Fluttershy then spoke to me from behind my head. “I applied some ointment that should help the swelling go down faster. Just be careful not to bump your head on anything for a while. It’ll sting if you do.”

I nodded to show I understood Fluttershy’s orders, but my eyes then settled on Tank. From what I had seen, most of my friends had their own unique pets. “Do all of you have pets?” I asked, curious if my assumption was true since I had not seen Applejack with one.

Fluttershy nodded beside me and said, “Yes, we all have pets. I think the only one you haven’t met yet is Winona. She’s Applejack’s herding dog.”

A dog, a cat, a tortoise, a rabbit, an owl, and an alligator. All six of my friends had their own pets. Without really thinking it over much, I then asked, “You think I should get a pet too?”

For some reason, Fluttershy suddenly perked up with excitement as she went airborne and got right up in my face. “Ooh! Y…You want one too?! Oh, oh, I have plenty of little animals at my house you can choose from! Surely one of them is just right for you!” Before I could even react, she had her forelegs curled under my arms and was literally carrying me across the meadow with my feet dragging along the ground. “You’ve always been so sweet to animals, so they’ll surely be sweet to you too! They’ll love you and be with you forever and ever!” I could even hear her gasping with excitement between sentences.

Rainbow Dash flew after us and came up alongside me. I muttered just loud enough for her to hear me, “This is the most passionate I’ve ever seen her get about anything! Is this normal for her?” Fluttershy seemed to be in her own little world as she paid no heed to my words.

“Heheheh, yep! She’s always this way when it comes to animals and helping ponies pick out pets. Have fun!” Rainbow Dash replied before flying back over to Tank and leaving me in Fluttershy's joyful clutches.

Fluttershy carried me right into the backyard behind her cottage where the chicken coop was located. When she set me down, she continued to hover above the ground. “Take a good look around you, James. You have plenty of pets to choose from.”

I did as I was told, looking around myself. I was rather surprised as I found more types of animals in the immediate area than I had ever seen in one spot before. I saw a lamb, a pink flamingo, a bat, ducks, kittens, you name it. It was as if Fluttershy had her own private zoo. “That’s quite a list to choose from, honey.” I spoke as I brought a hand to my chin while thinking over my options.

“I have I song I can sing that can help you decide. Should I sing it?” Fluttershy asked with a beaming smile.

Not really being in the mood for an improvised song at the time, I threw up my hands and shook them. “No, thank you. I’m already pretty sure of what I want.” I said promptly, even though it was partially a bluff. My eyes scanned the animals that were nearby. I could see some baby rabbits in the mix and the kittens were absurdly adorable, especially since I have always preferred cats to dogs. Which is rather ironic since I have had dogs before, but never any cats. I also noticed some frogs hopping about. I have always liked frogs and have even had some and toads before. There was much to choose from and I was having a difficult time deciding. I crossed my arms while bowing my head to think. But as I did so, my fingers brushed against my upper arm. It was then that I had an idea while looking at my arm. My cutie mark was almost completely covered by my shirt's sleeve. “Fluttershy, do you happen to have any doves?”

Fluttershy gasped at my words, apparently from being hit with inspiration. “Doves? Why didn’t I think of that?!” She then looked towards some birdhouses and called out, “Angela! There’s someone here to see you!”

At those words, an adorable white dove emerged from the hole in one of the birdhouses and flew over to us before perching upon Fluttershy’s raised hoof. Fluttershy turned to face me and smiled demurely while she said, “Isn’t she just the cutest little birdie you’ve ever seen? And look! She’s white, just like your cutie mark!” In all honesty, it was the dove shapes which make up my cutie mark that caused me to consider adopting a dove in the first place.

“She is definitely cute, Fluttershy.” I replied while extending my arm towards them. Once close enough, the dove fluttered as she hopped onto my hand. She then looked up at me with those round dark eyes of hers. “Hello, Angela. Looks like you’re my new little angel.” The dove nuzzled my face as I raised her to my head. I closed my eyes and nuzzled her back, feeling her soft feathers against my cheek.

“I just know you two will get along perfectly.” Fluttershy spoke as she hovered beside me. I heard the dove let out a soft coo as she began to preen my face.

“You said her name is Angela, right?” I asked, fairly certain I had heard her name right the first time.

“Yes, her name is Angela. I couldn't think of a more fitting name for such a sweet little birdie.” Fluttershy replied with a smile before nuzzling me as well.

“You know… This means we both have our very own little angels. You have Angel while I have Angela.” I said with a smirk, knowing that Angela is a feminine version of Angelo, which is Italian for ‘angel’.

“Angel and Angela… They’ll probably be the best of friends.” Fluttershy replied with a smile. I, for one, was not too sure. I have noticed that while Angel has minded his manners around me, he seems to be very picky of who he is kind to.

I felt Angela gently preening me as a sign of affection. She seemed to be trying to bite me, but I knew better. I heard her let out a soft coo as she nuzzled me. “She really seems to like you.” Fluttershy whispered to me as I stroked her feathers. But she then asked, “Come to think of it… You have the day off, right?”

“I guess your memory’s better than mine. I forgot all about it until after I got there today.” I replied, referring to my arrival at Sugarcube Corner that morning.

Fluttershy giggled before she shyly asked, “Since you have some free time, would you like to go to the park with me?”

A smile covered my lips while I stroked Angela’s feathers. “Sounds good to me. Is now a good time?”

“I finished tending to the animals for the morning, so I have plenty of free time. Shall we?” Fluttershy spoke with a meek little smile as she headed towards the edge of her backyard.

“Absolutely.” I said as I set Angela down on a fencepost. “Fluttershy and I will be back in a little while. Be a good girl and wait here for us, Angela.” My new pet seemed to nod in agreement as she cooed contently.

Fluttershy and I passed by Sweet Apple Acres as we took the most direct route to the park, which is directly south of Ponyville. The two of us engaged in casual conversation during the walk with none of the topics we covered being worth much mention. When we entered the park, I quickly noticed Lyra and Bon Bon seated on a park bench. Bon Bon was holding a small bell in her mouth while Lyra was gently strumming a small harp that she was holding in her arms…forelegs…whichever. One thing I was quick to notice was her posture. Unlike Bon Bon, who was lying down on the bench, Lyra was sitting upright on it much like a human would. Perhaps her fascination of humans had inspired her to try behaving like one. Regardless, Lyra waved at me the instant she saw me. I returned the favor by waving back and smiling. Fluttershy noticed and asked, “You know Lyra?”

I replied once I had stopped waving and nodded, “She joined me for lunch. She studies legends and myths regarding humans and was interested about what I could tell her about my kind.”

Fluttershy seemed pleased about the thought of our conversation. “I’m sure you could speak volumes about your homeland. It must have so many unique animals I’ve never heard of before.” She was not too far from the truth either.

Our destination was arguably my favorite spot in the entire park. The local pond. As expected, a sack of fish food rested on the tiny peninsula that reached into the body of water. I could remember my previous visits to this part of the park where I spoke to Fluttershy and even Rainbow Dash on one occasion.

“Just the two of us, huh?” I asked as I took a seat by the sack of fish food.

“Looks that way. And that’s the way we want it, right?” Fluttershy replied as she sat beside me and gently leaned against me.

I reached into the sack and tossed a handful of fish food, which consisted of pellets, out over the pond. Just like the previous times, some of the fish leaped out of the water and caught a few pellets before they could even hit the water. “I never get tired of watching that.” I said with a smile.

The two of us watched the many fish feast upon their snack. Before long, Fluttershy asked, “Did you do anything else besides eat lunch with Lyra today?”

I replied without much thought, “I went over to the schoolhouse to say hi to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I even helped Scootaloo out with some math problems.”

Fluttershy smiled while also letting out a quiet giggle. “You always have been good to those fillies. They must’ve been happy to see you.”

I let out a chuckle and said, “Yeah, they were. Especially when I stuck around for story time. I told them about what happened to me in the Everfree Forest yesterday.”

I was expecting Fluttershy to reply promptly. Instead, she remained silent for a moment before speaking softly, “I was so worried when you left… Please don’t ever do that again…”

In an attempt to comfort her, I gently stroked my lover’s long pink mane. “I have no intention of ever leaving again, honey. If I ever do leave again, it’ll be because I was forced to do so. And I really hope that never happens.”

Things became very quiet for a while after that. The two of us just sat there, leaning against each other with no one else around. Some of the fish would stare, but it never felt like they were intruding into our personal time. With how quiet it was, with the exception of the fish snatching food pellets from the pond’s surface, it felt so tranquil around us.

Before long, I felt Fluttershy place her hoof on my hand. I looked over at the pegasus as she gazed at me with a warm smile. She spoke first. “I love you.”

My response was brief and sincere. “I love you too.”

Fluttershy leaned in closer and kissed me softly. I held her in a gentle embrace as I pressed into the kiss. We both closed our eyes, our lips parting as our tongues touched. I tasted a faint hint of apples, likely due to our breakfast from that morning consisting mostly of apple products.

I am not sure how long we kissed, but we continued to do so even after we fell onto our sides. I felt Fluttershy place her forelegs on my shoulders in the same manner a human girl would during an intimate kiss. Once we actually did break the kiss… Well, this may be a little sappy for some readers, but I am going to write it anyway. We just looked into each other’s eyes for a moment without saying anything. After a moment, Fluttershy nuzzled her face against my neck. I responded by holding her in a gentle embrace while slowly stroking her long pink mane.

I suspect we may have fallen asleep at one point as next thing I know, I have my face buried in Fluttershy’s mane. I sat up quickly and glanced around me. I was unsure of the time, so I pulled out my DSi and turned it on to check the clock. “Almost 3 pm… Better get going.” I muttered as I returned the device to my pocket.

“Fluttershy, wake up.” I spoke softly as I gently shook my lover. It would be rude to just leave her like that.

“Mmmm… Huh…? What time is it…?” The timid pegasus muttered as she sat up with a yawn.

I looked down at her and explained, “School should be getting out soon and I promised I would meet up with Scootaloo in the park. So I need to get going. Shall we talk later?”

Fluttershy blinked a few times to get her bearings before she stood up and nodded. “OK. I’ll be waiting back home. Have a good time, dear.” She then gave me a kiss on the cheek before flying north.

Not wasting any time, I walked back towards the main area of the park. The only pony around at the time was Derpy Hooves. I think she was taking a ‘muffin break’ since she was relaxing on a bench while munching on a muffin and reading a food magazine.

I waited for what I think was ten minutes before I heard the distant buzzing of a small motor. Of course, I knew by then what that sound really was. “Just in time.” I muttered as I looked north. Barreling down the road was Scootaloo on her scooter. She blazed past me before doing a quick 180º turn and coming to a stop right in front of me.

Scootaloo removed her helmet and looked up at me with a grin. “Hey there, big brother! Did I keep you waiting?”

I replied with a smile, “Nope. So, what kinda new moves do you have?”

The pegasus filly smirked before gesturing with her arm. “Well, I got this new trick I call the ‘wind walk’. But I need to get a long start so I can reach enough speed. Gimme some room!” I stepped back onto the grass as Scootaloo went a good distance away on her scooter before turning around. “Here goes!”

Judging by the term ‘wind walk’, this stunt Scootaloo had in mind probably involved going airborne and remaining airborne for a moment without touching the ground. But I was not going to find out for sure that day. As Scootaloo was about to pass me at maximum speed, the wheel of her scooter struck a tiny rock that was sticking up out of the road. Despite being so small, it stuck up enough to pose a hazard. And what a hazard it was.

I felt my blood chill as I watched Scootaloo go airborne as she let out a yell while being thrown forward from her scooter. It almost felt like time seemed to slow down briefly as I watched her crash into the ground a short distance away, her helmet coming off before she could even land. I had to look away for a moment out of fear. When I laid eyes on Scootaloo again, she was on her chin, body crunched up in an awkward position.

“Oh man… SCOOT!” I shouted instinctively as I rushed to my little sister’s side. She did not seem to be bleeding due to her coat preventing her skin from coming in contact with the ground, but I am very certain she was bruised all over under that orange hair. “Scoot, are you OK? Nothing broken?”

My little sister looked up at me with tears in her eyes. She did not speak, but was clearly in pain. I could tell just by looking at her that she was struggling not to cry. I felt my blood begin to boil as I looked back over at her scooter. I could plainly see the rock that had tripped her jutting up out of the ground. “Wait here for a sec.” I told Scootaloo as I walked over to her scooter.

I managed to loosen up the dirt around the rock enough for me to dig it out. Once I had the rock in my hand, I threw it as hard as I could into the distance. That rock would not be tripping anyone again.

I walked back over to Scootaloo, her eyes closed as tears streamed down her face. She was very quiet though, probably trying to not look weak. Regardless of how tough she is, I could not ignore my dear little sister’s injuries. I reached down and scooped her up in my arms. “You’re gonna be OK, Scoot. I’ll take you home so Fluttershy can patch you up. She knows how to treat wounds.”

Scootaloo whispered, “OK… Thanks, James…” Her voice was breaking as she cried, but she was doing a good job in keeping herself from sobbing.

Before we could go anywhere, Derpy came running over to us. “Is everything OK? That looked like a nasty spill!”

I looked down at the wall-eyed pegasus and replied, “She’ll be fine. I know someone who can patch her up.” But when I looked back over at the toppled scooter and helmet, I asked, “Derpy, I need to ask you a favor. Could you take that scooter and helmet to Scootaloo’s house? I don’t think she’s in good enough shape to ride it right now. And if you see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, let them know we’re at Fluttershy’s cottage.”

Derpy nodded and said quickly, “Leave it to me. I know where she lives, after all. You take good care of her.” I nodded and headed north with Scootaloo being cradled in my arms.

Scootaloo said nothing for a minute, but I could feel her burying her face into my chest. “How’re you feeling, Scoot?” I asked, still worried that her injuries might be worse than I suspected.

The tomboyish filly muttered, “It still hurts… But…” She then whispered, “I’m glad you were there for me.”

I smiled as I nuzzled her head with my chin, “I’m really glad I was there too.”

Scootaloo looked up at me, still appearing to be in pain. But she still managed to crack a smile. I responded by placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right here for you until you’re all better, sis.”

Her smile became tearful as Scootaloo whispered happily, “I love you, big brother… I’m glad you came to Equestria.”

I decided to go around Sweet Apple Acres so I would not be distracted by the offer of conversation with Applejack or Big Macintosh. Not that Big Macintosh ever has much to say on his own, but I digress. When we reached the meadow that separated Fluttershy’s cottage from Ponyville, I looked down and saw that Scootaloo did not seem to be in much pain. She actually seemed to be quite relaxed. “Are you feeling any better?” I asked with some concern.

Scootaloo looked up at me and replied, “Kinda. I’m just a little sore now. It doesn’t really hurt if I don’t move.”

To my relief, I saw Fluttershy outside while tending to some of her bird friends. It seemed that she had just set down a bowl of worms for the birds to feast on. I was considering shouting to get her attention, but chose not to due to the risk of startling Scootaloo. Instead, I chose to simply walk until she was within earshot of me before speaking.

Before I could even get close enough to alert her with a normal tone of voice, Fluttershy turned and noticed me. “Hello, James. You’re back sooner than I thought you’d… What’s wrong with Scootaloo?” She flew over to us, remaining airborne with her wings flapping.

I replied quietly, “She took a nasty tumble and got pretty banged up from it. Could you patch her up, please?”

Scootaloo then asked, “Please, Fluttershy? This really hurts…” She looked up at my lover, her large purple eyes pleading.

Fluttershy frowned sympathetically and whispered, “Oh, you poor dear. Come inside and I’ll get you all fixed up. Could you please carry her, James?”

“Sure thing.” I nodded as I followed her inside, being mindful of my head as I ducked low to avoid the doorway.

I relaxed on the sofa in the living room while holding Scootaloo. She was very still as Fluttershy applied ointment and small bandages to where the bruising was the most severe. “There you go. Just try to take it easy until tomorrow. Doctor Fluttershy’s orders.” Fluttershy said with a smile as she nuzzled Scootaloo lovingly.

Scootaloo smiled as she replied, “Thanks, Fluttershy.” But she then looked at me and smiled, “And thanks for being there for me, James.” I merely smiled as I stroked her mane, prompting a giggle from the little pegasus.

Fluttershy left Scootaloo and me alone on the sofa while she went into the kitchen. Possibly to prepare a snack. In the meantime, I reclined on the sofa with Scootaloo resting on my chest. My hand slowly stroked her mane over and over. With how quiet and relaxing the situation was, I did not want this moment to end. Just me and my adorable little sister cuddling together.

The coo of a dove broke the silence. I glanced up at the back of the sofa and saw a familiar white dove perched upon it. “Angela?” I asked, wondering if I got her name right. I had not entirely memorized it by that point.

Scootaloo looked up and asked, “Is she your new pet?” As if to answer that question, Angela hopped down onto my shoulder and huddled over my upper arm where my cutie mark was. Scootaloo then grinned slyly and added, “Or is she your cutie mark come to life?” I chuckled at that remark.

Not much longer later, I heard a knock at the door. “I’ll get it.” Fluttershy spoke as she came back into the room. Upon opening the door, she asked, “Oh, hello girls. Are you here to see Scootaloo?”

I immediately recognized the voice of Apple Bloom. “We heard from Derpy that Scootaloo got hurt and was brought by yer place. Is she in there?”

Fluttershy stepped out of the way, revealing Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. “She’s right over there.”

The two fillies dashed over to us. “Are you OK, Scoot? You look like you got beat up by something.” Sweetie Belle asked while looking up at her friend.

Scootaloo smirked as she tried to make light of the situation. “Yeah, the ground beat me up. But anyway, I’m fine. Just a little sore though. It was James who got me over here to get patched up.” But she then asked, “Come to think of it, what’re you doing here? Weren’t we gonna have a meeting at the clubhouse?”

Apple Bloom then grinned, “We were, but since ya can’t come, we decided to have the meetin’ here! Is that OK, Fluttershy?”

My lover nodded and replied, “You’re very welcome to stay here. But please don’t make a mess. I only just got that table replaced.” The three fillies grinned sheepishly, leading me to suspect that they might have done something unpleasant in a previous visit to Fluttershy’s cottage.

Fluttershy then looked towards me. “I really don’t want to cause any trouble, James. But could I ask you to watch over them while I do some shopping in town? They can be a handful, so I understand if you don’t want to.”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I really don’t see what the problem is. I’ll keep an eye on these little imps and you go do what you have to.” As if to confirm my words, the three fillies grinned brightly and.….did I just see glowing golden halos above their heads?

Fluttershy then smirked as she looked at the three fillies. “OK, girls. You be good for James. And if you’re not, I just might give you…the Stare.” I noticed a hint of playfulness in her voice as she said that.

Once Fluttershy had left, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle opened their saddlebags and dumped out their contents onto the middle of the floor. “OK, we’ve come up with several new ideas that we haven’t tried yet. Wanna take a look, James?” Apple Bloom asked as they spread out the maps and notebooks.

“Sure thing. What do we have?” I replied as I took a seat on the floor.

Scootaloo looked over the list of activities. “We didn’t do too bad as merchants that day, but we still didn’t get our cutie marks. So that’s off the list.”

However, Sweetie Belle then spoke up, “Well, we still haven’t tried kart racing, circus performances, or music bands…” Why in the world did images of the three fillies driving pipe frame go-karts while chucking banana peels and turtle shells at each other pop into my head right there?

Suddenly, Scootaloo spoke up. “Hey, I got one! Remember what James said about there being zombies in the Everfree Forest?”

I winced as I realized where this was going. “You don’t mean…”

My little sister confirmed my fears right there. “You bet I do! Cutie Mark Crusaders Zombie Slayers!”

Fortunately, I was not the only one in the group who did not like that idea. Apple Bloom backed away slightly while showing a toothy frown. “Uh… I don’t like the sound of that one…”

Sweetie Belle also seemed hesitant. “Um…yeah. I don’t know if I wanna go after zombies…”

Unfortunately, Scootaloo did not back down while being the usual fearless tomboy she is. “C’mon, we can handle them! I mean think about it! Zombies are slow, so we just gotta stay outta their reach! Right?”

By this point, I could not stay quiet. After all, I had seen just how troublesome the zombified ponies of Sunny Town could be. “Nooooo way! You’re not going after those things!”

Scootaloo merely frowned in disappointment at me. “C’mon, big brother! You said it yourself! They’re really slow!”

I frowned in response and explained, “Yeah, they’re pretty sluggish. But there’s a lot of them. I counted at least twenty-eight of them when I was running from them. AT LEAST. There’s probably more out there. And besides, zombies are already dead! How do you kill something that’s already no longer alive?!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at me silently with eyes open wide. I continued, “They might be slow. But with that many of them, they’ll easily surround you. And then you’re as good as dead. You don’t mess with packs of zombies, period.”

My explanation seemed to unnerve Scootaloo as she nodded. “Uh… OK, scratch that idea.”

Out of nowhere, Apple Bloom began to snicker. “Something funny?” I asked, not really understanding what had just happened that could be funny.

Apple Bloom caught herself as she replied, “Sorry. It’s just that yer shirt… Sometimes I feel like I’m lookin’ at Applejack.” I shook my head and raised my hands while rolling my eyes. I can only imagine what kind of comments I am going to get the following day when I wear the shirt that bears Rarity’s colors.

The four of us continued to discuss possible activities, Angela occasionally cooing for me to pet her. However, before we could even decide on an activity to try, Fluttershy opened the front door with a tall paper bag on her back. “I’m back. Did you have fun?”

I nodded and said while flashing her a welcoming smile, “Yeah, we kept things interesting. And they didn’t cause any trouble.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked up at me as I spoke. When I finished, they looked at Fluttershy and grinned widely as…the same golden halos from before floated above their heads momentarily. Was I just seeing things? Best not to think too hard about it.

“I was worried I would have to throw out another piece of furniture. Thanks for watching over them, James.” Fluttershy said as she placed a kiss on my cheek. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom smiled warmly at her display of affection. However, Scootaloo looked away and opened her mouth while pointing into it, a clear sign of disgust. Clearly not the romantic type.

Just as she was about to walk into the kitchen, Fluttershy paused and turned to face me again. “Oh, before I forget…” She then set her grocery bag down and pulled an envelope out of it. “Pinkie Pie gave this to me. She said we should read it together.”

I nodded as I opened the envelope. “OK then. Let’s see here…”

The letter inside seemed to be a party invitation. Probably to the one Pinkie Pie had been setting up that day. I spoke it out loud as Fluttershy looked over my shoulder. “You are invited to a very special party. The details can’t be given out, but you will not be disappointed. Please attend immediately.” I folded the letter once I finished reading. “Seems a little too professional for Pinkie Pie’s style. Maybe Twilight wrote it for her.”

Fluttershy smiled as I climbed to my feet. “It sounds like a very special occasion. Should we go?”

I nodded while also climbing to my feet. “I’m all for it. Pinkie Pie told me that it’s for a young couple. Any idea who it is?”

My girlfriend replied as she headed towards the front door, “Maybe it’s for Big Macintosh and Cheerilee. Or perhaps Rainbow Dash started dating one of the Wonderbolts. I really don’t know who it might be for sure though.”

I was hardly surprised that there was talk of Big Macintosh getting involved with somepony. Handsome strong silent type guys tend to make girls go weak in the knees. Or so I have heard. But I digress. “Only one way to find out.” I spoke as I made my way to the door. I then looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders and asked, “Fluttershy and I have to head into town for a while. Can I trust you girls to behave while we’re gone?”

Sweetie Belle nodded with a smile. “Sure thing, James! We’ll be good!”

However, Fluttershy then spoke, “Please don’t do anything crazy while we’re gone. I don’t want to come home to find a mess.”

Apple Bloom chuckled nervously while cracking a grin, “I promise we won’t do anythin’ bad. And we’ll stay indoors in case that cockawhatever is out there again.”

Fluttershy was clearly satisfied with their response. “Good idea. Have a good time, girls.” However, just after we stepped outside, Fluttershy turned and whispered to Angel and Angela, who had followed us to the door. She was very quiet, but I think she said something along the lines of ‘Keep an eye on them’. Our pets’ reactions seemed to support my assumption as they both gave Fluttershy a salute. Fluttershy then pulled the door closed and we proceeded on our way towards Ponyville.

We did not run into any interruptions along the way. It was a fairly straightforward trek to Sugarcube Corner. Just like earlier that day, the front door still had a sign hanging from it that read ‘Closed for private party’ scribbled on it. I was expecting to find that the door was locked. To my pleasant surprise, it swung open as I pushed it inward. “I guess everypony’s already here.” I muttered out loud.

“Well, we did receive an invitation that asked us to come right away. They were probably expecting us.” Fluttershy replied as she followed me inside. The lights downstairs were turned off, but it was still fairly bright since there was plenty of sunlight shining through the windows. “You think everypony is upstairs?”

I nodded and said, “Probably. Let’s go see who this cute couple is.” I led Fluttershy upstairs while minding my head. Since the lights were on at the top, the young couple the party was being thrown for was probably already here.

The instant the two of us got to the top of the stairs, I heard Pinkie Pie shout from my left. “You’re just in time, lovebirds!”

I then heard Rarity’s voice speak, “We’ve been discussing this for the past few days. Did we surprise you?”

Fluttershy and I turned to see our five friends standing in a row. Including Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, who I had not seen all day. Fluttershy then asked, “You mean…the party’s for us?”

Rainbow Dash smirked while pointing her wing up. “Well, what does the banner say?” She then also pointed upward with her hoof.

When the two of us looked up, we found a long banner stretched across the room. And inscribed on it were the words ‘Congratulations James & Fluttershy’. I looked back towards our friends and asked, “Um… Exactly what kind of party is this?”

Applejack replied while seeming to be having trouble speaking. “Oh, that? It’s a… It’s a… Um…” I tried to not snicker as she looked towards Pinkie Pie. “What kinda party did ya say this is again?”

Our silly party animal friend replied with her cheery voice, “It’s a party celebrating two lovers getting together!”

I think I felt myself blush at those words. And I could clearly see Fluttershy blushing. She then asked, “You mean…it’s your way of showing that you support us?”

Twilight then spoke up, “Well, we all know your relationship has gotten a little rocky lately. So we decided to throw a party that shows we support you two being together no matter what.”

Rarity then spoke with a smile, “James, Fluttershy and I have been best friends for some time now. And I can safely say that you are a splendid match for her. You and her will have many happy years together. So please, for her, and for moi, please stay with her through whatever comes your way.”

If I had any doubts about my relationship with Fluttershy before, I most certainly did not have any at that moment. I looked down at my girlfriend while she looked up at me. We both smiled at each other before looking back at our friends. Fluttershy spoke first, “Thank you, Rarity. And thank you all. This…means a lot to us.”

Twilight then asked, “What about you, James? Aren’t you getting along with Fluttershy now?”

I looked back down at Fluttershy, who then hovered up next to me and nuzzled me tenderly. At first, I was at a loss of words. I truly did not know what to say.

“What’s the matter, James? Gummy got your tongue?” Pinkie Pie asked. At those words, I glanced around to see if her crazy toothless alligator was anywhere nearby. Fortunately, he was not.

I took a few seconds to try to think out my response. “Well… Uh… I’ll be honest. It’s really not just Fluttershy. You six are the best thing to ever happen to me. I still can’t wrap my head around how much I’ve gained over such a short amount of time. I’ve never seen hospitality like…uh…” I was cut short when I suddenly found myself surrounded by the six ponies as they caught me in a group hug. “Um… Girls?”

Applejack quietly replied, “Say no more, sugarcube. Yer our friend now, and that’s that. Got any complaints?”

Upon hearing those words, I sighed with a smile and wrapped my arms around them the best I could. “None whatsoever.”

In a moment, I suddenly felt Pinkie Pie let go and hurry away from us. “Pinkie?”

The silly pink pony was standing next to a phonograph before nudging the needle onto a record. “Let’s save the sappy stuff for later! Now that everypony’s here, let’s get this party started!” The phonograph began to play a very lively tune that I think I even heard Pinkie Pie once call her ‘jam’.

The party started without a hitch. The staples were there, namely a large bowl of punch and a towering cake that seemed to have icing that represented Fluttershy and me. That is to say the majority of the icing was a shade of brown similar to the color of my hair while the edges were tipped with pink icing that matched Fluttershy’s mane. While I munched on some cake, which I might add was very tasty, I noticed Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity…dancing in the middle of the room?

Well… I honestly cannot say if that could truly be called dancing. But as far as equines go, I suppose those gyrations and moves were certainly dance worthy. Rarity’s moves often involved swaying her head in a way that caused her gorgeous indigo mane to flail about, sometimes even causing it to become temporarily uncurled before curling back up into its usual form. Rainbow Dash would often rear up on her hind legs while seemingly lashing out with her forelegs. Pinkie Pie was clearly the best dancer of the three, even going so far as to perform hand…I mean hoofstands. Something I never thought I would see an equine do.

I was given a very rude surprise just after I had finished my slice of cake. As I headed back towards the cake for another slice….. Well, in all honesty, I could not tell you what happened. All I remember is hearing Rarity let out a yelp, feeling something slam into me from the side, and then the feeling of me smashing into what I think was the wall. I cannot say what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was seeing spots and my ears were ringing.

“Oh my goodness, darling! Are you all right?!” I heard Rarity call out from behind me. As I regained my senses, I felt myself drop onto my feet from what I think was a two inch fall. And in front of me was a rough imprint of my body in the wall with only the gray drywall remaining.

“What the hell happened there…?” I grumbled as I shook some of the plaster and dry paint out of my hair.

Pinkie Pie then spoke up, “Um… That was my fault. I guess I got too carried away in dancing. Again.” She seemed to have a very sheepish expression on her face as if she knew she screwed up.

I looked at the hole in the wall left by my body. I grumbled loudly, “Good lord… You earth ponies are built like freaking tanks!”

Rainbow Dash laughed while she flapped over to us. “Hey, I warned you! One slip around Pinkie Pie when she’s dancing and you’ll end up a new wall decoration!” I rolled my eyes, remembering what she had said to me at the spa a few days earlier.

However, Rarity then spoke up, “Actually, James, it was I who got too close to Pinkie Pie when she was dancing. And you saved me from a nasty collision with that wall. Such a gentleman you are.”

I kneeled down to pick up my plate and fork without feeling like I really did anything to help. “I was just in the right place at the right time. No biggie.”

Before I could return to a standing position, I felt Rarity nuzzle my face. “Regardless of how you saved me, you were a gentleman for using your own body as a cushion for me. Truly, thank you.”

Somewhat amused by her praise and affection, I chuckled as I stroked the mane of my former landlord. “It was no trouble, Rarity. I couldn’t let a gem like you be tarnished.” But I then looked over at Pinkie Pie with a smirk and said, “And you really should dance with your eyes open, you know.”

Pinkie Pie grinned nervously at me. “Right, right, sorry about that! I’ll keep my eyes peeled from now on.”

The next memorable part of the party I remember well is when I caught Rainbow Dash having a conversation with Fluttershy. They seemed to be keeping their voices down, so I drew closer to listen in more easily.

“Soooo, did you do it with him?” I heard Rainbow Dash ask Fluttershy.

“Um… Do what exactly?” Fluttershy whispered in reply.

I noticed Rainbow began to smirk. “C’mon, you know what I mean. Did you do the ‘couple’s tango’ with him?” Fluttershy seemed rather confused by this question, but I could clearly tell what it was the closet pervert wanted to know. She then asked, “OK. Let me try again. Did he follow your trail of pink flower petals to your pot of gold?” She then pointed towards Fluttershy’s tail to emphasize.

Fluttershy looked at her own tail while seemingly trying to piece together what it was Rainbow Dash was trying to get across. She suddenly looked back towards the rowdy pegasus, her face a bright red as she likely understood the question. “You… You don’t mean… Oh…my…”

“Ah ha! So you did do it! What was it like? Did it feel awesome?” Rainbow asked while Fluttershy seemed rather stunned by whatever she was thinking. By this point, I decided to intervene and placed my hand on Rainbow Dash’s head. The pegasus froze for a moment before she looked up at me and grinned nervously. Very nervously. “Uh… What’s up, James?”

I smirked as I replied, “Just stick with your Playmare magazines, Rainbow.”

The pervy pegasus then spoke in a tone louder than needed, “How’d you know I have a subscription to…..never mind.” I snickered at this revelation as I led Fluttershy away so we could have some time together.

“You OK? Did Rainbow pry too far into your personal activities?” I asked while caressing Fluttershy’s mane to calm her.

“Uh… Uh huh…” She muttered in reply, still seeming to be overheated from that panic attack she just had.

I was about to try to calm her down more, but Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up beside us. “Almost forgot! Here’s your couple treat!” Resting on her upturned hoof was a chocolate covered banana.

“Oh… That? Um… Thank you, Pinkie.” Fluttershy replied with a reserved smile.

“I’ll just leave you two lovebirds alone. We’ll be over there minding our own business and doing party stuff. Enjoy!” As Pinkie Pie trotted away, I suspected she was trying to avoid sounding suspicious.

“Shall we?” I asked while holding the banana between two fingers.

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “Of course. I love these.”

One by one, we took turns taking bites. As this was not the first time we had eaten one, we knew what to do. After just a few bites, we only had the middle left. “One. Two. Three.” Fluttershy whispered. At the count of three, the two of us took the last bite. When our lips joined, we closed our eyes and pressed into a kiss while I held Fluttershy in my arms.

Our kiss was interrupted by the sound of a familiar click. We both opened our eyes and looked towards where the sound had come from. Standing in a row were our five friends, each with a different expression that seemed to show either giddiness or adoration. Twilight Sparkle was standing in the middle. And floating in front of her was…..my DSi?

“Uh… Did you just take a picture of us?” I asked, feeling rather embarrassed while wondering how Twilight even slipped that out of my pocket without me feeling it.

Twilight giggled as she turned my DSi around so I could see the screens. “See for yourself.” On one of them was the photo, a pristine snapshot of Fluttershy and I stuck in a warm embrace while locked in a passionate kiss.

“That’s…us?” Fluttershy asked as she examined it. She then smiled while glancing at me. “It looks great. The lighting’s just right and it really captures the moment. Right, James?”

As embarrassing as it was to be photographed unexpectedly during such a personal moment, I was rather flattered that we now had a means to remember this day. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled rather giddily. “Anytime, James. Just don’t go losing that picture.” Fluttershy and I responded with a twin embrace on Twilight. She giggled at our touch while bowing her head. “Oh….shucks.”

The party went on for a while. By the time everyone had begun to depart for home, it was already night. “Hoowee… I haven’t danced that much since… Well… Since the last party.” Applejack spoke as she headed out the front door.

“What a lovely party. It was different from all the others in a way.” Fluttershy said as she stayed by my side.

I shrugged my shoulders while I replied, “I wouldn’t know. That was only the second party I’ve attended in Equestria. Although I admit it was a bit more reserved and quiet than the first one. Which strangely does not mix with Pinkie Pie’s style.”

Before we could go far, Rarity suddenly spoke up. “Just a moment, ladies. We need to give this lovely couple a proper sendoff.” At those words, our five friends surrounded us and caught Fluttershy and me in a group hug.

“Girls, I think you’re starting to overdo it. I’m not used to getting so many group hugs in a short amount of time.” I spoke while quite flattered by this heartfelt show of affection from my dearest friends.

“Better get used to it, James! You’re gonna get lots of these!” Pinkie Pie replied with a giggle.

Fluttershy’s response to this group hug was more positive. “Oh, I don’t think it’s too much. I’m actually liking it.”

Perhaps I was still just getting used to the cuddly closeness of the ponies I had bonded with. I am sure I would adjust over time. I tried wrapping my arms around as many of them as I could. “Lot’s of these? Sounds like a plan.”

The six of us parted ways with Fluttershy and I heading back towards our cottage. “Isn’t it lovely that our friends support our relationship so openly?” The timid pegasus asked while looking up at me.

“If one of them didn’t, our friendship would’ve fallen apart. We’re fortunate to have such understanding friends.” I replied while feeling especially grateful that Twilight was able to accept us being together as she did have a crush on me at one time. Those are not easy to get over.

When we returned home, I was expecting to find that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gone home. I was only 2/3 right. When we stepped inside, we found Scootaloo fast asleep on the sofa. “What’s Scoot still doing here?” I asked while quietly drawing near.

Fluttershy glanced around and found Angel holding a note in his paws. “A note?” She took the note into her mouth and handed it to me. “Can you read this, dear?”

I nodded as I took the note in hand. “Sure thing… Um…”

I read the writing to myself. I think Scootaloo wrote it herself. “Hey there, James and Fluttershy. I don’t want to be any trouble… But I’d like to stay the night with you guys. I’m still feeling kind of sore, so I asked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to ask my mom and dad if I could spend the night here. When they got back, they said they agreed. So… I’m going go to sleep now. It’s Saturday tomorrow, so don’t worry about school. If I’m not awake by the time you get back, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I snickered as I looked back over at the sleeping pegasus filly. “Looks like we’re having a sleepover tonight.”

Fluttershy smiled while also looking relieved. “At least it’s just one of them. I don’t think she’ll be too much trouble… Oh, hello there, Angela.” She held out her hoof as my pet dove flew over and perched on her foreleg. “Were the girls good while we were out?” Angela bowed as if nodding.

“You and Angel probably had to scold them a few times.” I said jokingly. The dove flew over to me and perched on my shoulder before nuzzling my face. “Awww, I love you too.”

The rest of the evening was of little extravagance. Scootaloo is still sleeping like a log right next to me as we lie in bed. Fluttershy is fast asleep too and I am eager to join her.

This day has been very uplifting to me after that emotional roller coaster I went through the previous two days. I now know for certain that Equestria is my true home. And even then….. I cannot fathom how much I have gained in under two weeks. It is just…remarkable. These ponies of Equestria are just so open and hospitable, it is absolutely amazing. Equestria is, dare I say, paradise.

I have made up my mind. I will not ever return to my homeworld. Equestria is where I belong. I sha

Oh, excuse me. I was interrupted by Scootaloo. She just stirred in her sleep. Her hoof is now on my hand. Such a tender little smile she has right now. It is easy to forget what a tomboy she is.

I just kissed her on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, little sis.” I think she may have heard me as she is now resting her head against my chest.

A lot has happened to me over the past… How many days has it been? Ten? Regardless, I feel it would be unnecessary for me to write about every single upcoming day. From now on, I will only write about days that have special meaning to me or involve special or unique events. And knowing Equestria, I will be getting quite a few of those pretty soon.

Good night, Fluttershy. Good night, Scootaloo. Good night, all of my friends. And thank you for accepting me into your wonderful world. I am looking forward to tomorrow and the following days.

Author’s note – For greater immersion, copy and paste this chapter into MS Word and change the fonts to match the current writer.
Twilight Sparkle – Book Antiqua
Applejack – Batang
Fluttershy – Gabriola
Rainbow Dash – MV Boli
Rarity – Monotype Corsiva
Pinkie Pie – Comic Sans

Um… Hello. This is Fluttershy again. I think you might have read a journal I wrote earlier, but it’s OK if you never did. I mean, I’m not much of a writer, so I don’t think it was very interesting… But anyway… I feel like I should write this. Something bad happened today.

I woke in bed, feeling all rested. I looked to my side to see if my boyfriend was awake. He’s almost never up before I am. But today, he was. His side of the sheets had nothing under them. But the strangest thing is that even though they were all wrinkled from use, they had not been pulled down. Almost as if he might have used a teleportation spell to get out of bed. But James doesn’t know how to use magic… Right?

Oh, I guess I should explain. James is my boyfriend. He’s a human, even though I never even knew what a human is. I have known him for exactly three weeks so far. And…well, we’re lovers now. He’s been very sweet to me and I love him so much. But still, where did he go?

I climbed out of bed and started to look around. Maybe he was already downstairs. I walked down the stairs and looked around in the living room. I called his name, but he never replied. I tried looking in the kitchen, but there was still no sign of him. The air didn’t even smell like he had been cooking breakfast either. Maybe he had gone outside to play with all of the cute little animals who live around our home.

I looked outside and saw that everything was brightly lit by the sun… Um… Am I doing a good job going into detail about things I saw? I’ve read some of James’ journal entries and he always puts such amazing amounts of detail into them. Can I do just as well? Um… I guess the details of my house’s surroundings aren’t important right now.

I went outside and went around the side of my house to check on Angel, my pet bunny. He was already awake while sitting at the entrance of his little house. I could not help but smile. He always brightens up my day when he isn’t being bossy. Which is pretty often.

“Good morning, Angel. Um… Have you seen James around today?” I asked while I trotted over to him. Angel gave me a look like he was surprised I was even asking him that. He raised his cute little paws and shrugged his shoulders. I guess James must not have come by this morning.

“Really? Oh… Well, that’s OK. I’m sure he’ll be here for breakfast soon.” I said with a smile before turning away and going back inside. Even if James was not around for breakfast, that did not mean I couldn’t feed everyone else their breakfast while I waited.

A few minutes later, I set out a bowl of worms for the robins to feast on while I went under the little bridge in front of my house to feed some fish to the ferrets that live there. I made sure to give Angel his carrot of the morning. I watched from my cottage’s roof while everyone else ate. They all seemed so happy, but I still couldn’t see James anywhere. Where was he?

Now that everyone was fed for the morning, I went back inside my home. Maybe James was somewhere inside the whole time and was getting started on breakfast. But when I closed the front door, I still couldn’t smell anything cooking. Or even hear anything cooking. When I looked into the kitchen, it looked like nopony had even been there.

I did not worry too much. Maybe he had just left for work early. I think he had to work at Sugarcube Corner today. “I guess I could just get some breakfast there instead.” I said to myself while gathering up a few bits to pay for something there. What would I get? Those chocolate drops are always good. But so is the blueberry pound cake….. Oooh, so many choices!

Nothing interesting happened on my way into Ponyville. Well, at least I think nothing interesting happened. Does playing with a few raccoons on the way sound interesting? I heard that a writer needs to avoid writing about things that bore the reader. But I personally think playing with cute animals sounds interesting… Well, I guess I did stop to help a raccoon find a shiny discarded bottle he had misplaced in the field. Was that interesting?

Um… I think I will just continue. I did not say anything to anypony on my way. I’m shy like that… I only feel comfortable calling out to ponies I know well. That’s why I live away from Ponyville near the Everfree Forest. But anyway, I made it to Sugarcube Corner without any trouble and went inside. Mrs. Cake was minding the register and gave me a big smile. “Hello, Fluttershy! Can I get you anything, dear?”

She is always so sweet to her customers. I felt very relaxed around her almost like she is a loving aunt. “Um… I’m not sure yet, Mrs. Cake. I think I’ll browse for a minute before deciding.” I then looked at the counter that had a whole bunch of pastries on display inside it. “This all looks so good, I can’t decide quickly…”

“All right then. While you’re deciding, I’ll go check on the kitchen. I’ll send Pinkie Pie out here to assist you in the meantime.” Mrs. Cake said to me before walking through the kitchen’s twin swinging doors. Whenever I see those open, it reminds me of that one time we went to Appleloosa.

I saw so much on display. Chocolate drops, muffins, blueberry pound cakes, cupcakes, bundt cakes… Just thinking back to that moment is getting me hungry right now… Oops... I spilled some cupcake crumbs on the paper. I’ll brush those off before I continue… There, all clean. Now then, before I could decide, Pinkie Pie walked up behind the counter. At least I think she did. She called out to me before I could look up. “Howdy do, Fluttershy! Anything I can get you?”

I was a bit startled by that, but I managed to not show it. Pinkie Pie knows that I hate being scared by anything and really wouldn’t be happy with herself if she knew she did something to make me even a little upset. “Oh! Um… Hi, Pinkie Pie. Ummm… I think I would like a muffin and chocolate drop today.”

Pinkie Pie displayed to me her signature grin. “Oki doki loki! Just let me get them out for you!” She pulled out a green plastic tray and set it on the counter before ducking her head inside the glass display case. “Oh, and by the way… When you get home, could you please let James know he’s running late?”

I felt my heart skip a beat. I was so sure James had come to work at Sugarcube Corner today… But…he was never there at all. I felt my eyes open wide as my nerves went numb for just a second. I was starting to feel anxious. “He’s not here…?”

Pinkie Pie lifted her head up with the muffin and chocolate drop on her muzzle before setting them on the tray. “Nope! But I’m sure he only slept…in? Hey, are you OK, Fluttershy?”

I think she noticed my expression. I guess I didn’t do a very good job of hiding my worry. “Huh? Oh… Well… I guess I would be lying if I wasn’t worried… I haven’t seen him at all today.” I replied, not really trying to hide my feelings at all.

As I expected, Pinkie Pie went a little…um…wild when I told her that. She jumped in the air and somehow stayed that way for about three seconds before coming back down to the floor. “Whaaaaaaat?! Not at all?! You think he was kidnapped?!”

“I don’t think so. There wasn’t any sign of a struggle in the bedroom. Although his side of the bed looked like he had never climbed out of it when he woke up.” I explained, hoping that maybe Pinkie Pie could help.

“Really?! Phew… After what happened a couple of weeks ago, I thought Diamond Tiara had something to do with it. Guess not!” Pinkie Pie spoke with a really big relieved grin. “Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy! Maybe he just had something important to do today and will be back later. I mean, you know he won’t stay away from Ponyville for long. He LOVES it here!”

I couldn’t help but giggle. Pinkie Pie is right. Even though James isn’t someone who gets really vocal about anything, he really does love Ponyville with a silent passion I usually don’t see very often. “I know… I shouldn’t worry so easily. Maybe he had to go visit Zecora for something.”

“There you go! Just give him a while! I’m sure you’ll see him no later than this evening!” Pinkie Pie replied while giving me that massive grin she always has. I was feeling more confident already. James is surely just busy with something really important right now… But was it really important enough to miss work? “In any case, that’ll be two bits please.”

I remembered what I was even doing there in Sugarcube Corner and gave Pinkie Pie her bits. I probably shouldn’t mention this, but she always gives me and our closest friends discounts. I didn’t have anything else to do at the time, so I took a seat at the closest table and started eating. Um… I don’t think eating is considered interesting since everyone does it around three times a day. I think I’ll just skip ahead now.

I didn’t eat for very long before I heard the door open again. Only this time, Rainbow Dash trotted in. “Hey, Fluttershy! Hey, Pinkie Pie! What’s up?”

“Oh, I just decided to have breakfast away from home today since James wasn’t around.” I replied after pausing from my meal. She then walked over to the counter towards Pinkie Pie.

“He wasn’t home this morning? Hey, wait… He’s here right now, isn’t he?” Rainbow Dash asked while looking at me before turning to look at Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie raised her hooves and shrugged her shoulders. “Never showed up for work! But I’m not worried! He’s probably just got something really important to do.”

Rainbow didn’t seem too worried either. “Oh, yeah. If he had something that was gonna keep him away all day, he would’ve left a note like last time. Right, Fluttershy?”

That reminded me. When he had to leave Ponyville for a couple of days, James did leave behind a message explaining why. If he did not leave a message, he was surely going to be back before the day was over. And since he didn’t leave a note this time, he would surely be back soon.

“Anyway, pass me one of those chocolate drops, Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash spoke while looking up from the display case in the counter.

“Sure thing! Now you just have to toss me a bit!” Pinkie replied before ducking under the counter and flinging one over the counter while Rainbow Dash did the same thing with a bit at the exact same time. They literally ‘tossed’ what the other asked for. The chocolate drop was caught in Rainbow Dash’s mouth while the bit landed and balanced on the tip of Pinkie’s nose. “Woo! Nice catch, Rainbow!”

“Hey, you made a better catch than me! That thing didn’t even fall off your nose!” Rainbow said before chomping down her treat in one gulp.

I think I will stop here for now so I can enjoy my breakfast. I know James knows where he lives and that I love him, but… I just have a bad feeling about this. I hope James is all right…

Heya, readers! This is Rainbow Dash. You know me. Fastest thing alive, Sonic Rainboom achiever, and local weather patrol captain. I mean come on; I know you peeps have seen me fly by at some point! But I’m getting off topic now.

I found out today that James never showed up for work at Sugarcube Corner. He’s… Oh, wait. I already explained who he is! I mean it’s pretty hard to miss the only human in town. Tall guy? No hair on his body? Wears clothes? All over his body? Yeah, that’s him. Anyway, I tried hitting up Fluttershy for some conversation since I had some time to kill after stopping by Sugarcube Corner for a bite. She had picked up a chocolate drop and a muffin.

“So, what’s been up, Fluttershy? You and your sweetheart getting along pretty well at your place?” I asked while pulling up a stool.

Fluttershy gave me that really cute smile of hers before speaking. “Oh, things have been going really well. And it’s only been three weeks since we first met!”

I smirked while I leaned forward on one elbow. “Yeah, I know. He really knows how to make you squirm. I always knew you were bigger than me down there.”

Oh man, that look on her face. Went from yellow to red in three seconds flat. “Ra…Ra…Rainbow! You… You were watching?!”

I smirked when I gave a reply. “Hey, those Playmare magazines are pretty good, but sometimes a girl needs some live entertainment… Uh… Fluttershy?” Next thing I know, she’s out-cold on the floor.

“Uh… Maybe I should just leave her alone…” I muttered to myself. I knew she was going to flip out when I told her that, but I didn’t expect her to be floored by it! I quickly thought up a fix for the situation and propped her back up on the stool before resting her head on the table. I then opened up a nearby magazine and put it in front of her face to hide her unconscious expression. I think it was a copy of Equestria’s Finest. I then scooted out the door as fast as I could. Hopefully nopony saw that…

Anyway, I didn’t get far before I wondered about what Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy told me. Had nopony really seen James at all today? That’s not like the guy. Maybe he went to see Zecora and got hung up by something at her place. It’s the only explanation I could think of as to why absolutely nopony had seen him today. “Well, I’ve got some time to kill. May as well go check the place out.” With a flap of my wings, I took to the air and headed west towards the Everfree Forest.

I don’t need to explain how fast I got there, right? Seriously! Ten seconds flat, baby! You know who I am! Anyway, I had to fly directly through the forest instead of above or else I wouldn’t be able to find Zecora’s place since it’s built into a tree. And this time I made sure to stay away from that freaky Poison Joke along the way. I’ve been called Rainbow Crash enough times in flight school. I don’t need it happening again as captain of the weather patrol!

It didn’t take long to find Zecora’s place. Really hard to miss a house built right into a gnarly looking tree with jumbo-sized weird masks set around them. I landed and knocked on the door. I wouldn’t be surprised if Zecora was ‘cooking’ James in another cauldron bath.

A few seconds later, the door opened to show the zebra witchdoctor. Well, I like to call her that. I think she’s more of an herbalist though. “Ah, Rainbow Dash! Do come in. Take a seat and rest your shins.”

Heh, that rhyming. “Sure thing, Zecora. And sorry for coming out here on such short notice. We’ve kinda got a problem in Ponyville.”

The way her eyes opened wide showed she seemed to be assuming the worst. She turned to face me and asked, “Oh dear… Did little Apple Bloom find herself hurt? Or did the little dragon have another growth spurt?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. She’s got a good memory. “Haha, nothing like that! Just a case of…missing in action. We haven’t seen James all day. He didn’t happen to come out here, did he?”

Zecora seemed kinda puzzled while she poured some herbs into the cauldron in the center of her house. “Hmmm… James, your human friend? How bizarre. I have not gotten a glimpse of him today so far.”

I have to admit that was when I started to get worried. “Wait… Seriously? You haven’t seen him at all today?”

“Why would I lie to you, Rainbow Dash? I have not seem him since into my cauldron he splashed.” Zecora replied with an equally worried expression. Since her place is kind of out of the way, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that James hasn’t visited Zecora since the day he came home from the Everfree Forest two weeks ago.

“Okay then… This is getting weird. Nopony in town has seen him today at all.” I muttered, not really looking at anything in general.

“Have no fear, my friend. He shall return. He is unlikely to meet his end.” Zecora spoke up before she placed a hoof on my shoulder. She really does look like she’s wise beyond her years. Hay, she even one-upped Twilight on more than one occasion.

I nodded, knowing James must be pretty dang hardy if he survived two nights out in the Everfree Forest before. “Yeah… You’re right. Don’t know where he is, but he’s probably doing fine. He’ll come home when the time is right. And I know he can’t stay away from Ponyville for very long.”

I shook Zecora’s hoof before I started to make my way towards the door. “Well, I better get back to Ponyville and tell the girls you haven’t seen him. Thanks for letting me drop by for a visit.”

Zecora smiled and waved at me. “Anytime, Rainbow Dash. It was a pleasure. Do close the door behind you for good measure.” Heh, she comes up with a rhyme for almost any occasion. Anyway, once I was outside, I took to the air and flew above the forest’s canopy to find my way back to Ponyville.

I decided it would be best to let Fluttershy know first about James not ever going into the Everfree Forest. It’ll at least give her some closure. And maybe even point us in the right direction if we have to go looking for him… Nah, who am I kidding? He’ll be back! Right?

I nudged Sugarcube Corner’s front door open, finding Fluttershy just starting to wake up. “Huh…? Uh…what happened? And…Photo Finish catches a photo flop? Why was I reading this?” She was looking right into the magazine I had left open in front of her.

“Oh yeah, that! Last I saw you, you were reading that. It must’ve been boring since it knocked you out like that.” I replied, trying to not make her remember what we had talked about when she fainted. Especially since somepony might overhear.

“Huh? It did… Oh. This is all about those sports buffs… I’m not interested in this at all.” Fluttershy replied while looking through the pages the magazine was opened to. She really seemed uninterested in whatever they were showing. But being the world-class athlete I am, I’m sure I would’ve been all over that article like Rarity over a bed made of diamonds.

“Yeah, I know you’re not into that stuff… Anyway, I just went over to Zecora’s place to check if James ever stopped by.” I spoke up while stepping over to Fluttershy.

“You did?!” Her expression brightened up big time when I told her that. I was almost unable to tell her the truth. I wasn’t sure of just how hard it would hit her if even Zecora hadn’t gotten in touch with James.

“Yeah… I dropped by to check if he had stopped by. But she said she hasn’t seen him today.” I said honestly. I know Applejack wouldn’t have hesitated to tell the truth, but I was seriously tempted to lie right there.

Fluttershy’s expression instantly changed. She went from looking so happy and hopeful to looking just… Man, she was so disappointed by what I had just said. And that look of worry on her face was really eating at me. “Oh… I see… Well, I’m sure he’ll be home by tonight.”

I have to admit I was starting to feel kind of worried myself. It’s not like James to up and disappear. Without leaving an explanation behind, that is. “Hey, I’m sure he’s fine. Just give him a few hours and he’ll be back before we know it.”

That wimpy…I mean timid pegasus nodded with what looked like a tiny smile that looked like it wanted to frown. “I know. I’ll be patient.” She then looked down at the chocolate drop she hadn’t finished yet. For some reason, she just looked at it for a while without saying anything. Maybe because James was the guy who gave the recipe to Sugarcube Corner in the first place? “I know he won’t leave us. Or leave me.”

Man, that was so sappy, it was cute. I couldn’t help snickering. “That’s the spirit. Anyway, I’m gonna look around town some more. Somepony’s bound to have seen him at some point.”

Fluttershy nodded with a bigger smile this time. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. Please let me know if you find anything.” I then waved goodbye and headed out the door. Time to do some sleuthing.

“OK, where to start?” I muttered to myself. I guess I could check out Rarity’s place first. Those two have been really tight since day one. Without a second thought, I bolted across Ponyville and made it to the Carousel Boutique in record time. “Whoa. Five seconds flat.”

I was kind of in a hurry, so I pushed the door open without knocking. “Hey, Rarity! You down here?!”

Turns out she wasn’t even ten feet away from me when I walked in. She was putting that…ugh, not that thing again! It was that weird…dress thing I tried on once before a couple of years back. Pink and white with gold metal shoes and a…hat with wig curls along the… Oh, forget it. I can’t describe it too well. It was that awful get-up she made me try on back when those Parasprites showed up! Anyway, she had just put it on a dress mannequin before turning to face me. “Oh, Rainbow Dash! What brings you out here today…oh, wait! You wanted to try this on again, didn’t you?! I knew you couldn’t stay away!”

Not on her life. I backed right out of the place until I was standing outside again. “Hay no! Keep that thing away from me!”

“Drat… I suppose it’s back to the drawing board then.” Rarity groaned while looking over her shoulder at that…that thing.

“Besides, I’m not here for a social call. I’m looking for somepony. Has James stopped by today?” I asked while coming a bit closer to the doorway. But if she tried to force that…abomination of a dress onto me, I was going to bolt.

Rarity looked at me with a confused expression. “James? Why, no. I have yet to see him today. But perhaps I’ll stop by the café for lunch with him. I know he never misses that place on workdays.”

I frowned as she spoke. It was really disappointing to hear that even she hadn’t seen him today. If there is one pony I think is more likely to be caught in his company besides Fluttershy, it’s Rarity. Those two bonded really fast when James first showed up. He even lived with her for the first few days. “Oh… OK then.”

Rarity could definitely tell something wasn’t right. And I guess I wasn’t doing a good job of covering up my disappointment. “Rainbow, what’s wrong? Did something happen to him?”

I let out a loud sigh. I knew she was definitely going to be pretty dang worried, knowing how she sometimes overreacts. “Well… Fluttershy said she hasn’t seen him all day. I even went to Zecora’s place to see if he had to go there first thing in the morning. But… Nopony’s seen him today. I swear it almost feels like he just…disappeared into thin air.”

Well, that prissy unicorn took that news better than I thought. “Really? Gone? That’s preposterous. Unless… Did he leave a note behind like last time?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Uh… Fluttershy never mentioned anything like that. You’d think he’d leave one behind, right?”

Rarity then gave me a smile. “Then he must surely be planning on coming home sometime today. He would never up and leave us like that.” She then raised her hoof while looking down at it. Clasped onto it was that silver opal-studded bracelet he had gotten her a few days after showing up in town. “He holds us too dearly to his heart to leave us now. I know this to be true.”

Yeah… He would never leave. I know we haven’t known him for that long, but we’ve all really gotten close to him in the last few weeks. He’ll be home today sometime. I know he will. “You’re right. No way he would leave now. He’s way too happy here to run off now.”

Rarity patted me on the shoulder. “Exactly. I wager ten bits that you and I will see him tomorrow.”

“Hey, I’m placing a stack of bits on that too!” I replied, grinning with confidence. I never lose at anything unless I let myself lose.

“Very well then! Ten bits a bet! I’ll bring my coin purse tomorrow.” Rarity spoke with a prissy smile. Heh, I was sure to win… Wait, didn’t we both bet on the same thing? Meh, I’ll still win. I always do.

Rarity then stood near the mannequin that held that stupid outfit again. “But now then, is there anything I can get you? Perhaps you would like to try on…”

I knew what was coming. “Nope! That’s all! Gotta go!” I turned and bolted before she could say anything. I guess I can stop here. Probably going to be boring to read how I go from pony to pony hearing the same thing. Besides, it’s a workday for me. Gotta clear up the skyline. And I’m pretty sure breaking up clouds sounds boring. I guess I could describe how fast I can do it, but come on! If you live in Ponyville, you’ve seen me do it plenty of times! So I’m taking a break from this. I just hope James does come home today. And where did he even go?

Well, that was certainly abrupt. Rainbow Dash rushed out of here before I could mention the Wonderbolts themed cape I had woven for her. Oh well, perhaps I will bundle it up for her birthday instead. But aside from that, what is all this business of my dear friend James vanishing into thin air? Surely it’s just an exaggeration. And I should know since I tend to exaggerate things from time to time.

Now that I was all alone again, I sauntered over to my work desk and looked over the latest masterpiece I had dreamt up. And I mean that quite literally. This design came to me in a dream. I had scribbled down the form of a classical princess’s garb. Certainly not of any use in modern society, but Nightmare Night is coming up next month and I intend to make up for not being able to attend last year. Hmmmm, perhaps dear James could be my knight! Oh, but I have never been skilled in forging armor… I will have to rethink his outfit’s design.

Still… I cannot wonder what my dear friend is up to. Nopony has seen him today? Not even Fluttershy? How in the world could she have missed him? They sleep in the same bed! Well, perhaps he snuck away to prepare something special for her without anypony knowing. He certainly caught me by surprise when I woke up to find this delightful bracelet around my wrist.

Well, it is getting close to noon and I am starting to feel a bit peckish. James does tend to frequent the local café for lunch. I suppose I shall meet him there. Just let me get my ‘out to lunch’ sign ready and I will be on my way.

My trip through town was fairly routine. By which I mean many fine stallions complimenting on my luscious mane and tail, gazing into my gorgeous azure eyes, and marveling at my flawless white coat. Well, all right. I suppose they do not ogle me quite THAT often. But I know I turned a few heads as I cantered through the town square.

Much to my delight, I found that hardly any tables were taken at the café when I arrived. “Hmmm… James always seems to prefer…this table.” I muttered to myself. James seems to be a type of fellow who seems to really stick to a routine. When he finds something he likes, he stays with it. And I truly concur with that. But not when it comes to one’s attire, oh no! One must have some variety in their day-to-day activities! Good thing I outfitted him with quite a few colorful shirts recently to broaden his wardrobe.

I took a seat at the nearest empty table and glanced around. James has never missed a lunch date with me. And he certainly never misses lunch. Although he was still nowhere to be seen. “It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.” I muttered under my breath.

I looked through the menu while passing the time. The sandwiches always caught my eye and the pastas always sounded so savory. And the quiches sounded absolutely delightful. But just as I was becoming lost in the thoughts of such delightful cuisine, a voice spoke from my left. “Have you made your decision?”

That gentlemanly waiter had come over to my table and was gazing at me with that ever so refined expression. I was just about to voice my order when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that James was still nowhere to be seen. Where was he? “Um… If you don’t mind, I would like to wait until a dear friend of mine arrives before I order.” The waiter seemed to understand and departed to tend to another table. It may be rude to keep a lady waiting, but it is equally rude to carry on without your partner. And I was not about to throw the first stone.

I forget how much time passed before I looked up from my menu. There is only so many times I can read spaghetti and meatballs, grass pancakes, and soup du jour before I start seeing them dance across my vision whenever I close my eyes. And yet… There was still no sign of my friend. Where was he? The latest I have ever seen James arrive at the café for lunch is no later than 12:30.

“Howdy, Rarity. Waitin’ for somepony?” An instantly recognizable voice spoke from behind me. I immediately looked over my shoulder and found Applejack standing behind me. I doubt I need to explain who she is. She owns only the largest and most successful apple orchid in this corner of Equestria. And I have forgotten how nightmarish it is to try to remember to include her accent when I write lines she has spoken.

“Ah, good afternoon, Applejack!” I retorted with my best smile. While I was certainly waiting for James, I could not turn away the company of another good friend.

“Whatcha doin’? Y'all don’t usually dine alone out here.” The country bumpkin asked… Oh dear, I should not have written that! And I cannot erase it since I am writing in ink! I pray Applejack does not ever read this…

“Well, I was hoping to dine with James today. He always shows up here at around this time. Although I must admit he is later than he’s ever been before.” I explained, once again turning my head to survey my surroundings. Still no sign of that humble gentleman.

Applejack seemed to be rather puzzled as well. She glanced around for a moment, a most perplexed expression on her face. “Ya don’t say? I was hopin’ ta catch ‘im here too.”

“You were? Why?” I could not help asking. Applejack seeking out James is somewhat odd. They hardly have anything in common, now that I think about it.

“Why? Well, I always see ‘im every mornin’, but I never saw ‘im today. I was hopin’ ta catch James here just ta say hi.” She replied with a noticeably worried expression. And I cannot blame her. Rainbow Dash has not seen him, Fluttershy and I believe Pinkie Pie has not seen him, and now even Applejack has failed to see James today. The only friends of his left to ask were Twilight Sparkle and little Sweetie Belle and her friends. Surely one of them has seen him.

I looked down at my menu one more time. My lunch could wait. My mare’s intuition is telling me something is not quite right here. “I’m not hungry anymore. If you want to have this table, you can help yourself.” I stood up and stepped away.

“Huh? Why? Y'all lose yer appetite, Rarity?” She asked, looking understandably puzzled.

“It’s hard to feel hungry when you’re worried. I’m going to go straight to Twilight and ask if she has seen James today. It is not like him to disappear like this.” I retorted before starting to trot away. But before I got too far, I felt a hoof rest on my shoulder. When I turned my head to look, I found Applejack gazing at me with a most determined look.

“Y'all ain’t the only one who’s feelin’ a might bothered. I’m goin’ with ya.” Applejack spoke to me before giving me a reassuring smile.

I could not help smiling myself. While Applejack certainly is not the tidiest of ponies in Ponyville, she is certainly one of the most dependable friends I have. “Very well. Let us search for our friend’s whereabouts together. Onward!”

The first place we stopped by was the library. Perhaps Twilight has seen James today. Or maybe Spike has seen him while out and about on his errands. I nudged the door open gently before calling out. “Oh, Twilight! Spike! Are you… Oh, you are home!” I did not need to call out at all. Twilight was looking through a bookcase right as I opened the door.

“Oh! Hello, Rarity! Hello, Applejack. What can I help you with?” Our brilliant unicorn friend asked while casually cantering over to us.

“Sorry for showin’ up on short notice, Twi. We’ve…uh…got kinda a predicament here. Have ya seen James today?” Applejack spoke first, holding out her hoof.

Much to my disappointment, Twilight seemed rather puzzled as she voiced a reply. “No, I haven’t seen him today yet. Did something happen? Am I supposed to be expecting him?”

I let out a sigh. I was placing nearly all of my hope on Twilight having the answer to what I was seeking. She usually does. “Oh… I see.”

Twilight was quick to notice my disappointment and asked with a look of true concern on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong? I’m sure you’ll find him today.”

“It’s not that I have not seen him today, Twilight…” I retorted, my gaze turning towards Applejack.

“The problem is that NOPONY has seen ‘im taday. And we’re gettin’ a might worried.” Applejack explained further.

To my surprise, Twilight let out a giggle. “Oh, girls… You know he’s not someone who would just up and leave without an explanation! If he did have to go somewhere, he would’ve at least left a note at home, wouldn’t he?”

Well, I suppose that is true. The last time he had to leave for some time, he left a message behind detailing where he was going and why he had to go. He would surely be back sometime today if he did not leave one behind. “Ah, yes. He most certainly would have… Although I cannot help but be concerned.”

Twilight gave both of us a comforting smile. “I know. Tell you what. If he’s not back by tomorrow, we’ll go over to Fluttershy’s place and turn the whole house upside-down to find the note he left behind. If it hasn’t been found yet, it probably got carried away by one of her little animal friends.”

“Well, that certainly is a possibility.” I muttered with a slight giggle. Animals can certainly be cheeky little things.

“I guess we’ll just be spinnin’ our wheels if we keep lookin’ with no idea where ta start. Whatcha say we just wait things out, Rarity?” Applejack asked while glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

I took a moment to think things over. I was definitely worried about my dear friend, but they were right. All we could do was wait. It was too soon to raise the alarm. “Well… Okay then. He’ll come back when he’s good and ready. There’s no way he would abandon Ponyville.” I have to wonder… Did we repeat ourselves too often during this visit?

Twilight stepped forward with a smile. “That’s right. You know he cares about us too much to leave. But while you’re here, is there anything I can help you find?”

Applejack and I glanced at each other before I answered. “Well, in all honesty, we came here hoping you had seen James and nothing more. I have no need for any books right now.”

My country bumpkin friend then… Oh dear, there I go again. Please forgive me if you ever read this, Applejack! Regardless, she nodded with a rather sheepish grin. “Uh… Same here, Twi. I wasn’t lookin’ for anythin’ in here… Actually, hang on. Ya got any manuals on wagons? Big Macintosh was lookin’ ta make some adjustments on one.”

Twilight smiled brightly before motioning for Applejack to approach a bookcase with her. “Oh, I know which one you want. A copy of ‘Carpentry for Equestrian Handyponies’ should suit Big Macintosh just fine.”

I knew I was not going to be of any help, so I turned to leave. However, Applejack called out to me a few seconds later. “Hold yer horses, Rarity! I’m comin’!” Applejack trotted right up to me with…. Wait, where was her book?

“Applejack, please tell me you did not make like Pinkie Pie and ate your book.” I asked while eyeing her stomach.

She gave me that smug smirk of hers. “Nah. Same place where I keep my bits!” She flung her head up, causing her hat to rise into the air along with a book that was concealed underneath. “Don’t need bags when ya got a tiny bit of space under yer cap.” The book then landed softly on her head before her hat landed down on her head after it.

Such an ingenious hiding spot. I am certain even Apple Bloom has even taken advantage of that on occasions. “Well, there’s no chance of that slipping out.” I then turned to Twilight and asked, “Twilight? Now that I think about it, where is Spike?”

She rolled her eyes for whatever reason. “Oh, him? He’s not here right now. He took Owlowiscious out on his errands today. Said something about ‘needing a few extra quills on hand’ or something like that.” That brilliant unicorn mare then shrugged her shoulders. “I guess it can’t be helped. We’re down to our last quill and Quills and Sofas hasn’t restocked their inventory of quills yet. Still have plenty of sofas though.”

We all could not help but laugh at that little remark. I am truly amazed that little shop has stayed in business when they seem to sell more quills than sofas. “Well, it was certainly fun meeting up with you, Twilight. But I really need to get back to work. I will have to grab a sandwich to go at the café… I can’t believe I missed lunch over this mess!”

Twilight nodded with a comforting smile. “Don’t worry too much about James, Rarity. Wouldn’t want you to start getting gray hairs.”

Gray… GRAY?! NO! Gray does not mix well with my gorgeous indigo coif! “Eek! Then don’t tease me about that! You know how stressed I get when I imagine such beauty being ruined!”

Applejack draped her leg across my back and pulled me towards the door just as I was about to shriek again. “We’ll talk ta ya later, Twi. And thanks for the book.”

I was dragged outside before Twilight could even utter a response. “Easy there, Rarity. Yer hair ain’t gonna turn gray. Besides, even if it did, couldn’t ya just dye it ta match the rest?”

Dye? That thought had never occurred to me. “Dye it indigo? I suppose that could work… But what is the point is hiding natural beauty behind false colors?! True beauty comes from within and is accentuated by one’s outer appearance!”

For whatever reason, Applejack gave me a rather annoyed scowl. “This comin’ from somepony who wears false la… Mmph?!”

I hurriedly shoved my hoof into Applejack’s mouth to silence her. It would be utter scandal if word got out about that… Oh dear… I just wrote it down for anypony to see! I must make certain nopony sees this journal. Nopony!

“Applejack, you know to not tell anypony about that.” I whispered in as menacing a tone as I could muster.

My intimidation seemed to work. She nodded and took a step backward. “Uh… All righty, Rarity. I won’t mention that again.”

I grinned in triumph, knowing my secret was safe. And will remain safe as long as this journal remains unseen. “Thank you kindly, Applejack! But now I need to hurry home. Sapphire Shores herself has commissioned me for a shimmering white suit adorned with the purest sapphires and I aim to please!”

Applejack seemed to be waiting for some sort of signal while I looked at her. I suppose she was slightly apprehensive from how suddenly I had thrust my hoof into her mouth to stop her from speaking. “Um… You may speak now.” I spoke after feeling she was waiting too long.

“Okay. Well, I’m gonna head back over to my apple stall at market. Big Macintosh is probably hankerin’ for a lunch break by now.” Applejack finally replied, looking somewhat relieved in the process.

“Oh, that reminds me that I have not enjoyed lunch yet today. Well, I had best fix that, shouldn’t I?” I asked, adjusting my gorgeous mane before turning my gaze in the general direction of the café. Hopefully they were not too busy to turn down an order for take-out at the time.

“Same here. I’m gonna get goin’. See ya ‘round, Rarity.” Applejack spoke with a wave of her hoof before beginning to walk away.

Just before I could do the same, a thought suddenly occurred to me. I rushed over to Applejack before she could get too far. “Applejack! One moment, please!”

My farm friend paused and turned to face me. “Huh? What’s up, Rarity?”

I then asked, “When little Apple Bloom returns home from school… Or even better, if you see her with the other members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, could you please ask them if they have seen James? Seeing as how he is a member as well, they more than likely have some idea of where he might be.”

Applejack held her hoof to the underside of her chin, clearly deeply contemplating my request. “Well, it won’t be proper if we barge right inta the schoolhouse ta ask when they’re in the middle of class… But askin’ ‘em when they get outta school for the day sounds like a mighty fine idea!” She then beamed at me with a very elated smile. “I’ll grab whatever info I can from 'em and pass it yer way. Just don’t worry too much just yet.”

I nodded to show my gratitude. Those three fillies are certainly on good terms with James, especially that rowdy Scootaloo. Although I wonder… I have never once met her parents. Why is that? Oh wait, completely off topic. That is a mystery for another day.

“Many thanks, Applejack. Now, no more delays. Time to get some delectable hors d'oeuvres.” I spoke with a smile before rushing off. My stomach was demanding satisfaction as much as my fashion sense demands perfection and I was not about to deny it any longer.

Nothing of any importance occurred on my way back home. Unless you count standing outside a café while waiting for your order to be brought out to you a fun experience. Once I was back inside, I promptly unwrapped my FLT sandwich and took a bite. FLT stands for ‘flower lettuce tomato’, in case you were wondering. I was quite famished by then, so that first bite was simply heavenly.

I took the time to look over the designs while enjoying my lunch. Sapphire Shores always preferred sleek flexible outfits without any dazzling frills. Always said it was to let the movement of her body draw the attention of her audience instead of the movements of her attire. And I certainly see the logic in that.

“Now then… Perhaps I should arrange a pattern with the gemstones?” I mused to myself as I slid my hoof over the design. However, my inspiration was interrupted when I laid eyes on the lovely bracelet around my wrist.

“Oh dear… I shouldn’t let myself be distracted, yet…” I could not take my eyes off of it. The…elegant silver shimmering with the translucent opals… James chose well. That man is willing to please his friends any way he can. And now I miss him all the more.

I believe I shall stop writing here. I need to focus on this current commission. James, please be well. And do come home soon. I’m hoping to enjoy a spot of tea with you sometime.

Howdy there, folks. This is Applejack speaking… I mean writing. I normally don’t keep journals, but something weird’s been happening today. One of my good pals has seemingly just up and disappeared into thin air. I always see James in the morning, or at least almost always. If you’ve been living in Ponyville for the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen a tall human guy walking around town sometimes. That’s James.

I wasn’t too worried when I never saw him this morning, but I started to get a might worried when I found out that none of my closest friends had seen him either. Or at least those I’ve seen so far today. I just got back home at Sweet Apple Acres after meeting up with Rarity and Twilight today. I guess it’s too soon to start raising a ruckus over James not being seen today, but I reckon it wouldn’t hurt to ask Apple Bloom and her friends if they’ve spotted him. You all probably know them as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Well, James is a member too since he doesn’t have a cutie mark. Or at least he didn’t. Turns out the guy somehow got one a couple of weeks back while he was hiding out in the Everfree Forest. Long complicated story there and I don’t want to bore you with the details, so moving on.

Anyway, I went right back to work as soon as I got back to Sweet Apple Acres. Still had plenty of apples to harvest, what with it being late summer by now, so I set out some bushels at the first apple tree I saw that still had specks of red mixed in with those leafy green branches and gave the tree a buck. Like clockwork, every last apple fell right into the bushels without one missing. For the record, that’s a little trick passed down by the Apple family for generations. Just don’t ask me how, because that little information will cost you a pretty bit unless you'd rather marry into the Apple family.

I reckon it’s not exactly interesting to read about how farm work is done, seeing how repetitive it can be. I’ll just skip ahead a bit. After a few hours of hauling apples and taking a few breaks, I heard a little sound on the wind coming from the path leading into the farm. It’s something you pick up when your little sister likes to have friends over. By which I mean it sounded like Apple Bloom was just about home and bringing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo along for the ride.

I wanted to finish my current trip to the barn, so I hurried on in and dropped off the load of apples I had harvested. Sure enough, Apple Bloom came right up the path while chatting with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I think they were discussing costumes for Nightmare Night coming up in several weeks. But for whatever reason, they stopped talking when they noticed me come out of the barn. What kind of costumes were they thinking up?

“Oh! Uh… Howdy, Applejack! Whatcha doin’?” Apple Bloom asked while looking all nervous like. I could tell right away she was up to something, but it couldn’t be anything too bad, right?

I decided to not ask about what they had been discussing and just let the thought go. “Howdy, girls. I was just harvestin’ a few more apples before things got too late in the day. Y'all headin’ on over ta yer clubhouse?”

Sweetie Belle spoke up before Apple Bloom could. That unicorn cutie raised her hoof with a big smile. “Yeah! We were gonna do our homework today over there, and then work on coming up with new ideas on how to get our cutie marks.”

Those girls… I couldn’t help chuckling. Anypony who knows those three already know what they’re really good at, but they’re just plain oblivious to their own talents for some reason or another. Oh well, they’ll figure it out someday. I mean, they’ve got to figure it out if their skills are as obvious as the pink bow on Apple Bloom’s head. “Well, you girls have fun over there. And James is gonna show up ta help y'all with that, right?”

I’ll admit I was really getting my hopes up that at least one of them had bumped into James at some point today. But Scootaloo replied while shaking her head. “Uh... We never got the chance to ask him yet. We haven’t seen him today… Or did we?” She then looked at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Did any of you see him today? Because I didn’t.”

Apple Bloom shrugged her shoulders. “Uh uh, can’t say I have. What 'bout you, Sweetie Belle?”

I was holding my breath when Sweetie Belle started to talk. “Um… No, sorry. I haven’t seen him at all today.”

Well… I was a might disappointed by that. But I couldn’t let myself show it. Wouldn’t want to worry the kids. “All right then… Y'all want me ta send ‘im yer way next time I spot ‘im today?”

Scootaloo grinned about as brightly as a pig with fresh slop. “Yes, please! Let my big brother know we’d like his help today.”

Man… If James really has disappeared, it will really hit poor Scootaloo hard if she finds out. I did my best to not show that I was feeling worried by then and showed my best smile. “Will do. Now, you girls go and get yer assignments done. Don’t wanna head inta class tomorrow without gettin’ ‘em done, right?”

Apple Bloom glanced around at her friends, who all nodded with big smiles. “Yeah, we gotta get that stuff done first. Let’s go, girls! Can’t go crusadin’ ‘til we get our homework done.”

As they trotted off, I heard Sweetie Belle speak up. “Hey, I was just thinking… Do you think there’s a cutie mark for being really good at doing homework?”

Scootaloo replied with a pretty sarcastic sounding laugh. “Are you kidding?! If there was, we would’ve gotten them years ago!” I have to admit I got a good laugh out of that one.

Once the fillies were out of sight, I dropped my smile. “Well, shucks… Even Scoot hasn’t seen ‘im today?” I know it was a bit too early to really start letting myself get worried, but… Something just wasn’t right. Somewhere in my gut, I knew something wasn’t adding up. “Hit a dead end… Better report back ta Rarity like I promised.”

I had done enough applebucking for the day, so I decided to head back into town to let Rarity know I hadn’t found any leads. Nothing special happened on my way to Carousel Boo… I mean Bow… Uh… Bou… I mean Rarity’s place! Fancy pants ponies and their fancy words…

I gave the front door a knock when I got to… OK, I can do this… Carousel Bou… Boutique? Yeah, that’s it! Carousel Boutique! I knocked on the door to let Rarity know I was coming in. Right as I opened the door, I heard that jingly bell ring above me. “Howdy, Rarity. Ya home?”

Rarity was standing in front of a crate just packed to the brim with sapphires. Every few seconds, one would float up and attach to one sleek looking suit being worn on one of Rarity’s mannequins. From what I was seeing, she was dotting the whole thing with smaller sapphires while using the big ones to make lines that went over the legs that connected across the chest and back. Land sakes, if only there was a way to make that stuff glow when being worn!

“Hm? Oh, hello! Did you have any success in learning anything from our sisters, Applejack?” Rarity asked right away while taking a break from her work. Heh, that suit will really make Sapphire Shores live up to her name next concert.

I tried to smile, I really did. But I just couldn’t bring myself to lie to her. “Rarity… I’m sorry. Even the fillies haven’t seen ‘im taday.”

Rarity let out a sigh like I was expecting. “Drat… Well, I suppose all we can do now is wait for him to come home tonight.”

Yeah, she had a point there. “Huh… Yeah, I guess yer right. One day without ‘im won’t kill us. I’m just gonna wait it out from this point.”

“There, that’s better! Let’s give him a bit more time.” Rarity replied with a grin before going right back to work with putting those sapphires on that suit in front of her. “I can just imagine it. He’s going to slip in during the night, lie down next to Fluttershy in bed while she sleeps and wake her with a kiss. Such a romantic, that man…”

“Heheh… I can see ‘im doin’ that. Maybe he’ll even propose ta ‘er tonight.” I couldn’t help joking with Rarity right there.

“Oh, I doubt he’s going to go that far so quickly. Granted, they have bonded quite fast over the last few weeks, but going from lovers to husband and wife in under a month is unheard of! Even Fluttershy would not be that hasty.” Rarity replied while looking over her shoulder at me. She seemed kind of…um…well, her expression seemed kind of neutral. But she then grinned at me. “But if he did propose, I would be thrilled to weave their attire for the wedding.”

Yep, that’s just like Rarity. All about romance and good looks. She did design Princess Cadence’s dress for her wedding. Doesn’t surprise me that she would be itching to make another. “Well, that’s all fine and dandy. Anyway, I better get goin’. I wanna check on Fluttershy before I head home, all right?”

Rarity nodded while glancing back and forth from her pile of sapphires… OK, I’m sorry, but that was just one snazzy suit. I’m not going to be able to get that white and blue out of my head for the rest of the day. “Very well. Do give my best to Fluttershy when you see her. Now, where does this one go…” She went right from focusing on me to going back to focusing on her suit in just a few seconds. I didn’t say anything and slipped outside without her even noticing.

Well, I reckon now’s a good time to stop. I don’t have much else planned out and should probably check up on Fluttershy. Thanks for reading, everypony. I don’t write journals often, so I hope I didn’t bore you. See you all around.

Hello again. This is Fluttershy writing. Um… I know I already wrote a journal today, but I think I should add to it. If that’s OK, I mean… You don’t have to read if you don’t want to.

I stayed around in Sugarcube Corner for a while after I finished breakfast. I just wanted somepony to be with at the time. I felt so lonely with worry without seeing my boyfriend this morning, so I had to beat it back any way I could. And Pinkie Pie was more than happy to keep me happy.

“So, my dog had spilled cherry juice all over himself. I mean, really! Cherry juice! Do you have any idea how bad that stuff stains?!” Pinkie Pie shouted from a makeshift stage she had set up in her loft above the storefront. She insisted on doing some standup for me. And it was working pretty well.

“What did you do to get the stains out?” I asked, wondering where this joke was going.

Pinkie Pie gave a big grin while she spoke her reply. “Oh, that’s easy! I just used some spot remover. NOW I CAN’T FIND HIM!!!” That was a good joke. I really laughed at that… But wait! Whatever happened to poor Spot? Is there really an invisible dog running around Ponyville?

“Oh, right! Then there was that time with Fancy Pants in Canterlot! Such a cool guy, with really fancy clothes! But you know what was really weird about him?” Pinkie Pie went on.

I took a moment to think the punch line over. But before I could reply, a voice called out from the stairwell behind me. “Lemme guess. No pants!”

Pinkie Pie pointed and shouted, “YES!” Then suddenly I saw her beat out a rim roll on some drums and cymbals… But…how was she up on the stage and over at the drums at the same time? I couldn’t look in both directions at once, so I don’t think I will ever know.

I turned to see who had spoken the punch line and saw Applejack walking towards us. “And the funny thing is it’s true! Fancy Pants sure is a fancy fella, but he ain’t much for pants. Anyway, what’re ya girls up to?”

Pinkie Pie spoke before I could. “Fluttershy was feeling sad and lonely, so I’m perking her up with some jokes! Like this one!” She then held her microphone to her mouth and asked, “Hey, do you know why Big Macintosh is called ‘Big’ Macintosh?”

Applejack didn’t seem entirely comfortable with Pinkie Pie talking about her big brother. “Uh… Pinkie? What did y'all hear about my brother?”

The comedian onstage replied, “Don’t worry, this is a good one! And the answer isn’t because he’s a big pony. I mean he’s not THAT much bigger than us. But I was lucky enough to find out from a mare he was dating!”

I looked at Applejack, who seemed a bit nervous. Did she know where the joke was going? “Anyway, everypony in town knows Big Macintosh is a bit on the quiet and shy side, so it was a big surprise to me to see him dating somepony! Well, the lucky mare came into Sugarcube Corner the day after I saw them together. I said hello and asked her how Big Macintosh was to her the previous night.”

Since Pinkie Pie paused for a moment, I tried speaking up. “And…what did she say he was?”

Pinkie giggled before replying. “Well, her expression became like this…” Her face looked like she was completely lovestruck or smitten with somepony and she even started to sway a bit. “And all she said was… Biiiig.”

I fell onto my side laughing. That was…wow. I did not see that coming. But Applejack seemed kind of bothered by the punch line. She looked really annoyed, but was also blushing while pulling her hat down over her face. “Uh… Wow, Pinkie. I didn’t know y'all could do jokes like that. Just don’t go ‘round town tellin’ that ta anypony. Big Macintosh is a might sensitive.”

Pinkie Pie laughed loudly while I tried to calm down. “Oh, don’t worry! That joke is safely locked away in my vault in a kryptonite case hidden on the dark side of Mars!”

Kryptonite… Mars…? “Uh…where?” I asked. Even though I know Pinkie Pie is extremely random sometimes, that was…really out there.

“Exactly!” She replied, almost as if she knew exactly what I was about to ask. “Anyway, what’s up, Applejack? You need any apple turnovers?”

Applejack chuckled while she replied. “Nah, I reckon Granny Smith is already whippin’ up a batch of ‘em at home right now. Pretty sure I smelled ‘em when I left. I’m just here ta check on Fluttershy.”

I think I knew why she was checking on me. “I’m all right, Applejack. I mean… I’m still worried, but I’m sure he has a good reason to be away right now.”

“Heheh, yeah. Rarity was goin’ on ‘bout how he just might sneak in tonight and surprise ya in bed.” Applejack was giving me a sly smirk when she said that. And…oh dear, my wings sprang open when I thought about it. James just might really do that!

“She said that? Oh…my… That sounds so…romantic….” I felt so hot as I said those words. I must have been blushing. No, I really must have been blushing.

“Ooh, whatcha thinking about, Fluttershy?! You planning something special for your sweetie pie?” I heard Pinkie Pie jeering from behind me.

“Ain’t that the name of one of yer cousins?” Applejack asked before I could faint. I mean, I really was feeling lightheaded at that moment. And hot… Did I mention I was feeling really lightheaded?

“Oh, yeah! My second cousin! Silly me!” Pinkie giggled right into her microphone, broadcasting her giggling throughout the room.

Still… I could not stop thinking about my boyfriend. Sneaking in during the middle of the night and coming to me as I lie in bed… I’m just feeling giddy with excitement. It’s definitely something he would do. “Um… I’m sorry, Pinkie. I really should be getting home now. I want to make sure I’m there when James comes home.”

Applejack gave me her biggest smile. “Well, don’t let us stop ya! Get goin’, girl!”

Pinkie Pie then spoke up too. “You just bring your sweetheart back to Ponyville when he shows up! I’ll have some cupcakes waiting!”

I nodded while smiling. I was feeling much more confident already. I said goodbye to my friends and hurried down the stairs and out the door. To save time, I decided to fly the rest of the way to my house. I normally prefer walking, but I was feeling so…um….pumped up that I just wanted to get home as fast as possible. And flying is faster than running.

I got home in record time. I saw a bunch of cute little bunnies hopping around in the fields near my home and some songbirds singing in the trees. It always feels so good to come home to that. But there was still no sign of my boyfriend. But that was OK. I knew he would be coming home soon.

Um… I would like to write about all the rest of the things that happened while I was home, but I don’t think anypony would be interested in reading about that. But at the end of the day, I watched from my roof as the sun went down. That lovely shade of pink and orange in the sky… I felt so at peace, but so very lonely too. James and I watched the sun go down a few times and it always felt so right watching that with somepony you love.

I have made up my mind. I will not go to sleep until James comes home tonight. It’s almost 9 PM right now, so I’ll go ahead and take a shower now.

All right, I just finished… 9:30 PM. Still no sign of him. I think I will brew some tea to help pass the time.

That was some good tea. I saved some in the pot for James. I know he loves honey in his. It is 10:30 PM now. He should be here anytime.

Midnight… Still no sign of him, but I won’t sleep. Not until he’s by my side again.

Goooooooood morning, Ponyville! This is Pinkie Pie writing to you today! Things have been getting a little weird today, so I’m keeping a journal until things go back to normal. Or at least normal for a place with me in it!

I started out my day just like any other. That is to say, me getting dressed in my workout clothes! Yeah, ponies wear clothes sometimes! But I had to take them off right after putting them on when I noticed I didn’t have any babies to make laugh. I just can’t start my day until I make somepony laugh, or at least smile. But that was when I had an idea!

“Ooh, I bet Fluttershy could use a smile! And James too! Since he probably got home last night, I bet he could use a ‘welcome home smile’ to start his day!” I spoke to myself. But then that little voice in my head that keeps trying to talk me out of eating salads instead of candy spoke up. “Duuuuh! Now go give them some giggles!”

I fixed up my mane and made sure to feed Gummy before I left. Sugarcube Corner hadn’t opened yet, so I didn’t have to worry about being late to work. I also know that James works at the spa today, so I had to hurry to catch him before he left. I trotted through town, saying hello to Derpy as I walked by. And Rose. And Zecora. And Cranky Doodle. And Matilda. And Deadpool! He’s my most special friend! Oh, just don’t ask me where he comes from. I only see him once in a very long time and it’s never for very long. That, and nopony believes me when I talk about him.

Anyway, I had to rest my hoof after waving to so many friends before long. I trotted right across the meadow that leads to Fluttershy’s place. Things were kinda quiet when I started to get close. The birds were hardly tweeting and things seemed kinda…sad. I don’t know how that works! How does a place FEEL sad?

I saw Fluttershy with her back turned to me across the little bridge that crosses the stream in front of her cottage. She seemed a little unsteady with how she was swaying just a little. I trotted right up behind her and gave her my biggest grin. “Gooooood morning, Fluttershy!”

For some reason, Fluttershy didn’t turn around. But she did quietly reply. “Oh… Good morning, Pinkie Pie.”

She sounded pretty bad. I thought she was sick at first. “Hey, are you OK? You don’t sound too good. And where’s James?”

“James… I… I promised myself I wouldn’t go to sleep until he was by my side again.” She muttered softly. She sounded so tired.

“Uh huh… Then what’s wrong?” I asked, becoming really concerned the longer she talked. Hey, I just wrote that in a more professional style! Cool!

Fluttershy started to turn to face me when I spoke. Those eyes… I jumped back. She looked…awful. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot with bags under them. It was like she had not slept. “He never came home…”

Never came home… Oh no… “He never showed up…? At all? Oh no no no no no, this isn’t good…”

“I don’t know what to do… He should’ve been home yesterday… He never left a note saying why he would be gone for a day…” Fluttershy muttered with her head bowed. She looked so exhausted.

“Well… If he’s been gone this long… Then he must’ve left a note around here explaining why!” I replied with a big smile. I had to do everything I could to keep Fluttershy’s spirits up. And mine. I was worried too, but there must be a reason why he’s still gone. “Let’s go round up the girls! We’ll have an easier time finding his message if we’re all looking at the same time!”

“Uh huh… Let’s go…” Fluttershy replied weakly. I could tell she was trying her best to smile, but she was really not in good shape.

“I’m pretty sure Granny Smith has a little pick-me-up that’ll get you through the day. Let’s go find Applejack first!” I spoke before pointing south. Granny Smith has all kinds of old recipes that are amazingly powerful. And without using caffeine!

Fluttershy kept wandering off to the sides with how tired she was, so I had to keep pushing her back and forth to keep her on the right path. It didn’t take too long to reach Sweet Apple Acres. And lucky for us, Applejack was already outside the barn. “Morning, Applejack!”

Our friendly farm friend turned to look in my direction before giving me a big grin. “Huh? Oh, howdy! What brings y'all… Whoa, Fluttershy! What’s wrong with ya?” I guess it didn’t take her long to notice Fluttershy’s extremely sleepy face.

“Huh…? My face…? Oh, that…” Fluttershy spoke before letting out a really long yawn. “It was…zzzz…”

Uh…. Wow. That’s the first time I ever saw somepony fall asleep while standing. Applejack spoke up while Fluttershy stood before us with her head bowed in sleep. “Uh… Ya think we oughta wake ‘er up?”

Before I could reply, I felt my tail twitching like mad behind me. “Ooh, my Pinkie Sense is tingling! I think…somepony’s about to do it for us!”

Right when I said that, a big splash of water crashed onto Fluttershy’s head. She woke up with a shriek, looking around while shivering. “Huh?! What?! Did I…fall asleep?”

Applejack looked up and smiled while waving. “Much obliged, Derpy! She needed that!”

I looked up to see who Applejack was talking to and saw Derpy Hooves hovering above us with a bucket hanging from her mouth. “Don’t mention it!” She replied before flying off in Ponyville’s direction.

“All righty then, Fluttershy. We gotta get ya wide awake if yer gonna get through the day. And I’ve got just the thing. Right this way, girls.” Applejack motioned for us to follow her. Fluttershy seemed wide awake after that, but she was already starting to look really drowsy again.

“Uh… You think we should….ugh…tell her about why we’re here?” Fluttershy asked while trying to walk straight.

I gave her my most reassuring smile. “Let’s wait until you’re really perked up.”

Applejack took us into the kitchen of her house. The air was warm from the stove being on and…was that the smell of peppers in the air? There was already a pot on the stove and there was a really REALLY spicy odor coming from it. “Granny Smith was havin’ a hard time gettin’ herself goin’ this mornin’, so I whipped up 'er lil’ homebrewed pick-me-up to really get ‘er peepers workin’. We still got enough here for another servin’, just let me warm it up first.”

I watched while Applejack got the bellows on the floor working to get the fire in the stove hotter. I wonder what she put in that stuff… Oh well. We didn’t have to wait long. Applejack soon took a ladle and poured some of the brew into a cup for Fluttershy. “All yers, Fluttershy. Don’t just sip from it though. Chug it.”

Fluttershy wobbled over to the counter and looked down at the cup. “Um… Are you sure this is safe to drink? It smells…awful.”

I couldn’t help giggling. “Yeah! I can smell it from here, and that smells like something only a dragon would drink!”

Applejack rolled her eyes with a pretty funny looking smile. “Well, it is my first time brewin’ it. But it really got Granny Smith movin’, so I’m guessin’ I got it right. Go on and take it!”

Fluttershy looked down at the cup before gulping hard. “Well… Here I go.” She held the cup between her hooves and took a deep breath. She tilted her head back and gulped the whole thing down. I was about to ask how it tasted, but Fluttershy then showed the craziest expression I had ever seen on her face while her mane and tail stuck straight up and went all Mohawk-like!

“AAAAGH!!! IT BURNS!!!” Fluttershy shrieked while rolling around on the floor with her face as red as a tomato. I honestly did not want to laugh at her…but I couldn’t help it! I was howling!

“Hmmm….. Was that two teaspoons of habanero pepper or two whole buckets of habanero peppers I was supposed ta use?” Applejack muttered out loud while holding a hoof to her chin.

Fluttershy then asked, “Habanero?! Who drinks… Wait… I feel…better?” The red in her face was gone and her hair was back to normal. And to top it off, her eyes looked normal too! “Wow… I feel really rested now! It actually worked!”

“Granny Smith wouldn’t add anythin’ to 'er old remedy book if it didn’t work right. But in any case, what happened? Y'all ain’t somepony who’s known for havin’ insomnia, Fluttershy. Somethin’ on yer mind?” Applejack replied after placing the empty cup in the kitchen sink.

“Oh… That. Well… I promised myself that I wouldn’t sleep until James came home last night…” Fluttershy muttered, instantly looking depressed.

Applejack turned and looked at Fluttershy with a look of really strong concern and even a bit of shock. “Last night? Don’t tell me he…”

Fluttershy let out a loud sigh before she spoke. “No… He never came home…”

“He… Really? Never? Land sakes, this just don’t bode well…” Applejack muttered while looking away.

I decided to speak up at that point. “No, it’s kinda creepy! That’s why we need to round up our friends to turn Fluttershy’s house upside-down to find any evidence on what might’ve happened to him!” I then reached into my Pinkie Space and pulled out my trusty detective hat and bubble pipe! “It’s time for another cold case investigation by Private Eye Pinkie Pie!”

I turned and started to make my way towards the door when I noticed Fluttershy and Applejack weren’t following me. “Hey, come on! We’ve got a mystery to solve!”

“Um… Pinkie Pie…?” Fluttershy muttered with a look that looked like… Well… It kind of looked like this. u_u

“We ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘til ya take off that hat.” Applejack added with an identical expression.

“Huh?! Why?! This is the perfect look for an expert detective who’s trying to solve a mystery!” I replied while holding my pipe. I just don’t get why they didn’t want me wearing it!

“Pinkie… Do you remember the last time you put that on?” Fluttershy asked without changing that really funny look on her face.

“Why? The last time I wore this was when we were on the… Oooooh…” That’s right. The last time was when we were taking the train to Canterlot for the National Dessert Competition. And… Wow, I really made myself look like a total loony. Don’t want that to happen again! “I see what you mean. I’ll just…uh…put these away now.” I then stashed my hat and pipe back into my Pinkie Space. Oh… And before you ask what Pinkie Space is… Well, I’ll just write it out for you. $!@^%%&^*&%**(^*%@$#% That’s Pinkie Space! Oh wait… I’m the only pony who can read that. Sorry! I guess I can’t translate it enough for other ponies!

“That’s better. Now, let’s mosey. We should go get Twilight next.” Applejack spoke up while we followed her out the door. “Big Macintosh! Mind the farm for a lil’ while! I’ve got a bit of an emergency on my hooves!”

I heard Big Macintosh call from upstairs somewhere. “Eyup!” He never talks much and I have no idea why!

Fluttershy asked while we left the farm, “Do you think there’s a shortcut we can take?”

I replied while reaching to my left, “Of course there is, silly filly! Let’s just jump to the next frame!” I then started pulling frame after frame looking for the right place. “OK, there’s the town square… Sugarcube Corner… Whoa, an unfinished storyboard! Rarity’s house… The library… Oh, wait! Go back! Library! There we go!” I made sure we were in the right place before letting go of the frame. “Here we are! Twilight’s… Um… Are you OK?”

Applejack and Fluttershy looked really weirded out by something. “Pinkie, just how in the hay do ya do that?!” Applejack yelled while her eyes seemed to be rolling around in her head.

“Oh, that’s easy! All you have to do is…” Um… I would explain more… But seeing as how Fluttershy and Applejack looked like they had just suffered seizures by the time I finished explaining, I think it would be a bad idea to force it onto you readers too.

“Uuuugh… Pink….fluffy unicorns…” Fluttershy muttered while looking completely unresponsive. I honestly felt sorry for her, but I knew she would be OK in a minute.

“Dancin’…on…rainbows…” Applejack added with her head resting in her upside-down hat.

I heard the sound of hooves clopping coming up from behind me before a familiar voice spoke up. “Whoa, what happened to these two? Did you try to explain something weird to them again?”

I turned to face who was talking and found Rainbow Dash standing next to me. “Oh, I was just explaining how I jump between panels! All you do is…” Oops. I did it again. Rainbow Dash fell on the ground in a minute while foaming at the mouth.

“Stay…away from Fluttershy’s….shed…” She muttered weirdly. And since when does Fluttershy have a shed? Rainbow Dash must get some really weird dreams sometimes. Maybe she needs to lay off the cider.

I went back to Sugarcube Corner while waiting for my friends to wake up and grabbed a cupcake. But when I came back, they STILL were sprawled out on the ground! So I went ahead and ordered a pizza. And I made sure to get one that’s big enough for all of my friends!

“Uh huh. An extra large veggie pizza for carryout!” I spoke to the clerk at the counter after jumping to another panel that led to the local Pizza Pony Express. Then I hopped back over to my friends. Fortunately, they were starting to come to their senses by the time I got back. “Ooh, you’re awake! Is everypony all right?”

Applejack spoke up first while adjusting the hat on her head. “Yeah, I’m good. Only now I’m gonna have that dang song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.”

Fluttershy stood up next and asked, “Um… Does it go something like…pink fluffmmph?!”

“I don’t wanna hear it, Fluttershy! Just don’t bring it up again!” Applejack interrupted her by stuffing her hoof into Fluttershy’s mouth. Fluttershy didn’t seem to mind though and just gave a nod.

Rainbow Dash let out a groan as she rubbed her head. “Ugh, you girls aren’t the only ones with a song stuck in your head. And why does my skull hurt so much?!”

I giggled nervously, feeling pretty bad that trying to explain how I manipulate panels caused them to…well…experience whatever they were going through. “Sorry…! I guess that stuff is hard to explain… But hey! I think I can try dumbing it down for…”

“NO!!!” All three of my friends shouted at me with really annoyed looks. I just grinned sheepishly without a word, hoping they weren’t too mad from what happened.

“Anyway, what’s going on? You girls paying a visit to the library for something special?” Rainbow Dash asked while glancing back and forth at us.

Applejack spoke up first. “Well, we were all lookin’ for ya too, Rainbow. Good thing ya found us.”

I then tried to explain things. “Yeah, but we need Twilight and Rarity too! We’ve got trouble, Rainbow! BIG trouble!”

I think Rainbow wasn’t taking me very seriously since all she did at first was laugh. “What? Do you need to gather up some instruments to lure away a swarm of Parasprites again?”

Fluttershy replied with a really worried expression. “No… It’s just that… James never came home last night.”

Rainbow Dash instantly lost that swagger of hers when she heard that. “Wait… You’re serious? No sign of him today?”

Applejack spoke up instead of Fluttershy. “She stayed up all night waitin’ for ‘im, Rainbow. From dusk ‘til dawn. And he never showed up. Right, Fluttershy?” The poor pegasus only nodded. I really wanted to give Fluttershy a big hug to make her feel better, but I could tell now wasn’t a good time.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’ve got the fastest pegasus in the whole wide world with ya! I’ll find him in no time! Uh… Once we have an idea where to look, that is.” Rainbow replied with her usual enthusiasm. Although I think I could see a tiny bit of worry in her eyes.

Fluttershy then spoke up really softly. “Um… It would be better if we all looked for him. Should we get Twilight now?”

We all looked at each other and nodded before I decided to reply first. “Well, duh! Why leave out one friend?!”

Rainbow Dash held the library’s door open for us. “Then what’re we waiting for?” One by one, we all trotted inside. Hopefully Twilight was still home.

“Twilight! Y'all here?!” Applejack called out while we went closer to the middle of the room. The place seemed pretty tidy. Maybe Twilight wasn’t awake yet. Or so I thought until I heard hoofsteps coming from the stairs. Sure enough, Twilight came into view. Only the funny thing is she had some messy bed head.

“Oh, good morning, girls! I only just woke up. Kinda had a study craving last night… And Spike and Owlowiscious did a really good job of cleaning up!” She said while coming down the stairs and looking around at the place. Was it really that bad last night? “So, what’s going on? And why are so many of you here?”

Rainbow Dash spoke up first. I would’ve said something, but… I really don’t think the situation called for anything cheerful or jumpy at that time. I had to be careful to restrain myself. “Well… We’ve got a problem, Twilight. And we’ll need your help for it.”

“Oh dear… What happened? Did a shipment of books get lost on their way to Ponyville?” Twilight asked as she walked towards us.

I couldn’t help but reply to that one. “Oh, come on, Twilight! It’s something IMPORTANT! And books aren’t all that important!”

I get the feeling I shouldn’t have said that. Twilight got right up in my face after that. “Not important?! Of course books are important!”

Applejack pushed us apart before looking at Twilight. “Maybe ta ponies like you, but not everypony. Besides, this is serious, Twi! Fluttershy?”

We all looked towards Fluttershy. She had her head bowed like there was something she did not want to say. And we all knew what it was. “Fluttershy? Is something wrong?” Twilight asked while approaching her.

Fluttershy only muttered one word. “James…”

Twilight let out a tiny little gasp before she reached out and placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Fluttershy… Don’t tell me he…”

I saw a tear or two fall from Fluttershy’s cheeks. “I waited as long as I could… From sunset until sunrise… He never came home…”

Applejack took a step closer to Twilight. “She looked pretty bad when she showed up at my place this mornin’, Twi… I don’t think she’s stretchin’ the truth.”

“Gone… No… There has to be a reason…” Twilight muttered as she took her hoof off of Fluttershy’s shoulder. After a moment of looking at the floor, she then looked at us with a pretty determined gaze. “I’ll do all I can to help. We’ll figure out where he is today.”

Whoa… I almost never see Twilight look that focused on anything that doesn’t involve books. I could tell she was taking this whole thing personally. She and James have been very close for a while now. And… Just between you and me? If James and Fluttershy never got together, I’m pretty sure he and Twilight would’ve ended up becoming sweethearts! There’s just something about those two together that makes me think ‘two peas in a pod’. But I’m getting really off-track now.

Twilight led us all outside as she took charge. “Spike, please watch over the place while I’m gone! I’ve got something important to deal with!” She called out while stepping through the door.

I heard Spike reply from somewhere upstairs. “All right! See ya in a while!”

I think I’ll stop here. Things should be OK now that Twilight’s in on the mystery now. But we still need to go get Rarity. I just hope we figure out what’s going on here. I swear I can almost feel my Pinkie Sense giving me the shudders…

Hello. This is Twilight Sparkle writing today. Today… Well, today has just gotten weird for me. I know really weird things have been happening to me and my friends on occasion ever since I came to Ponyville, but this is the first time I have had a friend disappear into thin air.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy came to me together today and asked me for help in locating James. He was never seen yesterday and I was sure he would come home by this morning. But… It seems he never returned. Fluttershy even stayed up all night to wait for him to no avail. Even so, I am certain he would not leave without explanation. He has disappeared from Ponyville once before, but was considerate enough to leave a note behind explaining why. There must be one somewhere in Fluttershy’s house and we are going to find it!

Of course, it would be best if we had as many ponies as possible looking. With only Rarity missing from our group, we went straight to the Carousel Boutique to fetch her. After a while though, I stopped. It was possible James was in danger and we needed to do whatever we could to save time! “Girls, hang on. Why don’t I just teleport us over to Rarity’s house?”

Pinkie Pie spoke up first while I looked back at everypony. “Great idea! Should we stop by Sugarcube Corner and pick up some of her favorite snacks too?”

Applejack rolled her eyes before I could. “Pinkie, y'all know we ain’t makin’ a house call. We gotta round up all our friends ta find our missin’ friend!”

“Ooooh, right! I guess the yummy goodies can wait.” Pinkie replied without showing much regret over her rather pointless suggestion.

“All right. Everypony stay close to me…” I spoke while I closed my eyes. Using teleportation to transport multiple ponies takes greater focus and more mental stamina than just teleporting one’s self. I felt the magical energies in my horn radiating out and engulfing us before I felt that familiar rush of a spell being cast. Feeling just a little fatigue, I opened my eyes and found that we were standing just outside Rarity’s front door. “We’re here. Shall we?”

Rainbow Dash went first, pushing the door open to allow us in while the bell above the doorway jingled pleasantly. It turns out Rarity was right in the middle of the main room with a mannequin wearing an absolutely dazzling white suit adorned in deep blue sapphires. There was a chest on the floor next to her that seemed to be all but empty of the same kind of sapphires that were sparkling on that suit. “Heya, Rarity! We’ve got trouble!”

Rarity spun around, almost dropping one of the sapphires she was using. She looked rightfully annoyed too. “Rainbow Dash, at least just give me time to say hello before you announce that there is a problem!”

Applejack stepped forward first. “Sorry ta barge in unannounced like this, Rarity. But we got trouble.”

“Trouble…?” Rarity asked with a perplexed gaze. But just before any of us could explain, she lost her magic grip on the sapphire floating next to her and let it fall into the chest nearby. “No… You don’t mean…James?”

I let out a sigh. James and Rarity have been close since day one of his life in Equestria. It was probably going to hurt to admit this to her. Fluttershy bowed her head and spoke softly. “Yes… He never came home last night…”

Rarity seemed very distraught at first, but she almost immediately brightened up with a look of resolve. She reached out and lifted Fluttershy’s chin until they were looking right at each other. “Say no more. I know why you’re here and I will gladly assist you in the search.”

Pinkie Pie let out a giggle. “You read us like an entire encyclopedia! Unlike Twilight, who can only read an encyclopedia!”

I am ashamed to admit I actually took a moment to get that. Pinkie Pie just befuddles me to no end sometimes… Actually, I take that back. She bewilders me very very frequently. I could probably spend a lifetime studying her and I STILL would not know half of how she works! In any case, I could only roll my eyes at her. Even if I could come up with a vocal response, I was not certain how to word it at that time.

Rainbow Dash then hurried to the door and held it open. “Well, what’re we waiting for?! We know what we’re looking for, right?!”

Rarity nodded as she and the rest of us trotted to the door. “Indeed! James surely left a note behind somewhere in Fluttershy’s cottage with a very detailed explanation of why he would be gone for such an extended period of time.”

Once we were outside and heading on our way, Pinkie Pie started doing her signature springy hop while we trotted along. “This is so exciting! It’s like we’re solving a mystery!”

“Um… I guess it has gotten a bit more interesting now that all of us are helping with the search.” Fluttershy spoke up while allowing a small smile to form on her lips. It did my heart good to know we were starting to cheer her up.

Rainbow Dash then joked, “Ya know, this reminds me of the time Applejack ran away from home after she lost that rodeo competition! Remember how we went all over to try to find out where she went?”

Applejack let out a loud groan while rolling her eyes. “Ugh, ya had ta bring that up! I told y'all I was sorry!”

I decided to speak up at that point. “And we know you were, Applejack. And we’re all proud of you for understanding the errors of your decision back then.” Then, for the sake of being honest, I continued. “Although if James had been there, I am very certain he would’ve found your actions to have been extremely childish.”

At those words, Applejack showed a very embarrassed expression while her eyes glanced back and forth at us. “Uh… Heh….heheheh… Ya know…? If he were ta say that… I’d say he was right. Ugh…”

Rarity nodded as she trotted up alongside her. “I must concur with that. But do not let it get to you, Applejack! That was months ago! And you have learned from the experience, haven’t you?”

Our favorite farm pony friend let out a long sigh before showing a more sincere smile. “Yeah… I reckon I have. I ain’t gonna be repeatin’ that little stunt anytime soon.”

“Anytime soon?!” Rainbow Dash spoke with a raised voice while giving Applejack a pretty irritated glare.

Clearly intimidated, Applejack nervously smiled. “Oh…uh…I mean I ain’t EVER gonna repeat that mistake! Yup! Never again!”

“That’s more like it.” Rainbow Dash replied with a satisfied grin while the rest of us burst into hearty laughter. Hooo, I wish James was there with us to listen. He would have gotten a good chuckle out of it, I just know he would.

We got so caught up in conversation; I totally forgot to use the teleportation spell to whisk us away to Fluttershy’s house to save time. Next thing I know, more than half an hour has passed before we found ourselves crossing the meadow that separated Fluttershy’s home from Ponyville. “Whoa. Here already?”

“That means we can start searching! Tally hoooooo!” Pinkie Pie shouted before she charged ahead. But right after crossing the bridge, she froze in her tracks and turned around. “Oh, right! Where do we start?”

I stepped forward and quickly thought up a plan. “Well, we’re all here, so let’s divide up the areas to search. Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy raised her head to look directly at me. “Yes, Twilight?”

“You check with all the animals out here. Ask them if they have seen James at all over the course of the last 24 hours. Or if they are in possession of a note of any sort.” I spoke before Fluttershy nodded readily.

“Rainbow Dash, you search the treetops and the roof of Fluttershy’s house. It’s possible the note may have gotten swept up by wind and dropped in one of them.” I spoke towards Rainbow Dash who then bashed her hooves together in a clear show of agreement.

I then looked towards Applejack. “Now, Applejack… Uh… Wait, is Winona around here?”

Applejack shrugged her shoulders. “Nah, but I can call ‘er. Y'all want us ta sniff ‘im out?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to suggest.” I replied, glad that she was on the same page as me. Applejack nodded before looking south and letting out a high-pitched whistle.

“She oughta be here in a bit. I’ll get searchin’ with ‘er when she gets here.” Applejack spoke with a smile.

I nodded to show my acknowledgement of her words and turned to Rarity. “Now then… Rarity. You and I will search indoors. Your skill with the levitation spell is greater than mine, so you’ll lift and shake out the furniture to see if the note has fallen inside or under them.”

“Gladly. I’ll make certain every nook and cranny is thoroughly inspected.” She replied with a very confident smirk.

“Lastly, Pinkie Pie… You…uh…” I paused for a minute. What area should Pinkie Pie search in?

“Yes? Yes? Yes?!” Pinkie Pie kept asking as she kept hopping up and down in front of me in giddy excitement.

It was while I was looking at her ridiculously happy face that I had an idea. “You know what? Go ahead and search anywhere you can. I won’t ask how you did it or where you looked. Just look anywhere you can.” Goodness knows how she does most things when I’m not looking, but she tends to get things done.

“Perfect! I’ll make sure to look everywhere I can! Maybe the animators at the HUB are hiding it in their… Mmph?!” I covered her mouth the instant my brain started to hurt.

“No details! Just find the message! I don’t care where you find it or how! Just find it and spare us the details!” I pleaded while everypony else nodded with very uneasy expressions. They clearly did not want their minds to break.

“Oki doki loki! So…what’re we looking for again?” Pinkie asked when I took my hoof off her mouth.

“Well, if it’s the same kind of note as last time, it’s probably a rolled up scroll. Or maybe a folded sheet of paper. Keep an eye out for these things. Now, let’s get searching!” I explained before Rarity and I started to head up the slope towards Fluttershy’s front door. Everypony else went off in different directions while Applejack stood at the bridge while watching for Winona. Although I swear I saw Pinkie Pie…open a hole in the ground before jumping inside and closing it behind her… Uh…best forget I ever saw that. It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. Nothing more…

The first place Rarity and I inspected was Fluttershy’s living room. “All right, let’s start here. Rarity?”

My fellow unicorn friend nodded with a smile. “Allow me.” She then closed her eyes as her horn was engulfed by her signature light blue magic aura. Every last bit of furniture that was not nailed down in the room was engulfed in an identical magic aura and lifted off the floor and walls. It still amazes me how Rarity has no difficulty at lifting so many objects of various sizes at once. I have lifted more and larger objects, but it always required greater focus for me. I confess that there are times where I have felt envious of her mastery over the few spells she knows. Though it makes sense considering that her spell pool is smaller than mine and that she has had more time to focus on improving her skill with just… Oh wait, I am going way off topic here. Sorry!

“OK, hold those steady for a minute, Rarity.” I spoke while going around the room to check the empty spaces of floor and shelves I could find. I even made certain to check the undersides of the various furniture in the room. If James had deliberately hidden his message to us in such a fashion, then he did an excellent job of setting up an ingenious scavenger hunt.

“Any luck so far, Twilight? Mmm… This tea… I must ask Fluttershy what it is.” Rarity asked while apparently sipping some tea… Wait, what? Tea?

I turned to face her and saw that along with holding all the furniture in the room airborne, Rarity was also levitating a white porcelain teacup while occasionally taking sips from it. And she looked as if she was not even trying! I did my best to hide my jealousy and replied with only a slight frown. “No, not yet. Try turning them upside-down and shaking them out.”

Rarity nodded before every single piece of furniture in the room flipped upside-down. She even removed the cushions from the sofa before they all started shaking and jumbling in the air. “OK… Let’s see…” I muttered while paying close attention. Bit by bit, small objects started to fall out. “There’s a few bits… A…um…copy of Playmare magazine… What’s this chainsaw doing here?”

“Perhaps Fluttershy uses it to carve up firewood? Although how in the world would it get lost in a sofa?” Rarity asked in reply. She was clearly baffled, but her magic grip on the floating objects around us did not weaken. Must have been a prop Pinkie Pie left behind.

“Let’s leave it here for now. But keep shaking.” I spoke while keeping a close eye on the sofa. The next thing to fall out was… Pinkie Pie?!

“Hi, girls! Found it yet?!” Pinkie Pie asked after she fell on her rump.

“How did… What were you even doing in there?!” Rarity asked while somehow not losing focus on her magic.

“Oh, I did a little searching here and there! I looked in Deadpool’s boxer drawers, I checked Princess Celestia’s favorite cake shop, and then I rode a narwhal until I ended up in the sofa! Oh, and I didn’t see any bits of paper in there. But I did see…”

“No more! Just go! Just keep looking!” I yelled as I felt my vision starting to spin. Pinkie Pie just giggled and ran out of the room. Just…what? And who is Deadpool?! It sounds like a pony who…..ugh, I would rather not think about this anymore. I feel a migraine coming on just remembering it.

“Well… It seems we’re not going to find that note here.” Rarity spoke as she gently put everything back where it used to be. Although she did not release her teacup.

“Yeah, it looks like this room doesn’t have it. Let’s check the others.” I replied before heading over to the side room.

Nothing of interest was found in there or in the kitchen or bathroom upstairs. We had to enlist the aid of some mice to check behind the furniture and appliances that could not be moved. The last room we checked was the bedroom. “Oh dear… Poor Fluttershy never went to sleep after all… And look at the sheets on that side. It really is like he just disappeared out from under the covers.” Rarity mentioned as she pointed to the side of the bed where James was likely sleeping two days ago.

I took a closer look at the bed. Fluttershy’s side had been made, but it looked like she had left his side alone. It was somewhat wrinkled and uneven, but had not been pulled back to allow him to stand up out of bed. I had never seen anything like it. Truly something a detective would need to be called in for.

“Well, this is the only place left to search here. Rarity?” I spoke before glancing at my friend. She nodded silently before once again using her magic to lift everything into the air. We had to be more careful that time since there was less space to maneuver everything.

“See anything yet, Twilight?” Rarity asked while I checked the areas of the room that had been previously obscured.

“Nothing here… Nothing on top of the fireplace… And nothing on the underside of the bed. I guess we need to check inside everything now.” I replied bit by bit as I searched. I was honestly starting to get very worried by that point. The bedroom was the last place to check. If we did not find any evidence of why James seemingly disappeared, then I could only hope that our other friends had found something by the time we finished.

“All right then. Would you mind standing back, Twilight? I’m going to need a bit more room to move everything.” Rarity requested as the books on the shelves started to float off and the mattress lifted off of the bed’s frame. I backed down the stairs a bit and watched.

Rarity was really showing how in control she was. She did not seem stressed at all as she shook the books out and pulled the covers and sheets from the mattress. She even lifted the roofs from the birdhouses hanging from the ceiling. The entire room was filled with floating shaking objects. Rarity was really doing her best to make sure no stone was left unturned.

“Drat… Nothing there… And nothing here… Twilight, are you seeing anything falling to the floor?” Rarity called out while looking back and forth at her surroundings. I lowered my head close to the floor while standing on the stairs and watched closely for the next minute. I watched for anything to touch the floor. Any scraps of paper of any kind.

“Rarity… You can stop now.” I finally called out. There was nothing coming out of the furniture. But Rarity did not seem to hear me. She kept looking back and forth at the furniture as they started to shake more vigorously.

“Come on… Where is it?” She kept muttering. I saw she was not going to listen to me. Rarity was starting to become desperate. I walked over to her, stepping around the floating objects and placed my hoof on her shoulder.

That got Rarity’s attention. She suddenly looked directly at me as everything in the room became as still as stone. She did not say anything, but I could see it in her eyes. If she was not worried before, she certainly was at that moment. I spoke softly to try to comfort her. “It’s not here, Rarity. There is no note.”

Rarity let out a sigh of defeat as she lowered everything in the room back to where it used to be. She put all the books back in order and even remade the bed to the point where it looked as if nopony had been sleeping on it at all. It really amazes me just how attentive to detail Rarity can be. Regardless, she looked at me with a pleading gaze she almost never shows. “Twilight… I miss him.”

I was starting to feel it too. Until now, I was certain that James would return to us soon. I really was not that worried at all. But after this… With no evidence on where he was or why he was gone… It was starting to feel as if we would never see him again. That type of silent dread that hits you when you begin to fear you have lost something important.

I gently held my friend in an embrace with one leg. “I do too, Rarity… Let’s go outside. Maybe the others had better luck.”

“I pray they have…” Rarity muttered as we slowly made our way down the stairs. I too was hoping that at least somepony had found a lead.

We went outside right away and waited. I could see Rainbow Dash practically crawling through the foliage that coated Fluttershy’s roof. Applejack was following Winona everywhere while the little border collie kept her nose to the ground. Fluttershy seemed to be talking to a small flock of birds roosting in a tree. And Pinkie Pie… Oh right. She hopped out of the stream that flowed in front of Fluttershy’s house. But…why was she soaked to the bone and wearing full scuba gear? That stream is nowhere near deep enough for her to be completely submerged in it.

One by one, our friends approached us. And their somber expressions showed what I feared. Rainbow Dash spoke first. “I got nothing… There was no paper in the trees or on the roof.”

Rarity replied with a long sigh while bowing her head. “We found no leads… We checked every room and every cranny…”

“None of my little friends have seen him since two days ago… The last time any of them saw James was when he went inside for the night. They say he never came back out.” Fluttershy explained, looking utterly defeated.

Applejack looked down at Winona, who in turned seemed to frown as she let out a faint whimper. “Winona led me all ‘round the place, but James’ scent is kinda faint by now. The strongest she found was the trail that led inta the house… He didn’t go anywhere recently.”

We then all looked at Pinkie Pie, whose face was being obscured by her goggles and the mouthpiece attached to her oxygen tanks. “Did you find anything, Pinkie?” I asked while she spat out her mouthpiece and lifted her goggles to show the rest of her face. Her mane and tail were weighed down with water too, reminding me of how she looked when we threw her first birthday party since we became friends. But that is a story for another time.

Pinkie Pie stood there smiling. I started to feel a bit hopeful at that face. Pinkie always smiles when something good has happened. But suddenly, she frowned and seemed to almost cry. “I can’t lie to you girls! I didn’t find anything either!”

Nothing… No sign or evidence at all… What could this possibly mean? I have never felt more worried for someone for as long as I can remember. What happened to our friend? Where was James?

“Gone… But…why?” Fluttershy asked faintly while looking around at us.

Rainbow Dash suddenly went airborne and pointed at the Everfree Forest nearby. “I’m gonna search the forest again! He’s gotta be in there somewhere!”

I tried to calm her down before she could rush in there. “Rainbow, you’re being reckless! We’re all worried about him, but we have no way of knowing if he’s even out there!”

Applejack then spoke up with all the proof we needed. “Did y'all forget what I just said?! If James had gone inta the Everfree Forest recently, Winona would’ve noticed! Wouldn’t ya, girl?” Winona let out a bark of approval in response.

Rainbow Dash paused and looked back and forth at us and the forest behind her. She then let out a sigh and descended to the ground. “Darn it… This sucks! I wanna find him, but I have no idea where to start!”

“We all do, Rainbow… We all do.” Rarity replied while reaching out and patting our brash pegasus friend on the shoulder.

Pinkie Pie then asked as she slid off all of her scuba gear and shook herself dry until her mane and tail returned to their usual poofy states. “Well… What do we do now?”

I looked at my friends and let out a sigh. I felt truly helpless at that moment. Like nothing I said or did would help the situation. “All we can do now…..is wait. If he truly cares about us…and values us as friends…he will come home eventually.”

Applejack then muttered, “But there’s no way of tellin’ when that’s gonna happen…”

“Well… Just standing here is not going to solve anything. I suppose…we should just do what we have to do until then…” Rarity spoke with a truly unhappy tone. “I need to return home and put the finishing touches on my current client’s commission…”

“Yeah… And I gotta help get the clouds ready for a rainstorm this afternoon…” Rainbow muttered as she once again started to go airborne.

Pinkie Pie then stashed her scuba gear…somewhere behind her head. “And I need to get back to Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes are going to wonder why I’m so late today.” Pinkie spoke with a very bland tone of voice. For her to not be showing her usual happy personality was very unusual. She was taking James’ disappearance pretty hard.

“I guess we all have things to do. Just…try to keep yourselves occupied. It’ll make the wait easier.” I spoke while trying to smile. Although I will admit what I was suggesting was a lot easier said than done.

“Um… If it’s OK with any of you…” Fluttershy began to mutter. “May I…stay with one of you for now?”

I saw what the problem was. Fluttershy wanted to be in the company of friends to help suppress her worry. But before I could volunteer, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Sure! You can hang with me for a while! If you don’t mind moving clouds, that is.”

Fluttershy nodded with a very somber smile. “Thank you…”

Just before anypony else could say anything, Applejack spoke out. “Hang on, girls. What should we say ta the fillies? James is one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right? And I keep hearin’ Scootaloo call ‘im ‘er big brother…”

Right… Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are close friends with James too. But how would they handle the information if we told them he was missing with absolutely no leads? Rarity was the first to speak up. “Don’t tell them anything… We don’t want to worry the little dears. They already get themselves into enough trouble as is. No telling what they would do to find him once word of his disappearance reaches them.”

Rainbow Dash let out a groan. “No kidding. I can definitely see Scoot doing something stupid if she caught on.”

Pinkie Pie nodded with a bit of a worried expression while still speaking in her peppy cheery voice. “Yeah! Those three silly fillies are almost as much trouble as Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake! Oh wait…no… Sweetie Belle can’t use magic and Scootaloo can’t fly… OK, so they’re ALMOST as bad!”

I spoke with a sigh, “Bottom line, don’t tell them. If they ask, we say we haven’t seen him today.” I then looked back in the direction of Ponyville, knowing Spike was probably wondering what was keeping me. “I think I need to get back home though… I don’t think I should leave Spike alone for too much longer.”

Applejack nodded with a very slight smile. “Right. If anypony catches sight of James anywhere, y'all let us know.” We all started to head back to Ponyville, though Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew off together to the closest clouds.

I think I shall stop here. This… It has not been pleasant to recall this event to write it down. I have just sent a message to Princess Celestia asking if she could potentially help us in the search. I am certain she must know of some specific types of magic that can be used to help locate a missing person regardless of where they are. For now though, all I can do is wait and hope.

Well, today has gotten really weird. I find Applejack and Fluttershy just spazzing out on the ground in front of Pinkie Pie and then I find out my good buddy James is still missing without a trace! We even went right over to Fluttershy’s house and turned the place upside-down to find any proof of what happened. But we all turned up empty-hooved.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried by now. All I could do was try to focus on my weather patrol duties to keep my mind off the bad. Fluttershy had asked to tag along with me, probably for the same reason. I guess being with friends helps keep you distracted from bad thoughts.

“So… You know what it’s like doing weather patrol work, Fluttershy?” I asked while looking over my shoulder at Fluttershy. For whatever reason, she didn’t seem to notice me. She was just flapping along with her head tilted down. Her eyes seemed kind of…well…empty. Almost like she was asleep but awake at the same time. “Um… Fluttershy?”

After a few more times of calling her name without getting a response, I stopped in place and grabbed her by the shoulders before giving Fluttershy a few good shakes. “Fluttershy, snap outta it! What’s wrong?!”

We just hovered there in place with Fluttershy looking at me with those blank empty eyes. It was really creepy, now that I think about it. I almost thought she was dead at first! But finally, she suddenly broke down with her eyes closed and rested her head on my shoulder while holding onto me. “I can’t help it…! I’m so scared for him!”

I really wasn’t surprised. Fluttershy… I’ve known her since we were just fillies in flight school. She has never had a boyfriend in her life. And James… Well, I think he was one of the best things to happen to her since meeting me and our other friends. They seem like a perfect match. And whenever I saw them together, they were always happy. She has never been in love before, so she didn't want to lose him.

Um… I don’t know if I should write this… But I have occasionally watched them in Fluttershy’s house at night. And sometimes I saw them doing…stuff. You know the kind of…steamy stuff couples do. And man… James really knows how to make a mare feel good, from what I’ve seen. I’ve never seen Fluttershy sound so joyous. The love they share… It’s a really strong kind of love. So I can understand why she was so broken over him disappearing.

I did everything I could to calm Fluttershy down. If I didn’t, I was going to start crying too. “Fluttershy… Hey… Fluttershy, listen to me!” I pulled her off of me and held her in front of me while we both hovered in place. She still had big wet crybaby tears flowing down her face and dripping right off. I hope nopony was below us at that moment…

“Look… I know it hurts, especially since now we know there’s no way of knowing where he went and why he’s gone. I’ll be honest, I’m almost worried outta my mind too! But… I know he’ll come back… I don’t know when, but he’ll be back.” I tried to give Fluttershy the best pep talk I could. She’s sensitive and fragile, so these things can go a long way with her.

She bowed her head at first. Her tears just would not stop falling, but I could see she was taking my words in as much as she could. But a moment later, she asked me something that I really didn’t see coming. “Rainbow… Do you think that…maybe…James was just a dream?”

That… Sweet Celestia, that hurt… I never even wanted to think that was possible. “Humans have never existed in Equestria before… They’re just things out of myth…right? Does that mean that…he was just something that came to be from our own imagination?”

I am going to be honest here. I was really tempted to slap Fluttershy when she said that because of how much it hurt to hear that. And I almost did. I pulled my arm back to take a swing at her. Fluttershy knew it was coming and squinted her eyes shut and prepared for the blow. But…I instead gently placed my hoof on her cheek. “Fluttershy… Don’t you ever say that again…”

Those words she said were the last push I needed to let my own tears out. I almost never cry, but… I had every reason to this time. There’s no shame in getting emotional over the total disappearance of a friend. So if you read this and even consider calling out rough tough Rainbow Dash for crying over a good friend disappearing, shut up! You would be feeling the same way if one of the best friends you’ve ever had disappeared without a trace!

Fluttershy reached out to me and tried to wipe some of my tears away. “Rainbow… I’m sorry… I…I’m just so scared…”

I tried my best to smile through my tears. “He’s not a dream. He never was. He’s our friend. And he’s your sweetheart. You think the love he gave you was a dream too?”

She didn’t reply at first, so I went on. “He loves us, Fluttershy. And he loves you most of all. He would never leave you. And…I’ve been getting that kind of vibe from him. He values his friends and would never even consider leaving them…” But then…I had an absolutely horrible thought. “But… Man, I really don’t want to even consider this, but… Do you think…wherever he is now… Do you think he might’ve thought we were all a dream to him too?”

Excuse me for a minute… This is just too depressing to remember…

All right… I’ll try to write the rest now. Fluttershy looked at me with one of the most fearful looks in her eyes I had ever seen. “I… He… From what I heard… Where he came from… I think Equestria… This might be a world that…to him…is too good to be true. He might have thought…”

I stopped her before she could go on. I didn’t want to hear anymore. With tears just flowing down my cheeks and with my voice starting to break, I covered her mouth. “Forget I asked! I’m sorry I even brought that up! Just… Let’s not talk about this anymore, all right?! It… It just hurts too much…”

Fluttershy nodded without a word. I could tell she just didn’t want to talk anymore. “OK… Well, we have a job to do now. Come on… We need to move all these clouds everywhere we can to cover up the sky above Ponyville. All you need to do is push…”

Forget it, I don’t have the drive to write anymore. Remembering all of this has got me feeling so depressed… I’m going to try to sleep it off… James… Come home, please… We all miss you.

Today felt…so empty… We looked everywhere we could in and around my house… We never found any evidence of where my boyfriend went. James is…gone.

I did everything I could to try to keep myself happy today. My friends were always happy to have me along to keep my spirits up. I helped gather up and sort books with Twilight, I helped carry and harvest apples with Applejack, I helped bake some cupcakes with Pinkie Pie and even earned a few extra bits, I helped Rainbow Dash arrange some clouds above Ponyville to get ready for a rainstorm, and Rarity and I had some tea together. It did a good job of keeping my mind occupied, but…it couldn’t last forever. Eventually evening came and I had to go home.

I felt so alone as I walked home. Because I had nopony waiting for me at home anymore. Is this what it feels like to break up with somepony? This feeling of emptiness and longing? Nothing was exciting me anymore…

The air was quiet. No sound was being carried along it. But I soon felt something perch on my head. I didn’t mind at first. I was too depressed to really care. But whatever was up there caught my attention with an adorable little coo. “Wait… Angela?”

I held out my leg to let whoever was up there perch on something I could see. A cute little white dove flew down and perched on my hoof. She looked at me with those cute round black eyes. “Angela… Do you miss James too?” Angela is James’ pet dove. And the longer she looked at me, the more I could see my boyfriend’s cutie mark. The beautiful twin white dove form…

I pulled my hoof closer to my face and gave her a gentle nuzzle. “I miss him too, Angela… I want to see him again.” I whispered softly. I felt a tiny bit better having a little friend with me at the time. Angela let out a long chorus of gentle, but also very sad sounding cooing.

When I got home with Angela on my head, I found that my home’s surroundings were very quiet. There was no activity. It was like me being sad and depressed was making all of my little friends sad and depressed too… I couldn’t help it. I… I was so scared and worried… If we had found a note today in my house explaining where James was…or at least why he was gone, I would be able to rest more easily. But…we found nothing today. What if he is…gone forever? What if he was just a dream? What if he was never here to begin with…

No… I need to not think that… Rainbow Dash would be so mad at me if she heard me saying that or even writing it down… I’m just so depressed now…

I’m so tired… I just want my boyfriend to come home… James, I love you… Where have you gone? When will I see you again?

Man… I felt awful when I woke up today. I felt like I had been applebucking all night in my sleep. Well, I wasn’t exactly sore. More like…just feeling like I had been run ragged. Hardly any energy.

I rolled right out of bed and onto my back. Yep, that’s right. Rolled like a pig in mud. I think I might’ve gotten the attention of somepony with that thud since a minute later, Big Macintosh knocked at the door. “Y'all all right in there, AJ?”

Ugh… I really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anypony at the time. I just wanted to wallow like…a…well, like a pig wallowing in mud. “I’m fine, Big Mac. Just…woke up on the wrong side of the bed taday…”

“All righty then… I’ll go get started on breakfast for ya.” I heard him reply before he started to trot away. What a way to start my day…

I looked at myself in the mirror. I can’t remember the last time I saw anypony look that forlorn. My eyes looked heavy and my face was… I really needed to give my face a good scrubbing with a wet warm washcloth. And I knew why I looked so down too. “I hope I see ‘im on my way ta market today…”

I started to reach for my hat that was hanging on the closest rack, but stopped. As I looked at it, I remembered how James once said he thought I looked better without it. I rubbed my hoof against my chin for a moment. Was he really right? I’ve had that hat for ages by now. I took another look at myself in the mirror from a few other angles. I got to admit I was showing more of my mane without it. But I always liked that good old country look my hat gave me. But still…

I looked at the hat again and thought back to my friend. He… He was still missing. I then looked away from my hat and back to myself in the mirror. I gave myself a slight smile. “Well, if he’s comin’ home today, I may as well give ‘im a surprise.” I then turned and trotted out of my room. If James likes how I look without my hat, I’ll let him get a good look at me today. Assuming he showed up.

I went downstairs and took a seat at the dinner table. Big Mac was already getting stuff ready for breakfast. “Ya need a hand there, Big Mac?” I asked, trying to keep myself occupied and keeping my mind off my worries.

“Nope. I’ve got everythin’ almost done.” He replied. A yummy smell was already coming from the oven. Looked like he had some apple tarts and an apple pie baking. “Was Granny Smith awake when ya came down?”

I shrugged my shoulders. Granny Smith can sure be a heavy sleeper some days. “Nope. I’m guessin’ she won’t be up for another hour or so.”

Just as Big Macintosh was setting out a big plate of fried eggs, Apple Bloom came into the kitchen. “Mornin’, Applejack. Mornin’, Big Macintosh. What do we have for breakfast?”

I looked back at her and tried to keep a smile on my face. “Looks like we’ve got eggs, apple tarts, and a big ol’ apple pie.”

“Oh goodie! We always have the best apple pies!” Apple Bloom replied as she galloped in and hopped up onto her seat beside me. We both looked at each other and gave each other a little grin. I’m just glad she’s not old enough to tell when a smile is fake yet.

The two of us watched as Big Macintosh set out the pie and tarts on the table, fresh out of the oven. He cut each of us a slice and placed them out on our plates. But as I looked down at my slice, I… I just didn’t feel hungry. I was just too worried. I know I’ve been told I have the appetite of a full-grown stallion, but… I just couldn’t feel any of it.

“Sorry, Big Mac… I’m just not hungry this morning.” I finally admitted while pushing my plate towards him.

“Really…? But yer always hungry when ya wake up.” My brother replied while his eyes were opened a lot more than they usually are.

Apple Bloom was giving me some funny looks too. And…well, lying has never been a strong point of mine. So I just tried to be honest without having to tell too much. “Yeah… Well, I’m not taday. Don’t know what ta tell ya.”

Big Macintosh let out a little chuckle. “Well, y'all can make up for it at lunchtime, I guess.” He then started munching on his eggs while waiting for the rest of the stuff to cool.

I felt it would be rude to just up and leave, so I stuck around for a bit longer. But I didn’t wait long before Apple Bloom looked over at me. “Hey, sis? Have ya seen James lately? Since it’s Saturday, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I were hopin’ he could hang out with us and help us come up with some new ideas ta try and figure out our talents today.”

I couldn’t lie to her. I just couldn’t. I let out a sigh and looked at her with the best smile I could make. “Sorry, Apple Bloom. I haven’t seen ‘im lately. But if I spot James this mornin’ when I take the apples inta town, I’ll let ‘im know ta meet up with ya girls at the clubhouse.”

She didn’t give me the response I was hoping for. Instead of giving a grateful smile like she did the last two days, she instead gave me a really irritated look. But I think she was also looking kind of worried too. “But…that’s whatcha said yesterday…and the day before that…”

I really couldn’t find a retort for that one. All I could do was look away and down at my plate. I ended up forcing myself to eat the slice of pie on it to make it look like I wasn’t worried anymore. Mighty good pie too, even if I wasn’t hungry enough to really appreciate it. I even managed to crack a smile and make some mmm sounds to show that I was feeling better, even if I really wasn’t.

When I looked back at Apple Bloom though, she was just staring at her plate too. It had a slice of apple pie on it along with an apple tart and a scoop of fried eggs. She then spoke in a really unhappy tone. “Sorry… I’m not hungry either…” Right after that, she hopped out of her chair and ran out of the room and then right out of the house.

“Dagnabbit… Even the fillies are startin’ ta catch on that somethin’ ain’t right…” I couldn’t help muttering under my breath. Things were bound to get bad if Scootaloo figured out James is missing, being a ‘big brother’ to her and all. I only hope they don’t figure out he disappeared without a trace just yet. And it’s only been three days since he vanished…

“Somethin’ eatin’ ya, AJ?” Big Macintosh asked from across the table. I lifted my head and looked right at my brother. He looked a might concerned by then, a worried frown on his muzzle.

I can always count on my big brother to keep a secret, so I felt it was OK to tell him the truth. “Big Mac… I really don’t want ya goin’ ‘round tellin’ everypony this, all right?”

He gave me a nod. “I can tell somethin’ hasn’t been right with ya the last couple of days. What’s been goin’ on?”

I let out a long sigh as I propped my chin up on my hoof. “Y'all know James, right? Well…he’s gone. And I don’t mean like just left on vacation or had somethin’ ta do in Canterlot. I mean…gone gone… Like…disappeared inta thin air.”

Big Macintosh gave me one of the weirdest looks I had ever seen on his face. As if he had just gotten a whiff of all the rotten eggs in the world. “Just…gone? And…no signs of kidnappin’ or anythin’ like that?”

I nodded while lifting my head to look at him. “Yeah… No signs of forced entry. No notes explainin’ where he went. No testimony from all the lil’ critters livin’ ‘round Fluttershy’s place. Just…..gone. Almost like I was dreamin’ and…and…”

Where did that thought even come from… I… The tears just came flowing as I spoke those words. “Big Mac…” I looked right at my brother as my vision got all blurry. “What if he… Do ya think he even existed in the first place?”

He let out a long sigh and shook his head. He then got right up from his seat and walked over and draped a foreleg over my shoulder. “AJ… I know whatcha mean… Nopony wants a friend who doesn’t really exist.”

I couldn’t make the tears stop. “I know, but… Humans only exist in those really old myths. Then James shows up in town one day… I swear it feels like it’s all some kinda sick joke! Like maybe he was just a figment of my imagination…”

Big Macintosh gave me one of his really firm and gentle hugs. “AJ… I saw ‘im too. I felt the guy whenever he touched me. I heard him whenever he talked ta me. I heard him laugh. I saw ‘im in front of me. I know he was real.” He then looked me in the eye and whispered. “I know he’s still out there. We’ll see ‘im again.”

I can always count on Big Macintosh’s thoughtful approach to everything to keep my head on straight when it gets screwy. I swear the ‘Big’ in his name partially refers to his brain. I let out a sigh and wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “Thanks, Big Mac… I really needed that.”

He gave me a light nuzzle and went back over to his side of the table. “Y'all need any help harvestin’ apples for market taday?”

I shook my head as I hopped out of my chair. “Nope. I can handle this. And thanks again for breakfast, Big Mac.” We waved goodbye and I ran outside. I had work to do.

“All right then… Which tree do I start with taday?” I muttered while carrying a couple of bushels on my sides. I looked around at the apples around me that had not yet been harvested. But that was when I saw one that had already been picked clean. “Wait a minute… That one is…”

That tree… I remember. It was the first tree James tried to help me harvest a couple of days after he first showed up in Ponyville. That really killed my mood. I was hoping to keep my mind off of him at least long enough to get the harvesting done. Well, I at least tried to shake it off and went over to the first tree I saw that still had apples on it.

Well, that was embarrassing. In about twice as long it normally took for me to buck ten trees and harvest the apples on them, I only got five done. I just couldn’t get myself fired up enough to kick hard enough or move fast enough. Depression does that to you. But just before I could reach the cart to load the apples up, I walked right into somepony. I had my head tilted down, so I didn’t notice the guy until we had already collided.

“AJ… Ya sure ya don’t need any help?” I heard him ask. It was Big Macintosh again.

I looked up at my big brother. He already had his yoke on to get some work done himself. I looked away, feeling kind of ashamed that I couldn’t get as much work done as usual with me feeling so gloomy. “Sorry ‘bout that… I just… My mind’s somewhere else right now…”

Big Macintosh let out a really long deep sigh. I think he was bowing his head. “Ya miss ‘im that bad, do ya?”

I looked back up at him. No point in trying to hide anything. “Yeah… It’s true what they say. Ya just don’t know how much somethin’ means ta ya until it’s gone… Especially when ya have no idea if you’ll ever see it again…”

My brother didn’t have a reply at first. But he did eventually put his hoof on my shoulder. “Y'all go ahead and take whatcha got inta town. I’ll buck ya a few more bushels and bring ‘em down ta market in a lil’ while.”

That really took a load off my shoulders. I reached out and gave Big Macintosh the biggest hug I could muster. But considering how I was at the time, it really wasn’t much. “Much obliged, Big Mac. Just bring ‘em on down when ya think y'all have enough.”

I slipped myself into the harness of the wagon that held all the apples I had rounded up. Although since it was only around half full, it wasn’t feeling very heavy. At least I could get to market faster than usual. I said my goodbyes to my brother and moseyed on out of the farm and into Ponyville.

I kept a constant eye out. I almost always bump into James whenever I make it into Ponyville on time. That means he’s usually my first customer of the day. I kept looking around, trying to keep watch for him. “C’mon, pardner… Where are ya?”

My usual spot to set up shop is right around Sugarcube Corner. Today is Saturday though, so James would be working at the spa. But he always ends up passing by Sugarcube Corner anyway. I think he probably does it just so he can see me every morning. I’ve got to admit that James and I really don’t have much in common. He prefers to avoid getting his hands dirty and probably doesn’t care much for spending time on the farm. He does drop by pretty frequently to help out a little for some extra bits and probably just for a good workout though. Despite all that though, I really like the guy. The few times we do get together are always really swell.

I never saw James on my way to market, but I stayed hopeful. Maybe he was just running late. The fella is kind of a late sleeper sometimes. In the meantime, I went ahead and set up my stall and set the apples out. It really was kind of sad just how few there were this time, seeing as I reached half of my daily quota. Hopefully Big Macintosh would bring the rest before the morning rush hit.

“All right then… Don’t look mopey. Keep a smile up…” I kept telling myself. Worried and depressed or not, I had a job to do. “Get yer nutritious delicious apples here! Fresh picked not even an hour ago!”

I didn’t even wait five minutes before my first customer showed up. “Howdy, Lyra! What can I do ya for?”

I was honestly hoping Lyra would know something about where James has been the last few days. The two of them have gotten mighty close thanks to her interest in humans. “Morning, Applejack! I’ll have one red and one golden apple please.” Lyra replied while pointing at the two bushels I had on display. I keep the apples separated depending on what type they are to make sorting easier.

“Sure thing, Lyra. That’ll be four bits.” I replied before she tossed a few at me. I caught them and dropped them in the pouch on the apron I was wearing.

I watched as Lyra made two apples float up and took a bite out of one. But before she could walk away, she took another glance at me. “Oh, wait! You’re not wearing your hat today?”

I swear I had all but forgotten that I wasn’t wearing it at the time. “Huh? Oh, right. Well, I haven’t seen a friend of mine for a few days and he likes how I look when I’m not wearin’ my hat. So I thought I’d surprise ‘im next time we bump inta each other.”

Lyra chuckled as I explained myself. “Do you have a boyfriend now, Applejack? It sounds like you’re trying to impress him.”

Boyfriend?! Where’d that come from? I got a might flustered there and retorted while losing my cool for a bit. “Huh?! No way! I just wanna make the fella happy for once! Show that I appreciate his compliments, ya know?” I then rolled my eyes for a moment, thinking back to one moment not too long ago. “Although he was givin’ me some funny looks when I got outta the hot tub at the spa that one time… But maybe that’s because I let my mane down and it was all soaked.”

“Ooh, lots of stallions like the long wet mane look. Has he asked you out yet?” Lyra asked with a sly smirk on her face.

I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at that one. “Uh… No, he hasn’t. I don’t think he’d appreciate havin’ ta help out much on the farm anyway. Besides, he and Fluttershy are practically a couple now.”

Lyra gave me a really surprised glance. “Him and Flutter… You mean James! How has he been lately? I haven’t seen him for three days now.”

Well…shoot. So even Lyra had no idea what happened to him. And judging by the time, if I had not seen James by then, I wasn’t going to see him all day. Again. “Ya haven’t, huh?”

I think I dropped my emotional guard at that moment since Lyra’s expression changed to one showing concern right away. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

There was no hiding it by then. I let out a sigh and looked her in the eye. “No point in hidin’ it anymore… Lyra. James is missing.”

“Missing… What do you mean by that? He has to come home at some point, right?” Lyra replied after tossing the core of one of her apples before starting on the next one.

“No, ya don’t get it. I mean… He’s gone. As in just up and disappeared inta thin air. We tried searchin’, Lyra… We turned Fluttershy’s house upside-down lookin’ for any leads… And we got nothin’.” I lowered my head. I couldn’t even look at her.

Lyra didn’t say anything for a minute. But she did eventually break the silence. “Gone… And you found no evidence of what happened to him?” I could only shake my head. “Oh… Well… I can’t imagine him wanting to stay away for long… I’m sure he’ll be home soon. Maybe he’ll even have some new stories to tell me.”

“Yeah… Maybe… Huh?” It was only then that I noticed that quite a line had formed behind Lyra. “Whoa. Uh… Y'all wanna talk ‘bout this later? I’ve got other customers ta tend to right now.”

Lyra suddenly looked behind herself and grinned all nervous like. “Oops! Sorry! I’ll get going now!” She then looked back at me and gave me a big reassuring smile. “Don’t lose hope. You’ll see him again. And please let me know when you do!”

I tried my best to smile too while I waved goodbye. “Thanks, Lyra. Y'all come back now, ya hear?” Right as she trotted away, Pinkie Pie stepped forward. “Huh? Well, howdy, Pinkie! Yer my second customer.”

That perky pink pony girl let out a quick giggle. “Well, duh! You’d better expect me to be one of your first when you set up shop right outside my front door!”

I looked to my right for a moment to double-check my location. I almost forgot that I was set up right outside Sugarcube Corner. “Oh, right! Almost forgot ‘bout that. Anyway, what can I getcha?”

Pinkie Pie pointed to the bushel on my left. “I’d like an apple for my bapple so I don’t feel so dapple!”

Uh… I have to admit right now that last bit was kind of…random. Even for Pinkie Pie. “Er… Come again, pardner?”

“Oh, right. I think the more common way to say it is… An apple a day keeps the dragons away!” Pinkie replied while showing me…the…creepiest smile I had ever seen on her. Well, the smile would’ve looked real if her eyes didn’t look like that. I think…that smile was totally fake.

“Pinkie… Um… Are y'all feelin’ all right?” I finally had to ask. I was getting a really weird vibe from her. And not a funny weird vibe. More like creepy weird.

Pinkie Pie gave a really sudden twitch just before she replied. Almost looked painful. “Oh, I’m feeling just fine! Never better! I’d say I’m even feeling Pinkie keen!” She then let out a really long…and creepy giggle with… Those eyes…

If I had to look at those eyes for much longer, I might’ve ended up running away. “Ya know what? Go ahead and take it. It’s on the house taday. No charge.” I spoke quickly to try to get her to go away. I know that sounds mean, but you would’ve been creeped out too if you saw that face!

“Huh? Really? Thanks, AJ!” Pinkie Pie replied while her expression returned to normal for just a moment. She snatched up a golden delicious apple and chomped it down with one bite before trotting away and back into Sugarcube Corner.

I swear… Something just wasn’t right with Pinkie Pie. There’s no way that smile was real and that giggling was more creepy than happy. But I didn’t have enough time to look into it. I had customers to tend to.

I might as well stop here. Nothing much else happened after that… Still… James, if you ever read this, I just want you to know I miss you more than ever right now. Come home soon, partner…

Hellooooo! This is Pinkie Pie! Everypony’s happy! Everypony’s having a good morning! I’m having a good morning… Well, OK, not really. But…I have to hide it. Keep smiling! Keep laughing! Better to smile than to frown!

I just grabbed an apple from Applejack and came back up into my loft in Sugarcube Corner. I have the day off today, so I’m just relaxing for now. I looked around and saw Gummy sleeping on my bed. The cute little gator is always so lazy in the morning.

Hmmm… What could I do to pass the time? I looked around the room. I had a lot of free time today, so I had to do something. The first thing I saw was a bucket full of turnips. “Oh, I almost forgot about those! I need to make a salad with them today.”

The next thing I noticed was a bag of flour. “Oh, right. I guess the babies grew out of the ‘white flour pony’ gig. Maybe I should take that back down to the kitchen.” I giggled, but then felt a strong twitch as my body just suddenly jerked in a really weird way. Did that ever happen before? Well, I didn’t feel any pain, so I guess it wasn’t a big deal.

I went over and grabbed the bag in my mouth and started to carry it towards the stairs. But right as I was about to pass the turnips, I stumbled into a box and spilled whatever was inside. And what was inside was my rock collection! Oh right, you might not know this. I used to live on a rock farm as a filly. These rocks were mementos from my younger days. “Oops! Better clean that up.”

After putting the rocks in a neat little pile, I started to reach for the sack of flour again. But I then noticed that I was right next to my bed. “Huh? What’s that…” I took a closer look under it and saw one big fluffy dust bunny. “Ew, I better get tha…ah…ah…AHCHOO!”

I must’ve inhaled a bit of dust when I looked under there, because I let out a big sneeze that blew the dust bunny right out from under the bed. But then I felt a stinging in one eye. “Ow! Something’s in my eye!” I yelped before running to a big mirror in the corner. I kept my eye closed and rubbed it for a bit before letting it open. “Huh? Nothing?” I spoke to myself before giving a big smile. “I guess I got it out. Silly me!”

I looked at myself for a minute. Smiling. Grinning. Only…it wasn’t really real. I know a fake smile when I see one. And I wasn’t really smiling. That fake smile melted right off my face and into a frown. “Oooh… Who am I kidding? I’m just trying to keep myself busy so I don’t think about my friend being gone… I miss him…”

It was James. He just disappeared a few days ago and I haven’t found any trace of him since. I let out a long sigh as I saw my mane and tail in the reflection deflate and my colors get dark. It’s weird, I know. But it happens every time I get depressed. “I wish I knew where you are right now… So I could bring you a whole stack of cupcakes.”

Wait… Why be so sad? I know James cares about me! He must like me if he went out of his way to warn me about…dye a…dye a bee tease? What’s it called again? Well, he told me about it and I’m glad he did. I might’ve eaten myself to death if he hadn’t. I turned away from the mirror and took a nice long breath and felt my hair get its natural poofiness back. “There’s no need to be sad. He’ll be back! He’s my friend!”

But just as I started to walk away, a voice spoke from behind me. “No, he won’t.”

I froze. I knew that voice. I slowly turned around to face the mirror since that’s where it sounded like it came from. I saw myself looking back at me. Only…it wasn’t the real me. It was the old me. How I used to be. My… Or rather, her mane and tail were hanging down straight like mine was a minute ago. Her coat was a darker pink and her face was showing a quiet scowl.

“Why… Where did you come from?” I felt scared. This wasn’t normal. And why didn’t her lips move when I talked?

She showed me a really mean smile. “Oh, I’m you. The real you. I mean, you should know. You’ve know me all your life.”

I honestly found that to be soooo funny. The real me? Ha! I’m the real me! “Heeheehee! You silly filly! I’m the real me! You’re just a reflection!”

Right as I was about to turn away though, she spoke again. “I guess so. I’m just a reflection. That means I’m just as real as your friend.”

That sounded…weird. “Huh? As real as my friend?”

“Uh huh.” She replied while gesturing with her hoof and still smiling really wickedly. “You can’t find or see your friend because you can’t remember what he looks like.”

I was starting to feel pretty annoyed with this…weird reflection of myself. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

My reflection pointed to somewhere behind me. “It wouldn’t be the first time you thought up fake friends.”

I honestly had no idea what she was going on about, but I felt a really strong chill flow through me when I heard a voice that sounded like mine, but…different. “Yeah, Pinkie! Did you forget about us?”

I turned around really slowly. “R…R…Rocky?” There they were. All piled next to each other. Rocky, Mr. Turnip, Sir Lintsalot, and Madame le Flour. They… They were from a day not that long ago that I wish I had handled better. I felt so guilty looking at them. I should never have made them.

“You haven’t even talked to us for over a year by now! What’s wrong with you?!” Mr. Turnip yelled at me.

“Is it because you feel you’re above us now that you have real friends? We’re your friends too, in case you’ve forgotten.” Sir Lintsalot spoke without moving an inch.

“We missed you, Pinkie. Come back to us. And bring your new friend too. I know he would love to meet us.” Madame le Flour beckoned to me with her squeaky accent.

I felt such horrible dread looking at them. I was losing my mind… My depression was getting to me. I was so scared… I wanted to see him again so badly, I was starting to hallucinate. “No… I can’t go back… You’re not real…”

I heard myself giggle behind me. “They’re no more real than James, you know. Sometimes, the best friends you can ever have are the ones in your head. They never betray you. They never hurt you. And most importantly…” I turned around quickly to face her only to see her smirking at me with the meanest smile I have ever seen in my life. “They never…ever…EVER…leave you.”

I was sweating so much. I felt so hot like I was in a desert. But I did my best to smile. The best way to deal with your fears is to laugh at them, you know! “Heeheeheee! You’re not fooling me!” I spoke with the biggest smile I could show. That made her stop talking, but she was starting to look kind of annoyed. “Fake friends are good for keeping you entertained when you have no one else in your life, but nothing can replace good real fri…”

Something grabbed me and pulled me forward. My reflection… She had reached out and grabbed me around the back of my neck and had stuck her head out of the mirror and was right up in my face. “Knock it off! He’s not real! He was never real! Humans aren’t real! They don’t exist! Myths don’t exist! Wake up! Face reality!”

She kept yelling at me. But I tried to laugh anyway. “Ha… Haha…”

“Go on! Just keep laughing! It won’t change anything! Just accept it! It was all in your head! His touch. His voice. None of it really happened! He was just a…”

“SHUT UP!!!” I finally screamed. I punched her right in the face as hard as I could. I heard glass breaking as her body shattered into lots of shiny pieces. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUP!” My head was pounding. I was so mad. So scared. So…lost. I can’t even find a way to describe what I was feeling.

“She’s right, you know! That guy was just like us! He’s not real! He never was!” I heard Rocky yell from behind me.

I turned to face the four friends I wish I never made. What happened next… It felt like I wasn’t in control anymore. Like I was just watching and hearing myself without any control over what I was doing. I was screaming, punching and knocking them around! The part I remember most was when only Madame le Flour was left. I grabbed her between my hooves, lifted her over my head, and started slamming her into the floor over and over…hard…screaming…

“HE IS REAL! HE IS REAL! MY FRIENDS ARE REAL! JAMES IS REAL!” I kept chanting. I wouldn’t stop. I kept slamming that lifeless sack of flour into my floor over and over. I could feel tears being flung off my face with every sudden jerk of my body. I don’t know how long it kept going, but eventually I felt something tackle me to the floor. I was on my back looking up at something purple.

“Pinkie, stop! What’s wrong?!” The pony yelled while pinning me down. It… It was Twilight Sparkle. She was looking right down at me with a really worried expression.

I tried to talk. But I was crying so hard that the only thing I could make was pathetic whimpers and cries. I just couldn’t make myself speak any real words. I must’ve sounded like an insane animal…

“Pinkie, enough! Calm down!” Twilight shouted at me while giving me a good shake. “Calm down. Take long deep breaths. Relax.”

I tried so hard to do what she said. I gritted my teeth together and inhaled through them. I inhaled until I could fit no more air inside and then let it all out nice and slow. I did that a few more times until I felt myself not shaking as much anymore. “Good… Now, tell me what happened. Why is your room such a mess? And why is your mirror broken?”

I looked around at my surroundings. My mirror had been shattered. Only the back of it and its frame was still in one piece. There was a bag of flour in the middle of the room just behind Twilight. My pile of rocks had been scattered everywhere. That pile of dust had been spread out everywhere as if I had kicked it. And that bucket of turnips had been knocked over. It… It looked liked I had even crushed one.

I looked up at Twilight. My vision was still very blurred with tears. I… All I could do was cover my face with my hooves and cry. But I felt Twilight give me a very gentle hug. “It’s gonna be OK, Pinkie… It’ll be OK.”

She didn’t let me go until I stopped crying. I managed to at least sit up while Twilight took a look at the place. “Pinkie… Did you do all this?” I didn’t say anything right away, but I did manage to nod. I still can’t believe I lost control like that.

Twilight kept looking around for a while before she looked at me with a really worried looked. “It looks like you had a massive psychotic breakdown….. What happened? What caused you to snap?”

I couldn’t talk. I felt so down… So low… No words would come. Twilight then raised her hoof suddenly with a smile. “Ah, right! Maybe a warm shower will help you relax. Studies have shown that bathing has very soothing psychological effects on ponies.”

By then, I really just wanted to do anything to help myself feel better. I nodded and led Twilight into my bathroom. “OK. I’ll get it ready for you.” But while she got the water running, I saw myself in another mirror above the sink. My mane and tail… They looked the same way they did in my reflection earlier. I had to look away. I didn’t want to remember that… Writing this made me remember it all over again… I need to take a break for a minute to get my mind straight…

OK, I’m feeling better now. A few minutes later, I was just sitting in the tub with the water up to my shoulders while Twilight was using a brush on a stick to scrub me. We didn’t say anything at first. Eventually, Twilight did speak up. “Are you feeling any better, Pinkie?”

I still felt too down to really say anything, but I did look at her and nod. “Uh huh… Kinda.”

After I looked away for a moment, I felt Twilight place her hoof on my shoulder. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

I turned and looked at her without saying anything. She looked so worried. “I promise not to tell anypony if you want me to keep it secret.” She then showed a bit of a funny smile. “And don’t worry. I won’t crack like I did back when Photo Finish was in town.”

Good old Twilight. That actually got a giggle out of me. “OK, Twilight… I’ll tell you…”

I tried to find the right words. As much as I just love a good joke, this wasn’t something to joke about. I looked down at my reflection in the water. I couldn’t see all of me because of the bubbles, but I could see some of my face. “Twilight… Do you think that some of your friends…even though they look real…might not be real at all?”

She looked really confused at what I said seeing as how she tilted her head to one side. “Huh? Wha… What do you mean by that?”

I let out a long sigh, placing one hoof on the water’s surface while my reflection reached back. I’m just glad that it didn’t talk back to me that time. “It’s just… See how my reflection moves and looks? How real it is? It’s like it’s a real person. But…” I then looked right at Twilight. “Do you think some ponies…or people who aren’t in mirrors might not be real either? Just…being things we think we’re seeing and hearing and touching but we really aren’t?”

Twilight looked at me with a really disturbed expression. And I don’t mean a creeped out kind of disturbed. I mean a really sad kind of disturbed. She took a moment to reply. “Pinkie… I’m going to be honest. That is the most depressing thing I have ever heard you say. This is because James disappeared without a trace, isn’t it?”

I nodded and looked back at myself in the reflection. “It’s just… Humans have never really existed in Equestria before, right? I mean, there was that little problem a couple of weeks ago, but we’ve never found any proof that they were ever real. They were only talked about in myths, right?”

“Please don’t say anymore, Pinkie. I know what you’re getting at and I’m going to tell you this right now.” Twilight replied before grabbing my shoulders between her hooves. “Stop thinking that. I… I don’t care how likely it is that James was just an illusion cooked up by overactive imaginations. He is still our friend.”

I could tell that Twilight was trying to keep my faith strong. And I really wanted to believe her. But I then asked, “Do you have any proof that…he was really real and not a dream?”

She opened her mouth as if she was going to talk, but she paused and lowered her head and sighed. “No….. I have no way to test that.” But she then looked at me with a really hurt expression. “But please… Don’t say things like that anymore. I don’t want to believe such a thing. If you still care about him, don’t let go of your faith in him. Believe that he’ll come home and he just might.”

I took a deep breath. She was right… I should always have faith in my friends. I could feel my mane start to return to normal. “…..When he comes home, I’m gonna throw a big party for him. A ‘welcome home’ party. And I’ll be sure to invite all of his closest friends!”

“Now that’s the Pinkie Pie I know.” Twilight said with a smile while making a towel float over to me. I hopped out of the tub and grabbed it before drying myself off. I saw my wet tail quickly inflate back to its regular poofy look. “I still want to know how that works. Is your mane and tail just hair-covered balloons?”

“Nope! It’s all natural!” I replied with a big grin. I was definitely feeling better by then. If you’re reading this, thanks, Twilight!

Once I was all dried off, we went back out into the loft’s main room. I felt myself wince when I saw my broken mirror and the mess I had made closer to my bed. “…I’ll clean this up. Don’t worry.” Twilight spoke with a reassuring smile. I nodded with a smile too and just watched.

Twilight went over to my mirror and levitated all of the broken glass into my trash pail near my bed. She then used a little broom and dust pan to sweep up the bits of dust and squashed turnip and dumped that in too. She then levitated all of the dropped turnips and put them back in the pail before placing all of my rocks back into their box. “There we go. I’ll take this bag of flour back downstairs on my way out. Oh, and I’ll take your mirror to get fixed.”

I nodded with a grateful smile. Hopefully getting my mirror fixed will stop that old ‘7 years bad luck’ curse. “Thanks again, Twilight. I’m glad you showed up when you did. I really needed a friend today.”

“Anytime, Pinkie. I’ll see you later.” Twilight replied while waving with me. But just before she could walk down the stairs, she suddenly gasped. “Oh, right! I forgot to tell you! Just before I left my house not even twenty minutes ago, I sent a message to Princess Celestia asking her for help on this. If anypony can help us locate James, she can. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as she sends her reply.”

I felt a huge weight float off my shoulders. If there is one pony in Equestria we can always count on for help, it’s Princess Celestia. “Phew… Yeah, she can help! And James is friends with Princess Luna! They’ll help us get to the bottom of this! Thanks for asking them, Twilight.”

“It was the least I could do. I’m just as eager to see him again myself. In any case, I better get going. Take care, Pinkie.” Twilight replied while giving me a friendly wave. That sack of flour on the floor floated over to her with my mirror’s frame before she walked downstairs with them until I couldn’t see either of them anymore.

I need to stop writing now. I’ve got a big party to plan out… Huh? That twitch again… It wasn’t my Pinkie Sense, but… Oh no, not THAT kind of twitch again. Stay calm. It’s going to be OK.

“He’s real. I know he’s real… He’ll be home soon…” I keep telling myself. I know my friend will be home soon.

Well, today got off to a slow start for me. I just felt so lazy getting out of bed. So heavy… Almost as if I had gorged myself on ten dozen chocolate-covered roses. Thank the stars I know better than to do that. A lady must mind her figure!

I crawled out of bed and carefully removed the curlers from my gorgeous mane and tail. What, you think my perfectly kempt hair is all natural? As much as I wish it was, I am sorry to say some curls require a little help to maintain their shape. But enough about that. I made certain to touchup my eye shadow with my favorite baby blue hue. You would be surprised by how many stallions are drawn to eyes topped off with a light blue cover. I struck a delightful pose in the mirror, raising my right hoof slightly while batting my eyes, even though they still seemed as if I had gotten hardly any sleep.. “Mmm, yes. Perfect as always… Hm?”

My right hoof? What was that on it? Ah, yes. My bracelet. I have been wearing that for as long as I can recall… Oh, well… I suppose I have not been wearing it for all that long. Only three weeks or so, I suppose. Although I have not once removed it since the day I received it from….him.

“James… You’re still not home, are you?” I muttered out loud. Of all the men I have met in my life, I have met few with the genuine sweetness he has. Certainly lacking the pristine qualities of most Canterlot gentlemen, but he more than makes up for it with tender charm. And…I felt a dull pain deep in my heart as I beheld the many opals adorning the silver bracelet on my ankle. “Darling… I pray I’ll see you today.”

I marched right downstairs and into my workroom. The suit I had woven for Sapphire Shores was standing proudly in the center. Only a few sapphires were missing before it could truly be called complete. “I suppose breakfast can wait a bit longer. This should only take a moment.”

I carefully examined the patterns of sapphires I had placed on the suit. I had designed it in such a way that left bold crossing lines of gemstones that went all over the body and on the outer sections of the limbs. My goal was to make the suit shine as if a net of shimmering blue light was entangling the wearer. “Oooh, this suit is going to be simply spectacular once she’s up onstage!” I spoke with pride as I applied the last few sapphires.

“There. Now all that’s left is the hat! But first, a lady can’t work on an empty stomach.” I spoke to myself before trotting into the kitchen and looking through the refrigerator. But I did not look for long before I heard a quiet meow behind me. I turned to look over my shoulder and saw none of than dear little Opalescence standing at the entrance to my kitchen. “Oh, I could never forget you, Opal. Let mama get you some breakfast too.”

With a little magic, I carried a can of Opal’s favorite cat food out of the cabinet and set it on the counter before taking a can opener to it. “Oh, wait. That’s not quite on the right angle.” I muttered to myself when I noticed the hook was not penetrating the can’s lid properly. But as I reached out with my hoof to adjust it, once again I caught a glimpse of the bracelet.

Why… Whenever I see those glittering opals, I am not reminded of my dear cat who shares their name, but of the precious friend who gave it to me. He told me it was partially to make me think of her, but it was doing quite the opposite. “This is such a distraction right now…” I grumbled as I focused my gaze onto it to use levitation magic. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not bring myself to slide it off.

“I… I can’t…” I sighed with a heavy heart. With James missing, my memories of him are all I have left. That, and this bracelet. Removing it now would be disrespectful to his memories. “I’ll just have to avert my eyes for now…”

While taking care to not look directly at my right hoof, I pried open the can and poured its contents into a small bowl before setting it on the floor. “There you go, Opal. Bon appétit.” I spoke with a slight smile. She came over to the bowl and sniffed it for a moment before turning her nose up at it. Of course, that is just typical for her. She would eat it eventually.

I went about trying to find something to eat for myself, but the majority of my appetite had faded away. And I knew why. Even without looking at it, my bracelet was constantly reminding me of the dear friend who had vanished into thin air. In the end, I settled for a mere orange. The vitamin C would probably help perk me up a bit. I certainly needed it at the time.

I promptly peeled the orange and discarded its very bitter rind into the closest wastebasket and proceeded back out into the workroom. I looked over the sketch I had made for the suit’s matching hat while eating the orange wedge by wedge. “Hmmm… Does not look like I need to make adjustments.” I muttered while using magic to levitate over a white fedora hat and set it upon the mannequin’s head. The suit and hat meshed together quite nicely. All that was needed was the ring of sapphires around it.

I pushed a chest of fresh sapphires closer to the mannequin and lifted the lid open. One by one, I lifted them from the chest and carefully set each in a row around the base of the crown. But…it felt so slow. My mind was wandering and I felt…somewhat weaker than I normally do. Before I even knew it, I had only placed six down over the course of five minutes. “What is wrong with me…” I muttered in barely a whisper.

Once more, my eyes turned towards the bracelet on my right hoof. The light shining through the nearest window caused the opals to shimmer in a multitude of colors with no two shines being alike. It… It is my most prized possession. But as I looked at it, I began to ponder. Did James really get it for me? I did just happen to wake up one day with it clipped around my ankle. Did… Did I even ever know a man named James? Is it possible that he was…merely a fabrication brought on by fillyhood fairytales of…

“No! No, how dare you, Rarity?!” I suddenly shrieked as I shook my head to remove such horrendous thoughts from my mind. “How dare you even consider that?! How dare you lose such faith in a dear friend of yours?!” I felt such fury… I could not believe I allowed myself to even think that James had been nothing but a dream. Even if just for a moment…

I felt tears beginning to stream down my cheeks. Tears of utter shame. “Oh darling… I’m so sorry! I should never have even dared to think such a wretched possibility!” I sobbed so hard… I longed to feel him hold me in his arms once more… To feel his genuine care and love…

Of all times… As I wallowed in shame and longing, I heard the bell above my front door ring. “I should’ve placed an ‘out to lunch’ sign out there…” I grumbled to myself as I did my best to hide my emotions. I turned to face my customer and did my best to smile. “Welcome to Carousel Bou… Oh, Sapphire Shores!” I temporarily forgot about my sorrows for just a moment as I saw the splendidly dressed Pony of Pop herself standing in my doorway.

“Good mooorning, Miss Rarity! And…well, I came at just the right time, didn’t I?!” Her face lit up the instant she cast her gaze towards the mannequin behind me while speaking with that characteristic flair of hers.

“You did...? Oh, yes! I just finished the sapphire patterns on your suit not even fifteen minutes ago!” I replied while doing my absolute best to keep a straight face. Hopefully she would not notice anything was wrong.

Sapphire Shores trotted right over to the mannequin that held her suit and began to closely examine it while steadily circling it. “Ooh, this really puts the ‘sapphire’ in Sapphire Shores! I’ll be like a walking Hearths Warming Eve tree dressed in blue baubles when the stage lights hit! Absolutely seeeeensational!”

It did my heart good to see Sapphire so pleased with the end result of my work. It had been some time since she last commissioned me, so I was a tad worried that I had lost my touch with sleek suits. She is the only client who has ever commissioned me for that style of clothing. “I am so relieved that you find it to your liking. I confess I got a bit experimental when I was setting out the patterns.”

My client stood up higher, rising onto just her hind legs while adjusting the tiny hat on her head. She held a hoof to her chin while seemingly examining the incomplete fedora on the mannequin’s head. “Hmmm… I thought this was all supposed to be ready today. I’m liking where the hat’s going though.”

Oh drat! She was right. I was supposed to have her attire completed by this morning. But I have been so distracted lately by… I believe you are able to ascertain what it is by my earlier writings. Regardless, I tried to keep my cool and replied as calmly as I could muster. “Oh… My apologies, Miss Shores. I have been…um…somewhat distracted by some more…personal issues as of late. I assure you that hat will be completed within the hour.”

The Pony of Pop dropped back down onto all fours and stepped out from behind the mannequin before me. “Oh please, call me Sapphire. And…hm?” She paused and approached me with a very focused gaze the likes of which I had never seen on her before.

“Oh, sorry. I just have a habit of being formal with anypony who happens to be a celebrity and…um… What are you doing?” I replied before I noticed that she was standing right in front of me while seeming to be scanning my face.

“Personal problems, you said? And are you all right? You look like your makeup’s running…” Sapphire spoke in a surprisingly mellow tone of voice, as if she had completely dropped her usual flair.

“My makeup…? Oh dear…” Of course. My tears had streamed down my face and over the parts where makeup had been applied this morning. “Is it that obvious?”

Sapphire nodded while showing a look of genuine concern. “Anypony who wears makeup as often as I do is quick to notice when it’s been messed up by something. Especially tears.”

I let out a sigh of defeat. There was no denying the truth by then. “Well… Like I said, it is…quite personal. I doubt it would matter to you.”

Much to my surprise, Sapphire reached out and patted me on the shoulder. “Honey, I’ve got plenty of time to hear out a friend on her troubles. By all means, tell me what’s eating you.”

I gazed at her, feeling just flabbergasted by her response. “Wha… Friends? Me?”

Sapphire grinned quite brightly, showing off the normal everyday mare underneath her glamorous and flamboyant exterior. “Of course! I prefer to stay personal with everypony I work with. So, what’s the matter?”

I felt myself relax quite a bit at the sound of her words. “All right… Well, just a couple of days ago, a dear friend of mine… His name is James. He…”

During my brief pause while trying to find the right words, Sapphire spoke up. “James, huh? Odd name for a pony, but go on.”

I was hardly surprised that she did not suspect he was not a pony. “Actually, he is a human. You know, like in some of Equestria’s lesser known legends and fairytales?”

“Oh, them. Well, I don’t keep up with legends and the like. I’m more focused on the here and now, if you know what I mean. And…did something happen to him?” Sapphire retorted, showing casual indifference to what James is. Such a fine mare, not showing any criticism on his race or species at all.

“Well… I have known him for…exactly three weeks. But just a couple of days ago, he just…vanished. And I do not mean kidnapped or wandered off. I mean vanish entirely as if he just turned into smoke and faded away. It is…most frustrating.” I explained while I recounted what had occurred over the last few days.

“Hmm… Disappeared? Are you sure you looked everywhere you could?” Sapphire asked with a worried expression.

I let out a long sigh while slowly shaking my head. “We practically turned the house he was living in upside-down searching for any evidence of what had become of him. A message explaining his absence. Anything at all. My friend Applejack even brought her dog along to try and sniff out a trail of where James had gone.”

“And…you found nothing?” Sapphire spoke softly, her mouth curving downward into a frown.

“Nothing at all… The freshest trail led directly into the house. It was as if he…just…ceased to exist.” I could feel new tears beginning to form at the edge of my increasingly blurred vision. “Literally just minutes before you came in, I was even beginning to question my memories. Did he even exist at all? Humans have only existed in myth, after all…”

Sapphire sighed and shook her head while casting her gaze towards the floor. “Miss Rarity… That is one of the most depressing concepts I have ever heard of in my entire career… That would make for a terribly moving song…” She then looked directly at me once more. “All that emotion you’re showing… Is he important to you?”

There was no denying just how precious that man is to me by that point. I looked down at my bracelet once more while I raised my hoof. “Very… James is…quite unlike every other stallion I have ever met. Granted, he is not a stallion, but he is a man. He is rather quiet and very reserved. He is modest… So much so that I feel he is unsure of how to approach me at times… But he can also be witty when the moment calls for it. And more than anything, he is quite generous and eager to please. He is…most precious to me. Truly one of my most important friends.”

Sapphire eyed my bracelet while I looked at it. She seemed to show a comforting smile, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. “Is he sweet on you?”

I nodded with a smile. “He is. Very sweet. I think he adores me more than most.”

However, Sapphire then shook her hoof while holding it aloft. “Oh no, I don’t mean like that. Is he…you know…courting you?”

I felt so unbearably warm at that moment. I must have been blushing. But with a frown, I shook my head. “Oh… No, he is not. His heart belongs to my best friend now. He lives with Fluttershy at the edge of Ponyville.”

“Ooh… I see. Well… Judging by how emotional you’re getting on this… Are you sweet on him?” Sapphire retorted a few seconds later.

With a heavy heart, I let out a sigh. “I will not lie… The thought has crossed my mind from time to time.” I took a closer look at my bracelet. I could almost see countless copies of my face staring back at me from the many polished sides of the opals. “I have often wondered… What could have been? What if he had purchased a different piece of jewelry for me? What if it touched me on an even deeper level than this one did? Where would we be now?” I felt myself get lost in the fine clear gemstones before my eyes. I felt warm and comforted as I remembered those days from just a few weeks ago. “Would we be lovers by now…? Would we still be friends…? I just don’t know…”

I am rather impressed by how patiently Sapphire waited for me to finish. By the time I had realized how much I was talking, I jumped and shook my head while placing my hoof back on the floor. “Oh, so sorry! I got lost in my memories…” I then straightened my thoughts and smiled faintly. “Of course, I know such thoughts are unhealthy. He has made up his mind and I must respect that… We do see each other daily, so we remain close. That is good enough for me…”

“But it still hurts when you can’t see him for this long, doesn’t it?” Sapphire asked as she reached out and placed a hoof on my shoulder.

I nodded once again while frowning. “Indeed… And it tears at my mind wondering what has become of him…”

Sapphire Shores soon patted me on the shoulder once more before returning her hoof to the floor. “From what I can see, this James guy is very lucky to have a friend like you. I’d like to meet him someday.”

I nodded with a faint smile. Sapphire was merely trying to cheer me up. “And… You know what? This has given me some inspiration to write a few songs!” Sapphire beamed before raising her hoof and slowly moving it sideways while looking upward at…something. “I’ll title the first ‘Want You Back’ and the second ‘Love from the Outside’. How’s that?”

Amazing, really. To think she would name songs after my personal feelings and a personal crisis I was going through. “I am…quite honored, Sapphire. I will make certain James will acquire a copy of the album you release them on.”

Regaining some of her usual flair, she gave me a winning smile. “I’ll be certain to mail you a vinyl of it when it’s released. Consider it a tip for this especially stunning work of wearable art right here.” She then tapped the mannequin her suit rested on. “Oh, and don’t worry about rushing the hat. Take all the time you need. I know personal problems come first.”

It was most considerate of her to give me extra time. I feared she would have been quite disappointed when she arrived to find her hat unfinished. “Why, thank you. However, I’m quite certain I can have this done within the hour as I said.”

“Well, all right then. In the meantime, I’ll go grab a bite in town. Just don’t be surprised if I come back with a mob trailing me.” Sapphire said while she waved at me as she headed out the door. I certainly was feeling in somewhat better spirits after getting that off my chest. If I really motored through things, I could probably have the hat done in under ten minutes.

The trick to setting out the gemstones properly was to make certain each was the same size as the rest. I had to make certain to not mix and match. And before long, it was done. A perfect ring of glittering sapphires set around the base of the fedora’s crown. “Oh, she will most certainly look swanky in this attire!”

However, I did not even have time to look my latest creation over before I heard a light knocking at my door. “Cooooming!” I retorted, hoping my customer could hear me. But when I opened the door, I was greeted by a rather somber sight. “Hel… Oh, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy stood before me looking absolutely dreadful. Her eyes seemed bloodshot and puffy and I could see stains under her eyes. Clearly from tears. “Hello…Rarity…” She weakly muttered. She looked…so fragile at that moment. Like a sickly dove on the verge of collapsing at any time.

“Darling, what in the world happened? I have seen you in rough shape before, but you look deathly sickly!” I could not help exclaiming as I beheld my best friend before me.

Fluttershy slowly staggered towards me as I took a few steps back to allow her inside. “I’m not sick… I’m just…so…” She bowed her head before she could even finish.

“Darling, did you even sleep last night?” I asked while holding her up. Her stance was shaky and uneven. I feared she would faint at any given time.

“I did… A little…” She replied before letting out a yawn. Even if she did get some sleep, she clearly did not get nearly enough. “But…nightmares…”

Poor Fluttershy… I could already see what was plaguing her. I used magic to slide over my favorite red reclining sofa and helped her lie down on it. “Shhh… You can tell me everything, Fluttershy. We are the best of friends, are we not?”

She managed to force out a small smile while she looked at me. “We are…”

I then pulled up a stool so I could sit next to her. “If it would help, I could hear you out on what you dreamed about.”

Fluttershy rolled over onto her back and let out a long sigh. “It was…the same dream each time… Well…not really. I always found myself in a different place each time. The first time… I was outside in the meadow at night. The next time, it was morning… Then I was in the garden in Canterlot’s royal palace…”

Hmm… Rather puzzling. It did not sound terribly traumatic. “Well…it sounds like you were seeing quite a bit of the sights. How was that a bad thing?”

“Because…it always ended the same way.” Fluttershy replied without even looking at me. “A few minutes after I started dreaming, I saw him…”

“You saw James… Was he happy to see you?” I asked, starting to become fearful of just what happened in Fluttershy’s mind

She took a deep breath before continuing. “I called out to him… He was always turned away from me. He never responded…” I could see tears beginning to form at the edge of Fluttershy’s eyes. I do not believe she was even aware that they were there at that moment.

“I ran over to him… I felt so happy… I had been hoping to see him again and he was right there in front of me.” Fluttershy spoke with a very noticeable smile on her face. I can only imagine the relief she must have felt when she saw her beloved after searching so hard for him the previous days. However, her smile began to curve downwards into a frown. “But…when I reached out to hold him…I…” I saw her tears spill over as she spoke with her voice beginning to break. “My hooves…went right through him… As if…he was not there…”

I too could feel tears starting to build in my eyes as I found myself unwittingly imagining everything Fluttershy was speaking. “I reached out to him again and again…but I could never touch him… But…the worst part…” She then covered her face and began to sob. “He started sinking into the ground… I kept pleading with him to grab onto me… He did…finally reach out to me at the last second…but his hand… It went right through me… I dug at the ground so hard… Tried to dig him up when he disappeared into the ground…” Gasping for air, Fluttershy removed her hooves from her face and looked at me with tired swollen eyes. “That was when I woke up… Every single time…”

Such a horrid dream… It was no wonder Fluttershy seemed so haunted by what she had seen. Using magic, I levitated a dry tissue over to her and wiped her tears from her face. “It’s going to be all right, Fluttershy… It was just a dream. And dreams aren’t truly real.”

“But it was the same dream every time! It… It must mean something!” Fluttershy continued to sob. I am all but certain the final stages of her dreams had been burned into her memory.

I reached out and placed my hoof on hers. “Fluttershy… Darling, look at me.” I spoke softly, trying to get her to stop crying and listen to me. She finally did relax and looked my way. She sniffled and choked, but she was no longer crying. “He is precious to you, isn’t he?”

Fluttershy nodded weakly without saying a word. I tried my best to smile. “That’s good. Because I know you are precious to him as well.”

“You… You can tell that easily?” She asked with a rather baffled expression.

I let out a light giggle. “Oh, yes. Take it from somepony who is looking to find a sweet husband someday herself. I can tell that James is someone who really commits to a relationship. He will not ever leave you. He will return to you. I swear it.”

Fluttershy could only bow her head in silence. I could see that she was starting to do the same thing I had done just a short while ago. She was starting to doubt her memories. I reached out at her and firmly gripped her shoulders. “Fluttershy, no. Do not doubt what you remember. He was not a dream. You know he was as real as you and I.”

My dear friend let out a long hard sigh. “I know… I shouldn’t doubt if I love him, but… It’s just so hard… I don’t know if I will ever see him again…”

What I said next was merely a half-truth, as I was not entirely convinced myself. “You will see him again, Fluttershy. You will.”

Fluttershy looked at me with a truly sorrowful yet somewhat hopeful expression. “You…you’re sure about that?”

I gave her the best smile I could. “Would I ever lie to a friend?”

“No… No, you would never lie to me…” Fluttershy finally showed me the first true smile I had seen from her this morning and held onto me with a tender embrace.

“There there, darling… Is there anything I can do for you at all while you're here?” I asked in the hopes of finding something to keep Fluttershy out of depression.

“I… I don’t know. I just want to be in the company of friends until he comes home…” Fluttershy replied with a rather sad smile.

“You’re trying to drown your loneliness, hm? Well, you are more than welcome to spend the day with me. Come, let me prepare you a light snack. Crying tends to leave you rather famished.” I spoke before helping her up and leading her to my kitchen. Some tea would do her well.

I suppose I shall stop here. I have another commission to start working on as soon as Sapphire Shores returns to claim her attire. And I will certainly have my hooves full tending to Fluttershy in her time of need. Although…

I pray that my promise does not turn into a lie… James, darling… Please come home soon. Fluttershy needs you…

Heya, ponies. This is Rainbow Dash writing again. I had to get to work right after breakfast setting up the clouds over Ponyville for a nice downpour. Yeah, that’s right. Rain.

The only problem was I really didn’t feel like doing it. I mean I don’t mind my job, but… I just felt like I had no energy by the time I was above Ponyville. And that’s saying something since I’m usually on top of the world.

I just found the closest cloud I could find and just let myself slump over it. I just felt…down. Like Diamond Dog down. I rolled over onto my back after a minute and just looked up at the sky. That big old blue sea above me. “It almost feels like you could just fall up there and disappear… All without a trace…”

Oh, who am I kidding? I was still feeling bummed over my friend disappearing. Still no sign of him. No word from him. Hay, nopony in town has seen him for the last few days. No matter how hard I tried to shake it off, I just couldn’t stop worrying about him.

“I wonder if you’re out there somewhere… Are you OK?” I heard myself whisper as I held my hoof up as if to touch the sky above me. “You’re always so reserved… So quiet unless in the right mood… Like you could just slip away without anyone noticing…”

I must’ve let myself relax way too much. Next thing I know, I’m talking to myself. “Can you hear me, James? Do you even remember me?”

Before I could say anything else, a voice spoke up from right beside me. “I dunno, but I do! Hi, Rainbow Dash!”

“What the?!” I yelped before rolling right off the cloud I was on. I managed to catch myself before I could fall very far though. I then swooped right back up to my cloud and gave that goofball pegasus a piece of my mind. “What gives, Derpy?! You don’t sneak up on ponies like that! You might get a hoof in the face!”

That derp gave me her best googly-eyed smile before she waved at me like nothing had happened. “Sorry! I saw you up here and thought I’d just say hi.” She then paused for a moment and reached into her mail satchel and pulled something out. “Muffin?”

I rolled my eyes. Just… Derpy’s such a muffinhead sometimes. Oh, wait. I mean all the time! But I guess I could’ve used a snack at the time and took the muffin. “Thanks, I guess…” Looked like I had gotten a good old blueberry muffin that time.

“So, is something wrong?” Derpy asked while I started to munch on the muffin.

I let out a sigh. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to tell just anypony about what had happened to the only human in all of Equestria. “Well… Have you seen James lately?” I tried asking while doing my best to smile. Yeah, it was a fake smile, but what could I do? “I’ve been trying to find him today. I used to see him every day. Almost like he’s part of my daily schedule… Any sign of him?”

Derpy surprised me with a really unhappy frown. “I haven’t seen him in three days. I was kinda hoping you would know.”

Well, I can’t say I was surprised to hear that. It looks like nopony’s seen him at all. But what Derpy said next threw me for a loop. “Maybe I just need to make some of my ‘weird beard’ muffins.”

“Uh… OK, I’ve heard of some weird eats before, but… What the hay are those?” I couldn’t help asking after staring at her with a half chewed bite of muffin hanging in my jaws.

Derpy looked at me with those goofy eyes and smiled. “Oh, that’s what I call a special batch of muffins I made once. I started seeing all sorts of things that I never saw before. I saw a manticore with a bunny face and dolphin tail, a hydra that was as big as a cat… Oh wait, it really was a cat. With four heads! And then I swear I saw a human that day! Oh wait, that was James. And I swear I had a beard at that time! That’s why I call them my ‘weird beard’ muffins.”

I finally just had to speak up after hearing all that. Whatever she put in those muffins can’t be good for you. “Are you saying you mixed in a bunch of stuff that makes you see things?!”

“I dunno! It felt pretty real. The kitten hydra licked me and purred a lot. And James looked pretty real too.” Derpy replied with a silly smile. But she then suddenly gasped. “Oh, right! I gotta get back to work! Saturdays are such busy days for me! See you around, Rainbow Dash!” That total derp then dove right off the cloud and flew off.

I just sat there for a moment without saying anything. Derpy’s words were still sinking in. “Great… Somepony else who probably thinks James was just one big hallucination…”

I’m going to be honest right now. The longer I went without seeing him, the more I started to think that James might not have ever existed in the first place. And I’ve got a hunch some of my best friends think the same way. That was what was bumming me out the most. I know Fluttershy and I already went over that discussion yesterday, but… I can’t help but wonder if it’s possible. I then just let myself go limp on the cloud with my head kind of hanging off the edge while looking down. “If this is what reality is like, then reality sucks.”

I wanted to stop feeling depressed, so I tried counting how many ponies I could name by checking the colors in the distance as they walked around. “Two shades of pink or purple… That’s Berry Punch. There’s two shades of brown… That’s the doc. Now we have a bit of… Red coat and orange mane and short tail… That’s Big Macintosh…”

It was kind of like playing a bit of ‘connect the dots’, except it was more like ‘match the colors’. I kept at it for a little while until I noticed one pony standing still while I think she was looking up at me. “Um… Three shades of purple or pink with a light lavender… Twilight?”

Turns out Twilight was looking right at me. I weakly waved at her, not having much motivation to do anything. Um… It was kind of hard to make out anything from that distance, but she seemed to be calling me down judging by that movement with one hoof. “Ugh… If it was any other time…”

With one swoop, I dove off of my cloud and landed right in front of that egghead unicorn. “Morning, Twilight. What’s up?”

She looked kind of bothered by something as we stood there in the middle of the street. “Morning, Rainbow. Let’s just say this morning hasn’t been very easy for me… Or our friends.”

Uh oh, that didn’t sound good. “Our friends? What’s been going on? They didn’t come down with something, did they? Any symptoms I better watch out for?”

Twilight let out a sigh before looking right at me. I rarely see her looking that worried about anything. “Well, all I’ve seen this morning is Applejack and Pinkie Pie. AJ didn’t have that many apples available at market, Pinkie Pie had a severe breakdown of some sort… This just hasn’t been a good day for us.”

Man… It sounded like I wasn’t the only pony around going through the missing friend blues. “Dang… It’s like each day just keeps getting worse…”

Right then, Twilight gave me a little smile. “Don’t worry too much. I sent a message to Princess Celestia just before I left my house this morning. If anypony can help find our friend, she can. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spike comes looking for me any minute now.”

Sweet. We can almost always count on Princess Celestia if things get bad, so that took a load off my back. But as I wondered about that, a thought came to mind. “Hey, that’s cool and all. But…uh…how long ago did you send the message?”

“Oh, I’d say it’s been pretty close to half an hour. I should be getting a reply anytime now.” Twilight replied with a smile. I wish I had her optimism today.

Something just didn’t sound right with that response though. “Huh…? Hang on. Half an hour? Doesn’t she usually reply right away when you send her a message? I mean… What’s the longest you’ve ever had to wait for a reply?”

Twilight gave me a pretty uneasy smile. “Oh, the longest… That was five minutes. I’m pretty sure she’s just dealing with some very important matters right now and just can’t be bothered to find a quill and scroll to use.”

I gave Twilight a glare. She was starting to sound way too optimistic. “Uh huh. And how long did you wait before you left the house?”

“Ten minutes. Why do you ask?” Twilight replied while giving me a puzzled look.

I let out a long sigh. “If it’s been that long… Twilight, something’s not right here. You know your messages are top priority with Princess Celestia, so there’s no way she would take this long to write a reply.”

I think my words were starting to sink in. She was really starting to look bothered and even a bit scared. “I… I can’t think of why she would wait so long to reply… It must be a good reason…”

“Or maybe…she thinks you’re crazy for asking for help to find someone who might not even be real.” I muttered to her. It hurt. I mean, seriously. It hurt to even consider that thought again. But that’s the only response I could think of.

Twilight looked kind of offended by that line. She looked at me with a really sharp glare. “Rainbow, of course he exists! I remember every day of the last three weeks he was with us! I know for a fact that he couldn’t have not been real!”

I took a few steps forward and stared her right in the eyes. “I dare you to say that again. To say that there was absolutely no chance of a human guy being something we just thought up in our heads. To say that there wasn’t a single moment over the last few days that you considered he was just a dream.”

“I…” Twilight started to talk with a really determined gaze. But she quickly started to show doubt with that scared frown on her face. “I… I…”

I sighed. So even that egghead wondered it too. “Thought so… A human just wandering into town saying he’s not even from this world… That sounds like something out of a dream or some science fiction novel. Although I’m pretty sure one of those awesome Daring Do novels had a human or two in them at some point…”

Twilight bowed her head in silence for a minute before talking quietly. “Actually… I did do some research and…” She then looked at me with one of the saddest looks I had ever seen on her face as her ears drooped. “It is…quite possible that the James we know…may not have ever existed.”

By that point, I wasn’t even really aware of what else was going on around us. I was just focusing entirely on Twilight. I admit… I was scared. I didn’t want to believe that it was possible our friend was just a mirage. But…I had to know what she found out. “Well… What did you find?”

Twilight sighed before she started to explain. “Well… There is the scenario where a child thinks up a nonexistant friend through sheer imagination. Often brought on by fascinating subjects, usually with exotic creatures or even fictional characters in books and other media. And to them… Their imaginations may make the entity seem very real to the point of being able to feel their touch… Hear their voice… Basically have them seem like real people.”

I cocked my head to one side. Imaginary friends. Isn’t that something only little kids do? “Uh… Yeah. Sure. You DO know we’re not little fillies anymore, right?”

She nodded with a sigh. “I know that… The other possibility though… It was so dark, I was honestly scared by it.” She then looked away for minute before speaking more softly than usual to the point where I almost couldn’t hear her. “The more likely possibility in the case of adults…is schizophrenia.”

That was one of the weirdest words I’ve ever heard. “Schizo… Huh?”

Twilight looked at me with a really worried expression. I could tell that whatever she read about… It really got to her. “It’s a very severe mental illness that can effect the mind in various ways.”

I jumped back. Mental illness?! “Are you saying we just might be sick in the head?!”

Twilight shook her hoof at me, as if trying to signal me to chill. “Relax, Rainbow. I’m not saying we’re all mentally ill… Some individuals with schizophrenia actually behave and think normally. But…” She paused for a minute before continuing. “There have been a few cases where…”

I could see she was having a hard time going on with that explanation. I grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Twilight. I need to know this. What did the book say?”

She gulped hard. I could see she was nervous. “Well… There have been several recorded cases of an affected individual who had been seeing people who were not truly there. Some even starting as early as childhood or their mid teens. Some of them were even so real to the affected pony, that the afflicted even developed close friendships with them, listened to their advice, even gave them gifts… Basically not being able to tell in the slightest that the person before them could only be seen, heard, and felt by them.” I swear, I think I was starting to see tears building at the edge of Twilight’s eyes. “And…they would never vanish. They at times would leave to take care of things outside the person’s field of vision and return later, but they would never disappear. Some spent their entire lives interacting with these…nonexistent friends…while everyone else could never see or hear them…”

I… I felt such a chill slide down my spine when I heard that. “That… That sounds exactly like what’s been happening… Do you…” Out of nowhere, I felt tears starting to ooze down my face. And for once in my life, I really didn’t care. “Do you think that’s what’s been happening? And that we… Maybe the illness finally left us?”

Twilight bowed and shook her head. “I don’t know, Rainbow… I honestly…don’t…know. He was with us for too short a time to make certain… And mental illnesses never really go away...”

No… Just… I don’t even want to consider that. Even with that kind of proof… “No… I’m not gonna believe that! No way!”

Just before I could do anything else, I felt Twilight place her hoof on my shoulder. “Me neither, Rainbow… I can’t believe that he was… I WON’T believe it.”

I couldn’t even say anything for a minute. All I could do was look at Twilight. I felt so hot… Kind of sick too… Like I wanted to hurl or something. Finally, I managed to squeak out a sentence. “Twilight… I’m scared.”

That egghead gave me a gentle comforting hug. It felt more like one Fluttershy would give me. “Me too, Rainbow… But this case is in good hooves now. Just leave it to Princess Celestia. You know she’s never failed us before.”

I took a long deep breath to try to relax myself and my stomach. Wait… Never failed us? “Hold on. What about that time when those Changelings showed up on your brother’s wedding day? She got floored by their queen!”

That got Twilight to roll her eyes with a nervous grin on her face. It looked like I got her to forget about our problem for a moment. “That came out of nowhere! Nopony saw that coming!”

I couldn’t help laughing at that. “Heheh… But yeah, I get you. Princess Celestia should know what to do.” But I then grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her dead in the eyes. “But if you see him again, you come and find me right away. Got it?”

Twilight gave me a quick nod. “That’s a promise. Now, could you please let go of me? I want to go check on Rarity. And I think Fluttershy might be with her too.”

Fluttershy? Dang, she was probably getting the worst of things right then. I knew better than to keep Twilight waiting and hopped out of her way. “Oh, right. Better not keep you then. And say hi to them for me.”

“Will do. See you around, Rainbow.” Twilight waved goodbye to me and trotted away. She seemed to be in better spirits than when she first talked to me. Even so…

Once I flew back up to my cloud to chill, the stuff Twilight had talked to me about came back into my mind. People who spent their entire lives talking and interacting with people who didn’t even exist… That… I am going to be honest right now. That is one of the most nightmarish, most depressing things I have ever heard of in my life.

“Ugh, this stuff is just depressing to think about… I gotta do something to get my mind off of this!” I rolled around on the cloud, just doing all I could to not think about it. I then flopped over to the edge and looked down again at Ponyville. “There’s gotta be a… Oh, hey! That’s Scoot!”

I recognized that combo of purple mane and orange coat on a filly. That’s Scootaloo. That little sparkplug is just nuts about me for some reason and she always has been for as long as I’ve known her. But maybe… Just maybe having a good chat with her could keep my mind off of things.

After making sure my game face was on, I swooped right down to that spunky filly and landed right in front of her. “Hey, Scoot! What’s up?!”

I totally caught her by surprise judging by how she jumped back as soon as I landed in front of her. Before she could reply though, I noticed she wasn’t riding that scooter of hers. “Huh? Hey, where’s your scooter, squirt? Don’t you usually ride that to get around?”

She sighed before bowing her head and talking in a really quiet voice. “Didn’t feel like it today…”

“Didn’t feel like it?! But I thought you love riding that scooter just as much as you like hanging out with me! And… Hey, are you OK? You don’t look so good…” It was only then that I really noticed that Scootaloo was looking really under the weather. The last time I had seen her looked that bummed was after how ticked off I was when I found out she and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle was Gabby Gums. Uh… Wait, maybe I should explain who that was… Nah. It’ll take way too long. Maybe you'll find the story in some old copies of the Foal Free Press somewhere. Saves me some writing too. Anyway, she looked even more bummed than that time!

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash… I… I just don’t feel fired up enough for it… I’ve got too much on my mind.” Scootaloo explained before she walked right by me with her head hanging low.

That was what bothered me the most. She walked right past me. RIGHT PAST ME. She NEVER walks right past me! Something really wasn’t right with her. I spread my wings and swooped over to her and started hovering by her as she walked. “Come on, Scoot. What’s eating ya?”

She looked up at me with the saddest look on her face I had ever seen. Poor kid. “Have you seen my brother, Rainbow Dash?”

Her brother… Oh right. James. Those two have gotten really close lately. And… Well, this is just a guess, but…I think Scootaloo might be an orphan. I honestly hope not, but…

“Oh, James? Well…” I started to talk, but then looked down at her. I really didn’t want to tell her I hadn’t seen him in three days, but I knew that telling her I had seen him would be a bad idea. With a sigh, I shook my head. “Sorry, squirt. Haven’t seen him today.”

She… Well, she caught me by surprise that time. She just snapped at me. “You keep saying that every time I ask you! Where is he?! I know you’re friends with him!”

She looked like she was about to start crying at any second. And that’s saying a lot considering that she tries to always have a ‘tough girl’ image. Only then she had completely dropped her guard right in the middle of the street. I tried to calm her down by patting her on the head. “It’s OK, Scoot… It’s OK. He’s fine. He…uh… I just got a note from him today. He said he’ll be back soon.”

I was really hoping that would keep her hopes up for a while longer. But judging by that look, she wasn’t fooled. She replied really briefly, “How soon?”

She was seeing right through me, so I just tried to be vague about it. “Um… He didn’t say. Just…soon. That’s it.”

“Oh… Thanks, Rainbow Dash… I need to get going. I’m supposed to meet Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom at the milkshake parlor…” Scootaloo spoke in the most deadpan depressed tone of voice I had ever heard from her. And then she just…walked away.

“That was the first time she DIDN’T go nuts when I said hi to her…” I muttered to myself. Jeez… I never knew James’ disappearance would hit that filly this hard… Is he really that important to her? It’s almost like he’s the only family she’s ever known or something.

I… I need to stop here. Twilight’s hypothesis thing is really getting to me again. I need to do something to get my mind off it. I also have a thunderstorm to set up. See ya. And stay dry.

What a morning… Is it normal to have woken up feeling like you spent the entire night pacing back and forth for hours? I practically rolled out of bed and hit the wooden floor of my room with a thud.

“Are you feeling OK, Twilight?” Those were the first words I heard. I looked down over the floor’s edge and saw Spike looking up at me with a concerned expression. He was carrying a tray lined with pancakes and a glass of milk. It seemed he also remembered to include a cup of maple syrup.

“Ugh… Kind of…” I grumbled while slowly getting myself up onto my hooves. I slowly made my way down the stairs to the rest of my living room. I felt so weak. As if my legs could give out from under me at any time.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Spike asked while he set the tray on the closest table.

I sighed as I tried to recall what I had dreamed about. “I… I don’t know… All I remember is…a strong sense of sorrow. Fear… I remember myself…” As I rubbed my hoof under my eye to try to get myself a bit more awake, I felt something on my coat. Like something had been encrusted over the many tiny hairs under my eyes. Like…sodium deposits…from tears. “Crying… So much crying…” No wonder my eyes felt so tired. Was I crying in my sleep for most of the night?

“You look like you had a rough night, all right… Do you need some eye drops?” Spike asked while giving me a very concerned gaze.

“Sure… I think that’ll help.” I replied softly. I really needed to do something to get myself a bit more energized.

“OK. Just a second.” Spike spoke with a comforting smile as he hurried over to a drawer built under a bookcase in the wall that served as a medicine cabinet. While he was scrounging through it, I went over to my breakfast. But as I looked down at the pancakes, which I will admit was giving off a delightful smell; I honestly did not feel hungry. It almost felt like the food was just calling for me to eat it, but I just had no desire to do so. I felt too worried…about him.

“Found it!” Spike called out suddenly before I turned around to find him running towards me with a tiny bottle of eye drops in hand.

“Thank you, Spike.” I said while trying to smile. I really did appreciate his assistance. I doubt I would be as well off as I am now without him. I unscrewed the cap from the bottle with magic and then held the bottle aloft upside-down over me while keeping one eye open. With careful precision, I made the bottle compress just enough to discharge one drop of the fluid. I instantly blinked as I felt the liquid come in contact with my eye and instinctively rubbed it in irritation. Somepony really should come up with a type of eye drop substance that does not irritate the eye… Actually, I doubt that is possible. The eye is an extremely sensitive organ. I doubt anything at all coming in contact with it would ever feel good… Oh wait. I am overthinking things again. And I am going off topic.

I repeated the process with my other eye before placing the cap back on the bottle and giving it back to Spike. “Feeling better?” He asked while clutching it in both hands.

I rubbed my eyes a bit more to deal with the irritation in them and to spread out the fluid. I then blinked a few times before looking down at Spike again. “I guess they don’t feel as tired now.”

He nodded with a smile before walking back over to the medicine drawer and placing the bottle inside it. “Yeah, you don’t look as bloodshot anymore.”

“Thanks, Spike… Now…I guess I better eat.” I then turned to face my meal again. I could feel some of the warmth coming from it. With a sigh, I poured the syrup all over it and cut myself a piece from one. Spike always makes me a stack that is three pancakes high every time he cooks some. But while that first bite was tasty, and that first gulp of milk was cool and refreshing, I just could not go any further than that. “Um… Hey, Spike? Would you like the rest of this?” I asked while looking over my shoulder. I tried to smile as brightly as I could so he would not get worried.

It turns out my smile did not help at all. He walked over to me with a baffled expression and held up his hands. “Huh? But that’s YOUR breakfast! You always eat every last bite! Did you get a tapeworm or something?”

I guess there was no fooling someone who has known me since I was just a filly. “Sorry, Spike… It’s just… It’s hard to work up an appetite when you’re worried about a good friend.”

He just looked at me silently for a minute. Never moving. Never speaking. But he did eventually break the silence. “It’s about him again, isn’t it? You’ve been like this since last night.”

I bowed my head and sighed. “Yeah… We found no trace of him… I… I just don’t know what to do.”

Spike just shook his head and looked up at me after letting out a long sigh. “Twilight, I know how it feels to be worried about somepony you love. I was freaking out the entire time Rarity was kidnapped by those Diamond Dogs a while back. Remember?”

Diamond Dogs… Oh, how could I forget that? I could not help but giggle a bit as I realized just how pathetic I must have seemed at that moment. “Oh right… Well, at least I’m not hyperventilating.”

“Oh, come on! It’s not like you actually saw your crush being hauled off by a bunch of jerks!” He replied while scowling at me. I was just trying to add a little humor with some teasing. Although I admit it was partially to cheer myself up. “But I know what you mean… I know what it’s like to know that the one person you love more than anyone in the world might be in trouble somewhere…”

Something about that last line just did not sound right. “Um… Did you mean anything by that?”

Spike surprised me by letting out a groan while rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Oh, come on, Twilight! I’m just a kid, and even I know what it’s like to be in love! It’s been all too obvious the last couple of weeks that you’ve got the hots for James, especially on that day you told me that you were planning a picnic the next day without asking if I’d like to come along.”

Oh my… That Spike. He knew all along? I could not help but blush as I rubbed my left foreleg with my right hoof. “Hehehee… You knew about that?”

My little assistant snickered smugly at me. “Well, duh. I saw how you went all weak in the knees when he went on and on with how he was wondering about how pegasi can interact with clouds a day or two after he first showed up. You always did have a thing for thinking men.”

I felt most of my worry fade away for a moment as my body started to feel hot. I remember that day… I really cannot deny this. I do love James. I really do. Even though I know that he and Fluttershy are lovers now…I cannot completely let go of my feelings for him. Maybe I will in time, but I just cannot right now. “Yeah… I guess I do.”

Spike then walked over to the tray of food he had prepared and took it into his hands. “I know you do. So yeah… I do know how you feel, Twilight. I’ll go ahead and have this if you really don’t mind.”

I nodded with a grateful smile. Spike usually does not like it when I reject his cooking. Which is saying something because the little guy is actually really good at it. Most of the time I cook, it comes out looking like….. Well, as Spike put it once, something that looked like I had tried to ‘splice water and mud to try and make a slime monster’. Maybe I should take lessons from him sometime. Although anything that does not require a stove is easy for me to make. “Thanks, Spike. I’ll probably feel hungry again by lunchtime though.”

“It’s fine. If you need me for anything, just let me know.” Spike spoke with a smile as he sat down on a stool with the tray resting on his lap.

Just as I was starting to turn to go downstairs, a thought popped into my head. James was certainly still missing and conventional methods to locate him were not going to work. We would need someone else… Someone with much greater insight. “Actually, there is something you can do, Spike!”

“Really? What?!” Spike replied just before he could take a bite of the pancakes.

“I need to write a quick note for Princess Celestia. Please wait a minute.” I explained before using my magic to levitate over to me a blank scroll and a quill.

After making certain the quill was still full of ink, I began to write. “Dear Princess Celestia. I’m so sorry to ask this of you, but I am out of ponies I can turn to. My good friend, James, disappeared just three days ago. After waiting a full day for him to return, my friends and I searched through and around Fluttershy’s house, which is where he was last seen. But unlike the last time he vanished, we found nothing explaining where he went and why. No messages. No trails. Even Applejack’s dog was not able to find a fresh scent trail that could lead us to him. It is almost…”

I paused for a minute as I wrote. Having to vividly recall the events as I wrote about them, I was starting to feel the magnitude of the situation all over again. I missed James all the more as I recalled everything…

“Twilight…? Are you OK?” Spike asked from across the room. I knew he was watching me. He could probably even see that one tear trickling down my cheek.

Without turning to face him, I wiped the tear from my face. “I’m fine, Spike… I’m fine.” I then went back to writing the message. “Almost…as if he vanished into thin air. Gone without a trace. I wish I was joking about this, but I swear I am not. Our friend is gone and we have no way of finding him. Please, your highness. We need your help. Surely you know of a means to locate him. If you, or even Princess Luna, know of a means to find someone who has disappeared so thoroughly, please help us. Please reply as soon as you can. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

I set the quill down and rolled up the scroll. “OK, Spike… It’s ready.”

Spike ran over to me and took the scroll in hand. “All right.” He then blew a flicker of green fire onto the scroll, dissolving it into smoke, which then floated out of the nearest open window. “She’ll be getting it any moment now.”

I lowered my head and gave Spike a grateful nuzzle. “Thanks. We’re sure to make some progress today.” Spike grinned brightly as I showed him my gratitude. Really, I do not know what I would do without him sometimes.

“Aw, I’m just glad I can help. I know James and I aren’t the closest of pals in Ponyville, but he’s a good guy. I’m a bit worried about him too.” Spike replied before going back to his meal. “But right now, I wanna finish this before it gets cold. No one likes room-temperature pancakes. I’ll get back to work once I’m done.”

“Heheh, true. I’ll be right downstairs if you need anything.” I replied before making my way to the stairwell.

Once I was down in the library, I noticed a pile of books I had not fully sorted on the floor. I was going to sort them and place them back on the shelves, but I just could not find the drive yesterday evening. But now that we would soon have Princess Celestia’s help with this problem, I was definitely in better spirits. “All right, what have we here…”

I made the books levitate so I could get a better look at them. “Let’s see… Cooking for…Dummies? How ironic… That goes here. Lord of the Anklets, Volume 1… That goes over there… And… Huh?” The third book I checked really caught my eye. “Mysteries of the Mind… Hmmm…”

I know I have read that book before, but I felt compelled to look through it once more. It almost felt as if it was calling me. “Did I forget what I read in there?” As much as I love to read, I have a hard time remembering some things that are not relevant with my daily routine and primary studies. So I decided to take a look through it again while setting the other books down.

I opened the book and looked through the table of contents. “Brain functions… Dream states… Imaginary…projections?” I did not know why, but reading that filled me with a sense of dread. Still…I felt a need to look into it. So I flipped to the page where that section began.

I read on, and what I found…unnerved me, to say the least. I do not remember word for word what it said, but it basically documented how some children ‘create’ imaginary friends when inspired by fiction or stories in various forms of media. And how real they can seem to the point of sounding, and even feeling, real to the point where they may seem like real people.

This…was disturbingly similar to the events that coincided with James’ arrival in Ponyville. Humans have never truly existed in Equestria. They have only been mentioned in myths and certain fairytales. And I had looked into some of the legends out of curiosity not even a full week before he showed up. Had he… Was James…just my heavily stimulated imagination’s way of reacting to the new information I had found?

I wanted to cry… I did not want to believe such a thing was possible… But I read on anyway. At the end, I found a referral to another part of the book. “Refer to…Mental Illnesses; the Dark Side of the Mind…” I felt like I did not want to find out what was waiting for me. Especially when I saw it mention a section pointing to just one word. Schizophrenia.

Going against my better judgment, I flipped the book open to the section it pointed to. For anypony who does not know, Schizophrenia is an extremely severe mental illness that is tricky to treat. It has many symptoms that do not necessarily all occur in one case. But two symptoms caught my eye. Delusions and hallucinations.

“No… This can’t be what I think it is…” I muttered to myself. I read on. And what I found…haunted me. Some ponies afflicted with schizophrenia have hallucinated for so long and to the point where their twisted minds had conjured up people that only they could see and hear. People they would know and interact with for years or even decades. People…who never really existed at all. Only in their demented minds…

I felt my heart race… What if… What if I was mentally ill? What if…if James was just a projection of my own imagination? But…my friends could see him too. He even became lovers with Fluttershy… Is it possible that…magic could project one’s imagination into a real physical form that fades away in time? Did my magic respond to my thoughts? To my…unstable mind? I would be lying if I said my mind has always been stable… I know there have been times where I have utterly snapped… Do I have schizophrenia? Am I responsible for this whole mess?! Is James’ entire existence and disappearance…MY doing?!

I…I just collapsed right where I was. I cried… All I could hear was my crying. I writhed on the floor. I could not think straight. But…I felt someone grab me. I heard a voice. “Twilight, snap out of it! What’s wrong?! What did you read?!”

I opened my eyes and saw Spike looking down at me. His hand was resting on my hoof. “I’ve seen you get pretty weepy when you read some tragedy novels before, but you’ve never gotten this outta control! What happened?!”

I… I could not tell him what I had found. I did not want to force that kind of knowledge onto a child. “I… I don’t know… But…I’m fine now. Really, I’ll be OK, Spike.”

Under most circumstances, Spike would have probably believed me. But not that time. He gave me a surprisingly stern glare. “Twilight… I’ve been with you since the day I hatched and I can tell something’s not right with you. I have NEVER seen you cry this hard. What happened? I just wanna help you.”

That boy can sure be mature when he wants to be. But no matter how much I wanted to tell him, this time… I just could not. “You’re right, Spike… I… I’m not really OK at the moment…” I then tried to smile my best while giving him a gentle hug. “But I’ll be all right. I just…need a bit of time to get my thoughts in order.”

I felt Spike wrap his arms around me as well while nuzzling his face into my coat. “Well… All right. But if you need anything, I’m right here.”

“Thanks, Spike… I think I just need to get some fresh air. I’ll go check up on our friends and see just how well they’re holding up today. I’m sure Fluttershy in particular needs some support.” I spoke softly with a smile while drying my tears. I gently pushed Spike off of me and climbed to my feet. I looked at the books I had not yet put away, but Spike reached up and placed a hand on my shoulder when he noticed that.

“I’ll put the rest of these away, Twilight. You just take it easy today.” He said with a sympathetic smile.

“Thanks. I think I probably should do just that.” I replied with a grin. However, a thought then crossed my mind. “Hey, Spike… Just how long has it been since we sent that message to Princess Celestia?”

Spike seemed to show a look of mild shock. I think he probably forgot all about it. “Huh? Oh… Um… I think about ten minutes…” He then crossed his arms and frowned as he looked down at the floor. “Hmm… That’s a new record. She’s never taken this long to reply to a message that urgent.”

Why… Of all times, why would Princess Celestia take that long to send a reply? Every single time I have sent a message to her over the last several years, the absolute longest she has ever taken to send a reply is only five minutes and fourteen seconds. I simply cannot imagine her being too busy to respond. “Well… I guess there’s a first time for everything. Anyway, I should go check on our friends. When Princess Celestia sends her reply, please come find me right away. OK, Spike?”

The little dragon boy gave me a bright smile and a salute. “Yes, ma’am!” I gave my little assistant a grateful nuzzle before stepping out of the library. I decided it would be best to check on Pinkie Pie first. Out of all of my friends, she is probably the least stable and needs a friend’s presence.

Well… I can safely say that my friends are not taking James’ disappearance very well by this point. Applejack was not able to bring in as many apples as usual into market, Pinkie Pie had a total psychotic breakdown, I caught Rainbow Dash just sulking on a cloud, and it seems Fluttershy is spending time with Rarity out of loneliness since they are best friends. Although… I doubt Rarity has noticed that her mane and tail are a bit more frazzled than usual. I even saw Scootaloo and…she… Even she seemed to know something is not quite right.

Fluttershy… She seemed so listless when I saw her. Her eyes seemed so empty. So…devoid of life. I swear, she did not even notice me speak her name the first few times. I wanted to reach out to her. To do anything to make her feel better. But it felt as if I could not reach her at all. At least she is in good hooves with Rarity around her.

As I neared my home, I noticed that Spike had not come to find me at all. And it had been at least thirty to forty minutes since I left… What was going on back in the library?

I pushed the front door to the library open and found Spike near the center of the room while sweeping the floor with a broom in his hands. He immediately looked my way and asked, “Oh, hey! Is everything OK with the pony gang, Twilight?”

I bowed my head and sighed as I stepped inside while pushing the door closed with my left hind leg. “I don’t think ‘OK’ is the right word to use… They’re all feeling the pain, some worse than others.”

“Oh man… Who’s got it the worst?” He asked while propping the broom up against the central table.

“Well… You know how Pinkie Pie is when she gets worried about friends… Although this is the first time I ever saw her break a mirror in her frustration. But nopony is worse off than Fluttershy. I swear, she almost seems like a zombie today… And no, not the brain-eating variety!” I retorted while Spike showed various expressions to go with everything I said.

“Oh, that’s good. Wouldn’t want Fluttershy wandering in here tonight and gnawing on my skull.” Spike said while nervously chuckling.

If he was trying to add humor to make the situation feel less grim, I have to admit it was not working well. “Spike… Are you trying to be funny?”

He stared at me for a moment; probably closely scanning the stern gaze I was giving him. “Sorry… Oh…and sorry, but Princess Celestia still hasn’t sent a reply.”

She… Still? It had been fairly close to an hour by that point! “Are you serious?! Why would…” I started to suspect that possibly… Just maybe the message had been lost in transit. I mean, while being transported, the message is always reduced to a plume of smoke. Perhaps it is possible that a very strong gust blew it off course. “Well… Let’s just send another. Surely this one will get to her.”

“Sounds good to me.” Spike replied while the two of us headed upstairs to our private quarters. Or the loft, for a more common term. I immediately brought a quill and scroll over to myself and wrote down the same message as before. Although I also added a few extra words at the bottom to empathize how urgently I needed Princess Celestia to respond.

“OK, Spike. It’s all yours.” I spoke while he took the scroll in hand and ran up to the closest window before blowing a plume of fire at the scroll.

We both watched as the scroll became a puff of smoke and floated out the window. “OK, I’m sure we’ll be getting a reply any minute now. It really doesn’t take long for those messages to get to her.” He spoke with a smile while walking back towards me.

“True. All we have to do is wait now. I’ll bet she won’t even take two minutes.” I replied as I remembered how promptly our princess always replied to my messages.

For the next few minutes, I paced around the room. Spike stayed right with me the whole time while seated on the steps that led up to our beds, using a quill to… I think he was doing a crossword puzzle. Two minutes passed. Then five. I felt my trotting slowly reduce to a walk. Why was she taking so long?

“Hmmm… Twilight? Which ‘celestial body’ does Princess Celestia raise and lower every day?” Spike asked after ten minutes had passed.

I looked at him and glared while my ears drooped. “Ugh… Really, Spike? She raises and lowers the sun.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that until a couple of years ago, she did both the sun and the moon. I hardly knew anything about Princess Luna until that Nightmare Night when she first came back to Ponyville.” He replied before jotting something down. “Hang on… How long has it been?”

I let out a long sigh and spoke softly. “Ten minutes… Are you sure you haven’t gotten anything?”

“Um… Yeah, I’m sure. I swear I’m not congested or anything… I don’t know why I haven’t gotten anything today… Hurk!” Spike spoke before suddenly choking and belching out a plume of green fire. “Oh, wait! Never mind! I’ve got something!”

I felt a crazy amount of hope suddenly fill my heart as a huge smile spread across my face. Finally! Now we were sure to locate our friend! I was fearful he may not have even existed, but clearly Princess Celestia knew that he did! “Well?! What does it say?! Does she know how and where to find James?!”

Spike seemed just as excited as I was while he unfurled the scroll. “OK! Princess Celestia says…..” His excited expression slowly dissolved into a look of both bewilderment and severe…disappointment. “Dear Twilight… I am contacting you ahead of time to inform you…that I will possibly be attending Nightmare Night this year…”

I… I just snapped at that point. I let out a yell before I snatched that scroll from Spike’s hands and hurled it into my fireplace. I then cast an ignition spell at the small amount of leftover wood to cause it to flare up and ignite. The scroll was reduced to ashes in mere seconds as I just stood there. Watching. The flames quickly died out with there being so little wood since I normally do not use my fireplace in summer.

“Twilight… Are you all right?” Spike asked from behind me with a rather intimidated tone to his voice.

I was breathing hard. I felt so…hurt. So angry and frustrated. But when I looked at Spike and saw how scared he was, I felt so much guilt for snapping like I did. I tried to calm down, tears trickling down my face. “I’m sorry… I…”

“She…ignored us, Twilight… Why would she do that?” Spike asked, clearly as baffled as I was.

“I don’t know… This… This isn’t right… She would never hide anything from me… Would she?” I felt so helpless at that moment. The one pony in all of Equestria who could help us had turned a deaf ear to my requests… Why?

Spike reached out to me and gave me a tender hug. “What should we do?”

I replied as honestly as I could. “I don’t know… I just…don’t know…”

Not much later, I was just lying on my bed. Looking out the window. By then, rain had started to pour down. The sky was nothing but dark gray clouds as far as the eye could see. The weather perfectly reflected my mood.

I closed my eyes. I could almost hear him. Almost feel him. Was I losing my mind? Did I want to see him again so badly that my ears and eyes were starting to make me see and hear what I wanted to? I could almost see him… Feel him resting his hand on my side…

I opened my eyes the instant I felt pressure being applied to my ribs. It felt so real, yet… There was nopony around me at all. A flash of lightning streaked through the sky in the distance while the rumbling of thunder shook the library. I was alone.

This… I could not let this go on. I had to do something. If Princess Celestia would not help me and my friends bring James home, then… I would send something to James directly. Regardless of where he is!

I rushed downstairs to the basement where I keep most of my supplies and where I do a large amount of my research when it does not involve reading books. I went to a large coiled up roll of parchment and began to pull it out while keeping a pair of scissors ready to cut it once I felt it was long enough. Once the length reached seven feet, I stopped and cut the unfurled parchment free. I then rushed back up the stairs and into the loft with it floating behind me. I was going to need much more than just a scroll for everything I needed to say.

Taking a quill, I began to write. Bit by bit I explained what had occurred in James’ absence. How our friends have been taking it. How much…I wanted to see him again.

I could feel my feelings bubbling over as I wrote. I could just feel ounces of it spilling out with every stroke of the quill I made. At one point, I finally just burst into tears. I just want to have him back home. Real or not, James is a true friend to me. And…it hurts knowing I may not ever see him again. I looked down once I managed to stop crying. Some of my tears had fallen onto the parchment, spreading out some of the ink I had used to write. But I did not mind. In a way, it meant that a part of me would be sent with the message.

Once the massive message was finished, I rolled it up and levitated over to me a normal scroll. In it, I wrote. “Dear Princess Celestia. I have noticed that you have been ignoring my most recent messages. I understand there is something you do not want to tell me, but I will not pry into it. However, there is an important request I must ask of you. Along with this scroll is a message I have written for James. If you have any idea where he is, wherever he may be, please… I beg you, please send this message to him. And…if you can, please cast a ‘return to sender’ spell on it so that it will return to me in 24 hours. I know this is an unusual request, but please. Do send this to him. I cannot stress how grateful I would be. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Right when I finished writing that, I heard a voice behind me. “Twilight? Why do you have such a huge scroll with you?”

I turned and found Spike looking at me. Just the person I wanted to see. “This? Well… This is for James. And I need you to send it to Princess Celestia with this scroll here.”

“Huh? For him?! But every message I send only goes to Princess Celestia and no one else!” Spike exclaimed as he held his hands out to his sides.

I understood his confusion, so I explained my plan. “I know. But this scroll here has a message for her. To send THIS message to James if she knows where he is.”

He was understandably doubtful of the whole thing. “Do you think she will? Especially after ignoring the last two?”

“It’s worth a try… And if this doesn’t work, then I’m out of ideas.” I admitted with a frown. There was a lot riding on this try.

“Well… OK. I’ll go ahead and send them.” Spike spoke with a smile before taking both scrolls in hand and running up to the closest window again. Although it looked like he had some trouble getting his hand around the extremely thick scroll that was meant for James. Even so, he got to the window and pushed it open before blowing fire onto the scrolls and sending them away in a puff of smoke. “Good thing these things are weatherproof when being sent.”

“Thank you, Spike… Now all we can do is wait.” I spoke with a relieved sigh. I was still more worried than I had been in a long time. But at least now, I have hope. Along with the chronicling of everything that has happened over the last three days, I included a request that James attach a message of his own with it before it returns. Since I know he is a late riser and it is just barely past 9 am, he probably is not even awake yet. I am sure he will see it when he wakes up. Assuming Princess Celestia does honor my request. And…that he actually exists.

I am going to stop writing here. There is really nothing else worth mentioning. But…I think I will sleep a little easier tonight. I can only hope that this crisis is resolved soon.

I… Everything feels…so dark. Like…something is missing. I woke up today feeling no energy… All I could remember at that instant… The nightmares… The horrible nightmares….

I heard a cooing in my ear as I just lied there in bed. It was Angela. James’ pet dove. She cooed and nuzzled me while I did not move. I felt so empty inside… So hollow. I wanted to smile. I wanted to return Angela’s affection, but… I had no drive. Like there was a piece of me missing that would make me feel whole.

“Good morning, Angela… I’ll feed you soon.” I muttered softly. No matter how awful I felt, I still had a job to do. I did not want my little friends to starve. I tried to stand, but fell right out of bed. I did not mind though. Nothing really seemed to matter at that moment.

I hardly remember what happened next. I felt like some unseen force was moving me while my mind was somewhere else. Like my body was moving on its own. By the time I actually took a good look around me, I saw that all of my little animal friends were busy eating. I was watching from the little bridge that crossed the brook in front of my house. But even though they were all eating, they seemed so…sad. It was like they could feel my emptiness.

“Why doesn’t this make me happy anymore…?” I asked myself. Little animals have always been my passion. Just being with them always made me happy. But now…I was hardly feeling anything around them. They had been overshadowed by a new passion. A passion…for the only man I have ever loved.

I… I still can’t believe he’s not with me anymore… I loved him so much… And he loved me. His touch. His kisses. His voice. I… I crave them. It hurts when I think about him knowing he’s gone… I felt so alone at that moment. I could feel tears spilling down my face, but no sounds came from my mouth.

I felt a tapping on my leg. When I looked down, I saw Angel looking up at me with such a worried expression. I could always count on him to be there to support me when things got hard. I managed to smile, even if just a little. “Hello, Angel… Did you eat enough?”

My cute little bunny nodded, but then held up something. It looked like he had found a light blue gemstone. While he held it up with one paw, he pointed at it with the other. Was he trying to tell me something? “A bright blue gemstone… Light blue… It…kind of looks like… Rarity?”

That blue… It was the same color as the three diamonds that make up Rarity’s cutie mark. I felt a slight smile creep across my face. Rarity has been my best friend for a long time now. I know she can’t fill the emptiness in my heart that only my boyfriend can, but being with her… It should at least help me feel a little better. “Thank you, Angel… I’ll be back in a while. Be a good boy, all right?”

Angel nodded with a relieved looking smile and gave my leg a hug. I gently petted him on the head and nuzzled him goodbye before turning and walking towards Ponyville. It was going to be a long day…

I honestly don’t remember anything that happened between leaving my house and arriving at Rarity’s home. It was like my body was on autopilot while I just looked down at the ground. I knocked on the door and waited. Soon, the door opened and Rarity was standing on the other side.

I guess I could go into detail about what I told her and what was said, but I noticed Rarity occasionally writing something down. She was probably keeping a diary of what had been happening. I don’t think I should repeat everything we talked about… That would be boring if somepony read her diary and then read mine and found that we both documented the exact same thing, right…?

Rarity had to tend to one of her clients for a while after I had a banana for a snack, so I went upstairs to not get in the way. There was nothing for me to do, so I went to Rarity’s room. It looked clean and tidy, just like Rarity prefers everything. But as I looked around, I saw something familiar. A beautiful robe with gold threads woven into it.

It was… The robe Rarity had woven for James to wear when we attend the Grand Galloping Gala in April next year. It looked so majestic and beautiful. The gold threads shimmering like stars against the deep blue night sky. I could almost see him in it. Standing as regally as any noble in Canterlot.

I could not help myself. I pulled the robe down from its hanger and fell onto Rarity’s bed with it. I held it in my arms, pressing my face against it. “You would look amazing in this…” It was one of the few things I had to remember him by… Rarity did a splendid job keeping it clean and preserved. Just like how James would’ve wanted.

I swear… I could almost feel the robe embracing me back. As if he was wearing it at that moment. “I can feel you, honey…” I spoke as I felt a smile coming on. I felt…happy at that moment when I closed my eyes. I could feel his arms wrapping around me…

“Fluttershy… Fluttershy? Darling, can you hear me?” I heard a voice speak. I opened my eyes, finding James’ robe to be empty. I felt a hoof rubbing my back and found Rarity standing beside me. “Fluttershy… I spoke your name five times before you looked at me. Are you all right? And…what are you doing to that robe?”

I felt so depressed as I looked at the empty robe. There was no one inside it to hold me… To kiss me… To love me. “I… I don’t know anymore…”

Rarity sighed while using her magic to place the robe back on the hanger I had taken it from. “I understand exactly how you feel, Fluttershy. But I’m here for you. Come. I just prepared some tea for us.” A little warm tea sounded pretty good then. I slowly climbed off of her bed and followed my friend downstairs into her kitchen.

There was a pot of tea with two tiny cups set on Rarity’s kitchen table with a vase of pansies in the middle. “Over here, darling. Pull up a stool.” Rarity spoke while she took a seat at one end. I did the same and sat down at the other end.

“I know you like honey in your tea, so I made certain to add an exceptionally large amount this time.” Rarity spoke with a smile as the teacups and the pot were covered by a light blue magic aura. I watched silently while the cups were filled. I could smell the honey in the steam. “There you go, darling. Drink up.”

I was not trusting my hooves to properly hold the cup at the time, so I used my right wing to hold it between my feathers. I took a light sip. The taste of the honey was very rich. I could not help but smile. Even if it was a very tiny smile. “It does my heart good to see you smile, Fluttershy.” I heard Rarity speak from across the table.

“Good warm tea is good for calming nerves, I guess….” I spoke softly in response. I looked at Rarity, who was looking back at me. “But…I don’t know if I feel happy…or just distracted now…”

Rarity frowned with a very sad expression. “Darling… Is there anything you want to tell me?”

I had so many questions hopping around in my head. So many unpleasant thoughts brought on by my depression… But I guess there was one question on my mind I could ask. Before I did, I let out a long sigh and looked down at my cup of tea. I could see my face looking back at me on the surface. I looked so tired. Almost as if I was sick. “Rarity… Do you think… James and I… Do you think we’re meant to be…?”

My friend sighed before looking right at me. “Darling… Of course you two were meant for each other. And it only became clear to me just how much you two were meant the day I saw his cutie mark.”

“Huh? His…cutie mark? What made you so sure?” I asked while never looking away.

Rarity smiled reassuringly at me before she continued. “Fluttershy… You are a butterfly. And James is a dove. The two of you being gentle caring souls. Destined to soar together in harmony. A dove would never harm a butterfly. He would never leave you.” I saw Rarity’s horn become covered by her magic aura while she talked. What was she doing with it?

“Look.” Rarity spoke while she looked towards the ceiling. When I looked up, I watched as she used her magic to cause two delicately folded pieces of paper to float through the air. I never knew Rarity practiced origami sometimes. A butterfly made out of pink paper fluttered through the air while a dove folded from white paper did the same. Both were covered by Rarity’s magic aura. “See how they fly together? In perfect unison? Beautiful, is it not?”

I felt tears spilling from my eyes. Watching the dove and butterfly flying in circles above me… It filled me with such a powerful longing. I wanted to hold that gentle dove in my arms again… I want to be his butterfly forever…

After a moment, the two fliers landed on the kitchen counter and leaned against each other as the magic aura faded. “That… It was lovely, Rarity.” I spoke softly while looking at my friend. A white napkin floated over to my face and gently wiped at my cheeks, drying my tears.

“It was the least I could do, darling. I crafted those with you two in mind. A lovely pair, wouldn’t you say?” Rarity replied with a somber smile. I could tell she was being sincere, but I could still see the worry in her eyes.

“It is… I mean…we are.” I managed to smile a little. James… He really is my perfect match. And I feel ashamed to have ever doubted that.

The two of us continued to drink our tea in silence. It was quiet. There was not much light shining in through the windows. It was a calm, but depressing atmosphere. But then… I noticed just how little light was coming in through the windows. “Wait… Why is it so dark out?”

“Hm?” Rarity muttered before leaning towards a window. “Oh my, seems we’re in for some rain. Strangely fitting considering what has happened lately. And with how much of a cloud cover we have, it’ll probably last well into the evening.”

I felt it would probably be best to get home while I could. I didn’t bring an umbrella with me. “Oh… I should probably be going soon. But thank you for the tea, Rarity.” I spoke with a sigh before finishing off the last bit of tea in my cup.

“It was a pleasure, Fluttershy. And please… Don’t lose hope. I know you’ll be seeing him again soon.” Rarity spoke to me as she gathered up the dishes. But as she walked towards the sink to clean them, I heard her mutter softly. “At least…I hope we will…” I don’t think she wanted me to hear that, so I pretended I didn’t hear anything.

I left soon after. I was not in much of a hurry though. I don’t even remember much of what happened during the walk home. But when I got inside my cottage, I was soaked to the bone. I didn’t care though. Hardly anything mattered to me by then…

I went upstairs to my bathroom and dried myself off with a towel as much as I could. I then collapsed onto my bed. I did not want to move. The sound of the rain falling was soothing to me. At least… I think it is supposed to be soothing.

While I lied there, my eyes noticed something on the nightstand next to the side of the bed James always preferred to sleep on. A pair of glasses.

“That’s…” I crawled closer to the edge of the bed. Those glasses… They belong to him. They’re all I have left of him.

I decided to leave them be. I would wait for James to come home before they are moved. He is the only person who needs them anyway.

I…. I don’t want to write anymore… I just want to lie here… In the dark. Waiting… Good night.

I must have overslept today. Spike was shaking me to wake up. “Come on, Twilight. You almost never sleep this late. It’s past 9 in the morning!”

“Huh? Oh… Thanks, Spike.” I groaned while I sat up in bed. I let out a long yawn as I sat up in bed before hopping out of it. I must have been very mentally exhausted the day before.

“Are you sure you’re feeling all right? You’re not sick, are you?” Spike asked while he followed me down the steps.

I turned to look at him and sighed. “Unless being sick with worry counts, I don’t think so.”

“Oh… Well, do you want anything for…oomph! Hurk!” Spike suddenly gagged as his cheeks started to puff up.

“Whoa… Are you OK? Quick, get in the bathroom! In the toilet, not in the sink!” I honestly thought he was about to vomit and did not want it on my clean floor.

“No… It’s not that… I’ve…got a big one coming… Urk!” Spike managed to croak out a reply before letting out a loud belch. The puff of flame that came out of his mouth quickly solidified into…a scroll? “Whoa… That’s the biggest scrolled I’ve ever barfed out.”

“Hang on…” I muttered while stepping forward to take a closer look at the scroll that was floating in the air. It was tightly coiled with the royal seal placed on a red ribbon that was keeping it from unfurling. “This is MY message from yesterday! Did Princess Celestia actually send it to…”

Spike coughed a bit to clear his throat. “Well… One way to find out, right?”

I nodded. I then slid the ribbon off and allowed the scroll to unfurl. But when it was halfway unfurled, something fell out. A folded piece of white paper. “What’s this…?” I muttered while I dropped the scroll. I used my magic to pick up the paper and unfolded it.

“Where’d that come from?” Spike asked while he stepped forward as I held it in front of my face. “Who wrote it?”

As I read, I felt tears filling my eyes before spilling over in seconds. But not tears of sorrow. I felt my body starting to feel weak. I slowly dropped to my knees as I read. “Twilight? What’s wrong? Why’re you crying?” Spike asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

I could not contain myself any longer. I lost my grip on the note and held my hoof to my face as I sobbed hard. I was not devastated. I was happy. Joyous, even! That note. It had been written in James’ handwriting! My message did reach him! Which meant…he is real!

“Spike… That note came from James…” I managed to mutter between sobs. I just could not speak. After three days of uncertainty, doubt, and fear, I finally had an answer to the question me and my friends had been wondering. James is alive. He is real. And he wants to come home to us.

“It is?!” Spike gasped before snatching up the note and looking it over himself. “This definitely isn’t yours or Princess Celestia’s writing…”

“Spike… You know what to do. They need to see this.” I spoke with a tearful smile.

Spike turned and looked at me before smiling with a nod. “You got it.” He ran up to the closest window and pushed it open. With a puff of green fire, the note was turned into smoke before floating away. “Princess Celestia’s in for a big surprise when she reads that.”

There is nothing else to write about now. James is surely about to be brought home at any time. Everything is going to be fine now. Everything is about to go back to normal.

And most importantly, we will soon have our friend back. Now we just need to wait.

I know what you are thinking. That I just woke up in bed next to my beautiful girlfriend. Tender little Fluttershy. Well… I am sorry to say that is not the case. I have just woken up and I was quick to notice something odd. When did Fluttershy’s ceiling become…white?

The bed felt different too. I looked to my side to check on Fluttershy, but froze when I found she was not there. My eyes darted around the room. The simple walls. The windows that showed brick houses on the other side of the street. A television and a few video game consoles. A terrible sense of dread hit me like a brick as I got out of bed and looked out the window. “This… This isn't happening.….”

I was not in Ponyville anymore. I was not even in Equestria anymore. I was back on Earth in my house. But was I happy to be back on the planet where I had been born and raised? No. Not in the least. I… Oh god, I…

I cannot even describe how I felt at that moment of realization. How did I get here? Will I ever be able to go back to Equestria? Was everything that happened in Equestria a dream? Do I even still have…

I froze as I recalled that I now have a cutie mark. As I normally sleep shirtless, my arms were completely exposed. I immediately looked down at my upper arms as I was filled with hope. But those hopes were immediately crushed. My elegant white cutie marks were gone.

The truth of the situation hit me harder than anything I had ever felt before. I collapsed to my knees and buried my face onto my bed’s sheets. My cutie mark. My friends. My girlfriend… It was all a lie. Everything that happened to me in Equestria never happened at all…

From what I could tell from my parents is that I had been missing for exactly three weeks. I would rather not go into detail on what was said at the conversation. The less I have to go into detail about that conversation, the better. All I could tell them was that I had no memory of what had happened over the course of that time. I mean, really. Would they believe me if I said that I had been taken to a world where the dominant races are ponies where pegasi fly and unicorns can use magic? I would likely have been taken to an insane asylum if I tried to tell them that, or maybe not something that extreme.

There was one other piece of equipment I own that may have held proof of Equestria’s existence. My DSi game system. The pictures I took while there were probably still on it. Unless…they were never taken in the first place. I did not have the heart to turn it on and check. I was in enough pain already and did not need to be reminded of what never was.

…..What can I really say about my time back home on Earth? Now being able to compare the two, life on Earth is just not the same as life in Equestria. The colors of my surroundings are bland or muted while the colors of Equestria were always so vibrant and lush. Everything always felt so lively there. But here… It is enough to make me cry, especially knowing what it is I had lost. And to make matters worse, I could not even find my glasses. Being without them only exhausted me further.

What was worse was being reminded just how tainted my world is compared to the seemingly borderline utopia that is Equestria. Everywhere I looked while browsing the Internet, I saw plenty of gruesome and unpleasant truths about the world. Ethnic cleansing in Sudan and Syria. Forest fires triggered by arson. Terrorist attacks in the Middle East carried out by a misguided Islamic cult. A global economic crisis with no end in sight. Whales being slaughtered in a Japanese bay. And a family murdered at a Christmas party by a father dressed as Santa Claus himself. And more and more information that only fueled my bitterness further.

These constant reminders of the worst of my world only made me crave to be back in Equestria even more than I already was. I can distinctly remember muttering to myself, “These things never happen in Equestria…”

The only… I am sorry. I really do not want to talk about anything that happened. And besides, what is there to talk about? Uninteresting daily activities without my dearest friends by my side. Every moment was an emotional hell for me as I constantly craved to be with my friends and beloved again. Every night, I had to use heavy doses of sleep aids just to get to sleep. And even then, I would cry into my pillow first. I know I am not doing a good job of summing up my feelings and actions right now, but I cannot help that. I am devoid of inspiration.

However, there was one event that did lift my spirits. On the third day I woke up in my house, I found a peculiar sight next to my laptop. A rolled-up scroll. A red ribbon tied around the center was containing it. But who uses scrolls in this day and age? The only place I know of that still uses them is…..Equestria.

I shook my head. This was clearly a case of wishful thinking. I wanted to go back home to Equestria so badly; my mind was making me see things that I would only find there. I ignored the scroll as I got dressed and prepared to go to work. At the very least, focusing on my job would help keep my mind off of my emotional pain.

I came home hours later. I went to my room and took off my shoes to relax. But to my bewilderment, that scroll was still there. I decided to take a closer look to see if it was some sort of prank. To my shock, I recognized the golden seal on top right away. A round seal with a horseshoe relief.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing. But I began to believe more when I touched it to make certain it was not a mirage. Before I could open it to read its contents, I remembered the photos on my DSi. I quickly turned it on and went to the photo gallery. And sure enough, there they were. The photos I had while in Equestria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYN1nilPsQI

There was the photo I had taken of Fluttershy when she was napping by the pond in the park. The photo of me standing beside Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. The photo Angel helped me take of me and Fluttershy kneeling beside the baby rabbits I helped gather up. There were many others as well, but one brought tears to my eyes. The photo Twilight Sparkle had taken of Fluttershy and I in the middle of a tender kiss and embrace.

My vision had become blurry as I was filled with an absurd amount of hope. These photos were all the proof I needed. My friends do exist. Everything that happened was not a dream. They are real!

My attention turned to the scroll that sat beside my laptop. Wasting no time, I slid off the cloth that kept the scroll curled up. But when I unrolled it… Wow. Just wow. The scroll dropped to the floor and continued to roll. The whole scroll was longer than my entire body. “Who the hell wrote this?”

I was tempted to start reading right away, but I froze at the thought of someone coming in and finding me reading this. Not taking any chances, I locked the door to my room and sat myself down in my chair. I started at the top of the scroll and began to read my way down.

“Dear James. I hope this gets to you. This is Twilight Sparkle writing to you. I hope you’re all right. Three days ago, Fluttershy came to me asking if I had seen you. From what we found out, it seemed that you had disappeared into thin air. We tried searching for you and asking around, but…”

I paused for a moment as my mind comprehended the name I had read at the start. Twilight Sparkle. Never before was I so relieved to see that name. I literally had to go back and reread that line several times to make certain it was indeed from that brilliant purple unicorn mare. “Twi…”

I continued to read as my heart’s pace began to quicken in anticipation. “We miss you, James. And we’re constantly worried about you. Even though it’s only been three days since you disappeared, things haven’t been the same. Fluttershy still looks after her animals every day, but she seems…emptier now. She’s listless and doesn’t even seem to notice her own name being called at times. She’s started spending more time with us; probably to help herself feel better, but it’s not helping very much. She seems lost without you. And to be honest…I think we all are a little more lost now that we’ve lost you. It’s just not the same in Ponyville without you.”

I read the paragraph over and over. Ponyville. My true home did exist. And… “Fluttershy… Oh, honey… I miss you, baby…” I had begun to tear up. I wanted to save the tears for after I had finished reading, but that probably would not be the case at this rate. I continued to read, eager to find out what else was in the message.

“Pinkie Pie… She still keeps that smile on her face and even cracks jokes as often as always. But there are times when her laughter doesn’t quite sound authentic. Like she is forcing herself to smile. Sometimes she tells me she’s going to throw you a huge party to welcome you back. I think that promise is the only thing keeping her hopes up. I’ve seen her depressed before. And I even found her in the process of a horrifying meltdown just yesterday. I hope you come home before she sinks that far again.”

“I’ve noticed that Applejack has not been bringing as many apples into market each day. I think her worrying about you has caused her to lose some of her usual gusto and passion while applebucking. She told me once that she always sees you in the morning when you’re on your way to work and how discouraging it is to come into town and not see you at all. I know you and Applejack don’t have the closest bond, but I want you to know that she wants to see you again just as badly as the rest of us do.”

I could not hold back at this point. I held my face in one hand for support and cried quietly. My emotions spilled out in quiet sobbing and flowing tears. I cannot recall the last time I cried so hard at anything.

It took several minutes for me to calm down enough to continue reading. “I’ve caught Rainbow Dash lounging around town a few times. Or rather… I think the better term is sulking. She took the discovery that you had disappeared pretty hard. It took a lot of convincing for her to not run off into the Everfree Forest. She was sure that you went in there to visit Zecora, but ran into trouble along the way. I… I really hope that isn’t the case. I know you’ve explored the Everfree Forest before. You know how to handle yourself out there. But in any case, Rainbow Dash misses you big time. She really wants to go find you, but she has no idea where to look. It’s eating away at her from the inside. She’ll probably perform a Sonic Rainboom just to get to you faster when she learns you’ve come home.” I have no knowledge of what a Sonic Rainboom even is, but I assume it is some sort of aerial stunt Rainbow Dash had developed.

“I think Rarity has been losing sleep over worrying about you. She always seems less tidy than she usually is and she always has bags under her eyes. She told me that she always thinks of you whenever she looks at the bracelet you bought for her. She really misses your company and your occasional witty retorts. I want you to know that you really made a friend in her, James. She’s praying for your safe return.” My thoughts trailed back to Rarity. She was the first pony in Equestria to ever help me. She gave me a place to stay. She made clothes for me. She even wove that robe with real gold threads for me. All without asking for anything in return. How I want to see her again.

“I… I don’t think I need to go into much detail about how I feel. The words above say enough. I miss you, James. I want you to come back. I love you, as I’m sure you still know. So you know just how shaken up I am by your absence. I…” I paused as I noticed some of the ink had been spread out from what I think was tears that had fallen on the scroll. “I want you to come home! We all want you to come home! We never knew what we really had until it was gone! You’ve been a great friend to us, James. And it hurts not being able to see and hear you anymore!”

I could literally feel the sheer emotion Twilight had put into her writing. My fingertips touched the scroll over where her tears had fallen. I continued the read on, trying to hold in my tears until after I had finished reading. “And it’s not just us. Lots of other ponies have started asking about where you are. Diamond Tiara asked if she did something wrong that caused you to leave again. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are considering giving you a bonus when you return. Even Derpy has gotten worried about you. She says she always saw you at least once a day, almost like it was part of her daily schedule. And… Scootaloo. She’s not the same tomboyish little filly I know.”

I paused as I read the name of the filly who had become like a little sister to me. “We’ve been trying to hide the news from the girls so they wouldn’t worry about you. But after the first full day, I think they started to catch on. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle certainly seem unhappy most of the time, but Scootaloo is just…depressed. I never knew it was possible for her to look that down about anything. If you need an example of how depressed she is… I haven’t seen her ride her scooter at all lately. She has no drive left for anything. She misses you. Probably more than most other ponies. I know she’ll be thrilled to see you again.”

“I’ve been trying to ask Princess Celestia for help in locating you. But she seems to be ignoring every scroll I send to her. I haven’t gotten a single reply. I don’t want to think badly of our princess, but… I think she’s hiding something. It’s this feeling in my gut that there’s something she’s not telling us.” I thought back to the day I first met Celestia and Luna and how they seemed to be unwilling to answer our questions regarding the obsolete law involving humans that had led me to leave Ponyville for two days. Was her silence linked to that day?

“If you’re reading this scroll, it means that Princess Celestia was able to send it to you. And if she did, I think she also honored my other request. This scroll will probably return to Equestria in 24 hours after being sent to you. Before it returns, I have a favor to ask. Please include something in the scroll to show that you did receive it. Something that will put our fears to rest. A personal belonging, a note explaining where you are, anything. Just as long as it proves that you’re alive. And don’t wait. Wrap it in the scroll before it can return to us.” There was a small gap between this and the next line of text. “I think I’ve said all I need to, James. I hope this reaches you. And I hope you’re OK. If you do get this, just know that we’re all thinking about you and praying for your safe return home. We love you, James. Please come home soon. Your faithful and eternal friend, Twilight Sparkle.”

With nothing else to read, I let my emotions out. I honestly cannot remember how long I had been crying, but my eyes were quite sore by the time I regained my composure. The pain of knowing that I had been separated from my dearest friends was stronger than ever before now that I knew that they really do exist. But along with that pain came a glimmer of hope. If I could end up being taken away from Equestria, perhaps there is a way for me to go back.

I remembered the warning Twilight had mentioned in the scroll. I had to act quickly as I had no idea how much time was left before the scroll would return to Equestria. I grabbed the closest blank sheet of paper I could find and took a pen in hand. I began to write while still shedding tears.

“Twilight, this is James speaking. I got your message and I can’t express how relieved I am that I know all the time we spent together was not a dream. I’m alive, but I’m far from OK. I’m back home on Earth, my home planet. And I don’t want to be here anymore! I want to come home to you. I want to be with you and the rest of our friends again. Please, tell Celestia and Luna where I am. I want to go home! If anyone can get me back to Equestria, it’s them. I’m counting on you. The sooner I’m back home, the better. Also, please tell Scootaloo that I didn’t leave on my own. I don’t know how I got here and, to be honest, I hate it here. Please don’t wait, Twilight. This is like a living nightmare for me. I miss you all. Please… Please, help.” I rolled the sheet of paper up with the scroll and slid the ribbon over it to hold it together. All I could do now was hope and wait.

Nothing of importance occurred the rest of the night. When I awoke the following morning, I found that the scroll had disappeared from my room. In somewhat better spirits than before, I got dressed and began to pack some extra clothes in a bag. I wanted to be prepared for my return to Equestria. That, and I wanted to save Rarity the trouble of making winter and summer clothing for me.

I put on a black polo shirt with a pair of gray sweat pants before sliding on a pair of durable black boots. I began to gather up my portable game devices, but not for the games on them. I wanted to bring some of Earth’s culture with me to share with my friends. Namely various types of music stored on their hard drives. I packed my bag as much as I could and waited while playing a video game on my TV.

However, as the minutes went by, I began to once again wonder if my eyes had been playing tricks on me the previous day. Did I really see that scroll and write a reply to it? Did I really receive a message from friends who may not even exist? As my doubts grew stronger, I felt my enthusiasm fade rapidly. Unable to bring myself to even play, I turned off the console and television while holding my head in my hands.

“Why does the truth always hurt so much…?” I asked myself. But as I said that, a most curious thing happened to me. I felt the chair I was sitting on disappear out from under me as I fell flat on my back. “Woah! Where’s my chair?!” I sat up, shaken by the force of the fall. “Where’s my stuff?! Where’s my…..room?”

Something very peculiar had happened. I was not in my room anymore. I was outdoors. My bag was right beside me, but everything else of mine was gone. Where was I? This felt very familiar too. It was just like the time when I first ended up in…

I froze as I recognized the similarities. This was not just a case of déjà vu. I was probably in Equestria. The area around me bore a resemblance to the local park just outside Ponyville. Or was it the actual park? Regardless, I headed north. “If this is a dream, please don’t wake me up.”

Before I went very far, I froze. I remembered that my cutie mark had disappeared when I was back home. But since this area resembled a place in Equestria… “Maybe… It’s here?” I muttered as I lifted my sleeve. To my delight, I found that the white dovelike design was once again spread over my upper arm. Of course, this also raised questions. Why was my cutie mark missing while I was on Earth? And why had it returned here? Is there something in Equestria’s atmosphere that makes cutie marks visible that other worlds lack? I could not say for sure as I was uncertain if I was even back in Equestria at the time. I continued north, hoping to find more evidence of my current location.

I did not get far before the thatched roofs of humble buildings began to appear on the horizon. I quickened my pace, eager to see if it was indeed the place I was thinking of. When I drew close enough to see into the collection of structures, I felt my heart leap at the sight of the locals going about their business. Only they were not humans. They were something else entirely. Ponies.

My vision became blurred from tears. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. “I’m home…”

I slowly walked into town while looking around at my surroundings. The ponies around me stopped and stared in my direction. Were they really that surprised to see me? I did not have enough time to ask as I suddenly heard a woman shriek somewhere behind me. Just as I turned around, I was tackled to the ground rather forcefully. “Ow! That wasn’t fun, Pinkie Pie!”

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshyoucameback!!!” A familiar voice spoke very quickly while a familiar pink pony squeezed me in a tight and strong embrace.

I was slightly dazed from the force of the impact, so I closed my eyes for a moment… Wait. Did I really say ‘Pinkie Pie’ when I was tackled? With my eyes closed, I sniffed the pony’s coat. She smelled of freshly baked sweet treats. I recognized the scent immediately. “Pinkie Pie?”

The pony released her grip on me and placed some distance between our faces. “You remembered me! I knew you’d never forget about… Uh, James? Are you OK? Your eyes look kinda watery.”

The sight of my cheerful friend right in front of me was too much to take in all at once. Just days ago, I thought she did not really exist. And now she was right in front of me. “Pinkie Pie…” I muttered seconds before I broke down in tears and embraced her as tightly as I could. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you…”

Pinkie Pie rested her head on my shoulder and whispered as her voice began to break. “Don’t cry, James. You’re home now. And besides, you’re gonna make me cry if you keep this up.”

I sobbed heavily, unmindful of anyone who happened to be watching. “It was a nightmare… I hated being without you and the others… It’s like I just woke up…”

My friend patted me on the back as she replied, “Then I guess that means you’re gonna have really sweet dreams tonight. Sweet as the cupcakes I just baked!” But she then looked me in the eye with a concerned frown. “But are you OK? I’ve never seen you get this teary-eyed.”

I softly muttered while still grasping her tightly. “I’m…getting better…”

Pinkie Pie let out a quiet giggle as she also embraced me with her forelegs. “I’ll stay right here for you until you’re back up to 100%. Making ponies smile is my specialty. Humans too.”

“Thanks, Pinkie… God, I missed you…” I squinted my eyes shut as tears streamed down my face. It was gradual, but the anxiety was finally leaving me.

“I missed you too, James… Things…just weren’t the same with you gone.” Pinkie Pie replied, her voice sounding even more depressed than the time I warned her of the dangers of diabetes.

“James…? James?! Whoa nelly, it really is you!” A familiar voice shouted in a southern accent as I heard the sound of wagon wheels and hooves galloping rapidly getting closer. “When’d ya get back?! We’ve been lookin' all… Uh, James? Y’all OK there?”

Pinkie Pie looked up as the owner of the voice was probably right behind me. “Give him a minute, Applejack. He really missed us. He said it was like a nightmare while he was away. So it probably was about as bad as we had it.”

I felt a hoof pat me on the back tenderly. “Well, y'all don’t have ta worry 'bout that anymore. Nightmare’s over, James. For both of us.”

I looked behind myself to see the face of my dependable country friend looking at me with her big green eyes. “AJ…” I muttered before throwing my arms around her neck. I just had no words at the moment.

“Easy there, pardner. Don’t go thinkin’ I didn’t miss ya too. Look. I even left my hat off for ya since you think I look better without it.” Applejack replied as she embraced me with one of her forelegs. “My mornins’ weren’t the same without ya…”

I promptly replied, “My whole days weren’t the same without all of you…” I choked up and began to cry softly again, my face buried in Applejack’s orange coat.

“Let it all out, pardner. I know we all shed a tear or two while y'all were away.” Applejack whispered into my ear. I managed to compose myself after a moment and stroked Applejack’s blond mane. “I still look fine to ya?”

I nodded with a slight smile. “Yeah… You’re looking fine with your mane completely exposed.”

That got a chuckle out of her. “Now that’s the face I was hopin’ ta see. Always good ta see a smile on yer face, James.”

I let go of my friend and looked back and forth at the two earth ponies before me. Pinkie Pie rubbed her eyes, probably wiping away a tear. I was quick to notice a few faces were missing. “Not to change the subject, but are the other girls all right? And Fluttershy. Is she OK?”

The two earth ponies seemed rather hesitant to answer my question as they began to avert their eyes. Applejack was the first to speak. “Depends by whatcha mean by ‘OK’, pardner. Fluttershy… Well… How do I say this… She’s alive, if that helps.”

Pinkie Pie frowned as she looked at me. “She’s been a wreck ever since you disappeared. That’s the best way I can sum it up. It just started out with her being worried, but it got worse over time. She’s… Well, I think you better go see her right away. You remember where her cottage is, right?”

I nodded and pointed to the northwest. “Just west of Ponyville, northwest of Sweet Apple Acres. Thanks for the heads-up.” I climbed to my feet and added, “I’ll catch up with the others girls after I see Fluttershy. But don’t tell them I’m home yet. I’d like to see the looks on their faces when I show up in person.”

Pinkie Pie smiled, but then gasped in inspiration. “Will do! And….. Oh yeah! I just remembered something! Gotta go! I’ll see you tonight!” The pink pony dashed out of sight as she was clearly in a hurry.

“You think she has a party to set up?” I asked Applejack while feeling myself smirk a little.

“Yup. That’s the only thing she ever runs off that fast for.” She replied with a chuckle. She then smiled at me and said, “I’m gonna get goin’ too. I reckon we’ll be seein’ each other again today. But if I don’t see ya again, I’ll stop by Fluttershy’s place just ta say hi. All right?”

I nodded and waved goodbye at her. “Sounds like a plan. See ya around, AJ.” I then hurried in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage after snatching up my bag.

Quite a few ponies waved and said hello to me as I passed by. All I could do was wave in response since I was in a great hurry. But once I had reached the center of the meadow that separated Fluttershy’s cottage, I paused for a moment to take in my surroundings. The air smelled fresh and clean. Only the sound of the wind and birds chirping filled the air, completely devoid of any mechanical noise or human activity. And all around me was the vast beautiful natural landscape I so cherished. Green grass, vividly colored flowers, and the vast row of trees that make up the border of the Everfree Forest in the distance. But I did not have the time to take it in for too long. Somepony needed me.

I hurried on ahead, finding Fluttershy’s humble cottage right where I expected to find it. Everything seemed fine from the outside. At least until I noticed the animals that lived around it. They all seemed rather…...gloomy. The place is usually bustling with activity, but it was disturbingly dull at the time. “Something’s wrong here…” I distinctly remember muttering to myself.

I noticed Angel’s doghouse…or is it rabbithouse? Anyway, I saw Fluttershy’s personal pet resting at the entrance with a surprisingly unhappy expression on his face. Normally, he either looked annoyed or happy. But this time, he seemed very down. While I am fairly certain he does not think highly of me, I decided to approach him.

“Hey there, Angel… Remember me? James?” I asked as I got down on one knee.

The white rabbit looked up at me, probably having been too unhappy and despondent to notice my presence at first. When we locked eyes, I think I noticed him tear up before he…punched me? Well, it looked like a punch, but it felt like a light tap. Possibly a means of venting his frustration over Fluttershy’s emotional distress during the previous three days. However, he then bounded up onto my leg and nuzzled me while holding onto my shirt. “Whoa… I thought you were really picky about who you like. Something happen?”

Angel bounded up the slope to the cottage’s front door and pointed at it. I followed behind him and asked, “Is Fluttershy OK? Did something happen to her?” The rabbit tried to push me towards the door. Taking this as something that translated along the lines of ‘Hurry, she needs you’, I nodded quickly and stepped inside the cottage.

The interior seemed just fine from what I could see. Everything was tidy and sorted. But what bothered me was just how quiet it was. If she heard the door close, Fluttershy would be quick to see who her guest was. The fact that she had not come running worried me.

I remained silent as I very quietly walked upstairs. I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet to minimize creaking with each step to avoid alerting Fluttershy. Assuming she was even home, that is.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I froze. Sprawled out on the bed was Fluttershy. She had her face buried in her forelegs while taking long breaths. I was quick to notice how unkempt her mane was, strands of hair sticking out all over it. But I also noticed my glasses on the bed in front of… Wait. My glasses?! It was the one possession of mine that had been left behind. No wonder I could not find them back home.

I did not want to just rush in while speaking in excitement. Nor was my mind prepared to do so. I tiptoed to the edge of the bed that Fluttershy had her back to and leaned forward. I wrapped my arms around the timid pegasus and whispered into her ear. “I’m home, honey. I missed you.”

I felt Fluttershy tense up under me as she spoke. “Who’s there… When did you get in here?”

“It’s me, Fluttershy. It’s James.” I replied with a whisper.

Fluttershy slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder at me. Her eyes… What a sad sight. They were bloodshot and empty. However, as she stared at me for a moment, I saw a glimmer of life return to them. “Where… Where have you…” Fluttershy broke down into tears right in front of me as she stood up and leapt at me. I very nearly fell backwards from the force of her jump. I could feel her sobbing into my shirt uncontrollably. I could not contain my emotions either as I was now reunited with the girl I love. I too broke down into tears as I embraced the beautiful pegasus tightly.

The two of us paused as we felt something tap us. When we looked down, we found Angel holding up a box of tissue paper. “Thanks, Angel… I really need this.” I muttered as I snatched one from the box.

“Me too… Thank you, Angel.” Fluttershy said with a tearful smile before she yanked one from the box using her teeth. The two of us noisily blew our noses in unison. One was not enough as we both grabbed a second and used them up too. Angel then set the box down on the edge of the bed and ran back down the stairs, probably to give us some privacy.

“Feeling better, honey?” I asked quietly while stroking Fluttershy’s mane.

Fluttershy had not yet stopped crying, but at least she was not sobbing uncontrollably like before. “I missed you… Where did you go?!” She sounded hurt as she whimpered, probably fearful that I had abandoned her.

I sighed as I tried to restrain my emotions. “I was taken back home… To my home world, that is. I have no idea how it happened, but…” I bowed my head as I let my tears fall some more. “It was hellish without you… I was even afraid that everything that happened was just a dream… I hated being there…”

I just sat there, crying softly out of sheer emotion. But I paused when I felt Fluttershy place her hoof on my hand. I raised my head to look at her. While she was still shedding tears, I noticed a slight smile on her face. “I hated being without you too… But you’re home now, right? You’re not going to leave again, are you?”

I replied as I held her in a tearful embrace. “No chance in hell… I know what it’s like being separated from you now. And it’s more painful than you’d expect. I’m staying and that's final.”

I could feel Fluttershy place her forelegs on my back in an embrace of her own. “I won’t let anypony take you away from us again… I’ll protect you from now on, James… I can’t imagine life without you anymore.”

The feeling was mutual as the two of us cuddled together, not moving from the bed. I had been taken away from those I hold dear and now I was finally with the most precious person in existence to me once again. Fluttershy then whispered, “Now that you’re back home, can I get you anything? A snack? Maybe some apple cider?”

I replied with a smile as I dried my tears. “Some water will do right now.” Fluttershy then grinned brightly before she flew down the stairs.

While I waited for Fluttershy to return, I took the time to put on my glasses. Everything I saw became much crisper and I was pleased to see not even a scratch or smudge on the lenses. As I looked around, I noticed a green chest at the foot of the bed that I had overlooked before. I climbed off the bed and popped the lid open. Inside were…my earlier journal entries.

“Fluttershy, you…” I muttered to myself as I took a closer look. There were only two or so stacks of paper, but I found that each set of notes for each individual day was stapled into separate stacks. I even found that the pages were listed in proper order from the start of the day to the end. I was tempted to read them, but I was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder.

“I got your water, James. I included a bit of ice too.” I heard Fluttershy speak. I looked over my shoulder and found her with a wide glass of water resting on top of her head. I was thoroughly impressed by her sense of balance, as she was still airborne, giving me the impression that she had flown back upstairs with it on her head.

“Thanks, honey.” I muttered while taking the glass in hand and chugging the whole drink down. “Hoo… That felt nice.”

Fluttershy nuzzled her face against mine. “Can I get you anything else? Anything at all?” She smiled brighter than I had seen in a long time. I could tell she was probably restraining her joy now that she had gotten all of her sorrow out of her system. After seeing how she acted when I mentioned getting a pet, I would not be surprised if… A pet?!

“Fluttershy, where’s Angela? Is she OK too?” I asked, remembering the little white dove I had adopted some time before I disappeared from Equestria.

“Ooh, Angela! I forgot all about her!” Fluttershy gasped before she flew up to a birdhouse that was hanging from the ceiling. I watched while she lightly knocked on the side a few times with her hoof. “Angela, wake up! James is home!”

I saw a white dove poke its head out of the entrance. I held out my hand to her as it climbed out of the house. The dove looked at me for a moment before flying over to me and perching on my hand. She began to preen my fingers quickly and repeatedly, probably a sign that she had been longing for me. I gently stroked her feathers as I whispered, “I missed you, little angel.” My pet cooed at my words.

“She really missed you too. I don’t think she ate very much while you were missing.” Fluttershy spoke as she landed beside me.

“Doves develop very close bonds, so I’m not surprised she would be like that with her friend gone.” I replied while cuddling with the little white dove.

“Right, I almost forgot that. Well, is there anything else I can get you? Anything?” Fluttershy asked while watching my hand stroke Angela’s head.

“I’m good… Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you. I ran into Pinkie Pie and Applejack in town, but I haven’t met up with Twilight, Rarity, or Rainbow Dash yet. Would it be OK if I went to check on them so I can let them know I’m back?” I replied, remembering the rest of my friends.

Fluttershy frowned as she gestured with her hoof back and forth. “I… Well, I know they miss you. It’s just that…you only just came home… I want to spend more time with you…”

I understand why Fluttershy did not want me to go alone. She adores me and did not want us to be separated again so soon after being reunited. I tried to smile as I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Fluttershy. This evening, I’m going to come home. I’m going to take a shower. And I’m going to sleep in this bed next to you, just like all the previous times. I know we only just got back together, but tonight? You'll have me all to yourself. OK? Do you trust me?”

My words seemed to register with my girlfriend well as she smiled with a nod. “OK… I trust you. I’ll be waiting for you.” She then nudged me towards the stairs. “Now go. Go tell your friends you’re home again. I know Rarity’s eager to see you again.”

I chuckled at that thought. “Yeah, I can imagine. Watch over Angela for me while I’m gone, OK?” I then placed Angela on top of Fluttershy’s head before bidding them goodbye and going outside.

Before I went too far, I turned and looked back at the cottage to see if Fluttershy was still watching. As expected, she was watching from the doorway with Angela still nestled on top of her head. I paused in my tracks, my eyes fixated on her face. I truly did not want to leave her alone after being apart from her for a few days. But at the same time, I knew there were others who wanted to see me. Gathering my fortitude, I waved at my girlfriend with every intention of returning soon. She waved back at me with a soft smile, Angela doing the same with a wing. I found myself smiling as I turned and headed towards Ponyville.

I knew where to find Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, but I have always been in the dark as to just where Rainbow Dash lives. Even so, I decided to visit Twilight first since her home was closest to my current location. Along the way, many ponies waved or said hello to me. While I was rather flattered by the attention, it also made me feel wanted. Like Ponyville, and Equestria as a whole, is where I truly belong.

The familiar form of the local library came into view, as it was the largest tree in the entire town. I peeked in through the window once I had reached it, curious if Twilight was on the ground floor. She did not seem to be there, although I did see Spike sorting some books on a shelf. If anyone in Ponyville knew where I could find Twilight Sparkle, it would be him.

I ducked low as I entered the library through the front door. “Who?” I heard Owlowiscious hoot to my right.

“Not now, Owlowiscious. I need to get these sorted right.” Spike replied, clearly thinking the owl was speaking to him.

I smirked while I voiced a response. “Actually, he was talking to me.”

At my words, Spike froze as he dropped the books he was holding. “That sounds like…” He then turned and looked my way with eyes opened wide. “Oh my gosh, you’re back! Where’d you go?!” Before I could even reply, Spike gasped, “Oh man. Twilight! She’s gonna flip! Wait right here, I’ll go get her!” I snickered a little while I watched the baby dragon run up the stairs to Twilight’s personal chambers.

Mere seconds passed before I heard the clopping of hooves right above me. A few seconds later, I saw a familiar purple unicorn look down at me from the top of the staircase. The instant we locked eyes, she dashed down the stairs and towards me with a panicked and even tearful expression. I lowered myself closer to the ground as I prepared for impact. The unicorn leapt into my arms and embraced me the best she could, sobbing quietly with her face buried in my shirt.

“Twi… Did you get my message?” I asked quietly while holding onto her, my hand stroking the back of her head.

She nodded without saying a word. I then whispered into her ear, “I missed you…”

My friend looked up at me with her intelligent purple eyes as tears streamed down her face. She gasped with each breath. “You… You already know how much we missed you…” She then closed her eyes as she held her head against my chest again. “I knew you'd be home soon... I sent your message to Princess Celestia right away. Surely she and Princess Luna brought you home…”

I would not be surprised if they did, especially since I specifically requested that they do so. “I owe them one if they did.” I then held Twilight in a tender embrace. “I’m home, Twilight. And I’m never leaving again… At least I hope I never leave again.”

Twilight then quietly whimpered, “I hope so too… It just…wasn’t the same without you…”

I sighed while thinking back to earlier days. “You have no idea what it was like for me… I was even starting to fear that everything that happened to me in Equestria was just an elaborate dream.”

Twilight replied while slowly calming down, “That’s…horrible… We were also suspecting that time to time... If you were just a dream, I don’t know how I’d react… That would just be…crushing…”

“Twi… I want to give you something.” I muttered quietly. I then raised her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for never giving up on looking for me. That note you sent just might’ve saved me.”

That one kiss seemed to faze Twilight greatly as her tears suddenly stopped flowing while she blushed deeply. “Did you just…”

I smirked as I shook my head, remembering that Twilight had a huge crush on me not that long ago. “Just that one time, OK? I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for your efforts.”

Twilight nodded with a smile as she dried her tears with the hair on her foreleg. “OK… I’m glad Fluttershy didn’t see that… Oh! Did you see Fluttershy today? I told you how worried she is about you, didn’t I?”

I nodded and said, “Fluttershy was the first person I went to see. Although Pinkie Pie and Applejack were the first friends I ran into when I walked into Ponyville. Where can I find Rainbow Dash and Rarity?”

Twilight then replied, “Well, you can’t get to Rainbow Dash if she’s at home. Her house is made of clouds, after all. But I know you can find Rarity at home right now. She hasn’t been getting out as often after you disappeared…” She then smiled while her eyes glimmered in inspiration. “Oh, I know how to let Rainbow know you’re back.”

I watched as Twilight’s horn was engulfed in a billowing aura as a blank scroll and writing quill levitated over to her. “Just a second… There.” She muttered with a smile after jotting something down on the paper before rolling the scroll up. “Owlowiscious, I need your help. Please take this to Rainbow Dash.”

“Who? Who.” The little owl hooted as he fluttered over to Twilight and snatched the scroll up in his talons before flying out the window.

“You sure he can find her?” I asked, wondering if Owlowiscious could track the speedy pegasus down.

“He knows where all of our friends live. And besides, she’s the only pegasus in Ponyville with a rainbow-striped mane and tail. She almost stands out as much as you do!” Twilight replied with a grin.

I smirked while crossing my arms. “She’ll probably get here in ten seconds flat once she reads that. Where should I wait for her?”

Twilight then pointed to the stairs, “Head on up and wait on the observation deck on top. She’ll notice you more easily up there.”

“OK then. I just hope she doesn’t freak out TOO much.” I replied while rolling my eyes as I went upstairs.

I climbed a ladder that was near Twilight’s bed and found myself on the very top of the entire library with a telescope set up next to the railing. “Haven’t been up here in a while.” I muttered to myself as I closed the hatch I had just crawled through.

I decided to try spotting Ponyville landmarks and familiar faces to pass the time. The view was good, but part of my field of vision was obstructed by the very top of the tree that was taking up one corner of the balcony. My eyes scanned the ground first, trying to recognize any passing ponies. I noticed Bon Bon and Lyra walking alongside each other while seemingly lost in conversation. But I also noticed the unicorn would sometimes glance around. I will be the first to admit that my bond with Lyra is not quite as strong as with my six other friends, but I can safely assume she was looking for me.

The next pony I recognized was Big Macintosh hauling a cart filled with hay. His calm soulful eyes were half-closed, like every single time I had ever seen him. I tried waving at him to see if he would notice. A few seconds later, he looked in my direction. He surely must have noticed me since he stopped dead in his tracks while gazing in my direction with both eyes being wide open in what I assume was surprise. I waved at him to say hello as he did the same while showing a genuine smile. He then proceeded to go about his business, looking a little happier than before.

After a moment of not seeing anymore familiar faces, I looked upwards to see if I could identify any passing pegasi. The first one I saw was, of all ponies, Derpy Hooves. She was carrying a mail satchel over her shoulder as she flew along. Fortunately for me, one of her eyes happened to be looking in my direction before she suddenly stopped. If her eyes had been in a normal state at the time, she probably would not have noticed me to her right.

“Derpy?” I called out as I waved.

The wall-eyed pegasus mare flew in my direction at surprisingly high speed. “No way! You’re back!” Taking me aback somewhat, she practically flew into my arms and embraced me tightly.

“Um… Derpy? What’re you doing?” I asked, not expecting such affection from the local mailmare.

“Hugging you. I missed you, after all.” She replied without moving her head from my shoulder.

I stroked her mane gently while quietly asking, “I read that a lot of ponies had started asking about where I had gone. Was I really that missed?”

Derpy pulled away from me and grinned brightly, “Uh huh! I was starting to worry about you after the second day of no sign of you! Are you OK? Where’ve you been? Were you abducted by aliens?”

I replied with a shrug while trying to not snort at that last question. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. Really, I have no idea how I ended up somewhere else. But I am doing better now that I’m home… Where I really belong.”

My words seemed to make Derpy happy as she smiled warmly. “Aww… Well, I’m glad you’re back home too. You really make things interesting since you’re the only human in town. Oh! Almost forgot!” She then reached into her satchel and pulled out what seemed to be a blueberry muffin. “I saved one just for you! And don’t worry about it being stale. I just baked it this morning.”

Receiving a gift from a borderline stranger was rather shocking to me. But in hindsight, Derpy has always been a very hospitable mare and a surprisingly important part of my daily routine. I guess…..she really had become a good friend to me. “Thanks, Derpy… I really appreciate it.” I spoke as I took the muffin in hand. But instead of eating it, I looked down at it for a moment.

“What’s wrong? It’s fresh! And you like blueberries, right?” Derpy asked, clearly puzzled by my actions.

I sighed, the muffin making me remember all of the ponies I had met who I had developed even a slight bond with since arriving in Equestria three weeks ago. Lyra, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Zecora, Derpy, even Diamond Tiara… The list just keeps going. “Even when I got back, I wasn’t even all that aware of all I really had…” I threw my arms around Derpy and held her in a tight embrace. “Thanks for caring, Derpy… You’re a good friend.”

The mailmare smiled as she patted me on the back. “You don’t have to cry, James. You’ve been a good friend to me too.”

After a brief chat longer, Derpy looked towards what seemed to be a clock tower in the distance. “Oops, I should probably get going. I better get back to work. Let’s talk again soon, OK?”

I nodded as I unwrapped my muffin. “Absolutely. Take care, Derpy. And thank you again.” I watched while my friend flew away before snacking on the gift she had given me.

A few minutes later, I resumed watching the skyline. But after a moment, I noticed what seemed to be something rocketing towards me. “Is that…” I muttered as I saw that it seemed to be a pegasus with a cyan coat. And judging by how fast it was approaching me… “Duck!”

I lowered myself sideways to take cover behind the railing just before the pegasus zoomed over the balcony. I looked back as the pegasus looped back towards me, flew over to me, and landed in front of me on the balcony. “Where the hay have you been?!”

I hardly had any time to react as the pegasus rushed over to me and squeezed me in a tight embrace. “I thought I was gonna start molting from how worried I was! Where’d you go?!”

I stroked her mane while I replied, “I… I was somehow sent back home. To Earth. I don’t know who did it, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m home, Rainbow Dash. And I’m never leaving again.”

The rowdy pegasus mare looked at me directly. “You mean…somepony kidnapped you?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea. I went to sleep a few days ago in Fluttershy’s cottage and woke up in my own bed back home the next morning. I never saw who did it. But I never wanna go back… I can’t stand that world. Not after seeing what Equestria has to offer.”

Rainbow Dash scowled while she practically shouted, “Man, whoever did that must be a world-class dirtbag! If I ever get my hooves on the guy, I’ll strangle ‘em!” But she then frowned with a most sorrowful expression. “I was scared for you, James… I wanted to go find you, but I had no idea where to start looking…”

I held my friend in a gentle embrace. “You always were a loyal friend to me, Rainbow. Don’t blame yourself. How about we change the subject? How’ve things been while I was gone? Pretty good?”

I was not expecting Rainbow Dash to glare at me. “Are you kidding? It was awful! We’ve all been worried sick about you! We had no idea if you were even still alive!” She then closed her eyes and bowed her head. “It was like one long bad dream… I thought it was never gonna end…”

I draped an arm across my friend’s back and held her in a one-armed hug. “It was like a nightmare for me too. The anxiety... Every night, I prayed I would wake up to my next day in Equestria. It hurt waking up to find myself still there on Earth every morning…”

Rainbow Dash returned the favor by wrapping a foreleg around my lower back. “At least it’s over, right? Nothing but good things will be happening now.”

“I hope so…” I muttered in retort. I then leaned against the brash pegasus and whispered, “I love you girls…”

I heard Rainbow Dash snicker for a moment. “Man, some things never change. Even after our time apart, you’re still one big softy.” But she then looked up at me and warmly smiled. “But that’s one thing I like about you, James.”

“And your confidence is something I like about you, Rainbow.” I replied with a smile of my own. The two of us chuckled together in unison.

“Come to think of it, did you meet up with the others? Scootaloo’s been itching to see ya again.” Rainbow Dash asked while looking up at me.

I replied promptly, “I’ve met up with each of you except for Rarity. I’m gonna head over there right now.” I then climbed to my feet before opening the hatch that led back down into Twilight’s house.

“Yeah, you better get to her fast. Rarity’s a shell of a mare right now. Let’s talk again today, James.” Rainbow Dash waved her hoof at me while I climbed back down into the library before closing the hatch behind me.

“Did you meet up with Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked as I climbed down the ladder.

“Yup. She probably would’ve taken my head off if she rammed me at that speed.” I replied with a chuckle.

Twilight grinned as she walked over to me. “I already went into detail on how much she missed you in that note from yesterday, right? Now you need to go see Rarity. I know she’s eager to welcome you back.”

I got down on one knee and embraced my friend. “Then I’ll get going right now. I’ll see you again soon, Twi.” I hurried down the stairs and out the front door while waving goodbye to Spike and Owlowiscious.

I know that Rarity lives at the southeastern corner of Ponyville, so I made my way in that direction. When I arrived at that elegant house, I did not find anything out of the ordinary on the exterior. But the interior was a different story as I looked through the window. Numerous unfinished dresses were scattered all over the main room with various fabrics and mannequins as well. I could see the beautiful white unicorn mare standing before one such mannequin with a sheet of paper floating beside her. However, her mane was somewhat messier than usual. I wanted to reach out to her, so I immediately entered the boutique.

The bell that hung over the door rang the instant I stepped inside. I expected Rarity to turn and face me immediately, but she raised a hoof and waved it in my direction without looking. “I will be with you in a moment…” Her voice lacked the usual enthusiasm and flair I know her for. “Thread by thread… Stitching it to… It doesn’t help anymore… I just…can’t get into the zone when I’m so overcome with worry…” She then raised a hoof to her forehead and looked up in an unnecessarily dramatic fashion with her eyes closed. “What must I do to find you, dear friend?! Where have you gone?!”

I decided to step in and walked in front of her while looking down at her face. “You can start by opening your eyes, Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes sprung open abruptly as she looked at me while I looked down at her. “Is this a mirage…? Some cruel joke? Surely this is just the result of wishful thinking.”

Seeing that she was not entirely certain if I was real, I got down on one knee and held her hoof in my hand. The hoof that held the silver bracelet I had bought for her weeks ago. “This bracelet is just as spotless as the day I purchased it. Have you been taking good care of it, Rarity?”

I think it was at that moment that Rarity came to realize that I was not an illusion. “James… Darling, is that you…?” She reached out and touched my face with her hoof. I merely nodded in response. Her eyes began to pour tears as if out of nowhere. “You… You came back…” She then threw her forelegs around me in what I think was the tightest embrace I had received all day.

“Rarity, I’m…oof!” I grunted as I felt her squeeze me. Despite lacking the muscle of an earth pony, Rarity felt like a boa constrictor with how much pressure she was putting on my body.

“I’ve been longing for you to return oh so much… It feels like it’s been weeks since I last laid eyes on you…” Rarity sobbed as she held onto me. She was being…how do I say…overly dramatic in her use of words. I can understand that she missed me. Lord knows I did. But this seemed a bit much.

“Rarity, it’s OK now. I’m here.” I muttered quietly, hoping I could get her to stop crying.

I felt Rarity release her grip on me as she pulled back and looked up into my eyes with tears streaming down her face. “You don’t understand… You were a source of inspiration for me… I always cherished…” She then closed her eyes and pleaded, “Hold me…”

I did as I was told and held the beautiful unicorn in my arms as she fell into my grasp. I sat on the floor before I turned her over while holding Rarity’s head up. I constantly stroked her mane slowly to calm her. “Were you really hit that hard by my disappearance, Rarity?”

The beautiful unicorn looked up at me as I rested my hand over her right hoof, my fingers draped across the bracelet I had given her. “I felt like I had lost something important, darling… Like I did not know how important it truly was until it was gone. The first day without you was just worrisome. But the following days were when reality gave me a slap to the face… Tell me. Did you deliberately leave us?”

I frowned; rather disheartened to think that one of my friends, perhaps even my dearest friend would ever consider that I would abandon them. “You should know better than that, Rarity. I love this world and I love my friends. I hated being where I was before I returned. I don’t know how I was taken away, but I hated every minute of being away from you.” I then rested my head by her face and whispered, “I don’t know what I’d ever do without you girls… You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Rarity closed her eyes as she replied, “We are…? I… I never should’ve doubted you. You never showed any signs of being dissatisfied with Ponyville or the ponies living there…” She then looked up at me with a tearful gaze. “Can you ever forgive me for assuming such a cruel possibility?”

Her expression was so sorrowful, I felt sorry for her. I smiled warmly and embraced Rarity the best I could. “I do, Rarity. And…I’m especially glad to see you again.”

After a moment of the two of us just silently cuddling, Rarity spoke up. “Darling… You say you did not enjoy being away from us?”

“Not at all. And I hated the world I was in when I was away, especially while being able to compare it to Equestria.” I replied, trying to enjoy her company the best I could and not think anything bitter.

“If you were so uncomfortable there, then compensation is in order! Come, let us hurry to the spa! It will be my treat.” Rarity spoke with a smile as she climbed to her feet.

This abrupt offer caught me by surprise. “Wait a sec… You mean as in me visiting the spa for a treatment? I thought it’s supposed to be me treating you! And do they even accept human customers?”

Rarity smiled proudly and said, “I really do not see why they would not. But please, I insist. You’ve been through a great ordeal and I intend to help you relax. Shall we?” She extended her right hoof to me to help me to my feet.

“Well… If you insist.” I replied as I took hold of her hoof. The two of us left Carousel Boutique together. But not before Rarity placed a sign on her front door that read ‘Out to lunch’.

It had been a while since Rarity and I last walked together alone. Not since we were still living together. It felt refreshing to be in the presence of my beautiful unicorn friend. “I missed your company oh so much, darling.” Rarity spoke as she looked up at me, a look of such catharsis on her face.

It was then that I got a good look at Rarity’s face in the sunlight. She truly was a wreck. Bloodshot eyes and dark spots under them marred her face. “You look like you’ve been through a hard time…”

Rarity nodded with a more somber expression on her exhausted face. “Yes, I have… I could hardly sleep at all while wondering where you were. I will surely sleep soundly tonight…” She then let out a yawn, a clear sign of her exhaustion. “I am so indeed looking forward to closing my eyes and drifting off to dreamland… But not just yet. I’ll wait until tonight.”

We reached the spa without incident with Rarity leading me inside. She was quick to greet the mare behind the front desk. “Good afternoon, Lotus! The usual, please!”

I immediately recognized the pink-maned blue pony seated at the front counter as my employer. She glanced up at us and gasped, “Mr. James! You’re back?!” Before I could even reply, she stood up and rushed into the main room. “Come on in! We have no customers right now!” She called out in her heavy accent.

Rarity looked up at me with an odd smile. “There was a bit of an uproar at the spa when you disappeared. Quite a few ponies who have come to adore your massages were very displeased by your absence.”

I scratched the back of my head as a sense of guilt came over me. “Maybe somepony should invent a device that mimics a human hand. That would probably sell well in this business.”

However, Rarity giggled at my suggestion. “But that would put you out of a job! And I would much rather receive a massage from you than from an imitation!”

Our first stop in the spa was the sauna. Rarity had put on her personal robe and had her mane wrapped up in a towel. As I had no other clothing with me at the time, I wore a towel around my waist with my boxers underneath. I breathed deeply as Lotus poured water over the heated rocks in the wooden room, the air being filled with cleansing steam.

I noticed that Rarity’s eyes were trailing over my body. She soon smiled and said, “I see that you’ve slimmed down somewhat since you first arrived in Ponyville, James. Have those daily trips to Sweet Apple Acres been paying off?”

I nodded while I replied, “I guess so. And it helps that I do a lot of walking everyday. Not to mention the Equestrian diet is really healthy.”

As I began to sweat heavily from the steam in the sauna, I began to ponder if ponies could sweat too. Especially since Rarity had coated herself in a robe. “Rarity, are you sweating as much as I am?”

The beautiful unicorn replied with a smile. “I know you can’t really tell through my coat, but I am. I mean really, what would be the point of using a sauna if you had no pores to use?” The two of us then chuckled in unison.

Once we had emerged from the sauna, I watched as Aloe coated Rarity’s face with that goopy green facial cream before placing a pair of cucumber slices over where her eyes are located. “This will get my face looking just as fabulous as before.” Rarity spoke with a smile. I too was hopeful that the facial cream would be enough to get rid of the bags under her eyes.

We were then led over to the massage tables. It was there that I saw my workmate, Quake. She is a rather androgynous-looking mare with an unusual muzzle structure and a muscular build, even by earth pony standards. Her eyes are a dark shade of blue while her coat is a light tan. Her mane is a dark blond with lighter streaks and is parted into two banes at the forehead. She almost always seems to have a stern expression, which gives me the impression that she is comparable to a tough Russian woman. She never says much, but she has taken well to me becoming her new workmate over the past few weeks. Regardless, her expression did not change much when she saw me for the first time in three days.

“I would like to use Quake’s services today.” Rarity spoke as she climbed onto a massage table while feeling around with her hoof. She then lied down with her head resting on her forelegs. Quake then began to roughly massage the unicorn with skillful rapid poundings with her hooves. Where I specialize in precise gentle massages, Quake completely outclasses me in performing rougher types of massages.

“Right here, James.” Lotus motioned for me to climb atop an empty massage table.

“OK…” I muttered, having never actually received a massage before. Once I was lying facedown on the table with my legs curled since it was somewhat short for my size, I felt Lotus press her hooves onto my back. “Lotus?”

“Just be still. I know what I’m doing.” I heard my employer reply. I remained still as I rested my chin on my arms. I expected her hooves to be hard and uneven, but their surfaces were very smooth and slid across my skin flawlessly. I sighed as I felt her apply pressure where needed. As I had never received a massage before, I cannot effectively describe how it felt. But I felt much more relaxed afterwards.

The next part of the spa visit was a dip in the hot tub. Since I did not bring my swim trunks with me, I had to request everyone to look away until I had undressed and submerged myself in the tub. The tub was not very deep at all, but the water level was just the right height once I had sat down. The bubbling water was just under my chin.

“I am going to have to cut our visit short, Lotus. James only just got back and I know he still has plenty more faces to see.” Rarity spoke as she too submerged herself in the water. Lotus nodded with a smile as she rubbed Rarity’s facial cream off with a wet towel and removed the towel that was wrapped around her mane before departing.

“Do I look any better now, James? I could hardly look at myself in the mirror this morning.” Rarity asked as she turned to face me.

I could hardly believe how much that one facial treatment improved Rarity’s looks. The bags under her eyes were gone and the eyes themselves were hardly bloodshot. Her beautiful indigo mane was also back into its perfectly curled and kempt style. “Now there’s a face I’ve been wanting to see for a while.”

Rarity failed to contain a delighted smile. “Oh, darling… I was worried my face would revolt you. Has it really gone from hideous to fabulous that quickly?” She batted her eyelashes at me immediately afterwards.

I reached out and caressed Rarity’s chin. “You’re always beautiful, Rarity. But now there are no imperfections to be seen.”

Rarity seemed to hesitate for a moment before moving over to me and placing a kiss on my cheek. “I missed your voice, James. And your compliments.” She then leaned against me while resting her head against my shoulder. “There are times…when I even think you are a prince.”

I draped my arm across the beautiful pony’s back and gripped her shoulder. “I’m nothing like a prince, Rarity… I’m just a commoner.”

However, Rarity looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “But you certainly have the heart of one. I actually met a real prince once. And you are ten times the prince he is. Perhaps even a hundred times.”

That was quite a bit of praise to take. Me being more of a prince than an actual prince? What kind of lout of a prince could possibly be below me? “What kind of prince is below a lowly commoner?”

Rarity frowned while her eyes rolled briefly. “One whose only royal quality is being a royal pain. If we are fortunate, he will not be attending the Grand Galloping Gala this year.”

I decided to not inquire further about this supposedly despicable prince Rarity was referring to. Hoping to change the subject, I tried asking a question. “Well… How have things been while I was gone? Make any new dresses?”

Rarity surprised me with a glare. “Surely you jest. I could hardly work or find inspiration while overcome with worry. In hindsight, I'm not certain how I managed to complete an order for Sapphire Shores at that time.” But she then smiled just slightly before continuing, “But now that I know you’re safe and sound, I’m already getting some new inspiration. I know just how to add a little something special to those gowns I was commissioned!”

I then smiled at Rarity’s enthusiasm. “No wonder you’re the fashion queen of Ponyville. Your inspiration isn’t easy to keep down.” The two of us chuckled together.

Once we had soaked in the hot tub long enough, I climbed out and put my clothes back on after drying myself off. I looked back at the hot tub and found Rarity still soaking in it. “Will you be getting out soon?”

My friend replied, “Oh, I think I will soak in here a while longer. I need the relaxation after all those nights with little sleep. But don’t worry! I have no intention of falling asleep here!”

“You better not or you’ll drown.” I retorted with my arms crossed. “But anyway, I’m gonna go take another look around Ponyville. I want to make sure all my friends know I’m back.”

Rarity smiled while giving me a nod. “Then I must recommend you go see Sweetie Belle. I think she and her friends are at their clubhouse right now.”

I was about to reply when I paused. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and….. Scootaloo. My little sister. It was at that moment that I remembered the note Twilight Sparkle had sent me that explained what had been happening with my friends during my absence, including the filly who had become like a little sister to me. “Right… The girls… I’ll see you later today, Rarity.” I waved goodbye and headed on out the door and towards Sweet Apple Acres.

I paid little heed to anyone around me on my way to the local apple orchard. Upon reaching the farm, I found Big Macintosh carrying…wow. Three bushels piled high with apples on his back. I swear that guy is built like a tank. Even by earth pony standards. Regardless, I waved as I drew near. “Hey there, Big Mac. You miss me?”

The red stallion turned my way and smiled. “Eyup.” I instantly almost snickered at his use of a single word.

“Well, how’s Apple Bloom? She all right?” I asked, wondering how his little sister had been during my absence.

Big Macintosh replied with a slightly more somber expression, “Not too good. She’s over at the clubhouse if ya wanna say hi.”

“I think I’ll do that. Thanks, Mac.” I said with a smile as I continued on my way, leaving him to his work.

As I had not visited the clubhouse in a few days, I was somewhat lost on where to look. And I am someone who tends to remember my surroundings. But after around twenty minutes of wandering, I located it. The very same tree house I had seen before. But as I approached it, I noticed something above it I had overlooked until that moment. “Has that always been there?”

Jutting above the tree branches was what seemed to be an add-on to the clubhouse. A small room with a steeple roof that had a triangle-shaped flag on top waving in the breeze. And jutting out of the window was a telescope. “An observatory? Must be Apple Bloom’s doing.” I muttered to myself as I walked up the ramp to the front door. That must have taken a fair bit of work to install for those fillies.

I peeked through the heart-shaped peephole in the door to see if the three fillies were actually inside. I smiled when I found the three huddled around a chart of sorts. But neither of them seemed happy. “OK, I think we should take matters into our own hooves. We’re not getting anywhere just waiting for him to come back.” Sweetie Belle spoke while moving her hoof over the chart. From where I was standing, it kind of resembled a map. Maybe of Ponyville?

“Same here. And we just might get our cutie marks if we try out bein’ detectives.” Apple Bloom replied while looking back and forth at the map. At this point, I decided to try sneaking up on them. I opened the door silently and stepped lightly before taking a seat right behind them. They all had their backs to me, so they did not see me coming. I also had to be careful to mind my head due to the low ceiling.

“Yeah… Find him… You think he really did get lost in the Everfree Forest?” Scootaloo spoke with a shockingly reserved tone. I had never heard her sound so…down before and it kind of hurt to hear her like that.

Before they could discuss the operation further, I decided to speak up. “That won’t be necessary, girls. But I am flattered that you would go through the trouble of tracking me down.”

At my words, the three fillies froze. They then stiffly turned their necks until they were looking back at me. I waved with a smile, their faces frozen in shock. “Are we seein’ things?” Apple Bloom asked with a bewildered gaze.

Scootaloo did not even bother offering a retort as she leapt at me. I caught her in my arms and held her in a gentle embrace. “He feels real enough for me…” Scootaloo muttered as she nuzzled my chest.

I watched as Sweetie Belle walked up to me before poking me with her hoof. “He’s real! Apple Bloom, James is home!” The unicorn filly then nuzzled against me while trying to hold me in an embrace.

“Make some room!” Apple Bloom called out as she too jumped at me. The force of an earth pony tackling me was enough to knock me to the floor.

“Oof! Ease up, girls!” I groaned as I hit the floor with all three fillies on top of me. Even though they were just little fillies, I was not prepared for that.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were grinning from ear to ear as they cuddled with me. But I was quick to notice that Scootaloo had a most sorrowful expression on her face. I was hardly surprised, judging by what Twilight had told me in that scroll from the previous day.

“Um… Girls?” I whispered to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle while pointing to Scootaloo, who seemed to be unaware of us as she had her eyes closed. The two fillies looked at each other and nodded, probably understanding that the two of us needed a moment alone. They then left the clubhouse and closed the door behind them.

“Are you feeling better, Scoot?” I asked quietly while stroking the little filly’s mane. I honestly had no idea what I was doing and was hoping my attempts to calm her would prove effective.

She gritted her teeth while squeezing tears out of her eyes. “Twilight told me you were taken away by something. Are you home for good now?”

I nodded and whispered while tracing my fingertip along the edge of her ear. “Yeah. No way am I leaving again. If something tries to take me away, I won’t let it.”

The pegasus filly then tightened her grip on me. “I missed you…”

I stroked her little head as I smiled. “I missed you too, sis. I hope your parents didn’t pry too much into you worrying about me.”

For some reason, Scootaloo averted her eyes upon hearing those words. “Yeah… I managed to keep my mood hidden from them by keeping up a smile…”

“Since I just got back, may I meet them?” I asked, curious of what her parents are like. I could not imagine anyone in Ponyville having bad parents.

Scootaloo paused a moment before looking up at me. “James… I need to tell you something important… But you need to promise to not tell anypony about this.” She then looked me directly in the eye and added, “I mean it. Not a single pony! Not a single dragon! Not even a single zebra! You can’t tell this to anypony!”

I leaned back slightly, slightly intimidated from this unexpected outburst. “Jeez, OK. I promise I won’t tell a soul.”

I watched as Scootaloo took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for her to say. “OK… The truth is… About my parents…” She paused for a moment as tears began to stream down her face. “I don’t have any parents!”

It took a moment for my brain to process what she had just told me. “You don’t… You mean… You’re an orphan?!” I felt a slight chill flow through me at this revelation.

“I’m sorry for not telling you… I just hate it when ponies look down on me… The only ponies who know are ones I can trust with my life…” Scootaloo spoke while looking down, her tears falling to the floor.

“Well… Who DOES know about that?” I asked, wondering who she trusted most. Family can always be a sensitive subject, especially the lack of them.

“Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle know. And Derpy knows since she brings mail to my place almost everyday. She promised to not spread the word though. And the mayor knows too. But that’s only because she has to keep track of everypony in town. And now you know…” Scootaloo replied while averting her eyes from me.

I gently rested my hand on her head as more questions started to bud in my mind. “Where do you live?”

Scootaloo replied as she wiped her tears away, “In a little shed on the east side of town. It’s really small, so it’s OK for a filly like me.” She then asked, “Do you...hate me for lying to you about this for so long…?”

I sighed as I comprehended what I had been told. I never once imagined that Scootaloo had always been an orphan. I was naturally curious if she had any memories of her parents. Did they die? Was she abandoned? Did she never know them? “It’s OK, Scoot. I really don’t blame you for keeping that a secret from me.”

She looked up at me after a moment of hesitation. “You…really don’t mind?”

I nodded with a slight smile. “I can’t comprehend the kind of emotional pain you’ve gone through. It’s no wonder you always act tough. It’s to hide your suffering.” I then held her in a tender embrace. “I can’t leave you alone now that I know you’re totally alone. Would you like to come live with me?”

Scootaloo’s eyes brightened instantly. “You mean it?! Really?!”

I nodded, but then put my finger on her nose. “Yes. But Fluttershy has to give us the go-ahead first. It’s her house, after all.”

The pegasus filly jumped straight up and flapped her wings rapidly, remaining airborne for a brief moment as she grinned brightly. “You’re the best big brother I could ever ask for, James! I’ll go ask Fluttershy right away!” She then landed and leaped at me, placing a kiss on my face while just narrowly missing my mouth. “See ya later, James! I’ll come find you once I get her answer!” I watched as she ran out the door, trying so hard to not laugh at her enthusiasm. “C’mon, ponies! We need to go see Fluttershy!”

“What about?” I heard Apple Bloom ask, clearly having no idea what had just been discussed with the two of us.

“It’s really important! I’ll tell you along the way!” Scootaloo replied as I heard the sound of their hooves clopping growing more distant.

“OK then! We’re right behind you!” I heard Sweetie Belle reply just before they went out of earshot.

Now that I was alone, I decided to check out the observatory that I had overlooked until this day. I climbed up the ramp that led to the highest point of the clubhouse. Once I was just outside the observatory, I found I was quite a ways off the ground. What a view! “Man, Apple Bloom really has a knack for craftsmanship. Not easy making something this tall.” It actually bothered me how she had not ever once considered that her skill in construction and repairs is a talent she has.

I looked around, impressed by my field of vision. I could plainly see the barn of Sweet Apple Acres from my location and could even see part of Ponyville in the distance. Of course, I could only see so far with my own eyes. I then ducked inside the observatory to see if I could use the telescope.

The observatory was very cramped compared to the clubhouse. But that was to be expected for someone of my size. But there was another problem. The telescope was too low to the ground for me to effectively use. “Better be careful here…” I muttered as I tried lifting it from its stand. It came off without any trouble once I had removed the screws from the sides.

I stood just outside the ramp and held the telescope up to my eye after removing my glasses. I felt like a pirate standing in a ship’s crow’s nest. “Arr… What does James the Red spy through his spyglass today?” I spoke while imitating a pirate’s manner of speech. “Avast! Three fillies and a pegasus off to starboard!”

I could see the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing just outside Fluttershy’s cottage while Fluttershy herself was standing just outside the door. Of course, I could not possibly hear them from my current distance. But I could see Scootaloo speaking first. Fluttershy reacted with a truly shocked expression, more than likely a response to Scootaloo revealing that she is an orphan. The other two fillies seemed to speak up too, but what they said is a mystery to me.

Scootaloo once again said something to Fluttershy, after which Fluttershy nodded with a calm smile. Fluttershy then gently nuzzled Scootaloo while speaking something. Right after that, all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders jumped and seemed to cheer as they began to hop around Fluttershy in an identical fashion to how Pinkie Pie occasionally hops about. I smiled as I was very sure that Fluttershy had given Scootaloo the go-ahead to live with us. “Well done, sis. Well done.”

Just as I was about to take my eye away from the spyglass…drat, this pirate lingo is slipping into my writing. In any case, Rainbow Dash suddenly dropped in on the scene. Scootaloo, as expected, greeted her role model happily and even shared a hoof bump with my athletic pegasus friend. Rainbow Dash then proceeded to say something to our friends. All four of them nodded and began to head towards Ponyville as a group. However, Scootaloo ran on ahead.

“Well, this is curious…” I muttered as I focused my gaze on Rainbow Dash. Once the other four ponies had crossed the stream that was just outside the cottage, Rainbow Dash took to the air and began to fly towards Ponyville. I adjusted the lens on the telescope to zoom out so I was less likely to lose sight of my speedy friend. I watched as she flew above Ponyville and began to descend as she neared Sugarcube Corner. I could not see below the roof since other buildings obstructed my vision, but it was highly likely that she had gone inside the confectionary upon landing. “Is the party ready?”

Certain that my friends were on their way to Sugarcube Corner as well, I decided to go on ahead and rendezvous with them there. I secured the telescope back onto its stand inside the observatory before returning the lens to its previous setting and putting my glasses back on. I then descended from the treetop as quickly as possible. But before leaving the balcony, I took one more peek inside the clubhouse. Hanging from the wall was a large red cape with a large Cutie Mark Crusaders emblem on the back. “Hang on… That’s mine!”

I recognized the cape as my own and went inside to retrieve it. “Thanks for hanging onto this for me, girls.” I muttered to myself as I tied it around my neck. I then went outside the clubhouse and jumped the railing like I did on the day I first received that cape. “Hang on, girls. Don’t start the party without me.” I then took off in a run with my arms trailing behind me and out to my sides in a more heroic manner. Perhaps I was just so psyched to be back home, I could not honestly say.

I ran for a surprisingly long time for my standards. I must have been in better shape than I thought. By the time I had reached the main area of Sweet Apple Acres, I was only moderately exhausted. But there was something wrong. “Um… Where’s Big Macintosh? And AJ?” I was certain I would bump into at least one of the Apple siblings once I got there, but neither was there to be seen. “Are they both at the party?” I shrugged my shoulders and jogged towards town.

Like the previous times I had worn my cape in town, I drew quite a few stares from the other ponies who were going about their business. I decided to slow my pace to a walk to avoid drawing more attention to myself as I am still not comfortable being the center of attention. But I had hardly been walking for five minutes before I heard a familiar voice call out. “James! Wait up!”

I turned and found Scootaloo galloping towards me with a scroll of sorts in her mouth. “Hey there, Scoot! What’s up?”

She held out the scroll to me as it unfurled with the top hanging from her teeth. “See for yourself! Here, I brought a quill!” Sticking out of her mane was a feather that was likely an ink quill.

I took the quill in hand and took a closer look at the scroll. “Signed by both parties… Becomes the foal’s legal gua…” I paused as I read the scroll over again. This was not just a scroll, but also an adoption form.

Scootaloo looked at me with her big pleading purple eyes. “Are you gonna sign, big bro?”

This was it. One stroke of the quill and Scootaloo would officially be my little sister. But at the same time, I was uncertain if I was prepared to be her guardian. I suppose the role is not necessarily a parental role as we had both come to view each other as siblings and nothing more. After a moment of contemplation, I smiled as I wrote my name down on the line. “You bet I am.”

As I placed the quill back into her mane, I noticed Scootaloo tear up just slightly. “So… We’re really family now?”

I stroked her mane slowly. “Once you take that back to where you got it, I think so.” Scootaloo then dropped the scroll and leaped into my arms and held onto me for all she was worth. “Easy there, sis. Others are watching…”

However, Scootaloo grinned while quietly squealing in joy. “I don’t care anymore! This is a dream come true! I finally have a family!” I shrugged my shoulders as I stroked her back, rather flattered by just how exhilarated she was by this.

“OK, Scoot. Get down. I need to get over to Sugarcube Corner. Something’s going on there.” I finally spoke as I gently pried the pegasus filly from my torso.

“Yeah, I know. Rainbow Dash told us back at Fluttershy’s cottage. I’ll take this back to the town hall and see ya there! Later, James!” Scootaloo beamed at me before snatching the adoption form up in her mouth and running off.

“Scoot… You’re just so precious.” I muttered to myself as I continued onward to Sugarcube Corner. What more could I say after that?

I wasted no time in reaching Sugarcube Corner. I was expecting to find the place filled with customers, but paused when I found a familiar sign hanging from the front door. It read ‘Closed For Private Party’. “Already? It’s only been a few hours since I got back!” I exclaimed, amazed that Pinkie Pie could set up a party so quickly. But then again, I am sure she is the ONLY pony who could quickly set up a party on a whim.

I stepped inside the bakery, finding the entire place decked out for a party. A cake and a variety of baked treats were spread all over the place. But with all these party staples scattered everywhere, there were absolutely no partygoers to be seen. I then turned my gaze towards the stairs that led upstairs into the loft, remembering my own welcoming party from my first day in Ponyville. I was certain that my friends were waiting for me upstairs, so I began to climb them.

“Girls, I know there’s a party waiting for me up here! So there’s no need to surprise me!” I called out as I climbed the stairs, sure that all six of them were up there.

Just as I reached the top of the staircase, I heard Pinkie Pie groan to my left. “Oh, come on! Was it really that obvious I was getting a party ready for you?!” I heard my other friends chuckle in unison, but I also noticed a few other voices mixed into the crowd.

“What the…” I turned to face my friends, but those six wonderful mares were not the only ones who were there. Mixed in were a handful of other ponies. They included Big Macintosh, Lyra, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Derpy, and even…Zecora?! “What is all this?”

Mr. Cake then explained, “Even Pinkie Pie couldn’t set this party up this quickly. So we helped out too. Right, honey bun?” He winked towards his wife with a smile.

“Oh, yes. We had to work fast to get this set up in time. And it’s only reserved for you and your friends, dearie.” Mrs. Cake spoke with a wide grin.

Zecora spoke to me with a smile, “It was a worrisome time for us all, dear friend. But we waited patiently for your departure to end.”

Lyra spoke next. “We were all wondering where you ended up. When I caught word of your return, I hurried over here right away! Right, Big Mac?”

As expected, the relaxed red stallion replied with a calm smile. “Eyup.”

Derpy then asked, “So, you feeling better? Or you need some more of my homemade muffins? I brought blueberry!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luM6oeCM7Yw

My eyes scanned the guests. I had all but forgotten that my six friends were not the only friends I had. Over the course of the last three weeks, I had bonded with other ponies as well. I had more friends than I even knew. And now, we were all together again. My vision became blurred as tears began to build up in my eyes out of nowhere. “Give me a minute, please…” I spoke as I removed my glasses and held my face in one hand while gritting my teeth. I was just so touched that I could not contain all the emotion of it at once.

I heard Pinkie Pie speak up. “James, you don’t have to cry! This is a party! You smile at parties! See?” I wiped my tears before looking ahead at my jolly pink friend as she grinned brightly. However, I noticed that she was beginning to tear up despite her beaming face. I think I was not the only one who noticed this since my other friends were looking at her too.

“See? Just smile… When in doubt, smile…” Her voice began to break, as if she was struggling to not cry. This resistance did not last long as she suddenly frowned for about two seconds with her mouth quivering. We all took a step back as she suddenly burst into tears, literally crying a river of them! “Bwaaaahaaaa!!!! I can’t help it!”

The weeping pony came running over to me while still crying a river of tears. This reaction was extremely out of character for Pinkie Pie, who I had come to view as being immune to all forms of sorrow. I managed to drop down low at the last second to catch her in my arms. “I saw all my friends everyday! But you were the only one who wasn’t there! It was like I lost a treasure I’d been holding onto forever! I missed you so much!” Pinkie Pie continued to sob loudly into my shoulder as my other friends looked on, clearly unsure of what to make of this outburst.

I was not certain if I should back away from or comfort Pinkie Pie. But I did not have time to decide my next action as Rainbow Dash trotted over to us. “Make some room, Pinkie. You’re not the only here.” One by one, my five other best friends surrounded me and held me in a tearful group hug. My eyes scanned each of them with their faces being mere inches from mine. Their eyes were pinched shut, a trail of tears flowing down their faces. I found that there was not a dry eye in the room as the other five guests looked on with a tear or two in their eyes as well. Even the usually stoic Big Macintosh seemed to be holding back tears. Although it is hard to hide tears with eyes that big.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye a rather amusing sight. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders poked their heads up behind the railing of the stairs one by one, starting with Apple Bloom and ending with Sweetie Belle. But before any of them could speak up, Mr. Cake spoke. “I think we should give them a moment. Come along, everypony.” I watched silently through squinted eyes as my employer led his wife and the rest of our guests downstairs, leaving me alone with my dearest friends.

It had become so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I wrapped my arms around my friends the best I could, holding them close to me as they still did not let go of me. I wanted to say something, but I could not find the right words. But then again… I see now that words were unnecessary at the time. We had been forced apart and only at that moment were all seven of us reunited again. Feeling all six of my most wonderful friends, who came into my life less than a day after I arrived in this strange yet amazing world, around me once again made me feel…..complete. Now that I had gone without them for a time, I had come to understand what they really mean to me. “You girls…mean the world to me…”

The six mares said nothing, but they responded by tightening their grasp on me. Unfortunately, our time together did not last much longer. A moment later, we all jumped slightly at the sound of the doorbell. “What horrendous timing! Just as we were starting to reconnect!” Rarity groaned with finesse.

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s cool, girls. Let’s just focus on the party and have a good time together. As friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I stood up and rushed down the stairs, curious of who had come knocking.

“Sorry, but unless they’re a good friend of… Oh, James! Just in time!” Heartstrings, or rather Lyra, spoke up as I reached the bottom of the stairs. “Somepony’s at the door. Since this party’s all about you, you should decide if they’re allowed to come in.”

“OK then.” I replied as I approached the door. We already had quite a few attendees at Sugarcube Corner by now. Who else would want to attend?

I opened the door, expecting find maybe Bon Bon or Aloe and Lotus. But my expectations were blown clear out of the water when I laid eyes on who was standing outside. “Wha… Your highness?!”

Standing before me was none other than Princess Luna herself. There was an audible gasp behind me as the rest of my friends dropped to their knees and bowed. However, the beautiful princess of the night raised a hoof and spoke, “Please stand. There is no need for the formalities.” She then directed her attention to me and frowned with what seemed to be a gaze of worry. “My friend… Are you well since returning to Equestria?”

I dropped to one knee and bowed my head, wanting to show respect to the charming princess. “Things have been improving rapidly for me since I got back. And wasn’t it you and Celestia who brought…” I paused as I felt Luna place her hoof on my shoulder. Her expression still seemed rather remorseful. “Your highness?”

She shook her head. “Please do not call me that. And please... Do stand. You are my friend, James. And friends do not use formalities to address each other. What is more…” She then directed her gaze to my other friends. “I need to speak with him in private. If it is not too much trouble, please leave us.”

Mrs. Cake smiled while she started to make her way towards the stairs. “Absolutely, your highness. But please don’t keep him for too long. The party can’t get started without him.” She then turned to face our other guests. “Let’s head on back up, everypony.” Luna and I watched as they all climbed the stairs and out of sight.

Luna spoke with a reserved tone while she motioned me towards a chair. “Please make yourself comfortable, James. I need to discuss something important with you.”

I chose to take a seat on the counter, as it was more convenient for me at the time. “OK… So, what’s up?”

The Princess of the Night continued to frown as she looked at me. “First of all, I feel it is time for you to learn the truth. Celestia and I discussed this and feel you have every right to know how and why you are here.”

I felt a slight chill for an instant as I began to feel uneasy from mild anxiety. “Uh… I’m not in trouble, am I?”

Luna shook her head once more. “Not at all. But first…” She then bowed her head slightly while looking noticeably uneasy. “Your appearance in Equestria was not due to chance. Even though we claimed ignorance at our first meeting, the truth is that Celestia and I brought you to this world.”

It took a brief moment for my mind to comprehend what she had just told me even though I should have suspected that in hindsight. “You mean…” I felt an immense sensation of gratitude as I came to understand that the royal sisters were responsible for bringing me to this wonderful world. “You did this for me?”

However, Luna raised one hoof to silence me. “Do not thank us just yet. As we were the ones who brought you to this world, we are also responsible for sending you back to yours.”

I remained silent as I listened, wanting to know why I was forcefully sent back to my homeworld. “You had been in this world for a while when Celestia proposed that we send you back to your own world for a short time. No more than a week. It was a test for you to choose which world you would rather stay in.” But Luna then bowed her head further. “…I was against it. I did not want to see you leave.”

This revelation disturbed me. I had always trusted Celestia and Luna, as they are the wise rulers of Equestria. But they had lied to me at our first meeting and even put me through an emotional hell by sending me back to Earth against my will. However, I still asked while maintaining my composure, “Then why did you bring me back earlier than planned? I was only away for three days.”

Luna promptly replied, “Twilight Sparkle asked us to deliver a message to you if we knew where you were. We could not tell anypony that we had sent you away, but we still sent the message to you. When it returned to Twilight after 24 hours as a means to see if you would write a reply, there was a message of your own wrapped inside the scroll. Twilight sent that message to us. When Celestia read just how miserable you were, she decided that we should bring you home right away as prolonging your absence any longer would be unnecessary.” She then asked with a truly remorseful gaze, “James… Did we make a mistake by sending you away?”

I replied honestly. “Yes… That was a mistake. I hated every minute I spent on Earth.” Luna averted her eyes, clearly ashamed by her actions. But I then approached her and rested my hand on her shoulder. “But you brought me to this world in the first place. I’m grateful for that.”

The Princess of the Night looked up at me. “Forgive me… I do not want you to hate me…”

I dropped down on one knee and embraced my friend. “I don’t… I mean I understand why you would send me back for a short while... But now I know it was you and Celestia who brought me here.” I then whispered into her ear as I tightened my grasp on Luna. “Coming here was the best thing to ever happen to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you, Luna?”

Luna muttered with an unsteady voice, “I… I do not know… I feel as if I’m in no position to demand anything…”

I then smiled and asked, “Then may I ask you to stay for my party?”

The beautiful princess glanced up at me. “A party? I’m not sure if I… I think I have some duties to tend to… I mean it would be a breach in protocol for a princess to attend a simple house party…”

This did not faze me as I held her hoof in my hand. “Please, Luna. Only my closest friends are invited. And you’re my friend, aren’t you?”

She paused for a moment while looking down at my hand. “Yes…” Luna then looked at me and smiled. “Yes… You are my friend. My first true friend, at that. I would be honored to attend.”

However, as I climbed to my feet, Luna spoke further. “But… I still need to tell you one more thing, James… It’s about why you were brought here to begin with.”

Once again, I felt some anxiety come over me. “Oh… All right then. I’m listening.”

Luna explained in an uneasy voice. “The truth of the matter is… Humans have existed in Equestria before. Long ago before the rise of Nightmare Moon.”

I nodded readily and said, “I… I kinda already knew. Zecora filled me in on some old legends from her homeland that mentions them.” I had also heard testimony from the ponies of the cursed Sunny Town as they had claimed to have personally met humans in the past, but I felt that mentioning them to Luna would be a very bad idea.

Luna showed some surprise to my insight, but continued speaking anyway. “I would rather not go into the details for the time being, but at one point my sister and I had no choice but to banish Equestria’s human population to distant worlds.” She then bowed her head with a rather unnerved expression. “Please… Do not ask me the reason. It was a time I would rather not remember…”

As I thought. Something truly awful must have happened for all humans to have been exiled from Equestria. Minding what I was going to say, I asked, “Did they…kill anyone?”

To my relief, Luna shook her head. “Thankfully, no. They did not truly harm us. But still… I do not wish to recall that event…”

I chose to not inquire further about the truth involving Equestria’s past. After regaining her composure, Luna continued to speak. “Celestia and I felt that after how much time has gone by since those days, it would be a good time to start over. So we searched for a human to bring into this world who would view us ponies as equals.”

I listened silently, waiting until the end to ask questions. “There were many like you, James. More than we expected. Humans with open minds who can comprehend creatures besides their own kind being capable of sentient thought. In the end, it was a very difficult choice. But we ended up choosing you.”

I began to suspect this reason was why she and Celestia had personally come to Ponyville to address my temporary departure into the Everfree Forest almost four weeks earlier. They likely wanted to try to locate me to bring me home to insure I would not fall victim to one of the forest’s more dangerous creatures for the sake of this private reintroduction project. I felt a slight bit of gratitude in my heart as I considered this.

Luna then bowed her head and spoke humbly, “That is why you are here. To improve Equestria’s view of humans so that one day, humankind may live alongside us ponies again in harmony. But…if you wish it, Celestia and I can send you home.”

I actually felt rather honored that of all the humans on Earth, I had been chosen as an ambassador of sorts for humanity. In response to Luna’s question, I smiled and placed my hands on her shoulders. “That won’t be necessary, Luna. I’m already home.”

The beautiful royal pony looked up at me with a mildly surprised expression. “You mean…you now view Equestria as your true home?”

I replied promptly, “Compared to Earth, Equestria is…well…heaven. Only I didn’t have to die to get here.” I then frowned as I pleaded, “But in all honesty, please… Don’t ever send me back.”

Luna reared up on her hind legs and embraced me tightly. “Perish the thought, James. This is where you have chosen to stay and we shall respect your choice. And… I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As off topic as this is, I suddenly felt the need to ask a question that had been gnawing at me in the back of my mind since the day I first met the two royal sisters. “One question, Luna. What exactly do I call you? A winged unicorn or a horned pegasus? Or maybe a...pegacorn?”

I heard Luna suppress a laugh in response to my question. “That’s a new one! But in all seriousness, the ponies of our race are called alicorns.”

Alicorns? Somehow, I am amazed that I never once suspected that. “I’ll have to remember that one. But anyway, shall we get that party started?”

Luna nodded with a smile. “Lead on, James. I shall follow.” I then walked up the stairs with her a short distance behind me. However, she then spoke quietly. “One last request, James. Do not reveal what I just told you to anypony. It’s too soon for them to know about the past.” I nodded in silence, respecting her choice.

As I reached the top of the stairs, Pinkie Pie spoke up. “Hey there, James! Who was at the door?”

I replied with a smile, “Let’s just say we have a very special guest this evening.” I then stepped out of the way to allow my friends to see Princess Luna reach the top of the stairs.

Once the princess was in full view, my six closest friends immediately bowed. Twilight then spoke, “Princess Luna! We weren’t expecting you! Is Princess Celestia with you?”

Luna raised her hoof and smiled. “There’s no need to bow, my subjects. I am merely here to welcome back my most dear friend. I am, like you, a simple partygoer.” Once our friends had returned to a standing position, she added, “And no, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia is not able to attend. But she does give all of you her warmest regards.”

Before anyone else could say anything, some calm gentle music began to play from a phonograph. “We’ve waited long enough for our friend to come home! C’mon, let’s party!” Pinkie Pie beamed as she stood near the phonograph while the record spun under the needle.

As the partygoers began to go about enjoying themselves either way they could, the Cutie Mark Crusaders immediately assaulted me with a group tackle. I very nearly fell down, managing to sit down in a chair with all three fillies piled onto me. “Great news, James! Fluttershy said it’s OK!” Sweetie Belle spoke while looking up at me.

I smirked and said, “I know. I saw you three prancing about like deer.”

All three gazed at me with baffled expressions. Apple Bloom then spoke, “Ya saw us?! How’d ya manage that from… Ooooh, I get it. Ya used the telescope in our observatory above the clubhouse, didn’t ya?”

I replied with a pirate’s accent, “Arr, that I did, ye little fillies. Nothing hides from James the Red’s one good eye. That spyglass let me keep an eye on ye from the safety of me crow’s nest.”

That got a good snicker out of Scootaloo. “Hey, that gives me an idea! Maybe we can use the observatory like a crow’s nest!”

Sweetie Belle then smirked while she replied, “Don’t you mean a chicken roost?”

For one reason or another, Scootaloo was flustered by this remark. “What’s that about chickens?!”

I decided to step in before an argument could break out. “Easy, girls. This is a party. Let’s just have a good time, OK?”

Scootaloo nodded and seemed to forget about her irritation. “Yeah, right. A party.” She then asked rather meekly, “James… Could you let Rainbow Dash know about…well…me being an…”

I nodded in return, knowing exactly what she was getting at. “OK. And I’ll make sure she promises not to tell anyone. Right?”

My little sister responded with a smile. “Right.” I then patted the three fillies on their heads and walked over to Rainbow Dash, who was helping herself to a cupcake.

Before I could say anything, Rainbow Dash spoke up as she turned to face me. “Hey there, James! Nice job on helping make this new recipe!”

I smiled as I replied, “Glad you like it, Rainbow.” I waited until she had finished eating the cupcake before motioning for her to follow me into a corner. “Rainbow Dash, you got a second? I need to talk to you over here. It’s important.”

The rainbow-maned pegasus followed me without a word. As she drew closer, I raised a finger to my lips to signal that I wanted her to keep her voice down. She then muttered quietly, “OK, what’s the matter?”

“It’s about Scootaloo.” I replied with a whisper. Rainbow Dash’s eyes glanced over at the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were busy snacking on cake. I then asked, “Did you know she’s an orphan?”

Rainbow Dash stared at me for a moment before bursting into quiet snickering while trying to suppress her laughter. I stared at her all the while until she stopped and asked, “Wait... Really?” I then glared at her to show that I was quite serious about what I had said. She then muttered, “You’re…serious?” When I nodded, Rainbow once again glanced over at Scootaloo before looking back to me. “No… I never knew. How’d you find out?”

I replied quietly, “She only tells a few people she knows very well. She thinks it’s OK for you to know too.” I then gave Rainbow Dash a very stern glare. “Don’t you dare tell ANYONE about that though. If word gets out that Scoot is an orphan, there’s no telling what it might do to her social life.”

I was not entirely sure what to expect from someone as uncouth as Rainbow Dash, especially with how she likes to poke fun at Scootaloo now and then. I was especially worried that she might confront Scootaloo over it and strike a nerve, although I cannot imagine her ever teasing anyone over something that bleak. However, my brash friend bowed her head slightly and spoke, “I promise… Dang, I never knew Scootaloo had it that rough. But is she really without a family at all?”

I smiled as I looked over at Scootaloo having fun with her friends. “Not anymore. On our way over here, she caught up to me and had me sign an adoption form. She’s my little sister now.”

For a moment, Rainbow Dash merely stared at me with a blank expression. But she then smiled, “Wow… Really? You and Scoot are big bro and little sis now?” When I nodded, she patted me on the shoulder with her hoof. “You’ll be an awesome brother for her. Hay, you’ll be an even better sibling for her than I’d ever be. When does she start living with you?”

I then replied, “She moves in with me and Fluttershy tonight. Once the party’s over, she’ll go pack her bags.”

Rainbow Dash then surprised me with a sudden embrace. “You be good to her, James. She’s a good kid.” I nodded while hugging her back. It did my heart good to know she was taking this new information well.

As I headed over to the table to get some cake and punch, I noticed Zecora helping herself to some muffins. I was still rather surprised to see my zebra friend at the party, as she does not come into town very often. And even then, I had only visited her a few times since meeting her.

“Hey there, Zecora. Glad you could make it.” I spoke as I approached her.

My zebra friend turned to me and smiled. “As am I, my friend. I’m pleased that our previous time together was not the end.”

The last time I visited Zecora before this day was to retrieve some tea for Twilight Sparkle. “Have things been problematic for you in the Everfree Forest?” I asked, wondering if she ever has trouble with the more wild types of fauna.

Zecora smiled serenely and replied, “Not at all. I tend to blend in well. When I am about, the creatures can almost never tell.” I admit I have come to adore her constant rhyming. It is such a charming quirk of hers.

“Sounds like stealth is your strong suit. But do you come to Ponyville often?” I retorted while snacking on a cupcake.

“I try to frequent Ponyville whenever I possibly can. And besides, remaining under the cover of those trees isn’t good for one's tan.” I chuckled under my breath, starting to wonder if Zecora was putting conscious effort into forming rhymes as she speaks.

“Yeah, the canopy of the Everfree Forest is pretty thick in most spots. It’s especially spooky at…night…” I spoke, but I then remembered something from the second night I spent in the Everfree Forest. There was one friend of mine I had all but forgotten about. Someone who I still wanted to help. “Mitta…”

Zecora seemed to notice me mutter that name. “Is something troubling you? Is it that the guests here are too few?”

I nodded with a frown as my eyes scanned my surroundings. “Yeah… One or two I was really hoping to see… But I can’t really tell you who they are just yet.”

My friend nodded in understanding. “I see. But if they are your friends, do not fear. They will remain close to you, even when they are not near.”

She did not need to explain that to me. Even when I was back on Earth, my feelings for my beloved friends in Equestria did not weaken. They were still close to me regardless of how far apart we were at the time. And even now, my desire to help save Mitta from her curse had not changed. “You’re right…”

Zecora then nudged me with her muzzle. “Anytime, my friend. But do not let me keep you. Surely you have other friends here who missed you as much as I do.”

I nodded with a smile as I scanned the area. “Thanks, Zecora. Let’s talk again before the party ends.” I then set my gaze on Lyra and headed over in her direction.

“Afternoon, Heartstrings… Or was it Lyra?” I asked, not sure of which name she prefers to be called by.

The unicorn turned to face me and smiled, “I definitely prefer being called Lyra. Heartstrings is too much of a mouthful. In any case, what’s up? You happy to be back?”

I nodded promptly and said, “More than you know. I hated my time back on Earth.”

Lyra smiled before suddenly speaking up, “Well, you’re home to stay now, right? And… Hey! That reminds me! I have another question about your world!”

Of course. Ever since meeting me, Heartstrings…. Oh fine, I will refer to her as Lyra to conserve space and ink. Anyway, her interest in humanity has only deepened since meeting me. Almost every time I see her, she has another question for me. “Uh… OK? What’s on your mind?” I asked as I took a seat by her.

She then asked, “I know you said that Earth is a horrible place to live in compared to Equestria and that a lot of humans are absolutely awful. But are there really no redeeming qualities about that place?”

Redeeming qualities. Something I had not thought about when I first met her. Earth may be overrun with hate, greed, and war, but…yes. I suppose there are some qualities about it and humanity that spare it from being a perfect hell. I suppose my initial bitterness over my homeworld briefly clouded my judgment during our first chat. “Well… I guess there are some good things about it.”

Lyra’s face brightened up instantly. “There are? Can you name a few?”

I began to explain while choosing my topics carefully. “I guess the first thing I can point out is technology. Humans have developed all sorts of vehicles, electronic devices, and many types of gadgets that make daily life easier.”

Lyra smiled and asked, “That sounds interesting! Can you name some?”

I decided to name just one from each category. “For the electronics, we have computers. Think of them like…um…plastic boxes that connect to a screen with a keyboard. It… Actually, I can’t explain it too well. But you can find them everywhere today. As for those everyday necessities, there’s stuff like… Oh right, escalators that are basically moving stairs that carry you along. And for vehicles, they have airplanes. Basically big metal flying ships that can carry lots of people at once. They’ve even made vehicles that can fly into space.”

My explanation caused Lyra’s expression to brighten in fascination. “They have things that can carry you into space?! If we had something like that, maybe we could’ve gone to the moon and brought Princess Luna home a long time ago!”

I smirked slyly and replied, “Funny you mention that. Around forty years ago, some people actually landed on Earth’s moon using a type of spacecraft.”

That got Lyra to gasp in amazement. “So they’ve already visited other planets?! Maybe someday they’ll be able to come to Equestria!”

I shook my head while the smile left my face. “Maybe… But at the current rate of progress they’re making on space travel, that’ll take a very long time. The moon is the furthest away a human has ever gotten from Earth.”

My unicorn friend still grinned before saying, “Well, it sounds like Earth has lots of cool stuff! Is there anything else about it that’s not a bad thing?”

I nodded and said, “There are lots of different sports. Those tend to bring people together since it’s all about friendly competition. We’ve got soccer, baseball, volleyball, hockey, football, as well as many others. Does Equestria have anything like that?”

To my surprise, Lyra nodded. “Actually, yeah! But instead of football, we play hoofball.”

I smirked as I rolled my eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”

Lyra then asked, “Well, that’s a lot of fun things your world has. But has humanity ever done any really good things for each other? Or has it been nothing but awful terrible things?”

This question had me think carefully for a moment. While there is indeed a great deal of evil in my world, there have been some high profile incidents of good will. And there was one such incident that stood out in my mind. “Yes. They have done some good things. I can tell you about one.”

My friend smiled as she replied, “I’m all ears.”

I then explained, “Not that long ago, there was a massive earthquake in the island nation of Japan that triggered a catastrophic tsunami.”

“Tsunami?” Lyra asked, clearly not familiar with Japanese terms.

“Tidal wave.” I retorted, using the more common term for it.

“Anyway, a lot of people died because no one saw it coming, despite the fact that Japan gets hit by more of those than any other nation on the planet. Entire seaside towns were washed away. Those who did survive the ordeal were left homeless. And that’s where things started to get better.” I went on. “Nations from all over began to pour in supplies and aid of all sorts. I even saw a video once showing the aftermath and the people of Japan voicing their gratitude. Gotta admit, it actually choked me up.”

Lyra was silent for a moment. She then asked, “So, there really is some good in humanity?”

I nodded, but crossed my arms as I bowed my head. “Don’t get me wrong. The human population of my world still has mountains of sin in its past and those mountains keep getting bigger by the day. But incidents like that do give me at least some hope for my kind.”

I was surprised when Lyra embraced me. “I know I have hope for humanity. After all, you’re a good person. Who’s to say other humans can’t be nice like you?”

I embraced my friend back even though her words did little to boost my mood. “Yeah… But I’m still staying here. Even if there is hope for my world, I still prefer being in Equestria.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s been fun learning from you.” Lyra spoke as she nuzzled me. She then pointed at Derpy, who was browsing the selection of treats. “Why don’t you go talk to Derpy? She’s been looking forward to you coming home too.”

“I think I’ll do that right now. Let’s chat again before the party ends, Lyra.” I petted her on the head before heading over towards the local mailmare.

As I drew closer, it seemed that Derpy was having trouble deciding on what to eat first. “Um… Should I stick with muffins or try the cupcakes?” She moved her head back and forth with her mouth open, clearly unable to decide on what to eat first. Suddenly, she grinned as she grabbed one of each in her ankle joints. “Ah, what the hay? I’ll take both!”

I took a step back as she tossed the two pastries upwards and held her mouth wide open with her eyes closed. However, instead of falling into her mouth, the muffin and cupcake fell bottom side-down onto her closed eyelids. “Huh?” Derpy then began to ‘look’ around with the two snacks apparently affixed to her face. “Whoa! Muffin vision in my left eye and cupcake vision in my right! The world looks so yummy now!” I merely rolled my eyes before I shook my head. Derpy Hooves is, and always will be, a truly loveable little ‘derp’.

After a moment longer, Derpy licked the two pastries right off her face and devoured them both at once. I still have to wonder if it is normal for a pony’s tongue to get that long. “Mmm… Yummy… Huh? Oh, hi James! You were looking really tasty a second ago!”

I winced, suspecting that her ‘cupcake and muffin vision’ may have been real. Considering all of the unexplainable supernatural things that occur in Equestria on a daily basis, it would not surprise me if it were. “Don’t even think about eating me, please. I just got home.” I replied with my hands held up.

The goofy pegasus smiled while clearly trying to not laugh. “I’d never do that! We ponies are strictly vegetarians!” However, she then held out a muffin to me. “But now that you’re here, take this. I made it just for you.”

It seemed to be an ordinary blueberry muffin with a thin layer of sugar sprinkled on top. As I took it in hand, Derpy’s expression brightened. “I made it with you in mind. I hope you like it.”

I looked down at the muffin before looking back at Derpy. This simple display of affection from a pony I do not frequently interact with deeply touched me, even though she had already given me one earlier that day. After a moment more, I dropped to my knees and embraced her. “Don’t ever change, Derpy… You loveable little derp…”

“Dawww, you don’t have to get all sentimental on me, James.” Derpy replied as she wrapped her forelegs around me. “But still… Don’t ever change either.”

“All righty, ponies. Time for a little somethin’ special!” I heard Applejack call out as she came to the top of the stairs. Resting on her back was a wooden barrel that was almost her size.

Before I could even ask what the barrel was for, I noticed Rainbow Dash staring with her mouth hanging open at the barrel. “Applejack… Is that…a barrel of your special brand of cider?!”

Big Macintosh answered Rainbow’s question for her. “Eyup.”

Applejack grinned while she sauntered past us. “Sure is! Just because we make and sell barrel after barrel of it durin’ Cider Season doesn’t mean we don’t keep a few barrels ‘round for special occasions or ourselves. And today definitely counts as somethin’ special.”

Rainbow Dash suddenly cheered, “YES! I’m gonna make up for all those wasted hours waiting in line by chugging as many mugs as I can! I’m first in line!”

However, Applejack replied as she set the barrel on the drink table. “Not so fast, Rainbow. James is the real guest of honor, so he gets ta try it first.”

Luna then asked, “I’ve heard tell of this Sweet Apple Acres cider. Is it as fabulous as claimed?”

Pinkie Pie replied with a bright smile, “Oh, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried this! It’s like ambrosia for the soul!”

Ambrosia? Seriously? I have never once tried cider, so I was rather curious. However, I grew suspicious when I saw Applejack attach a hand pump or spigot to the end of the barrel. It strongly brought to mind the types used for different beers in bars, leading me to suspect that her cider is of the hard variety. “Um… That isn’t alcoholic, is it?”

Applejack promptly replied, “Oh, ever so slightly. One mug ain’t gonna hurt ya. It’ll take a lot for ya to get tipsy.”

Mr. Cake then spoke up, “If that’s the case, all the fillies should come with me for refreshments. This way, girls.”

Sweetie Belle said with a smile, “OK! I hope you have sarsaparilla!” The three Cutie Mark Crusaders followed my employer downstairs while I approached the barrel of cider. No booze for the little ones.

“OK… So, I get the first mug?” I asked as Applejack filled a tankard with the golden beverage.

“Sure do! Drink up, pardner.” She retorted before passing me the wooden tankard.

Now, I must confess that I have never once consumed alcoholic beverages before. Aside from drinking small amounts of wine at mass, but that is beside the point. The room became quiet as the partygoers watched. I shrugged before taking a sip.

Wow. Just wow. The flavor was… Actually, I do not think I will ever be able to describe the flavor of this cider to its fullest. It was cold and went down smooth with a strong apple aftertaste. But it did not feel like juice. I noticed a slight tingle and a noticeable warmth at the back of my throat at first, probably from the alcohol content, but it was not enough to make me feel uncomfortable. “Dang. Now I know why you want this stuff so badly, Rainbow.”

My brash pegasus friend smiled before making her move. “And now that you’ve had your share, it’s my turn for some!” She swooped right over to the barrel as the rest of the partygoers formed a line.

The faces of the ponies as they drank the cider were rather entertaining to behold. They were usually varying expressions of bliss or delight. I was especially entertained by the expression Zecora made once she gulped some down. Her eyes rolled back in her head for an instant while a rosy blush adorned her cheeks. I never once imagined I would see the sage-like zebra mare look so…intoxicated. Or maybe it was just a flavor rush.

I leaned against the wall while watching the other partygoers mingle. Luna then walked up alongside me with a tankard of cider floating next to her and asked, “Is this your first time drinking hard cider?”

I nodded ad said while lifting my tankard, “Actually, it’s my first time drinking any form of cider. And my first time drinking a hard beverage. Although I gotta admit this doesn’t taste like it contains that much alcohol.”

Luna chuckled lightly before replying, “Take care to not drink too much. This is a day we all want to remember, after all. I would prefer it if neither of us drink ourselves under the table.”

I smiled while I retorted with, “I agree with you on that completely. I don’t wanna forget what happened this day.” However, just after I finished my serving, I felt a familiar need. “Excuse me for a minute, Luna. I need to use the restroom.”

“Take your time.” The princess replied calmly. I will be right back. No need to bring my journal with me.

Hi! Pinkie Pie here! Just saying hello to whoever’s reading this! What’s James even writing? A report for Princess Celestia?

Ooooh, I get it. He’s writing a journal! Fluttershy told me about these. Hmmm… Wow, he’s really good at these. Just look at all that detail!

Anyway, hey there, ponies! We’re all having a great party here at Sugarcube Corner! It’s a party to welcome one of my most special friends back home! In case you don’t know, it’s James!

Now this guy has been a really great friend! I remember just bumping into him out of nowhere 3 weeks ago. I knew right then that I had never seen him before. I mean, really! He was the first human I ever met! So I just HAD to throw a party for him! We bonded really fast at the party and he’s been with us ever since! Well… Until 4 days ago, that is. He just disappeared overnight without a trace. I was even wondering if he was just a dream I thought up. But nope! Here he is! Back in Equestria safe and sound!

I was so happy to see him, I couldn’t contain myself! I grabbed him and gave him the biggest hug I could! But… I just remembered how he was when he saw me. The poor guy was crying. When I think about it… Awww, how precious am I to him for him to cry after seeing me for the first time in 4 days? He’s a total sweetheart!

James has been a total blessing to my friends and me. After spending 3 weeks with him, I just can’t imagine life without him anymore! I don’t even know how he got here! But if I ever meet the ones who brought him to Equestria, I’ll give them the best cupcakes they’ve ever tasted!

Anyway, everypony’s really happy to have him back! This party was just meant for his closest friends like us, but I invited everypony else I could think of who’s pretty close to him. There was Big Macintosh, Lyra Heartstrings, Zecora, Derpy Hooves, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and even Mr. and Mrs. Cake! And guess what? Even Princess Luna showed up! And… Uh oh. Looks like Rainbow Dash is trying to get more cider. I know that stuff is awesome, but we’ve only got so much to spread around this time! Let me go see if I can distract her with some punch.

OK, here I am! That went over well. Oh wait! I just remembered that I didn’t properly introduce myself! I’m Pinkie Pie! I’m the pink pony with a poofy mane who’s friends with absolutely everypony in Ponyville! I work at Sugarcube Corner and baby-sit the Cake couple’s foals when I can. I also like to come up with songs in my spare time. But more than anything, I like to make my friends smile. And… Huh?! Oh, my Pinkie Sense is tingling! Let’s see… Ears twitching, but not flopping… Ooh! That means someone’s going to be clopping pretty soon! But clopping to what?

Oh, right. Some of you might not know what ‘clopping’ even is. Well, you see, clopping is what they call…

Oops! I hear James coming back up the stairs! I better get going. But it’s always nice to put my thoughts down on paper! So long! And keep smiling!

All right, where was I…wait. Where did all this extra text come from? This is not my handwriting!

Oh, I see now. Pinkie Pie decided to jot down some things while I was away. Hmm… Well, she certainly thinks highly of me. Heh, just like how she cannot imagine life without me, I certainly cannot imagine life without her either. Not a day goes by without her making me smile or laugh in some way.

Hardly five minutes after I got a second serving of Applejack’s cider, I heard her in an argument with Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, you’ve already had four servin’s of that cider. Don’tcha think you’ve had enough for one day?”

Rainbow Dash, like most times I have seen her, was airborne with her wings flapping in a steady rhythm. However, I noticed that she could not stay in one spot and was constantly drifting back and forth ever so slightly. I also noticed a rosy blush on her cheeks. “Oh, c’mon, AJ! Just look at Derpy! She’s had four servings too and she looks just fine!”

My gaze turned towards Derpy as she chugged down a tankard of cider. She let out a sigh once she had finished. But I was in for a surprise when she opened her eyes. They had gone from being…well…‘derped’ to looking completely normal. It was as if alcohol had the exact opposite affect on her as on other ponies. She glanced around before smiling, “Wow, when did everything get so clear?”

“Ya see?! If she can take it, so can I!” Rainbow Dash spoke while pointing at the mailmare.

“Ugh… Fine, fine, help yerself.” Applejack replied in defeat before stepping aside.

“Don’t worry about me, Applejack. I promise I’ll stop at my sixth.” Rainbow Dash said with a smile before she started to chug down another serving of cider.

“What is that stuff? Gold for the tongue?” I muttered, finding that Rainbow’s cravings for the cider seemed to border on obsessive.

I watched as Pinkie Pie danced alongside Lyra and Zecora. I must admit Zecora’s style of dancing was very exotic to behold. Somewhat slow and mystical, but what would you expect from a nomadic beauty like her? In my eyes, her style of dance stole the show.

Big Macintosh took a seat beside me with a tankard of cider being held in his ankle joint. “How were things while I was gone, Mac? Was AJ and little Apple Bloom doing OK?” I asked, curious of how the burly red stallion handled my absence.

He replied with a slight frown. “Nope.”

I then asked, “Well… What about you? Are you glad to see me again?”

Big Macintosh smiled and briefly replied, “Eyup.”

“It’s good to have you around, Mac. Your presence is very refreshing.” I spoke while patting him on the shoulder. I then asked, “Ya know… You’re always really quiet when you’re around other ponies. Are you shy?” I can completely relate, as I tend to be uptight when around people I do not know well. I think my earliest entries made that quite clear.

The laidback stallion nodded and muttered, “Eyup…”

No wonder he is always so soft-spoken. It is not because he chooses to say little. He is simply too shy to bring himself to talk much. I then asked, “Well… Are you shy around me?”

I saw Big Macintosh give a slight smile as he replied, “Nope.”

“You’re pretty cool, Big Mac. We friends? And you don’t have to say much if you don’t want to.” I smiled as I held out my fist for a brohoof.

“Eyup.” He replied as he bumped his hoof against my fist.

Out of nowhere, I heard Applejack call out. “Dang it, Rainbow! I told ya six servin’s was too much for ya!” I looked over at the farm pony, who seemed to be looking up with an irritated expression. When I too looked up, I think my jaw dropped. Tangled in the ribbons that hung above the floor was what seemed to be a drunken Rainbow Dash.

“Whaddya mean six was too much? I’m just fine! Besides, lookit all these vines! I’m just like Daring Do now!” Rainbow Dash replied with a slightly slurred voice. And…yeah, she must have been drunk. She was wearing a pink snack bowl on her head. “And so the adventurous Daring Do’s parachute malfunctioned and got tangled in vines as she descended through the canopy! What would be the best way to get outta this?”

I noticed Twilight approach me while looking up at Rainbow Dash. “Daring what now?” I asked, not knowing who or what this ‘Daring Do’ character is.

Twilight looked at me out of the corner of her eye and spoke, “She’s the main protagonist of a series of adventure stories that Rainbow Dash loves to read. I can give you some copies of them if they interest you.”

I shook my head as I replied, “I’m more concerned with getting Rainbow back down here.” The rainbow-maned pegasus was still hanging in the ribbons, looking utterly oblivious to what was happening. But as I observed her for a second, I looked down at my tankard of cider. I had already consumed one and this one was now half empty. I was feeling just fine at the moment, but I certainly did not want to run the risk of ending up like Rainbow Dash. I might end up getting taped to the ceiling or worse.

I suspect Twilight may have noticed my hesitation in drinking the remaining amount of my cider. “You gonna drink that?” She asked, probably having developed a taste for that delicious drink.

My eyes glanced at the face of my unicorn friend before looking at my drink. I then held it out to her and replied, “Knock yourself out.” Twilight grinned thankfully before using magic to lift the tankard out of my grasp before chugging it all.

“Just leave it to me! One shot from my party cannon oughta get her down!” Pinkie Pie called out as she pushed a… Good lord, was she really going to use that thing?

“Pinkie Pie, I know that thing is far from being a weapon. But is it really safe to directly shoot somepony with it?!” Rarity gasped as Pinkie Pie took aim with an old-fashioned cannon that was almost the same size as her own body. The barrel was almost the same shade of blue as Rainbow Dash’s coat while the wheels at the back had pink rims and purple centers with a white flower emblem in the middle.

Pinkie Pie took a moment to adjust the cannon’s aim while replying to Rarity, “Of course it is, silly! It might be a cannon, but all it does shoot is good clean fun!” Once the end of the cannon was properly aligned with Rainbow Dash, who was still just as oblivious as a moment earlier while she was just hanging upside down with her eyes rolling around in her head, Pinkie Pie called out, “Don’t move, Rainbow! I promise this won’t hurt a bit!”

Rainbow Dash muttered, “Oh no…! The evil Uhitzol is about to fire his cursed spear gun at our hero! Can Daring Do escape in time?!” …..OK, I have no idea if I even spelled that name correctly. Maybe I should read the book to get an idea of how to spell that villain’s name.

I watched as Pinkie Pie pressed down on the cannon’s fuse like a button. But when it did not fire, she gave the cannon a slight nudge. “Oh, come on! I know I loaded it with…EEK!” Pinkie Pie shrieked as it suddenly misfired. Fortunately for me, the cannon was not particularly loud. Only about as loud as those shirt launchers that you might see during breaks at a hockey game.

The cannon was knocked off target when Pinkie Pie nudged it, causing the cannon to point at Zecora at the time it misfired. A puff of yellow smoke engulfed the zebra for a moment. However, when the smoke did clear, my zebra friend looked like she was decked out for Mardi Gras. She was wearing a flashy headdress with plastic beads and a flowing dress with a floral pattern that sported green, gold, and purple colorations. She then exclaimed with a bewildered voice, “I do not believe I have ever seen such designs of purple, gold, and green!”

The recoil from the cannon caused its mouth to point in another direction before Pinkie Pie could stop it. When the cannon fired again, it was pointing at… Oh jeez, Princess Luna?! The cloud of smoke that engulfed her upon being shot was red. When the smoke cleared….. Really, Pinkie Pie? A Santa Claus coat and hat? No, I am not joking. That is exactly what she was wearing. Luna seemed to be unamused by this as she rolled her eyes. “A Santa Hooves outfit? I believe you may have that cannon set to the wrong type of party.”

It seemed that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had come back upstairs to join the party as I found the three of them lined up in a row while watching the mayhem unfold. Once the cannon pointed in their direction, it fired three times in quick succession as it shot all three of them in a row. Strangely enough, each of the three fillies were engulfed in a differently colored cloud of smoke. Apple Bloom was covered in a fiery orange cloud, Sweetie Belle was engulfed in a lime green cloud, and a light blue cloud surrounded Scootaloo. Once the smoke had cleared, I found that the three fillies were each wearing a different kind of hat. Just hats. But for some reason, the three types lined up seemed strangely…..familiar.

Apple Bloom was wearing a sombrero, Sweetie Belle was wearing what I believe was a boater hat, and Scootaloo was wearing a light blue sailor’s hat. “What in tarnation are these for?!” Apple Bloom asked as she tried to balance out her hat. It seemed to be a size too big for her.

“Well, at least it didn’t put me in a chicken suit.” Scootaloo replied with a grin.

However, Sweetie Belle smirked at the pegasus filly. “I know. You look more like a duck now.”

“Oh, shut up!” Scootaloo shouted at the unicorn filly… Wait. A duck? In a blue sailor hat? And two others in a sombrero and a boater hat… Oh my god…

I am not sure if it was because I had been loosened up a bit from consuming small amounts of alcohol, but I burst out laughing to the point where I fell to my knees. If there is anyone reading this who knows why I found their appearances to be funny, congratulations on recognizing the similarities.

My laughing was interrupted when I suddenly felt a burst of wind in my face. I then noticed that I was covered in a plume of white smoke. “What the…” I muttered as I stood up. Strangely enough, it felt like there was something on my head. When the smoke began to clear, I found myself draped in a…white tablecloth? And on my head was a…..lampshade. A freaking lampshade!

“Really? A lampshade? On me? Since when am I the life of a party?!” I grumbled, knowing I was not nearly loosened up enough to be worthy of this particular headgear.

“I think you look kind of cute in it, James.” Fluttershy spoke as she hovered near me. I merely rolled my eyes at her claim.

“OK, no more games! Rainbow Dash is going down!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she pounced upon the cannon and adjusted its aim. A second later, the cannon fired and hit Rainbow Dash right in the chest in a flurry of confetti. The drunken pegasus was torn from the ribbons that bound her and fell onto Applejack’s back with a yelp.

“Y'all fine now, Rainbow?” Applejack asked as our friend hung over her sides.

“Ugh… Make the world stop spinning…” Rainbow Dash grumbled while her eyes rolled around in her head. While still clearly drunk, it seemed she had been knocked out of her stupor for the most part.

With a sigh, I approached her and helped my friend to a standing position. Right after that, I removed the snack bowl from her head and placed my lampshade on her head. How did it even stay on her head while she was hanging upside-down? “Huh? A lampshade? What’s this for?”

I dryly replied, “You deserve this more than me.”

The party continued without a hitch, although Luna removed her Santa outfit out of preference for her usual regal attire. That, and it was far too hot out for that kind of clothing. However, Zecora had taken a liking to her flashy new dress and chose to hold onto it. And lastly, Applejack was making certain that Rainbow Dash did not get anymore cider for the remainder of the party.

Later during the party, I happened to notice a billowing pale blue aura surrounding Luna’s horn as she mingled with the guests. It was not unusual to see it while she was levitating something, but the aura seemed larger than usual and there was nothing floating near her. I waited to catch her alone before approaching her.

“Excuse me, Luna. What kind of spell are you using now?” I asked once standing next to her.

The Princess of the Night looked up at me and smiled, “Oh, you noticed? I’m just fulfilling my primary duties right now. It takes a bit of time to raise the moon.”

I paused for a moment as I tried to comprehend what she had just told me. “You mean… You’re raising the moon… As in right now?” When Luna nodded with a smile, I raised my voice just slightly. “But… That has to be a challenge! How’re you doing that without looking like you’re even focusing on it?!”

Luna chuckled as she replied, “When you’ve been raising and lowering the moon for as long as I have, it becomes second nature to you.” My eyes traced over my regal friend. It was impossible for me to fathom the sheer amount of magical power this beautiful alicorn possesses. Could it be that she is…a goddess?

The one last thing we did before the party ended was take pictures using my DSi. It was the only camera we had on hand. Each of the photos differed as they all contained me with one or more of the guests. One involved me arm wrestling Big Macintosh. And…good god. The instant we started, I was sent falling over the edge of the table. His strength is godly. The image depicted me almost completely out of the shot at the bottom of the screen with Big Macintosh showing the most expressive face I had ever seen on him to that day. I think he was expecting me to last longer.

Another depicted me wearing one of those foreign masks that Zecora owns. It seems she brought it along for kicks. The photo we took together showed me wearing the mask while striking a pose with my arms and legs in angular positions while Zecora posed on her hind legs beside me.

Lyra was in the next one. True to her fascination with humans, she was standing on her hind legs while leaning against me with her forelegs crossed. She was making a big toothy grin while I rolled my eyes at her attempt at imitating a human.

Next was Derpy Hooves. That loveable little airhead was airborne next to me, each of us wearing a muffin on our heads. Her eyes were just as derped as before while I was trying to not laugh. That crooked grimace in the photo definitely shows it.

The next photo showed me with beautiful Princess Luna. Her horn was still engulfed in that blue aura at the time, probably because the moon was not yet in its proper orbit. She had reared up on her hind legs so that her height was closer to being the same as mine. Her forelegs were resting on my arm as I held her up. The two of us were smiling together, my spare hand resting on her hoof.

The next picture always makes me smile when I look at it. It showed the Cutie Mark Crusaders with the smaller members standing at the front with the tallest standing at the back. All four of us had serious expressions while wearing our trademark capes. But despite our stern glares, each of us was smirking.

The final picture is arguably my favorite. It was taken when my six closest friends and I were gathered together for a group shot. Fluttershy was hovering next to me while nuzzling me while…. Well, to be honest, it looked like the others were doing their best to keep Rainbow Dash still for the picture. It still turned out fine, but that goofy pegasus really stole the show in that moment.

Once it was completely dark out, we all decided we had partied long enough and that it was time to head home. “Thanks again for attending, everypony. We hope to see you all again real soon!” Mr. Cake spoke as we all made our way downstairs to the front door.

“A truly memorable party from beginning to end. May we meet again soon, my friends.” Zecora spoke as she headed off into the night. One by one, all our other guests said their goodbyes and headed on their way. However, Scootaloo looked up at me just before going outside.

“I’ll go gather up my stuff. Wait for me, OK?” My little sister whispered as I stroked her mane. She then ran outside and out into Ponyville. I was still left wondering exactly where she lived.

Aside from my six closest friends and myself, Luna was the last to leave. “I’m glad I stayed for this party. I enjoyed every minute of it. Well… Maybe every minute except for when I was forced to wear that red and white hat and coat combo…”

I chuckled as I replied, “I think you actually looked really good in it.” Luna rolled her eyes at my claim.

“In any case, I must return to Canterlot. But we will be seeing each other again, won’t we?” Luna then said as she stepped away.

Fluttershy nodded with a smile and said, “It would be lovely if you could come and visit now and then, your highness.”

Luna responded with a wink. “Is that so? Then I believe I shall be planning some more visits very soon.” She then began to hover as she took to the air. However, she then whispered into my ear, “I will relay your words to Celestia as soon as I see her.”

I muttered back as we embraced each other for a moment, “Thanks, Luna. And give her my thanks for bringing me here in the first place.” Me and my friends then watched as the beautiful princess flew into the night sky, her silhouette perfectly visible against the glow of the full moon.

“Are you certain you will be fine getting home, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked as we stepped outside.

“Ye…yeah… I’ll be fine! I think the worst is over now… Hic… But I think I’ll stay grounded until I can fly straight.” Rainbow Dash replied, still clearly intoxicated from chugging one too many tankards of hard cider.

“Just make sure you drink some water before bed. Otherwise you’ll wake up with an awful hangover.” Twilight Sparkle added, almost sounding like she was speaking from experience.

“That was one swell party, Pinkie! Thanks for the invite!” Applejack spoke as she looked over at Pinkie Pie, who was standing at the doorway.

“Don’t thank me! Thank James! There wouldn’t have been any point in throwing this party if he never came home!” She replied with a toothy grin. I snickered as I averted my eyes. I do not think I will ever get used to being the center of attention.

We all began to walk in separate directions, but I felt myself stop after several steps. Fluttershy went on ahead for a few more before she noticed I had stopped. “James? Is something wrong?”

I had turned my back on my friends and we were walking away from each other. The unpleasant memories of being separated from my friends for three days straight began to surface as I became fearful that I would not see them again after tonight. But when I looked over my shoulder, I was surprised to see that they too had stopped dead in their tracks. All five of them were looking in my direction with worrisome expressions.

“Hey… James. We’re gonna see ya tomorrow, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, her voice still slightly slurred.

“Yeah… I’ll definitely see you all again… But will you be here tomorrow?” I replied while still feeling quite apprehensive over leaving.

To my surprise, all six of the mares swarmed me and embraced me in a tight group hug. “You bet we will. Just…please don’t ever disappear again.” Twilight spoke with a pained voice.

I merely nodded in silence as I wrapped my arms around them the best I could. “Nopony can ever replace you, darling. Please don’t ever leave us again…” Rarity muttered as she nuzzled my face.

“I won’t, girls… I… I just can’t imagine life without you…” I muttered in reply. “You were right, Twi. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. And I learned just how much you girls mean to me.”

Applejack smiled as she softly spoke, “Likewise, pardner. You’ll always be welcome in Ponyville.”

Pinkie Pie then grinned and said, “OK, we better let James get home. He’s bound to be tired after three whole days of no sleep! I know I hardly slept! Had to chug around ten pots of coffee to keep going!” I snickered at that revelation. I always thought coffee was too strong for the likes of Pinkie Pie.

“Don’t worry. We’ll see each other again tomorrow. Shall we go home now, James?” Fluttershy asked while looking at me.

I nodded before replying, “Sounds great, honey. Good night, girls. And thanks for the warm welcome back.” The seven of us bid each other goodbye and began to head home. Except for Pinkie Pie, that is. She simply went back inside Sugarcube Corner.

“Man… What would I do without you girls…” I muttered as I walked to the western edge of Ponyville with Fluttershy by my side.

“Try not to think about that anymore, James. You’re home now and you’re never leaving again. Right?” The timid pegasus replied while looking up at me.

I looked up at the night sky, feeling the calmness of the cool evening winds soothing my mind. “Yeah… Never again…”

The walk home was fairly uneventful since most of the ponies in town had gone home for the night. However, once we had reached the meadow that bordered our cottage, I froze as I felt Fluttershy drag the tip of her long tail against my chin. “Uh… Honey?”

I suspect Fluttershy was not even entirely aware of what she had done since she stopped in her tracks. “Uh oh… Did I just…” Her tail was still raised, the tip still held against the underside of my chin. Her face turned red as a beet.

“Yeah, you did… I didn’t know you could be this flirty, Fluttershy.” I replied, feeling rather warm from a spike in body temperature.

She proceeded to partially conceal her face behind her mane. “It was kind of out of instinct… It’s just that I’m…in heat…”

My eyes opened wide at those words. “You’re…in heat?”

Fluttershy nodded while she meekly replied, “Yes… I never had any problems before, but when I’m around you…it’s a little harder to restrain myself…”

“Well… What is it you really want to do?” I asked in concern.

She began to walk a little faster with her tail still raised high enough to reach my face. “I… I don’t know… My mind is kind of a mess. I’m not sure what to focus on…” However, even though Fluttershy was very indecisive at the moment, it was quite obvious what her body wanted. Her tail seemed to be raised without her knowledge, giving me a perfect view of her needy vulva.

“Um… Fluttershy? Lower your tail before someone sees…” I muttered loudly to get my lover’s attention.

Fluttershy was quick to respond to my words as she lowered her tail right away. “I’m sorry… Did anypony see that?” I shook my head. We were a good distance from the edge of Ponyville by now. “Phew… I wish my body wouldn’t do that…”

I then spoke, “You know, you don’t have to restrain yourself around me when we’re completely alone.”

“You really wouldn’t mind? My instinct’s are telling me to do some…very naughty things to you right now…” Fluttershy replied with a sheepish tone.

I nodded with a smile while speaking, “I don’t mind. Couples shouldn’t be afraid to do naughty stuff together. It’s actually completely normal, to be fair.”

After a few seconds of thought, Fluttershy nodded. “OK then. I’ll be true to myself once Scootaloo’s in bed for the night. I…really wouldn’t want her to walk in on us or anything.”

Speaking of Scootaloo, I started hearing a familiar motorized buzzing noise just as we reached the edge of Fluttershy’s property. “Here comes the little speed demon now.” I spoke as I turned around. Coming towards us was Scootaloo on her scooter. And being dragged along behind it was…whoa. That was quite the wagon.

“Hey, guys! Thanks for waiting for me!” Scootaloo spoke as she slowed to a halt. The wagon that was being pulled behind her was probably five times bigger around than the scooter itself. Piled onto it was a small bed, a wardrobe, and various other odds and ends. “I packed up ALL my stuff! Where do I unload it?”

Fluttershy took a moment as she observed the pile of stuff packed into the wagon. It was...well...kind of mind-boggling to see her transport all that stuff without enlisting the aid of a moving trailer. And while barely slowing her down. “That’s…uh…quite a bit of stuff you have…”

“Yup! I’ve got my bed, my cabinet for my stuff, my sofa, everything!” Scootaloo replied while she came to a stop. It seemed that the bulk of the cargo was the bits of furniture while the smaller objects were contained inside the wardrobe or cabinet. In all, she really did not have all that much. Although it was still a lot to pack onto such a small wagon like that.

“Well, let’s get you inside and settled in. Come on, Scoot.” I called as I led her and Fluttershy up to the front door.

Unloading and putting in Scootaloo’s furniture was actually fairly easy for me due to their small size. One of the side rooms had plenty of extra space, almost as if the only thing missing for it to be considered a guest room was the bed. By the time we finished, Scootaloo seemed rather drowsy.

“You ready for bed, Scoot?” I asked, noticing my little sister’s partially closed eyes.

“Nah, I’m wide awake. I can still…” She replied before pausing to let out a long yawn.

I crossed my arms while smirking. “I think you’re just in denial. Come on, it’s time for bed.” I picked the little tomboy up in my arms and set her down in the bed.

“I’ll go get your shower ready for you, James. And good night, Scootaloo.” Fluttershy said with a smile as she left the room.

“G’night, Fluttershy…” Scootaloo replied with yet another yawn.

Once I had tucked my little sister in for the night, I kissed her on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, Scoot.”

However, as I stood up and turned to leave, Scootaloo spoke up in a groggy tone. “James… Wait a second…”

I promptly turned around and kneeled next to Scootaloo. “Yeah?”

She looked at me with a sleepy, yet endearing gaze. “I know you’re my big brother now, but I feel like I really need to tell you this…” I froze as she placed her hoof on my hand. “You’re…the closest thing to a dad I ever had.”

I said nothing for a moment as I took in those words. I had never once thought of myself as a father figure to anyone. But…really? A father? “I love you, James… You’ll always be my big brother, no matter what.” The precious filly muttered with a yawn as she drifted off to sleep.

Tears began to build up in my eyes, forcing me to wipe them away. I then leaned in close and placed another kiss on Scootaloo’s cheek. “I love you too, Scootaloo. You’ll always be my cute and cool little sister.”

Since it had gotten late, I decided to wash up before bed. It had been an emotionally tiring day for me. Half of it was spent on Earth with the other half back in Equestria. When I reached the top of the stairs, I found Fluttershy reading through what seemed to be more of my older journal entries. I decided to leave her be while I headed into the bathroom to bathe.

There was a cloud of steam lingering in the room. I suspect Fluttershy had let the water run to warm up before turning it off. Eager to get clean, I undressed and sat down in the tub before turning the water back on.

As I expected, the water was at the right temperature the instant it started flowing again. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” I muttered as I pulled the shower curtain around the tub.

“You’re welcome, James.” A quiet voice spoke a moment later.

I did not even hear the door close. How did Fluttershy sneak in? “Honey, is that you?” I asked while pulling the curtain open again. Sitting right next to the tub was Fluttershy. Only that gaze she was giving me was…..very out of character for her. “Um… Fluttershy? What’s with the stare?”

There was a noticeable blush on my lover’s face as she gazed at me with an amorous expression. “Oh, there’s nothing wrong, dear. I’m just being myself.” She then stepped into the tub and rested on top of my torso. That would have been relatively normal, but I shuddered when I felt her long tail starting to rub against my crotch.

“Fluttershy… What are you doing?” I asked while finding this straightforward approach to be very unexpected for someone like her.

She smiled warmly with her muzzle being an inch from my nose. “I’m just following my instincts like you suggested. And besides, I really don’t feel very shy when I’m just with you.”

“Does that mean I should call you Flutterbold when you’re in heat?” I replied in an attempt to be witty. The two of us chuckled in unison.

Fluttershy continued to tease my crotch with her tail as I slowly gained an erection. “Fluttershy… You do know what might happen if we do this while you’re in heat, right?” I asked, wanting to make sure Fluttershy knew what she was getting herself into.

She rested her head against my chest and smiled, “Of course I know. And I really want this.” She then kissed me on the cheek and whispered, “I need you, James. Will you help me?”

I was still getting used to this behavior, so Fluttershy’s words came off as somewhat awkward for me. “Honey… I think the pheromones are getting to you.”

Fluttershy merely smiled and said, “No. I’m still me. It’s just that we’re alone... And you’re the only person I can really open up to like this. I’m only getting this…flirty…since I feel 100% comfortable around you. And besides that…” She then pressed her nose against mine in a traditional equine ‘kiss’. “I love you.”

At this display of affection, I kissed Fluttershy on the cheek. “I love you too, honey. But…are you absolutely sure about this?”

My lover smiled with a blush and replied “I’m…very sure. If I’m with you, I feel like nothing can go wrong. But are you ready?”

I took a moment to ponder this. If Fluttershy and I were to mate now, she would potentially become pregnant. Am I ready to be a father? What will our child even look like? But despite these uncertainties, I felt like I could handle it as long as I had my lover with me. But then again, perhaps my love for her was blinding my judgment to some degree in hindsight. “I think so… Just as long as I have you, that is.”

I froze as I felt the familiar sensation of Fluttershy rubbing her vulva against my manhood. “Whatever happens… We’ll face it together.” She whispered to me. As I placed my hands on her sides, she slid backwards while taking me into her.

“Whoa… Fluttershy, you feel…hot…” I am not certain if it was just me, but her insides felt extremely warm. Was it because her heat cycle literally caused her internal body heat to rise? Regardless, the intense heat of her needy body only seemed to add to my pleasure.

“Let’s take it slow, James…” Fluttershy whispered with a faint smile. I held onto her sides as she slowly began to move herself back and forth, my length filling her passage with each backward movement. Moments later, her wings spread open in an impressive wingboner. I could see them twitching every few seconds, even while being soaked with water.

I closed my eyes for a moment as we mated. Wait… That is more than just mating. We were breeding. Creating a new life. The ultimate sexual thrill. But…is it even possible? A human and a pony? Would our genes work together? Granted, the ponies of Equestria are almost nothing like the equines of my world, but still… Is it possible for a human and Equestrian pony to reproduce together?

Now, I will be the first to admit that I do have something of a pregnancy fetish. But only when it applied to human women. But even so… I tried to imagine in my head how my girlfriend would look if pregnant with my child. I could see her… That beautiful pegasus mare smiling so brightly. She seemed so happy about something, but what?

It was then that I saw it. That large bulge in her belly hanging between her hind legs. It was so big… Bigger than a human woman’s. Or did it just seem bigger due to Fluttershy’s smaller frame in comparison? Either way, she seemed to have a lovely glow to her. I was tempted to reach out to her and try to feel her belly. Sadly, I could not as all I could feel was Fluttershy’s wet coat against the palm of my hands. But I was still able to focus on the scene in my mind.

Fluttershy smiled warmly as she lied down on her side and showed a perfect view of her underside. Her belly looked so round from below. And then… I saw it. Her belly shook… There it was again. I could distinctly make out the indentation of something pushing against the walls of her womb from the inside. It was then that I saw and heard Fluttershy speak, “It’s ours.”

I opened my eyes as I think I felt a single tear building up in each one, although it may have just been water from the showerhead flowing over my eyelids. “James… Are you OK?” Fluttershy asked, her strong cyan eyes looking down at me as some tears had started to build up in them as well.

“I think I saw it… You were carrying our foal.” I replied honestly.

Fluttershy blushed even deeper at my words. But she then asked, “Was I…beautiful?”

I placed one hand on her hoof. “Like a goddess. And I heard you tell me that it was ours.”

Even though her face was all wet, I could still make out her tears as they cascaded down her face. She certainly is a woman who is open with her emotions. “I love you, James…” She then leaned in close and kissed me deeply, her tongue reaching out to touch mine. I held her in a gentle embrace, her body still moving back and forth as she kept taking my length into her.

I lost track of time as we kissed. Ten seconds became ten minutes as we embraced. By the time we broke the kiss, I could already feel a familiar pressure building up inside me. “Fluttershy, I’m almost there… Are you sure you’re ready?”

My beautiful lover nodded with a tearful smile and whispered to me, “I’m…so ready. Please… Inside me…” I began to buck my hips upwards into Fluttershy in a joint effort to induce an orgasm for us both. As usual, Fluttershy was the first to finish as her eyes rolled back in her head as she gasped loudly, her inner walls beginning to spasm around my length.

I could not hold out any longer. Groaning my lover’s name, I pushed up into her as deep as I could. A second later, I felt it. My length throbbing as I filled her needy womb with my sperm. Out of all the lovemaking sessions we have had up to this point, this one left me feeling the most satisfied. And I know why. If fate willed it, a foal would soon be growing within her.

“James…” Fluttershy muttered as she looked up at me with her head on my chest.

“Yeah, honey…?” I replied, panting just slightly in the afterglow.

Fluttershy brought her hoof to my cheek and smiled once again while still shedding tears. “I feel…so blessed to have you as my stallion… I’m so happy to have you home again…”

Despite using the wrong word to describe me, I was touched by Fluttershy’s gratitude. And I was equally grateful to have her in my life. “No, Fluttershy… I’m the one who’s really blessed. Because I was brought to this world to be with you.”

“I wish I knew who did it… I want to thank them… At the very least, let’s invite them to the wedding once we decide on a date…” Fluttershy replied as she rested her head just under my chin.

“Same here… I owe them more than they know.” I muttered while stroking my lover’s mane. Of course, I knew that it was Celestia and Luna who brought me to Equestria in the first place. But since Luna had requested that I do not spread the word, I chose to keep quiet about it.

What a day… My day, or rather the previous three days were a total nightmare for me. The first half of this day was no better, but… I finally realize just what this world means to me. Being separated from those I hold dear has caused me to rethink what they mean to me. And to be completely honest…

My friends and my lover mean everything to me.

Still, now that the afterglow is wearing off... I had best make sure to hurry to the pharmacy tomorrow to pick up some contraceptive pills for Fluttershy. Despite the process of breeding being a thrilling experience for me, I know we are not ready to have children. And I am sure Fluttershy knows that. Or should I even bother? I have the strangest feeling that the odds of us actually conceiving are not likely due to our vastly different physiologies...

Even so... Words cannot describe my gratitude towards Luna and Celestia for bringing me to this paradise… Well… Maybe not so much. Equestria may be far better than Earth in numerous ways, but it is still not without its share of drama and conflict. But compared to the constant wars and crime of Earth, the conflicts of this world are petty playground arguments.

I am writing this in bed with Fluttershy sleeping soundly beside me and with Scootaloo sleeping downstairs. I lost so much three days ago. But I gained so much more once I returned home. I now truly do have a little sister and my bond with my friends has only been strengthened. And maybe, just maybe, Fluttershy and I will be having a foal in several months.

Well... Maybe not. My heart is hoping we do, but my mind is hoping we do not. I still have my doubts that we are all that compatible. Humans and ponies are vastly different. Our genetic compatibility is probably fairly low. But… I think it is possible. I want to believe it is possible. And if this attempt resulted in failure, then we can simply try again once Fluttershy’s heat cycle returns. But even if starting a family together proves to be impossible, it will not change my feelings for Fluttershy. She is, and always will be, my angel.

All right, this day has been very tiring for me and I am eager to get to sleep. Although I am still looking forward to my days ahead. What will happen at Nightmare Night? And what will the Grand Galloping Gala be like? I have only been in Equestria for a little over three weeks at this point. And I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life here.

Wait… My eyes just scanned past the window right next to the bed. I can see the Everfree Forest out there. Somewhere out there is Mitta, more than likely still trapped under the curse of Sunny Town. And even further in is….. “Nightmare Moon.”

I had all but forgotten about the beautiful dark princess lingering in the castle ruins deep in the forest. I can remember her tears when I tried to show her appreciation for her calm and beautiful night. “I’ll be back, Nightmare Moon. Please be patient.” I muttered quietly as I gripped my pillow in one hand.

That is all for tonight. I must… Hold on. I need to hide this journal entry and all of the previous ones that mention my encounter with Nightmare Moon. If anyone catches wind that she is still alive, there is no telling how Celestia and Luna will react. I know the schoolchildren and Cheerilee will not spread the word since I explained that she had in fact protected me, but it is best to be safe.

All right, no more stalling. I am exhausted and want to join my beautiful lover in sleep. And please… Please…

“Let me wake up in this bed. Let me be in Equestria when morning comes…”

Please, do not send me away again… I cannot bear it a second time…

My friends. My love. Please know this. I love you all more than you know. You are all my little ponies. My irreplaceable friends. Thank you for welcoming me into your world. And thank you for teaching me the magic of friendship. I will repay you all someday. But not right now.

Because I need to sleep. Sweet dreams, everypony. And thank you again.

I awoke to the feel of something nuzzling against my chin. It felt soft and smooth. Like the coat of a foal. Wait… It was the coat of a foal. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down. Sleeping with her head just under my chin was Scootaloo.

It has been around two months since I was brought to Equestria. And a little over one month since I adopted Scootaloo as my little sister. Our time together as a small family has been very enjoyable and fulfilling. Just like this moment I awoke to. She has developed a habit of occasionally climbing out of bed during the middle of the night and climbing into Fluttershy and my bed just so she can sleep close to me. This has never been a problem for us. In fact, we are always tickled to find her sleeping with us. But enough delaying. It was time to get Scootaloo up and ready for school.

I gently stroked my little sister’s mane, my other hand holding her underside. I remained silent throughout the whole thing, wanting to awaken her as gently as possible. Scootaloo mumbled groggily as she started to wake up. “Mmph… Wha…”

“Rise and shine, Scoot. It’s almost time for school.” I replied softly, rubbing my nose into her mane.

Scootaloo let out a quiet giggle at my touch and still mumbled, “Just ten more minutes, big brother? I promise I’ll get up after that.” She still sounded fairly groggy. I confess I too was still sleepy.

“Well, OK. But no later than that.” I replied with a smile. For being such a tomboy, Scootaloo is still extremely adorable in her own right. It is fairly difficult for me to resist her requests when she is in such a groggy and cute state more often than not.

“Thanks, James…” Scootaloo muttered as she sleepily smiled at me before closing her eyes and snuggling up against me once more. Feeling this small filly warmly pressing her body against me made my heart melt. I gently held her against me and closed my eyes, eager to join her in sleep again.

I suspect we may have overslept as I woke up abruptly a short while later to the feel of cold water being dumped on me. Probably just a glass of it.

“Hey! Peh! What the hay was that?!” I heard Scootaloo shout as we both woke up while being drenched. Hovering above us was my little pet dove, Angela, holding a cup by its handle in her feet with it turned on its side.

“Angela… Really? I would expect something like that from…” I replied as I suddenly noticed Fluttershy’s pet rabbit standing at the foot of the bed. He seemed rather irritated as he held up an old-fashioned pocket watch. The time was ten minutes past 8 AM. “Uh oh… I think we better get up now.”

Scootaloo grinned nervously while she soon sniffed the air. “Heheh, yeah. And… Mm! You smell that?”

I inhaled deeply, picking up a delightful aroma. “Smells like Fluttershy is already working on breakfast. You head on down while I get dressed.”

“OK! See ya in a bit!” Scootaloo replied with a grin, more than likely wide awake by that point from being doused in water. She jumped out of bed, shook herself off, and then ran down the stairs. Angela and Angel followed after her once I sat up in bed.

I pulled on my pants and put on my socks and shoes before looking over the shirts I had. “I wore Pinkie Pie’s colors yesterday… Who do I wear today?” I muttered to myself as I looked over the six shirts that bore the colorations and cutie marks of my six closest friends.

After a moment of pondering, I decided to go with Twilight Sparkle’s colors. I have to admit I was initially put off by the idea of wearing her and Pinkie Pie’s colors as pink and purple are viewed as being feminine more often than not. However, I learned quickly that the ponies of Ponyville do not judge based on the colors you are covered in. It makes sense since the entire town’s population is essentially a walking kaleidoscope of colors!

When I headed downstairs and into the kitchen, I found Fluttershy setting out our plates with scrambled eggs and hash browns. Scootaloo was already seated at the table, waiting anxiously for us to join her. I could tell she was getting impatient by the fact she was rapidly flapping her tiny wings, giving off a faint buzzing sound reminiscent of a cicada trying to fly away while being held.

Fluttershy smiled at me brightly once she looked in my direction. “Good morning, dear. Are you taking Scootaloo to school today?”

“Don’t I always?” I said while showing her a smile of my own. I had developed a habit of waking up earlier than usual in order to personally escort Scootaloo to school every weekday. It is not a very long trek either, since the schoolhouse is located at the western edge of Ponyville.

The three of us all sat down at the table and began to dine on our breakfast. As we did so, I took note of a few things involving my little sister and beautiful lover. There was my girlfriend, a little filly, and I. A man, a woman, and a child… It was as if Fluttershy and I had become Scootaloo’s parents the day I officially adopted her as my sister.

I will admit right now. While Scootaloo and I do maintain a relationship that is more friendly and casual than intimate more often than not, there are times where she seems more like a daughter to me than a sister. Is it just because of paternal instinct? Regardless, I do not think I am ready for actual parenthood. But looking after my adorable little sister is a good way to prepare me for that responsibility when I finally decide to pursue that role.

On that note, I feel I should mention something regarding the end of my previous entry that documented my…evening with Fluttershy. Unfortunately, our attempts to conceive did not have any results. Or perhaps that we should feel fortunate that it turned up negative? Regardless, a pregnancy was avoided. Perhaps humans and ponies are not all that compatible... For all I know, we may be entirely incompatible. Well, only time will tell.

“Have you been getting any better at math, Scootaloo? I heard you used to have trouble with multiplication and division.” Fluttershy asked as she sipped some of her tea.

Scootaloo grinned a bit sheepishly and said, “Kinda... James has been helping me out with some of the tougher problems, but I think I’m starting to figure out how they work. I'll get better.”

“I’m just glad Cheerilee doesn’t give out much homework.” I added with a smile on my face. I have never once been fond of homework and often wonder what the point of it is.

The three of us continued to chat casually while dining together. The rest of the conversation was relatively simple in terms of topics, so I will not bore you with the details. But once we finished, I carried the plates to the sink for eventual cleaning. “That all turned out great, honey. Thank you.”

Fluttershy hovered over to me and placed a kiss on my cheek. “You’re welcome, dear. You take care on your way to school… Not that you need to go to class, but… You know what I mean, right?” I grinned with a snicker as she tried to explain herself.

“Thanks again, Fluttershy! I’ll see you out front, James!” Scootaloo spoke up as I turned to face her. She was already wearing her saddlebags and on her way out the door in the next room over.

“Wanna meet up for…” I was cut off as Fluttershy placed a kiss right on my lips.

“Yes, I would love to meet up for lunch with you. The café?” She replied once the kiss ended.

I was not prepared for her sudden advance on me, but then again I suppose I should have been. Over the past few weeks, Fluttershy has become increasingly open and less reserved around me, especially when we are alone together. The only times I had ever seen her inhibitions this weak until just recently was when she was with the many animals she cares for on a daily basis.

“Yeah, the café is the place… But…uh… Are you feeling OK, honey? You’re not normally this…bold.” I asked in return.

Fluttershy blushed as she looked at me with one eye between the two long locks of pink hair hanging over her face. “Oh… I’m sorry. It’s just that… I don’t know what came over me. When I’m around you, I don’t feel as uptight as usual… But I’ll try to restrain myself… If you want me to.”

At this, I smiled warmly. “Oh, honey…” I then reached out and held my girlfriend in a tender embrace. “You don’t have to hold back around me. Just be yourself. Shy or cuddly, I don’t mind. Just as long as you’re still Fluttershy, I don’t mind how you act.”

I felt Fluttershy embrace me back before she whispered, “I love you, James…”

“I love you too, baby.” I replied as our cheeks met. I breathed deeply the scent that lingered in her coat and mane. Such a flowery aroma.

Out of nowhere, we heard a familiar voice call from just outside the kitchen window. “James, hurry up! I don’t wanna be late!”

It was Scootaloo. And I know she hates being kept waiting. “Oops. I better get going. I’ll be right back, honey.”

Fluttershy smiled as she let go of me. “OK. Have a good time, James.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek just before I hurried outside.

Once I was out the door, I found Scootaloo standing on the bridge that spanned the stream in front of our house. “Finally! Let’s go!” She called out as she started walking east. I broke into a jog to catch up to her.

As the two of us walked, we conversed casually. “So, how comes your ‘wind walking’ trick?” I asked, remembering the stunt she once told me about.

“Oh, I’m getting better! I can stay off the ground for a good ten seconds now!” Scootaloo replied with an enthusiastic grin. For one reason or another, despite her wings being normal size for a filly her age, Scootaloo seems to be an extremely inept flyer, as she seems unable to lift herself into the air at all. Even with her wings buzzing like a hummingbird. I am starting to wonder if she will remain grounded for the rest of her life. Not that it bothers her. I have never once heard her complain about it.

“You wanna show me that trick after school?” I asked, wondering how she performs the wind walk technique.

“If I have time. Me and the other crusaders have plans this evening. You coming?” She replied while looking up at me.

Before I could reply, a familiar voice called out with a southern accent in it. “Scootaloo! James! Wait up!” We both stopped and looked to the southwest. Galloping towards us was Apple Bloom.

“Morning, Apple Bloom! What’s up?” Scootaloo asked as our friend and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader ran up alongside us.

“Just on my way ta school! Mind if I tag ‘long?” Apple Bloom replied with a smile.

“Sure! Just like every time, right?” Scootaloo spoke with a smile. Since she lives at Sweet Apple Acres, which is just south of Fluttershy's cottage, Apple Bloom almost always crosses paths with Scootaloo and I every weekday morning. When on schedule, we always end up meeting up partway on our way to the schoolhouse while meeting up with Sweetie Belle just outside our destination.

Right after we resumed walking, Apple Bloom asked, “So, whatcha dressin’ up as this evenin’, James?”

I looked down at her and retorted, “Dress up? For what? You girls trying to see if your cutie marks are from costume designing?”

Scootaloo just rolled her eyes. “No, we already tried that! Didn’t work. What she means is what’re you dressing up as for Nightmare Night?”

…Nightmare Night? It is today? The last time I had even heard that name was at my welcoming party two months ago when Pinkie Pie mentioned it. To think I utterly forgot about it until now.

“Uh… What exactly do you do on Nightmare Night?” I asked, not sure what the holiday involved.

Apple Bloom happily explained, “Oh, it’s nothin’ but a good time! Ya dress up as whatever ya want and ya go ‘round gettin’ candy at all the houses in town! Last year, I went as the bride of Frankenstallion. I was thinkin’ of goin’ as Applejack this year.”

In other words, Nightmare Night is Equestria’s variation of my world’s Halloween holiday. And the thought of Apple Bloom trick or treating as a miniature version of Applejack made me smirk. “Man, I can’t wait to see how AJ reacts to that. But as for what I’m gonna wear…” After maybe eight seconds of thought, I shrugged my shoulders, “Actually, I have no idea. I totally forgot about it since I’ve never experienced this holiday before. Any ideas?”

Scootaloo frowned as she averted her eyes while seemingly lost in thought. “I dunno… Maybe Sweetie Belle will have an idea.”

The three of us marched on, engaging in casual conversation. Just as we were approaching the schoolhouse, I saw Sweetie Belle approaching it from the opposite direction. I met her parents once and found that she lives somewhere in Ponyville. And I must say that I really like her father. But I digress.

“Mornin’, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom called out as our friend came within earshot. She and Scootaloo's walking reached a brisker pace.

“Oh, hey! Morning, guys!” Sweetie Belle replied as she galloped towards us. “Right on time! That makes four days in a row that all four of us met each other before school started.”

I got down on one knee and stroked the unicorn filly’s mane. “It’s all about timing. Everyone deserves a good start to their day.”

As Sweetie Belle pushed against my hand, clearly a sign that she was enjoying this show of affection, Scootaloo asked, “Hey, Sweetie Belle? James doesn’t know what to go as for Nightmare Night. Do you have any ideas?”

Sweetie Belle pulled away from my hand while she seemed to be thinking of a response. She then raised her hoof and looked up at me with a smile. “I know! Rarity can help design you a costume!”

Of course. Why did I not think of asking Rarity? If anyone could come up with a design for a costume in a short amount of time, it is her. “Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll go ask her today.”

Sweetie Belle giggled while probably brainstorming many costume ideas. “I wonder what she’ll recommend for you. It’ll probably be something flashy.”

Apple Bloom then spoke while approaching the school's front door, “Let’s talk about this later. School’s ‘bout ta start!”

Scootaloo replied by rearing up on her hind legs and embracing me, as did the other two fillies. “See ya this afternoon, James!”

I hugged them back the best I could. “Likewise. Have a good time, girls.” We bid each other goodbye as I watched the three of them enter the schoolhouse. I then turned and began to head back home right as the bell rang.

Just as I was approaching Fluttershy’s cottage, I noticed my lover closing the front door behind her. At her sides was a pair of saddlebags. “Oh, welcome back, James! Would you mind coming with me? I need to head into town to pick up some things at the market.”

I smiled as I nodded, “Sounds good to me. What do we need to pick up?”

Fluttershy replied as she crossed the creek to reach me. “Well, we need broccoli, carrots, lettuce… Actually, I have the list right here if you would like to look it over yourself.” I looked on as… Well, how do I describe this?

Fluttershy’s left wing reached down, gripped the top flap of her saddlebag and…pulled it open? The larger feathers that extended to the tips of her wings bent like human fingers, gripping the fabric. “Fluttershy… Since when could you do that?”

My girlfriend looked at her wing before looking back at me and smiled, “For as long as I can remember. All pegasi can do it.”

As I pondered this physical trait further, I snickered in amusement. “Unicorns can use magic to move things and pegasi can grab stuff with their wings. I’m sure earth ponies are immensely jealous of those traits.”

Fluttershy frowned sympathetically as she retorted, “Oh, I don’t know about that… Earth ponies completely outrank us in raw strength. One earth pony can outpull at least three unicorns, but they can outpull five pegasi. And that’s just on average. Sometimes I wish I was that strong.”

I shook my head and said, “Well, you’re a strong flyer. I mean you have to be in order to pull a wooden cart that’s at least three times your weight. While FLYING.”

Fluttershy giggled at the memory. “I guess you’re right. And those frogs I carried in it only made it heavier.” I smiled as I reached into her open saddlebag and pulled out the shopping list. Each item listed was a type of food. I was slightly surprised to see different types of fish on it, but then remembered that some of the animals Fluttershy cares for have fish in their diets. Including me… Wait a second. I do not count as an animal. But I have always loved seafood.

“That’s a lot of types of food, honey. You got a case of the munchies?” I asked while trying to be playful.

She smiled warmly as she replied, “No, not yet. But I might later.” She then motioned for me to follow her as she walked past me. “Let’s hurry. The market closes early today, so it’ll be getting busy soon.”

“Closing early? Is it for Nightmare Night?” I asked, knowing that holidays in Ponyville tend to be really big events. The busiest area is always the immediate area around the town hall, which is also where the market is always set up.

“Yes, so they’ll have to close up earlier than usual to make room. It takes a while to get all of the equipment in place.” Fluttershy replied with a nod.

“Sounds like a lot of work, but it probably doesn’t take long when unicorn magic is thrown into the mix. In any case, have you decided on what you’re going as this evening?” I asked, wondering what kind of costume Fluttershy had in mind.

She frowned shyly, “Actually… I never attend Nightmare Night. It’s…not one of my favorite holidays…”

I was hardly surprised by this revelation. With Fluttershy being as timid as she is, any holiday with the word ‘nightmare’ in the title probably involves unexpected thrills and plenty of eager pranksters that Fluttershy would never be comfortable putting up with. She might even faint if startled or scared too frequently. Despite this, I really wanted her to come with me. It would be a crying shame if she never once enjoyed the fun of Halloween…..I mean Nightmare Night.

“Well… What if you were to come with me? Would you feel more confident if I was with you?” I asked while knowing that Fluttershy has a much easier time coming out of her shell when around me.

She paused for a moment, likely thinking of a reply. “I guess… I don’t know… It would be the first time I’ve ever attended… And what would I wear?”

I patted her on the head gently. “Just think about it, OK? We’ve got plenty of time until it starts.” Fluttershy just smiled at me silently in response. I hope she at least considers my offer.

As we walked through Ponyville to the town square, I noticed that Fluttershy would sometimes hover right behind me while shifting from one side of me to the other. She would sometimes nuzzle her cheek against mine. For her to be this affectionate and passionate in public was certainly an impressive boost in her confidence. I never knew that being in love could enhance ones’ confidence just by being with that special someone you cherish.

The town square, which is the immediate area surrounding the town hall, was packed with vendors and stalls selling a wide variety of goods although most were selling various types of foods. The area was relatively quiet for the time being, but I am sure that would change soon once the customers started pouring in to make their rounds before the merchants closed up early for Nightmare Night.

Just as we approached some of the stalls, I noticed that some decorations had already been set up around the town square. Strings of lights spanned the roofs of the buildings with at least one creepy white lantern hanging between each structure. They seemed to resemble the heads of stereotypical ghosts complete with empty black eyes. The only other decorations I noticed were black decorations that seemed to depict a slender half moon with a unicorn’s head sticking out of it. The horn was unusually long for a unicorn, so it was likely that of an alicorn. The eye showed a slender iris that seemed familiar to me. Where had I seen….. “Nightmare Moon?”

Fluttershy looked up at me, probably in response to my words. “Did you say something?”

I looked down at her and asked, “This holiday… Nightmare Night. Does it have any connections to Nightmare Moon?”

My girlfriend nodded before she explained, “Well, from what I’ve heard, it started up a long time ago out of fear of Nightmare Moon. They say that she returns once a year to eat any pony she finds. That’s why everypony dresses up in costume on this day to hide themselves from her. Although the holiday just became a special occasion of innocent pranks and lots of candy and other goodies.”

The mention of Nightmare Moon actually eating ponies made me shake my head as I rolled my eyes. No matter how bad a reputation she has, I know for a fact that Nightmare Moon was and still is not carnivorous. “Well… I guess as long as everyone has a good time, no one’s complaining.”

The first item on the list we needed to pick up were red cherries. I got in line to get some while Fluttershy went to the next stall over to purchase a few heads of lettuce. However, as I stood in line, I noticed that the pony before me seemed very familiar with that beautiful white coat and elegantly curled indigo mane. One name came to mind. “Rarity?”

The pony clearly heard my voice as she turned around and looked up at me with her lovely azure eyes. “Well, what a sight to start my day with! How are you this morning, James?”

I got down on one knee so our faces were closer together. “I've been up for barely an hour. Whatcha up to, Rarity?”

My former landlady smiled as she explained, “I was just picking up some cherries for a cobbler I was thinking of making this week. And before I forget, will you be attending the festivities this evening? I assure you that you will thoroughly enjoy yourself, darling.”

I glanced up at some of the holiday decor strung above us. “I would if I had a costume to wear. Sweetie Belle recommended that I ask you to design one. If that isn’t too much trouble, I mean.”

At those words, Rarity’s eyes lit up with inspiration. “A costume for you?! Oh, I would be flattered to do the honors! What would be best for you? Something frightening like a skeleton? Perhaps something daring like a pirate. Maybe something adorable and charming like a teddy bear. Or perhaps…”

She suddenly gasped as I…noticed a lit light bulb momentarily appear above her head? Honestly, where do those things come from? And am I the only one who can see them? Or do they appear so often that nopony really pays them any mind anymore? “Oh! Idea! I have just the thing that will suit a gentleman like you!”

I awkwardly smiled as I climbed to a standing position. “Awesome. But let's talk it over in a minute. The line’s moving.”

“Oops! Thank you for alerting me, James.” Rarity replied as she took a few steps closer to the vendor.

Once we had both made our purchases, the two of us continued to chat. “Will you be attending Nightmare Night too?” I asked, curious of what Rarity would dress up as.

The beautiful unicorn then said with a smile, “Oh, you can count on seeing me tonight. Granted I did not have time to attend last year, but I am putting all commissions on hold until tomorrow. This is your first Nightmare Night since you arrived in Equestria and I will not miss it for the world! My clients can surely wait an extra day for their orders, can’t they?”

I nodded readily in agreement. "They most certainly can. This day comes once a year, but they can pick up their orders any other day of the year... So, you had an idea of what my costume should look like?”

Rarity replied while raising her hoof a bit higher, “Yes, the image is still fresh in my head. I just know you will look absolutely dashing in it. Once we finish up here, let’s head back to my place so we can discuss it.”

I then looked around to try and locate Fluttershy. “Before we do that, I have to let Fluttershy know. We came here together and I would prefer to stick with her until we’re done… Speak of the devil, here she comes now.”

Fluttershy came trotting over to us with a smile. “Good morning, Rarity. Am I interrupting anything?”

Rarity faced her friend and showed a delighted smile. “Not at all, Fluttershy! James and I were merely discussing a costume for him to wear to the Nightmare Night festival tonight. Would you like me to design you one as well?”

I noticed that Fluttershy seemed rather hesitant to reply for a moment. “Um… No thank you. I think I already have a good idea of what I’ll go as. I think I can also make the costume myself.” I smiled to myself, glad that Fluttershy was strongly considering attending the party with me. She just needed a little reassurance.

“Well, I’m looking forward to seeing your creation. But since I’m here now, may I assist you in gathering up the groceries you two need?” Rarity replied with a smile as she looked at both of us.

“Sounds good to me. It’ll save us some time too.” I answered with a smile of my own.

The three of us went about the market, gathering up all of the items on our shopping lists as a team. I handled one section while Rarity and Fluttershy handled others. And our timing could not have been better. Not even ten minutes later, the number of shoppers in the market began to increase rapidly. Fortunately, we had already finished our shopping by the time the place was absolutely packed. I could hardly hear myself think with all the chatting and commotion around me.

“Here you are, darlings. All of the asparagus, apples, and oranges you needed.” Rarity spoke as she levitated a sack towards me.

“And here are the bits I owe you.” Fluttershy replied as she held out a small sack in her mouth.

“Many thanks, Fluttershy. Now then, shall we hurry over to my place so we can get started on designing his fabulous costume for the evening?” Rarity asked with an excited gleam in her eye.

Fluttershy smiled apologetically as she muttered, “I’d like to, but I can’t. I still need to get all these groceries back home. But James can go along, right?”

I looked down at my girlfriend as I wondered if she was able to transport all of our groceries home. “Honey, are you sure you can carry all of these with you?”

She nodded without hesitation. “It’ll be no trouble. We pegasi are stronger than you might think. Just put them in my saddlebags and I’ll handle the rest.”

Trusting her, I placed the sacks of groceries in Fluttershy’s saddlebags. Each side seemed nearly full to the point of bursting. “OK, I’ll see you back home as soon as I can. Take care, honey.”

“I will. And you have a good time with Rarity.” Fluttershy replied as she flew up to my face and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I grinned in response to her affection, slightly nervous that someone may have noticed. I am still getting used to being in a relationship with a Ponyville native. As she flew away, I took note of the fact that Fluttershy did not seem to be hindered by her heavy saddlebags at all. While she may not be a particularly fast flier, she is indeed a strong flyer.

“OK, let’s go.” I spoke as I looked at Rarity while wanting to get out of that noisy crowd and into a quieter location.

“Right this way, James. Let’s hurry before my inspiration fizzles.” Rarity replied as she began to trot away. It was a bit too fast for me to keep up with just walking, so I began to jog as a means to keep up with her. “By the way, I’m adoring that shirt. Is it still as comfortable as the day I wove it for you?”

“It sure is. I’m doing everything I can to make this last.” I replied while looking down at my shirt. Since it is a gift from one of my dearest friends, I always do my best to avoid dirtying or damaging it.

Once Rarity and I had reached the Carousel Boutique, she immediately got out a sheet of paper and a black marker. “Wait just a moment, darling. I must focus before the image leaves my mind.” Rarity spoke as her horn was engulfed by a billowing aura. The paper floated in the air as the squeaking of the marker reached my ears.

While I waited for Rarity to finish drawing out whatever it was she was thinking about, I decided to browse the various ensembles that Rarity was in the process of weaving. Numerous types of clothing were hanging from clothes hangers, though most of them seemed unfinished. None really caught my eye, although the elegant designs led me to believe that each was meant for ponies that reside in Canterlot. I glanced back over at Rarity for a moment. The fact that ponies are willing to travel from that mountaintop city all the way down here to Ponyville just to commission Rarity proves just how capable she is at her profession. No wonder she has made it into various elite fashion magazines.

However, this also brought a question to mind. From what I know about Rarity, one of her dreams is to someday live in Canterlot. But… I have no desire to ever leave Ponyville. This town is where I belong. Where all my friends are. And even though I cherish every single one of them, losing just one of them is a possibility I absolutely dread. Especially one as dear to me as Rarity.

“Rarity… May I ask you something?” I asked while hoping Rarity would be finished with the sketch of my costume by now.

“Just a moment… There we are!” She replied as she set the marker and paper down. She then began to approach me with a smile. “Now then, what’s on your mind?”

I carefully considered my words before I asked, “You plan to leave Ponyville and set up shop in Canterlot someday, right?”

She cheerfully replied, “Of course! Canterlot is where I truly belong! The sophistication, the style, the elegance. It just screams MOI, wouldn’t you say?”

This only served to confirm my fears. Someday… Maybe in a few months or even a few years, but someday in the near future, my beautiful and dear friend would leave me. “I hope you enjoy yourself out there, Rarity…”

Rarity did not reply for a moment, almost as if she was detecting my unhappiness with her decision. “Darling… Is something wrong?”

I sat down on a stool and bowed my head. “I’ll be honest. I…. I really don’t want to see you go.”

My friend remained silent for a moment. She slowly brought a hoof to her lips as her eyes darted back and forth. “Oh my… I did not consider how my friends would feel about that choice…”

I tried to downplay my own grievances about her intention so as to not deter her from what she wants, but I quickly failed in hiding my worries. “I know you want to live there, but I don’t. And…I don’t want you to leave, Rarity… I don’t want... I don't want us to become distant...”

I heard the sound of hooves clopping as Rarity slowly drew near. “Neither do I, darling… I never thought about it like this… But if I move to Canterlot, my business will only… Wait…”

I looked up as I heard my friend pause. She had a hoof against her chin, apparently lost in thought. She then gasped with a smile, “Of course! Why did I not think of this before?! I already visit Canterlot on occasion and the majority of my clients come from there just to commission me for my services! Why should I go to Canterlot when Canterlot already comes to me?!”

“You mean…” I muttered, not sure of what Rarity was getting at.

The beautiful unicorn ran over to me and embraced me tightly. “You are right, James. If I were to leave my friends behind and permanently settle in Canterlot, our bonds would be strained. We would still stay in touch somehow, but it would never amount to our daily interactions. And since my clients already come to me, there is no reason for me to bring myself to them. And besides, if I were to leave…” She then looked up at me with a smug smirk. “Who would craft you new clothes? I’m the only pony in Equestria who is familiar with your body type, after all.”

I frowned, fearing that I was only holding my friend back from the glory she craved. “You don’t have to stay just for me, Rarity. I don’t want to see you leave, but I’ll... I'll try to respect your decision regardless.”

To my surprise, Rarity shook her head. “James, James, James… I have made up my mind. I shall remain in Ponyville, as it is where the most important things in my life are located. Because…” She then placed a kiss on my cheek before whispering, “Nopony could ever replace the friends I have known for years. No amount of fame or riches could ever amount to friends like you.”

I think I may have been blushing at that moment. Rarity then nuzzled me gently while speaking softly, “Thank you, James. I realize now that leaving Ponyville would have been a poor decision in the long run. Without me, humble Ponyville would not have that special somepony to add a little dazzle to it.” She then frowned sorrowfully. “The more I think about it now, the more I feel I will regret leaving Ponyville. Thank you, James. Thank you for changing my mind before I could commit myself to it.”

I closed my eyes as I embraced my wonderful and beautiful friend. “You’re welcome… I’d hate to lose you…”

Rarity then whispered, “Don’t worry about that, darling. You and our friends will always have me.” She then smiled and went back over to the sketch she had made and pulled out a red marker before applying the tip of it to the paper. “Wait right there, dear. I will be done here shortly.”

I did as I was told and remained seated for a moment longer before Rarity approached me again. “All done! What do you think of this fine ensemble?”

As I beheld the design Rarity had drawn, I noticed that she had drawn the shoes black while leaving the pants bare, possibly indicating that they would be colored white or gray. The upper body, obviously based on my own, was covered by a red jacket of sorts. Not the type you would wear on a cool evening. It seemed too elegant for that with those twin tails reaching knee length. “Rarity… What exactly is this costume?”

My friend smiled excitedly while turning to look at her creation. “It is the attire of a gentleman from Canterlot. At least, that is what it would look like if they were human. Is it to your liking?”

I examined the design closely. It was certainly a design one would expect to see on a noble. However, it felt as if something was…..missing. What was it? I could not quite put my finger on it…

After a brief moment, it came to me. A sword. Preferably a rapier. The nobleman’s weapon of choice and a stylish item to wear at the waist. I will admit right now that I consider myself something of a sword enthusiast and had even amassed a very modest collection of different swords before being brought to Equestria. But I digress.

To emphasize my point and to fit the role of the costume I would wear, I added a nobler accent to my voice as I spoke. “Most elegant, Lady Rarity. But I do believe there is something missing. Perhaps a rapier to be worn at the hip. That would make the attire complete, would it not?”

I suspect I may have been too in character as I noticed Rarity was blushing slightly at my words. “Ooooh, that voice. It gave me goose bumps! Do it again!”

I shrugged my shoulders as I spoke again with that accent. “As you wish, m’lady. What is it you desire to hear me say?”

Rarity raised a hoof to her forehead as she gasped with a euphoric grin, probably on the verge of fainting. Was I really THAT good? “Um… M’lady? Are you well?”

She sighed loudly as she seemed to regain her composure, “Oh, that voice just makes me melt! Perhaps I will request for you to be my knight this evening! But yes, I see what you mean, darling. Just let me add it here…” Rarity levitated her black marker over to us and popped off the cap. “Could you stand for a moment, please?”

I did as I was told and reached a standing position. Rarity’s eyes scanned me, probably to get an idea of how long to make the sword so it would be properly sized with my body. She then scribbled something down on the sheet of paper. “Oh my, that DOES look better!”

She then showed me the sketch again. A thin scabbard with a rapier’s hilt was now affixed to the side of the model in the sketch. “I will add the rest of the colors later on. Does this look perfect to you now?”

“That looks pretty much perfect, Rarity. I’m looking forward to it.” I replied with a smile.

“You are going to look simply dashing in this attire.” She spoke with a grin. However, her eyes seemed to scan the paper for a moment before asking, “James, are you a duelist of any sort? I know you have some experience in the use of knives after that stint in the Everfree Forest, but have you ever actually been involved in a duel before?”

Despite my fascination of swordplay, I have never once been involved in a fight of any sort. My fascination likely stems from playing video games for years that featured dynamic, and probably unrealistic, swordplay. “Can’t say I have. Swordplay interests me, but I’ve never had to use a sword on anyone before.”

Rarity nodded as she rolled up the paper into a scroll. “I most certainly hope it stays that way. You are too darling to involve yourself in combat.” I wholeheartedly agreed with her on that. “But now, is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps a hat to go with your ensemble?”

I shook my head, already satisfied with what we had thus far. “No, it’s good as is. But what are you going as?”

Rarity smiled brightly and struck an elegant pose. “Why, I am going as a lovely princess! I just need to put the finishing touches on my dress and hat.” I was hardly surprised by this. Rarity’s elegance can even compare to Celestia or Luna. I just hope they never read this entry. Would not want them to send me to the dungeon out of jealousy. Although I am fairly certain they would take it in good humor.

“I’d expect nothing less, Rarity. Should I leave you to your work?” I asked, certain that Rarity would need some time to focus on finishing her costume in time for that evening.

“Oh, I would certainly not mind your company, but I do believe I am keeping you from Fluttershy.” She replied, reminding me that I had promised to return home as soon as possible. “Just remember though. When the night is about to begin, come over here to my home. I’ll have your costume ready by then… At least I hope I will.”

Not waiting any longer, I thanked my friend and headed out the door. As I began to walk home, I was uncertain of what to do for the rest of the day. If this day is Equestria’s equivalent of my world’s Halloween celebration, then the really good stuff would not start until the sun had begun to set. What would be a good way to spend the day with my beloved?

I returned to Fluttershy’s cottage as quickly as I could. Everything seemed quiet as I crossed the bridge. However, I soon noticed what seemed to be a bush near the front door that was not present there before. “We have a new bush?”

I took a closer look at it. The leaves were lush and green while having several white flowers adorning it. “Hm. Nice addition.” I muttered while not finding anything particularly wrong with it.

However, as I reached for the doorknob, I heard a familiar quiet voice speak from behind me. “Wow. It works even better than I expected.”

I stiffly looked over my shoulder, wondering where the voice had come from. I recognized it as Fluttershy’s, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Honey…? Are you out there?”

Right as I said that, the bush seemed to suddenly sprout a pair of strong cyan eyes that opened up and stared at me. “I’m right here.”

I stared at the eyes, finding it utterly bizarre that my girlfriend was hiding in a bush right in front of her own house. “OK, Fluttershy. I’ve heard of tree-hugging hippies, but isn’t this taking it a little too far?”

Fluttershy replied as the bush’s eyes…I mean her eyes looked away from me. “I’d would’ve liked to be a tree, but that would’ve been harder to move around in.”

It took me a moment to comprehend what she was telling me. “Are you saying…this bush is your costume for Nightmare Night?”

Fluttershy meekly smiled, or at least I think she smiled, as she replied, “Uh huh. This way I’m dressed for the occasion and nopony will even notice me.”

I paused for a moment before asking, “You really don’t like Nightmare Night, do you?”

She replied with a hint of shame in her voice, “No… I tried it once, but I just couldn’t get used to other ponies popping out of nowhere to scare me…” She then added, “But… I think I’ll give it another try if you go with me. I feel…a bit more confident when I’m with you.”

I smiled as I reached down and lifted the bush off of Fluttershy, revealing her adorable form. “Just stick with me and we’ll all have a good time. It's always fun when we’re together, right?”

My girlfriend replied with an endearing smile. “We haven’t had a single bad day yet.” I then set the bush down and embraced Fluttershy, feeling her embrace me back in her arms. After a brief moment, she then asked, “Oh, that reminds me. What was the costume Rarity had in mind for you?”

I replied as I pulled back to look at her, “Basically a nobleman complete with a rapier at my side. The sketch of the costume looked really authentic.”

Fluttershy then looked at me with a baffled expression. “A rapier?” From what I could tell, she knew next to nothing about weapons. I cannot say I blame her, as she is far from being the fighting type.

“A type of thin sword designed for thrusting strikes. But don’t worry, I’m not gonna actually use it. I just felt it would compliment my attire with it hanging from my belt.” I spoke while hoping Fluttershy would not see me as dangerous.

“Oh… I see. I’m OK with that as long as you don’t hurt anypony. But be careful with it.” She replied with a tiny cautious smile.

I then rose to me feet. “Definitely. But until the night comes, what would you like to do?”

Fluttershy looked to her right and asked, “Well, I still need to collect the eggs from the chicken coop. Wanna help me with that?”

“Sure thing, honey.” I replied as we began to head towards the backside of our house.

“Before we peek in, lemme check for something.” I spoke as we neared the coop. All of the chickens were already outside milling about. I got down on my knees and stuck my head into the coop through the entry point. I found exactly what I was looking for. “…..You don’t live here, Derpy. Go home.”

I pulled my head back out as silly Derpy Hooves crawled out of the coop. Fluttershy shook her head with a bit of an amused smirk on her lips, almost as if she was not surprised. “You got lost again?”

Derpy replied with a very refreshed smile on her face. “Nah. I just came out here to take a nap. But I do need to get home to get my costume ready. I’ll see you tonight!” She then took to the air and flew away. But a moment later, she came back over to us. “Ponyville is in THAT direction, right?” It was good to see that Derpy had learned to check her bearings in order to keep herself from flying into the Everfree Forest.

“Yeah, you’ve got the directions down. And sure, we’ll see you tonight.” I replied with a nod.

“Thanks! And see you later!” Derpy waved goodbye before flying back towards Ponyville.

“Now then, how about them eggs?” I asked while looking down at Fluttershy.

“I’ll go inside and pass the eggs to you. It’ll be easier for me to fit through the entrance.” She replied as she began to walk up the ramp and crawl through the coop’s entrance.

As she rolled the first egg to me, I asked, “Is it normal for Derpy to spend time in your chicken coop?”

Fluttershy replied while peeking out of the entrance, “Every so often. The chickens don’t seem to mind her, so I always leave her be.”

I snickered as I placed the egg into the pail I was holding, “That was the third time since I ended up in Equestria. That goofball pops up when you least expect her.”

Once we had gathered up the eggs, it was time to feed the various animals that were waiting for us all around the cottage. While Fluttershy tended to the ferrets under the bridge, I filled a small bowl with a handful of earthworms while being sure to add a pinch of water to the bowl to insure that they would stay moist and alive. I stood back after waving at the birds in the trees and watched as they all swooped down and perched on the rim of the bowl before plucking the worms from it and devouring them. “Much better than having to carry them in your mouth, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded as she hopped out of the stream. “Oh, yes. And I think the birds prefer this method too.” She then asked, “You know, we still have a while before the night comes. Would you like us to spend some time together at the park?”

With the ponies in town likely busy getting ready for Nightmare Night, either making costumes or setting up decorations, I was expecting the park to be relatively deserted for the day. “We’ll probably have the whole place to ourselves. Should I just go on ahead?”

Fluttershy smiled as she said, “I was kind of hoping it would be that way. I don’t have much more to do, so go on ahead and wait for me by the pond. I’ll see you soon, OK?” She seemed rather excited about it, a bright grin adorning her adorable face.

“OK then, honey. Head on over once you have time.” I replied as I kissed her on the nose. Fluttershy blushed deeply with a meek smile before walking towards Angel, who was sitting at the entrance to his little house. I then crossed the bridge that spanned the stream before heading south.

The shortest route to the park involved taking me through Sweet Apple Acres, so I was expecting to find Applejack or at least Big Macintosh going about their duties. However, I found that the area was largely deserted save for a few pigs wallowing in a mud puddle near a pen.

“Probably in town setting things up.” I muttered to myself. Holidays like this are more than likely days of rest for the Apple family. Granny Smith, who I had come to meet over the past two months, was probably inside the farmhouse taking a nap in her favorite rocking chair. Rather than wake the sweet yet occasionally goofy old mare from her nap, I continued on to my destination.

When I entered the park from the northwest, I found that the place was indeed deserted. The place was usually fairly quiet even with other ponies going about their business here. But with it being as empty as it was at the time, all I could hear was the sound of leaves rustling in the trees as the wind blew. I breathed deeply the clean fresh air, reveling in my solitude. It was not often that I had the entire park to myself. For the remainder of the day, it would just be my own personal playground. Or rather, my and Fluttershy’s personal playground.

Remembering my beautiful girlfriend, I hurried over to the local pond. I was still impressed by just how quiet it was around me. I walked out to the end of the peninsula that jutted out into it like always and took a seat. The sack of fish food that was always there was filled to the brim. With nothing else to do, I took a handful of it and tossed it towards the pond. As always, some of the fish in the pond jumped to snatch some of the food out of the air before landing back in the water with a splash. “Some things never get old. Right, fellas?”

I waited for a few minutes before turning my gaze to the north. And sure enough, just starting to peek over the horizon was a pegasus flying towards me. I waved to get her attention, after which she began to descend. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. Angel was being a picky eater again.”

“It was no trouble. I kept myself entertained while waiting.” I replied while I reached out and stroked Fluttershy’s mane in tender affection. Fluttershy smiled warmly at my caresses before taking a seat beside me. She then began to lean against me, her face resting against my shoulder. I responded in kind by draping my arm across her back with my hand gripping her opposite shoulder.

“It’s been two months since you came here…” Fluttershy muttered as she closed her eyes.

“And I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.” I replied quietly, my head resting against hers. Like so many times before, the moment felt serene. Almost no sound at all. Just me and the woman I love.

After a short while, Fluttershy looked at me and spoke, “You know, I don’t know all that much about where you’re from.”

I frowned as I felt the need to avoid answering any questions that I had already answered before. “Lyra can answer any questions about Earth. I’ve been telling her quite a bit over the past few weeks.”

Fluttershy nodded with a disappointed frown of her own on her face. “I know… But I meant about you. I know you love Equestria and everypony in it, but is there anything back home you miss? Is there anyone you remember?”

I felt myself relax a bit as I understood the question was more personal than general. I decided to answer her question truthfully. “Well, my mom is a really nice woman who used to be a nurse. She can be fun to talk to. My dad is pretty cool too and he has made lots of friends over the years. But that guy has given me my fair share of headaches in the form of poor self-control and the inability to mind his manners or restrain his impulses. Especially when it comes to anger. There are times when I wonder if he actually tries to make other people mad. There’s also my younger brother. The guy used to be an annoying brat growing up…and I’ll say right now I did things to him out of jealousy or spite that I wish I hadn’t…"

Fluttershy leaned against me as if to provide me with emotional support. “I’ve heard of siblings being that way sometimes. But you got closer over time, right?”

I nodded while letting out a wistful sigh. “Yeah… He’s far from annoying now. But I think he swapped out his annoying quirks for a foul mouth, occasional poor judgment, and the inability to keep track of necessities even if his life depends on it.”

A moment of silence ticked by while I paused in thought. I soon continued, “There’s also my grandmother. She is a very sweet old lady who has always been there for me since I was a toddler. I have so many great memories of her, but she’s become something of an incompetent nuisance who can’t be trusted with remembering anything important anymore. And it's making it harder for me to remember how she used to be. That, and she’s too… I’m trying to find a nice way to say this… Too stubborn to give up smoking, which was a daily headache for me. There are also various people in the neighborhood I have known for years who I can consider friends. I wonder what they’re up to now…”

Fluttershy then asked while sounding noticeably baffled, “Um… How do you smoke? Isn’t that a way to prepare and season food? How is that a problem for you?”

I was about to reply, but I then paused as I comprehended why Fluttershy does not know what smoking is. “Fluttershy. Do you know of anyplace around here that sells tobacco products?”

My words seemed to puzzle my girlfriend. “Tobacco? What’s that?”

Fantastic. I knew there was something missing from Equestria with every day I went about outside. And I sure as hell am not going to miss it! I smiled in joy as I replied, “Oh… It’s nothing important. Just be glad it doesn’t exist in this world.”

“Um… OK? Well… I don’t want to bring up any bad memories, but were there any bad things about your life before coming here?” Fluttershy asked in caution.

I bowed my head as I tried to think back. “Bad, huh? I guess… My high school days. I had to attend a school that was utterly filled with ill-mannered students who more often than not had criminal histories and...”

I sighed while feeling no enjoyment in this part of the discussion. “Those five years at that school destroyed my ability to trust anyone in my age group. I was under constant psychological strain from the never-ending verbal abuse. I was very rarely targeted directly, but just having to listen to it caused me to experience several mental breakdowns over the course of those five years. A man can only take so much before he snaps... It was just...such a hostile environment. Thanks to those miserable pieces of trash… I never had a single friend in that school. And it literally took years for me to regain my ability to trust others who were around my age.” I then frowned in bitterness as I said, “Looking back on it now, I actually wish I mustered up the courage to kill some of those wretched little monsters so they wouldn’t hurt anyone else.”

At those words, I felt Fluttershy embrace me tightly. “Please… Don’t say that again… I don’t want you to be a killer.”

I grumbled at her misinterpretation of my words. “You misunderstand, Fluttershy. I WANTED to kill them, but I know I CAN’T kill them. I’ll never have the courage or drive to actually attack them with lethal force…” I then sighed in disappointment at myself, “I’m… I’m too much of a coward to do that.”

However, Fluttershy looked me in the eye. “You’re wrong. I know you’re not a coward.” She then smiled slightly as she spoke barely above a whisper, “Remember when your first week in Ponyville ended and you found that old law in that book? You went into the Everfree Forest in order to protect me from the law. You had to be brave just to go there. And it took courage to hide there, even if it was to protect me.”

I felt Fluttershy rest her head against my chest as she muttered tenderly, “You’re just timid, James. Just like me. But you can be brave when you really need to be.”

I will be honest. I do not think particularly high of myself. Fluttershy’s praise felt misplaced to me. “I was just trying to protect you anyway I could… I wasn’t thinking about my own safety at all.”

However, my girlfriend smiled as she kissed me on the cheek. “Even so, you were still very brave. And even if you weren’t, I still love you.” I managed to crack a smile as I embraced her, feeling her wings fold around me the best they could.

The two of us continued to cuddle with each other for a short while longer before Fluttershy spoke, “You know… I think we have the entire park to ourselves now.”

I glanced around to confirm her suspicions. “Yeah. I didn’t see anypony on the way in.”

Fluttershy then smiled with what I think was a faint blush. “That means we can do whatever we want and nopony will see, right?”

Something was up with Fluttershy. What was she hinting at? “Are you suggesting what I think you are?”

She smiled meekly and said, “Follow me and I’ll show you.” I did as she requested and followed her over to a tree that was nearby. She then guided me to a sitting position.

“OK, now I’m getting worried. What’re you up to, honey?” I asked while finding that gaze she was giving me to be very unnerving.

“We’re all alone and I’m with you. So I don’t see any point in me bottling up my real feelings.” She replied, an amorous smile creeping across her face.

My eyes glanced around, wondering if there was absolutely anyone nearby. The area around the pond had few trees, so I would have easily noticed someone if there was a pony or any other creature out there. Fortunately, there was no one to be seen at all in the vicinity. “OK, honey… What do you want to do?”

Fluttershy smiled lovingly, but then a bit meekly. “Well…” I then felt the longest feathers of her wing caress my cheek like delicate fingers, sending shivers through my body. “Right now, I want to…um…make-out.”

She inched closer, practically laying herself upon me. The silence in the air only seemed to reinforce the feeling of solitude I was experiencing. It was just me and the woman I love. No one else.

“Is that OK?” Fluttershy asked sweetly. I noticed that her other idle wing was fully spread, a clear sign of arousal.

As there was virtually no risk of being seen out here for the rest of the day, I felt it would not be a problem to indulge in each other’s…..company. “OK, honey.” I spoke softly while caressing her face. I then closed my eyes and leaned forward before sealing lips with her.

I heard a faint moan as Fluttershy pressed into the kiss. Her tongue reached out to mine, that delightful faintly sweet flavor coating it. The kiss became very intimate very quickly, the two of us becoming lost in each other’s touch as my hands rubbed over Fluttershy's smooth coat.

What a magical moment. I am not sure how much time even passed. But as we kissed, I felt a slight need starting to grow within me. I wanted her. But I would not force myself upon Fluttershy unless she wanted me to. Not to mention the risks of being outdoors. I decided to test her to see if she was in the mood for that level of intimacy between lovers and if she felt comfortable letting it happen where we were.

My hand slowly reached down her body until I felt the telltale curve of her flank. I then felt along the side, trying to find her cutie mark. I must have found it since Fluttershy suddenly shuddered with a moan. However, she did not break the kiss, so I am sure she welcomed my advances. I slowly began to caress her cutie mark, knowing it also functions as a pleasure point.

After a moment of slowly rubbing my fingertips into her cutie mark, my reach went further. I slid my fingers between her hindquarters, finding her moist vulva. I very tenderly rubbed my fingertips against her needy marehood, feeling the moisture on it accumulating with each movement I made while a noticeable musky scent began to reach my nostrils.

I could hear Fluttershy’s moaning becoming louder in the kiss. Seconds later, I pushed my fingers into her, feeling the warm moistness of her insides. If she was not in heat at the time, she may as well have been. Her internal temperature was very high. And the more I felt her, the stiffer I felt the bulge in my pants become.

After a moment more of pleasuring her, Fluttershy ended the kiss abruptly with a gasp. I opened my eyes, finding her looking at me with a deep blush on her face. She pleaded, “James… I… If it’s not too much trouble… I want to…mate with you…”

I smiled as I heard exactly what I was hoping to hear. “Me too, honey. I really want you now.” My spare hand caressed her face as my other hand was pulled away from Fluttershy’s backside while rubbing her fluids off on the grass.

Fluttershy stood up and lowered her head to my waistline. “Let me help you get started.” She then gripped the top of my pants and yanked them down slowly, revealing my hardening manhood.

I was expecting Fluttershy to become embarrassed upon seeing my length. However, she merely gazed at it with a faint smile and a look of need in her eyes. She has certainly become bolder since we became lovers. Almost every night, we engage in sexual activities once Scootaloo has gone to sleep for the night. And there are times, like now, where Fluttershy takes the initiative.

“I think it could stand to be a bit bigger. May I help, honey?” She asked, regaining her adorable meek smile as she looked up at me.

I nodded with a smile of my own. “Do whatever you think will help.” Fluttershy wasted no time in wrapping the feathers of one of her wings around my length like an actual hand. It even felt like a hand was gripping me, save for the tickling feathers. I had to restrain myself to not snicker as she moved her grasp up and down my length.

“That…really tickles, honey… Be careful.” I muttered while trying to keep a straight face.

“Wingjobs do tend to get a lot of giggles, from what I’ve read. Let me try something else.” Fluttershy replied as she released her grip. She then moved her head down to my manhood before giving it a lick. The feel of her soft moist tongue touching me sent a jolt through my body.

It took only a matter of moments for me to become fully aroused. Fluttershy continued to lick and even suck me, even by the time I was ready. She seemed unaware, as her eyes were closed while occasionally letting out a soft moan.

“Fluttershy… Hang on. Where do you want me to finish?” I asked, not sure if she wanted to drink my semen.

My words got her attention as she abruptly pulled her head away from my shaft and looked at me with what almost looked like a drugged expression. “I… I want…” She then stood up and turned around. I stared, probably with a blush on my face, as she moved her tail to the side to give me an unobstructed view of her wet and needy vulva. Fluttershy then looked at me over her shoulder with a smile and whispered, “I want you to finish inside me… Just like every other time.”

I understood what she wanted, so I got up onto my knees. “OK, honey. Hold still.” I held onto her flanks with both hands, my fingers digging into her cutie marks to please her further.

“Ooh! Ah… Please don’t tease me…” She cutely whimpered in delight, oh so eager for me.

I leaned forward over her back as I whispered, “OK then. Hang on.” I then slowly pushed my length into her. Fluttershy let out a gasp as her wings spread as wide as they could.

“Please… Don’t stop…” She pleaded, her eyes closed with her head held high. I did not want to disappoint my beautiful lover, so I pressed my fingertips even firmer into her cutie marks as I began to thrust slowly into her.

“Mmm… Honey, you feel…..wow…” It was all I could say, to be honest. Words were not really needed at this point.

I felt Fluttershy brush her long beautiful tail against my chest before she skillfully moved it downwards and curved it between my legs. Who knew Equestria’s ponies could manipulate their tails so well? Regardless, I could feel her rubbing her silky soft hair against my ‘balls’, if you will. While definitely new to me, I found this act to be very stimulating. Massaging the area of my body that would produce my seed likely meant that Fluttershy wanted me to fill her with as much as possible.

“More… Please, James… I… I want you to…” Fluttershy gasped as she tried to string complete sentences together. I said nothing as I leaned forward and rested my head in her long mane.

The sensations I felt around my manhood could be described as an intense warmth combined with moist silk cloths rubbing against me. And the longer and faster I thrust into Fluttershy, the better it felt. What was more, her endearing squeaks and moans were music to my ears. But after a short while, I felt Fluttershy beginning to tense up.

“Please… Inside me…” She pleaded quietly. I could not reply as I too felt tense as I neared orgasm. I began to thrust harder and faster before pushing in as deep as I could into the beautiful pegasus. She let out a quiet shriek, clearly trying to prevent herself from getting too loud. I felt her insides quiver around me in orgasm. Those extra vibrations were more than I could handle. I groaned her name as I reached orgasm, my seed spilling forth into her womb in several strong spurts.

My mind was swimming with thoughts and a strange haze. But I can remember clearly seeing Fluttershy slowly turning her head so she was looking at me with a blush on her face while smiling. “Oh… My goodness… I love you, James…”

“I…love you too, Fluttershy…” I muttered as I pulled out of her and fell backwards against the tree. No matter how good an orgasm feels, it is always followed by a type of fatigue. But as I rested against the tree, I was given a perfect view of Fluttershy’s satisfied vulva as my white thick seed oozed out of her.

Fluttershy slowly turned to face me and kissed me softly on the lips. “Let me get you cleaned up.” I shuddered as she began to lick my manhood clean. She moaned very softly, apparently liking the taste of my seed and her juices coating my length.

I panted lightly as Fluttershy pulled my pants back up. “Are you…tired too?” She ask, her head leaning against my chest.

“Yeah… I think I could use a nap…” I replied quietly, not wanting to get up or go anywhere at all.

Fluttershy giggled softly while a look of exhaustion settled on her face “Me too… How does a nap in the bushes sound while we wait for the evening to come?” She motioned for me to follow her into a cluster of bushes nearby, so I stood up and followed her into them.

The bushes were fairly tall and provided us with cover, making it impossible to see us from any direction. Even if a pegasus were to pass overhead, we still could not be seen. “I’m feeling groggy just by being here.” I muttered as I lied down. Fluttershy moved her mane under my head to act as a pillow while resting her head next to mine.

“Me too. Shall we, honey?” She asked, still blushing deeply.

I smiled as I looked into her big beautiful eyes. “Yeah. Sweet dreams, Fluttershy.” I placed a kiss on her nose before pulling her closer to me. I heard her let out a sigh before I gradually fell into a deep satisfied sleep.

I am uncertain how much time had passed before I had begun to awaken. One hour? Two? Five? Regardless, I felt quite rested. Now… Oh man, I was hoping I did not sleep too late. I really did not want to miss Nightmare Night.

Fluttershy was still sleeping soundly beside me. Her mane was rather cushy under my head, so I was tempted to go back to sleep. However, I knew better and that this day only comes once a year. I slowly stood up and peeked my head out of the bush. It was still quite bright outside, but the sun was getting a little low in the sky. In the next hour, the moon would be visible. It was time to go home and get ready.

“Honey? Are you awake?” I asked quietly while gently trying to rouse my girlfriend from her slumber.

She began to mumble in her sleep before muttering, “Uh… Is it time to feed the bats yet?”

I smirked as I stroked her pretty little head. “Not just yet. But we need to get ready for Nightmare Night. It’ll be getting dark soon.”

Fluttershy sprang awake at the mention of Nightmare Night. “Oh dear… I agreed I would go, didn’t I?” When I nodded, she gulped as she began to second guess herself. “Oh…my… I’m not so sure anymore…”

I cannot say I blame her hesitation. If I was as timid as her, I would be just as unwilling to attend a party that is all about spooks and pranks. However, I tried to be as supportive as possible. “Come on, honey. You got your costume ready and I promised I would stay with you in case something went wrong. C’mon, we’ll have a good time together.”

At my words, Fluttershy sighed in resignation. She most likely did not want to disappoint me. “OK… I won’t knock it until I try it.” I kissed her on the forehead, prompting a meek smile from her in return. “Well… Let’s get going.” She muttered as she walked out of the bush. The two of us then hurried home as quickly as we could.

“How do I look?” Fluttershy asked me as she came walking down the pathway from her house covered in the bush that she was using as a costume. The only part of her I could make out was her eyes peering through the leaves.

“Very inconspicuous. Most ponies won’t even think it’s a costume.” I replied, starting to think that she chose that outfit as a means to avoid detection, and therefore avoid being directly targeted for pranks.

Her response confirmed my suspicions. “That’s the point…”

I shook my head with a grin, amused by this fact. I then went up to the cottage’s door, finding Angela and Angel waiting for me. “Keep an eye on the place while we’re gone, OK?” The rabbit and dove nodded in unison. I then closed the door and caught up to Fluttershy, who was already on the other side of the stream that flowed in front of our home. “Ready, honey?”

She replied in a very indecisive tone, “I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be…” We then began to head towards Ponyville. Of course, I still needed to pick up my costume over at the Carousel Boutique, but I did not want anyone to catch on that the moving bush next to me contains a timid pony to spook. So we decided to hang south to avoid passing through Ponyville just in case the preparations were still under way.

After passing through Sweet Apple Acres and trekking through the northernmost area of the park, we came to the Carousel Boutique at the southeastern corner of town. There was hardly any activity going on around there. I knocked on the door and waited with Fluttershy by my side for our friend to answer it.

We did not wait long as Rarity opened the top half of the door and looked up at me. “Ah! James, I just finished completing my costume and…” She then looked at the bush that was staring at her. “Why does this bush have eyes? And why is it growing right in front of my door?”

I bowed my head while snickering as Fluttershy meekly replied, “I would’ve preferred to be a tree, but it would’ve been harder to move around in.”

Rarity jerked her head back in shock as she heard the flowering bush speak. “Fu… Fluttershy?! Surely you must have a costume more fitting for a celebration that only comes once a year!”

Fluttershy meekly replied, “Um… This is the best costume I have for not getting pranked by anypony. No one will think a bush is somepony in disguise.”

Rarity smiled sympathetically as she said, “Hmm... I understand, dear. Who in their right mind would think a bush is worth scaring?”

Not wanting us to delay for too long, I then asked, “Not to change the subject, Rarity, but may we see your costume?”

My request got Rarity very excited as she flung the rest of the door open. “Oh, by all means! Come in, make yourselves comfortable and I will be right with you!” Fluttershy removed her costume before walking inside with me. Rarity then ducked behind a collapsible screen as I heard the sound of clothes hangers being moved around somewhere behind it. A moment later, Rarity stepped out from behind the screen while looking quite pleased with herself. “Now, don’t hold back. Isn't my costume simply fabulous?”

Fabulous is right. It seemed to be the attire of a classical princess. She was wearing purple shoes with a pink and purple dress. The upper section was pink with golden yellow threads strung across the chest area while the lower section was a royal purple. The cuffs and the bottom of the dress were lined with white frills while atop her head rested a hennin hat. Think of it as a tall conical hat with a white plume at the top. The color patterns are difficult for me to describe, but I will do my best. The bottom was a solid pink with purple dots, the area above that was a lavender hue, and the remaining half of the hat was a royal purple with a ring of golden ovals going around it near the top. “Fabulous? You look like royalty, Rarity. Should I call you Princess Rarity?”

My friend giggled at my compliment before turning to her best friend at my side. “You are most welcome to do so, James. What about you, Fluttershy? Do you have any words for it?”

Fluttershy smiled, “It looks very lovely, Rarity. I’m sure somepony will even request that you let them be your knight this evening.” If only she had known that Rarity had already been considering it since earlier that day.

“Oh, the two of you are such gems. The idea for this design actually came to me in a dream.” Rarity replied with a smile. However, she then frowned as she looked at me. “And... I dread to tell you this, James, but... I did not have enough time left to make your outfit before sundown…”

That was certainly disappointing. But I can understand why Rarity was so eager to complete her costume if she was unable to attend Nightmare Night at all the previous year. However, she then gasped with her eyes glimmering with inspiration. “Oh, I’ve got it! Twilight can help us!”

Fluttershy then asked, “How? I don’t think Twilight knows much about sewing. At least not about sewing quickly.”

Rarity grinned as she used her magic to levitate the drawing of my costume over to me. As I grasped it, she spoke, “Since Nightmare Night only lasts a single night, it would be trivial to make a costume that is only going to be worn one day in an entire year. I heard Twilight perfected a spell some time ago that changes your clothing into whatever it is you desire.”

“You mean she can turn these simple clothes I’m wearing into that costume for one evening? I’m all for it.” I said while feeling intrigued about the idea.

“Then it’s settled! Oh, but before we go…” Rarity spoke as she levitated a…mop handle over to me? The wooden stick was slightly longer than my leg. “To be used for your sword, darling. You know I don’t have the means to forge any blades in my boutique.”

Fluttershy then asked, “A sword? You’re not going to hurt anypony, are you?”

I shook my head with a smirk on my lips. “No, honey. It just compliments my costume’s design very well.”

Rarity then walked past us and out the door. “Come along now, you two lovebirds. The night is just starting and we don’t want to be late for the festivities, do we?”

I replied promptly, “Yes, ma’am. Lead on, your highness.” Rarity seemed to giggle at my words as she began to walk with her head held high like the princess she was dressed as. I waited a moment longer for Fluttershy to put her costume back on before we hurried to catch up to our delightfully elegant friend as she headed into Ponyville proper.

The decorations had come along quite nicely. Various tents and stalls had been set up to provide refreshments and plenty of Halloween staples such as caramel apples and bowls of candy. Only since this is Equestria, I should probably call them Nightmare Night staples. Since the sun was starting to get low in the sky, the festivities would likely be starting very soon.

We wasted no time in getting to Twilight’s house. By then, the sun had just started to dip under the horizon. In under an hour, the night would begin. But at the same time, I was wondering just what Twilight Sparkle and Spike would be wearing for the celebration.

“Twilight, we need to ask you a favor! Are you home?” Rarity called out as we went inside. However, our gazes fell upon Spike. The baby dragon was standing at the foot of the stairway while wearing a full-body black latex suit with only his face exposed.

“Spike... Why in the world are you wearing a gimp suit?" I asked while becoming fearful of just what happens between him and Twilight behind closed doors.

Our little dragon friend turned to face us, but stared at Rarity with a blush and a love-struck expression. “Wow… Just like in my fantasies…”

Rarity asked while looking herself over, “Oh, you mean my costume? Why, thank you, Spike. I know the design is a tad clichéd, but Nightmare Night IS all about good clean fun without taking anything too seriously.” She then tapped the lowest part of her beautiful indigo mane with a smile, “Only there is nothing to be taken lightly when it comes to my work.”

Fluttershy then looked at me and asked, “Um… What is a gimp suit? I never even heard that word before.”

Spike snapped back to his senses and replied, “Gimp suit? Nah, this suit just compliments Twilight’s costume.” He then looked up the stairs with an annoyed expression and grumbled, “If she would just come down here while wearing it, that is. Twilight, come on! The night’s just starting!”

I heard the voice of our wise unicorn friend reply, “No, Spike! I told you the first time that I look absolutely ridiculous in this thing! Why did I even let you talk me into wearing this outfit again?!”

That was not the first time? If Spike looks that odd in the gimp suit, just what did Twilight’s look like? “That outfit is one-of-a-kind! Nopony in all of Equestria will be wearing anything like it! Just use some originality this time!” Spike called out again, starting to sound rather impatient by then.

I decided to step in and called up the stairs, “Come on, Twi. I wanna see the costume too. I promise I won’t laugh.”

Twilight clearly was not expecting to hear me as she replied with a shocked tone. “James?! No, I won’t show you this! I look like… I can’t even find the right word for it!”

I then replied with some mild irritation, “Either you come down here or I’m coming upstairs! Now come on!”

I heard Twilight groan in defeat, “Oh…..fine. I’m coming down. Please don’t laugh…”

All four of us took a step back as we heard the clopping of hooves coming down the stairs. When Twilight came into view….. Whoa. Just… Where do I even begin with that costume? Like Spike, she was wearing a full-body latex suit. However, her head was completely uncovered. She was wearing a white bandage around her forehead like a headband and a large black eye patch over her right eye. Her mane had been restyled to stick up, giving it a very wild appearance. My response to this sight was as follows. “Whoahoho, Solid Sparkle?! Now THAT is a costume!”

Everyone in the room gave me some odd looks. Twilight then asked, “Solid Sparkle? That’s what you call this outfit?!”

I nodded and extended my hand towards Twilight while I said, “Yeah, I can see the resemblance! I never knew ponies cosplay!”

Rarity then asked with a cockeyed stare, “And what, pray tell, is cosplaying?”

It was then I realized that the ponies of Equestria have no experience with any of Earth’s trends or subcultures. I sheepishly grinned as I realized my words went over their heads. “Oh… Uh… Nevermind. You wouldn’t get it. But seriously, that’s an awesome costume, Twi. You look like a grizzled stealth soldier.”

She seemed to be taken aback by my praise somewhat. “Re… Really? This costume came about as a result of me making a fool of myself earlier this year! Are you sure it doesn’t make me look bad?”

I shook my head with a grin. “I don’t know what you did, but it made for a ridiculously original outfit, Twilight. I say roll with it.” I then smirked as the urge to be witty bubbled up in me. “And another thing. I think this means you’ll be getting a codec call from Celestia soon?”

My friends stared at me with baffled expressions. I could go on and on with the puns, but all of my shots at humor would be wasted on them since they would clearly not get the references. However, I tried getting one more in. “Before you do go out there, you should at least bring a cardboard box.”

Spike then asked, “Uh… Maybe I’m just not following this very well, but what good would lugging around a cardboard box do?!”

I then explained, “Because it’s the ultimate stealth tool. Who would ever think of looking under a cardboard box for the enemy?”

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike stared at me as if I had just acted like Pinkie Pie, but Twilight held a hoof to her chin as if pondering something. “Now that you mention it… That IS a clever disguise! I mean, really! Put it over you, stay against a wall, and nopony will even think that it’s out of the ordinary!”

Spike then snidely spoke, “Now we just need a situation where that technique will actually come in handy.” The ponies glared at the dragon, prompting him to raise his hands and ask, “What?” I suppose he does have a point though. Equestria does not seem like a world that would require any act of espionage to protect its people. Come to think of it, has there ever been a war here? Probably better to not ask.

“Well, as awesome as that costume is, we need your help with something, Twilight.” I spoke up now that I had gotten all of that out of my system.

Rarity then levitated the sketch of my costume out of my grasp, which I had all but forgotten about, and showed it to Twilight. “So sorry to trouble you with this, darling. But I simply did not have enough time to even get started on James’ costume. If you don’t mind, could you use your magic to convert his attire into what I have on this parchment?”

Twilight scanned the paper for a moment before smiling. “Oh, this shouldn’t be too hard! And I’m sure he’ll look great in this! Oh, what…is that? Is that a sword?” She clearly must have noticed the rapier hanging off the belt at the waist.

“Indeed, it is. James requested it, and I must say it truly compliments that attire quite well.” Rarity replied with a smile.

Twilight nodded while holding her wrist to her chin. “Yeah, you have a point. I look at it and it just seems to say ‘this works well with these clothes’ to me. But… I need something to use as a medium for the spell.”

“That’s what this is for, Twi.” I said as I held up the mop handle Rarity had given me.

My unicorn friend snickered at the mundane object in my grasp. “I guess that will do. Now, hold that at the spot where you want it to be.” I did as I was told and held the mop handle to the left side of my hip. However, she then grinned, “Also, I’m flattered you’re wearing my colors today, James.” I smiled sheepishly, knowing she was referring to the colors on the T-shirt I was wearing.

After glancing at the sketch again, Twilight focused her attention on me. “Don’t move, James. And stay focused on what you need changed.” She then turned the sketch towards me. Twilight closed her eyes as she began to focus, her horn becoming coated in a pink billowing aura. I too looked closely at the sketch, focusing on the boots. Seconds after my eyes stared at them, I noticed a flash of light below me and glanced down. The simple black shoes I had been wearing had become shiny black leather boots complete with brass buckles.

“Jeez… This stuff really works.” I muttered, admiring the result of Twilight and Rarity’s efforts.

“Eyes on the prize, James. We both need to stay focused until the spell is set.” Twilight spoke up, causing me to redirect my gaze at the sketch again. My eyes focused on the pants this time, causing my pair of blue jeans to become a light shade of gray with the material swapping the denim out for a more sophisticated fabric.

My gaze settled on the elegant red jacket next. Seconds later, my mostly purple shirt was engulfed in a brief flash as it became a red jacket with long coattails fit for a noble. It even came complete with a pair of white gloves. However, I was also quick to notice that there was a pair of emblems on the jacket’s sleeves that depicted the elegant white designs of my cutie marks.

All that remained was the sword. I focused my gaze on the drawing of the rapier. A few seconds later, the mop handle at my side suddenly felt heavier. I glanced down and found that the mop handle was now a sleek straight sword contained in a black metal scabbard that was hanging from my new belt. The hilt was of a swept hilt design, a thick metal wire curving around the grip while connecting the crossguard with the pommel. “Wow… And it’s that easy?”

Twilight smiled as the aura around her horn vanished. “I had some help from Spike in perfecting it. How do you like your new look?”

Before I could get a word in, Rarity barged in as she observed my outfit. “Like it? He looks simply smashing! I knew the design was flawless, but I could never have expected just how amazing you would look once wearing it, James!” She then turned to Fluttershy and asked, “Fluttershy, doesn’t your beloved look simply marvelous?!”

I watched as my girlfriend extended her head from her costume, a noticeable blush on her face. “He looks…um….smashing?” I smirked, amused that Fluttershy could not properly sum up her opinion of my appearance. But judging by that blush, she more than likely was enjoying what she was seeing.

Just before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. “I got it!” Spike said as he ran to it. But the instant he opened the door, he yelped in surprise as a trio of fillies all spoke in unison with a very familiar tempo and tone.

“Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”

I had to bow my head while snickering. The way they said those words was identical to how one would say the famous Halloween ‘creed’ back on Earth. Twilight approached the door as Spike reached for a large bowl filled with candy. “Happy Nightmare Night, everypony! Great costumes too!”

As Twilight and Spike tended to their guests, I looked down at Rarity and Fluttershy. “Should we be going now that we’re all dressed up?” Fluttershy asked as she ducked her head back inside the bush she was wearing.

“I say we should. And I can hardly wait to show off this masterpiece to everypony!” Rarity replied with some excitement in her voice.

I dropped down on one knee and took Rarity’s hoof in my hand as I began to speak with the same noble accent as earlier that day. “Indeed it is, Lady Rarity. It is a pleasure to wear your outstanding designs.” I then brought her hoof to my lips as I kissed it softly in a courteous manner, prompting a giddy giggle from the beautiful unicorn.

“Oh, James… I never knew you could be so…gentlemanly! That voice goes so well with your attire!” Rarity spoke as she began to blush heavily.

I then smiled as I tried to keep the act up. “If I may be so bold to ask, may I request the honor of being your knight for the evening?” I think I heard a giggle from Fluttershy. She seemed to be enjoying the show.

Rarity seemed rather flustered at my voice as she replied, “Oh my… My knight? You’re quite serious?” When I nodded, she smiled giddily. “Well… It would seem I have no choice but to take you up on your offer. It is a pleasure to have you by my side, Sir James.” She then surprised me by placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

I felt Fluttershy tap me on my back before I could stand up. “James… I mean Sir James? May I also stay close to you?”

Doing my best to keep my performance up however I could, I faced Fluttershy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “It would be an honor, Princess of the Meadow.”

Fluttershy blushed deeply as she recoiled from my words. “Oh… Well…I don’t know about that… Do I really seem that regal?”

Rarity then spoke up, “Why, of course you are! You exude the grace and subtle flair of any princess!” The two friends shared a brief embrace while I heard a child speak up at the door with a cockney accent.

“Pipsqueak the pirate, at your service! It’s my very second Nightmare Night!” The boy spoke. I decided to take a peek, but the smaller-than-desired doorway prevented me from seeing past Twilight and Spike very well.

“I know! But shouldn’t you have worn a different costume? I thought you were a pirate last year.” Twilight replied to the boy…I mean colt.

“I couldn’t decide on what to go as this year, so I went with one I already looked good in. But what are you this year?” He retorted without any shame in reusing the same costume two years consecutively.

I noticed Twilight roll her eye as I slunk over to her left. “I really don’t know. One of my friends called me ‘Solid Sparkle’ and a grizzled stealth soldier. Spike here convinced me to wear it.”

The dragon child added, “And I’m her back-up. But…uh…does that mean I should be called ‘Solid Spike’ now?”

Just before I could get a look at the boy, he spoke, “Well, thanks for the candy, Solid Sparkle! I’ll see you around!” I then heard the light clopping of hooves as he galloped away.

“Pirates, eh? I hope I don’t get into a duel with one.” I muttered as all of us stepped outside.

“I don’t think you have to worry about that, James. The kids are usually on good behavior.” Fluttershy said behind me.

“I wonder what kind of costume Rainbow Dash will be wearing tonight. She said she had something utterly amazing to… Wait, what was that?” Twilight then said before getting distracted. I heard it too. We were all facing each other, my gaze being directed towards Twilight’s house.

“Caaaaaaandddyyyyy… Must have….caaaandddyyyyy….” I heard a familiar voice moaning from right behind me. “Give me caaaaandddyyyyyy….”

I recognized the voice immediately. “Heheh, nice one, Pinkie Pie. What exactly are you dressed… Uh… Ah…” I froze as I turned to face my friend. Pinkie Pie… What in the world… Oh no….. They got her.

Pinkie Pie’s body seemed to be much darker and grimier than the last time I saw her and her mane and tail’s coloration was very dull and filthy. Her coat was matted in grime as if having gone years without bathing, although her cutie mark seemed unchanged. But what shocked me the most were her eyes. They shone like a pair of stoplights, constantly giving off a hellish red glow. The only other ponies I had seen with these characteristics are…..the zombified ponies of Sunny Town. “Jaaaameeesssss…. I know your head is full of caaaandddyyyyy…. Let me open it to see what kiiiiind…..”

The sheer horror of realizing what my friend had become was only compounded by the fact that she now had developed the typical zombie craving of flesh. “No…. NO!!! YOU’RE NOT GETTING ME!!!” I shouted as I fled from my undead friend, my mind overrun with fright. I was not going to let her spread the curse to me!

“What the… Hey, James! Where you going?! Is my costume really THAT convincing?!” I heard Pinkie Pie’s voice call out as I ran away from her, sounding strangely normal at that moment. However, I soon noticed I was not making any progress despite my legs still running as quickly as I could make them. It then occurred to me that I was surrounded by a hot pink aura as I was being held in place by a levitation spell!

“Come on, James! You’re overreacting! That’s just Pinkie Pie in costume!” Twilight called out as I was turned around. I think I nearly suffered a panic attack as I saw the undead earth pony trotting over to me.

“Stay back! I’m armed!” I yelled as I quickly drew the rapier at my side. Its blade was slender with sharp edges and a pointed tip. Despite being transformed from a wooden mop handle, it seemed that the sword was made entirely of metal.

Pinkie Pie came to a stop a good distance from me. “Yeesh, I wasn’t trying that hard to scare you, James!” She then…..raised her goggles? “See? It’s just me!”

Pinkie’s big blue eyes stared at me, being completely unchanged since the last time I saw her. And resting against her forehead was a pair of goggles that seemed to have red lenses. It seemed that the glow does not occur when they are up though. “Pinkie… If you’re gonna wear something like that, let me know right away so I know it’s really you. Please?”

My friend nodded while showing a big grin. “Oki doki loki! But wow, I never expected anypony to freak out like that! Especially someone as levelheaded as you!”

The rest of our friends approached us as Twilight released her magic’s grip on me. “You freaking out like that was the last thing I ever would’ve expected out of you, James. What’s wrong? Have you seen real zombies before?”

I averted my eyes, knowing that my reply would only be met with ridicule. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

Before anyone else could speak, Spike raised his voice as he tapped Twilight on the leg. “Aha! I told you! Unlikely, but POSSIBLE!”

Twilight sighed with a sarcastic groan. “Puhlease, Spike. James just probably saw too many horror movies. Zombies aren’t real.”

If only she knew the truth. I know what I saw. The second night in the Everfree Forest two months ago, I came across a village that was full of them. The very memory of all those glowing red eyes still chills me. Well, what they do not know will not hurt them. And I strongly doubt my friends will ever cross paths with those monsters.

With no reason to be on guard, I sheathed my sword. “Yeah… Sure… Not real…”

Rarity then spoke up as she drew near. “Darling, that little scare must have given you quite the appetite. Shall we hurry over to the town square for some refreshments?”

I nodded, but then gave Pinkie Pie a stern glare. “OK… But for the love of Cloudsdale, please keep those goggles off unless you WANT to scare someone, Pinkie.”

My friend just replied with a smile. “Oki doki loki!” With nothing else to do, we all began to head towards the town square. That was probably where the majority of the festivities were taking place.

“I have to agree with James on your costume, Pinkie Pie. It looks far too real…” Fluttershy muttered in apprehension. I am rather amazed that she did not panic and run off with me.

After a short walk with the forest nymph, the giggling zombie, the princess, the legendary stealth soldier and her version of a mini me, the six of us arrived in….. Oh fine, I will drop the puns about my friends’ costumes. But really, I can keep this up all night.

The town square was now very lively, with stalls being lined with various foods, pumpkins and squashes scattered everywhere for decoration, and plenty of ponies walking around in a variety of costumes. However, three little fillies were walking by that seemed rather…..familiar to me. “What the… Excuse me for a moment.” I spoke as I hurried away from my friends.

One of the fillies, a unicorn, was wearing what seemed to be a black overcoat that looked like part of a tuxedo with a white rose on her collar. Another, an earth pony, was…Applejack? Strange as it sounds, one of the little fillies was identical to my honest friend. However… It seemed that her hairstyle, while matching in color, was not quite the same. She remembered to wear Applejack’s favorite hat though. The last one, a pegasus, bore the look of… It was then that I knew who they were. The pegasus was colored as Rainbow Dash. I stood in front of the three fillies as they looked up at me. “Happy Nightmare Night, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle spoke first. “Happy Nightmare Night, James! And…whoa! Really nice costume! Did Rarity design it?”

I smiled smugly while I replied, “You bet she did. Only Rarity could whip up something this sweet. And what are you girls going as?”

Apple Bloom spoke next. “I’m goin’ as my big sis, Scootaloo’s goin’ as Rainbow Dash, and Sweetie Belle is goin’ as a priest! Or…was it a matchmaker?”

Sweetie Belle retorted promptly, “They’re pretty much the same thing in this case.”

Wait… Applejack and Rainbow Dash with…a matchmaker? What in the world could this possibly mean? “Um… And what do these three roles have in common?” I asked, very curious of what the three fillies were up to.

Scootaloo grinned mischievously while she said, “Just wait and see. You’ll find out once we find them!” The other two girls giggled in unison. Somewhere in my gut, I knew that this stunt would only end in laughter. And maybe some embarrassment for the real ponies.

“You girls out collecting candy?” I asked, sure that they all have a sweet tooth.

“You bet we are! Once we’re all done, we’ll meet up here with all the other foals for the main event!” Scootaloo replied with a grin. However, she then asked, “Oh, would you like us to get you anything?”

I paused in thought for a while to consider my likes and dislikes. “Well, anything that doesn’t have almonds or pecans, coconut, or anything spicy. Pretty much anything else I like.”

“You got it! We’ll bring ya somethin’ yummy in the end! See y'all later!” Apple Bloom replied before the three of them trotted away.

Rarity spoke up from behind me as I heard her approach. “James? Were those who I think they were?”

I turned to face my friends, who were all gathered behind me. I still jumped slightly at the sight of Pinkie Pie’s glowing red goggles staring at me. “Sure were. Ponyville’s famous trio up to their old tricks.”

Pinkie Pie giggled while glancing over at the three fillies in the distance. “I can’t believe Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went as Applejack and Rainbow Dash! Speaking of which… Where are those two?”

Twilight then pointed to her right. “Well, Applejack’s right over there.”

The six of us walked over towards the friendly farm pony, who had a wooden tub set up near a pair of…old-fashioned medieval catapults? What I found especially awkward was that they were not even as tall as me. A prop for some form of entertainment?

Upon seeing us approaching her, Applejack turned and smiled. “Howdy, fellas! How’s Nightmare Night treatin’… Whoa, never thought I’d see ya wearin’ that getup again, Twi! Y'all didn’t get obsessed with yer schedule again, did ya?”

Twilight rolled her eyes with a dismissive frown on her face. “Har har. Spike talked me into wearing this costume. Although I have to admit it’s a bit easier to move around in than that Star Swirl the Bearded costume I have.”

“Mmhm! And I think it turned out really cool too!” Spike added while snacking on a pile of candy he was carrying in one arm that was just as tall as him if not larger.

Applejack then turned to Pinkie Pie and took a step back. “Land sakes, Pinkie! What in the hay are ya supposed ta be this time?!”

My silly party animal friend replied, “I’m a zombie! And these goggles glow whenever I wear them! Even James got spooked by it!”

At the mention of my name, Applejack faced me. “Spook you?! Since when do ya get…” She paused for a moment while apparently examining my costume. “Whoa nelly, James! Y'all look like yer already decked out for the Grand Gallopin’ Gala! That one of Rarity’s designs?”

Rarity spoke with a hint of pride in her voice. “It most certainly is, Applejack. And I do say it is one of my finer designs for human attire.”

Applejack smirked as she said, “That’s Sheriff Applejack ta you!”

Ah, I completely forgot to describe her costume. Applejack was wearing a black Stetson hat and a blue vest with a silver star on one side. She was also wearing a red bandanna around her neck. While the costume was somewhat basic compared to the ones my friends were wearing, with the exception of Spike as he was wearing a single piece of clothing, the overall costume suited the farm pony quite well. All she needed now was a peacekeeper and she would be the genuine article.

I tried to use a southern accent as I grabbed Applejack’s hoof and gave it a shake. “Well then, keep up the good work, sheriff. I’ll letcha know if I spot any trouble in town.”

Applejack chuckled while giving me an amused smirk. “I gotta admit that accent just don’t suit ya with that getup.”

I then spoke with an English accent, “Well then, does this voice suit me more?” As if on cue, I heard Rarity whimper as if on the verge of fainting in joy.

“Oh, that voice just makes me melt…” Rarity muttered as I saw Twilight trying to keep her from falling over.

Applejack chuckled for a moment before she looked to my right. “Hang on… I don’t remember that bush growin’ there a minute ago.”

I suppressed a laugh while saying dryly, “That’s Fluttershy, AJ.”

At my words, my girlfriend stuck her face out of the bush. “Hi, Applejack. Did you only just now notice me?”

Our friend leaned back in surprise, but soon chuckled. “Well, if yer tryin’ ta keep a low profile, it’s actually workin’ for ya.” Fluttershy smiled happily in response. I suppose she was trying hard to make herself less noticeable.

Applejack then asked, “Say, James… That sword at yer side. Is that real?”

I too was uncertain if it was, so I turned to Twilight. “Good question. How real is it, Twi?”

She then explained, “It might have been made from a wooden handle, but it’s a real metal sword now.”

Applejack then looked at my sword with interest before asking, “Mind if ya show us for a sec?”

Rarity jumped in as well. “Oh, please do! Let us see your elegance with that delicate blade!”

This sort of attention was rather flattering, so I decided to grant my friends what they desired. I gripped the scabbard with my left hand while I drew my rapier with my right. Pinkie Pie exclaimed as the blade slid out of its scabbard, “Ooh! That thing is long! Are all swords that big where you come from?”

I replied while examining the blade, “Well, this is the average size of a rapier from Earth. I think sabers are the same length too.”

Rarity then asked while marveling at the blade's reflective glow, “I adore how the moonlight shines along the blade like a delicate needle. Would you mind striking a pose worthy of such an elegant appearance?”

I smirked as I raised my sword high. “Is this pose to your…”

What happened next is a blur to me. My senses went utterly haywire as I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body for no more than a single second. Once I regained my senses, I felt rather dazed. My stance was unsteady as I swayed somewhat. However, I then heard Rarity shout, “Rainbow Dash! How dare you strike such a gentleman with lightning!”

Lightning? I had just been zapped by a bolt of real lightning and lived?! However, I then heard Twilight also call out angrily, “What were you thinking?! That could’ve killed him!”

I heard a familiar voice speak quickly from somewhere above me. “Oh man oh man oh man, I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you were gonna raise your sword when I punched the cloud!”

Applejack then spoke, “Anypony could’ve told ya that metal stuff acts like lightning rods, Rainbow… Whoa. Gotta admit I almost didn’t recognize ya for a sec.”

I heard Rainbow Dash land beside me before asking, “Uh… James? You OK? You’re not…dead, are you?”

As I regained my bearings, I felt a great deal of disgust towards my brash pegasus friend. Striking me with lightning? Is she insane?! I looked down at her, my nerves still frayed. “OK, Rainbow. That was going too… Uh…” I cocked my head to one side. “Who’re you?! No, wait. Better yet, what’re you even doing here?! Ponyville doesn’t have any relics for you to find, Daring Do.”

At my words, Daring Do burst into laughter. “Bwahahaha, that’s a good one! It’s me, James! Rainbow Dash! I colored myself to look like Daring Do for tonight!”

I recognized Rainbow Dash’s voice right away. However, no one would ever guess that she was not the famed adventurer just by looking at her. I have seen the covers of some of the Daring Do adventure novels, so I came to remember her appearance. Physically, Daring Do is identical to Rainbow Dash. They even share the same eye color. She was wearing an olive drab T-shirt that seemed fitting for a jungle explorer, complete with a pith helmet on her head. Her coat was a mustard yellow while her mane and tail were dyed to a rainbow of grayscale stripes. The only thing that gave away Rainbow Dash’s disguise was the fact that she did not bother to cover her lightning bolt cutie mark.

I crossed my arms while looking down at my friend. “OK, I get it. Now, just WHY did you trigger a lightning strike right above us?”

Rainbow Dash sheepishly grinned while explaining, “It was just to make a loud sound to spook you. You know, a harmless prank?”

I felt a twinge of anger at the mention of the word ‘harmless’ to describe her prank. “Harmless?! That lightning strike could’ve made my heart stop!”

My friend seemed rather nervous, not that I can blame her. “Falling on me out of nowhere and throwing a salad in my face might be forgivable, but attempted manslaughter? No way. There’s gonna be some compensation for that.” I cracked my knuckles as I tried to think of a proper punishment for her.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be taking my frustration in good humor, probably because she knows me well enough to know I would never physically harm her. “OK, I get it. So, whatcha want? An autographed jersey from the Wonderbolts? My first pair of flight goggles?”

I decided to throw her for a loop as I smirked wickedly. “I want…..” I then held the tip of my sword to the base of her lower jaw. “You in my cupcakes.”

Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, but only for a moment as she processed my words. “Heeheehahaha… Wait, what?”

Rainbow Dash gave me a rather alarmed stare. “Hang on… What did you say?”

I replied while very slowly dragging the tip of my sword along the underside of her jaw until it was touching her chin. “I’m gonna chop off your wings, cleave off your cutie marks, and then bake your meat inside some special cupcakes I came up with.”

It seemed that my threat was working too well. Rainbow Dash backed away from me rapidly. A few tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, “No, please! I already had a nightmare like that once! I’ll do anything! Just please don’t eat me!”

Seeing my friend in tears was actually a little hard for me to take. So I decided to go with Plan B. “Ooorrrrrr you can just go back up to that cloud and stay there and we can forget this ever happened.”

Pinkie Pie raised a hoof in agreement. “I say choice #2! Pony-flavored cupcakes sound absolutely awful!”

Rainbow Dash did not need to be told twice. She went airborne and flew right up to that cloud without a second thought. “Sorry again!”

Once Rainbow Dash’s form was hidden by the cloud, Twilight spoke up. “Really, James? Turning Rainbow Dash into cupcakes? That’s one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever heard you say.”

I then replied in an attempt to throw in some humor, “Would you have preferred pie instead?”

Pinkie Pie hopped a few times as she exclaimed, “Ooh, I never thought of that! I’m a Pinkie Pie, so Rainbow Dash could be Rainbow Pie! Ooh, and then we could have Flutterpie, and Twilight Pie, and Apple Pie, and…” Rarity interrupted her by placing her hoof over Pinkie’s mouth.

“I would rather not think any harder about that, darling.” She muttered with a rather disgusted tone.

However, as I looked up at the cloud, I still felt a desire to get back at my friend for nearly killing me. I glanced over at the tub used for apple bobbing and got an idea. “Mind if I borrow one of those apples, AJ?”

The farm pony nodded without a hint of suspicion. “Go right ahead, pardner.”

I took a red apple in hand before gauging the distance between myself and the cloud above me. It was very close to the ground and Rainbow Dash was likely just waiting for me to walk away. It seemed to be right above the tub too. While certainly a bit malicious, it would definitely get my point across to Rainbow Dash. And it would probably look hilarious in the process.

After a moment to check my aim, I hurled the apple straight into the cloud. I saw the apple immediately bounce off of something, clearly marking a direct hit. “Whoa! Hey! Waaaa!!!” Rainbow Dash shrieked as she fell headfirst out of the cloud and right into the tub of apples, creating quite a splash in the process.

“What in tarnation… James, yer nuts!” Applejack shouted at me. She seemed rather soaked by the splash since she was standing right next to the tub. However, I noticed that Derpy Hooves had her head dunked into the tub, probably having shown up without me noticing. What happened next baffled me. She pulled her head out of the tub, pulling up Rainbow Dash by her shirt’s collar. Her mane had returned to its usual rainbow-stripped color pattern, the gray dye having likely not been waterproof.

“Huh?! Whoa! I never knew you started using zap apples, Applejack!” The wall-eyed pegasus spoke while looking at the ‘sheriff’. For one reason or another, Derpy was clad in an actual postman’s uniform. Something I have never seen her wear before despite being a mailmare. Was it her costume for the evening?

“I didn’t.” Applejack replied dryly, likely still irritated from getting wet out of nowhere.

Rainbow Dash seemed slightly dazed as she sat in the tub for a moment. She then asked, “I deserved that, didn’t I?”

Before any of us could retort, I heard Big Macintosh pass by while muttering, “Eyup.”

In hindsight, the spectacle of bopping Rainbow Dash with an apple and knocking her into a tub of water only to have the local derp fish her out of it was truly an amusing sight. However, even though she certainly deserved it for almost killing me, I felt bad about my actions for some reason. I truly felt like I had hurt Rainbow Dash. Even though we definitely bump heads more often than with any of our other friends, I could never bring myself to harm her. Until then.

I could not even bring myself to apologize to Rainbow Dash. I just turned and walked away with my sword sheathed and my head hanging. However, I then heard Rainbow Dash call out, “Hey, James! Where ya going?”

I paused as I heard my friend walking up behind me. “Sorry… I think I went too far…”

To my surprise, Rainbow Dash flew up in front of me and smiled. “Are you kidding?! That was awesome! Nopony’s ever knocked me out of a cloud before! And what a landing too! I know that was just a way to get back at me, but I kinda had fun too!”

I sighed, her words not doing much to assuage my guilt. “Then why do I feel like I did something terrible? Friends shouldn’t seek revenge against each other. I feel like I hurt you…”

My friend placed her hoof on my chin so that I was looking right at her. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. I did a lot more damage to you than you did to me. I totally had that coming. I was actually expecting you to go farther. Are you sure you don’t wanna mess with me some more?”

I was surprised she was leaving herself open for another prank. I did not take her up on her offer as I frowned while I looked away. “I’m not like that, Rainbow. I hate hurting my friends…”

I then felt Rainbow Dash embrace me tightly. “Me too… I’m sorry… Do you forgive me?”

This time, I truly felt like her apology was sincere. I threw my arms around the brash pegasus and held her in an embrace of my own. “Yeah…”

After a brief moment, we heard a voice beside us. “Is it safe to come out now?” Fluttershy was right next to us, remaining still in her costume to act like a normal bush.

“Uh… You OK, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked, that thunderclap from earlier having more than likely scared my girlfriend off.

I whispered into Rainbow’s ear, “No more thunderbolts. You scare her off and she’ll never want to celebrate Nightmare Night again.”

“Ooh, I gotcha.” Rainbow replied quietly while looking visibly embarrassed.

Fluttershy then peeked her head out of the bush while being somewhat rattled. “I don’t know if I want to stay here if that happens again…”

I let go of Rainbow Dash and held my girlfriend’s hoof. “It won’t happen again, honey. I promise.”

“OK… Well, now that we’re all here, should we get something to eat?” She replied, seeming rather famished. And I do not blame her. The last time we ate anything was at breakfast and now it was nightfall.

“You lovebirds go ahead. I’ll be right back after I dye my hair again.” Rainbow Dash replied before flying off at breakneck speed.

Fluttershy reached out and rested her head on my shoulder. “I saw you get struck by lightning. Are you all right?”

I nodded as I stroked her mane. “I’m still feeling a tiny bit sore, but it should be gone in a bit. But come on, let’s get back in the groove and have a good time.” I then asked, “Come to think of it, how has your disguise been holding up?”

She smiled while looking a bit proud of herself. “Very well. Nopony even notices me while I’m standing still.”

“James! Fluttershy! Come over here!” Rarity called out to us while waving her hoof by what seemed to be a table that held a bowl that seemed to be full of fuzzy toy spiders of green and purple hues.

The two of us approached the table, finding our friends lined up in a row with Twilight holding a spider on her upturned hoof at the front of the pack. Ahead of her was what seemed to be a very large spider web strung between two beanstalks. “This a target toss kind of game?” I asked as I took a toy spider in hand.

Applejack replied while pointing at the web, “Sure is. Try ta land it in the center.”

Twilight tossed her spider, causing it to land in the web but missing the middle just slightly. “Ooh, almost! Your turn, Pinkie Pie.”

As Pinkie Pie stepped forward, I began to toss the spider I held into the air repeatedly while catching it in my hand when it came back down as a means to pass the time. Rarity then looked back at me and seemed to watch for a moment before asking, “You have some impressive hoof…I mean hand-eye coordination, James.”

I realized what she was referring to as I noticed the spider rising and falling with each toss. “Oh… I wasn’t even paying much attention.”

Our conversation was interrupted as Pinkie Pie cheered, “Woo! Bull’s eye!” As she claimed, the spider she tossed landed right in the middle of the web.

“I would expect no less from somepony who can win 35 games of tic-tac-toe in a row.” Rarity spoke snidely as she stepped forward. Her aim was true as the spider landed directly in the center of the web. As expected from someone with her level of precision. And before you ask, Twilight would use her magic to remove each spider before placing them back in the bowl.

“Perfect as always. Your turn, Fluttershy.” Rarity said proudly as she turned to face my girlfriend.

“I’d like to, but…um…this costume doesn’t let me raise my arms very well. And I don’t want to take it off. Could you go ahead for me, James?” Fluttershy replied, her eyes looking up at me from the bush.

As I tossed my spider up in the air one more time, I snatched it out of the air using the same hand. “OK then.” I then stepped forward and took aim. I do not have the most accurate throwing arm at times, but my aim was accurate enough to land the spider just above the center of the web.

“Very close, James.” Fluttershy spoke as she probably smiled at me. She was just trying to make me feel better, even though I was not bothered by missing the middle.

Before anything else could happen, I noticed the three Cutie Mark Crusaders approaching us. “Don’t look now, AJ. But here comes your clone.”

Applejack chuckled heartily as Apple Bloom trotted over to her. “Well, I see I’ve been havin’ plenty of shenanigans t’night, huh?”

Apple Bloom replied with a grin as she said, “No foolin’! Lotsa ponies have been mistakin’ me for ya, sis! They even started callin’ me Appleteeny!”

The mention of that name made Applejack wince for some reason. “I thought I told ya ta never bring that up again…” The three fillies laughed in unison at her response. Some sort of incident she would rather not recall?

Before anything else could be said, I noticed Daring Do…I mean Rainbow Dash flying towards us. “All right, I’ve got a fresh layer of dye and am ready for… Whoa.”

Scootaloo grinned excitedly and called out, “Hey there, Daring Do! I’m Rainbow Dash! Your #1 fan and the fastest flyer in Equestria! Can I have your autograph?!” Yeesh, she was doing a fine job of imitating her idol, I must admit.

The real Rainbow Dash chuckled with an uneasy expression, “OK… That kind of admiration is flattering…and kinda creepy…”

Scootaloo chuckled as well before she said, “Oh, come on, Rainbow Dash! I’m just having some fun here! Just like you!”

Rainbow Dash nodded before saying with a smirk, “Yeah, you’re right. As for autographs, I’d give you one, but I forgot to bring a quill!” The two pegasi laughed in unison, just having a good time.

Once the rest of our friends had gone back to having fun, I decided to catch up on my fellow Crusaders’ plan. We huddled around each other as I asked, “So, what’s the real reason you two are dressed up as other ponies?”

Scootaloo snickered while glancing over her shoulder. “Well, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are right there. So why don’t we get started?”

Apple Bloom nodded while looking at me with a smug smirk. “You just watch and learn, James. This is gonna be good.”

Whatever those three little scamps had in mind was probably going to be very entertaining to watch. “OK then. Show me whatcha got.”

Sweetie Belle then smirked while she whispered to her friends, “All right, girls. Operation AppleDash is a go.”

I was naturally curious of what they meant by ‘AppleDash’, but decided to just watch and see what would happen. The three fillies put themselves behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were at the apple tub. Rainbow seemed to be trying to grab apples that were floating on the surface of the water without getting her hair wet. She was even going out of her way to hold her mane up with one hoof.

Sweetie Belle faced Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and cleared her throat. “We are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of these two amazing mares.”

I smiled as I saw what Sweetie Belle was doing. It was an enactment of a wed…. Wait… A wedding? Between two women?! Ooooh boy…..

Applejack must have heard Sweetie Belle since she turned to face them. “Aww, ain’t that sweet? They’re gettin’…..” Her expression of adoration turned to a look of shock. “Wait… Wha…. What?!” I then saw her tap Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. “Rainbow, I think ya should see this.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head and looked behind her at the three fillies with an apple in her mouth. “Whaddya…..Uh…” Her mouth dropped open, letting the apple fall out.

Sweetie Belle spoke as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo faced each other with sly smirks. “I pronounce you mare and…”

Before she could complete her sentence, Applejack snatched Apple Bloom up in one foreleg. “Don’t you dare! My barn door don’t swing that way!”

Rainbow Dash did the same to Scootaloo, albeit by just yanking her tail. “Not cool, Scoot! Not cool!”

However, despite the clear disapproval of the ponies they were imitating, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were just cracking up in laughter. I chuckled myself as I added, “But your reactions to the whole thing made it worthwhile.” I then decided to throw in a little humor of my own. “And besides, don’t you have a few copies of Playcolt somewhere in your house?”

I was joking, of course. But Rainbow Dash took my question surprisingly seriously. “Hey, I haven’t bought one in months! I swear I grew outta that a long time ago!”

This revelation made me pause in silence for a moment. Rainbow Dash…..really is bisexual? “I….uh…didn’t know you swung both ways, Rainbow…” I spoke as I turned to walk away.

However, I felt Rainbow Dash grab me out of nowhere. “Hang on! It’s not like that! I could never really get into that stuff! The only reason I was reading that was because my old friend Gilda tried to get me into it!”

I have no idea who this ‘Gilda’ character is, nor did I really care at the time. Although this did make me ponder WHY she would try to make Rainbow Dash bisexual….. Ugh, the possible reasons make me shudder. “Then why are you holding onto them? If you still have some, that is.”

Rainbow Dash sheepishly blushed while averting her eyes. “Sometimes….. Sometimes I look at them for reference for trying to make myself look hot. I get way too many guys thinking I’m a colt.” I found that little information hard to believe. While she certainly is a wild woman, Rainbow Dash has always been obviously female to me. I always did like how she lets her mane hang low, which makes it look quite feminine.

“So, you’re completely straight?” I asked, wanting to make certain.

Rainbow nodded promptly and said, “Yeah, for the most part… I really do prefer guys over girls.” But as she walked by me, I felt her drag her tail over my crotch. “I also like the way you look down there too.”

Wait… What? She has seen me nude before? When did… Oh, right. The day she found me at Zecora’s hut on my ninth day in Equestria. So she DID peek in on me as I was dressing myself. I felt myself heat up as sweat trickled down my face. “Don’t you DARE mention that to anyone…”

Rainbow Dash snickered while she replied, “Relax, I wasn’t planning to!” Good lord, I really hope she was not lying right there.

Before anything else could happen, I noticed what seemed to be a large herd of ponies gathered in front of a stage that had been assembled in the middle of the town square. The curtains that spanned it looked like a star-filled night sky. And hanging above was a teal banner with what seemed to be Nightmare Moon’s armored face with a pair of black bat wings extending from the sides.

“Thank you, everypony, and welcome to the annual Nightmare Night festival!” An earth pony mare spoke from behind a podium in the center of the stage. Her mane was a bright shade of pink that is not too far off from Pinkie Pie’s natural colors. At least it was at the time. I doubt a pony with a tan coat and azure eyes would have a naturally cotton candy pink mane and tail. However, her mane and tail were fluffed up and poofy, almost as if she was masquerading as Pinkie Pie herself. Since Pinkie Pie was in the crowd before her, I was able to compare their looks. She was also wearing a pair of half-circle glasses.

I decided to take a closer look as this was my very first Nightmare Night and I did not want to overlook anything. Before I did so, I checked to see if Fluttershy was nearby. She seemed to be lost in conversation with Rarity, so I decided to leave her be for the moment. Twilight Sparkle was at the back of the crowd with Spike standing at her feet. “Who is that?” I asked as I drew near.

Twilight replied quietly, “That’s the mayor. I think she’s supposed to be Pinkie Pie tonight.”

“Kinda hard to not recognize that poofy pink mane. I wonder how many ponies have offered her cupcakes or asked her to sing a song.” I retorted in an attempt to throw in some humor. It seemed to work as Twilight snickered while covering her mouth.

The mayor continued to speak. “Now then, all the little ponies who have been out collecting sweets should follow our friend Zecora to hear the legend of…” She then began to speak in a creepier tone. “Nightmare Mooooon!” She then cackled amusingly afterward.

“Gotta admit the spooky voice works a little better now that she’s not wearing that rainbow wig from last year.” Spike muttered to me and Twilight with his hand raised near his mouth to prevent others from hearing him.

I smirked in amusement and retorted, “There’s more to that cotton candy hair than you think, Spike. In Soviet Russia, cotton candy eats YOU.” Even though Twilight seemed baffled by the mention of a nation she had never heard of, Spike seemed deeply disturbed as he looked back at the mayor while saying nothing. “That probably gave him some food for thought.” I muttered to myself.

The mayor extended her right arm to her right, a plume of light green sparkling fog erupting on the stage. A few seconds later, I recognized the face of Zecora emerge from it. Her Mohawk hairstyle had been let down to form long light gray hair, giving her the appearance of what I believe was a witch. Stuck in her hair were a few small black toy spiders for additional effect. She was also wearing a dark slightly ragged cloak, lending her a rather creepy, yet alluring form.

My nomadic zebra friend spoke with her deep powerful voice, “Follow me and very soon you will hear the tale of Nightmare Moon.”

With a swish of her cloak, she began to walk off the stage as the entire gang of colts and fillies in the crowd followed her. Twilight and Spike did so too, so I decided to follow them as well. Whatever Zecora had in store for us would likely prove to be interesting.

After a walk west, Zecora led us along a path into the Everfree Forest that I had never noticed before. It was quite wide and felt much safer than any path I had walked along in the forest. She eventually led us to a clearing with a fantastic view of the night sky and the full moon. But what caught my eye the most was a stone statue just ahead. “That’s…Nightmare Moon?”

The statue depicted what seemed to be Nightmare Moon standing on her hind legs with a truly angry expression on her face. Her appearance was very close to the illustrations I had seen of her in books. Zecora stood near the statue and raised a hoof to it. “Listen close, my little dears. I’ll tell you where you got your fears.”

She then suddenly approached the group of children and held out her hooves as if to spook them. “Of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary…”

Zecora then reached into her cloak and pulled out a small mound of glittering green powder, which she then blew high into the air. “Of Nightmare Moon, who makes you wary.”

The dust suddenly turned into an equally glittering and green fabrication of Nightmare Moon herself. She then suddenly descended with….fangs bared? I rolled my eyes at this. Oh please, even I know that Nightmare Moon was never carnivorous. Regardless, this sudden event clearly spooked the children as Nightmare Moon dove into them, bursting into a cloud of the same dust. And I will admit I was mildly startled myself.

A pair of creepy eyes looked through the fog with a large sharp toothy grin, the face right behind Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “Every year we put on a disguise. To save ourselves from her searching eyes.” The two fillies let out a shriek once they noticed the face and ran away from it. Just afterward though, Zecora emerged from it with a sly grin. I suppose even she was having a good time with us.

Scootaloo ended up running right into the base of the Nightmare Moon statue, clearly too frightened to pay any mind to what was in front of her. “But Nightmare Moon wants just one thing…” Scootaloo began to back away from the statue while looking up at it, but ended up bumping into Apple Bloom, startling them both. “To gobble up ponies in one quick swing!”

Zecora then pulled out another serving of the green powder and flung it into the air, only for the powder to seemingly come to life and swoop towards a few of the children like a will-o-wisp. Among them was Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. They were also dressed up for the evening, but I will go into detail on that later.

“Hungrily, she soars the skies.” At those words, the imposter Nightmare Moon extended her head from the cloud with a hoof raised to her brow as if searching for someone. She did not seem to pay any mind to the kids right in front of her though. She suddenly compacted herself back into the wisplike puff of glittering dust and flew over to the other cluster of kids. Among them was Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and an exceptionally small pinto colt dressed in a red bandanna, eye patch, and jacket. As the fake alicorn glanced around, Zecora spoke, “If she sees nopony, she passes by.”

The green wisp of powder began to rise high into the air. “So if she comes and all is clear, Equestria is safe another year!” At those words, the powder exploded as the false Nightmare Moon extended her arms as if to raise clenched fists in anger before fading away with the full moon behind her.

Once the children had calmed down, I shook my head. I know Nightmare Moon well enough to know she is certainly not a cannibal, let alone a predator. This little skit of Zecora’s was only giving Nightmare Moon a bad name. “Gimme a break… She’s not nearly that bad…”

However, Zecora seemed to hear my words. She smirked while she smugly spoke, “On the contrary, my dear friend, for Nightmare Moon you must not offend.” The children backed away from her to an area just behind me. This made me feel wary of what Zecora was about to do.

The zebra blew some more of her green powder into the air, which materialized into the same false alicorn as before. Only this time, it began to slowly walk towards me with its toothy maw hanging open just slightly while her wings were spread wide. “Fill up her belly with a treat or two…”

I immediately felt I should prepare to defend myself, so my left hand gripped my sword’s scabbard while my right hand gripped the hilt as I prepared to lash out from the draw. The rest of the ponies seemed to notice this too since they backed away further to give me some room. Zecora then called out, “So she will not return to come eat YOU!”

At the instant Zecora finished speaking, the fake Nightmare Moon suddenly lunged at me with its jaws opened impossibly wide with massive sharp fangs lining her maw. I instinctively drew my sword and struck the apparition with a wide horizontal slash. Even though rapiers are not designed for slashing, my thin sword cleaved right through it. I remember seeing the entity split neatly in two for a second before completely dissipating altogether.

“Whoa! Awesome move, big brother!” Scootaloo called out as she and the other children approached me.

Twilight smiled while shaking her head in amusement. “You know, you didn’t have to attack that thing. It was just a prop, so to say.” I think I may have blushed upon realizing that I may have overreacted. However, the famous stealth soldier…. I mean my wise unicorn friend then added, “But you really look like you know how to use that. I’ll bet you could hold your own against one of the royal guard.”

I chuckled as I sheathed my sword. “Well, it’s not a good idea to carry a blade unless you can wield it. And I do have a penchant for swordplay.”

Before we could converse further, the wind started to pick up. I glanced upwards to see that the clouds had become darker and were now swirling in a spiral above us while leaving our view of the moon unobstructed.

“This doesn’t look good… Is it part of the tour?” I asked, not certain if this bizarre weather was a bad sign.

Twilight smiled as she looked on. “I think you’re about to be reunited with a friend, James.”

Really? A friend? I watched the sky closely for any changes. There was a sudden flash of light before I noticed something descending against the bright light. As the light faded, I could make out a pair of pegasi pulling what seemed to be a chariot of sorts… Wait. Were they the Wonderbolts? Those uniforms certainly seem to match. Only…I believe the colorations did not quite match the ones I had seen in magazines and posters. They both seemed to be stallions, but their uniforms were a combination of purple and black while they wore goggles with yellow lenses. Their coats were gray while their manes and tails were blue. They seemed to be connected to the chariot via heavy chains. The chariot itself, from what I could see in the poor lighting, seemed to have a low center of gravity while appearing very gothic in design and was rather sinister to behold. Seated in the middle of the chariot was a cloaked pony. While I could not make anything out, I could only think of one pony in Equestria who would be pulled around in a chariot at night. “Princess Luna?”

Twilight then turned her gaze to me. “Yes! She stopped by last year too! She’s probably on her way back to Ponyville to join in the festivities!” However, she then stared with a puzzled expression as the chariot passed overhead while following the path out of the Everfree Forest. “But why is her chariot being pulled by the Wonderbolts? Are they here to have fun too?”

At the mention of Princess Luna, the children became excited and began to run back towards Ponyville. I heard the pinto colt call out with his cockney accent, “Wait for me, Princess Luna! You’re still my favorite princess ever!”

Zecora and Twilight trotted on ahead of me while I glanced back at the statue of Nightmare Moon. “Maybe next year, your highness…” I muttered, knowing full well that Nightmare Moon was still out there in the Everfree Forest. But as I ran to catch up with my friends, I pondered something I had noticed while Luna and the Wonderbolts flew overhead. Was Luna…..bigger than I remembered?

I ran as quickly as I could, hoping I could make it back to the town square before Luna made landfall. I arrived just in time to find all of the ponies present cheering as Luna descended from her chariot before it was pulled away. I chose to wait for her to remove her cloak before calling out to her. However… Something was not right. I got a good look at her body as she fell, even though I was too far away to make out any details. She was definitely bigger than I recall. Probably just as tall as Celestia. When did she have such a growth spurt?

I walked up behind Twilight and Applejack, who seemed to be conversing. “Twi… I’ve got a bad feelin’ ‘bout this… Somethin' ain't right.” The farm pony spoke while keeping her voice down. At that moment, Luna was approaching the center of the town square as everypony looked on in silence.

Twilight replied with a hushed voice, “I know… I don’t think Princess Luna could’ve grown that much since we last saw her. And why is she wearing… Oh no… Please don’t let that be what I think it is…”

Wearing? I scanned Luna’s body more closely. Her legs were exposed, allowing me to see her…shoes? No, those reached too high to be shoes. They looked more like blue metal greaves that almost reached up to her knees while using an overall similar design to her shoes. And that shade of blue was quite familiar to me.

Luna extended her wings shortly before coming to a stop. Her coat… No, it was then that I was convinced it was not Luna. Her coat was almost as pitch black as the night sky. Her wingspan seemed larger than I recall too. At that moment, Rarity hurried over to us. “Twilight….. You don’t suppose…”

Our wise unicorn friend muttered with an uneasy expression, “It can’t be… The Elements of Harmony should have… It makes no sense…”

There was a sudden loud crack as a bolt of lightning struck the cloak, causing it to seemingly dissolve into dust. Once the pony underneath it was revealed, there was an audible gasp from all the ponies around me. I felt my jaw drop. And I felt my heart leap in a sense of relief. “My god… It’s really her.”

The pony in the center of the town square began to cackle wickedly, the ponies around her slowly backing away. I heard Pinkie Pie shriek, “IT’S NIGHTMARE MOON! EVERYPONY RUN!!!” Under any other circumstances, I would have thought she was being irrational. However, the proof was right in front of me. Nightmare Moon had returned.

The princess of the night wore what seemed to be a type of armor that matched what I had seen in illustrations of her. Her most defining piece of equipment was a blue helmet that reached down most of her neck with her long black horn sticking up out of it. Her cutie mark is identical to that of Luna’s, only the dark blue night sky part of it was instead a vibrant purple. Lastly, her tail and mane are remarkably long, constantly billowing and moving just like that of Celestia and Luna. Each was a deep shade of blue and was filled with shining stars like the night sky. In fact, her mane and tail looked more like the night sky than Luna’s.

“Oh, my faithful subjects… To think that you went to the trouble of founding a holiday dedicated to my memory.” Nightmare Moon spoke in a very bold and mocking tone of voice. However, for some reason, it did not quite sound like the voice I heard whisper to me in the Everfree Forest’s castle ruins several weeks ago. The tone certainly matched her appearance though.

Nightmare Moon approached the mayor, who was cowering before the armored princess. The alicorn then extended a hoof as she pointed at the frightened earth pony. “Mayor of Ponyville, I presume? What do you call this holiday?”

The mayor seemed to be doing her best to crack a nervous smile. “This is….N-n-nightmare Night, y-your highness. It only happens at n-n-night. And it is one of o-our most favorite and beloved h-h-h-holidays.”

Nightmare Moon seemed to smirk. “Favorite holiday, you say? I never dreamed that my memory was so cherished.” She then glanced around at the many ponies around her. “If it is so cherished, I shall make it so the fun never ends.” She then reared up onto her hind legs and raised her arms high. “From this day forward, Nightmare Night shall last FOREVER!!!”

The princess of the darkest night cackled madly, probably just out of excitement. However, the rest of the ponies seemed to be taking her claim seriously as they began to panic and scatter. And right behind me, my six closest friends had gathered. “I can’t believe she’s really returned… What should we do?” Fluttershy whispered in quiet fear.

“I say we rush her! We can handle her if we work as a team!” I heard Rainbow Dash reply while sounding eager for a confrontation.

However, Twilight cautiously retorted, “You know we can’t match her power, Rainbow. We need to hurry over to Canterlot to retrieve the….. James, where are you going?! Get away from her!”

I had begun to approach Nightmare Moon with a smile. I knew full well just how Nightmare Moon really is. She is not a monster obsessed with bringing eternal darkness to Equestria. She merely wishes to be appreciated for her work as the bringer of the night. And now that she was there before me, I was eager to give her a hug and welcome her back.

“Hahaha…huh?” Nightmare Moon stopped laughing as I stood before her. “Um… Do you need something?”

She seemed rather puzzled by my calm approach. Perhaps she was not used to people not fleeing from her. I then smiled and bowed as gracefully as I could in order to stay in character with my costume. “It’s been a while, Lady Nightmare Moon. Welcome back to Ponyville.”

There was an awkward silence as the ponies in the town square had stopped fleeing. They were probably watching and wondering why I was not showing any fear of this supposedly mad tyrant. She then asked, “Why do you not fear me? Everypony runs in terror from Nightmare Moon!”

I smiled as I thought she was just putting on an act. “Oh, come on. You remember me! You watched over me when I… Oh wait, I never properly introduced myself, did I?” Of course. I never once told her my name at our previous encounter. I reached out and grasped her right hoof and gave it a shake. “My name is James, your highness. And I’m glad you’re finally out here with us.”

Nightmare Moon continued to gaze at me with a bewildered expression. “I…uh…see… I guess it’s…um…a pleasure to meet you, James…” It was rather odd to see her bold bravado vanish so rapidly. Was she deliberately trying to seem imposing to those around her? Even the rest of the ponies around me were starting to draw closer.

I reached out and embraced my friend, prompting a gasp from everyone who was watching. “I missed you, your highness.”

Nightmare Moon then whispered to me, “How are you this calm? You should be frightened of me and running for the hills!”

I honestly believed Nightmare Moon was just playing with me and wanted me to act like everyone else for the time being. This holiday was founded out of fear of her, after all. I pulled my head away and spoke, “Why should I? I know you’re not evil. You’re just… Wait a minute…”

As I looked into her eyes, I noticed an inconsistency. Her eyes did not look the way I remember. Where Nightmare Moon’s eyes are varying shades of teal with catlike irises, the colors of Nightmare Moon’s eyes now seemed normal with a white sclera and pale magenta irises. What is more is that her wings were not the same shape as in the illustrations I had seen, looking more like the wings of Celestia or Luna. “OK, who are you?”

I suspect that Nightmare Moon was aware that I was catching on to her ruse as she began to sweat while her eyes glanced around restlessly. “Wha…. Whatever do you mean? I am Nightmare Moon. The dreaded Mare in the Moon! Fear me, mortal!”

I stared at her for a moment while she looked me in the eye with a nervous toothy grin. I then said with a smirk, “OK, now you’re just coming off as desperate.” The ponies around us began to chuckle in unison, prompting a very annoyed expression from the princess of the night.

“Halt! That’s far enough, Nightmare Moon!” I heard a voice call out with a strong tone of authority to it.

I glanced around and saw a most unexpected sight. Standing at the edge of the town square was none other than Princess Celestia herself. I then heard Applejack call out, “All right! Princess Celestia can handle Nightmare Moon no problem!”

Nightmare Moon seemed to have regained her composure upon seeing her sister. She smirked before offering a snide retort. “Ah, Celestia. Have you come all the way out here to humble little Ponyville to welcome your long-lost sister home?”

Celestia began to approach us with a determined expression on her face. “Of course not. Luna is my sister, not you. I am here to prevent you from harming my subjects.” For some odd reason, her voice did not sound quite like I remembered it. What was up with Celestia? What was more, why was she….. Actually, read on. It will be more amusing to explain it as it happens.

Nightmare Moon smugly replied as she began to slowly approach the princess of the sun. “There’s no need to get hostile, dear sister. I was merely about to partake in the festivities with our subjects.” However, her eyes began to glow brightly with a white light. “Unless you would rather turn the festivities into a street brawl.”

I felt a faint sense of panic fill me as I began to fear that my friend would get hurt. I held up my hand to Nightmare Moon’s face. “Hm? What is it now?”

I tried to get her to stay put for a moment. “Hang on a second. Let me get a word in with her.”

She stared at me with a most bewildered expression as the glowing light in her eyes faded. “Um….. OK?” I then turned and began to approach Celestia. During that time, it had become deathly quiet around me. You could probably hear a twig snap.

Once I was standing before Celestia, she spoke to me. “Please stand aside, James. I must deal with Nightmare Moon.”

However, after scanning the alicorn for a moment, I replied, “Um… Your highness? Don’t take this the wrong way, but…I don’t remember you being so…..small.”

She jumped slightly at my observation. “Small?”

Celestia stands just as tall as me, so I was naturally perplexed as to why she was now shorter than me. Her size seemed more along the lines of… Oh, you have got to be kidding me. “Also… I do not recall you having teal eyes, your highness.”

These observations were clearly flustering Celestia as she began to nervously glance around as all the other ponies looked on. “Oh, this? It’s…um…an offshoot of the pink eye disease. They call it…uh…teal eye. And my size… Well, I have been on a diet… And…” As she bantered, I noticed Celestia’s voice relax somewhat. And I recognized it instantly.

“I know who you are now.” I spoke with a smirk. “But really? Dressing up as your own sister, Princess Luna?”

There was an audible gasp as the alicorn before me froze. But wait. If Luna was right in front of me… “Then that means…” I then pointed at Nightmare Moon. “Princess Celestia?!”

After a brief moment, the two alicorns burst into awkward laughter. ‘Celestia’ then spoke as she grinned, “Well, looks like you got us!” There was a bright flash as her horn was engulfed in a billowing light cobalt or maybe cerulean shade of blue. When the light faded, her head had changed to that of Princess Luna, as well as her mane. “I suppose we just couldn’t pull the wool over your eyes, James.”

“You still managed to fool just about everyone else in town though.” I retorted as ‘Nightmare Moon’ approached us. Her horn was engulfed with a billowing golden yellow glow akin to her role of controlling the sun. She then lifted her helmet off as her head was also engulfed by a bright light. When I could see her again, Nightmare Moon’s coat coloration on her head had become the bright white coloration of Celestia as her mane became the four vibrant colors of the princess of the sun.

“You were quite brave to stand up to me while I was in that disguise, James.” Celestia spoke as she held her helmet in her arm. However, she then asked, “But how did you know we were not who we seemed to be so easily?”

I replied as all the ponies around us bowed in respect for their rulers, “Size and eye color inconsistencies. I also noticed that your wings don’t match those of the real Nightmare Moon.”

Luna then spoke, “I told you your wings would give your disguise away, sister. They look nothing like how mine did back then.”

Celestia chuckled in amusement as she asked, “Well, can’t blame me for trying, can we?” She then placed her helmet back on her head and returned the colorations of her coat and mane to those of Nightmare Moon. Luna did the same so that she was nearly indiscernible from her big sister.

The three of us turned to face my six closest friends as they approached us. “Wow, we weren’t expecting BOTH of you to show up this year, Princess Celestia. But going as each other?!” Twilight exclaimed as she stopped a short distance away.

“It would be a fine way to spread a healthy dose of organized chaos for a little fun, if you know what I mean.” Celestia replied with a grin.

“Basically, just to mess with everyone? Has anyone ever called you Trollestia before?” I asked, thinking that Celestia may be something of a tease.

Celestia seemed mildly flustered at my question as she merely replied, “Maybe?”

Luna then spoke to me, derailing the discussion. “Before I forget to mention it, that is a stunning outfit you have.”

I regained my composure and replied with a noble accent, “Why, thank you, m’lady. The beautiful Rarity weaved these garments for me.” I noticed out of the corner of my eye Rarity trying and failing to not swoon. Pinkie Pie had to lean against her to keep her propped up.

Luna looked towards Rarity and Pinkie while letting out a chuckle. “I concur. That attire is…” She paused for a moment as her eyes opened wide. “What…. What are you doing out here?! Why aren’t you in the Everfree Forest?!”

Pinkie Pie giggled, her goggles still glowing a sinister shade of red. “Don’t be silly! Why would I be all the way out there when we’ve got a huge party going on in town right now?!”

“That voice… Oh, I see now. Miss Pinkie Pie. My mistake.” Luna replied with a more nervous chuckle than before.

Judging by Luna’s reaction to Pinkie Pie’s appearance, she seemed to have some knowledge of the zombie ponies of Sunny Town…. Wait. The curse only takes effect at night, when Luna’s influence is greatest. Surely the curse was her doing. But just what did they do to deserve it? I know Mitta claimed that they all had committed a grave sin, but she never went into any further detail.

After a brief moment, Celestia interrupted my thoughts. “Come to think of it, why were you acting like you know Nightmare Moon, James? She doesn’t even exist anymore, so…..”

I had to be careful of what I told them, so I once again donned my noble accent. “Oh, I met her once in a dream I had. Lovely princess she was. Even invited me to a spot of tea under the moonlight.”

Celestia smiled pleasantly, though also while looking quite relieved. “I’m glad it only was a dream.”

However, I then asked, “Your highness, this is merely conjecture, but if Nightmare Moon did still exist, separate from Lady Luna, what would you do?”

Celestia gave me a puzzled stare for a moment, but replied calmly nonetheless. “Well… That certainly isn’t possible. Nightmare Moon is gone. But…. If… If she did somehow come back, only separate from Luna… We would have to eliminate her right away.”

I felt a subtle chill upon hearing those words. “I see… Thank goodness she will never return, eh?” I said with an uneven smile. Our time together in the Everfree Forest may have been brief, but I still feel great sympathy for Nightmare Moon. Now that I know what her sisters will do once they find out she still lives, I must do all I can to hide her existence from them until the time is right. She will never be able to resist an assault in her current state. And I must remember to hide this entry once I finish writing it.

“Well, it is certainly grand to have you both with us, your highnesses. But I must say I am rather puzzled that you of all ponies would attend, Princess Celestia.” Rarity spoke as she bowed before the Princess of the Dawn.

Celestia gazed around at the nightly decor while she replied, “Well, I seldom attend to begin with. The reason I’m here now is because I finally had an opportunity to come along for the ride. And most importantly, I wanted to see how our newest friend would enjoy this holiday.” She looked at me while showing a wink of her eye.

I smiled back at her as I replied, “This holiday has been nothing but enjoyable, your highness.”

Applejack then spoke up, “How about bobbin’ for an apple or two, Princess Luna? I know ya got quite a few last year!”

Luna seemed somewhat excited at the offer. “I will gladly take you up on your offer, Applejack.” But as she walked over to the tub, Celestia walked alongside her while seemingly whispering something to her. Probably just friendly chatter between sisters.

Once everything had gone back to normal with the other ponies going about enjoying the festivities, I decided to grab myself something to eat that was not a type of candy. All I could really find close by were assorted vegetables with ranch dip. I stocked up on carrots, broccoli, and potato chips before going about with a plate in my hand.

One thing that caught my eye was what the catapults I had seen earlier were being used for. Lyra, who seemed to be walking around on her hind legs while wearing a T-shirt and shorts probably as a generic human costume, loaded a pumpkin into one of the catapults. She then pushed down on it and immediately pushed herself off, causing the catapult to launch. The orange fruit flew remarkably high into the air before going splat against a target ahead of it. “And I always thought pumpkins have hard rinds…” I muttered as I watched the pumpkin be reduced to a pile of orange gunk.

No sooner than I had finished my plate, a herd of ponies came rushing in from the west in quite a panic. “ZOMBIES!!! REAL ZOMBIES!!!” I heard Zecora call out, temporarily breaking her rhyming habit.

Twilight sarcastically chuckled, “Oh please, even Zecora’s getting a little too into the spirit? There’s no such thing as real zombies.”

“Yeah! Unless you count me! Urrrrrgghhh!” Pinkie Pie retorted as I began to approach Zecora as the zebra took a moment to catch her breath.

“Pinkie Pie, get off me! And quit nomming on my head!” I heard Rainbow Dash shout from behind me. I did not bother to look.

As I neared her, I began to ponder what could possibly have spooked Zecora so greatly. She is one of the most levelheaded ponies I know of and would not be scared so easily. “Where did you see these ‘real’ zombies, Zecora?”

Zecora looked up at me and replied, “They shambled into Ponyville from the west. Their vile red eyes made me flee at my best!”

My head jerked up as I heard the word ‘west’. “From the west? The Everfree Forest? And red eyes…” I felt a great chill sliver down my spine. “No… Not them!”

I took off running to the west, my left hand grasping the scabbard of my sword in order to keep it steady in case I needed to quickly draw it. Droves of ponies passed me while moving in the other direction. I am uncertain how long I had been running, but when I reached the edge of Ponyville, I saw Apple Bloom cowering on the ground as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood defiantly with their backs to her. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had only just begun running away from them, not that I blame them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be trying to be brave, but I could see that they were quite scared. As they should have been.

Scootaloo shouted with a shaky voice, “Didn’t you hear us the first time?! She wants nothing to do with you freaks! Go away!”

I turned my head to see where they were looking and… Oh no…

Slowly shambling towards the three fillies were six walking rotting pony corpses, their empty eye sockets filled with a hellish red glow. I recognized the one with one eye hanging out of its socket as the pony known as Gladstone. The one at the head of the pack was likely Gray Hoof… Yes, I am not lying. The zombies before me were none other than the cursed undead ponies of Sunny Town. But how in the world did they manage to make it out of the Everfree Forest?!

For one reason or another, the six undead ponies seemed to not notice Scootaloo shouting at them. “Get outta here! We’re not scared of you!” My little sister shouted as she clearly showed signs of fear. Apple Bloom covered her face with her hat in a desperate attempt to hide from the monsters. I suppose I should not be surprised that she was so frightened. She did encounter them once before. The zombies said nothing as they shambled toward the children. Why? Did their vocal chords decay too much?

As the zombies started to get too close to the children, I decided to intervene. We did part ways on good terms, so maybe they would listen to me. I ran ahead to the space between the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the approaching cadavers and drew my sword before performing two quick slashes to try to make them back away. “Back off! That’s my little sister!”

The zombies seemed to listen since they took a few steps backwards. I seemed to have blindsided them, as they did not react to my presence until I was right in front of them. “Whoa! The way you just jumped in at the last second was so cool, James!” I heard Sweetie Belle exclaim from behind me.

I looked back down at the three fillies while keeping my rapier’s blade held out to keep the zombies at a safe distance. Scootaloo grinned, her fear momentarily crushed. “I knew you’d show up, big brother! Show those zombies how you handled Nightmare Moon’s ghost!”

I managed to crack a smile in spite of everything. “Will do, sis. Now. you three get away from here so I don’t run the risk of chopping you by accident.”

Apple Bloom climbed to her feet as she seemed to calm down slightly. “A… All righty then, James… Just don’t let ‘em touch ya! I think the curse is contagious!”

I nodded and replied, “I know enough about zombies to make sure to never let them touch me. Now, get going.” I did not take my eyes off of the three fillies until they were just inside Ponyville’s border. And even then, they continued to watch me intently.

The six zombies continued to slowly shamble towards me, never speaking once. I tried to reason with them. “Gray Hoof, you and the others aren’t welcome in Ponyville. Go home.”

They seemed to pay no heed to my words since they continued to approach me without showing signs that they may have heard me. I spoke again, taking a step back while still making sure I had my sword’s blade held somewhat laterally to parry any incoming lunges. “I know we parted on good terms, guys. But you need to get outta here.” Gray Hoof’s disgusting mouth began to slowly open at my words.

“I will defend myself…” I muttered as Gray Hoof seemed prepared to bite me.

At this point, I felt that any further attempts to negotiate were futile. I waited until Gray Hoof took three more steps towards me before I struck. I quickly swung my sword sideways, cleaving it through his neck as his body froze in place. About four seconds later, his head simply fell off and hit the ground with a thud while his body collapsed in a heap.

“Whoa! Looks like that one didn’t have a good head on his shoulders! Go for the rest, James!” I heard Rainbow Dash call from the nearby rooftops. I glanced over towards the town and found that I had attracted quite an audience. But what caught my attention most was the grime and blood on my blade.

Or rather, the lack of. There was none.

I had clearly cut right through a zombie, yet there was nothing on my blade that could have come from him. I felt no resistance when I made the cut either. It felt more like I had just swung my sword through air. Despite this, Gray Hoof’s body clearly reacted to the hit. And then his glowing red eyes faded until only his empty eye sockets remained.

I did not have time to ponder this as the five other zombies began to converge on me. I would have to strike them quickly with few pauses between hits. After taking a moment to think about how I would carry out this assault, I acted.

I started with Gladstone, swinging my sword upwards while cleaving right through his skull vertically. Next was what I believe was a mare as I swung downward on an angle while turning to face her, my blade cleaving through her head as well with the top half of her skull just sliding off from the rest of her. Next was another mare, the last remaining stallion to my right. I decided to go for a double kill, performing a slash to my left to chop through the mare while turning and then driving my rapier’s blade directly between the zombie stallion’s glowing red eyes and through his entire skull.

In quick succession, the four zombies I struck collapsed in the order they had been attacked as the glow that filled their eye sockets faded to blackness. Only one remained. The audience was applauding and cheering as I moved to deal the final blow. I turned and prepared to strike the last zombie down when…..

I felt my fighting spirit fade instantly when I saw her face. The remaining zombie was an earth pony mare. She was not approaching me, but merely standing still while gazing up at me with her unholy red eyes. Her body, tail, and mane were in identical condition to how Pinkie Pie made herself look for the evening. Dark and grimy while showing no visible signs of external decay. I felt a relieved smile creep across my face as I sheathed my sword. “Mitta…”

She looked no different from when I last saw her. My friend, the only real friend I ever had in Sunny Town, was standing before me. I have no idea how she was able to find her way out of that forest, but I was still very glad to see her. The audience of ponies who had been applauding and cheering a moment ago were now eerily silent, probably watching and waiting in suspense now that I had put away my weapon while one of the zombies was still standing.

“How long has it been? Two months?” I asked as I got down on one knee. For one reason or another, she remained completely silent. “You came at a great time. I think you might even have some fun out here during Nightmare Night. You might even win the prize for ‘Most Convincing Costume’ with that look.” Pinkie Pie, who looked remarkably similar at the time, would stand a good chance too. But that crazy party animal would never be able to replicate her rotten stench.

As we locked eyes, a thought occurred to me. If she was cursed, then surely someone with great magical strength could lift it. Maybe someone as knowledgeable as Twilight Sparkle. Or perhaps… Celestia or Luna. Yes, they could surely lift the curse. I mean if they can control the movements of the sun and moon, lifting an ancient curse from one pony would be child’s play to them.

I reached out to my friend as I moved to place my hand on her shoulder. “There’s someone I want you to meet. Well, OK. There are two ponies I want to show you to. I’m sure they can lift the…..” I paused as my hand made contact with her. Or did it? For whatever reason, it did not feel like I was touching anything at all. “Mitta…?” I tried applying more pressure only to make an unnerving discovery. My hand passed right through her body as if it was not even there.

“What is…” I muttered as I tried again to touch my friend. My arm extended right through her head, almost as if I was wearing her like an oversized armlet. My friend… “You’re just a mirage.”

My eyes glanced over at the audience. The first ponies I noticed were Nightmare Moon and Celestia… I mean Celestia and Luna. Celestia’s… Dang it! I mean Luna’s horn was engulfed by a billowing blue aura, a clear sign she was casting some form of magic. I felt a twinge of anger as I realized that it was Luna who was conjuring up these zombie apparitions. And it was making my blood boil knowing that someone would make a mockery of such a selfless mare’s image just for thrills.

I stood up and walked over to Luna with my right hand clenched into a fist. “I saw everything, James. Just one left. Go ahead and deliver a coup de grace worthy of a proper finale.”

However, I was not at all amused by her attempts to entertain the other ponies. “Get rid of the illusion, Luna.”

The Princess of the Night seemed perplexed by my demand. “Illusion? You could tell?”

My patience was already running low. My right hand grasped the hilt of my sword, trying to bluff my way into making her cease. “Don’t make me say it again. I’m not in the mood for this.”

There was a gasp as the ponies who were watching looked on, likely shocked that I was prepared to lash out against their princess. After a moment of silence, Luna nodded in compliance. “All right… I’ll cease the spell.”

The instant the aura around her horn faded, I turned to look at the six zombies behind me. One by one, they slowly faded away. The last to fade was Mitta. Our eyes locked, never looking away until she disappeared entirely.

Celestia then asked, “Why were you so upset about them being illusions? You almost sound as if you’ve met them in person.”

As I marched past the two sisters, I replied dryly, “I have.”

I returned to the town square without paying any mind to whomever I passed. Still in a very sour mood, I grabbed a bottle of hard apple cider and started to sip from it. “You deserve better, Mitta…” I muttered to myself as I sat on a bench.

I am uncertain how much time passed, but I heard the clopping of hooves approaching me before long. When it stopped, I glanced to my right without turning my head. Standing to my side was none other than Princess Luna. However, it seemed that she had removed her disguise. She had even swapped out Celestia’s golden jewelry for her own.

“James… May I have this seat?” She asked as a bottle of apple cider floated next to her. I said nothing as I merely nodded. I was still quite disgusted with the fact that she tried to deceive me into striking down an illusion of a friend I had only met once.

Luna took a seat beside me and began to sip from her bottle. She did not say anything for a moment, probably trying to find the right words to break the ice. “So… How has your first Nightmare Night been thus far?”

I muttered, “It’s been fine.” I followed up my response with another sip of my cider.

A moment of awkward silence passed before Luna asked, “Do you…know of the creatures I conjured up back there? The real ones?”

I frowned as I replied, “You mean the ponies from Sunny Town? Yeah.”

Luna showed a look of mild shock before asking, “But…how do you even know of that village? It’s been quarantined for over a millennium!”

I paused briefly before turning my gaze to her in subtle curiosity. “Were you the one who cursed it?”

Luna sighed with a tone of disappointment in her voice. “I am. It was a fitting punishment for their crime.”

I decided to not ask for the details of the crime. “I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but that pony back there, Mitta, is a friend of mine.”

The Princess of the Night then asked while visibly surprised, “How? Every last pony in that village is a monster. Even she…”

I glared at Luna as I retorted, “She SAVED me. If she had not warned me of the curse and escorted me outta there before nightfall, I don’t think we would be talking to each other right now.”

Luna was silent at my words. I then asked, “Is she going to be stuck like that forever? As a monster?”

To my surprise, Luna shook her head. “No. The curse will be lifted once they all come to understand the errors of their ways. Once they redeem themselves and renounce the beliefs that led to their evil actions, the curse will vanish and they will finally be able to move on.”

The curse is only temporary? Well, considering how friendly and likeable Gray Hoof and Gladstone were, I suppose the time of redemption draws very close for those ponies. At least I hope it does.

“Just don’t ever do that again, your highmmph.” My mouth was covered by Luna’s hoof before I could finish my sentence.

“Please, James. Never call me that again. Refer to me as you would any of your other friends.” She spoke with a faint smile.

I nodded once she took her hoof away from my mouth. “OK, Luna. But really, don’t ever do that to Mitta’s image again. She doesn’t deserve that.”

Luna responded while showing a calm smile. “I shall. Can you ever forgive me for that? I know not what exactly transpired between you two, but I will not pry.”

I smiled as I embraced my friend. “Yeah. I forgive you.” The two of us stayed there for a moment, our arms wrapped around each other.

However, our moment of silence was interrupted by what felt like three fillies dogpiling onto me. “That was so awesome, big brother! You handled those bags of bones like a real zombie hunter!”

Luna and I looked at the three little scamps and found the Cutie Mark Crusaders all hanging onto me. “The way ya took out those four one after the other was so amazin’! Where’d ya learn how ta fight anyway?” Apple Bloom asked with her big eyes looking up at me.

In all honesty, I do not have any combat experience whatsoever. My knowledge of swordplay comes from extensive observation of various types of fighting styles from virtual and real demonstrations over the years and the subsequent study of different types of swords out of an increase in interest in the art. I replied sheepishly, “Would you believe me...if I said I never had a lesson in my life?”

Sweetie Belle giggled in disbelief. “Don’t be silly! You must’ve practiced with that before! Really, how did you do it?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “All I did was improvise. I really didn’t have that much time to think.”

Luna chuckled in amusement as she started to push herself away from me. “I’ll just leave you to your little friends here. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be over at the Spider Toss range.” I smiled and waved goodbye as Luna stood up and trotted away.

“Come on, girls. Give him some breathing space.” I heard Diamond Tiara speak below me. She was wearing fairly little, but her appearance was quite regal. She was wearing a golden necklace, golden shoes not unlike those worn by Celestia and Luna, and a gold...crown? Tiara? Well, whatever it was, it seemed to have the shape of a tiny crown when viewed from the front, but was mostly flat. It had a purple orb on top with an equally purple diamond in the center. I also noticed a pair of false wings on her sides and a unicorn’s horn attached to her forehead that was too large for her age.

“You went as an alicorn this year?” I asked, not entirely surprised that Diamond Tiara would try to emulate a royal pony. However, I did not recognize her attire at all as it did not quite match that of Celestia’s.

The former bully spoke while she smiled proudly, “Yeah. Princess Cadence, to be exact. She’s the niece of Princess Celestia.”

Apple Bloom then spoke up in excitement, “Yeah! Me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were the flower fillies at her weddin’!”

It sounded like a big experience for those fillies. “That sounds like quite an honor. Who did she marry?”

Silver Spoon, who was right next to Diamond Tiara, replied, “That would be me. I mean, the stallion I’m dressed as.”

The gray earth pony filly had a white unicorn’s horn attached to her head while wearing a red jacket. It had a gold collar and light blue straps crossed over the chest with an emblem in the center that bore the same purple six-pointed star as the one on Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark. I thought it looked familiar somehow before I asked, “Um... Prince William?”

There was a moment of silence as the fillies glanced at each other as if to say ‘Wait… What?’ in response. I really should not have expected them to know that name, so I have no idea why I was momentarily surprised that they did not.

Silver Spoon retorted with a bemused tone, “Uh… No. I’m supposed to be Shining Armor. He’s the captain of Canterlot’s Royal Guard.”

Well, that hardly surprises me. For one to be able to marry a princess, one would need the proper peerage. And being the commander of the Equestria's security forces is certainly a fitting position…. Hang on. Why in the world were Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara dressed up as a husband and wife combo?

“Um… No offense, but are you trying to tell us something by dressing up as two ponies who are married to each other?” I asked with some curiosity.

Diamond Tiara blushed madly as she looked at Silver Spoon. “I told you we should’ve gone as the Flim Flam brothers!” This prompted laughter from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, plus a sheepish grin and blush from Silver Spoon as she tried to avert her eyes. I would have thrown in a joke about incest in response to the mention of two brothers, but it would probably be too perverted for children.

After a moment of trying to shush the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon asked, “James? That last zombie… The one you didn’t hurt. Was that… What’s her name again?”

Apple Bloom spoke for me. “Mitta. Right, James?”

I nodded with a sigh as I recalled my doomed friend. “Yeah… That was Mitta.”

Diamond Tiara spoke while holding a hoof to her chin. “Huh… So that’s what she looks like. She didn’t look as scary as the others.”

I smiled slightly as I muttered, “That’s because she has a kind heart. You be nice to her if you ever see her. All right?” The two fillies before me nodded in unison.

Just as I finished my bottle of cider, I heard Twilight call out to me. “James, come over here! We’re taking a group photo!”

I waved back as I stood up. I then spoke with an English accent again as I glanced down at the foals around me. “Pardon me, ladies. Agent Sparkle beckons me.” I then walked over to my friends, finding them lined up in a row. Celestia and Luna were present as well with Luna having swapped back into her costume.

“Everypony here?” Applejack asked while adjusting her hat.

Daring D… I mean Rainbow Dash replied as she grinned, “You bet! That’s all ten of us!” I swear, even her own mother would not recognize her at first. She then went over to a camera that was resting on a tripod. “Hey, James! Get in the middle!”

“Like this?” I asked, placing myself between Fluttershy and Twilight.

“Great! OK, a little to the left, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash replied while motioning with her hoof.

“Oki doki loki!” The zombified party animal replied as she hopped towards me.

“I meant MY left!” Rainbow then shouted in irritation. Pinkie Pie was on my right, by the way.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?!” Pinkie retorted with a giggle, taking two hops to her right.

“That’ll do! Twilight, get yourself a little closer to the ground… Yeah, that’s it! Looking good, girl!” Rainbow shouted as Twilight hunkered low to the ground, almost as if she was ready to lash out at some genome soldier with CQC. Of course, that would be pointless if that soldier was piloting a Metal Ge… All right, I will not go into anymore puns. But as I said much earlier, I can keep this up all night.

“Honestly, do I really look like some kind of soldier?” Twilight asked, looking up at me from my right.

“I’d say you do. And you look good in that getup too.” I replied with a smile.

“And you thought you’d look like a joke. I told you nopony would be wearing anything like it!” Spike added while standing right in front of me. I am still convinced he was wearing a gimp suit.

“Fluttershy, get closer to James! And stick your head out so everypony knows it’s you!” Rainbow Dash called out as Fluttershy inched closer to me from my left.

“Like this?” My girlfriend replied as she pushed her head out of the flowering bush she was wearing.

Rainbow nodded while turning her attention to Applejack and Rarity. “That’s it! OK, Rarity. You get on Fluttershy’s left. And then you move in on Rarity’s left, Applejack!”

“All righty then, Rainbow.” Applejack spoke as she and Rarity moved into view from my left.

“How is my mane? Is my pose just right?” Rarity asked as she tried to strike an elegant pose befitting of a storybook princess.

“Hold that pose, Rarity! Looks great!” Rainbow said while showing an approving smile. “OK, now it’s your turn! Princess Luna, get on James’ left! Princess Celestia should be on his right!”

I glanced to my sides as the two royal sisters moved in behind my friends. “How is this?” Luna asked as she stood to my left.

“That should do nicely, Luna. Just remember to spread those wings.” Celestia replied from my right.

“OK, we’re all set! Just… Oh, wait! James, draw your sword! Strike a cool pose with it!” Rainbow called out to me.

However, Rarity then retorted, “No, a rapier is an elegant blade! James, take a more refined pose befitting of that outfit.”

I immediately thought up a pose. I drew my sword and held the blade vertically with my left hand tenderly cradling the blade near its tip. “How is this, Lady Rarity?”

My former landlord shuddered in delight, “My stars, that voice gets me every time… As for the pose… Simply marvelous!” She then looked back at Rainbow Dash and the camera. “I do believe we are all set!”

Rainbow seemed to fiddle with the camera for a moment. “OK, hold those poses! We’ve got fifteen seconds and counting!”

In the blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash…well…dashed over to us and lined herself up to the right of Twilight. Ten seconds in, I heard her ask, “Hang on… Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

The instant the camera flashed, I heard Rainbow Dash yelp. I then glanced to my right and saw Rainbow Dash having jumped back, Pinkie Pie reared up onto her hind legs with her arms raised while grinning as her goggles glowed that familiar hellish shade of red. “Where’d you come from?!”

Pinkie Pie giggled and even let out a snort before she said, “What?! Just wanted to make the picture extra special!”

I asked while sheathing my sword, “Well, how long until the picture is developed?”

Twilight replied promptly, “It’ll take a few days, but we’ll all get a copy.”

I chuckled while glancing over at the camera. “Man, that makes me feel nostalgic. I can’t remember the last time it took days instead of minutes for photos to be developed.”

Applejack smiled up at me and said, “Well, that just teaches us the value of patience, don’t it?”

I suppose it would be unnecessary to go into detail what occurred during the remainder of the party, not to mention my wrist is really starting to get sore from all this writing. Almost seventy pages worth… Ouch.

Regardless, I had a splendid time with all my friends. Think of Nightmare Night as one big Halloween block party where everyone in town attends. Truly a holiday worth enjoying. Unfortunately, everyone had to get to bed eventually. I, in particular, had to call the party quits just after midnight. Scootaloo has school in the morning, after all.

I said my goodbyes to my friends, gave Luna a warm embrace, and headed on home with Fluttershy and Scootaloo by my side. “First Nightmare Night and I’m already loving it. What about you girls?” I asked as we trekked across the meadow that separated Ponyville from our cottage.

Scootaloo just beamed at me. “It was awesome! Some of the other ponies even asked me for an autograph. It was pretty funny when they figured out I’m not Rainbow Dash.” She was also wearing a sack around her neck. It was filled to the brim with assorted candies.

Fluttershy looked at me while sticking her head out of her costume. “That was very nice for my first Nightmare Night. I wouldn’t mind doing it again next year.”

“Did anyone prank you while we were out tonight?” I asked, knowing that Fluttershy detests being pranked more than I do.

“Aside from that accidental lightning strike from Rainbow Dash, it was almost perfect. I’m glad I went to the party.” Fluttershy responded with her trademark timid smile.

Right when we were on the verge of going into our cottage, Scootaloo let out a yawn. “Hoo boy… I really walked a lot tonight…”

Fluttershy nuzzled her face while whispering “You must be exhausted. Let’s get you to bed.” I then watched as Fluttershy lifted the bush off of herself and set it down. She then turned to me and asked, “James, would you please take this bush over to the right side of the cottage and plant it again? You’ll see the spot where I dug it up.”

I said nothing for a moment as I comprehended what she told me. “Hang on… Are you saying that you literally dug up a bush and wore it as a costume?”

When Fluttershy nodded, I chuckled loudly. “I’ve heard of going green, but that’s going waaaaay too far.” All three of us just laughed in unison.

I picked up the bush by its branches and walked around to the side of the cottage while Fluttershy and Scootaloo went inside. The moon was providing plenty of light, so I had no trouble locating the shallow hole in the ground where Fluttershy dug up the bush. I set its roots back down in it and used my feet to push the dirt back over them before packing it down with taps from my shoe.

However, just before I was about to head back over to the front side of my home, my eyes turned towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. My thoughts turned to Mitta, knowing she was still out there somewhere. But the one my thoughts turned to most was the one person I was hoping to see tonight more than anyone else. Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Night had been founded in her memory, and I know she still lives. I was certain she would have arrived to partake in the celebration. But even now, past midnight, there has been no sign of her. I... I miss her. It feels like we did not bond as much as we could have during our brief time together two months ago. If I see her again, I will be certain to give her a warm welcome.

“Next year, Nightmare Moon. I know we’ll see you here by then.” I muttered as I headed back to the front door of my home.

Just after I stepped inside, I was engulfed in a sudden bright flash that only lasted a second. I then heard a wooden clunk to my left. “Whoa! What happened to your costume, James?” Scootaloo asked in puzzlement.

I glanced down and saw a familiar mop handle next to my left foot. My shoes did not look so fancy either. My clothes… Wait. “Did Twilight’s spell wear off?”

Fluttershy looked equally baffled as she said, “Um… It looks like it. The timing couldn’t have been better though, right?”

I nodded as I snatched up the mop handle. “Yup. Now I just need to remember to return this mop handle to Rarity tomorrow.”

My thoughts were interrupted by another yawn from Scootaloo. “Sorry… Really tired right now.”

I smiled as I went over to her and scooped the little pegasus filly up in my arms. “Guess that means it’s time for bed.”

As I headed over to Scootaloo’s bedroom, Fluttershy smiled warmly at me. “I’ll go get the shower ready for us, James. Come on up when ready.” I watched as she started to go upstairs before tucking Scootaloo in her bed.

Scootaloo smiled at me as she placed her hooves on the edge of her blanket. “Did you like your first Nightmare Night?”

I nodded as I placed my hand on her head. “I certainly did. Nothing but good times back there. Well, almost nothing but good times.”

My little sister yawned before asking, “Is it all right if I wait until morning to get this costume off? I’m too tired to get outta bed right now.”

I smiled as I stroked her rainbow mane. “That’s all right. But until then, you’ll be my little Dashie.”

Scootaloo chuckled weakly and asked, “But I’ll always be your little Scoot, right?”

The way we were talking to each other at that moment was not the way siblings talk. It felt more like we were talking the way a parent and child would. “Yeah. You’ll always be my little Scootaloo.”

When I removed my hand from her head and placed it on the blanket, I froze as I felt Scootaloo place her hoof on it. We locked eyes for a moment, her eyes showing both sleepiness and adoration. “I love you, big brother…”

I leaned in and placed a kiss on the filly’s head. “I love you too, little sis.” I remained by her side until I could hear light snoring. “Sweet dreams, Scoot.” I whispered as I left the room and headed upstairs to wash up for the night.

Fluttershy and I are resting in bed, my girlfriend with her back to me. “I really liked your costume, James. What do you think you’ll go as next year?” She asked me with a slight yawn.

“That’s a good question. Let’s wait until then before deciding.” I responded while stroking her mane.

“OK. But…..hwah….. Let’s go to sleep… I really stayed up later than I usually do on Nightmare Night.” Fluttershy muttered with a yawn.

I kissed her on the ear in response. “Sounds good to me. Sweet dreams, honey. Love you.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly as she closed her beautiful eyes. “I love you too, James… So much…”

Now that Fluttershy is fast asleep, I can focus on finishing up this entry. After spending around two months in Ponyville, the oddities of this world have become daily routine for me. I can no longer imagine living anywhere else. And the occasional holidays really spice things up. And now that winter is approaching, I have to wonder what will happen once the snow starts to fall.

Does Equestria have a holiday similar to Christmas? What other holidays or special events occur here? I will just have to wait to find out. But for now, I must sleep. Holidays may be fun, but they always leave you feeling exhausted.

I just hope that next Nightmare Night, I will be able to welcome the Mare in the Moon herself to celebrate with us.

Eight months. I am amazed I have been in Equestria this long. Life here has been simply grand. But today in particular is special. There were several holidays over the course of autumn and winter. Running of the Leaves. Hearth’s Warming Eve. Winter Wrap-up. I could go into detail about them, but my attention is being diverted to this evening.

I woke up groggily, feeling the familiar touch of Fluttershy’s soft coat against my back. I took a moment to slowly sit up, but my eyes then gazed at the calendar that was hanging on the wall across the room. Even without my glasses, I could clearly make out the red check mark on the day. The 21^st of April. Tonight is a night I have been looking forward to since my third day in Equestria.

“The Grand Galloping Gala.” I muttered to myself.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing my girlfriend still fast asleep. She is usually awake before I am, leading me to suspect that she was resting up so she could stay awake later than usual since the Grand Galloping Gala extends well into the night and does not even begin until sundown. At least that is what Rarity told me.

I climbed out of bed as quietly as possible to avoid rousing Fluttershy. I then tiptoed over to my clothes and slid on a pair of black shorts, my shoes, and a pair of socks. But as my eyes scanned the six shirts that bore the colors of my six most precious friends, my gaze fell upon the shirt that is as white as Rarity’s coat. I would need to wear an undershirt with my robe for the evening, and that purest white might go well with it. That, and it was Rarity who wove that wonderful robe for me in the first place.

Once I was fully clothed and had put on my glasses, I carefully made my way downstairs while trying to not make the stairs creak under my feet. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, my thoughts turned to Scootaloo. I know I wrote in a previous entry how she sometimes sneaks out of bed and snuggles up with me in my own bed after I have fallen asleep, but she does not necessarily do it every night, as evidenced by the fact that she was not in my bed when I woke up today.

I peaked in the side room where Scootaloo’s bed was located, finding the orange and purple pegasus filly still sound asleep. Since this is a weekend, I am letting her sleep in since there is no school today. At least that is one thing Equestria’s education system has in common with my world’s own.

I was just about to enter the room itself when I heard the clopping of hooves upstairs, which is very easy to notice considering how much harder hooves are than feet, followed by the faint flapping of wings just before I saw Fluttershy swoop down the stairs while…singing?

“At the gala, at the garden, I’m gonna see them…..all…” She promptly landed and folded her wings, gazing sheepishly at me with a very bright blush on her face.

I chuckled at her blatant enthusiasm. “Sounds like somepony is excited about tonight.”

Fluttershy averted her eyes as she replied, “Um… Yes, I am. I’m hoping that this time I’ll be able to be friends with the animals that roam the private garden that surrounds the area it takes place in.”

I cocked my head slightly. “This time? Why? Did something go wrong last time? I know you’ve attended the Grand Galloping Gala before. And since when do YOU have problems with animals?” During the last eight months, I have marveled at just how easily Fluttershy can approach any animal of any sort. The thought of an animal of any species not allowing her to approach it seems completely outlandish to me.

Fluttershy seemed slightly embarrassed as she replied, “I guess the best way to sum it up is… I got too overzealous in trying to get close to them.”

I snickered just slightly, knowing just how passionate she can get when it comes to cute animals. “Ouch. I hope you weren’t too disheartened by their initial rejection.”

Fluttershy bowed her head slightly, squeaking out another line as her blush deepened. “I don’t think they’ll be looking forward to seeing me again…”

I crossed my arms while averting my eyes in thought. Chances are the animals would remember her and go the extra mile to keep their distance if they saw her again. “Well… What if I went with you? Maybe I could help.”

Fluttershy seemed disheartened at first, but still managed to smile a little. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much… But if there is a way, I’d appreciate any advice.”

I approached her and stroked her mane beautiful mane. “Well, either way, we’ll still have a good time together. Right?”

My girlfriend smiled brightly as she said, “I’m sure we will. Just as long as I’m with you.” She began to hover before embracing me gently. I returned the favor by wrapping my arms around her while being mindful of the location of her wings.

Mere seconds after I released my grip on Fluttershy, we both turned to face Scootaloo’s room at the sound of a yawn, followed by the light clopping of hooves from a groggy filly. Immediately afterward, Scootaloo entered the living room, her mane a bit messier than usual.

“Somepony has some bed head to fix.” Fluttershy said with a smile.

Scootaloo rubbed her eyes before mumbling, “Huh? Bed head… Oh. Morning, Fluttershy. Morning, James.”

I walked over to my little sister and rubbed her head, ruffling her mane even further. “Morning, sweetheart. Up for some breakfast?”

Scootaloo yawned again, but smiled dreamily immediately afterwards. “I’m up for… Well, I’m just up right now. I don’t know if I’m even hungry.”

I just smirked at her and said, “Well, let’s start by getting that bed head taken care of. Honey, could you please start on some breakfast while I’m sprucing up Scootaloo?”

“OK, just come on down when you finish up there.” While Fluttershy went into the kitchen, I carried Scootaloo upstairs and into the bathroom.

Once we were in the bathroom, I sat down with Scootaloo on my lap while I reached for a brush. Once I had wet it down, I began to gently stroke her mane with it while trying to style it the way she always had it.

“Are you going to the Grand Galloping Gala this evening, James?” Scootaloo asked, her mane starting to look more like its usual self.

“Yep. Celestia and Luna directly requested that I attend.” I replied while making sure I did not miss a spot.

“Um… Does that mean you won’t be home until late tonight?” She asked again, now slightly more awake.

I paused in thought for a moment. “Uh… Probably. You need a babysitter?”

She replied groggily, “I was thinking that I could hang with Apple Bloom at Sweet Apple Acres tonight for a sleepover. Big Macintosh and Granny Smith can watch us.”

I asked in curiosity, “I know most grandmas are good with kids, but how will Big Mac handle having two fillies running around?”

Scootaloo grinned awkwardly due to not being fully awake. “Oh, don’t be fooled. He’s actually really good with kids. He’s really patient with us.”

I smiled in approval. “Then it’s a plan. You wanna go over after breakfast?”

Scootaloo smiled excitedly, now more awake. “Sounds good to me!”

I then stood up now that her mane and tail were all fixed. “Well, your hair’s all fixed up now. Let’s go see what Fluttershy has whipped up for breakfast.”

“I’ll race ya!” Scootaloo said as she trotted away from me. There are certainly advantages to being as small as her. Especially when you can weave around everything easily while your adult human playmate has to duck and mind his head at every doorway!

After making my way downstairs while eating Scootaloo’s nonexistent dust, I entered the kitchen and found the little filly sitting at the table while Fluttershy was putting the finishing touches on our breakfast. As usual, Scootaloo’s wings were buzzing like those of a bee. Come to think of it, is that why she has never been able to fly? Because she flaps her wings in a way that is incompatible with pegasus bodies?

Anyway, Fluttershy had done a great job in terms of variety. Along with scrambled eggs, she had set out pieces of fruit, whole-wheat toast with butter and jam on the side, and a few daisies. Mind you, eating flowers probably would not agree with a human’s digestive tract. Regardless, it was certainly tasty to look at and I have always had a taste for whole-wheat toast. “That’s quite a variety you have there, Fluttershy.”

My girlfriend grinned as she set out rose petals to be used as a topping. “I tried to mix as much color as possible to make everything more appealing.”

Scootaloo inhaled deeply through her nose. “And all the smells are mixing to make a really awesome smell!”

I took my seat with Fluttershy on my left and Scootaloo on my right. “Well then, let’s put the source of those smells in our bellies so we can taste the smell with our tongues.” I then glanced around and asked, “Did I make any sense with that?” The two of them chuckled in unison.

The three of us engaged in casual conversation as we ate. I enjoyed my toast with strawberry jam and did not forget to top my eggs with ketchup. I did try one of the daisies, but it was fairly flavorless. And the yellow center was particularly unappetizing. Scootaloo and Fluttershy seemed to like them though, so I left the rest to them. The fruit made up for that. I especially liked the orange and apple slices.

There was nothing left on the table by the time we finished eating. Fluttershy belched before covering her mouth. “Excuse me… And oh my, we must’ve been hungry today.”

Scootaloo let out a long sigh while she patted her satisfied belly. “Nah, your cooking’s just that tasty!”

I nodded while also starting to feel slightly lethargic. “Totally agreeing with her on that one, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy giggled before she began to collect up the plates. “I must be getting better. I usually only make food for all the animals.” She then faced me and Scootaloo, “While I’m cleaning up in here, could you two please go gather the eggs out back?”

I replied while I stood up, “OK, honey. You up for it, Scoot?”

The little filly nodded readily and said, “Sure thing, James! Let’s go!” As usual, she ran ahead of me while I tried to catch up.

I followed Scootaloo around to the back of the cottage, but noticed that the chickens were not yet out of the coop. “I wonder if Derpy’s in there…” I muttered to myself while almost expecting to find our mailmare in there.

“Want me to check?” Scootaloo asked as she jumped the low fence.

“Go right ahead, Scoot.” I replied while eyeing the coop. Scootaloo then trotted up the ramp and into the coop. I waited about five seconds before Scootaloo came trotting out of it with every last chicken following her in a line.

“Heheh, looks like I’m a chick magnet!” Scootaloo spoke with a delighted grin as she paraded the chickens around the coop. She then paused as if hit by an epiphany. “Hey! Maybe that’s my special talent!”

I smirked while shaking my head. I know full well that Scootaloo’s real talents are all about her skills on a scooter. She looked back at her flank, and then frowned as she saw a cutie mark had not yet appeared. “Darn it… Guess not.”

I approached my little sister and rubbed her head. “Don’t worry, Scoot. I’m sure you’ll find your cutie mark pretty soon.”

Scootaloo soon grinned as I scratched her ear. “Heheh, maybe. Just as long as I’m having fun doing it, it’s all cool.”

I then kneeled before the entrance to the coop. “Scoot, would you mind getting in there and rolling the eggs out to me?”

“OK! Just a sec.” She then ran up the ramp and into the coop. “OK, here they come!”

One by one, eggs were rolled down into my hand, which I then placed in a pail. It took less than two minutes for Scootaloo to speak, “I think that’s all of them.” She then poked her head out at me. “Did you get them all?”

I then looked down into the pail. “Not an egg scrambled.”

Scootaloo trotted by me as I stood up. “Wanna head over to Applejack’s place after we take the eggs back?”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go check with Fluttershy first.” I replied as I began to follow Scootaloo back around to the front of the house.

Once we were there, we found Fluttershy going about her business feeding the many animals around her home for the morning. I saw her place a bowl near a tree, several birds flying down to it afterwards and plucking moist earthworms from it. “We got the eggs, honey.” I spoke as I approached her.

Fluttershy turned and smiled at us. “Thank you, dear. Did Scootaloo help?”

I nodded before glancing down at the little filly beside me. “She was a pretty big help. I would’ve had a much harder time reaching the eggs without her.”

My feisty little sister grinned at my praise. “Aw, it was nothing. I just rolled them to him.”

Fluttershy glanced at Scootaloo and showed a thankful soft smile. “Thank you, Scootaloo. When I finish up here, would you like us to take you over to Sweet Apple Acres for the night?”

Scootaloo went airborne for about two seconds with her wings buzzing. “You bet! I’ll go pack my stuff!” She then trotted up to the front door of the cottage while I followed. I still had to place the eggs in the refrigerator.

Not much later, Fluttershy and I were on our way south while Scootaloo ran on ahead with a pair of saddlebags hanging from her sides. “Seeing her prance about like that never gets old.” I muttered to my lover.

Fluttershy replied quietly, “It’s even more entertaining when she’s with the other Crusaders.” I smiled with her, knowing it to be true.

“Hey, honey? I know the Grand Galloping Gala is held in Canterlot, but just how do we get up there?” I asked, having never actually been there before. It is rather silly, to be honest. Canterlot can be seen from anywhere in Ponyville, yet I have never actually taken the time to figure out how to get up there.

“Well, we went by carriage last time. It’s a pretty long walk though. I think this time we’ll be taking the train up there. It’s a lovely ride with a great view.” She replied, reminding me that there is a train line that runs through town. One end of the line branches off while heading north and goes right into Canterlot, but I am uncertain of where the other ends go.

“Do you think we’ll be seeing any familiar faces there?” I asked, wondering who else might attend the GGG. That stands for Grand Galloping Gala. I will be using that from time to time to save space and conserve ink.

Fluttershy paused for a moment, apparently thinking, before replying, “I’m not sure. I didn’t really spend much time mingling with the other ponies there. Although considering how fruitless my efforts were to get the animals in the garden to like me, I guess I should have…”

“I guess I’ll have to wait and see.” I retorted without much opinion. I certainly do not know what to expect at the GGG, but the rest of my friends surely do.

Before long, we reached Sweet Apple Acres. “Apple Bloom, you home?!” Scootaloo called out as we drew near the farmhouse. Or is it a barn? I really cannot say if it is one or the other or even both.

As Scootaloo approached the front door, the top half swung open followed by Applejack sticking her head out and looking around before looking down at Scootaloo. “Howdy there, Scootaloo. Y’all lookin’ ta bunk here for the night?”

Scootaloo’s wings began to buzz as she hopped up and down. “I sure am! Is Apple Bloom home?”

Applejack pointed out at the orchard. “She went on ahead ta the clubhouse with Sweetie Belle. They wanted me ta letcha know they’re waitin’ fer ya.”

“Sweet! Thanks, AJ!” Scootaloo replied before running back over to Fluttershy and me. “I’m gonna go hang out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle! I’ll see you two tomorrow, right?”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “That was the plan. You go have a good time and we’ll stop by in the morning.”

Scootaloo stood upright and gave Fluttershy a hug before doing the same to me. “Awesome. Have a good time at the gala, guys!”

I ruffled her mane playfully as I said, “I’m sure we will. Have a good time, Scoot.” We both saw her off as she ran off into the vast apple orchard in search of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse.

Once Scootaloo was out of sight, Applejack trotted out of her house and over to us. “Howdy there, lovebirds. Big Macintosh an’ Granny Smith are all set for watchin’ the fillies t’night for ya.”

Fluttershy smiled a bit more cautiously that time. “I’m glad they were OK with it. Scootaloo can be a bit of a handful at times. I’m just glad Sweetie Belle doesn’t have to bunk here too.”

Applejack chuckled reassuringly. “Well, ya know Big Macintosh. Ain’t nopony who has as much patience as him.”

I then asked, “Well, while we’re here, mind if I haul over my daily ten bushels of apples for you?”

Applejack seemed a bit confused at first, but then snickered a bit. “I’m afraid yer a bit too early for that, James. Take a look around ya. Do ya even SEE any apples on the trees?”

I did as I was told, looking at the countless apple trees all over the orchard. Something I noticed right away was that there were no red dots decorating the trees, but there were plenty of white dots. It was then that I realized that there was no way the apple trees could have begun to bear fruit only halfway through spring. It would be a few months before any apples would appear. “I guess I’m jumping the gun. Sorry for asking, AJ.”

My farm pony friend just grinned at me. “Think nothin’ of it, pardner. Besides, I think y’all did enough durin’ autumn. Really helped ya slim down and bulk up too.”

She was right. Over the last eight months, my near daily assistance at Sweet Apple Acres caused me to shed quite a bit of my excess body fat. My body is now around two hundred pounds while my arms have put on a slight bit more muscle. However, this was not without drawbacks. Although my shirts still fit me fine, Rarity had to redo my entire wardrobe since my pants no longer fit me!

“Now that I think about it, are all of your dresses fixed up for the gala yet?” I asked, remembering that I heard they had been damaged somehow during their previous visit during some bizarre event my friends have difficulty describing coherently.

“Oh, they’ve been ready for a while now. Rarity worked hard on them to make sure they are ready by the time the gala arrives.” Fluttershy replied while looking up at me.

“You bet my getup's ready for the gala. And I’m gonna bring along somethin’ a lil’ extra special. I just know I’ll be rakin’ in the bits t’night!” Applejack added with a heaping dose of enthusiasm.

“Huh… Sounds like you’ve got something figured out for the evening.” I spoke as I became curious of what each of my friends had planned for their second gala visit.

“Yup! Now that I know what them hoity toity ponies in Canterlot like!” She replied again, holding her head higher than usual with a smug smile.

Fluttershy then asked, “Well, this time we’re all staying together, right?”

Applejack hesitantly replied, “I’ll hang around if I can, but I gotta mind my apple stall until I’m all sold out. Wouldn’t want any shoplifters, right?”

Fluttershy retorted while slightly tilting her head to one side, “I honestly can’t imagine anypony from Canterlot being a thief. But I guess it might make your customers mad if they want to buy something, but you’re not there to sell them anything.”

I then asked, “While we’re on the subject, when do we leave for the gala?”

Applejack promptly replied, “Well, we gotta get ready first. But that won’t happen ‘til after lunchtime. It’ll take a while for the train ta pull into Canterlot anyway.”

Since it is a Sunday, I did not have to worry about working. This entire day is a free day to me. The only question then was what should I do to pass the time.

Applejack then spoke as she started to slink away, “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go water the other crops we’ve got growin’ ‘round these parts. See y’all later.”

Fluttershy and I waved goodbye to our friend as she trotted away. I then looked down at my girlfriend and asked, “Well, any ideas on what we can do to spend the time while waiting for the evening to come?”

She replied while showing a faint smile, “Well, we can go for a walk in the park.” For some reason, Sundays in Ponyville always feel perfect for such an activity. By which I mean it always feels so sleepy around here on those days.

“Sounds good to me. Shall we?” I replied, motioning for Fluttershy to follow me.

“Oh, yes. Lead on.” She said with a smile as she began to hover.

Upon entering the park from the north, we found we were not alone. Various other ponies were also visiting the park. I do not know the names of all of them, but ever-recognizable Derpy Hooves was there. She was relaxing on a bench while reading a book as she snacked on a muffin. Banana nut, I presume.

“Should we head to the pond?” Fluttershy asked as she hovered next to me.

“My favorite spot of the whole park.” I replied with a smile. The two of us then headed towards our favorite spot, not paying much mind to the other ponies we passed.

When we arrived, we found the immediate area around the pond was deserted. A gentle breeze was blowing, causing Fluttershy’s mane to billow beautifully in the wind. “Did someone restock the fish food?” I asked, eyeing the bag in the center of the little peninsula jutting out into the pond.

Fluttershy looked over at me and said, “I just refilled it yesterday. There’s plenty to go around.”

“Nice. Let’s give our fishy friends a treat.” I replied while leading her down to the sack and taking a seat beside it. I then reached into the sack, took a small amount from it, and flung it towards the pond. As usual, a few fish leaped out of the water and devoured a few pieces before they could hit the water. I then placed a few pieces on Fluttershy’s muzzle. Immediately afterward, she flung them towards the water with a sudden upward jerk of her head. Like before, a few fish intercepted them.

I noticed Fluttershy opening her mouth to say something, but paused as she seemed to notice something. “Angel?”

I turned to my right and noticed a small white rabbit hopping towards us. But when he drew near, I noticed he had an unusually happy smile on his face and never blinked once. “Hey there, Angel. What’s up?”

The white rabbit did not seem to pay me any mind as he motioned for Fluttershy to follow him. “Me? Um…OK. I’ll be right back, James.” Fluttershy spoke before placing a kiss on my cheek. I returned the favor before watching her follow the rabbit into some bushes.

With nothing else to do while waiting for my girlfriend to return, I continued to feed the fish. However, I soon heard a light tap behind me. When I turned to look, I found a peculiar object on the ground. It seemed to be.....a boomerang.

Now, I have never once used a boomerang before. But this did not stop my curiosity. I grabbed the boomerang and stood up before taking a moment to examine it. Rather than being made of wood, it was made of soft material probably reserved for recreational toys. I then held it in one hand as I found it to still be rather stiff. Since I had no experience in throwing a boomerang in the correct fashion that would allow it to return to me, I did not expect it to fly back towards me. I pulled my arm back and then flung it forward before releasing my grip on the boomerang. It flew quite far, much farther than I expected. Regardless, I turned and walked back towards the sack in front of the pond.

I did not get two steps in before something clonked me in the side of the head. I glanced around rapidly after ducking for a second. Lying by my feet was the same boomerang as before. “Huh… So it DOES come back to you.”

I picked the boomerang up and decided to try it again. I threw it hard, watching as it looped around me… Wait, did I just notice a slight sparkling aura around it? Guiding it? Regardless, it looped around me and was on a collision course with my head. Before it could hit me, I ducked it and stood up once it had passed me. I grunted with a smirk, only to have another boomerang bonk me from behind an instant later.

“What the…?!” I spoke in shock, as I was caught off-guard. However, I thought I heard some faint giggling nearby, but thought nothing of it. It certainly did not sound like Fluttershy giggling, and she and I were the only people in the immediate area. I decided then to test the boomerang further and threw it again. Or rather, threw the new one. It looped around and came back for me to hit me in the back of my head.

“Oh, I see what’s going on now!” I spoke loudly as I smirked. I ducked the incoming boomerang, and then looked behind me to see another coming. I ducked that one, then another, and finally another. I then reached back and caught the next boomerang before throwing it again. I did the same to the next two in a steady rhythm, then started throwing three more boomer… I mean… All right, what was going on there?!

Immediately after throwing those three boomerangs, I threw a cupcake, a cookie, and then a lollipop with each object falling into the pond before I caught on to what I had just done. “What the… Hey!” I shouted as I realized that I had just thrown three yummy pieces of food to the fishes. But just after that, I got clonked in the back of the head by another boomerang.

“Son of a…” I grumbled as I rubbed my head. However, I then noticed the fish starting to snap at the treats I had just thrown into the pond. “Hey! Those are mine!” I tried reaching out to them, but soon decided to leave them be. I then stood up and glanced around. Before I even knew it, another boomerang began flying around me.

“…..OK, now I’m irritated.” I muttered as I snatched the boomerang out of the air and…well…let me just say that when you are frustrated enough, you would be surprised how quickly you can dig a hole with your bare hands. After I had dug said hole, I buried the boomerang and then covered it with the freshly dug soil.

“That handles…OW!!!” I yelped as I was hit four times in quick succession by four separate boomerangs from four separate angles. “For the love of god!”

As I glared down at the dropped boomerangs, I heard some faint laughter nearby. I froze, my eyes carefully scanning the area. I was certain I was being watched. Boomerangs do not fly on their own, after all. After not even ten seconds, I saw it. A familiar poofy pink mane just barely peaking above a small cluster of bushes.

I did my best to not react to my discovery. I did not turn my face directly to the bushes, opting to look at it out of the corner of my eye instead. But I had all the proof I needed. Little Pinkie Pie was up to her old tricks. And now it was time to turn the tables on her.

I smirked, picking up the four boomerangs that had just hit me. I then retrieved the four remaining boomerangs that happened to be nearby. I adjusted my grip on them, holding each between two fingers on each hand like shuriken. I then turned and ran towards the bush with my hands hanging low. Once I felt I had come within reach, I shouted, “Returning to sender!”

I hurled the four boomerangs in my left hand first before following up with the four in my right. They flew through the air, each group staying in formation. I am not sure how I got so lucky, but all eight tumbled right into the bushes from both sides.

“What the?! Ow!” I heard a voice yelp. Only I did not recognize it as Pinkie Pie’s.

“Oof! How’d he know we were over here?!” I heard another voice speak up. Again, it was not Pinkie Pie.

“Eek! He’s got some great aim!” THAT was Pinkie Pie.

Satisfied, I approached the bushes and peaked over them. I was not surprised to find Rainbow Dash with Pinkie Pie, but I was not expecting to find Twilight Sparkle there too. All three ponies were on the ground, the eight boomerangs I had thrown being scattered around them.

“Having fun, girls?” I asked crossing my arms while looking down at them.

The three ponies looked up at me with sheepish expressions. Twilight spoke with some embarrassment, “Um… I had nothing to do with this. They just asked me to help with my magic a few times.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled while rubbing her head. “Um… I hope we didn’t strike a nerve. We tried really hard to make the prank seem like it was all your doing.”

Pinkie Pie grinned while visibly trying to not laugh. “Yeah! We know you don’t like being pranked by other ponies, so we thought maybe you wouldn’t mind pranking yourself!” But she then frowned with a worried expression, “Did it…work?”

My only response was a laugh. “Yeah, it did work! I never guessed anyone was pulling the strings on that one!” The three of them breathed a huge sigh of relief. I then asked, “Wait a minute… Where’d Fluttershy go anyway?”

I heard a familiar meek voice reply, “I’m right here.” Fluttershy was perched on a tree branch right above us. “I saw everything. It looked pretty funny, but… Are you really OK?”

I nodded while rubbing my head where some of the boomerangs had bopped me. “Yeah, I’m good. They didn’t really hurt. Too soft.”

Fluttershy then flew down to me and nuzzled my face gently. “That’s good. I was worried it would’ve gone too far.”

Twilight smiled as she stood up. “Oh, you know we wouldn’t do anything to hurt him, Fluttershy. He’s our friend. Just like you.”

Remembering the current day, I asked, “You girls all ready for the Grand Galloping Gala tonight?”

Rainbow Dash nodded as she exclaimed, “You bet we are! This one’s gonna be the best night ever for sure!”

Pinkie Pie then asked, “I think we’ll start to get ready for it in a few hours. Wanna join us for lunch at the café to pass the time?”

Fluttershy smiled while she looked up at me. “That sounds lovely. Would you like to tag along, James?”

I nodded, having worked up a bit of an appetite after all that excitement. “I’d love to. Lead the way, girls.”

Twilight led us away from the bushes. “I’ll lead then. Right this way, everypony.”

It was around noon by the time we arrived at the café. Sundays are usually slow, so we did not see very many customers. That left us with more than enough tables to choose from. However, Pinkie Pie suddenly stepped forward and started pointing her hoof at them. “Eeny meeny miny mo. Catch a pony by the nose. If it squeaks, let it go. Eeny meeny miny mo!”

Her hoof was pointing at the nearest table. “This one!”

As Pinkie Pie trotted towards it, I asked, “Should we go along with it?”

Twilight just shook her head in bemusement. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t.” The rest of us followed and took a seat around the table. The height of the stacks of hay around it still was not high enough for me, so I borrowed a stool from nearby that made things easier for me.

“Does everypony know what they want?” Fluttershy asked while scanning her menu. She was seated next to me on my right while Twilight Sparkle was on my left.

“I’ll be getting the OBG pasta with a side salad.” I replied. For those who have not guessed, OBG stands for Olive oil, Butter, and Garlic respectively.

Twilight smiled at the sound of my suggestion. “I think it’s time I try that too. It looks amazing.”

One by one, we all spoke our entrees to the waiter once he arrived before watching him enter the café. Once he was gone, I asked, “So, you’ve all been to the Grand Galloping Gala before?”

Twilight nodded and replied, “We all went once before. It wasn’t the best experience, but we’re more prepared this time.”

I then asked, “Well, when will we be leaving for it?”

Rainbow Dash replied, “We’ll be heading out at the train station sometime around 4 pm. It takes over an hour to go up the mountain. Took even longer to go by pony-drawn carriage that last time.”

“Can’t remember the last time I rode a real train. Is the view nice when going up the mountain?” I asked, expecting the ride to be very enjoyable with an impressive view.

Fluttershy seemed delighted by the notion. “Oh, the ride is just lovely. The best part is when you’re halfway up the mountain. You can see for miles. You just might even see an eagle fly by.”

Pinkie Pie then butted in, “Just make sure you use the bathroom before we go! They have no restrooms on those shorter train rides!”

“I take it you speak from personal experience.” I replied with a smirk.

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes before replying while smiling sheepishly, “Maaaybe.”

I cannot recall what we discussed next, but our entrees and drinks were brought out surprisingly soon. Each of us had ordered a bottle of sarsaparilla, but our entrees varied slightly. Twilight had ordered the same pasta dish I did, Fluttershy ordered a sandwich, Pinkie Pie had ordered a slice of spinach pie, and Rainbow Dash had ordered a heaping bowl of soup.

“Let’s dig in, girls! Oh, and James.” Rainbow Dash spoke as she began to slurp her soup through a straw. It was a shade of red, leading me to suspect it was tomato-based.

As we ate, Fluttershy asked, “Does Rarity have something special for you to wear tonight, James?”

I replied as I removed the lid from my bottled drink, “Yeah. It’s an impressive robe. Have you seen it yet?”

Pinkie Pie spoke in curiosity, “A robe? I never saw anything like that at Rarity’s place.”

Twilight then replied, “I saw it once. I can’t remember it perfectly, but I remember that I was really impressed by it.”

Why is it that only Twilight has seen that robe before? “You haven’t seen it yet? But Rarity made it months ago! Was she hiding it?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. Maybe she’s keeping it hidden to surprise us when you finally wear it.”

Twilight chuckled in anticipation. “If that’s the case, you’re all in for a surprise. I only wish I could recall the details on it.”

After taking a bite from my pasta, I added, “Be patient. You’ll get your chance tonight, girls.”

We continued to chat and laugh together while eating our entrees. I suspect we may have forgotten all about our food and were more into enjoying each other’s company than paying attention to the flavor in our food. And before I knew it, we were all done.

“So yeah, where was I?” Rainbow Dash spoke after mentioning that she had just recently performed her fifth Sonic Rainboom, which I still have yet to see. But she then looked down at her bowl. “Whoa. Done already? Did we finish all of this in ten seconds flat or what?”

Fluttershy seemed a bit uncertain herself. “I didn’t even notice it was gone until just now.”

However, Pinkie Pie just grinned. “I did! Because I finished it off in one bite!”

I rolled my eyes at her silly claim. “You and that extendable jaw of yours.”

Pinkie Pie giggled as she replied, “Oh, it’s not extendable. I’m just part alligator! Their jaws open reeeally wide!”

Twilight rolled her eyes as well. “That explains your choice in pets. Wait a minute… Seriously? You’re part alligator?!”

Pinkie Pie smirked smugly. “Nope! Just messing with you!” The rest of us burst into laughter, but Twilight simply frowned with an irritated expression.

Once we had left the payment on the table, the five of us walked southeast through Ponyville. “Is now a good time for us to stop by the Carousel Boutique to get ready for the gala?” I asked, merely following my companions and probably repeating myself more often than needed.

“I think it’s about time we visit. It’ll take us a while to get ready.” Twilight Sparkle replied while looking up at me.

Fluttershy added, “We need to take a lot of steps to make sure we’re all ready. This is an event that happens only once a year. And only if you’re directly invited.”

Rainbow Dash then spoke up, “Yeah. You have to be just as awesome as yours truly to get invited to the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Pinkie Pie then jumped in glee as she squealed, “Ooh, ooh! That means you’re totally super awesome, James! You must be to have been referred to directly in that invite a while back!”

I grinned shyly, somewhat flattered by that level of praise. “Oh, come on. I’m nothing special. I’m only human.”

The four mares stopped, looked at each other, and then smiled at me in unison. “You’re special to us, James.” Twilight spoke with her purple eyes gazing up at me.

Rainbow Dash nodded while spreading her wing and somehow imitating a human hand giving a thumbs-up. “Yeah, definitely. I feel totally lucky to have an awesome dude like you as a friend.”

Pinkie Pie then started hopping up and down in front of me. “Yeah! You’re the only human in Equestria! That makes you extra special! And you’re our friend, which makes us specialer than most other ponies.” She then stopped and looked away from me with a hoof on her chin. “Hang on. Is that even a real word? Specialer?”

Fluttershy then hovered up to me and looked me in the eye. “You’ve always been nothing but a good thing to us, James. We love you and we always will.”

My girlfriend’s words genuinely touched me. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside me as well as a subtle urge to shed a tear or two. I reached out and embraced her, the feel of her arms embracing me occurring immediately afterward. “Aw... I love all you girls too.”

Seconds later, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “C’mon, lovebirds. Don’t waste time getting all sappy! We’ve got a gala to prep for!”

Fluttershy and I promptly released our grips on each other and grinned sheepishly. “Oh, yes… Um, sorry about that. Lead on, please.” She replied to Rainbow Dash with a slight blush of what I guess was mild embarrassment.

“Yeah, we’ll follow.” I added. We continued on, Fluttershy constantly staying right beside me.

A short while later, we stood before Rarity’s home. But just before either of us could knock, a familiar voice called out behind us. “Howdy, girls! Hey there, James! Y’all gettin’ ready for the Grand Gallopin’ Gala?”

Each of us turned to face the owner of the voice and found Applejack trotting towards us. “Hey, AJ! Ready to party?” Pinkie Pie asked in a cheery tone.

“I dunno ‘bout partyin’, but I’m set ta rake in some bits with my new apple recipes.” The farm pony replied with a confident grin.

Rainbow Dash then spoke up, “In that case, I’ll have to let the Wonderbolts know! I know Soarin will want one of your pies again.”

Twilight then asked, “Well, since we’re all here, how about we go get ready? I know Rarity’s eager to get started by now.” With a nod, I knocked on Rarity’s front door and waited.

Not even ten seconds later, the door opened. “Welcome to… Oh, hello! Are you all prepared to indulge in my personal beauty treatment before the best night of our lives?” Rarity spoke with great enthusiasm upon seeing us.

“You know it, Rarity. And James is here too!” Twilight replied while glancing up at me. I followed-up with a wave and smile.

As soon as she gazed at me, Rarity’s eyes twinkled in excitement. “Oh, darling, I can hardly wait to see you in your attire! Please, do come in!” We all entered in a row, although I was careful to mind my head. I did not want a case of déjà vu to happen.

“You all go right ahead, darlings. I need a moment with our guest of honor.” Rarity spoke with a smirk. As instructed, the five other mares headed down the hall while Rarity led me upstairs.

“Ooooh, I’ve been looking forward to this evening for so long, James!” Rarity squealed while I followed her closely.

“Are you really that excited about me wearing that robe, Rarity?” I asked, not used to seeing the elegant refined unicorn mare this excited over anything.

“I most certainly am, James. I can’t wait for everypony at the gala to see that masterpiece on one of the finest gentlemen I know!” Rarity replied while looking at me over her shoulder.

“Finest gentlemen? Me? I dunno about that…” I retorted while turning my gaze to the floor to make sure I did not trip while going up the stairs.

“James, darling. You may not have the etiquette of a perfect gentleman, but you have the heart of one. That is what truly matters.” She then turned and rested her hoof on my chest, her face now level with my own due to her being on a higher elevation than me. “I have learned to judge ponies…I mean people by how they are on the inside. And you are truly a fine man, James.”

I gently placed my hand over Rarity’s hoof, taking in her words. “Really…?”

Rarity smiled while also giving me a wink. “I have a discerning eye, darling. I know a gentleman when I see one. But enough stalling. We need to get you ready for your Canterlot debut!” She began trotting upstairs again, myself trying to keep up.

Just as I thought we were going to enter Rarity’s bedroom, she stopped in front of the bathroom. “First thing’s first. Make sure you wash up before you put your formal attire on.”

I nodded, understanding how Rarity is about cleanliness. “All right then. As for an undershirt, will this one do?” I motioned my hand in front of the white t-shirt I was wearing, Rarity’s cutie mark being displayed prominently on the left side of my chest.

I noticed a very faint blush on Rarity’s face. “Oh, James… Of all things, you want to wear my colors to the Grand Galloping Gala?”

I smiled while glancing down at her cutie mark on my chest. “I can’t think of a more fitting way to thank you for that amazing robe.”

My former landlady looked up at me with a warm smile. “I am honored you have chosen to ‘wear’ me with that robe this evening. Now, in you go. I can hardly wait to see you in the entire outfit.” Just as she took a few more steps towards the stairs, Rarity looked over her shoulder at me. “You’ll find your clothing inside my bedroom. Try not to make a mess, darling.”

“Will do, Rarity. See you soon.” I replied, watching her move out of sight before I entered the bathroom.

Nothing worth noting occurred while I bathed. But once I got out, I only put my shirt and boxers back on while lugging around my shoes, socks, and shorts. Heh, the three S’s. In any case, I moved on to Rarity’s bedroom with my spare clothes in my arm.

Once I was inside, I immediately noticed my robe hanging from a stand that just happened to be set up next to the window. With the sunlight shining in, the gold threads woven into the fabric shimmered beautifully. I was literally awestruck at first, walking around the robe for a few minutes just to admire Rarity’s unique masterpiece. And it is all mine.

Before I could the robe on, I happened to notice a black pair of pants on a desk nearby with a pair of polished black boots complete with shiny brass buckles. Rarity certainly had planned ahead to make certain every last part of my attire was made for the evening. I set down my casual clothing on the desk before pulling my socks back on. I then slid on my new pants, then my boots, and finally my robe. Gently, I might add.

Once I was fully clothed, I took a moment to look at myself in the closest full-length mirror. It was a bit short for my size, so I had to hunker over just to see my face. The spread out night sky nebula colorations of the robe really gave me a mysterious allure, and the black leather boots also went quite well with it. My white undershirt could be seen through the crease below my neck, but it did not matter in the long run. I was ready and looked, dare I say, dashing.

After combing my hair and cleaning my glasses only to remember that the lenses repel all dust and grime resulting in them always being spotless, I went downstairs to check on the six mares. But when I knocked on the door into the room they were in, I heard Rarity yelp, “Ah, not yet, James! We’re not quite decent!”

However, I then heard Applejack retort, “Uh, Rarity? I’m not one ta repeat myself, but we don’t normally wear clothes.” This prompted an amused smirk out of me.

Despite Applejack’s reminder, Rarity remained right behind the door. “I suppose… Well… James? I do not want to be a bother, but could you please wait for us at the station? I would love for you to see all of us once our preparations are complete. We shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Unfazed, I replied, “OK then. Take your time. Just make sure you don’t miss the train.” After checking my pocket to make sure I had my ticket for the GGG in it, I left the Carousel Boutique and made my way to the local train station.

Since I had never used the train station before, I had to ask around for some directions to properly locate it since I had not memorized it due to lack of visits. I also drew a lot of stares, more than likely due to my attire shimmering in the sunlight. I did not mind this level of attention, knowing that they could not possibly be looking at my clothes out of amusement. Rarity does not make her creations look silly.

I found the train station at the northeastern edge of Ponyville. The station itself had little around it, probably to allow for more space to unload cargo. The station was quite small, with no signs of a door to enter aside for one with a sign that read ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ in the middle.

Minutes later, I noticed the train pulling in from the right. It was a steam locomotive pulling around five or so cars. The locomotive itself was…well… The dominant color was pink, as well as there being some heart-shaped decorations. The windshield at the front was heart-shaped as well. The roofs of the cars were pink, magenta, or a very bright yellow. As far as trains go, it was a little small for me. But what do you expect in a town where the primary inhabitants are ponies that stand less than half as high as me when down on all fours? And with colors like that, is Equestria a female-dominated society? I do not really mind, but seeing all these shades of pink is starting to make me feel a bit awkward about being a man. Maybe I will just get used to it after spending a full year here.

The doors on each car opened, followed immediately by a few ponies departing from them. Some of them looked familiar, but I could not recall their names. It is not like am I friends with absolutely everyone I meet. Regardless, they all flashed a fleeting glance at me as they passed me before disembarking from the station.

I stood under the overhang just above the ticket counter to stay out of the sun. Right behind me, I heard a man speak, “Can I help you, sir?”

I turned and saw an earth pony stallion on the other side of the glass at the ticket counter. He was wearing the hat and shirt of a railway officer. The attire of said officers tend to vary by country where I come from, so use your imagination on what the uniform looked like. I replied to him, “I’m just waiting for the train and my friends to join me. We have tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala tonight.”

The ticket clerk grinned in surprise. “Whoa, the Grand Galloping Gala?! You’re one lucky guy. Who’s all going with you?”

Just before I could reply, a voice spoke from behind me. “That’d be us, sugarcube. Sorry if we kept ya waitin’, James.”

Recognizing the voice as Applejack’s, I promptly turned around. “Nah, you didn’t keep…me… Whoa.” Standing before me were my six dearest friends, although each of them was now clad in a dress of varying styles.

Rarity smirked as she gave me one of her alluring gazes. “I see someone is blushing. Does our friend like what he’s seeing?”

I have already described the appearance of Rarity’s dress in a previous entry, so I will not bother repeating it. I will try my best to describe the rest of them in order. Twilight’s dress seemed to be the simplest in design, but was still stunning nonetheless. It was a dress that somewhat resembled a cape or cloak, being varying shades of blue with many star designs woven in. Some of these stars were affixed to her arms above her light blue shoes. They almost seemed to be made of a shiny metal or even glass. And lastly, another star was attached to her right ear like an earring. A fairly basic design, but it suited her so well.

Next was Applejack. Now, I must admit her attire did not seem to be a dress per se, but it was still the most stylish western getup I had ever laid eyes on. She was still wearing a Stetson hat, although I noticed a pair of small red apple patches on the underside of the brim right above her face. I suspect it was a brand new one modified by Rarity herself. Her blond mane and tail had been styled into braids and she was now wearing a pair of stylish boots on just her front hooves. They were mostly a light green with a red and white rim around the tops. Around the ankles, there was a thin leather strap with a red apple brooch. She seemed to be wearing a garment that resembled a brown saddle over her dress, which I should mention was not as long or flowing as the other five. The dress was mostly light green with a white band near the bottom that sported red apple symbols, plus light brown tassels at the bottom. She was also wearing a green collar of sorts on her neck, which was held in place by a red apple brooch. While her attire was certainly not nearly as classy as the others, it was still bursting with country charm and probably the most detail without looking rugged.

I think I will describe Pinkie Pie’s dress next. I was actually surprised by how good she looked. I was expecting something outlandish and silly, and while it certainly matched her silly personality and addiction to anything sweet, it was still a dress that looked quite stylish. She was wearing pink shoes with little blue and white striped bowties on top. She was wearing an equally colored and striped vest around her shoulders with a big pink bowtie at the base of her neck. The bottom of her dress, which took up quite a bit of space due to her tail holding it up underneath, was the same shade of pink as her mane. Near the bottom was a light blue stripe with pink bows between every dip in the line. On her head rested a hat that was very similar in design to the hat always worn by Mr. Cake, only the coloration differed vastly. The color around the bottom was blue while the top was a pale blue. Attached to the side was a pink bow with a yellow center that brought to mind a flower. At her waistline, three frills connected the dress. One of Pinkie’s coat color, then one of her mane color, and lastly the largest being white as vanilla icing with a ring of lollipops and candy corn adorning it. I must hand it to Rarity, she has excellent attention to detail to the point of being able to make embroidering look just like real candy……or is it actually real candy glued on with marshmallow spread? I suppose I could find out the hard way, but best not do anything that might anger Rarity. And come to think of it, was the last time Pinkie Pie wore that dress two years ago during her first visit to the GGG? Then that means… Ick. Who wants stale two-year-old candy? The fact that they were still there means that even Pinkie Pie would never consider eating them. And if even SHE will not eat them, they clearly must be little more than junk that is only good for decoration at this point. But I digress.

I shall describe Rainbow Dash next. Her dress seemed to be a rainbow-striped garment that was cape-like while having cloud-like ruffs around the edges. A golden wreath hung down between her ears while a necklace with what seemed to be a shiny bunch of purple grapes hung from her neck. Of course, I am certain it was a glass replica, as no one in their right mind would wear real fruit with a dress. The design was topped off with a pair of shiny yellow 'sandals' on the forelegs with interweaving strips of fabric. Overall, the design reminded me of an ancient Roman hero. Certainly a design befitting Rainbow Dash's character. What was more, I saw something on her that I never once expected to see. Her mane had been tied into a ponytail. Heh, since when do ponies wear their tails on their heads? Oh wait, there is Applejack... Never mind.

Lastly… Oh my. Fluttershy. Her dress looked as if it had been crafted from nothing more than the fat of the land itself. The long flowing backside of the dress seemed to be composed of long green leaves. A light blue sash hung across the middle of the dress while being adorned with even lighter blue leaf shapes. Near the bottom of the dress was a very thin yellow line with small flowers of varying shades of yellow, white, and blue. Her shoes were just as green as her dress, but a pair of what seemed to be leafy vines was spiraling up her forelegs to her knees. Her dress looked like a tuft of leaves at the area around her neck, which was held in place by a large light blue butterfly-shaped brooch. An earring of identical design, but not identical size, was attached to her left ear. What was more, her mane had been styled into having several curled ends with both bangs being combined into one on one side of her head. Her lovely pink mane was studded with several small flower clips that shared the same colors as the ones on her dress. Fluttershy’s attire was one of my favorites, probably with only Rarity’s dress beating it out. But what I found curious is that for someone so shy, Fluttershy’s dress was showing off quite a bit of skin… I mean coat. I could even see part of her cutie mark. But then again, forest nymphs are not exactly modest in terms of clothing.

“Just… Wow. You girls are a feast for the eyes.” I muttered, simply blown away by those six masterpieces before me.

Twilight smiled while taking a step forward. “Rarity made each of these to perfectly compliment the pony who wears them. Do they suit us well?”

My eyes scanned my companions for about three seconds before I replied, “I’d certainly say so. But now that we’re all here… Wait, are we forgetting someone?”

Just before anyone could reply, I heard a distant shout. “Wait for me!” We all turned to look at the end of the station and saw Spike running towards us while wearing a black tuxedo jacket with a red bowtie. “Phew… Sorry if I kept you waiting. I still had some books to sort before I checked the clock. Am I late?”

Rainbow Dash replied with an eager grin. “Nope! We just got here ourselves. That’s all eight of us, right?”

To check, each of us pulled out our tickets. Each of the eight slips of paper shimmered like gold in the sunlight. Pinkie Pie grinned while counting. “One, two, three, skip a few, eight! That’s all of us!”

Fluttershy then spoke while glancing at the passenger car behind me, “I think we should board now. It looks like the passengers from the last trip have already left.”

Before we could board, I asked, “Hang on. Is our fare already paid for?”

Rarity nodded as she and the rest of our friends began to make their way forward. “Princess Celestia has already gone through the liberty of providing us with a prepaid train ride. Do not trouble yourself with it, dear.”

Minding my head, I ducked the doorway into the closest train car once the rest of my friends had entered. I heard the conductor call out, the sound of steam being released from the locomotive, and then the sudden jerking of the train car as I began my first commercial train ride in years.

I took a seat by a window, the back of the seat being divided by an artistically designed green glass barrier that dipped low at the center. In a matter of minutes, the train had cleared Ponyville’s borders and was now heading north across a vast meadow. “First time out of Ponyville since getting lost in the Everfree Forest.” I muttered to myself.

I have long had a deep fascination with trains since my early childhood. And although my passion for them may have diminished as I grew older, they still have an endearing allure. I found myself just enthralled by the scenery zipping by, not really paying any mind to my seven companions as I rested my elbow on the windowsill.

“Wonderful view, is it not?” I heard Rarity speak just behind me.

I turned to look at her and nodded. “Trains have a special place in my life. I was obsessed with them as a kid.”

Rarity giggled as she took a seat on the bench opposite to me. She relaxed on it quite comfortably, her arms folded on the soft cushion. “They always seem to have such a romantic flair to them.”

The two of us continued to watch the scenery go by while hardly saying a word. But as we ended up heading towards the mountain Canterlot sat upon, we passed through a tunnel that had been dug out of the mountainside. In the darkness, I felt something push up against me. I did not pay it any mind, but when we reached the other side of the tunnel and light had filled the train car again, I noticed that Rarity was now on the same bench as me, leaning against me gently as she looked out the window.

“I hope you do not mind me being right here, James.” Rarity spoke softly next to me.

I replied while momentarily surprised, “Um… It’s no trouble.” I gently placed my hand on Rarity’s right hoof as the train curved around the mountain. But as I adjusted my grip slightly, I felt my fingers caress the bracelet she always wore. “You’re still wearing this?” I asked quietly.

Rarity glanced down at her hoof, the opals on the silver bracelet shimmering with a prismatic effect. “I wear it every single day. It’s one of my most precious possessions.” She then whispered happily, “Thank you again for this, James. I will never depart with it.”

As she spoke those words, my grip on her hoof tightened slightly. After spending a full eight months in Ponyville, I can safely say that Rarity has become my best friend. I do my best to not put her before my other friends, but she is probably a bit more precious to me than most other ponies. Then again, she was the first pony to actually help me when I came here. I leaned my head against hers slightly and whispered, “Never change, Rarity.”

She replied with a whisper of her own. “Never change, James.”

As Rarity and I watched the scenery go by, I discovered that the mountain Canterlot is built upon is not just a mountain, but part of a small mountain range. The train curved along the mountain range many times, even crossing a large bridge that spanned a river with a waterfall tumbling down below it.

As we drew closer, I realized that the hulking fortress that is always visible from Ponyville is not actually Canterlot itself, but probably the royal palace where Princess Luna and Princess Celestia reside. It seems to stand at the far edge of Canterlot while the city itself is impossible to see from such a distance. The train crossed a small stone bridge over a small river, a pair of booths on the sides with what seemed to be a pair of pegasus guards donning gold armor while holding spears up in one of their ankle joints that were even taller than they are. They seemed to be nothing more than part of a security checkpoint. I suppose that even Equestria, being the borderline paradise it is, is not entirely without troublemakers.

Regardless, we passed through the checkpoint without incident. I heard the locomotive hiss as steam was released. I then noticed that the sun was in the process of setting, the night not far away. “Wow, how long was that ride?” I asked, having completely lost track of time.

Pinkie Pie did a quick hop as she cheered, “Yay, it’s almost time to PAR TAY!”

Applejack replied while chuckling, “Easy there, sugarcube. Keep that up and they’ll toss ya out.”

Perhaps it is just me, but as we departed from the train in single file, I got the impression from watching my friends’ movements that if the proper music was playing from somewhere nearby this would make for a good start to a musical scene in a movie or something similar….. Maybe I should not try to wrap my head around that thought too much.

The train station was much more open than the one in Ponyville. It certainly had plenty of room for an interior, with plenty of arched windows showing it. However, we did not have enough time to go inside and check it out. The Grand Galloping Gala was our destination.

“So…this is Canterlot?” I asked, having never set foot in a city literally built into the side of a mountain.

Twilight smiled while she looked up at me. “Nice place, isn’t it? I used to live here before moving to Ponyville. If we’re lucky, you just might see my parents or brother.”

I nodded once, but froze as I processed her words. “Yeah, may…. Wait a minute. Brother?” I gave Twilight a bemused stare and asked, “I’ve known you for eight months and you never told you have a brother?!”

At the mention of this, the rest of our companions turned to face Twilight with Applejack speaking first. “Come ta think of it, we knew ya for two years before we found out ‘bout ‘im.”

Twilight glanced back and forth at us without ever moving her head. Only her eyes. Her face had turned as red as a tomato before she spoke, “Um… Sorry?”

I cannot recall the last time I saw Twilight look so flustered about anything. Although I must confess that forgetting to mention any of your family members to your friends after knowing them for two full years is a rather embarrassing slip of one’s mind. Regardless, I raised my hands and smiled, “Meh, don’t worry about it. Let’s just get going.”

Twilight nervously chuckled, “Eheheh, right…” She led us on; guiding us through the city she knew more of than the rest of us.

One thing I found out about Canterlot right away is the general scale of its architecture. It is gigantic when compared to Ponyville. Every last piece of architecture there towers over the buildings in Ponyville. The designs were always elegant with each structure being topped with varying designs of spires. The dominant color of the buildings around me was porcelain white. I also noticed that most of the ponies around us were dressed very elegantly, probably various types of fashion trends popular with the wealthy. I also noticed that the majority of the ponies we passed were unicorns. Nearly all of them had their heads held high. In fact, one pair had their heads tilted so far back; I thought they were looking at something right above them. When I looked up and saw nothing, I realized that they had their eyes closed.

After no more than a few minutes of walking through that magnificent city, I began to find myself longing for Ponyville. Say what you will about me, but although it may be a place I would like to vacation in, I really do not fancy the idea of ever living in Canterlot. The city comes off as being too ritzy and uptight to me. I prefer areas of simplicity and coziness like humble Ponyville. Granted, I do not hate Canterlot, but it is certainly a place I do not want to spend too much time in. That, and the various ponies around me keep giving off a somewhat chilly vibe.

Speaking of those, dare I say, hoity-toity ponies, as soon as one would detect me, he or she would instantly stop and stare. I was getting the exact same reception I got when I set foot in Ponyville for the very first time.

I quickened my pace so as to be closer to my friends in case something went wrong. The feeling of knowing that all of these upper class and probably very judgmental ponies were now gazing at me sent an unpleasant chill through my body. While not as nervous as I was when I first came to Equestria, the attention I was receiving was not enjoyable.

I noticed some of my gawkers were whispering to each other. Had they heard of me? Before they could stare any further, Rarity suddenly stopped in front of me before turning her gaze to several of the staring ponies.

“Don’t all you ladies and gentlecolts know it is rude to stare?” She spoke with a defiant tone, turning her gaze up to me. At her words, the ponies around us stopped staring and went on with their business.

I looked down at Rarity, grateful she had shooed the gawkers away. “Thanks, Rarity.”

My beloved unicorn companion beamed triumphantly. “I want your first visit to Canterlot to be as pleasant as possible. Just stay near me and everything will turn out fine so long as I have any say in the matter.”

I continued to follow my companions through the city before we found ourselves looping around what seemed to be a very large and beautifully designed complex structure. Something that large could only be meant for royalty. While I could plainly see an entrance up ahead, it seemed to not be the one we were looking for.

Not much later, with the stars just starting to come out, we found ourselves following a path that led to the very outskirts of the city with the palace just to our right at a fork in the road. Many ponies were going about their business on the grassy lawns while carriages were coming and going that, oddly enough, were being pulled by ponies that seemed to be dressed for the Grand Galloping Gala. What are they, valets pulling carriages in for parking? And why would ponies be pulling carriages that contain other ponies? Then again, I doubt there are any simple workhorses in this world as all equines I have seen thus far are the dominant sentient creatures of this land.

I looked on, loving the beautiful night sky adorning the skyline above the palace and out to the west. A waterfall poured down the side of the mountain to our right, filling a basin littered with lily pads and lotus flowers before passing under a drawbridge and down the side of the rest of the mountain. As for the palace itself… Do not even try to ask me how to describe it. Numerous spires with shades of gold atop a palace of mostly porcelain white. The design is too intricate to effectively put into words. “Wow…” It was all I could say.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Twilight Sparkle asked me as she stood to my left with Applejack and Rainbow Dash beside her.

“That doesn’t do it justice, Twi.” I replied, still somewhat awestruck by the site of the GGG’s location.

Fluttershy then spoke, “Just wait until you reach the inside. It’s a palace like no other.”

Rarity then proudly stepped forward as she said, “Without further ado… Shall we?” We all nodded and marched along the path that led into the palace, three of my friends on each side of me with Spike right in front of me. With him being so small, it is easy to forget he is there at times.

Upon crossing the drawbridge, I found myself just inside what seemed to be a lobby with a very large golden door at the other end of the relatively small room. It was then I realized something. “I don’t have to duck to walk through doorways in here? What sorcery is this?!” All seven of my companions burst into laughter. Seriously, finding this place with doorways that reached high enough so I would not have to mind my head was a massive change of pace for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOSqLVdGB1A&t=

Once the doors had been opened, we entered to find a large room with a stairwell up ahead. The red carpet at my feet trailed off to the right and straight ahead down separate hallways. The stairwell led up to a pair of stained-glass windows with two more stairwells leading up at the sides. And standing before the two windows was… “James!”

My train of thought was wrecked when I head someone call my name. I adjusted my gaze and saw none other than Princess Luna running down the stairwell before me. “Wha… Luna!” I replied, holding out my arms to catch her as she flew into my arms and embraced me tightly.

Rainbow Dash just let out a laugh. “Looks like somepony was looking forward to seeing you, James!” I could only smirk with a slight blush. At least I think I was blushing.

Luna spoke with her face next to my ear, “I could hardly sleep last night. I was just so excited to be able to welcome you into my home, dear friend.”

“In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect. I’m glad you’re here though, Luna.” I replied, my arms caressing her back while her wings beat in a steady rhythm to stay off the floor.

I heard the sound of hooves clopping before a voice spoke to me, “You were all she talked about yesterday, James. Maybe now she can change the subject.” I looked to my right and found Princess Celestia looking at me with a smile.

“Princess Celestia!” I heard Twilight speak before she and the other six bowed before her and Luna.

“Oh, please, you don’t have to do that. You are my guests this evening, not my subjects.” Celestia waved her hoof to make them rise.

I then released my grip on Luna as she dropped to the ground. “You are free to go wherever you desire within the palace. Please do enjoy yourselves.”

Twilight then smiled as she turned to our friends. “Remember the plan, girls. Let’s all stick together so we can have a fun night with friends.” The other six voiced their approval in unison. Twilight then looked up at Celestia and asked, “Will it be possible for us to talk tonight?”

Celestia looked down at Luna, who winked at her. She then looked back to Twilight and nodded. “We can start right now. Luna and I will swap places every thirty minutes.”

“Swap places for what?” I asked, uncertain of what she meant.

“Welcoming our guests. I never get any time to enjoy the gala myself because the guests don’t stop coming until well into the night. But with Luna here, we can share the duty so we both get some time to ourselves.” Celestia replied, gently nudging Luna’s shoulder.

Luna smiled confidently. “Leave the guests to me for now, sister. Just make sure you’re here in thirty minutes.” She then went airborne and embraced me again. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes. All right?”

I nodded in understanding and responded with a smile. “Looking forward to it, Luna.” I then watched as she flew up to the top of the stairwell before landing and greeting a pair of unicorn mares before they walked past her and up the stairs to the right.

Rarity smiled as she motioned for us to follow her. “Right this way, dears. At least I hope everything is where it was last time.” We then proceeded to follow her down the hall off to the room’s left. Or right, depending on which direction one was facing.

All the while, Twilight and Celestia were locked in conversation discussing things about ‘magic’ this and ‘books’ that. The first room we came to was a very spacious area with a very high ceiling. Many ponies seemed to be locked in conversation or dancing in the middle of the room while an earth pony quartet played music nearby. But for some reason, my gaze fell upon one particular unicorn stallion. He seemed to be speaking to a pair of royal guards. The first thing I noticed right away is that his cutie mark is nearly identical to Twilight Sparkle’s, the only difference being that the pink six-pointed star was set upon a dark blue shield with three stars above it. And he was wearing… Wait a minute. I was quick to recognize that jacket. His attire completely matched the outfit Silver Spoon had worn during Nightmare Night. He was wearing shiny black shoes while his mane and tail were a dark blue and sky blue in stripes. His coat was white while his eyes were light blue. While his stature was identical to Big Macintosh’s, his muzzle structure was a bit more angular. Could this stallion be Shining Armor?

Before I could ponder the identity of the unicorn any further, he turned and seemed to gaze in my general direction. He suddenly called out, “Twily!”

At those words, Twilight immediately turned her attention away from Celestia and faced him instead. “Armor!” She replied with an ecstatic smile. The two unicorns ran towards each other and embraced each other upon coming within range.

“Lemme guess… That’s her brother?” I asked while looking at Celestia.

“Why don’t you go over to them and ask?” She replied with a chuckle. I was about to, but I felt a twinge of nervousness fill my heart. I am normally not comfortable approaching people I do not know very well unless I absolutely must, especially if they are family of my friends. Therefore, I waited a brief moment before Twilight looked in my direction and motioned for me to approach her.

“James, come here! I want you to meet somepony.” Twilight called out. Still feeling somewhat nervous, I walked over to her. As I did so, I noticed ‘Armor’ constantly observing me with a calm smile. Once I was standing before him, Twilight spoke, “James, I would like you to meet Shining Armor. My big brother.”

I was hardly surprised that… Wait! During Nightmare Night, Silver Spoon went dressed up as Twilight’s own brother?! I can only imagine what she must have said upon seeing that filly. In any case, the fact that this unicorn was Twilight’s brother did not surprise me after seeing his cutie mark. Twilight then spoke, “Armor, I’d like you to meet James. The only human in Equestria.”

Shining Armor nodded while looking up at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about you, James.”

I meekly replied, “Uh… Thanks. You’re captain of the royal guards?”

He replied promptly, “Sure am. Only tonight I’m off duty to enjoy the Grand Galloping Gala.”

Twilight then whispered to me, “To be honest, he had to compromise to have enough time to attend. The real reason he wanted to attend this year was because he knew you would be attending.”

I was puzzled by just why the captain of Canterlot’s security forces wanted to meet me so badly. He then asked, “So, I heard you showed up around eight months ago? How’s life in Equestria been treating you?”

I replied briefly, “Excellent. No complaints.”

Somehow, Shining Armor seemed to detect my nervousness. He chuckled as he spoke, “Oh, come on. Don’t be so uptight. You don’t have to be nervous around me! I know you’re great friends with my sister. Any friend of Twilight is a friend of mine.”

I nodded while trying to relax. “OK… So, you and Twilight are siblings? And you’re the captain of the guard?” When Shining Armor nodded, I exclaimed, “What’s the deal with your family having such high-profile standings in society? You being captain of the entire security force and Twilight being Celestia’s star pupil. What’s your secret?”

Twilight and Armor looked at each other with bemused expressions before facing me. Twilight then smiled awkwardly as she retorted, “Ummm… Luck?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, it’s not a big deal. Sorry if I struck a nerve.”

Shining Armor let out a brief laugh. “Nah, it’s OK. I often get asked how I got to the top of the ranks anyway. And I really have no way to answer that.”

Before we can converse further, Twilight asked, “Oh, right. Armor, is Cadence here?”

Shining Armor nodded before carefully scanning the room. “Yeah, she’s here. She went off over….. Ah, right over there.”

I scanned the group of ponies and immediately noticed an odd sight. Among the group of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, there stood a lone alicorn. She certainly had the same body type as Celestia and Luna, although her overall size was just slightly larger than the average pony.

Her coat color was a light pink, her eyes being purple. Her mane and tail were fairly long and endearingly curled and styled, giving a quaint, elegant, yet caring air to her. The coloration of her mane and tail consisted of stripes of pastel hues of purple, pink, and yellow. She was wearing pale gold shoes styled similarly to Celestia’s, an equally pale gold band around the base of her neck, and a small crown on her head that was identical to the one worn by Diamond Tiara during Nightmare Night. Only this time it was quite real. Lastly, her cutie mark depicted what seems to be an aquamarine gemstone shaped like a heart with gold lace below it.

Twilight seemed to immediately become excited and ran closer to the alicorn before calling out, “Cadence!”

I recognized the name, and watched as Cadence turned and ran towards Twilight. “Twilight! So good to see you!”

Shining Armor smirked and winked up at me. “Just watch. This is gonna be cute.”

I did as I was told and watched as Twilight and Cadence suddenly began to perform…..the most adorable thing together I had seen in a while. First, they hopped in place then ducked low while covering their eyes with their hooves before raising them as if playing peek-a-boo. They then sat down on their haunches and tapped their hooves together one at a time. They then stood up, stood side-by-side, and wiggled their rumps while still maintaining eye contact. All the while, they chanted, “Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

Immediately after their little skit, Twilight and Cadence gave each other a warm embrace. Shining Armor then asked, “Whatcha think of that?”

I smirked while suppressing a snicker. “Cutest thing I’ve seen all month.” I then followed him over to the two mares.

“Cadence? Twilight and I would like you to meet someone.” Armor spoke as Twilight and Cadence turned to face us. I stood silently, unsure of how to address Cadence. Granted, Celestia and Luna are certainly not above acting casually, but I knew absolutely nothing about Cadence, or even if she is really a princess with ruling power or just a noble with the title due to blood ties to the royal sisters.

Twilight held her foreleg out towards me as if to point at me. “Cadence, this is the special friend of mine I wrote to you about. This is James.” I remained rooted to the spot, awaiting Cadence’s response. Twilight then spoke with a smile, “Oh, he’s also pretty shy when meeting new ponies.” She hit the nail on the head right there.

Cadence just chuckled while holding a hoof to her lips. “Oh, there’s no need to be so uptight. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, James.” She then held her hoof out to me. “I am Cadence. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you.”

Feeling a bit more relaxed; I bowed before her and shook her hoof gently. “An honor, Lady Cadence.”

My use of honorifics prompted a meek smile from the alicorn. “Oh, you don’t have to call me that. I don’t have any real ruling power here.”

I rose to my feet in mild surprise. “Oh… Sorry about that. Just not sure of how to address you, being a princess and all.”

Cadence merely smiled at me. “Well, just address me however you would with anypony. I used to be a foalsitter, after all.”

I raised an eyebrow as I put those words together. “A princess? Babysit… I mean foalsitting? Really?”

Twilight giggled eagerly as she jumped into the conversation. “My foalsitter, to be honest. There was no foalsitter better than Cadence.”

Out of nowhere, I remembered Spike. “Hey, Twilight? Any idea where Spike is?”

She replied while scanning the distance, “I think he went with Pinkie Pie to the buffet. Don’t worry about him.”

However, I replied in concern, “He’s with Pinkie Pie? And with nopony else? That’s what worries me.”

Shining Armor chuckled at my words, but I then heard him whisper to Twilight, “By the way, Twily. You still have that crush on him?”

I felt a spike in my body temperature at those words. Twilight seemed equally flustered as she began to sweat. “Armor… I…uh… Can we change the subject?”

The unicorn stallion nodded while almost failing to contain a laugh. “Right, right, sorry. Couldn’t help myself. Well… Hey, is that real gold in your robe, James?”

I glanced down at myself, noticing the gold threads shimmering whenever light was shone upon them. “Hard to believe, but yeah. Made by Lady Rarity herself….. Huh?” I paused as I noticed Rainbow Dash jumping up and down, trying to get someone’s attention during the brief seconds she was above the crowd of ponies. “Twi, is she trying to get your attention or mine?”

Twilight glanced over at the rowdy pegasus before glancing back at me. “You, of course. I think she wants to show you something.”

“Oh... Whoops. In that case, let’s talk again in a little while, guys.” I replied before starting to step away from her.

Cadence smiled and waved her hoof to bid farewell for the moment. “I’m looking forward to it, James.”

Shining Armor too bid me farewell with a smile. “We’ll be around. If you need help finding us, just ask the guards.” I nodded and waved before hurrying over to Rainbow Dash.

“Excuse me… Pardon me… OK, what’s up, Rainbow?” I asked once I managed to push my way through the crowd of ponies.

My pegasus friend grinned at me. “Ooh, I need ya to meet someone! You’re gonna flip!” She then trotted over to a pair of pegasi. I followed as she called out, “Spitfire, Soarin! Here he is!”

The two pegasi, a mare and stallion, were locked in conversation and were wearing some most peculiar outfits. Instead of a vest or dress, both were wearing full-body jumpsuits. While they cover most of the body, the muzzle, ears, wings, mane and tail are left exposed. I recognized the blue and yellow jumpsuits right away. “The Wonderbolts?”

The pegasus mare looked in my direction and grinned. Her goggles were up, allowing me to get a good view of her orange eyes. Her mane and tail were styled in a wild windswept look, containing streaks of fiery orange. Her muzzle and wings were a shade of fiery yellow. I immediately guessed that she is Spitfire. “So, we finally meet. And you’re the lone human everypony in Equestria’s talking about?”

I raised an eyebrow, finding that claim to be a bit of a stretch. “Hang on. Everypony in the land? What’s that all about?”

The stallion of the Wonderbolts faced me.. His mane and tail seemed equally windswept, being shades of dark blue while having green eyes. His wings and muzzle were a very light shade of blue. I assumed his name was Soarin. “Are you kidding? When you’re the only one of your kind, and a creature of myth outta the history books, you’re pretty much a minor celebrity if you don't fly under the radar.”

I rolled my eyes at that claim. “Oh, please. I’m not that special. My homeworld has over six or seven billion humans there.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw just dropped. “What the?! Six or seven billion?! I’m amazed they don’t fight over living space!” I decided to not reply to that one.

Spitfire then spoke, “Well, you’re the only human in Equestria. That says… Was that you, Soarin?” We all turned to face him at the sound of a loud grumbling sound.

Soarin chuckled nervously as he replied, “Uh… Sorry about that. I’m always hungry as a horse after a show. I better go grab some grub.”

As I watched Soarin trot out to what I believe is a courtyard, I asked, “Should we follow him? I wanna know where to find some food.”

Spitfire replied as she watched her wingmate trot away, “I’m pretty sure he’s on the prowl for some apple pie. They usually don't have that on the buffet.”

Rainbow Dash then smirked as she added, “And where’s there’s apples…”

I then finished her sentence for her. “There’s Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash and I followed Soarin outside, finding ourselves in a wide-open courtyard decorated with flowering ivy-encrusted pillars with magenta ribbons spread between them. As with everywhere else I had been at the GGG, ponies were everywhere. “There she is.” Rainbow Dash spoke, pointing to Applejack pushing a green box on wheeled legs.

Once she had pushed the box to a spacious enough location, Applejack turned and gave the box a kick. It then opened; spreading out with several shelves popping out of it with a wide variety of apple treats lining them.

As I watched the… Actually, I will say it like this. The sight of the box opening and changing form caused me to very nearly laugh before I spoke in my best southern accent, “She's erectin’ a dispenser.”

Rainbow Dash glanced up at me and asked, “Huh? Dispenser… Oh, I getcha! Apple dispenser! Yeah, that’s what it is!”

The two of us approached the ‘dispenser’ as I took care to make certain there were no spies approaching. I wonder if anyone will know what I meant right there… Anyway, Soarin had lined up in front of the dispenser while Applejack had taken her position behind it like a counter. “Howdy, pardner. What can I getcha?”

Soarin seemed to scan the variety of apple treats, all of which seemed to be very high caliber. I saw a tall cake, apple parfait, apple ice cream, and some others that I did not recognize. “Do you have any of those awesome apple pies?”

Applejack nodded as she reached under the counter and pulled out an apple pie that was as big around as her head. And the ponies of Equestria have some big heads. “Sure do, pardner. I made sure ta stock some for ya Wonderbolt types. That’ll be four bits.”

“Sweet! Thanks!” Soarin replied after tossing Applejack a couple of coins before taking the pie in his mouth and happily trotting away.

“Just like last time. First minute, first sale.” Applejack spoke with a proud grin.

“That’s…uh…quite a variety you have there, AJ. You really didn’t hold back this time, huh?” I asked as I looked over the apple dispenser.

“Yup! I learned too late last time that all these hoity toity Canterlot ponies only like hoity toity cuisine. So I pulled out all the stops and whipped up my best dishes! I’m bound ta get some customers now!” She replied with a smile. “But if ya want, I’ve got some more modest types for y'all. Want any? I’ve got apple fritters, apple fries, caramel apples…”

As I examined the dispenser, a cheeky thought spread through my mind. I probably should not… Oh, I could not help it! “Hey, AJ? Don’t look now, but…” I then leaned in and spoke with my best southern accent, “There’s a spy sappin’ yer dispenser!”

For some reason, Applejack seemed to know exactly what I was talking about. She began to rapidly circle her dispenser, checking for trouble. “A spy?! Where?! Is it one of them no-good Flim Flam brothers?!”

Rainbow Dash began to crack up at Applejack's panic. “Oh man, nice one, James!”

However, Applejack suddenly pulled me down so I was on my knees and got between Rainbow Dash and me before holding us close with her arms over our shoulders. “Nah, yer right, James. Those Flim Flam floppers are always ready ta pull a fast one on the Apple family after that last gig. Well, not this time! I’ve got a lil’ somethin’ special ta stop ‘em in their tracks!”

Rainbow Dash and I watched as Applejack went behind her counter and started rooting around under it somewhere. I asked, “What do you think she’s up to down there?”

My pegasus friend with a deadpan tone. “No clue.”

Applejack waved to us over the counter. “I’ll be a minute, guys. Why don’t ya go have some fun for a while? I’ll have these defenses up in a jiffy!”

Rainbow and I looked at each other. “Defenses? Um, Applejack? I think you might be overreacting to this…” Rainbow Dash spoke up while looking visibly baffled.

“Ain’t no overreactin’ to them dang business rivals! This is serious!” She replied, still out of sight behind her counter.

I shrugged my shoulders in resignation. “OK then. But don’t take too long. You’ve got some customers approaching.” A few ponies were heading right towards the dispenser, probably due to them having seen that tall cake on it.

“Huh?! Oh, that’s just what I needed! Those defenses can wait a bit.” Applejack spoke as she stuck her head up. Rainbow Dash and I decided to let Applejack tend to her customers and headed back inside the palace.

I noticed right away Pinkie Pie just sulking at a table nearby, somberly sipping a glass of punch. “Whoa, what’s wrong with her?” Rainbow Dash asked in concern.

“No idea. But if she looks that down, it must be bad.” I replied while eyeing our friend carefully. I then went over to the abnormally unhappy pink pony with Rainbow Dash by my side.

“Hey there, Pinkie. What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked once we were right next to her.

With a sigh, Pinkie Pie replied, “I was hoping this time, the Grand Galloping Gala would be a little more…you know…fun? But everything’s just as boring as last time!” She then dropped her head onto the table, lazily letting her arms dangle off the sides. “All I wanted was to have a good time.”

I then asked, “Well… Would you like something else to drink?”

Pinkie Pie nodded with a very faint smile. “Sure… Make it sweet.”

I turned to head to the nearest bar, but not before making sure Rainbow Dash would keep an eye on Pinkie Pie while I was gone. I noticed a small portable bar nearby with a unicorn stallion minding it. There was no line, so I casually approached him.

“I’ll take a glass of your sweetest drink, my good sir.” I spoke, trying to sound as refined as possible.

The bartender nodded before levitating up three separate bottles of what I suspect were alcoholic beverages. He then poured some into a metal container before jumbling it for a moment. When he poured the combined liquids into a clear glass, they had taken on a peculiar pink hue. “Heh… That actually looks like Pinkie Pie’s style… Oh, could you add some candy sprinkles to that? If you happen to have any.”

The bartender flashed me a bewildered glance, but did what I asked anyway. He took some candy sprinkles and scattered them atop the drink. “That’ll do. Thank you.” I spoke before taking the glass and heading back towards Pinkie Pie. I was not entirely certain if it is a good idea to give alcohol to someone as unpredictable as Pinkie Pie, but I decided to throw my caution to the wind this time.

Rainbow Dash looked closely at the glass as I approached them. “Whoa, whatcha got there? That’s just as pink as Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie Pie glanced at her drink and her expression immediately brightened. “Ooh, that does look sweet! Thanks!” She then took the glass and chugged the whole thing in one gulp. “Ick… A little strong, but still sweet! Does that make any sense?”

I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Whatever suits you… Uh, Pinkie? What’s with that look?”

In a mere moment, Pinkie’s expression became…odd. Her eyes became dilated while she just sat there doing nothing. Rainbow Dash asked cautiously, “Um… Pinkie?” When she got no response, she turned to me. “James, what’s wrong with her?”

I then asked while standing completely still, “Do you ever get that feeling where you know something really bad is about to hap... Yeesh!” I was suddenly cut off as Pinkie Pie went sailing past me before climbing onto a large elegant pony statue. “Oooooh boy… This can't be good.”

Pinkie Pie began to shout with quite a bit of gusto. “Woo, I’ve got an itch in my hooves that I gotta scratch! Time to get down!” She then rushed over to another pony who was wearing a top hat before grabbing him as if to dance. “Oh yeah, shake those groove things!” I looked on in utter disbelief as I saw my friend just going ape with all the Canterlot ponies, sometimes even tossing them into the air as if she had no idea what she was doing.

It was then that I remembered that alcohol removes one’s inhibitions, not that she had many to begin with. But if every last one of Pinkie Pie’s inhibitions had just been removed… I laughed as I facepalmed, “Ohohoho my god, what have I done?!”

Rainbow Dash gave me an uneasy smile while glancing for the nearest way out of the room. “Nothing we can do about her now, right? Whaddya say we just…um…give her some space?”

We both heard a yelp and jumped out of the way as a pegasus stallion was thrown right at us. “Sounds good to me! Let’s scram!” I replied before the two of us rushed out of the room, just narrowly avoiding the incoming pegasus.

We found Rarity back in the main hall of the palace where Luna was still welcoming guests. “James, Rainbow Dash, what in Equestria is going on in there?!” Rarity asked a bit loudly as a crash was heard somewhere behind us.

I replied quickly, “To be blunt, Pinkie Pie just got wasted on one hard drink.”

Rarity froze as her face changed to a panicked expression. “A hard beverage?! Oh nononono, this is bad! The only hard beverage Pinkie Pie can take without becoming like…well…THAT is hard cider. Anything else will… I think you already saw.”

I groaned in mild frustration, “NOW you tell me!”

Rainbow Dash just laughed it off. “Oh, come on! It’s not like she’s vandalizing the place! Just give her a couple of hours and she’ll be fine!” We felt a sudden tremor and a distant crash right after she said that. “Uh…heheh… I hope?”

Rarity just smiled uneasily, knowing the situation in there was out of our control. “Well… Why don’t we move this a little further away? Besides, I’m certain you must be hungry. Let me show you to the buffet.” We followed the regal unicorn down another hall, hoping Pinkie Pie would keep her antics restricted to that one room.

In the next room, I was greeted by the scent of various foods. I cannot quite recall what was on the menu, but the scent alone made my mouth water. “Shall we?” Rarity asked while motioning for Rainbow Dash and me to follow her to the buffet. We both nodded and got in line. However, Rarity then spoke a moment later, “Hm? Excuse me, sir. Have we met?” She seemed to be speaking to the pony that was in front of her.

The pony looked over at us before speaking in a very strong accent that I could only hope to guess in being German, but even then I am not entirely sure. “Lady Rarity! Looking fabulous as always! And that dress is every bit as stunning as the first time I saw it!” He was an earth pony with a pair of large sunglasses with purple lenses preventing me from seeing his eyes. His coat was a type of bluish gray while his elegantly coifed mane and tail were two shades of gray with his mane being tied into a shape resembling an orb near the end. Along with his sunglasses, he wore white cuffs around his hooves and an impressive vest with a large white collar. Lastly, his cutie mark depicted an elegant folding fan.

“Hoity Toity! So good to see you here. Are you enjoying the Grand Galloping Gala as much as I hope?” Rarity replied while I watched silently.

“Oh, absolutely! I do my best to attend every year! It’s also an effective way to see what styles are ‘in’ at the Grand Galloping Gala. Although your designs never fail to impress.” Hoity Toity replied happily. He seemed oblivious to my presence.

Rarity smiled as she got into the conversation. “Oh yes, so many styles to observe here. But before I forget, there’s someone I want you to meet.” She then turned to me and raised a hoof towards me. “Hoity Toity, it is my honor to introduce you to my wonderful friend. This is James.”

I waved with a smile, unsure of what to say. Hoity Toity gazed at me with his mouth hanging open just a bit. “I heard Equestria’s lone human resident has a unique sense of fashion. And those rumors were quite accurate!” He seemed to be appraising my robe. “The golden threads interweaving through the fabric that resemble the night sky. Such a mesmerizing and mysterious combination. And is that truly REAL gold in there?”

I nodded as I said, “Believe me, it is. I held the bundle and it was HEAVY.” Gold is one of the heaviest metals out there, after all.

Hoity Toity turned to Rarity. “Rarity, how bold! Using actual gold in this masterpiece of clothing? It should be placed in a museum!”

Rarity smiled while holding her head high. “Nonsense! The only place it should be is on James’ body. I put my heart and soul into making this for him.”

“Well, it certainly suits him. And… Oh! The line is moving. Let us talk later.” Hoity Toity spoke as he moved a silver tray down the table the food had been placed on that we were moving along. Rarity did the same and levitated a tray of her own while I carried mine.

I must have been hungry. I piled as much food onto my tray as I could. We had grilled carrots, fresh iceberg lettuce with French dressing and a multitude of toppings, a few more items I cannot quite recall, and teriyaki tofu stir-fry. Ooh yes, that was my favorite item on the menu. “Mmm, this looks simply scrumptious. Let’s take a seat, shall we?”

Rainbow Dash, who had been quiet during Rarity’s conversation with Hoity Toity, spoke up while holding her tray on her head, “How about that spot?” There was an empty table nearby. It, like most other furniture in Equestria, was fairly low to the ground. But I probably had no choice but to make due with what I had.

Rarity seemed to notice the table was too short for me to use with a chair. “Oh my, that’s too low for James. And it won’t do for him to sit on the floor.” Using her magic, she levitated what seemed to be a square pillow over to a spot by the table. “There you go, darling. Shall we?”

I took a seat on the soft velvety pillow, finding it to be very comfortable. “Thanks, Rarity. That did the trick.”

Once we were all seated, with Rarity on my right and Rainbow Dash on my left, we began to dine. “Man, there’s nothing like Canterlot cooking!” Rainbow exclaimed as she tried the stir-fry.

“Isn’t there?” Rarity added, delicately savoring her salad with the grace of any queen.

I nodded in agreement. “It’s all fantastic. Although I probably wouldn’t want it every day. It would stop being special if I did.”

Rarity seemed to agree with me between bites. “Oh, yes. Very true.”

Moments later, the voice of a refined gentleman spoke behind us. “Excuse me, but may I have this seat?”

Rarity’s eyes lit up as she turned to look over her shoulder. “Wahaa… Fancy Pants!”

I tried to not laugh at that name. Fancy Pants? Honestly? I mean, does that name mean the exact same thing as Hoity Toity? Or perhaps Big Wig? Well, regardless, he has one of the oddest names I have ever heard of.

“Ah, Miss Rarity. I heard you would be attending this year. And Miss Rainbow Dash?” Fancy Pants asked with elegance.

Rainbow Dash looked past me and waved. “Hey there!”

Fancy Pants then asked, “And this… Is this that fine fellow I’ve heard nothing but good things about?” I felt myself tense up at those words, knowing he was referring to me.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she put her hoof on my shoulder. “You bet! One of the best friends you’ll ever have! C’mon, James! Say hi!”

I nervously turned in my seat. Standing right behind me was the tallest unicorn stallion I had ever seen, being just slightly taller than even Shining Armor. He was wearing a monocle over his left eye and a black tuxedo jacket. His coat was either white or a very light shade of gray. His eyes matched his mane and tail coloration, being a light azure. He also had a tiny moustache just under his nose. Like Big Macintosh, the fetlocks around his hooves had been trimmed, allowing me to actually see them. Lastly, his cutie mark depicted three golden crowns with purple diamonds in the centers. Uncertain of what to say to this gentleman, I casually waved my hand in greeting. “Um… Good evening.”

Fancy Pants elegantly bowed before me. “It is honor, my good sir. I have been most eager to meet the only human in Equestria.”

I just rolled my eyes at that statement and asked, “Is it just me, or is everypony at the Grand Galloping Gala here JUST to meet me?” My two friends chuckled, as did Fancy Pants.

“My good sir, you are one of a kind. A being that has never been seen in Equestria before. Of course everypony is going to want to know more about you!” Fancy Pants replied jovially. His eyes then seemed to scan me for a moment before adding, “And by the way, that is a most fabulous robe you are wearing.”

I smiled and said, “Miss Rarity made it. I mean, who else could come up with something of this caliber?”

Rarity seemed to blush as she grinned. “Oh, James, you flatter me.”

Fancy Pants smiled while he examined my attire more closely. “Oh, his praise is well placed. You went out of your way to weave real gold into this? Truly no expense was spared here.”

My eyes were directed to Fancy Pants' attire as well. I then asked, “Not to be rude, but if your name is Fancy Pants, then where in the world ARE your pants?”

My question clearly caught the refined gentleman by surprise, his monocle popping off his face and hanging by a string from his collar. “Oh my, that IS a good question. Not living up to my name very well, am I?” Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and I chuckled in unison.

“Perhaps I should go find me a matching pair of trousers. Excuse me for a short while, if you wouldn’t mind.” Fancy Pants spoke before bowing and trotting away.

Rarity then spoke to me, “That was a good question, James. For as long as I’ve known him, Fancy Pants has almost never worn pants.”

I then asked, “Would Shimmering Shirt have been better for him? Or Magnificent Monocle?” Rainbow Dash wordlessly snickered at my words.

Minutes later, I heard some hooves clopping somewhere behind me. I was expecting it to be Fancy Pants having found a pair of actual…well…pants. But the voice that spoke was quite different. “May I have this seat, James?”

I recognized it immediately and looked over my shoulder to find Luna looking at me with a silver tray lined with food floating beside her. “Luna! Sure, right here.” I replied as I pulled a seat closer to me.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she greeted the Princess of the Night. “Hey there, Princess Luna! Finally got away from the newcomers?”

The lovely princess replied, “Yes. My ‘shift’ ended, so Celestia took my place. I believe Twilight Sparkle went off to locate Spike.” She then took a seat by me and placed her tray on the table.

“I’m so relieved to hear that the evening is going so much more smoothly for everypony than last time… Although, is Pinkie Pie still keeping herself occupied in that one chamber?” Rarity asked, looking rather concerned.

Luna nodded with a bemused smirk. “Thankfully, yes. The other guests seem to be giving her a wide berth. But what exactly happened to her?”

I replied with a smirk of my own, “She’s in Pinkieville now and she won’t be leaving for a few hours.”

When Luna stared at me with a baffled expression, Rainbow Dash added, “She’s stuck in her own little world right now. Just don’t give her anymore hard drinks.”

Luna’s face became one of uneasiness. “That explains the shrieking for help… Oh wait, that was just Pinkie Pie swinging from the chandelier.”

I chuckled while shaking my head. “Well, she wanted a good time and now she’s having one. I just hope she can remember it tomorrow morning.”

As we ate, Luna whispered to me, “You know, I’ve been longing to see you again, James. When we finish here, would you care for a walk in the royal garden?”

I smiled at the invitation. “Sounds lovely, Luna. Just the two of us?”

Luna nodded while showing a serene smile. “Indeed.” She then gently rested her hoof on my hand. “Just me, and the first person who ever thanked me for the night.”

Once we had cleaned our plates of our food, I stood up and faced Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “Excuse me, ladies. Luna and I are going to take a walk through the royal garden. Can we catch up in a bit?”

Rainbow Dash grinned while her eyes glanced at the way outside. “Sounds like a plan, James. And watch out for Fluttershy. I heard she was gonna check things out in there too.”

Rarity then added, “You two darlings have a wonderful time.”

Luna bowed in response. “We shall. James? Right this way.” We then bid our friends goodbye and headed outside.

The first thing I noticed was that Applejack had quite a line of customers lined up at her dispenser. “Hang on a second, Luna.” I spoke before heading over to Applejack.

“Howdy, James! Sorry, but you’ll have ta get in line if ya wanna buy somethin’.” Applejack greeted me as I stood by the side of her dispenser.

I replied, “Oh, I don’t want anything right now. Although…” I smirked as I took about five steps away from the dispenser and pointed to the ground. I then spoke in my best southern accent, “We need a dispenser right here.”

Applejack looked at me, clearly not getting that I was just messing with her. “There? Well…uh… All righty then. Excuse me, fellas.” She spoke before pushing her dispenser over to where I was pointing. The line of ponies followed without much protest.

I snickered under my breath, really getting some enjoyment out of Applejack’s ignorance. “OK, there we go. Right there, James?” She asked innocently enough.

I decided to try something new and replied, “Much obliged, AJ. Only now… There’s a spy sappin’ yer sentry!”

That was the one quip I was not expecting Applejack to get at all. But to my surprise, she gasped, “My sentry?! No! Big Macintosh’ll have my hide!” She dashed over behind her dispenser and began rooting around under it in a frenzy, leaving me and her line of customers baffled.

“Phew! It’s safe and sound! Them Flim Flam jerks ain’t gonna get me yet!” Applejack spoke before poking her head up to check on her customers.

“Really? She has a sentry?” I muttered to myself. And what was with the mention of Big Macintosh? Regardless, it is probably not a very dangerous device since I have not seen a single firearm once since arriving in Equestria. “AJ, where is your…uh…sentry right now?”

Applejack glanced at me after serving one of her customers an apple parfait. “Oh, it’s right under my counter here. Once I’ve got a lil’ bit more time, I’ll set it up. Don’t think any troublemakers can get inta the gala, but it don’t hurt ta be safe.”

I shrugged my shoulders before walking back over to Luna. “Sorry about that. Shall we be going?”

However, Luna chuckled after having observed that silly performence. “What exactly did you tell her? I was enjoying the show!”

I snickered at the recent memory. “A little joke from my world. It’s even funnier when the target of the joke doesn’t get the reference.”

Applejack had set her dispenser up very near the royal garden, so it took no time at all to get there. Upon entering, I noticed a small bird fly by. “That is a meadowlark.” Luna spoke while pointing at it with her wing tip. The area was quite dark due to lack of natural light sources. The garden was quite lush, filled with flowering bushes. I noticed very quickly that red roses were the most common flower there, adorning many patches.

“Seems pretty tame. Are all animals in Equestria like this no matter where you go?” I asked, wondering if all wildlife is approachable here.

Luna smiled as we walked along. “Well, the animals in this garden are all friendly towards me and my sister. Perhaps it’s because they see us very often.” She raised a hoof and allowed the meadowlark to perch upon her.

I watched for a moment, not certain if I should try to touch the bird. Luna seemed to notice and spoke, “They feel safe around ponies they know. Go ahead and show them you mean no harm.”

With a steady hand, I slowly reached out to the meadowlark and caressed its head. “Hey there, little one…” I muttered softly. In a moment, the bird suddenly perched upon my finger.

“I believe it trusts you.” Luna said with a smile.

I raised the bird to my face, which then leaned against me. “Awww…” I muttered as I caressed the bird with one hand. However, I suddenly heard a rustling and screeching of birds as many flew away just up ahead. “Trouble?”

Luna frowned in suspicion. “I can’t imagine any trespassers causing harm.” We both hurried on ahead to be greeted by a very…..awkward sight.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… Wait! I just wanted to… No! Don’t go! I only…” Fluttershy was running back and forth to every single animal she could find, said animals fleeing from her whenever she drew near. This struck me as extremely odd. Fluttershy adores animals and can quickly make friends with pretty much every animal she meets. Why were these animals trying to stay away from her so desperately? She came to a stop in the middle of the clearing before groaning, “Why won’t any of you be my friends?!”

Luna asked as she glanced around at the birds staying perched in the trees, “Well, I’ve never seen the garden’s animals flee from anypony so swiftly. Fluttershy, why do they seem to fear you so?”

Fluttershy seemed somewhat embarrassed as she replied, “Last time… I…um…tried too hard to get them to open up to me… I even…flew off the handle, if you know what I mean.”

I winced at those words. “Um… That’s a scary thought. You flying off the handle? No wonder they’re so scared of you.”

“I know… They’ll never like me now…” Fluttershy replied with a disheartened sigh.

I then looked at Luna and asked, “Aren’t they always wary of anyone from outside the palace?”

This seemed to surprise Fluttershy. She glanced up at me as she exclaimed, “Wait… Always? But… I never did anything to frighten them at first!”

Luna smiled sheepishly as she explained, “That’s the problem with the animals that live in this garden. They have everything they need here, so they never leave. This isolated lifestyle makes them wary to anypony they do not recognize since they seldom get visitors aside from Celestia, myself, and the palace guards and caretakers.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a…..wallaby emerge from the bushes? Since when does Australian wildlife reside on a mountain far from the outback? Regardless, I spoke as an idea came to mind. “Hang on. I’m gonna try something.”

I began to walk towards the wallaby with a casual gait, my head turning to gaze at my surroundings while only glancing at the wallaby every few seconds. The wallaby naturally watched me with caution. But as I started to draw near, I changed direction so I would pass the wallaby by five feet or so. The wallaby stood its ground, not moving from the spot. I approached a flowering bush and smelled the roses, trying to act like I was as nonhostile as possible.

After a moment, I walked over to a nearby tree, passing the wallaby again. As I drew near, I heard Fluttershy ask Luna, “What is he doing?”

Luna replied quietly, “Shh. Let’s watch and wait.”

Once I was next to the tree, I placed one hand against it for support. I overheard Luna speak, “It seems he’s being indirect with his approach to avoid seeming aggressive.”

Fluttershy smiled in response. “Oh, I see. So I shouldn’t just run up to them in excitement… Oh!”

As I had hoped, the wallaby had begun to draw near to me. Probably out of curiosity since it had never seen anything like me before. It soon stood right by my side and gazed up at me. I looked down at it for a moment before turning my gaze ahead again, waiting for the wallaby to make the first move.

After a moment, the wallaby sniffed my hand before nuzzling it. I decided to make my move then, slowly moving my hand until it was caressing its head. It was the first time I had ever come in direct physical contact with a marsupial of any kind.

“It’s letting him touch it! He’s touching it!” I heard Fluttershy shriek in excitement while doing her best to keep her voice down.

Once I felt the wallaby had opened up to me enough, I faced it and kneeled down to have better access. I scratched the underside of its lower jaw, which it seemed to find enjoyable. However, I then noticed Fluttershy walking by while seemingly minding her own business too. The wallaby seemed to react to her presence with surprise, but calmed down as long as I kept maintaining physical contact with it.

It seemed that Fluttershy was taking the exact same steps I took, going from bush to flowering bush without paying much mind to any of the wildlife. Eventually, she approached me, but then turned to face away from the wallaby. She just stood there, her gaze directed at nothing in particular. After a moment, the wallaby drew close to her and just stared at her. Her large teal eye looked at the wallaby for a few seconds before gazing back at nothing.

The wallaby finally reached out and touched Fluttershy after at least two minutes of watching her. Fluttershy’s eyes opened wide, clearly shocked that one of the animals she had frightened had finally opened up to her.

“He… Hello.” She meekly spoke while turning her head to face the wallaby. She then reached out with her hoof, gently touching the wallaby’s hand…paw…whichever you call it.

The wallaby gingerly nuzzled her, a clear sign that it had come to no longer view her as a threat. Fluttershy grinned brightly, but seemed to be doing her best to not burst out cheering in triumph. “I think you made a friend, honey.” I spoke softly.

“At last… Thank you for showing me how to, James.” Fluttershy replied before kissing me softly.

“I see you’ve found a way to approach the garden’s animals, you two. And it was a very clever way to do so.” Luna said as she approached us.

Fluttershy grinned while the wallaby continued to nuzzle her. “James is amazing with animals. I could learn a few things from him.”

“I’ve had a lot of experience with them.” I then asked, “Come to think of it, has everyone been having a better time this year? I heard the last gala didn’t go over so well.”

Fluttershy nodded happily and said, “I think everything’s better this time. Twilight finally has time to talk to Princess Celestia, Applejack is making a good profit with her apple products, Rainbow Dash is finally spending some time with the Wonderbolts… I think. And I finally got to be friends with the animals in this garden.” She then asked, “What about Pinkie Pie and Rarity? Did they get what they came for?”

I chuckled somewhat nervously and replied, “Well, Pinkie Pie’s having a blast in there. So I’m guessing that’s a yes for her. But what did Rarity come here for?”

Fluttershy's expression became more uncertain. “Last time, she came here to ‘find her prince’. I’m not sure what she meant by that.”

I frowned as I pondered what she meant. A prince? Does it have something to do with that particular prince Rarity has mentioned to me a few times before? “Well, I’m sure we’ll all go home satisfied in the end.”

Luna, Fluttershy, and I remained in the garden for a short while later. We had to keep track of time though, since Luna would have to swap places with Celestia before long. But once we finally exited the garden, I found that Applejack’s line of customers had shrunken greatly. And I noticed something next to her counter that puzzled me.

“Oh lord, don’t tell me that’s what I think it is.” I grumbled in amusement. Standing next to the counter was what seemed to be a wooden box painted red with what seemed to be Big Macintosh’s cutie mark painted on the side. It was standing up on a tripod-style stand, a short cannon mouth on the front that was slightly bigger around than my fist. I snickered quietly, “Sentry just ahead.”

Fluttershy looked up at me and asked, “Sentry? James, where are you going?”

I replied with a crooked smile, “I need to try something out.” I then walked over to Applejack just as the last of her customers walked away.

“Y'all come back now, ya hear?!” She called out to her customers. Applejack then faced me. “Hey there, James. What can I do ya for?”

I replied promptly, “Nothing at the moment. But what is…..that?” I pointed at the box on stilts next to her apple stand.

“Oh, that? It’s a sentry! Big Macintosh designed it. I set it up in case anypony gets it in their head ta shoplift.” Applejack replied with a smug smirk.

I asked in confusion, “Uh huh… And it works? What caliber does it use?”

Applejack replied while still looking rather proud of herself, “Caliber? Don’t know what that is, but it shoots apples. Ya steal an apple, ya get an apple. To the face!”

The idea of something that shoots apples as projectiles sounded pretty farfetched to me. “I need to try this.” I grabbed an apple fritter and took a step back.

“Uh, James? I don’t recommend that…” Applejack spoke with a look of worry. I noticed that the ‘sentry’ had its mouth pointing directly at me on an angle it did not have before. Was it tracking me?

“Maybe this thing works after all.” I muttered. I then took another step back. And then… BAM.

Out of nowhere, I felt a powerful blow to the very center of my stomach that instantly caused me to hunker over. Ow! I noticed an apple roll away from me, probably the very object that had just hit me.

“Oh no! James! Are you all right?!” Fluttershy shrieked as she ran over to me.

In all honesty, I found this whole situation to be absolutely hilarious. I laughed while groaning at the same time, “Oh my god, AJ! That… Ahahahowch!”

Applejack seemed very concerned about me as I lied on my side while curled up in a ball. “I tried ta warn ya, James! Why’d ya do that?!”

I replied with a groan, “I… Ugh… I just wanted to see if that sentry really worked. And boy, does it work! A blow from that will probably crack your skull!”

Applejack smirked proudly as she said, “Yup. Ain’t no spy’s gonna get my goods now! Oh, and… Ya need a hand gettin’ up, pardner?”

I continued laughing. “Nah… I’m good! Seriously, I got a real kick outta this incident.” I struggled to my feet, trying to not bend forward or back too much.

Luna asked then asked in concern, “I’m surprised you’re just laughing that off. Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

I chuckled while wincing from the pain. “It was well comically timed, so I have nothing against the incident. I mean, seriously! A wooden box that shoots apples! That’s funny!”

Applejack chuckled along with me. “Well, I’m sure nopony would see it comin’, that’s for sure.”

I gently rubbed my abdomen as the pain became a dull ache. “OK… I think I’ll be all right now.”

Luna then stepped forward with her horn lowered. “Be still for a moment, James. That will leave you sore for a while, so let me fix it.” Her horn was engulfed by a billowing cobalt aura as she held her horn next to my belly. In a moment, I felt the soreness fade away entirely. “That should do it.”

I placed a hand on my abdomen, finding no pain at all. “A type of healing magic?”

Luna nodded as she explained, “It’s very practical. It heals any minor injuries, from simple scratches to painful bruises.”

Fluttershy grinned in gratitude. “Thank you, Princess Luna. I hate seeing James in any pain.”

Luna smiled graciously as she replied, “My pleasure, Fluttershy. I’m well aware how close you two are.”

Applejack then stepped back towards her stall. “Well, I’m gonna pack up my leftovers here in a lil' while. I think almost everypony’s had their fair share by now.”

“Did you make a good haul tonight?” I asked as I noticed her display shelves were a lot emptier by that point. It must have been a good haul.

Applejack nodded with a satisfied grin. “Yup. All this extra cash is gonna really help out ‘round the farm.” I was actually impressed by how dedicated Applejack is to her family business, even on a night where she was supposed to be enjoying herself.

Luna then glanced back at the palace. “Well, I do not wish to end our time together so soon, but I need to return to my post. Let’s talk again in thirty minutes, everypony.”

Fluttershy nodded while waving goodbye. “All right. We’ll see you then, Princess Luna.”

Applejack waved as well. “See ya ‘round, yer highness!”

Rather than wave at her, I embraced my dear friend. “Same here, Luna.”

Luna equally embraced me and whispered into my ear, “Thank you for coming, my friend.” I nodded in response and watched as she walked away.

Before I could go back into the palace, Fluttershy spoke up. “James? If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to spend some more time out here in the garden to apologize to the animals for scaring them last time I was here.”

I nodded in understanding. “OK then, honey. I’ll be inside once you’ve had enough.” She went airborne, kissed me on the cheek, landed, and then trotted away into the garden again. Left with nothing else to do, I went back inside the palace to try to find one of my friends.

Upon entering the palace, I found Rarity enjoying what seemed to be one of Applejack’s apple parfaits. As I drew near, she noticed my approach and asked, “I just saw Princess Luna pass me. Did you enjoy your time with her, darling?”

I smiled as I replied, “I certainly did. Even came across Fluttershy and helped her figure out how to approach some of the garden’s animals. What’s been up with you?”

Rarity then said, “Well, Rainbow Dash went to check on the Wonderbolts while I went to get some of this delectable parfait before Applejack closed up shop.” She then smiled while scanning her surroundings. “I must say this year’s gala has been absolutely fabulous compared to my first. The only way it could get any better is if I can go the rest of the night without having to see…” She paused for a moment as her gaze was directed to the doorway leading further into the palace. “No… Why, oh WHY, did they invite him again?!”

I turned to look to see what had suddenly gotten Rarity so flustered. My gaze soon fell upon a unicorn stallion I had yet to notice at the GGG. He was fairly tall, possibly standing slightly taller than Shining Armor. His coat was white or a very light gray with his elegantly styled mane and tail being a light amber hue. His eyes were a rare shade of artic blue. Like Shining Armor, his fetlocks were cut short to allow his hooves to be seen. He was wearing a black and white vest with a blue bowtie in the center. His cutie mark… Hm. How do I describe this? It seemed to consist of two overlapping four-pointed stars. The one below seemed to be a lavender hue while the one atop it was a golden hue. In all, it resembled a star with eight points. He had a calm smile on his face, not seeming to be unpleasant in any way. What was wrong with this stallion that had Rarity looking so disgusted?

“Him?” I asked, pointing at the white unicorn stallion. Or was he gray?

Rarity growled quietly in discontent. “Yes, that is him. The same prince you are a hundred times better than.”

I cocked my head slightly. “Him? Worse than me? He seems like an OK guy from a glance.”

Rarity glared at me surprisingly harshly. “Do not be deceived. He is, by far, the most unpleasant prince I have ever met. Do not make eye contact with him. Do not get involved with him. Do not say I did not…”

Rarity paused as we both looked to our sides. While we were in that brief moment of conversation, the same unicorn stallion we were discussing had approached us and was standing not even two feet away. He seemed to be looking at Rarity with a somewhat angry stare. My elegant unicorn friend could only groan. “Great... What do you want?”

The prince looked up at me before regaining his calm smile. “Before I deal with her, allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Blueblood.”

I nodded, but refrained from showing anything more significant than that. “An honor, m’lord.”

He then chuckled and said, “Well, it seems SOMEONE has some manners and a respect of nobility…” He then frowned harshly while looking at Rarity out of the corner of his eye, “Unlike a certain wench.”

I winced at that word. Insulting Rarity? How dare he! She has always been one of the most reliable and supportive friends I have ever… Sorry, I lost my cool right there. It is just that Rarity is very precious to me and I cannot understand why anyone would ever say such things about her. Anyway, I decided to wait and listen before making accusations.

Rarity’s face became flushed with anger, “Wench?! You would dare call me such a vulgar term?! If anypony is a wench, it is you, you ungrateful self-centered scoundrel!”

I then asked, “Um… Rarity? I really don’t see what the big deal is… What did he do?”

My friend suddenly faced me. “What did he do?! So much, I would rather forget! No chivalry at all, using me like a personal servant, and even using me as a living shield to keep himself from becoming dirty from a falling cake!”

The mention of being used as a meat shield was what really drew my scorn. “He WHAT?!” It was all I could say. It also seemed that our argument had drawn an audience, since numerous ponies had begun to gather around us.

Blueblood did not seem apologetic in the slightest, nor did he try to deny those accusations. He raised his head somewhat before replying, “Commoners like you are meant to serve the noble class. I would not expect a mere peasant to understand.”

By this point, I had lost all prior respect for Blueblood. Before Rarity could lash out any further at such insults, I spoke boldly, “You, sir, are nothing more than a lout.”

There was a gasp from the crowd at my words. Blueblood even seemed temporarily stunned by my choice of words. “You… I beg your pardon?” He asked, seemingly not used to being flat-out told to his face.

I replied without a shred of mockery in my tone, “Lout. An uncouth boorish person, or a mere oaf. That sums you up quite nicely.” There was an even louder gasp as I spoke the general definition of ‘lout’.

Rarity smirked while she glanced up at me and said, “Well said, darling. I could not find a better comeback even if I tried.”

Blueblood could only stare at me, his face starting to become flushed with red from anger. Feeling quite satisfied, I bowed briefly. “I believe I have made my point and said all that needs to be said. And with that, I bid you adieu.” I then turned and walked away with Rarity by my side.

“…..Take that back.” I heard Blueblood speak with a tone of malice to his voice before I even made ten steps.

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. “What is there to take back? It’s the truth, like it or not.”

Blueblood then smirked slightly and boldly spoke, “I see. If that is your choice, then I challenge you to a duel!”

There was a great deal of commotion in the crowd around us. Rarity then looked at me and whispered, “James, he’s not worth your time. Just leave him be.”

I nodded and turned to walk away with her. He certainly seemed to be far beneath me. However, Blueblood then spoke in a jeering tone, “What’s this? Is Equestria’s lone human really a coward?!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. While I do not mind insults like that, tending to just blow them off and let others think whatever they wish, I entertained the thought of accepting Blueblood’s challenge. I asked without turning around, “Is it a duel of swords you desire?”

Blueblood replied promptly, “But of course. What else could there be?”

I crossed my arms as I considered my options. I looked down at Rarity, my beautiful friend shaking her head to try to dissuade me from agreeing. Of course, if it was a duel of swords he wanted, and I have always had a deep fascination of swordplay…..

“…..I accept.” I said calmly. The crowd let out another gasp at my words.

I heard Blueblood speak in a satisfied tone, “To the courtyard.” He then walked past me, flashing Rarity and I a foul smirk. The rest of the partygoers followed in a massive drove.

“James… Are you sure about this?” Rarity asked with a look of deep concern on her face.

I nodded while some tension flooded my nerves. “I’m a little nervous, but actually fighting someone with a sword? That’s something I’d like to try.” I then flashed her a slight smirk as I spoke more quietly, “Besides, how skilled with a sword can a pampered hoity toity lout like him possibly be?”

“Ahem…” I heard Hoity Toity grunt as he walked by.

“Uh… I didn’t mean you!” I called out while probably feeling my body temperature rise enough to induce sweating. I certainly hope I did not offend the guy.

Rarity did not seem convinced by my words. “I worry about you…I know you know more about swordplay than I do, but still… I dread the thought of you getting hurt.”

I kneeled down and caressed her face. “Don’t worry about me, Rarity. Besides, I can’t just let him get away with what he forced you through.”

Rarity sighed with resignation and said with a whisper, “Just… Don’t go charging in without a plan…”

I nodded with a smile. “That’s not how I do things, Rarity. I’m a cautious sort of guy.” I then turned away and walked out into the courtyard with the rest of the attendees.

I suspect every last pony at the GGG had gathered in the courtyard to watch the duel. Ponies were absolutely everywhere. Blueblood himself was standing in the middle of a large clearing, which would likely serve as the battlefield. As I drew near, he smirked and said, “Our weapons should arrive shortly. But you may forfeit anytime.”

I replied with my arms crossed without looking directly at him, “Only cowards recommend their opponent forfeit.” This prompted a glare from Blueblood, but he spoke no words.

“Weeee! What’s going on down there?!” I heard Pinkie Pie call out from somewhere above me. I looked up and noticed a balcony above the courtyard with Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack looking down at us. Spike was seated on the railing while Celestia and Luna stood by them.

“Pinkie Pie! Would you just sit still for five minutes?!” Twilight groaned in irritation. It seemed that Pinkie Pie’s intoxication had not yet run its course.

Fluttershy spoke quietly as usual, but I think I heard her speak, “I hope he’ll be OK… I know James isn’t the fighting type.”

Rainbow Dash just shouted with excitement, “Are you kidding?! He’ll be fine! This is gonna be. So. AWESOME!!!” I snickered, amused that Rainbow Dash was so fired up to see me take on Blueblood.

“Yes, I’m certain this will be quite a spectacle. But I still can’t help worrying that this is a bad idea.” I heard Rarity say with great concern in her voice.

“Ya worry too much, girl. Ya saw how he was at Nightmare Night. He can handle that hoity toity pretty boy.” Applejack added with confidence in her voice.

Spike then shouted, “C’mon, James! Rip him a new one!”

I finally decided to reply as I looked up at them. “The weapons aren’t even here yet! Knock it off!” That seemed to shut them up for the moment.

After a few more minutes, Shining Armor approached Blueblood and I while pushing a tray on wheels. Lining it was a slew of weapons, most of them melee types. “Choose your weapons, gentlemen.”

Blueblood stepped forward and levitated what seemed to be an embarrassingly small rapier into the air and held it close to his head. The magic aura that surrounded his horn and the rapier were similar in color to his mane. The rapier itself was completely blunt, probably being a fencing foil or epee.

I decided to choose the same type of weapon to be fair, even though rapiers are not my preferred weapon of choice. But once I was actually holding it, I realized just how tiny it was compared to the one I had used during Nightmare Night. It was barely longer than a dagger, a short sword’s size at most. Probably due to the ponies of Equestria being smaller than humans.

I looked at Shining Armor and asked, “We’re supposed to duel using toothpicks?!”

Blueblood did not take my humorous take on the weapons very well and said dryly, “That is a foil…”

I glanced at him for a second before examining my tiny weapon. I held it in two different angles before literally using the capped tip of the sword as a toothpick, cleaning out two places in my teeth. “Yeah, it’s a toothpick.”

Shining Armor burst into laughter, as did a good number of our audience. However, Blueblood seemed frustrated by my attempts at poking fun at the undersized weapon I was being forced to use. “Enough of this banter! Shall we begin?”

As Blueblood walked towards the center of the courtyard, I spoke with a sigh, “Ugh, fine. Whatever you say, Prince Blueballs.”

At those words, Blueblood froze in his tracks while the audience gasped in unison. He rigidly looked over his shoulder at me with a truly furious glare. “Come again?”

I smirked and held my hands out to my sides. “Oh, don’t you give me that look! You know it’s true! What self-respecting mare would ever spend a single night in your company?!” The entire audience burst into hysterical laughter. Chances are I was being dead-on accurate with my claim.

With a deep red blush on his face, Blueblood shouted, “SILENCE!!!” He then held out his rapier's tip at me. “I will not put up with anymore of your insults, you cretin! Ready yourself!” I did not feel intimidated in the slightest. It was actually starting to be entertaining to see Blueblood so flustered.

“Fine, let’s get on with it.” I said nonchalantly as I approached him and took my stand. I bent my knees slightly while holding my left hand against my lower back while holding my sword out in my right hand. I kept it tilted on a 45 degree angle to parry or attack right away. It seemed to not be an actual fencing match and was more of a freestyle duel.

The two of us stared each other down for a moment. Luna then called out, “Begin! And fight with honor!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOSqLVdGB1A&t=

Blueblood smirked as he made the first move. “Have at thee, cretin!” He then suddenly stabbed his foil towards me.

I said nothing as I smacked his foil away and stepped forward while keeping myself fairly low to the ground. One thing I found was that although my weapon was much smaller than I was used to, it allowed for swifter strikes to the point where I could stab rapidly. I did just that, rapidly stabbing at him in a quick flurry that caused Blueblood to back away while trying to parry some of my strikes.

“Not bad! Seems I underestimated you!” Blueblood proclaimed as we kept trying to outdo each other. Neither of us could really make any headway against the other. We were both fighting on equal ground, balanced in both offense and defense. It was rather impressive how well Blueblood could control his weapon despite not having any physical connection to it.

After a minute of striking at each other, we both hopped back. Blueblood was actually starting to seem fairly agitated that he could not strike me. I was beginning to sweat as my pulse quickened. I had never been in an actual fight before even though neither of us was in any real danger. Although this duel was more along the lines of friendly competition with little risk of injury, my concentration was intensely focused on this. I could feel a type of rush going through my head that usually only happened back on Earth when I got too into a fighting genre video game. I was pumped.

I breathed deeply as I kept a close eye on Blueblood while he also seemed to be scanning me for an opening. Out of nowhere, he shouted, “There!” He suddenly thrust his sword towards me. I tried to parry, causing it to go off course. However, the sound of a loud rip filled the air, causing us to both freeze. I think even Blueblood was baffled at just what it was he did.

“Please tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.” I asked, hoping that my robe was still undamaged.

Out of nowhere, I heard Rarity scream at me. “JAMES! TAKE HIM DOWN!!!”

I looked up at the balcony she was standing on and noticed that she was glaring down at me with the most furious expression I had ever seen on her face. I glanced at Blueblood and asked, “What the hell did you do? I’ve never seen her this mad before!”

Blueblood replied with a bit of a stammer, “I… I don’t know!”

Rarity then shouted again, “YOUR ROBE! LOOK AT YOUR ROBE!”

My…robe?! That work of art?! I immediately glanced down to see where Blueblood’s foil had gone. It had gone down to my side, tearing a gash in the fabric.

Under normal circumstances, I would not have minded my clothing being lightly damaged. But this? That robe is the most precious piece of clothing I had ever received, not to mention it is a one-of-a-kind garment woven by one of my most beloved friends. So naturally, I felt my blood beginning to boil.

I flashed a glare at Blueblood and growled, “You got a death wish?” Blueblood seemed to detect my change in mood, since he suddenly backed away from me. Rather than attack, I turned and walked towards Shining Armor.

“Where are you going?! This duel is not over yet!” Blueblood called out to me with a tone of confusion.

I looked back at him and spoke with a voice louder than I normally use, “Shut it, Blueballs! I’m not done with you yet!” That seemed to shut him up while also causing him to glare at me in further irritation.

“Something wrong, James?” Shining Armor asked as I drew near.

I replied bluntly, “I need a weapon change.” I set my foil down on the table and began to browse my choices. I saw clubs, crossbows and… Excellent.

“Ooh, that’s what I’m looking for!” I exclaimed as I grabbed what seemed to be a side sword. It was the largest sword on the tray, actually looking like something made for human use. Although looking more dangerous than the other weapons, I could see that the blade was completely dull. The blade itself was around two feet long, perhaps an inch longer. A murmur ran through the audience as I took up my new weapon.

As I turned to walk back towards Blueblood, Shining Armor asked, “Um… Are you sure you know what you’re doing with that?”

“Why do you ask?” I replied as I held my sword in hand.

He then spoke in a slightly louder voice, “Well, that is a longsword! It’s not exactly for novices. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer…uh…” I was in no mood for an argument, so I turned and pointed my sword at his face to shut him up. The tip was an inch or two from his snout.

“I’m using this and nothing else. Got it?” I declared defiantly. And really? A longsword? I suppose a side sword would seem pretty large to a pony that does not even reach four feet when down on all fours.

Shining Armor smiled nervously. “Well…uh… Suit yourself! I’m pretty sure you know what you’re doing.”

I turned and walked back towards Blueblood while muttering, “You’re darn right, I do.”

Before I got too far, I paused. Blueblood then shouted, “What are you doing?! This is not a duel for swords of that size!”

I then replied dryly, “You’re free to forfeit if you don’t like freestyle duels, Prince of Balls Most Blue.” I then stabbed the blade's tip into the ground to give me full use of both hands for the moment.

I began to undo the buttons that held my robe in place. Once they had been undone, I removed my glasses and closed one of its temple arms over my robe’s collar to keep it in place. I then slid my arms out of the sleeves, leaving the robe draped over me like a cloak.

“Armor, could you do me a favor?” I asked while looking over at Twilight’s brother.

“Yeah?” He replied with a look of curiosity.

I then grabbed my robe in my right hand and flung it towards him. “Hold onto this for me. And don’t let it get anymore tears in it.” The audience gasped as the removal of my robe left me with only the pure white t-shirt on my upper body, the cutie mark of the pony whose work had just been damaged being worn proudly over my chest and back.

Shining Armor’s horn was engulfed by a pink glow that was identical to his sister’s. As was my robe once it began to float in midair. “OK. I’ll keep it safe.”

I nodded to him with a smile and then glared at Blueblood before widening my stance and taking my sword into my right hand in a reverse grip. I held the blade vertically behind me, intending to keep him guessing with an unorthodox style for a moment or two.

Blueblood actually seemed rather intimidated at that moment, probably because I was using a weapon with one hand that, by their standards, would require two hands to properly wield. I then spoke, “No one disses Rarity’s work like that. When I’m done with you, you’ll have to start calling yourself Prince…”

I was suddenly interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who called out from above us, “Blacken Blueballs!”

The entire audience burst into laughter at those words, but I facepalmed. “How’d she know what I was gonna say?”

Blueblood, who seemed both embarrassed and frustrated, called out, “E… Enough of this! Are you going to duel me or not?!”

I scowled at him before muttering, “Fine.” I then dashed towards him, sword ready to strike.

Blueblood clearly wasn’t expecting me to take the offensive so suddenly. He backed away slightly while holding his foil out in a defensive stance. Of course, that tiny toothpick was not going to be much use against my ‘longsword’ unless he knew exactly how to counter it.

As I came within range, I stopped running and just used my momentum to slide a bit over the grass. In the process, I swung my sword upward, striking Blueblood’s foil and very nearly knocking it out of his magical grasp. I then let go of the sword just slightly so the blade would rise up. However, I very nearly lost my grip on it before using my left hand to keep the hilt from leaving my grasp before securing it again in a standard grip before swinging it back down at the startled prince. I made a mental note to not try that trick again.

“Where did you learn how to fight like this?!” Blueblood shouted as he tried his best to parry my swings.

“I didn’t!” I replied with a growl. It is true. I never once had a swordplay lesson in my life. I was completely improvising with my weapon.

The audience was very quiet. Probably enthralled by the sight of two duelists going at it. Even though I was completely on the offensive, Blueblood was doing a decent job of staying on the defensive. Then again, he looked absolutely frightened of me. On the other hand, how would you feel if someone who stood nearly twice your height was coming at you with a weapon that was almost as long as you are?

His defense was good. Frustratingly good. Finally, I could not take the frustration any longer. After one more slash that struck against his foil, I quickly smashed my sword’s pommel into his nose to stun him. I then reached out with my spare hand and grabbed his horn.

“What the… What are you…?!” It was all Blueblood had enough time to say before I threw him to the ground. Immediately after that, I made an underhand swing with my sword's flat side and struck… Well… I will say that by tomorrow, his ‘balls’ are going to be blacken blue… I mean black AND blue.

Blueblood let out a high-pitched shriek as I struck him where I probably should not have. He curled up on the ground in obvious agony. I would normally feel bad after causing someone such pain, but I was too angry towards him at the time to feel any guilt. At that moment, I heard Pinkie Pie call out, “Ooooh, nutcracker!”

I stood back while hoisting my sword’s blade to my shoulder, lightly tapping it against my shoulder while tapping my foot as well. “Are you done?”

After a moment, Blueblood glared at me while struggling to climb to his feet. “You… How dare you?! Have you no shame?!”

I provided a retort along with a glare. “You should try asking yourself….. Lout.”

Once he had climbed to his feet, Blueblood levitated his foil again. “I have had enough! Peasants like you need to be put in their place!”

He was clearly going on the offensive, so I stood ready while supporting my sword's pommel with my left hand. My longer and heavier sword was more difficult to parry with though, so I tried something else. Probably due to the pain between his legs, Blueblood did not move from his current position, instead opting to levitate his weapon forward to strike me.

His foil struck rapidly, stabbing at me in a flurry. I could not effectively use my sword to parry or block such a small nimble weapon, so I used my left arm and hand to swat it away however I could. Some of his strikes got through, landing stinging blows on my torso. However, he suddenly performed a feint, starting to stab, but then pulling the foil away from me. I was caught unprepared as the foil slapped me across the face like a stick.

I yelped in pain, the strike leaving a long narrow red welt on my cheek. As I reeled from the blow, I heard Fluttershy shriek, “James, no!”

I felt a twinge of guilt, feeling bad that Fluttershy had to see me get hurt. Blueblood then smirked as he gained an air of smugness about him even while his hind legs remained unsteady. “Hm. How does a peasant counter such rapid blows? Would you care to show me?”

By this point, my anger and irritation was higher than it had been in a long time. I watched and waited as Blueblood moved his foil in for another strike. But as it stabbed at me, I reached out and snatched it out of the air by the blade.

“What?! Release it!” Blueblood demanded, the foil jerking around in my hand like a bird trying to get away. I then stabbed my sword into the ground so I could use my right hand. While glaring at him without blinking once, I held the foil’s hilt in one hand and the blade in the other. After a few seconds of straining, I snapped the blade off like a twig, leaving the useless hilt intact.

Blueblood was clearly frightened by the loss of his weapon, the audience gasping as the now disabled foil fell to the ground while I took my sword in hand again. I then began to approach Blueblood without taking my eyes off him once.

“You… You stay away!” Blueblood shrieked while trying to back away. Of course, he was still immensely sore, so it was probably painful just to move his hind legs at all.

Once I had come close enough, I swung my sword with as much force as I could muster, slapping the flat side of the blade across Blueblood’s face. He fell flat on his side, a small trickle of blood oozing from his mouth.

I stood over him, my sword pointing at his face. He then looked up at me with an expression of terror. “Please! No more! I yield!”

After a moment of saying nothing, I spoke quietly. “If you’re gonna run, don’t let me stop you.” And that is just what he did. Without saying a word, Blueblood hastily clamored to his feet before running inside the palace despite the pain he was in. I never saw him again for the rest of the night.

“Coward.” I muttered as I hoisted my sword to my shoulder. However, as the seconds went by, I heard a steadily rising noise filling the air. Was it stomping? No, not quite. “Applause?”

As I looked around, the entire audience were stomping the ground with their hooves, generating a noise that was not too different from the clapping of hands. Only this time it was the clopping of hooves.

I noticed Rainbow Dash swoop down to me as Fluttershy followed her. I am impressed they could effectively fly while still wearing those flowing dresses. Rainbow laughed as she set down beside me, “Dang, James! I never knew ya had it in you! You totally OWNED his sorry flank!”

Fluttershy then hovered next to me with her hoof on my cheek. “Oh my, that looks like it must sting. Are you all right?”

Now that I had begun to calm down, I actually felt rather bad for how much damage I had done. “I’m OK, Fluttershy. It doesn’t hurt that much unless you touch it right now.”

There was a flash nearby as Twilight Sparkle seemed to use a teleportation spell to bring herself and the rest of the balcony viewers down to ground level. Luna spoke with gusto, “Bravo, James! Who knew you have such skill with a blade?”

I meekly smiled while feeling all that attention settling on me. “Thanks, Luna…”

Twilight seemed to notice my rapidly cooling mood and asked, “Hey… What’s wrong? You won the duel! You should be happy!”

A sense of shame and embarrassment fell over me as I said, “It’s just… I don’t like hurting anyone. I even made the guy bleed… Did I go too far?”

Rarity shook her head and said proudly, “Nonsense, James. He deserved every blow you made against him. Besides, it’s not like you broke his legs or dislocated his jaw.

Pinkie Pie then added with a hiccup, “Nope! You just broke his balls!”

Applejack let out an exasperated groan. “Can we drop the ball jokes now? Anymore and I’ll have ‘em stuck in my head all night!”

I chuckled lightly at the humor being tossed around between my friends. They certainly knew how to lift the mood. “Sorry for starting that. I just couldn’t help making fun of his lack of popularity with the ladies.”

Celestia then chuckled as she added, “Truly, you shouldn’t be feeling bad about this. That duel was the highlight of the gala this year!” I could only avert my eyes out of embarrassment at her praise.

Rarity then asked, “Speaking of him… Princess Celestia, why does he get invited every year? His character is far from being worthy of the Grand Galloping Gala!”

Celestia rolled her eyes, not seeming very happy about it herself. “In all honesty, his stature in Canterlot’s society puts him on the list of ‘required’ attendees. We have to invite him per protocol.” She then smiled at me with a bit of a smug smirk. “And you are right, James. He is, without a doubt, a lout.”

Spike then jumped up at me while exclaiming, “Man, I hope I can be like you when I grow up! A rough tough swordsman who can take on anypony!”

I shook my head and sighed. “I’m not rough or tough at all, Spike. I was just mad. That was all being channeled through anger for what he did to…”

Shining Armor then approached us as he interrupted me. “You mean this?” He then threw my robe at me. I caught it in my hands, the gash in it visible for all to see.

Rarity grumbled in disgust, “Ugh, that horrid prince. How dare he mar my masterpiece?” She then faced Celestia and asked, “Excuse me, your highness. You would not happen to have any sewing equipment, would you?”

The Princess of the Dawn nodded before glancing at her sister. “We certainly do. Luna, if you don’t mind.”

Luna nodded and motioned for Rarity to approach her. “Right this way.” She began to lead Rarity into the palace.

“James, come along now. And please bring your robe. I can’t repair it unless I have it with me.” Rarity said to me while looking over her shoulder.

I nodded while checking on my glasses. “I’ll be right there.” I then handed my sword to Shining Armor. “Here you go, captain.”

He smiled while levitating the sword away from me. “Nice work taking on the prince. Let’s chat when you get back.” I nodded and hurried along to catch up with Rarity and Luna.

I cannot recall which route we took, but I soon found myself walking long empty dark halls with Luna and Rarity. From where I was, the overall design of the interior was not terribly fancy. The lighting was a bit poor since it was night time, so I could not make out my surroundings that well.

“Are you certain you are leading us down the right path, your highness?” Rarity asked, trying to shine some light around with some of her magic by effectively turning her horn into a glow rod.

“Right over here, Rarity.” Luna led us to what seemed to be a supply closet. It was fairly spacious inside with enough room to move around in, even for me. “I think this is what you’re looking for.”

Rarity and I stepped forward and saw that Luna was pointing to a sewing kit. “Perfect! James, if you will?” Rarity spoke with delight.

“OK then.” I replied, laying out my robe on a small table with the gash on top.

Rarity began looking back and forth at the robe and several spools of thread. “Hmm… Yes, this will do nicely.” She levitated a sewing needle with a dark blue spool of thread and prepared the needle with it. She then began to stitch the gash shut, the color of the thread blending in well. It really did not take long at all. “That should do it.”

I examined the area around where the gash had been and found that the stitching was nigh undetectable. “I can hardly see… Wait, where’d it go?” I asked, losing sight of the stitching.

Rarity giggled in delight. “That’s the point!”

Luna went ahead and put the sewing equipment away while I slid my robe back on and placed my glasses back on my face. “Just follow me and I’ll lead you back to the gala.”

Right after we left the closet, Rarity spoke up. “Your highness, wait.”

Luna and I stopped and turned to face her. Rarity then looked up at me and smiled most gratefully. “James… I am honored by how hard you fought to protect my honor out there. You truly are a fine gentleman.” She then asked, “To that effect… May I ask you for the honor to have you as my knight for the evening?”

I pondered what she meant by this before asking, “Hang on… Are you asking me out on a date?” Luna chuckled at my words.

Rarity smiled sheepishly as she replied more quietly, “In a sense, yes.”

I felt a slight increase in my body temperature. Did Rarity have a crush on me? It was awkward enough when Twilight did, and I honestly do not find myself particularly attractive. “Um… Are you sure Fluttershy won’t mind?”

Rarity chuckled somewhat nervously. “It’s not what you think, darling. Just some personal time between friends. I’ll have a word with her.”

Luna spoke as she stepped forward, “The gala doesn’t last all night, you two. Let’s hurry back to enjoy what time we have left.” Rarity and I looked at each other before nodding. We then followed Luna down the hall back towards the festivities on the ground floor.

At the main hall, we found Celestia with my six other friends and Shining Armor. Luna then called out, “We’re back! Did we miss anything?”

Celestia smiled as she looked at her sister. “Oh, not much. We were just waiting for you.” She then seemed to eye my robe. “Hm. I can’t even tell where it was torn.”

I replied while holding up the spot that had been torn, “That’s because Rarity is a master of the needle and thread.”

Shining Armor then approached me. “So, James. I just want to say how thoroughly impressed I was at how well you handled the prince out there. Tell me again. Who tutored in how to use a sword?”

I replied honestly, “Nobody.”

Shining Armor flashed me a perplexed expression. “Really? Well, what particular style was that you were using?”

I replied again, “It wasn’t. I just improvised.”

All of my friends looked on in shock. Armor then asked, “What?! Seriously?! But… Where did you learn how to fight?”

I was starting to feel embarrassed by all this attention, but I replied anyway. “Over ten years of analyzing various styles of swordplay.”

Armor suddenly laughed. “Really?! That’s it?! How many styles have you seen and analyzed?”

I tried thinking this answer over carefully. Having played many video games that featured swordplay as the main means of attack as well as watching a variety of analytical videos of swordplay, I have seen many different styles. “Uh… Well over thirty. Maybe over fifty... Actually, I really don’t know.”

Shining Armor stared at me with a look that said ‘Holy hell, man’, as if he was struggling to find the right words to use. He finally muttered, “Dang… Maybe I should have the guards try that…”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rarity locked in conversation with Fluttershy. I felt a twinge of worry, but remained silent. Eventually, they turned to face me. Rarity smiled as she said, “James? Fluttershy has given us her consent.”

I asked in surprise, “Huh? Really?”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile. “It’s just for a little while. And it’s just some time spent between friends. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I then kneeled down and placed a kiss on Fluttershy’s cheek. “Let’s spend time together right after that.”

Fluttershy smiled with a faint blush. “I love you, honey.”

“I love you too, baby.” I replied, embracing her for a moment.

“Hey, where’s Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked out of nowhere.

In the next room over, we heard that crazy party animal’s voice speaking over an intercom system. “Come on, everypony! Let’s get down! Woooo!”

I facepalmed while I groaned, “WHY did I give her that drink?!”

Applejack grumbled while she said, “Ugh, I’ll go grab ‘er.” She then ran off towards what I think was the ballroom.

Rarity chuckled uneasily, “Well… Why don’t we go in the other direction instead?”

I nodded as I said, “Sounds good, m’lady. Lead on.”

As we approached the door that led out into another part of the courtyard, Rarity stood by it while looking at me. She then tilted her towards the door. I realized what she wanted and smiled. “Allow me.”

I grabbed the door’s handle and pulled it open. “Thank you, James. You truly are a gentleman.” Rarity spoke with a very pleased gaze as I followed her outside.

“Ooh, aren’t those roses just lovely?” Rarity asked as she approached a bush adorned with thornless red roses.

I examined them closely, but then noticed that Rarity’s eyes were looking upward. As if she was trying to see something on her mane. I then understood what she was thinking and snapped a rose off of the bush and shortened its stem.

“I know where they would look even better.” I spoke with a smile before placing it on her mane next to her ear.

Rarity seemed surprised that I had done such a thing without her even having to ask. “James… Thank you.” She spoke with what seemed to be a faint blush.

I bowed before her as I replied, “It is an honor, m’lady.”

Rarity was unusually quiet as we went along. She seemed to be lost in thought about something, so I decided to not bother her. We eventually came to a more open area where various couples were seated around on red velvet pillows. They were either locked in conversation or watching and listening to the same quartet of ponies playing music in the center. The sight of the musicians filled me with a feeling of anxiety. If they were out here instead of in the ballroom like they were earlier, then just what kind of havoc was Pinkie Pie wreaking in there?!

I grabbed a pair of pillows from a table that was covered with them and followed Rarity to an area that offered a great view of the band. “This spot will do nicely.” She said with a smile.

I then set the two pillows down a short distance apart from each other and took my seat on one. Rarity smiled at me as she spoke quietly, “Thank you for bringing one for me. That’s three things you did for me tonight that Blueblood did not.”

I had no idea what she was speaking of. “Three?”

Rarity nodded while she explained. “He took a rose for himself, forced me to open the door for him, and only brought a pillow for himself. Among a few other things.”

I rolled my eyes at mention of Blueblood's self-serving behavior. “You would think someone with the title of ‘prince’ would know something about chivalry.”

Rarity displayed a disappointed frown. “Yes, it is quite hypocritical of him. I would be pleased if I never had to lay eyes on him again.”

As we watched the quartet play, Rarity leaned towards me and whispered, “That’s Beauty Brass on the sousaphone, Frederic Horseshoepin on the piano, Harpo on the harp, and Octavia on the cello. They perform here every year. Quite a team, are they not?”

I nodded as I took in their performance. “Quite.”

My gaze fell upon the cello player in particular. Octavia was her name, as Rarity just spoke. She had her eyes closed as she played, her cutie mark being a treble clef. She was wearing a white collar with a pink bow on the front. Her coat was a pale gray while her mane and tail were a darker shade of gray with a brighter tint to it. Her mane was very long and beautifully kempt, reaching past her shoulders. As the song came to a close, she opened her eyes, which were a faded purple. They were calm and serene, being only half open as she gazed out at her audience. In my eyes, she was the most beautiful earth pony I had seen thus far.

“Octavia is quite lovely.” I spoke quietly while leaning towards Rarity.

Rarity smiled back at me as she whispered, “Yes, she truly is. And the sounds coming from her cello are quite chilling, are they not?”

I chuckled while Octavia took a moment to tune and test her cello for the next song. “You’d be surprised how a cello can sound. I’ve seen someone play the cello in such a way that it sounded like an electric guitar.”

Rarity glanced at me in surprise. “Truly? A cello sounding like an electric instrument? How bizarre!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?3=&v=WSwaUN_Wd24

The next song the quartet played was very mellow and warm, almost like a love song. Rarity and I listened quietly, our eyes directed at the quartet. But after a short while, Rarity asked, “James… May I ask you something personal?”

I nodded while looking at her out of the corner of my eye. “Sure.”

A rather somber expression was on her face. “If… And this is just an ‘if’… If you had not gone to move in with Fluttershy and chose to remain with me…” She then looked directly at me and asked, “Do you think things would be different between us now?”

I felt myself beginning to sweat a bit at that question. “I honestly don’t know… Why do you ask?”

Rarity sighed solemnly as she looked away. “It’s just…there are times when my mind wanders. You have been a wonderful friend to me, James. And there are times where I wonder what could have been.” She then directed her gaze skyward. “Would we still be friends? Would we be a couple right now? I just don’t know…”

I felt uneasy about this. As much as I adore Rarity, Fluttershy is the girl I love more than anything. I asked cautiously, “Rarity… Do you love me?”

She sighed while she replied wistfully, “I would be lying if I said I do not. You have become an important part of my life, James. And I am grateful to have you.” She then set her right hoof on my hand, the opal-studded silver bracelet I had bought for her still being worn on it.

I sighed as well. “I’m not sure you would want me in the long run. I doubt someone like me would really appeal to a refined lady like you… I've got flaws.”

Rarity chuckled dismissively at my self-deprecation. “Oh, yes. I’ve noticed them. You can fail to think some things through at times before acting. You have low self-esteem. You can dwell heavily on things. And you are very hard on yourself when you feel you have wronged somepony. At least, I think those are all of them.” She then smiled warmly at me as she whispered to me, “But you have more than enough good things about you that overshadow your flaws. You’re a wonderful person, James. Do not fault yourself so much.”

I sighed, still not feeling very proud of myself. However, Rarity then leaned against me with her head against my shoulder. “I love you, darling. And I always will.”

“But… Fluttershy…” I replied, fearful that if her feelings for me became too strong, it would cause a rift between them.

“Oh, James. You know I can’t go against Fluttershy’s wishes. She’s been my best friend for quite some time. She is your betrothed and I must respect that.” She whispered to me calmly.

I slowly wrapped my arm around Rarity and held her close to me. “You’re my best friend, Rarity…”

The lovely unicorn mare sighed in delight. “You have no idea how honored I am to hear that.” After a moment longer, Rarity asked, “Now that I think about it, was Fluttershy your very first love?”

Those words caused a dull pain to strike me in my heart as unpleasant memories came flooding back to me. If I have ever written in my previous entries that may have pointed to me having never had a girlfriend or anything similar….. I am sorry. I lied.

“No…” I replied quietly.

Rarity clearly noticed that I had become distraught. “Darling, what’s wrong?”

I replied without looking at her, “Too many memories…”

Rarity then moved closer to me. “If it helps, can you tell me about it? Like… Who was your first love?”

At this point, I wanted to do anything to shake off these unpleasant memories. So I decided to try venting with her. “Her name was… I don’t really care enough to recall… But…she was the best thing to ever happen to me at the time.”

Rarity’s expression became one of deep concern. “Then…what went wrong?”

I sighed as I muttered, “I fell in love with her before I even knew what she looked like. We lived hundreds of miles apart, but it didn’t matter. I confessed to her my feelings after a few months of waiting. And I eventually found out that she had come to develop feelings for me too before I even told her.”

Rarity smiled supportively. “Sounds like a match made in heaven. Mutual love is always important in any relationship.”

I smiled slightly. “When she heard my voice for the first time, she said she was on cloud nine. She was shy at first, but the more we talked, the more she opened up. I helped her with all sorts of problems, helping heal old emotional scars that she had suffered throughout her life.” I then bowed my head. “She even told me during a late night phone call, that on a scale of one to ten, her life had improved by fifty since meeting me.”

I looked at Rarity to see that her jaw was hanging open. “Rarity?”

The white unicorn manually closed her jaw with her hoof. “My word… Fifty out of ten? That… I’m impressed. I always knew you were a fine man, James. But… That is astounding! Well… How long were you together?”

I sighed while looking to the starlit sky. “Three years… I was always faithful to her… Never wavering. I never once considered for even a minute breaking up with her. She was my angel. The first woman I had ever felt so strongly for.”

Rarity then spoke with a hint of hesitation in her voice, “Then…what went wrong?”

I bluntly replied, “Her family and friends.”

Rarity remained silent for a moment. “Wait….. Her friends? And her family? How could they possibly be a problem?”

I just stared at nothing for a moment as I tried to find the right words. “They hated me. Not because of my character. But because of my age. Our age is six years apart. I was always kind to her. I never forced her to do anything. I even tried to give her as much control over a situation as possible. But… They never once judged me by my character. Only by my age. They had never even met me, yet they…”

I heard Rarity growl, “That… How dare they… What prejudice is this?! I can understand judging a child by their age because of their immaturity, but judging a grown man by his age?! Six isn’t even that large of an age gap! If it was eight or nine, then yes, it may seem odd. But… That…” I leaned away from Rarity at that moment. I could not believe how disgusted she looked and how vocal she was being. “If I was there to see them… Ugh, the things I would say to those idiots! You do NOT judge anyone by age! Only by character! That’s nothing short of discrimination!”

As touched as I was by Rarity’s support, I noticed that quite a few ponies around us had begun to stare. “Uh… Rarity?” I muttered in the hopes to get her to notice.

She looked around, her face changing to one of embarrassment. “Oops… I will…uh…keep my voice down from now on.”

I then sighed as I continued. “No matter what she told her friends about me, they always were against us just because of my age. And her family… Don’t get me started on her father. I have never met a man so unpleasant in my life. Irrational, irritable, and always blaming things on those he does not know well even when that person tries to help. Even if he tries to be good to her by buying her all sorts of stuff, he still has a long history of violence and uncouth behavior that I just can’t ignore. He nearly hit her with a heavy metal space heater and nearly beat one of the family’s pets to death. And finally, when she tried to hurt herself out of stress caused by daily arguments with him, with one being over a missing hairclip, he sent her to an asylum instead of trying to calm her down like a responsible parent should.”

Rarity seemed utterly shocked by my words. “How… What… I have never heard of such a monster…”

I held my face in one hand. “After my first visit with her, our relationship fell apart. She hid from me for a week…” I sighed again, unable to really stop. “She said she loved my touch… She gave me my first kiss… It was…a wonderful time being with her…” I then gritted my teeth momentarily before saying, “I became distraught from being kept in the dark over why she left me. When we finally got in touch with each other after a week of silence, we said such angry words to each other.” Tears had begun to roll down my cheeks, the scars in my mind still there. “It was over… All because of those idiots who refused to judge me for what I am on the inside and who would not let her be her own person…”

Out of nowhere, I felt Rarity embrace me. “You are right. They are all idiots. They cannot tell her how to live her life. And if they really are her friends and family, they should respect her choices.” She then gave me a harsh glare. “Do not blame yourself for what happened, darling. It was outside your control. She was born to the wrong family and made the wrong friends. It was…..” She then moved her hoof along my cheek. “James… Are you crying?”

I looked away from her. “How can I not?”

Rarity then guided my face before I was looking at her once more. She then shocked me with a kiss on my lips. “Do not cry, darling. No matter what happened back then, you are safe with us. Equestria is a land where no such ridiculous mindsets exist. At least not to my knowledge. And remember, you have Fluttershy. She loves you for what you are. And you have me. And you can’t choose who you fall in love with.” She then confidently smirked, “And if anypony has a problem with that, they will have to get through us first.”

Even though the pain of my memories was still present, I felt immense gratitude for Rarity’s support. I embraced her as tightly as I could, squeezing tears out of my eyes. “Thank you…”

Rarity whispered sweetly as I felt her hoof over my back. “You are very welcome… A wonderful man like you deserves to be loved…” She then rested her head on my shoulder. “It seems we all got what we came for this year. Twilight spent quality time with Princess Celestia, Applejack made a hefty profit from her sales, Rainbow Dash spent time with the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy made friends with the animals in the garden, Pinkie Pie managed to have a good time… Although I must wonder if she is even going to remember tonight tomorrow morning…” That last bit made me chuckle. I needed that after that moment of misery.

However, Rarity then sighed happily. “And I finally found my prince.”

I said nothing as I think a blush spread across my face. She then whispered into my ear, “James… Never change, my dear.” I nodded in silence, my hands caressing her back and lovely mane.

After spending what I believe was close to an hour with Rarity, we reunited with our friends at the main hall. Fluttershy greeted us with a smile. “Did you two have a good time?”

Rarity nodded while looking very satisfied. “It was an enlightening experience.” However, she then looked Fluttershy in the eye. She spoke quietly, but I still heard her. “Don’t ever leave James, dear. He needs you.”

Fluttershy seemed puzzled by Rarity’s words. “Did something bad happen out there, Rarity?”

Rarity smiled while looking over her shoulder at me. “Let’s just say I learned more than I expected.” I smiled back at her with a nod.

It seemed that all of the GGG’s attendees had finally arrived and had gotten settled in since neither Celestia nor Luna was standing at the top of the stairwell anymore. The royal sisters seemed to be locked in conversation with Twilight Sparkle at the base of the stairs.

“Yeah! I teleported Rarity, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and myself from there to… Oh, hey there, James!” Twilight spoke as I walked up behind her.

“Hey there, Twi. Having a good time?” I replied with a wave.

“The whole night’s been great! Much better than the last time!” Twilight said with a bright smile.

Celestia nodded in agreement as her gaze met mine. “I concur. It’s been great, even if somewhat less chaotic than the last… Oops, never mind about that.” She was cut off by the sound of a distant crash in the ballroom, probably a result of Pinkie Pie’s semi-drunken antics.

“Well….. At least she’s not complaining, right?” I replied with a nervous chuckle, knowing it was my fault that she ended up that way.

When Twilight looked away from Celestia to speak with Luna, I approached Celestia. I had thanked Luna for bringing me to Equestria, but I had yet to personally thank Celestia. “Celestia? May I have a word with you in private?” I whispered to her.

The Princess of the Dawn nodded before looking towards Twilight and Luna. “Excuse me for a minute, ladies. James and I need to discuss something.” Twilight and Luna agreed in unison before going right back to their conversation.

Celestia led me out into the palace garden where there were no other gala attendees to interrupt us. “I don’t think we’ve spent any personal time together yet, James. This is a pleasant surprise.”

I replied while my thoughts wandered for a moment, “Yeah…”

Celestia, being the wise mare she is, was quick to notice that I was not entirely happy. “Is something troubling you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this insecure.”

I felt some tears welling up in my eyes again as the memories came back to me. “I… I just wanted to thank you for bringing me here, Celestia. You couldn’t have chosen a better time to do it.”

She smiled compassionately as she said, “I do think Luna and I made a good choice by selecting you. I’ve been hearing nothing but praise about you from Twilight.”

I continued, “It’s not just that… I was going through… I’m glad I met…” My voice had begun to break, my tears beginning to stream down my cheeks.

Celestia seemed mildly alarmed at the sight of my tears. “James? Are you all right?”

I could only stammer a bit. “Celestia… Permission to embrace you?”

The Princess of the Dawn stared at me for a moment with a concerned frown, but soon smiled warmly as she extended a wing towards me. “Permission not needed.”

It was all I needed to hear. I walked over to her and threw my arms around her neck, just letting my tears fall while trying to not burst out sobbing with carefully controlled breathing. I felt Celestia wrap one of her arms around me, her hoof against my lower back. “Just remember, if you have nopony else to turn to, you can always come to me.” She spoke softly into my ear.

“Thank you… Celestia…” I muttered through my tears as a sense of complete security came over me.

The hours rolled by, the lot of us just having fun together and enjoying each other’s company with all of their friends and family. Before we even knew what time it was, the clock struck 1 AM.

“Whoa. Where’d the time go?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she realized what time it was.

“Well, that’s what happens when you spend time with friends. It flies by as fast as I do.” Spitfire replied with a chuckle.

Fancy Pants let out a yawn. “Indeed. Although I do believe it is time I departed. It is much too late for a gentleman to stay up. Shall we get together another time?”

Rarity smiled and said, “Oh, it would be wonderful for us all to get together again. The sooner, the better!”

Shining Armor smiled at all of us as he said, “It was awesome to see you all again. And I’m really glad I got to meet you, James.”

Cadence nodded as she stepped up alongside her husband. “Me too. I hope we can get together again sometime, James.”

I nodded as well and shook their hooves. “I’m glad I got to meet you too. It was a pleasure.”

One by one, we saw our friends off. By the time they had all departed, the palace had become rather quiet. Spike in particular was out like a light, just lying across Twilight’s back while fast asleep.

Applejack yawned and adjusted her crooked hat. “Well, I think I’ve had enough partyin’ for one night.”

Pinkie Pie giggled enthusiastically and said, “What’re you talking about?! This party’s just getting started! Wooo! Par…” She suddenly collapsed to the floor, her drink having finally run its course. “Urgh… My head…”

Fluttershy approached her with a look of concern. “You sound like you have a hangover. Did you drink any water?”

Twilight just rolled her eyes, “She’ll be fine. But we should be going now, right?”

However, Celestia then spoke up. “Actually, with it being this late, would you all prefer to stay the night in the palace? I'm not sure the trains even run this late up here.”

We all looked at each other in surprise before Twilight asked, “Really?!”

Luna then explained, “It will take well over an hour to get back to Ponyville if you leave now. Or not. We're not familiar the with train schedules. Why not stay the night? We have plenty of guest rooms.”

Applejack grinned while trying to hold off her exhaustion. “That’s a might generous of ya, yer highness. And I’ll admit, we’re a might tuckered too.”

I smiled while also starting to feel tired myself. “I wouldn’t mind staying the night. I can pick up Scootaloo tomorrow morning or afternoon. She's probably already asleep right now.”

Celestia smiled in delight as she turned to lead us. “Right then. Let me show you to your rooms.” We then followed Celestia and Luna up the stairs and into the main bulk of the palace once again.

At this moment, I am resting in bed in a guest room in the palace. The size of this room is still quite spacious compared to how most rooms are in others places in Equestria. The door is big enough to walk through without ducking and the ceiling towers above me. Even the windows are a bit bigger than me. An old-fashioned lantern chandelier hangs from the ceiling as the main source of light, although I am merely using a candle right now. The bed I am in is a large canopy bed, not unlike Rarity’s. Dark faded purple curtains are hanging near the tops of the walls, lending the room a very elegant atmosphere that I am not used to. And it was nice of Celestia to provide me with all this paper and ink to write with.

Fluttershy is right beside me. She seems very relaxed and has already fallen asleep. I hope her animals can manage without us until we get home tomorrow. I am a bit concerned for Angela, but since she is a bird, she can probably sustain herself with seeds and berries if she gets hungry.

What an evening. So many new faces, finally gave that princely lout the punishment he deserved, and had a genuinely fun time. I must say that this night was quite possibly the best night ever for me. Well, since arriving in Equestria, that is.

My days in Equestria just keep getting better. I am most curious of what the future holds, but it can be nothing but good as long as Equestria remains the blessed paradise it is. Right?

Still, I am only just now starting to truly grasp how grateful I am for Celestia and Luna’s intervention in my life. I am far better off here than I ever was back on Earth. I have friends who will never leave me that I will never give up on. And I have the greatest girlfriend I could ask for. Things are just much more stable here.

Now I must sleep. Partying that long and this late really takes a toll on you. Still… I am getting a strange foreboding feeling. Is something odd going to happen soon?

Heh, I am probably just expecting Pinkie Pie to try something crazy upon waking up. Let me write a quick note here before I go to sleep.

Pinkie Pie + alcoholic beverages = bad things. That should get my point across to myself in the future if I ever read this again.

A couple of weeks have passed since I attended the Grand Galloping Gala for the first time and things have been absolutely wonderful with my friends in Equestria. However, early into May, something bizarre occurred when I woke up in Fluttershy’s cottage. I awoke in the morning, as usual, but noticed something was wrong. Why was it so dark in the room?

I sat up and looked around. Did I just wake up a few hours after I went to sleep? Well, that cannot possibly be it. I was feeling well rested and was wide awake too. Did I sleep through the entire day and woke up during the following night? I know that happened to me once before as a child, but that was due to being ill at the time and sleeping through most of the day. I reached for the nightstand next to me and found my DSi. I had already set the clock and calendar to match that of Equestria’s, so the time would likely be correct. I turned it on, the backlight on both screens becoming the only real source of light in the bedroom.

“Well, this can’t be right…” I muttered to myself. The date was correct. And the time was only 8:30 in the morning. Then why in the world was it still so dark out?

I got out of bed and went over to the window after setting my DSi down to serve as a small lamp. The moon was high in the sky, a perfect pale orb in the dark blue ocean above me. I smirked as I wondered what the cause of this prolonged night could be.“Maybe Luna and Celestia are just being lazy today.”

I heard some rustling behind me and saw Fluttershy sitting up in bed. She groggily looked at me and asked, “Did I wake up too soon again?”

I shrugged my shoulders before offering my usual morning greeting. “Morning, honey. And no, you didn’t. I just checked the clock and it said 8:30 AM. I just think that Celestia and Luna haven’t gotten around to bringing out the sun yet.”

Fluttershy hopped out of bed and went over to the window I was standing by to see for herself. “The moon’s still out? But… That can’t be right.”

I shrugged once more before heading over to my wardrobe. “Well, they’ll get around to it eventually. I’m gonna go wake Scoot up and get her ready for school.”

Fluttershy nodded before spreading her wings. “I’ll get started on breakfast. Even if the sun’s not out yet, everypony needs to eat before they start their day.” I watched as she flew down the stairs, leaving me to get dressed.

Since it was still fairly early in spring, I decided to wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt. I slid on some blue pants and a gray shirt. Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and into Scootaloo’s bedroom to find my little sister still fast asleep.

“Rise and shine, Scoot. Time for breakfast.” I said while rubbing her little head.

The little pegasus filly slowly stirred before yawning. “Five more minutes, Dad… The sun’s not even out yet…”

That got a chuckle out of me. “Yeah, I know the sun’s not out yet. But it’s still 8:30 in the morning. Come on, you’ll be late for school.”

Scootaloo groggily opened her eyes and stared at me. “Huh? Seriously? It’s morning, but the stars are still out?”

I nodded before glancing at the nearest window. “Yeah. No idea why, but it’s still night time even though it clearly should be morning. But the clock’s right, so get up. Fluttershy’s starting on dinner… I mean breakfast.”

Scootaloo sniffed the air in an attempt to pick up the aroma of cooked food. “Ooh, that always gets me awake! I’ll be right there!” She suddenly bounded out of bed, going from sleepy to energetic in a second. I chuckled to myself, impressed by how effective hunger is as a motivator.

I turned on every light switch I could find on my way to the kitchen. Upon entering, I found Scootaloo seated at the table while Fluttershy seemed to be making omelets. I felt my mouth water at the sight of shrimp, spinach, and mozzarella cheese being wrapped in one. “Mmm, you know what I like, honey.” I said while feeling my appetite spike.

Fluttershy smiled as she looked my way. “I know you love seafood and spinach, so I combined them.” She then set the omelet on a plate and started on another.

“Strawberries and apples for mine, please!” Scootaloo spoke with a grin. Fluttershy nodded with an improvised smile as she held a spatula in her mouth.

Scootaloo and I waited for her to finish all three omelets before we started to eat. Fluttershy’s contained cheddar cheese and carrots. “Thanks for waiting for me.” She said with a smile while taking a seat.

“And thank you for these wonderful treats.” I added as Scootaloo started on her breakfast.

We all dined together, enjoying friendly conversation. But eventually, Scootaloo asked, “Hey, Fluttershy? Why is it still dark out? I thought this is supposed to be morning!”

She replied with a puzzled expression, “I really don’t know… The only explanation I can think of is that maybe Princess Luna got sick and isn’t well enough to lower the moon.”

I then asked, “But isn’t Celestia capable of doing that on her own?” I recalled the legends of the Mare in the Moon, where after Nightmare Moon’s imprisonment, Celestia took up both roles as the controller of the sun and moon to….. Wait. Nightmare Moon?!

A chill spread through me as I remembered the alicorn I had not seen for eight months. According to legend, she had originally attempted to bring about an eternal night. Could it be that… Wait. When I saw her, she seemed very weak. She was only a billowing black shadow on the wall. If the eternal night had not begun again at the time I saw her, then she clearly did not possess the strength to carry out that plan.

What is more, she seemed very sorrowful during our first encounter. Clearly not the kind of behavior one would expect from a mad tyrant. She even watched over me as I slept and vocally expressed genuine gratitude for my praise of her beautiful night. Would she really do the same thing as before if she had become a more caring person while stuck out there in the Everfree Forest?

So many questions swam through my mind. Is Nightmare Moon back to normal? Is this abnormally long night a result of laziness on Luna and Celestia’s part? Or is this the work of some sinister third party I have yet to learn about? Or is it even sinister at all? I must admit I was feeling slightly more chipper at that moment than I usually am during the day. I guess I really am a night owl.

I was careful to not bring up Nightmare Moon for the rest of our breakfast. Her infamy is too great. “Man, that was good. Thanks, Fluttershy!” Scootaloo spoke up while licking her lips, very satisfied with her meal.

Such praise easily brought a smile to Fluttershy’s lips. “You’re very welcome. Now, go get ready for school. I don't think they'll be canceling classes just because the sun isn't out.” Scootaloo nodded in confirmation before trotting away to her room.

I gathered up the plates and placed them in the kitchen sink for cleaning. My eyes glanced at the window, nothing but darkness lying beyond it. “You think this long night is a bad sign, honey?”

My girlfriend replied while still looking somewhat puzzled, “I hope not… The last time this happened was when Nightmare Moon appeared. But that’s impossible. She doesn’t even exist anymore… Right?”

As tempted as I was to tell her the truth, I knew that telling anyone with connections to Celestia and Luna about Nightmare Moon is a bad idea. I nodded while playing along. “Yeah, I can’t imagine how she could still exist nowadays.”

Fluttershy then nodded while showing a tiny smile. “Well, on the bright side… Or maybe dark side, I can spend more time with the bats and owls at this hour.” I cracked a grin too, pleased to see that Fluttershy was looking at the advantages of a longer night.

“You still have to take care of the animals that are active during the day. I doubt they’ll be slowed down much by the dark.” I said while glancing at the nearest window again, knowing that Fluttershy has to tend to various animals every single day.

She smiled softly at me. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll get to work right after I do the dishes. Could you walk Scootaloo to school please?”

I nodded without delay. “Don’t I always?” The two of us chuckled in unison.

“OK, James! I’m ready!” I heard Scootaloo call out from the central room of the house before I could even leave the kitchen.

“Oops. Gotta go. See you in a bit, honey.” I spoke before kissing Fluttershy on the cheek.

Fluttershy giggled while trying to look past me at Scootaloo. “OK. Take care out there. No telling what might happen at this hour when it’s this dark out.” I then hurried out the door, knowing that Scootaloo had just stepped outside.

“Well, this is gonna be an odd walk. Going to school in the middle of the night? What’s next? Nightclubs at noon?” I said in an attempt to poke fun at the situation, finding it extremely odd taking my little sister to school when it felt like 2 AM.

Scootaloo laughed along with me. “Yeah, it feels like I should go back to bed. But school’s starting soon, so we better get going.”

I nodded before looking ahead. “Lead on, Scoot.” The two of us proceeded down the path, crossing the stream in front of the cottage and trekking through the meadow on our way into Ponyville.

While we walked, Scootaloo kept glancing around. Possibly out of fear of what might be lurking in the dark during this unnaturally long night. I spoke up while glancing down at her, “Something wrong?”

She replied while trying to keep a straight face, “Uh... Nope! Nothing’s wrong! Just a little… Uh… Just don’t know what might be out there. It’s not supposed to be this dark out right now, ya know.”

I snickered while shrugging my shoulders. “Relax, Scoot. Night time might be dark, but it’s not dangerous. I actually find it relaxing. And just think, if this was summer, we would be seeing lots of fireflies right now.”

Scootaloo smiled while her little wings seemed to buzz in a fit of excitement. “Oh, right! Yeah, it would be cool if there were fireflies around right now.”

Before we got much further, a familiar voice called out to us. “Mornin’, James! Hey, Scootaloo!” We both turned south to see Apple Bloom galloping towards us.

“Morning, Apple Bloom! And don’t you mean ‘good evening’ instead?” Scootaloo replied with a playful smirk on her face.

I cracked a smirk of my own before speaking up too. “I checked the clock. You didn’t oversleep, Apple Bloom. It really is morning.”

Apple Bloom nodded while looking both happy and bewildered. “Yeah, I thought so. This long night is messin’ with Granny Smith’s internal clock. She won’t wake up! Even started sleepwalkin’ a few times!”

I chuckled as that sight popped up in my head. “I just hope it’s not messing with everyone else. I’m really liking this extra long night.”

The three of us walked along, engaging in conversation while my eyes glanced around at my nocturnal surroundings. I really have always enjoyed the night. Rather than be intimidated or worried, I was enjoying it thoroughly.

“So, any idea what might be causin’ this really weird weather?” Apple Bloom asked while looking at the sky.

Scootaloo replied before jumping in excitement. “No idea… Hey! Maybe we should try to solve that mystery! Cutie Mark Crusaders Eternal Night Solvers!”

Apple Bloom grinned at that proposition. “Ooh! Why didn’t I think of that?! It’s SO obvious! We gotta tell Sweetie Belle when we get ta school!” I could only chuckle at their enthusiasm. It would never go anywhere, but at least they were having fun with it.

“Well, you girls have fun with that. Too bad I already got my cutie mark. I wonder what kind of cutie mark you’ll get if you do solve this mystery.”

The two fillies looked at each other before looking back up at me. “Hey, James? Just what does yer cutie mark mean again?”

I paused while I processed that question. After all this time, I should not be surprised that they had forgotten. I kneeled down and raised my left sleeve, displaying my cutie mark for all to see. “Well, I’m not entirely sure myself, but Twilight said the doves represent a gentle and loving nature and that they stand for eternal love while the heart shape represents… Actually, that’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Apple Bloom then asked with her head cocked sideways a bit, “So, ya love everypony?”

I smiled sheepishly as I lowered my sleeve. “Well, I try to give everyone a chance. You’d have to work pretty hard to make me hate you.”

Scootaloo smiled brightly at me. “Yeah, you are a loving guy. I’ll bet you’d even love Nightmare Moon if she was a little nicer!” I tried to suppress a chuckle, recalling the first time I ever encountered her remnants in the Everfree Forest.

As we walked along, the schoolhouse came into view. It was a little hard to make out the colorations on it due to the low amount of light. However, there was plenty of light shining through the windows. “Remember. If Cheerilee falls asleep at the desk, it gives you no right to goof off.” I spoke up while being both serious and silly in my words.

“Got it!” The two fillies replied in unison. As we drew closer, I saw Sweetie Belle approaching us from the opposite direction.

“Morning, everypony!” Sweetie Belle called out upon seeing us. She then ran over to us while asking, “Weird weather we’re having today, huh? You think Princess Luna is sleeping late?”

Scootaloo raised a hoof while shrugging her shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe she and Princess Celestia are just giving us a few more hours to sleep today.”

Apple Bloom then asked, “What’s the point of that if we’re already awake?!”

I shrugged as well, but then motioned my hand towards the schoolhouse. “No clue, but school is clearly starting. Better get in there before you’re tardy.”

The three fillies looked at each other and nodded before looking up at me. “Cutie Mark Crusader Group Hug!”

I grinned while letting out a chuckle. “Oh, you girls…” I then got down on my knees and held all three of them in my arms.

“Heheh… To think I used to not like these cuddly hugs.” Scootaloo chuckled as she nuzzled me.

Sweetie Belle smiled while nestling her head against me. “Who doesn’t like hugs?”

Apple Bloom replied promptly, “Not me!”

I then smiled while feeling all warm inside. “Well, I better not keep you any longer. Get in there and have a good time, girls.” I then stood up and gently patted each of them on the head.

Sweetie Belle nodded before waving at me. “Will do! See you later, James!” The three of them then bid me goodbye and headed inside the schoolhouse. With nothing else to do, I turned and headed back home to Fluttershy’s cottage.

As the cottage came into view, I noticed that Fluttershy was going about her duties with the feeding of the animals that resided nearby. Among the usual animals I saw during the day, such as rabbits, robins, squirrels and so on, there were also nocturnal creatures in the mix. Such as owls, bats, and a few others that I cannot quite recall.

“And who says creatures of the night and day can’t get along?” I asked as I approached Fluttershy, who was tossing….. Ugh, even though I know it is their natural diet, how can Fluttershy give owls dead mice with a straight face? Even if they were already dead… Nature can be so cruel.

Fluttershy turned to face me and smiled. “I know I didn’t. I was actually worried that the little animals that are active during the day would’ve been upset by this unnaturally long night. But they’ve been taking it very well.” I heard a few robins chirping nearby. Then again, I have heard robins singing at the crack of dawn just before the sun had come up. So it should be no surprise that they are all right with having to live in the dark for a while longer than usual.

“Well, I know I’m liking it.” I said in return. I then felt something perch upon my shoulder. I glanced to my right to find Angela looking at me before she let out a coo. “And I see my little angel of the night likes it too.” I added while gently caressing her neck.

Fluttershy continued to smile while looking up at us. “You know, under that full moon, it feels very romantic out here right now…” My little pegasus lover said as she took a seat at the edge of the bridge that spanned the brook in front of her house.

Angela flew away from me upon hearing those words. My gaze fell upon Fluttershy, who I must say looks striking in the moonlight. I then approached her and took a seat by her. “They say love is strongest in the dark.” I muttered, recalling the saying from somewhere.

Fluttershy smiled peacefully as she looked at me. “Whoever said that is right.” I draped my arm across her back, placing my hand on her opposite shoulder. “I love you, James.” She spoke softly.

“I love you too, honey.” I replied quietly. My hand began to caress her cheek and jaw very lightly.

Fluttershy then quietly asked, “James… I heard from Rarity about your…past love. Was that all true?”

I tried my absolute hardest to not think about those days. But Fluttershy could clearly tell what I was thinking. She then leaned against me and spoke softly in a very reassuring and sweet tone. “I won’t let the same happen to us. I… I won’t give up on you. Even if my closest friends end up being against you being with me, I won’t leave you.”

I sighed while I took in those words. “Are you sure about that?”

Fluttershy looked at me and warmly smiled. “True love is worth fighting for. And…you’re the first man to ever love me unconditionally for what I am despite my flaws.” She then draped her wing across my back. “If our relationship ended, the one who would be hurt most is me. You’re so loyal and faithful… You’ve never once tried to force or persuade me to do something against my will… It’s rare to find a man like you.”

I nodded while looking at her. “I don’t like forcing anyone through anything. I’m a believer in freedom of choice.”

Fluttershy reached up and moved my face so I was looking right at her. She then pressed her lips against mine for a tender kiss. I then closed my eyes and pressed into it as well. Over and over, we softly kissed each other. It was a very magical feeling that is difficult to describe. Those who have actually experienced it will know what I am talking about.

I embraced Fluttershy tightly once our kissing had ceased. She did the same, wrapping her arms around me the best she could. “I’ll never leave you, James… I promise.” She said softly to the point of her voice being nearly a whisper.

I replied in kind while feeling especially warm and tingly. “Likewise… I’ll never leave you.”

Seconds later, I noticed a tear roll down Fluttershy’s cheek. “I’m so honored to have you…”

My hand moved along her cheek, removing the tear from her face. “Don’t cry, honey. There’s no reason to be sad.”

Fluttershy nodded with a smile spread across her lips. “Sorry… I’m just so grateful… I wish I knew who brought you here so I could thank them.” I nodded in silence. I know who brought me to Equestria. But since they requested I do not tell anyone, I decided to not tell Fluttershy who did it.

“Do you need to go to work soon?” She then asked, reminding me that today is a workday for me.

“Oops. Yeah, I should get going right away.” I said promptly, knowing that I am needed at Sugarcube Corner today.

“OK. But before you go…” Fluttershy suddenly embraced me, kissing me deeply as her tongue snaked its way into my mouth. I did not resist, holding onto her as I returned my feelings. Our tongues touched and danced, our eyes closed to help enjoy the moment. The kiss did not last as long as I wanted since I had to get going soon, but it still really gave a boost to my spirits. “Have a good day at work, James.” Fluttershy said upon breaking the kiss, a faint blush upon her face.

I smiled warmly while letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “I will. Feel free to pop in to see me today, honey.” I then stood up, said my goodbyes, and headed on my way. My mind was adrift with loving thoughts of my girlfriend, wondering what we would do together once I came home that evening.

As I entered Ponyville, I noticed that everyone was still just going about his or her business as usual despite the odd weather. Some seemed indifferent to the unusually long night, some seemed to be having fun with it while glancing around in wonder, and others seemed genuinely bewildered by it. Even so, it was refreshing to see that their reactions were not ones of mass hysteria.

I too was rather excited by this night. I looked around, wondering what might be different at this time. Every single building or house I passed had light shining through the windows. It was a fairly magical experience for me.

“Hey, James! You all right?” I heard a voice speak in a familiar southern accent. I turned and saw Applejack approaching me while pulling a cart of apple products ranging from pastries to drinks. “Weird weather we’re havin’, huh?”

I nodded while glancing around at our surroundings. “Yeah, but I’m actually liking it.”

Applejack paused and gave me a surprised look. “Like it? Seriously? Ya get some kinda kick outta it bein’ this dark out when it should be all bright and sunny?”

Once again, I nodded with a smile. “Come on, AJ. If you know me, you know I like the night as much as the day.”

This prompted a chuckle from her. “Heheh, to each their own, I guess.”

I then asked, “Hey, AJ? Why is your cart full of apple treats instead of just apples?”

She looked over her shoulder at the cart before looking back at me. “Oh, these? They’re made from apples we stockpiled over winter. Since they’re a bit old, we turned ‘em inta all sorts of goodies that won’t spoil easily. Except for the fermented ones. We're gonna make cider outta them. Ya want one?”

I nodded while reaching into my pocket. “How much for one of those apple tarts?”

She gave me that smile she always shows her customers. “That’ll be two bits. Help yerself ta whichever one ya want.” I reached into my pocket, took out two bits, and then placed them under her hat. “Heheh, that’s one way ta hold onto my money without gettin’ my register out. And thanks for bein’ my first customer of the day, James.”

“No problem, AJ.” I replied while snatching an apple tart from her cart and immediately snacking on it.

The two of us conversed while heading into town. “So, what do you think is causing all this darkness? Has it happened before?” I asked, wondering if Applejack knew anything about what might be causing it.

“I got nothin’. Last time this happened, Nightmare Moon was behind it. Don’t know who could be doin’ it this time, what with Princess Luna bein’ all good again.” She replied while looking up at me.

I took another bite of my tart while pondering her words. No matter who I asked about the abnormally long night, it always came back to Nightmare Moon. “Hmmm… My guess is that Luna and Celestia are allowing the night to continue longer than usual. And it is making this day pretty interesting.”

Applejack nodded while her frown of puzzlement quickly turned into a small smile. “Ya got a point there. Maybe I’ll set up a campfire and some s’mores today and invite the girls over for some ghost stories! Oh, and you too, James.”

I felt my mouth water slightly at the mention of s’mores. “Looking forward to it, AJ.”

After a few more minutes, we came into view of Sugarcube Corner. Now that it was dark out, I saw that the ‘candles’ on top of the gingerbread house had their flames set aglow with light. Turns out they are just light bulbs. “Well, here’s my stop.” I spoke up, knowing that the Cake couple and Pinkie Pie were likely waiting for me inside.

“All righty then. Have a good one, James. See ya this evenin’ at my place?” Applejack replied while gazing up at me.

“You bet. See ya there.” I said with a smile. I then entered through the front door to get started on my work.

Pinkie Pie was already setting up some of the treats for display in the front counter. Upon hearing the door close, she glanced up at me. “Morning, James! That long night out there making you drowsy?”

I smiled at her while glancing at the window. “Nope. I’m actually really liking it today.”

Pinkie Pie giggled enthusiastically like she often does. “I almost thought it was a second Nightmare Night going on! At least until I saw everypony wasn’t in costume. Anyway, you ready to get started?”

I nodded while making my way behind the counter. “Yup. What’s on our to-do list today?” I then followed her into the kitchen, ready to get started on our objectives.

“Well, first we need to whip up three dozen of those yummy chocolate drops and another three dozen of those chocolate chip cupcakes. After that, we can take a lunch break.” Pinkie Pie replied while looking over a sheet.

“All right then. I’ll grab the ingredients.” I said before I began to look through the cabinets for the ingredients.

As an hour rolled by, Pinkie Pie and I managed to whip up two dozen chocolate drops. While we waited for the third to finish baking, we engaged in casual conversation. “So, you really like the night? No wonder you and Princess Luna get along so well!” She exclaimed with her signature cheerful tone.

I chuckled just slightly before replying, “Well, I’ve always been something of a night owl. Back on Earth, my average bedtime was around 3 AM.”

Pinkie Pie gasped at those words. “3 AM?! Wow, did you ever have trouble sleeping?”

I turned my gaze to the nearest window and nodded. “For reasons I can’t explain, I had a nasty case of insomnia for around two years. I had to use sleep aids just to get to sleep. Sometimes, it forced me to take five pills in one night. But the insomnia left me not that long before I came to Equestria. I was finally able to get to sleep on my own after a long time.”

Pinkie Pie smiled cheerfully and said, “Wow, it must be really lousy not to sleep easily. You just might’ve ended up like Applejack!”

I raised an eyebrow as I began to look through a cookbook. “Applejack? What does she have to do with… Huh?”

Pinkie Pie trotted over to me upon seeing me getting distracted by something on the page. “What? Did you find something?”

I had found a peculiar recipe in the cookbook. “What’s this? Ingredients are sugar, eggs, potato chips, soda, a cup of ‘sour’, and wheat worms/earthworms? What the hell is this recipe? Something for someone with a cast-iron stomach?!”

My friend shrieked in mild horror when she seemed to realize what the recipe was. “Ack! I thought I threw that out!” She then grabbed the edge of the page by her teeth and ripped it out of the book before tossing it in the trashcan. She then looked at me with a sheepish grin. “Uh… Heheh… Yeah, Applejack wrote that in there after going days without sleep.”

I promptly asked, “She didn’t actually make those, did she?! And did anyone eat them?!”

Pinkie Pie winced, looking slightly green in the face. “She did. And yes, lots of ponies ate them. Aaaaand if you wanna know what they’re called, I call them Baked Bads.”

I groaned at the mere thought of what such treats could do to someone. “Oh man, AJ. What was wrong with you?!” The two of us laughed in unison, myself wondering just what Applejack had been high on to come up with such an awful recipe. And I felt tempted to ask where she gets it.

Just after I took out the third batch of chocolate drops from the oven, Mr. Cake poked his head into the kitchen. “Pinkie Pie? Your friends are all at the front desk. They need to see you.”

Pinkie Pie replied as she trotted towards the exit to the kitchen, “Coming!” Once I had set the tray of baked dough down, I peeked over the twin swinging doors that led out into the storefront, wondering what had come up that would bring all five of our friends here.

“Morning, girls! What’s up?” Pinkie Pie asked once she was out from behind the counter. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were gathered in front of the counter.

Twilight had an uneasy expression on her face that seethed worry. “Hey there, Pinkie. Sorry to call you up on such short notice, but it’s kind of an emergency.”

The word ‘emergency’ caught my attention. Equestria has always been a very peaceful land. I cannot imagine anything significant occurring that could be terribly bad. Pinkie Pie then asked, “Ooh, an emergency? How bad is it?”

Fluttershy replied softly, “We don’t know… Princess Celestia sent a message to Twilight saying she needs us to go to Canterlot and see her right away.”

I finally decided to step out of the kitchen to see them. “Hey there, girls. Sorry, but I overheard.”

Rainbow Dash grinned and waved at me. “Oh, hey there! Wasn’t expecting to see you too.”

Applejack then nodded before retorting, “Yeah, but sorry, James. We’re gonna all have ta go to Canterlot for a while. I’m not sure when we’ll be back.”

I then asked, “Well… May I tag along too? I’m a little worried since this is an ‘emergency meeting’, after all.”

Rarity raised a hoof to her chin in thought. “Hmmmm….. Well, the message never said you couldn’t come with us… I don’t see why not.”

Twilight nodded with a smile forming on her face. “I think it’ll be OK if you come along too. I know Princess Luna will be happy to see you.”

I nodded with a smile of my own before starting to move back over to the kitchen. “OK. Just let me put a word in with the boss.” I then peeked into the kitchen to see Mr. Cake spreading chocolate onto the chocolate drops. “Mr. Cake? I’ve been called to Canterlot with Pinkie Pie. Princess Celestia’s orders. If I’m not back this evening, could you take care of Scootaloo for the night?”

He nodded while setting the…uh… It looks like a tiny spatula… Well, whatever it is, he set it down before answering. “Oh, sure! You and Pinkie have a good time up there. I'll be sure to let my wife know.”

I then pulled my head out of the kitchen and smiled at my friends. “OK, I’m all set.”

Pinkie Pie then cheered almost as if on cue. “Weee! Away to Canterlot we go!” She then trotted out the front door.

“Is she always this cheery, even when faced with a potentially dangerous emergency?” I asked while watching the door close behind her.

Rainbow Dash shook her head while displaying an amused smirk. “That’s just how Pinkie Pie rolls.”

The seven of us went straight to the train station to find one such train waiting at the platform. Twilight led us to the conductor, who was standing next to one of the cars. “Excuse me, but we’ve been summoned to Canterlot on behalf of Princess Celestia.”

The conductor replied without sounding too surprised. “Already heard. You’re free to board.” We all shuffled into the car and waited for the train to leave. After only a minute or two, I felt the entire train jerk forward as it began to accelerate. In moments, we were out of Ponyville and on our way to Canterlot.

While my friends engaged in conversation, I sat at the end of the train car and gazed out the window. The sight of watching the moonlit landscape roll by while the star-filled night sky hung overhead was a truly mesmerizing experience. I chuckled to myself, “And who says the night is all bad?”

As the train began to climb the mountain that Canterlot sat upon, I noticed Rarity approaching me in the aisle. “May I have this seat?” She asked, standing out quite beautifully in the train car as the moonlight shone on her through the window.

I nodded while moving my legs to allow more room for her. “By all means.” My beautiful unicorn friend took a seat across from me and began to gaze out the window.

“Such a lovely view, wouldn’t you say?” She asked, clearly as spellbound as I was by the nightly horizon.

“Yup.” I replied, just watching the scenery go by. At least until we entered a tunnel. Due to the already low light conditions, the tunnel was pitch black to the point where I could see absolutely nothing. When the train finally exited from the tunnel, I found Rarity cuddling up against me. “Uh… Rarity?”

She giggled upon seeing that I had noticed her change locations. “That trick never gets old. Did you blink for too long, darling?” I chuckled, amused that she had literally moved under the cover of darkness to sneak over to me.

As Rarity leaned against me, I rested my hand on her opposite shoulder. “What do you think is causing this night to last so long?” I asked while gazing at the full moon.

Rarity replied while also beholding the pale orb in the sky, “I wish I knew. The only possible culprit I can think of is Nightmare Moon… But that isn’t possible, right?”

I did not answer, my mind drifting back to my memories of my first encounter with Nightmare Moon. She seemed very weak at that time, and it was only eight months ago. Could she really possess the strength to bring about an eternal night again? And why would she? An eternal night would only bring disaster to Equestria. Crops would wither, the people would freeze… This day alone was feeling rather cool. Probably the mid 60s. But…she had changed. She was very grateful to me for my praise. She watched over me as I slept. She would not truly repeat her past mistakes….. Would she?

“James?” Rarity asked, breaking me out of my train of thought.

I shook my head to clear my mind. “Sorry… Mind was just wandering right there. I'm OK.”

We did not talk much until the train finally pulled into the station in Canterlot. Upon disembarking, Twilight spoke up while barely looking at us. “Let’s not waste any time. We need to see Princess Celestia right away.” We all nodded and followed her through town, the various other ponies reacting the same way to the night as the ponies of Ponyville were. Just in a much more reserved manner. Quite frankly, Canterlot is at its most beautiful at night with all those lamp posts and pale architecture.

We reached the palace without interruptions, finding a pair of royal guards standing at the entrance. Twilight spoke up right away, “We were summoned by Princess Celestia.”

One of the guards nodded before both turned towards the door. “Right this way.” We then followed them inside without a word.

The halls were barely lit with torches lining the sides, leading me to suspect that certain parts of the palace were too old to have electrical wiring installed. Regardless, we were led to a large door that seemed to stand out due to its size and elegant design. One of the guards faced us and spoke, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be with you shortly.” They then walked back down the hall to whence they came.

“I guess we should just wait for them to come out and get us.” Fluttershy said while she glanced around the hall.

Applejack nodded while looking noticeably troubled. “I just wanna know what we were called here for.”

As we waited, I noticed that the door was just slightly ajar, allowing me to peer into the throne room. I quietly made my way over to the door and held my ear to the crack in it. Inside, I could hear Celestia and Luna speaking to each other.

“This just doesn’t add up… Why will the sun not rise regardless of what I do?” I heard Celestia speak with a slightly hushed tone.

Luna replied just as quietly, “Something must be keeping the night going while keeping the sun shrouded…”

Celestia then said with a slightly more frustrated tone, “I would suspect it was Nightmare Moon, but that is no longer a possibility. What else could it be…?”

Luna then spoke with a hint of fear in her voice. “Celestia… You don’t suppose it could be HIM, do you?”

This piqued my curiosity greatly. I waited for Celestia to reply, but did not have to wait long. “Impossible. He remains sealed like the others. And that seal will not break.”

Despite these reassuring words, Luna still sounded uneasy. “But he is the only other who has tried to bring about an eternal night. This prolonged dusk must be the work of…”

However, Celestia shushed Luna before she could finish. “Shh. We must not mention that name ever again. He is no longer a threat. And he never will be. Someone or something else must be at fault.”

I was very disappointed that I did not hear the name of the mysterious entity that the two sisters were speaking off, but disregarded it. Even so, their words were etched into my memory. I would not forget what I had heard anytime soon.

I decided to knock on the door to get the royal sisters’ attention and took a step back. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, revealing the two beautiful alicorns. Twilight smiled upon seeing her mentor. “Princess Celestia. We came as soon as we could.”

The Princess of the Dawn smiled in return. “I am relieved to see all of you… Wait… James? What brings you here?”

Luna then spoke up with a smile as she embraced me, “I don’t see any problem with this, sister.”

I snickered as I too embraced my friend. “Sorry if I wasn’t invited. I just tagged along out of concern for my friends. And for a chance to see Luna again.”

Celestia chuckled at my words. “I should’ve known. In any case, please come in. There is much to discuss.” All nine of us entered the throne room, closing the door behind us.

I found the throne room to be quite spacious and beautifully designed.There is a long magenta rug that leads from the door to the throne itself. It seemed to be less like a chair and more of a spot with a chair’s back behind it to prevent the occupant from falling backwards. The back of the ‘throne’ is a large oval shape that is the same color as the rug. The throne is set upon a golden raised platform with two elevations, two slopes allowing access to it. At the sides of the lower of the two raised segments are two fountains that spill over into a basin on the floor below, probably to be carried back up to the top via a pump. Above and behind the throne was an oval-shaped stained-glass window set in colors of the sunrise, but I am uncertain of what it depicted. It just seemed to be many circles set above clouds. Behind the throne are two banners that are varying shades of blue. One seems to depict a tree growing under a shining sun while the other… Well, from what I could see, it just resembled a tower of flames. There are two massive stained-glass windows at the sides of the room, one being a pale shade of blue showing what seemed to be the sun with several planetary objects orbiting around it. In the foreground was what seemed to be Earth. Or at least the world where Equestria is located unless the world itself is referred to as Equestria. The others are two pale shades of yellow showing what I believe are four different phases of the moon. And for whatever reason, the creator of the window made the full moon phase look like a round content face not unlike one would see in a children’s book. All in all though, I found the throne room to be quite befitting of the royal sisters.

“I am sure you are aware that the time is nearly noon despite the fact that it still appears to be around midnight out there.” Celestia spoke, the room being brightly lit by what I believe are domelike chandeliers or sconces built into the upper walls.

“Yes, we’ve noticed, your highness. Is it your doing?” Twilight replied while we stood behind her.

Luna shook her head. “No. Celestia and I have been trying for the past hours to lower the moon to make way for the sun. But for whatever reason, even with our strength combined, the moon simply will not budge. We have no knowledge as to what may be keeping the night going!”

Fluttershy then asked in a nervous tone, “You… You don’t suppose it might be… Ni…Nightmare Moon, do you?”

Luna shook her head once more while also looking displeased. “Preposterous. I was purged of my dark corrupting vices when the Elements of Harmony were used on me. I would never do such a thing anymore.”

Applejack then asked, “Well, what does that leave us with? I can’t think of anythin’ besides Nightmare Moon doin’ all this!”

I felt torn as I listened to them discuss this problem. I sympathize greatly with Nightmare Moon. She even seemed like a changed person when I first met her. But if she is really doing this… An eternal night will benefit no one. Not even her.

I finally spoke up to end the discussion, even if it was against my conscience. “I know who’s doing this.”

At my words, the eight ponies turned to face me. “You do?” Luna asked with a gaze of bewilderment.

I sighed, knowing I was going to regret this. “The one who is causing this eternal night. It’s Nightmare Moon.”

Pinkie Pie suddenly giggled at me. “Oh, come on, James! You heard Princess Luna! She’s not Nightmare Moon anymore!”

I gave my friends a most serious stare. “I didn’t say Luna. I said Nightmare Moon. She still exists.”

Rarity replied while showing a dismissive wave of her hoof, “Now, James, I know this points heavily to Nightmare Moon, but she doesn’t…”

I interrupted her before she could finish. “I saw her. She’s hiding in the castle ruins in the Everfree Forest.”

Rainbow Dash was clearly caught by surprise. “Huh?! Hold on! Out there?! What’re you talking about?!”

I then proceeded to explain. “That day when I hid out in the Everfree Forest after I found that outdated law in that book in the library? I found the ruins there after night had fallen and took shelter in there.” I bowed my head, knowing Celestia and Luna would likely be angry with me for keeping her existence a secret for so long.

Celestia spoke to me in a surprisingly calm voice, “Go on. What did you find there?”

I continued with some hesitation, “She was there. Like a billowing shadow stuck on the wall. I saw her eyes open… She shed a tear and was silent… I told her how grateful I was for her night…” After a brief pause, I let out a sigh. “She whispered to me her gratitude. And she watched over me while I slept. She’s not the monster the history books say she is.”

Twilight asked with a very quiet tone of voice, “You sympathize with her, don’t you?”

I nodded and spoke only one word. “Yeah…”

Celestia then spoke with a hint of anger in her voice, “Why did you not tell us?”

I bowed my head, knowing I was in trouble. “I feared for her safety… I was sure you would attack her in her weakened state.”

After another moment of brief silence, Celestia sighed as she approached me. “James… Look at me.”

I raised my face until I was looking directly at her. She then spoke softly, “Your heart is in the right place. I understand why you would not want to reveal her existence to us, but you must understand. Luna is the true Princess of the Night. Nightmare Moon is an abomination that should not even exist. Even if she has indeed changed like you said, the fact that she is forcing the night to stay shows that her goals and motives remain the same as before. She is a threat to Equestria. She must be stopped.”

I felt a great deal of shame at those words. I looked away. “Sorry… I just… I thought for sure she had changed…”

Luna then came forward before she stood up on her hind legs and embraced me. “Do not fault yourself. You have a big heart. And others may take advantage of it.”

I placed my hand on Luna’s back and sighed in some relief. “Thanks, Luna…”

Twilight then asked, “Wait… Just how does Nightmare Moon still exist separately from Princess Luna? I thought Princess Luna IS Nightmare Moon!

Luna and Celestia glanced at each other for a moment before Celestia began to speak. “That is difficult to explain, but I have a theory. Perhaps… Perhaps when the Elements of Harmony were used on Luna, they only purged her of the dark forces that corrupted her. Over time, maybe the existence retained Nightmare Moon’s mind and desires, becoming a separate entity. Of course, this is just a guess. I really can’t say for certain.”

I bowed my head while averting my eyes. “She seemed to know exactly who she is when I met her. I don’t think that guess is too far from the truth.”

Celestia then faced my six friends. “Well then, if we are to deal with Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony will be needed. Come with me.”

Not expecting those words, I turned to face Celestia. “Wait… You actually have them?”

Luna smiled as she let go of me. “The Elements of Harmony take on the form of gemstones when they have materialized. They are contained within Canterlot Tower when not in use.”

Twilight smiled at her mentor reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Princess Celestia. We handled Nightmare Moon once before, so I know we can do it again.”

I said nothing for about five seconds before those words clicked with me. “Wait… We? You girls? YOU defeated Nightmare Moon?!”

This small outburst prompted a chuckle from Applejack. “What? We never told ya that?”

I twitched before outstretching my arms to my sides and exclaiming, “No! Not once! You never told me you are national heroes! And I’m taking it the Elements of Harmony can only be used by you six as well?”

Fluttershy blushed as she sheepishly smiled. “Uh… Yes. There are six Elements, so each of us…”

I facepalmed, feeling both baffled and frustrated. “Can’t believe I went this long without knowing this…”

Rarity smiled with a slight hint of nervous guilt on her face. “Don’t feel too frustrated, James. We just never told you. It’s not like we use them frequently, after all. They’ve only been used twice so far.”

Luna then spoke up to get our attention. “I do not wish to interrupt, but we must be going. Please stay with us.” We all decided to hold off on the discussion for the time being and followed the royal sisters through the palace.

We soon came to a long corridor that seemed more like a hall. Lining the sides were many large arched windows, alternating between normal windows and stained-glass windows with tall stone pillars between each one. I recognized one stained-glass window. It clearly depicted my six closest friends at the bottom rearing while what seemed to be beams of pinkish energy were coming from them and was engulfing an obvious depiction of Nightmare Moon in a sphere of it. It was probably illustrating Nightmare Moon’s first defeat at their hands….. I mean hooves.

Before I could follow the eight ponies further, my eyes noticed several other windows depicting….. What in the world was I looking at?

It depicted a strange creature the likes of which I had not yet seen in Equestria. It had a long slender light brown body, but its tail seemed to be a shade of red and had scales. The head resembled that of a goat, but its wings and… What was with this creature? The arms do not match, the legs do not match, and even the wings do not match! Even the two horns on its head did not match each other. It was like looking at some sick mad scientist’s attempt at making an Equestrian version of the Frankenstein monster. A living mess of patchwork. As I examined it further, I muttered, “A chimera…”

My eyes trailed downwards, finding what seemed to be a few puppeteer strings hanging below the creature connecting to three ponies. Each was one of the three main types, earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. Each seemed to be very distraught. But I felt a slight chill as I saw what were clearly flames rising up around them. I could almost hear screams and pleading for mercy in my mind, wondering just what kind of dark past Equestria could possibly have. The world has always been a borderline paradise in my eyes. But what could have possibly occurred in the past that could have prompted the creation of this scene?

One other detail I noticed was that while the ponies were rounded and balanced in design, the chimera at the top had rough edges and was very jagged. As I gazed at the chimera, I felt a subtle hint of dread in my soul. What could that contrast in design possibly represent?

“James, are ya coming?!” I heard Rainbow Dash call from down the hall. I glanced back at the window one more time before running down the hall to catch up with my friends.

Aside from the windows, the hall was very elegantly designed and decorated. In all honesty, trying to describe every aspect of it will probably take up several pages. I will try to keep it brief to avoid boring the reader and to save me some ink. The floor was two shades of gray set in tiles while a wide red carpet led from the doorway down to the end of the hall with flowering ivy designs at the edges. There were intricate symbols woven into the carpet every several steps, but I have no knowledge of what they could have been. Higher up on the pillars were baskets of white flowers, some of them spilling over the sides. At the far end of the hall was a door of three colors with what seemed to be a yellow sun symbol in the center. There were six segments, three on each side. Two were magenta, two were a very dull purple, and the other two were a very faded purple. Six round orbs were lined up vertically on each side. To the sides of the door were two unicorn effigies with manes that appeared to be designed to appear to be caught in a windy gust. The doorway itself was a combination of yellow and golden orange with an artistic alicorn design set above it that was very similar to the illustrations of Celestia and Luna I had seen in storybooks. Lastly, at the sides of the doorway were three crystals on each side. They were lined vertically, the top being a red triangle, the one below being a light green diamond, and the bottom being a purple octagon. From where I was standing, it looked like a fancy elevator.

There is a lot more detail to mention about this area, but it is somewhat overwhelming. I swear, some parts of Canterlot have so much color and artistic detail; they can trigger a sensory overload! I am stopping here with the detail. Use your imagination for the rest.

As we stood before the ‘elevator’, Celestia stepped forward. “This is where the Elements of Harmony are kept when not in use.” I could tell she was speaking to me. She then inserted her long horn into a small circular hole in the middle of the sun design. Her horn was then engulfed with a light blue aura, indicating that she was using a very specific type of magic since her horn’s natural aura color is a golden yellow.

The same light blue color shone outward from the sun, the very edges of it being illuminated by the glow. It then creeped outward along the lines where the colors on the door changed. The six aforementioned circular orbs on the door then lit up with the same color one by one. The door then began to open as the glow shone so brightly that I had to look away. When the glow had died down enough for me to look again, I saw it. Resting on a stone pedestal behind the door was an azure chest with gold linings. The front was studded with several differently colored gemstones, the most prominent being two diamond-shaped stones of red and green. Rarity spoke up while gazing in delight. “Ooh, I just hope the contents of such a box are as dazzling as their container.”

Rainbow Dash then asked, “Didn’t you say something like that last time?”

Before they could discuss it further, Celestia used her magic to levitate the chest out of the chamber and held it before us. The chest’s overall size was just slightly bigger than Celestia’s head. Luna then spoke with a fairly stern expression, “I can guarantee you that the Elements are inside.” The chest’s lid then flipped open, revealing its contents.

“One two three four five… Yep! That’s all six!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed after quickly counting them. Luna then used her magic to levitate the contents out of the box. I looked on in silence, fairly impressed that I was now beholding the most treasured artifacts in Equestria’s long history.

After a few seconds of observation, I asked, “Um… Are they all the same, only with different shapes and colors?” Five of the Elements were set in gold necklaces while one that bore the same color and shape as the six-armed star of Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark was set atop a gold tiara. Each of them seemed to be cut and polished gemstones of varying color.

Luna promptly replied, “Not quite. Each of the Elements of Harmony have different properties.” She then began to levitate the Elements toward each of my friends in a set order.

“To Applejack, the Element of Honesty.” Luna spoke as she placed the Element’s necklace around the farm pony’s neck. The Element was in the shape of an apple, the fruit being orange with two tiny leaves at the top where its stem should be being green.

“To Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter.” Luna continued as she placed the next Element on my cheerful friend. It bore the form of one of the balloons that makes up her cutie mark, being a shade of light blue or cyan.

“To Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty.” Luna said as she placed the next Element on Rainbow’s neck. It bore a gemstone in the shape of a red lightning bolt. The rowdy pegasus mare seemed to be wearing it proudly since she was sticking out her chest as well.

“To Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness.” Luna spoke as she placed the next Element on the neck of my girlfriend. The gemstone on it was the same shade of pink as Fluttershy’s mane, being in the shape of a butterfly.

“To Rarity, the Element of Generosity.” Luna went on as she placed the last remaining necklace on Rarity’s neck. The gemstone was in the shape of a diamond while being a royal shade of purple.

“And lastly, the Element of Magic goes to Twilight Sparkle.” Luna ended as she placed the lone tiara atop Twilight’s head.

I glanced back and forth at my friends with my arms crossed. “Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Magic. They all suit you just right.”

Pinkie Pie beamed at me with pride. “That’s why we all have the Elements that are meant for us!”

Celestia then tapped her hoof against the floor. “We do not have time to walk down memory lane, my little ponies. We must hurry.”

All my friends stood at attention before the two princesses. Luna then addressed each of them sternly. “It is unlikely that Nightmare Moon knows you are coming, but do not get complacent. She likely has some defenses prepared to counter you. Return home and prepare before you head out to stop her.”

Twilight bowed before the princesses along with our other friends. “We won’t let you down, your highness. We defeated Nightmare Moon before. We can do it again just as well.”

Fluttershy then looked at me and asked, “James, would you like to come with us?”

Under any other circumstances, I would have said yes. However, I am no fool when it comes to knowing my physical capabilities. After a few seconds of weighing the situation, I sighed deeply. “I’d love to…but I’ll only slow you girls down.”

Applejack merely shook her head with a reassuring smirk. “Aw, don’t be that way. Yer just bein’ modest again.”

I frowned before looking at them with the most deadpan serious gaze I could muster. “Listen to me. I’m not going to be of any help to you. I don’t have an Element of my own. I’m not even as strong as an earth pony. I can’t use magic. And I can’t fly. When all is said and done, I really don’t think I’ll be able to contribute anything of substance. I’ll be nothing short of…deadweight.”

Rainbow Dash frowned with a look of disappointment in her eyes. “Well… You can still…” I could tell she was trying to find something to say that would counter my claim.

I decided to stop Rainbow Dash before she could even finish. “It’s OK, Rainbow. Besides, you girls don’t really even need me. You’ve handled Nightmare Moon before. You’ll be fine on this mission.”

Rarity gave me a solemn smile. “True… Do not fret, James. We shall return promptly and in one piece.”

Celestia then spoke up with a gentle yet urgent tone. “That is enough talk, everypony. It is time that you depart. Take care out there. And remember, you are all in this together.”

Luna, Celestia, and myself saw my six friends out of the palace. Before I could follow them home, Celestia tapped me on my shoulder. “You may stay here until they return, if you wish.”

“Thanks...” I said with a halfhearted smile. My gaze turned to my six friends as they left the palace, their forms fading into the night. But before they could leave my sight entirely, I noticed Fluttershy look back at me over her shoulder. Our eyes locked for about three seconds before she looked ahead, following the others.

I spent the next thirty minutes just pacing back and forth in the main hall where Celestia and Luna greeted the guests during the Grand Galloping Gala. I could not sit still. Even though I knew I would have been of no help to them, I could not help worrying for the safety of my friends. Would they be all right this time around? Were there any traps waiting for them?

But more than anything, I was fearful for Nightmare Moon’s safety. The last time the Elements of Harmony were used on her, she was driven from Luna’s body. What would happen if they were used on her again without a host body to protect her? I felt a slight pain in my heart; almost able to feel the pain I could see her in. I cannot imagine the Elements of Harmony being a force of destruction, but still…

“James, what is troubling you?” I heard Luna speak behind me. I turned and found her standing beside Celestia.

I would likely be scolded if I told them that my thoughts revolved around Nightmare Moon, so I instead mentioned the other worry on my mind. “It’s just… I’m worried about them.”

Celestia smiled calmly in a clear attempt to reassure me. “You do not need to fear for their safety. They have overcome significant challenges before. They will be fine.”

Even though I am sure Celestia knew what she was talking about, I could not shake this feeling of dread from my gut. I have learned in the past that if I do not follow my gut instinct, I will regret it. “I know, but… Something doesn’t feel right. I can’t shake this feeling that something will go wrong.” I then asked, “Celestia. Luna. If there is anything I can do to help them, anything at all, I want to know what it is.”

The two sisters looked at each other, as if having a silent conversation. I waited, wondering what they were thinking about. Celestia soon nodded and turned her eyes back to me. “There is a way. But be warned. In order for you to gain the means to help them, you must take up the sword.”

I asked as I tried to decode the meaning of those words, “Uh… That’s just a metaphor, isn’t it?”

Luna chuckled at my puzzlement with her sister’s words. “Not this time. She literally means you must take up the sword to protect them.”

Intrigued by the concept, I decided to inquire more into what they had in mind. “I’m not sure what you mean, but I’m interested. What do I have to do?”

Celestia showed me a more serious gaze as she began to turn away. “Come with us. This is for your eyes only.” I followed without a word, wondering what they had in store for me.

The royal sisters led me to the throne room, closing the great doors behind us. I glanced around, unsure of what it was they wanted me to see. “Ready, Luna?” Celestia asked as her horn was engulfed by a billowing golden yellow aura.

“I am.” Luna replied, her horn being engulfed by a cobalt blue aura.

I watched in silence as they gazed at the throne. Suddenly, there was a rumbling as the throne and the raised platforms it sat upon began to…rise? It rose into the air, resting upon four sturdy stone pillars while lifting the red rug into the air with it. It stood almost as high as me when it stopped. Beneath the throne seemed to be an old stone stairwell leading downwards.

“How long has that been there?!” I asked loudly while bewildered by this unexpected secret.

Luna glanced over her shoulder at me with a rather stern look. “Since the day this palace was constructed around a thousand years ago. The only ones left alive who know of it are Celestia and myself. And now you know of it too.”

Celestia then motioned for me to approach them with her wing. “Follow us. The means to help your friends lies below.” I did not question them and followed the two sisters, very intrigued by what they were going to show me.

They closed the entrance behind us once we were all going down the stairwell. The only source of light afterwards was a gentle glow coming from Celestia’s horn. The air was very musty, like that of a cellar that had not been opened in years. Only I suspect this secret passage had not been opened in centuries.

When we reached the bottom of the stairwell, we came out into a dark stone corridor. The design did not seem like that of the Canterlot palace. It felt more like a dungeon. Suddenly, numerous torches lining the walls ignited, bathing the area in soft flickering light.

“This way.” Luna said as she and Celestia led me down the corridor. There were no other ways in or out of it, so it probably was not a dungeon at all. But at the end of the corridor was nothing. Just a flat wall.

“Um… This is what you wanted me to see?” I asked, starting to think that this may be a joke of sorts.

Celestia smiled with a rather whimsical look in her eyes. “Wait for it.” Her and Luna’s horn were engulfed by billowing auras as the wall began to retract into the floor. Once it was lowered, I looked ahead and saw that another hidden chamber lay before us. And its contents intrigued me.

“That’s…” I muttered as I walked past the two sisters. Hanging from the far wall above a stone alter was a large shield. Adorning its front was what seemed to be Luna’s cutie mark. A white crescent moon rested in the center while surrounded by black and some dark sapphire blue. “A shield?”

Luna smiled while she nodded. “The Lunar Shield. As stalwart and enduring as the full moon.”

I was quite enthralled by the shield’s design as I took it down from the wall. It was large, probably better qualified as a hybrid design of a kite and tower shield, but was not so large as to hinder movement. I could probably completely hide behind it while keeping myself low to the ground. However, I noticed what seemed to be a sword hilt sticking out of the top.

“Don’t tell me this is…” I muttered as I grabbed the hilt and pulled. As expected, it withdrew from the shield easily. As I held it above me, I found that it was indeed a sword. About the same length as a longsword or bastard sword, its crossguard looked exactly like the sun of Celestia’s cutie mark. The blade was the purest shade of white I had ever seen and gave off a gentle glow like the sun at dawn while it and the hilt extended between two of the sun’s wavy ‘arms’. The overall length seemed to be that of a hand-and-a-half sword with the hilt being long enough for both hands to grasp it with one hand holding the pommel.

Celestia, most likely noting my great fascination with the weapon, spoke next. “The Celestial Sword. A sword that shines where the sun does not.”

I held up the sword above me, thoroughly impressed by the design. I immediately deduced that Luna had crafted the shield while Celestia had forged the sword. I noticed that the sword’s scabbard was on the backside of the shield, built right into it. What is more, there were two brass clasps on the back of the shield. Instead of having one strap to put one’s arm through and a second to grasp with the hand, these clasps seemed designed to hold the shield in place while keeping the hand free. I was worried that the sword would be a bit too heavy to effectively wield with one hand for me, but my increase in strength from regularly helping out at Sweet Apple Acres put those fears to rest. I performed a few practice swings, finding the Celestial Sword to be easy to use.

“Aside from the sword giving off light, do these tools have any special properties?” I asked while wondering just how magical the sword and shield are.

Luna promptly replied, “The shield was designed to be a perfect defense. Absolutely nothing can penetrate it. And it was designed to be large enough to completely shield the wielder without being oversized.”

Celestia then explained, “The Celestial Sword has an edge that will never dull. There are very few substances it cannot cut through. And as you can see, it generates light. The darker your surroundings, the brighter it shines. And do not worry about damaging it. The sword, like the shield, cannot be corroded in any way.”

I looked back and forth at the shield and sword before asking, “But which is stronger? The sword? Or the shield?”

The two sisters looked at each other, clearly unsure if I was merely asking a simple question, or if I was implying that one of them may be weaker than the other. Celestia then shrugged her shoulders while cocking her head just slightly to one side. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

I nodded before placing the Lunar Shield on the altar while making certain it was facing up. I took the Celestial Sword in both hands to increase my striking power. I was worried I might end up damaging the blade, but I decided to have faith in Celestia’s words. I performed my strongest overhead chop, slamming the blade into the shield. I staggered back from the recoil, a loud clang ringing out through the air. I then looked the shield over carefully for any signs of damage.

“Not a scratch…” I said to no one in particular, impressed that the unbreakable Lunar Shield had stood up to the unstoppable Celestial Sword. I looked over my shoulder and smirked. “Looks like the night wins over the day.” Luna smiled proudly while Celestia rolled her eyes with a frown on her face instead.

“Use them well, James. They are yours now.” Luna spoke while smiling.

I turned to thank them, but then asked, “Wait… I’m supposed to go out there with these weapons, but no armor? What if something gets by the shield?”

Celestia smirked and pointed behind me. “Take a closer look at that altar.”

I turned and looked down after returning the Celestial Sword to its scabbard and leaning the Lunar Shield against the altar after setting it upon the floor. Hollowed out of the altar was a basin that seemed to be filled with a peculiar substance. It was a swirling combination of what I believe was a dark sapphire blue and pure white… Actually, not quite. The white seemed to have a barely noticeable pink tint to it. “Um… What’s this?” I asked, puzzled of what this liquid substance could be.

Celestia again replied while apparently enjoying watching how confused I was, “That is your armor. Place your hand in it and watch.”

I took a step back before looking at her. “Excuse me?”

Luna got a brief chuckle out of that. “It’s a liquid metal. It responds to physical touch. Although you may want to remove your shoes first.”

I looked back at the swirling liquid after sliding my shoes off. “Heavy metals? That’s poisonous, isn’t it?”

Celestia grinned in amusement before approaching me while stepping out of one of her golden shoes. “Perhaps a demonstration will put your fears at ease.” She then stepped forward and placed her hoof in the basin.

“Are you sure that’s… Huh?!” I stood aghast as the liquid began to creep up over Celestia’s leg. Before it could reach her shoulder, she removed it from the basin. Most of it remained in the basin, but the liquid that had covered Celestia’s leg quickly solidified. She was now wearing an armored greave, the coloration being mostly the shade of blue with some of the white on her lower leg. Some gold accents were in a few spots as well.

“See? Perfectly safe.” Celestia said with a smile. Her horn was covered by a golden yellow aura, as was the greave. It then liquefied and was levitated back into the basin. “And don’t worry about other unicorns using that magic on you. It’s a spell only members of our family know.”

I looked back down at the basin, hoping that it would not be dangerous. “Yeah, it would be troublesome if my opponent found a way to melt my armor off. But are you sure this is safe?”

Luna nodded without hesitation. “This armor was made specifically for human use. It’s safe.”

Human use. Why was I not surprised? That sword is a number of inches longer than the sword I used during my duel with Prince Blueballs…. I mean Prince Blueblood at the Grand Galloping Gala. If that trainee sword was a ‘longsword’ by pony standards, then this sword is gargantuan. Clearly made for human use. And the shield is almost as big around as a pony itself. And those clasps will never work with a pony’s arms. But if humans no longer exist in Equestria, why were these tools forged for them?

I decided to withhold any questions I had until after I tried to see if the ‘armor’ would work on me. I placed my hand into the pool of liquid metal and waited. The liquid felt…odd. How do I describe it? It felt thicker than water, but thinner than honey if that makes any sense. Sure enough, it began to creep over my arm. Despite feeling like a real liquid, it did not soak into my shirtsleeve at all. But it did not stop there. It crept over my torso and down my legs as well. Pretty much the only part of me it did not touch was my head. I soon asked, “Is it done yet?”

Luna and Celestia watched with faces that showed genuine wonder. A few seconds later, Luna’s wings sprang open, forcing me to suppress a laugh. Celestia seemed to notice my change in my expression and asked, “Huh? What’s so funny?” I could only point at Luna. When Celestia turned, she suddenly laughed, “Wingboner?! Hehahaha!!!”

At those words, Luna noticed her predicament and folded her wings with an annoyed expression as a blush spread across her face. “Who asked you? I know you are just as dazzled by that armor, sister.”

Celestia coughed as she regained her composure. “Yes, yes… But in all honesty, that armor… Just… Wow. I never expected it to look this impressive.”

I looked down at myself. That armor… Amazing. I was now wearing a suit of plate armor. The design was not exactly sleek, but not entirely bulky either, being amazingly balanced without hindering my movement. I will describe each component separately. My... What are the parts of an armored boot that cover the feet? Ah, right. The sabatons seemed to have a golden tri-pointed design at the tips not that unlike the designs of Celestia and Luna’s shoes. Hanging over the sides and nearly reaching down to my knees were two tassets that rested against the sides of my greaves. I felt a short flap of metal hanging behind me, obviously to protect my backside. Hanging from the front by a diamond-shaped golden component was a strip of white cloth that reached just past my knees, apparently functioning as a loin guard. The majority of it was the white coloration of the liquid metal while the outer edges was that shade of blue. I suppose metal can have a silk-like texture and flexibility if it is tempered just right. My cuirass, the armor that encompasses my entire torso, was mostly dark sapphire blue. However, in horizontal lines, strips of gold underlined certain spots on it. My gauntlets were blue from the elbows down, but white from the elbows up. However, on the backs of my forearms were long hexagonal plates that were clearly designed for defense. They were at least an inch thick. The coloration was white, but at the ends of the plates was curving gold accents. In the center of each plate were two small golden crescent moon shapes that seemed to be ‘dancing’ around each other. At least they brought to mind crescent moons. Lastly, my pauldrons. At the sides were three stubby white spines that curved upward. At the base of each spine was a gold ring. The dominant color was blue, but they also had curved gold designs on the areas closest to my neck. What was more, there were two small decorations. On my left pauldron in the center was a tiny light blue crescent moon with an equally blue dot in front of its gaping ‘maw’, probably a star. On my right pauldron in the same location was an orangish-yellow four-pointed sun. Another thing about this armor is how well it fit me. There was hardly any rattle when I moved. It fit me like a glove.

Before I could say anything, I happened to notice something behind me. On my back were two large white wings. I am sure that every individual feather was a thin sheet of metal, but they actually looked like real feathers. I am not sure how, but I could…‘feel’ them, despite them not being directly connected to my body. They spread open, reaching very wide and fluttering lightly. But when I looked back at Celestia, I noticed she had her wings spread open too. As I glanced back and forth, I realized that my armor’s wings are identical to hers, only larger. That was when it hit me. “This armor’s colors… They’re the same as your coats!”

The two sisters laughed before Luna replied, “Took you long enough! Yes, Celestia and I forged that armor together, so we made certain one could tell who crafted it. My color may take up the bulk of the armor when you wear it, but Celestia’s colors makes up those grand beautiful wings.”

Realizing that I had my wings spread, I smirked as I spread them further. “You girls like my wingspan?”

Luna cast a whimsical smirk at Celestia. “I know somepony who does.” Just before Celestia could reply, Luna added, “Wingboner.”

Celestia, finally taking note of her spread wings, groaned loudly. “Ugh, I couldn’t help it! You know those are involuntary!”

I laughed heartily at the two sisters. “You ponies are so easy to amuse!”

Celestia then cleared her throat while forcefully folding her wings. “Yes… But in all seriousness, that armor will give you the edge you need and will compensate for your weaknesses.” When I looked down at the armor, she continued to explain. “The armor overall increases your stamina and endurance, allowing you to keep up with even the burliest earth pony. Your greaves give you the kicking strength of an earth pony as well. Your wings, naturally, grant you the abilities of a pegasus. And each of your gauntlets function like a unicorn’s horn.”

I looked myself over again. That armor grants me the unique characteristics of the three races of ponies in Equestria? As I pondered this, I spoke, “Long story short, when I’m wearing this armor, I’m a human alicorn.”

Luna chuckled in slight amusement before speaking, “Well, we don’t have the physical strength of earth ponies, but you get the idea.” She then added, “What is more is that your armor is very durable, being stronger than tempered steel. However, it does have its limits. Those white plates on your forearms are much sturdier than the rest of it. You can use those to deflect or block most attacks that get past the shield.”

I glanced at my forearms, understanding that my assumption of those thick metal plates serving a defensive role was correct. Celestia then spoke, “But your armor’s most defining feature is its resistance to magic. Only the most powerful destructive forms of magic can even hope to damage it. So don’t be afraid to be bold in the face of a magic assault.” I nodded in silence, confirming that I understood the explanation.

As I looked myself over more, I asked, “You know… Judging by your reactions, you’ve never actually seen this armor being used before.”

Luna nodded at once. “True. It never had the chance to be used. Not to mention it looks differently for every person who wears it. It all depends on their preferences.”

I then asked, “Really? Then what is this design effective for?”

Celestia moved her head around to look at my armor from different angles before she replied, “Well... Yours seems to be a balanced design, allowing for effective defense without sacrificing mobility. You always did seem like someone who has a thing for a balanced approach to things.”

It was at that moment that I noticed there was something missing from my armor. “Um… Not to sound ungrateful, but doesn’t a helmet come with this? I can’t imagine a suit of plate armor being without a matching helm.”

The two sisters seemed taken aback somewhat by my observation. “About that…” Luna muttered while averting her eyes.

Celestia then proceeded to explain. “The helmet is separate from the armor. It will only appear when the proper conditions are met.”

That certainly puzzled me. “Hang on. What do you mean it’s separate?”

Luna replied with a question of her own. “Did you notice how the Elements of Harmony are set in gold jewelry?” When I nodded, she continued, “Well, in the same way they are, the helmet of your armor also houses an Element that, like the Elements of Harmony, will not appear unless someone comes along who personifies it.”

It actually took me a moment to fully process those words. “Hang on… There’s a seventh Element of Harmony? Is there anyone else who knows this?”

Celestia shook her head. “We never once said it is an Element of Harmony. There are only six Elements of Harmony. Although... It is an Element that has a strong connection to them. Similar to how you have a strong connection to your friends.”

I paused for a moment, trying to comprehend what I was being told. “And what is this Element?” I asked while looking on.

Luna replied with a very stern expression set into her face. “That is the problem. You will never find this Element mentioned in any of the history books. It vanished from this world forever the day the last of humanity died out. For you see, where the Elements of Harmony were crafted by ponies, this Element was crafted by the hands of our human allies.”

It was Celestia who answered my unspoken question. “This Element is known only by what it is. The Lost Element.”

An Element forged by humanity… A sign of goodwill? And what are its properties? The possibilities ate away at me. If humans crafted the Element, does that mean only humans can use it? Or can anything use it, so long as they have the necessary qualities?

“The Lost Element… You think I qualify to use it?” I asked, wondering if this Element will even be useful.

Celestia shook her head as she replied, “Don’t worry too much about it. I’m certain the Elements of Harmony alone will be enough to handle Nightmare Moon in the end.” She then asked, “Even so, do you still insist on joining your friends?”

I nodded without even pondering my thoughts on the matter. “Yes, your highness. Even if I’m not needed, I would feel a lot better if I was there with them without slowing them down.”

Luna smiled at me before pointing at the Lunar Shield behind me. “Then come with us. We wouldn’t want you to go out there without knowing how to get the most out of your gear. But first, put your shield on.”

I turned and placed the shield down on the altar with the backside facing up. I then placed my left forearm under the clasps and locked them in place. The fit was perfect, the Lunar Shield never shifting once on my forearm. “It’s like the gauntlets are made just to fit with it.”

When I lifted my arm, I found the shield to be very large. It spanned both of my shoulders, allowing me to completely take shelter behind it. Despite its size, I did not find it overly large. I could still move around easily.

“Come with us. It’s time for you to become accustomed to your new abilities.” Celestia spoke as she led Luna and me out of the hidden chamber. Once we were back in the throne room, the throne lowered back into place, leaving no trace that anything had happened.

I soon found myself out in the courtyard like before at the Grand Galloping Gala. Only this time, there were no partygoers to get in my way. I looked around, finding that Luna and Celestia were nowhere to be seen. I drew the Celestial Sword from its scabbard, holding it in my right hand. I was expecting to be tutored in the art of swordplay since I am very lacking in actual experience. Knowing and studying various types of swordplay may increase one’s knowledge, but it will not do one any good unless they have practiced it.

After a moment longer, I heard the clopping of hooves. I turned to see what seemed to be Shining Armor approaching me from the palace. Only unlike the last time I saw him, he was clad in what seemed to be saddle-like armor. Its color scheme was pale gold and a faded purple, only darker than Twilight’s coat. On the front upon his chest was an emblem that strongly resembled his shield-like cutie mark. I spoke up once he came close enough for me to make him out entirely. “Captain?”

Shining Armor froze as he caught sight of me. “Whoa man, is that you, James?! Dang, where’d you get that equipment?! That armor looks like it could endure a pride of manticores!”

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Nah, it’s not THAT durable. But it is highly resistant to magic.”

The unicorn stallion grinned at me while he drew near. “Well, I assumed it was. I mean, that stuff covers more of you than my own armor does. And that shield! It looks just about as big as I am! How do you lug it around?!”

I glanced down at the Lunar Shield on my arm and replied, “Well, I’m sure it’s a lot lighter than you are.”

Shining Armor nodded after a second longer of observation. “Yeah, and a lot thinner too. But anyway, you look amazing in that gear, James. You’ll be wearing that when you go to help my sister, right?”

I nodded while I looked ahead at him. “If I don’t, I’ll just be deadweight. And what about you? You’re here to train me, right?”

The captain shook his head. “No, I’m only here to supervise. Your real instructor will be here shortly.”

I waited by Shining Armor, scanning my surroundings. I noticed Luna and Celestia watching us from above on the same balcony they used during my duel with Prince Blueballs… Bah, I cannot help calling that wretched oaf that term. Please bear with me.

After a few more moments, Armor glanced over at the palace. “Ah, Estoc. Just the stallion I was hoping to see.”

I turned to face the palace and noticed a royal guard approaching us. He was a unicorn and was clad in the same armor as all the others, from the golden galea helmet to the metal shoes. However, his coat was black and the normally teal star on his chest was white. Probably to denote his rank among the guards.

The approaching unicorn flashed a glance at me before turning his gaze back towards his commanding officer. “Good afternoon, captain. Is this man my charge?”

Armor nodded while he extended a hoof in my direction. “Yes, you are to instruct him in swordplay. He’s a bit unrefined, but he shows promise.” I cracked a smile at Shining Armor’s praise. He then faced me and spoke, “James, I would like you to meet…”

I spoke up before he could finish, “Estoc. A rapier variant characterized by its long needlelike blade. The English version is known as the tuck.”

The two unicorns gazed at me with surprised expressions. Estoc spoke first after a moment of minor stammering, “Yes, that’s exactly what it is. You certainly know your swords.”

I grinned while averting my eyes. “Well… I do consider myself something of a sword aficionado.”

Shining Armor let out a short laugh before he could speak. “You two are gonna get along just fine, I know it! Anyway, Estoc here will be teaching you all you need to know about swordplay. He’s my second-in-command and instructs all the new recruits.”

He then made me kneel down so he could whisper into my ear. “Just between you and me, he’s better with swords than I am. So you would do well to stick with him instead of me.”

Considering that I had never seen Shining Armor carrying a weapon, I was naturally puzzled as to what his weapon of choice is. “If you don’t use swords, what weapon do you specialize in?”

Armor smiled as he gave me an answer I really should have seen coming. “Spears. If you were using a spear or lance, I would be the better tutor. But you’re not. So… Yeah.”

I stood up while Shining Armor turned back to face Estoc. “All right then, Estoc. I’m leaving him to you.”

Estoc then gave Shining Armor a salute. “I will do what I can, captain. Nopony has ever walked away from my sessions without having learned something.” Armor then walked over to the palace and watched us from the doorway. But before he went away, I handed him my glasses to make certain they would not fall off my head and get trampled during training.

Estoc turned his attention to me as I stood at attention. “Now then… James, is it?”

I nodded while replying briefly. “Yes, sir.”

Estoc then continued, “I noticed during the Grand Galloping Gala that you do indeed have a penchant for swordplay. However, if I may be blunt, I must say that your style and overall skill was a bit…..lacking.”

I was not surprised by Estoc’s criticism. Having no experience in combat, I completely improvised during that duel. My instructor went on, “I have to say the only reason you bested the prince was out of sheer use of intimidation. You had him cowering before you with such a large sword being used in just one hand combined with your anger. What is more, he is not the most capable duelist in Canterlot. He believes that just because he knows the basics of swordplay means that he is an able duelist. But that only applies to duels with the meek and uneducated.”

My disgust with Blueblood was only increased by that explanation. From what I gathered, the only reason Blueblood had challenged me was because he believed I knew nothing about swordplay. “He only fights those who don’t know how to fight back?”

Estoc frowned with a look of contempt in his eyes. “Yes, the cowardly sod. I should know. I trained him, after all.”

“Well, enough of that lout. You’re going to train me, right?” I then asked while hoping we could change the subject.

Estoc nodded with a faint smile. “Yes, I will do my best to make certain you can use that sword effectively.” I then noticed a sword in a scabbard strapped to the side of his armor. His horn was engulfed in a billowing gray aura, as was the sword’s hilt. The sword was drawn from the scabbard and floated in front of Estoc. The sword in question was my instructor’s namesake. An estoc. The blade was like a large needle, being a few inches shorter than the sword I used during my duel with Blueblood.

As I reached for my sword, Estoc spoke up, “Oh, wait. Don’t use that sword. I heard about it from Lady Celestia. My blade won’t hold if it clashes against yours.”

Remembering Celestia’s words on how few things can resist a slash from the Celestial Sword’s blade, I then asked, “Then what do I use?” There was a thud next to me that may have come from the palace. I turned to my right and found what I believe was the same blunt ‘longsword’ I used during my duel with Blueblood.

“All yours, James!” I heard Shining Armor call out. I nodded and yanked the sword out of the ground, where it was standing straight up.

Estoc then gestured with his hoof. “All right then. Show me your best combat stance.” I nodded, widening my stance while keeping my knees slightly bent. I had my shield raised with my left arm held parallel to my ribcage, but keeping it lowered just enough to peer over it. My sword was kept close to my side, ready to lash out at a moment’s notice.

“Hmmm…” Estoc muttered as he began to circle me. I stood my ground since he did not seem to be acting aggressively. “Stance is good… Knees are bent… Completely concealed behind shield… You’ve got the battle stance down right.”

I nodded while staying composed. “OK. So, what’s next?”

Estoc retook his position in front of me. “First, I will attack you. Keep your shield up and be sure to be mindful of which direction I am coming from to keep your shield facing me at all times.” I nodded again and prepared myself.

The estoc’s blade (that is the sword, not the stallion) lunged forward, striking my shield hard. I felt the force of the blow, but held my ground. I watched from behind the shield as Estoc moved to my left quickly before striking again. I followed his movement, moving my arm to keep my shield facing him to block the blow. He then moved to my right and did the same, my shield always facing him. He then began to strike higher and lower than before, forcing me to raise my shield at points and turning my shield partially sideways to block lower blows more easily due to the Lunar Shield becoming narrower at the bottom.

“Hm… You’re quite good on defense.” Estoc said as he stood back.

This small praise coaxed a tiny smile from me. “Well, I’m not exactly aggressive most of the time.”

Estoc smiled back at me before replying, “That’s good. Reckless aggression weakens one’s defenses. Now, it’s your turn to attack me. Don’t fear for my safety, I’m ready for you.”

I nodded and tried lashing out with an overhead swing. Estoc held his blade laterally to catch it, a clank being heard as the two blades clashed. Despite having no physical support, the blade remained in the air despite the force of the blow.

“Now! Defense!” Estoc called out suddenly. I was caught off-guard and resorted to bashing the incoming strike away with my sword arm.

“Sloppy. You should not react so desperately to defend against a sudden attack.” Estoc spoke sternly as he relented.

I panted, still somewhat startled from the unexpected attack. “What do you mean?! I had to do something to block it!”

He nodded readily while once again taking a combat stance. “Yes, but you should use your shield arm instead. Let’s try this again. Strike me.”

Once I had regained my composure, I lashed out with another overhead swing. Immediately upon striking, Estoc pushed my blade away with his own blade. “Defense!” As instructed, I took a step back with my right foot while I threw up my shield, deflecting the incoming strike. “Good. Much better. Remember, if your attack fails, it is wisest to immediately go on the defensive.”

I nodded promptly and asked, “OK. What’s next?”

Estoc smiled as he held up his blade. “I will go entirely on the defensive. Do whatever you can to strike me. Don’t worry, my armor will hold.”

I felt a little uneasy about actually trying to hit my instructor, but I nodded and began to slowly circle the unicorn guard. I kept my shield up, concealing my weapon behind it. “Hmmm, that’s a good strategy. Keep your opponent guessing by keeping your weapon out of sight.” Estoc spoke while constantly facing me.

“Got it.” I replied before suddenly lashing out with my sword. It was a horizontal strike aimed at his neck, yet he blocked easily by holding his sword’s blade vertically.

“You’ll have to be more inventive than that.” Estoc said as he stood his ground. I frowned, analyzing his defenses. Overhead strikes can be blocked easily by holding one’s weapon laterally while strikes from the sides can be blocked with a weapon being held vertically. I then had an idea. Thrust attacks are not easily blocked by blades due to how thin they are.

I lashed out with a thrust, expecting to strike him. Instead, my blade was parried by Estoc’s blade. He waited for my sword to pass his before pushing it away. Aside from parrying, the only way to defend against a lunge attack is with a shield. “Try again.” Estoc spoke calmly.

I had another idea, though definitely unrefined and unorthodox. I swung my blade down, Estoc’s blade catching it again. Only this time, a second after the blades clashed, I lashed out with my right leg. My attack struck him in the side of the neck, a clank being heard as it hit the side of his helmet that was covering it. What shocked me was how far away he was sent rolling by that blow. What kind of strength do these armored greaves give me?!

“You OK?!” I called out as Estoc came to a stop around fifteen or twenty feet from me.

He staggered to his feet and shook his head, clearly not knowing what hit him. “Ugh… What was that?!”

I approached him cautiously, feeling like I had made a mistake. “I…uh…tried lashing out with a kick while your defenses were focused on something else. Was that a bad idea?”

Estoc looked at me, still a bit dazed. Rather than being angry, he chuckled. “Bad? That was brilliant! Maybe it’s because we ponies can’t do the same with our front legs, but that’s a brilliant follow-up to a botched attack. Especially with that kind of strength in your legs!”

I scratched my head while feeling mildly puzzled by his praise. “Really? It was the only thing I could think of to get by your defenses.”

Estoc smiled before explaining, “In other words, a feint. And it worked. I think that will do for now though. We’ll continue your combat training once you have finished the rest of your training.” But as he sheathed his sword, Estoc added, “But before that, let me give you some advice.”

I silently nodded and stood at attention. “Just remember, unless you plan to feint, make certain that you immediately go back onto the defensive when your attack fails. Another thing to be mindful of is to never overswing. There may be times when you are tempted to swing your weapon as hard as you can, like you did a few times during your duel at the Grand Galloping Gala, but you must resist that urge. If you try to strike your opponent with that much force and miss, you will be wide open to a counterattack. Never, and I really do mean it, NEVER overswing during battle. The only times you can ignore this rule is when your opponent is completely immobilized.”

I took every word Estoc said to heart. But before he finished, he pointed at my head. “And one last thing. Be very mindful of your head until you acquire a helmet. As you are right now, your head is the most vulnerable part of your body.”

I frowned as I rubbed my exposed head. “It wasn't my idea, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Estoc looked up at the balcony where Celestia and Luna were watching. “He’s all yours now!” At those words, the two alicorns jumped from the balcony and slowly descended with their wings spread. They then folded their wings upon landing before us.

Luna immediately smiled at me. “You seemed to handle your swordplay training well, James. Are you ready for the next step?”

I turned to her and nodded. “Yeah. What’s next? Obstacle course? Magic training?”

Celestia smiled while spreading one wing. “Next, you must learn how to fly.”

This caught me by surprise. My head jerked up and glanced behind me. As if on cue, the wings of my armor spread right open. This got a snicker out of Celestia. “What’s this? A wingboner?”

I felt myself blush at those words. “Shut up! I’m not even slightly turned on!” Celestia began to laugh, myself baffled as of why my wings had suddenly spread open.

Luna chuckled while she tried to speak. “It’s not a wingboner every time, James. That’s a reflex pegasi tend to have. When surprised, their wings spread open like yours just did. I suppose it's connected to the fight or flight instinct.”

I glanced back at my wings as I somehow made them fold again. “So, my wings are partially connected to my emotions? And who’s my flight instructor?”

Celestia looked skyward upon hearing those words. “I sent word to her a short while ago. She should be here any minute now.”

“She?” I asked while I looked up as well. As if to answer my question, something passed under the moon. It went out of sight very quickly before swooping down close enough for me to see it. A pegasus clothed in a blue and yellow… Wait a second…

“Hey there, Princess Celestia! You called?” The pegasus called out while coming in for a landing. I recognized her fiery mane and tail right away. Spitfire of the Wonderbolts.

Celestia nodded as she replied, “I did. Seeing as how you are arguably the best flyer in Equestria, I felt you would be ideal to train someone how to fly.” She then pointed in my direction.

Spitfire laughed at those words. “Training to fly?! What, does a fan of the Wonderbolts want to earn his wings by…” She stopped speaking upon looking at me, her mouth hanging open. She then raised her goggles, granting me a view of her eyes. “Whoa…”

I waved at her with my right hand. “Uh… Hey there, captain. Remember me?”

Spitfire nodded rather dumbly at first. “Uh huh… From the Gala, right? What’s the name? James?” When I nodded, she smiled at me as she regained her composure. “Man… Awesome outfit. It puts the Wonderbolt uniform to shame. Ooh! Could you spread your wings for me?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Uh… OK?” I did as she asked, spreading the wings on my back as far as I could.

Spitfire whistled at the sight before her. “Nice wingspan. Soarin would be jealous.” She then trotted up to me. “So, you wanna earn your wings, huh? Well, you’ve got the #1 flyer in Equestria to help you on your way.”

I smiled while feeling confident that I was in good hooves with Spitfire guiding me. “Thanks, captain. Where do we start?”

Spitfire spread her wings first. “First, you have to flap your wings straight down to propel yourself upward. Right after that, you need to pivot them slightly so you’re not flapping them straight down and keeping it up in a steady rhythm. Lemme demonstrate.” I watched closely as Spitfire flapped her wings straight down, launching herself up into the air a few feet before flapping them on a slightly different angle. “Just like that. Think you can match it?”

I nodded before glancing at my sides. “Let me see…” I spread my wings and raised them. Do not ask me how I was controlling them. They just moved the way I wanted them to. I then flapped them straight down, launching myself around five feet into the air.

The sudden ascension startled me, preventing me from even trying to flap my wings. “Woo! Hey! Whoa!” I yelped, falling right back down and somehow safely landing on my feet. “Sorry… Not used to this. Let me try again.” Preparing myself for liftoff, I flapped my wings again. However, once I was airborne, I could not flap my wings on the right angle and fell flat on my back with a noisy clatter.

“Whoa! You OK, James?” Spitfire asked as she landed and came to my side.

I wheezed from the concussion of the impact. “Urgh… I’ll never get used to that…” I sat up, not in any actual pain since the armor and wings shielded me from the brunt of the impact, but still feeling a bit rattled.

Celestia then came forward. “I think I can help with that.” Her horn was engulfed in a golden yellow aura…..as was I. I was lifted off the ground and began to float upright.

“Huh? What’re you doing?” I asked, puzzled by what Celestia had in mind.

She replied while gazing at me, “I’ll just hold you in place until you’ve figured out how to move your wings properly.”

Spitfire then began to hover next to me. “I’ll watch to make sure you’re doing it right. Now, start flapping!”

I did as I was told, flapping my wings in a steady rhythm. “Tilt them forward just a bit.” Spitfire said while closely observing where my wings connected to my armor. I nodded and adjusted my wings’ angle. “A little faster. You’ll just drop at that speed.” I sped up the rhythm of my flapping, generating a noticeable gust in the process. However, I ended up slapping her in the face with my wing.

“Oof! Never been hit with so many feathers in my life!” Spitfire yelped as she reeled from the hit. But she just laughed it off. A few seconds later, she faced Celestia. “OK, your highness. Let him go.”

The aura that surrounded me vanished, leaving me hovering off the ground using nothing more than my own wings. It felt very…invigorating to find myself being held aloft without any motors or vehicles. It was all my doing.

I grinned while beholding myself achieving the miracle of self-sustained flight. “I’m actually flying!”

Spitfire chuckled at my awe. “Nah, you’re just hovering. Once you’ve gotten accustomed to controlling your aerial movements, we’ll take you up to the next level.”

I will not bore you with the details, but Spitfire continued to educate me, teaching me how to adjust my direction and how to even fly backwards while still facing forward. All in all, it was a huge boost to my confidence.

“Looking good, James! Ready to catch some air?” Spitfire asked once I had landed.

Seeing as how I had already come to understand how to fly on my own, I was a bit puzzled by her words. “Haven’t I learned enough? I can fly now.”

Spitfire showed me that really warm smile I came to know her for. “Like I said, all you were doing was hovering. If you wanna get the most outta those wings, you need to SOAR. In the SKY. Miles above the ground in ultimate freedom!”

I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. “Uh… Way up there?”

Spitfire showed a rather smug smirk. “What’s the matter? Afraid of heights?”

I averted my eyes as I replied, “No, I don’t fear heights. I don’t even fear flying. What I AM afraid of is…..falling.”

Spitfire stared at me before suppressing a laugh. “I know exactly where you’re coming from. The first time you go into a dive is always something of a gut wrencher. But don’t worry. I’ll help you through it until it feels second nature to you. But if you really want to, we can let you stay grounded.”

I looked back at my wings. If I was going to help my friends, and myself, I was going to need to learn how to get the most out of my gear. Although I was nervous, I knew what I had to do. “I’m ready, captain.”

That warm and friendly pegasus mare nodded with a smile. “That’s what I wanna hear. But before we start…” She then tossed me what seemed to be a pair of goggles that looked just like hers. “Put those on. Wouldn’t want any dust to get in your eyes while diving at that speed.”

“OK. Thanks.” I replied before pulling the goggles over my head. But when I pulled them down over my eyes, I noticed that everything seemed more crisp and clear. As if I had just put my glasses back on. “Do these goggles have corrective lenses?”

Spitfire gave me a friendly wink. “Yup. Princess Celestia requested them, so I went and got you some. You ready?”

This got a big smile out of me. “Thanks! Yeah, lead on.” Spitfire then went airborne and started to fly towards the top of the palace. I too went airborne and followed her, impressed by just how quickly I was ascending.

The higher I went, the more nervous I became. By the time I had reached Spitfire’s location high above the palace, I was almost as giddy as a schoolgirl. “Oh jeez, oh man, I don’t wanna fall…”

Spitfire waved at me as she hovered in place. “Hey there, James! Nice view, huh?”

I felt a tiny bit of my nervousness fade as I beheld my surroundings, the vast moonlit landscape surrounding us. The feel of freedom when you are floating high above the ground without anything supporting you aside from your own body… Simply indescribable. “Whoa... Awesome view… So this is the freedom that comes with being a pegasus.”

The captain of the Wonderbolts grinned at me. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. You ready for the next step?”

I felt myself shudder before I could even reply. “Let’s just get this over with…”

Spitfire nodded before she flexed her shoulders. “All right, I’ll go first. Just watch.” She then went into a sudden dive, going straight down while also moving away from the palace. After about eight seconds, she pulled out of the dive and flew right back up to me. “See? Nothing to it! Just lean forward and angle your wings down.”

I tried to do the same, but my fear kept holding me back. Spitfire seemed to notice as she patted me on the shoulder… I mean pauldron. “Easy there. If something goes wrong, I’ll catch you.”