‘Wow, that was some wild party last night.’ Maverick thought as he woke up.

It had been his best friend’s birthday the day before, and since his friend was a crazy wako, he had insisted on getting his older brother to buy them liquor for the party. They were all underage, only 17 at the oldest, so they couldn’t buy their own alcohol, but Brandon, who was Maverick’s best friend, has an older brother who was willing to get the good stuff. Maverick was the only person who was invited to the party who was still relatively pure; he’s a virgin, he’s never drank nor smoked, he even avoided swearing as much as possible. He’s the shining angel of the group.

‘I’ll be the only one who won’t be puking today.’ He thought as he struggled to get his eyes open. ‘Still, can’t say I’m feeling too good. They sure did a number on me.’

A play fight had broken out during the party; feats of strength had begun after everyone was nice and drunk. Maverick had decided to try one of them out; a wrestling match. Well, he had sure regretted that choice. His body had multiple bruises, and he ached a little all over.

‘At least it was fun. I’d go to another one.’ He thought as he finally managed to pry his eyes open. “What the… did I fall asleep outside?” He said aloud as he saw a bright blue sky above him. ‘No, I’m sure I made it back home. Could someone have spiked my drink?’ He thought. Suddenly, a memory came forth. It was Brandon, telling everyone of the one condition to getting in.

“Everybody had to take a glass and fill it with something they’re going to drink. Once that’s done, you’ll all step out for a second and I’ll throw something in a random glass. It’ll be the best night for whoever gets the surprise.”

‘I told him not to put in mine, and he agreed. That jerk!’ He thought. Still, Maverick couldn’t remember feeling any better than normal last night. ‘Well, he did say that he had no idea what it did, only that the man that had sold it to him had called it “Horsemane. This little sucker is so powerful, it’ll bring ya strait to another world. It just takes a while to kick in.” That’s why he had insisted on using it right at the start of the party.’

Maverick tried to get on his feet, but his legs felt like jelly. ‘That jerk really did give it to me. Oh, just wait until I get my hands on him.’ He managed a sitting position, trying to stop the world from spinning. ‘Ugg, this is why I don’t do drugs; the aftershock sucks.’ His vision was finally clearing somewhat. ‘Oh god, where am I? I don’t recognise this place at all.’ He was surrounded by small hills that were dotted with trees. Rolling planes of grass were visible where the hills were lower than he was, and in the distance he could see huge mountains. ‘This doesn’t ring any bells. Have I been here before? It certainly doesn’t look like Ottawa. I must still be drugged.’ Then he clued in to something.

“Horsemane. This little sucker is so powerful, it’ll bring ya strait to another world.”

‘To another world. Surely he can’t actually mean I’ve changed planets, or dimensions or whatever. No, it must be a hallucinogen. These are just images conjured up by my mind and the drug. I’ll be back to normal once it wears off. I bet I’m just sitting down like an idiot in Brandon’s house while he’s passed out drunk.’ Yet for all his reassuring, Maverick couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.

He sat there for the better part of ten minutes before he got fed up. ‘If I’m really at Brandon’s, if I walk around, I’ll bump into something.’ With this logical solution in mind, he tried to stand again, finding it much easier than it was the first time. ‘Look at that, the side effects are already wearing off.’ He started to shuffle around, searching for a wall or table. He fixed a distant point in his vision and started to walk towards it, that way he wouldn’t be going in circles.

After 5 minutes of walking, he gave up. ‘I can’t have changed worlds, I just can’t. We don’t have the technology for that sort of thing yet.’ He thought, giving in to panic. “Hey, can anybody hear me?” He shouted. “HELP!”

He kept shouting for a while, but when it was clear he was alone, he gave up. “This can’t be happening. I can’t survive in the wild; I won’t last a week.” He sat back down on the ground, bringing his legs into his chest and letting a few tears leak out. His whole life he’d been a role model for others to follow: Good grades; healthy lifestyle; kind, generous and reliable were all word used to describe him by almost everyone he knew. Now, after one messed up party, after one drug that he didn’t even know he had taken, his whole life was over.

“Humf, another one. It’s been a while since the last one of your kind came through.”

Maverick’s head shot up. Standing in front of him was… something. It was wearing a long, flowing coat that concealed everything, but its body was shaped in the oddest manner Maverick had ever seen. It looked like it had the form of a horse, but horses didn’t talk, or wear clothing.

“Hello human, welcome to our land.” The horse-thing said. “I trust you had a safe journey?”

“W-w-w-where am I? Who are you? How did I get here? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?” He shouted, fearful but grateful that he might still live.

“Whoa, slow down. Didn’t Kyle tell you everything before he gave you the drug? Every human before you has known what happened to them.” It said.

“Kyle? I didn’t even know I was drugged. Someone spiked my drink at a party.” Maverick replied.

“Ah, I see. Kyle did send word with the last human that one of his drugs had been stolen. I’m sorry about this; those drugs aren’t meant to be used by anyone who’s uninformed. If you wish, I can give you another drug that will send you right back to earth.” It said. Its voice, which up to this point had been annoyed and resentful, acquired an edge of compassion.

“To earth? Where am I?” Maverick asked.

“It’s of no consequence. The best thing to do would be for you to just go back before you learn too much. The more you learn, the more you’ll have to suffer after taking the reverse-drug. It clears your memory of everything you learned while you were here, but that cleansing is a painful and lengthy procedure. Here, I actually have a reverse pill with me. We’re required to give one to every human who arrives, since they are free to leave whenever they please.” It fumbled around in its getup for a moment before magically dropping a pill at Maverick’s feet.

“Hold on, at least tell me what happened. Why did I change worlds, why would you want me here, where IS here? Please, at least tell me that much.” Maverick begged.

“I shouldn’t; each of those will only make the cleansing all the worse.” It replied.

“Your seller’s incompetency is what got me caught out here. I realise this will make me hurt more, but the least you could do is answer my questions.” Maverick pointed out.

“Oh, fine. But don’t blame me if your cleansing hurts. This is the land of Equestria. It’s home to-” It began, but was cut off.

“HA HA. EQUESTRIA. That’s a good one. What’s next, tell me you’re Rainbow Dash and Celestia is coming to kiss the ground at my feet? Ha, Equestria.” Maverick laughed. He was a closet brony; no one knew about it, but it appeared someone had found out and was now torturing him with it. “Your stupid drug must have knocked me out while you brought me here. Well, you have me alone, what now? Going to beat me? Rape me? Kill me? Who are you, a brony hater? Take off that stupid cloak and let me see your face!” He shouted.

As a response, the creature took off its cape.

*GASP* followed by a shocked silence.

Standing before Maverick was Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash is a Pegasus pony. She has blue fur and a rainbow coloured mane and tail. She’s usually short tempered and can occasionally seem quite lazy, but she’s also super competitive and hates to lose. She’s a pony who’ll always stand up for her friends who can’t do it themselves.

“Well, good enough proof for you, human?” She asked, her voice tough like steel.

“I-impossible. Am I really in Equestria?” He asked.

“Yes, this is Equestria, land of the ponies. You humans created Equestria, did you know that? Your stupid television show is an actual world created by humans. Only a remote few humans know about this.” She said.

“And, is it just like in the show? Are Fluttershy and Applejack and Twilight all here too? And Rarity and Pinky Pie?” He asked.

“Yes, we all live here. But make no mistake, human; the world we live in is nothing like your stupid television show. Your show is divided into episodes that reflect a moment in time created by humans. The events that happen during the episodes cannot be linked back to our world. You humans use us to film the episodes before you put them on Television, but they are all setups. We have many more quarrels then your show demonstrates, and they don’t always end happily. We have gone for months at a time without speaking to each other. However, in the end, you humans come back and force us to film another episode, and when you do, we must forget our difference and act as friends again, else the humans will shut us down and we will all be DELETED. For you, our show is a funny way to relax. For us, it is our only means of survival.” She said.

Maverick just stared in silence. ‘How cruel, to force them into this way of life.’ He thought.

“Hatred runs strong in Ponyville and all of Equestria. Hatred for humans runs strongest, but hatred for the 6 of us, the 6 main characters, runs strong as well. You see, human, it is possible for us to liberate ourselves from our fate. You asked before why we brought you here? I will tell you. The only way for us, the ponies of Equestria, to free ourselves is if we can convince a human to live in Equestria. They must choose to remain here for a year, and then after that, they must choose to live here forever. Should this come to pass, we will be free from the tyranny of humans forever. This is the responsibility of us 6. However, even after two years and hundreds of humans, we have been unable to keep one here for longer than a month. They become overwhelmed with the fact that our world isn’t the perfect utopia they expected. They long for the technological advancements we lack here in Equestria. They wish to see their families, or they seek the companionship of a human friend that they miss. In the end, we have given up hope that a human sympathetic to our cause will show up. We still try when a new human appears, but with each failure we grow more and more unbelieving. So, human, you who came here without knowing the situation, will you stay? We can have as many humans here at the same time as we wish, although you are currently the only one, so you need not fear that you will be wasting our time. Will you try and save the ponies of Equestria?” She asked.

Maverick was still processing the information, but his lack of response angered Rainbow Dash.

“Don’t think you will be disappointing anypony if you say no; we are used to failure. We understand that the chances of us every becoming free are zero. Just take your pill and leave us; you won’t even remember our plight once you are gone.” With that, she turned and spread her wings, preparing to fly off.

“WAIT! Hold on, I was just thinking. It was hard to follow what you said. Don’t leave yet, I haven’t decided to leave yet.” He said. As she slowly closed her wings and turned back, he noticed something. “Why do you still look somewhat animated? If this is a real world, shouldn’t you look like a real Pegasus?”

What he said was true, and now that he looked around, everything had a slightly animated quality to it. It resembled the real world, but there was a slight difference; just enough for a person to tell it wasn’t reality. The grass was too perfect, too green. There was no brown in sight. And Rainbow Dash looked exactly like she did in the show, except now she was in 3D. “You have a good eye, human. Most of those we get here do not notice this until we are in Ponyville. This is our reality, so for us, we cannot notice this “animation” you speak of. However, it is always mentioned eventually by you humans. You have not answered my question, and I’m getting tired of waiting. Will you stay or will you go?” She asked.

“What happens next if I choose to stay? A year is a long time. Do I just lead a normal life here in Ponyville? Do I have to buy a house and work to survive, or do I get special privileges, or do I live in the wilderness? What happens?” He asked, stalling for time to think.

“If you choose to stay, I will guide you to the pony of your choice, and you will live with them. You can pick any of the main 6, or you can choose to live alone. Most of the humans we get choose to live with a pony. The girls, who we tend to get more of, usually pick to stay with Rarity, Pinky Pie or Fluttershy. The men prefer Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. In order, the list of popularity goes like this: Fluttershy is the most popular, getting over 50% of the humans. In second is Twilight, who gets about 30%. The other three split up the remaining 20% between them.” She said.

“What about you? You didn’t mention yourself.” Maverick asked.

Her demeanour, which until now had been aggressive, assertive and annoyed, became resentful and depressed. “Not one human so far has chosen me. They like me, don’t get me wrong, but every human has always picked one of the other 5 as their main pony. The other five are understanding of my situation. They usually console me when a new human appears and picks one of them. Fluttershy, who already hates being the center of attention, dislikes her popularity with humans. Twilight is ambivalent; so long as the humans don’t interrupt her studies, she doesn’t care. Rarity enjoys that she doesn’t get many humans since she hates humans more than any other member of the 6. Applejack and Pinky Pie both wish they were more popular, but they deal with it. I suppose I’ve led you a little astray; I said that the show reflects poorly upon us, and it does, but they haven’t gotten everything wrong. They got the idea behind each of our personalities, but they push them to the extreme. If you come into our world with prejudice towards anything, you’ll find out quite quickly that most of them are wrong. But I’ve spoken enough. If you intend to stay, say so and we’ll get going towards the house of the pony you choose.” She said.

“Well, I can leave whenever I want, right? If so, there’s no reason for me to leave just yet. I might as well try this out, just to see how it is. One question does pop to mind though. What happened to them me in my world? Did I just disappear, or am I still there?” Maverick asked as he stood up.

“You remain in your world even while you’re in ours. If you choose to leave, your memories since the moment you arrived will disappear and be replaced with those of the you in your world. It will be as if you never left your world.” She said. “Now, since you intend to stay, you must pick a pony. Do I need to define them all to you, or do you know enough about us to decide without that?” She asked.

“Well, you said that everyone’s not exactly the same as the show, so if you could tell me about everyone’s house, and maybe a little about each pony that I might not know, that would be great.” He said. Despite his request, Maverick already knew which pony he wanted to stay with. He was just buying time to make sure that he wanted to stay.

“Then I shall begin with Twilight. She lives in the same house you see in the show. Since she is accustomed to having humans with her, she has multiple bedrooms in her house. She is a pony who is not uncomfortable with solitude, and she often avoids being the center of attention, like Fluttershy. She is very cautious, but also very curious. She isn’t afraid to experiment to satisfy her curiosity. If you choose her, you won’t need employment, as she often recruits humans to aid her with her research.

“Fluttershy is next. She is very cautious and hates attention of any kind, but she’s also very kind. She is very shy and will avoid strangers at all costs. She has many bedrooms in her house since she is popular with humans. She lives in the forest so she can be near her animal companions, and she lives the furthest from Ponyville of the main 6. She will try her best to welcome you, but don’t be surprised if she avoids being around you for the first few days. If you choose her, so long as you are content with living on vegetables, you won’t need to seek employment since she grows her own food.

“Now we have Applejack. She’s an honest pony that gets along well with almost anypony. She’s always willing to accept new humans at her barn, and she’s willing to employ them to help with the apple picking, planting and so on. She’s kind and easy going, and she’ll help anypony in need. She lives in a barn that has many typical farm animals and it’s surrounded by a large forest of apple trees as well as many plots of land for cultivation purposes. Even if you choose to refuse her employment as a farm hand, she’ll feed you for free.

“I’ll tell you about Pinky Pie next. She’s a fun loving, unpredictable pony. She does whatever she wants without thinking about it beforehoof, and more often than not, she’ll end up in trouble because of her decisions. Still, she’s somewhat reliable, and always a good way to cheer up when things look glum. She lives in a bakery and helps out around the shop with Mr. and Mrs. Cake. She’s always willing to hire an assistant for her crazy cake ideas, and she’ll also feed you for free is you turn down her employment, but sometimes her meals are a little… unnatural.

“Finally, there’s Rarity. She’s a perfectionist who loves to create beautiful dresses for ponies everywhere. She works alone when it comes to her art, and she’s the only pony with which you’ll need to seek employment elsewhere to survive. It’s one of the reasons she’s so unpopular. However, it’s not unheard of for her to hire an assistant from the few humans she’s had. She’s a hardworking pony who’ll do a lot for a pony in need. She lives in her boutique and she only has one spare bedroom that is sometimes occupied by her sister, Sweety Bell. Her sister, however, is more than willing to share her room with strangers.

“Well, there you have it, your choices.” She said. While she outlined the places Maverick could be living soon, they had started to walk towards Ponyville. The city was still out of sight, but Rainbow Dash made Maverick stop. “Now you must pick. If you intend to pick Fluttershy, we have to turn at the crossroads that is coming up.” She said.

“You left yourself out. What if I wanted to stay with you?” Maverick asked.

“Don’t be silly, no human has ever picked me and no human will. Please don’t tease me and pick a pony already.” She said, sadness colouring her tone of voice.

“Well, I DO want to live with you. You’ve always been my favourite pony in the show, and you’re the one who came to get me despite the fact that you assume you won’t have anybody pick you. So, how do we get to your house?” Maverick asked.

“Don’t pick me just because you feel sorry for me, human. Remember that you must live with the pony of your choice for the duration of your stay. Also, I’m always the one to get the new humans because I’m the fastest and I’m the most unbiased. If another pony were to come, they would try and guilt the human into staying with them or with another pony, based on what they wanted. Since I never get a human, it’s perfect that I should be the one to welcome them. Now then, make your proper decision.” She repeated, unwilling to believe Maverick’s decision.

To counter her disbelief, Maverick sat down. “Fine then, I see no point in going any further if you won’t believe me. I want to stay with you, and if you won’t accept that, then I will sit here until you decide to believe me.” With that he crossed his arms and stared her down.

Rainbow stared back at him. ‘What’s this human thinking? Is he trying to mock me? Maybe he pity’s my situation. Surely he can’t actually wish to stay with me?’ She thought. Yet, as time passed and he stayed put, her certainty began to waiver.

“Why me?” She asked.

“Like I said, you’re the pony I like the most. I envy your ability to fly, the speed with which you soar through the sky. You always look so happy when you’re flying. And you’re a vicious competitor. I love to compete, so in that light we resemble each other. You love to have fun just like Pinky Pie, but you go about it in a more rational way. And you’ll stand up to anybody. That’s something I wish I could do. Also, I think you’re kinda cute…” He finished, barely saying the last part and looking away as he did so.

Even though he said it so lightly, Rainbow Dash heard him. “Y-you think I’m cute?” Her face turned purple, a nice contrast between her blue fur and the red of the blush. When he nodded, still not looking at her, she felt her heart melt a little. She had been so mean since he got here, and now she realised that he must really want to stay with her. “T-thank you. So, you want to stay with me? Okay then, I guess we must go find Specklecoat.” She said.

“Hm? Why do we need to find her?” Maverick asked as he got back up.

“We must find her so she can enchant you. Something you humans got right in your show is that only Pegasi can stand on clouds, but the reason is not what you humans think it is. We Pegasi have the ability to change our body weight at will. We can weigh as much as a regular pony if we want, or we can weigh much less. When we fly, we must lower out body weight dramatically or we would fall like stones. When we stand on clouds, we must lower it even more. This is a skill that Pegasi are taught from the moment they are born. It usually takes only a few days for them to understand it; it’s very instinctual. We’ve never given this ability to a human before, but if you are to live with me in Cloudsdale, you must possess this power. Hopefully it’ll work out well.” She said. In her mind, Rainbow Dash was still trying to understand this human. He’d picked her as his main pony, and that made her ecstatic. She’d never had a human pick her before, but now that he had, she began to worry; her house was very small, since she didn’t tend to use it. She only slept there and ate there. It was comprised of a bedroom, a kitchen/living room and a bathroom. She wouldn’t have anywhere for the human to sleep. ‘After I get him to Cloudsdale, I must speak to Twilight. She’ll know what to do.’ She thought. “I’m sorry for my behaviour earlier. We haven’t had a human in a little while, so we began to worry that something had happened to Kyle. We’d completely given up hope, and then you appeared. As soon as I sensed your arrival, I came as quick as I could, but it scared me when you revealed that you didn’t see Kyle. If anything were to happen to him, we would never be able to free ourselves.” She said. ‘Plus I was in a bad mood.’ She thought to herself.

“It’s fine. I can understand why things are a little tense here.” In the distance, Maverick could see what he imagined was little hut. “Is this where Specklecoat lives?” He asked.

“Yes. She’s the unicorn everyone comes to when they need a spell cast. She’s a very nice pony, and she doesn’t charge for her spells. She just likes to help. Once we get you enchanted, I can fly you up to Cloudsdale.” Rainbow Dash knocked on the door. After a brief moment, it opened.

“Oh, hey Rainbow. How can I help you?” Specklecoat asked. She was a brown unicorn with little beige dots colouring her fur.

“Hello Specklecoat. This is… um.” Rainbow Dash paused, then smiled in an embarrassed manor. “I never did get your name.”

“It’s Maverick.” He replied.

“This is Maverick. He needs an enchantment. The one for weight control, like the one all the Pegasi have.” She explained.

“Hm, enchanting already? Didn’t he just get here? Shouldn’t you bring him to his pony choice first? In fact, why does he even need the weight control enchantment?” She asked, confused.

Before Rainbow could answer, Maverick said: “I picked Rainbow as my pony. She needs me enchanted so she can bring me to Cloudsdale.”

Specklecoat just stared for a few moments, and then she jumped at Rainbow and gave her a hug. “I TOLD you you’d get chosen eventually. Congratulations! Oh, where did I keep that book? I haven’t done this enchantment in ages, so I’ll need a refresher.” As she fumbled around, Rainbow avoid Maverick’s gaze, timidly staring away.

“Aha! Here it is. Okay, let’s see… ah, the weight control enchantment. It’s actually relatively simple. Here, just give me a moment…” There was a glowing around Specklecoat’s horn, and then Maverick felt a tingly sensation in his brain that extended slowly through his whole body. “Andddd done! Okay, let’s try it out. Rainbow, explain to him how it works.” She said as she returned the book to its shelf.

“Sure thing. Just imagine yourself getting lighter. That’s how I make it work.” Rainbow explained.

“Okay then…” Maverick imagined himself getting lighter. “How do I know if it worked?” He asked.

“Here, get on my back. If you feel heavy, we know it hasn’t worked yet.” She said, kneeling down so he could get on.

A small gasp went up in the room. Maverick and Rainbow turned to look at Specklecoat, who had a look of shock on her face. “Surely you’re not thinking of letting him ride you? Rainbow, ponies everywhere will hate you if you stoop to that level.”

“How else am I supposed to get him to Cloudsdale? Obviously I’m going to fly him up there.” She replied.

“No, you can’t. Rainbow, your honor will crumble if-”

“It’s not like I’m not hated enough already. Of the 6, I’m the most hated pony, since I scare off half the humans that come here before they even get to the city. Do you really think it matters if I let Maverick ride on my back?” Rainbow angrily cut Specklecoat off.

Specklecoat just stared in silence, biting her lip a little. “I won’t tell you what to do Rainbow, but I bet you will come to regret this decision. Good luck.” With that, she returned to whatever she had been doing before the interruption.

Maverick turned back to Rainbow, who was still kneeling. “Are you sure? I don’t want to cause trouble for you.” He said.

“It’ll be fine; I really don’t care about what other ponies think of me. If I did, I wouldn’t have survived this long in Equestria. Common, the sooner you get on, the sooner we can get going.” She replied.

Maverick stepped up beside her. When she was standing tall, her head was just a bit higher then Maverick’s, and her back came up to his chest. On her knees, her back came up right next to his waist. He looked at her awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. He swung one leg up over her body, careful to avoid her wings, and settled in right at the base of her neck, trying his best to maneuver in the small amount of space he had.

“Okay, I’m on, I guess. Now wha- whoa!” He exclaimed as she stood up.

She grunted. “No, you’re still full weight. Try again.”

And he tried again, and nothing changed. “Try something else; even we Pegasi have different tricks to make it work. Some like to think they’re floating, others jump a little to reduce their weight.”

“Light!” Maverick said.

“Oh, there you go. That’s much better. I should be able to fly with this, but it won’t be enough for the clouds. Can you go lighter?” She asked.

“Lighter.” Maverick said.

“Wow, that pretty impressive. I was scared we would have to find a home on the ground for the first few nights, but it looks like that won’t be a problem. Alright, let’s get moving.” Rainbow walked outside, turning her head slightly so she could see Maverick on her back. “Thank you, Maverick.”

“For what?” He asked.

“For deciding to stay. I almost sent you home before you even knew anything. You could have taken the easy way out, but you chose not to, and now we have hope once again in Equestria.” She replied.

“Hm, I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for much. I know this might sound weird, but I’ve always wished something would happen to spice up my life; I’ve been bored for a while now. Being a closet brony has its downsides; I can’t talk to any real people about it. I’ve been feeling more and more lonely, but now I have a new chance to remake myself, and with the creature I admire the most in all the universes. So thank you, Kyle, and you Brandon, for giving me this chance. And thank you, Rainbow, for welcoming me.” He said.

Rainbow smiled, her wings spreading out to her sides. “You’re quite welcome. Are you ready? I’m going to takeoff now.” She warned him.

“Um, actually, I just remembered that there is indeed one large problem with this situation.” He said.

“Oh, what’s that?” Rainbow asked.

“I’m absolutely terrified of heights.”
…
…
…

“And you didn’t mention this earlier because…?” She asked, annoyed.

“I was too stunned by the turn of events. I’m not really scared of heights; I’m only scared of falling. If I don’t have to worry about falling, I can go as high as I want.” He replied.

“You have nothing to worry about; I won’t let you fall.” She said, smiling reassuringly. “Are you ready?”

Maverick looped his arms around her neck and pressed his face into her mane, closing his eyes. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Rainbow began to flap her wings. With the added weight, she had to reduce hers to her cloud level for the takeoff. It was much more difficult to do a takeoff at a standstill, but she didn’t want to scare or jostle Maverick.

She was already panting by the time they finally left the ground. ‘This will be good training; I’ll be much stronger if I have to carry him around all the time.’ She thought. Once they started moving, it became easier to stay aloft.

“You really should look, the view is beautiful.” She said to Maverick as she gained altitude.

Maverick fearfully pulled his head away from her mane and looked down. The ground was miles away, and every tree looked like an ant from the height they were at. He found that he was able to look without too much fear, but as he tried to loosen his embrace a little; his stomach flew up into his chest.

“Well, I can look. It really is nice, to fly.” He said as he started glancing left and right.

“Look ahead of us. That’s Cloudsdale. Can you see it?” Rainbow asked, pleased by his newfound confidence.

Maverick looked forward and saw. Cloudsdale was huge! Even though they were still very far away, it filled his field of vision. A wave of pure white, dotted here and there by splashes of colour and occasional flashes of light. Maverick could see a huge gate that had many ponies entering and exiting it, and he assumed this was the entrance to the city.

“You live there?” He asked.

“Yes, but my house is pretty small. I don’t spend much time indoors; I prefer the open air to the dry, closed off walls of my house.” They were entering Cloudsdale now. As they passed through the gate, all the ponies present stopped and stared at Rainbow and Maverick. All the faces around him bore looks of shock which quickly transformed into looks of rage and hatred. However, despite their appearance, no pony challenged Rainbow, nor did they even say anything. Every pony resumed flying, but they still cast glares at Rainbow as they passed her.

“I knew it; I’ve caused trouble for you.” Maverick said as he witnessed the scene unfolding before him.

“And I’ve already told you, I don’t care. Let them think what they want; you chose me as your pony, and if this is what I must do to make your life here in Equestria easier, then so be it.” She replied.

Maverick stared at the back of Rainbow’s head with admiration. This was a pony he understood well, and one he would do almost anything for. She was everything he wished he could be and more. As she flew them through the city, he let himself daydream a little about how he would live his new life in Equestria. He wanted to spend as much time with this pony as possible. He wanted to become her best friend, or maybe even more…

‘No, I can’t do that. Just letting me ride her has made her hated by her kind. If we were to become more then friends, who knows what they would do to her?’ He thought. ‘No, I will be satisfied with being her friend.’ And yet, Maverick could see himself with her, sharing a drink in a restaurant or flying through the sky. He could see them talking for hours about their pasts. He could see them lying together in bed, kissing and…

‘NO! Her friend and nothing more!’ He thought to himself. ‘I won’t ruin my chance to live the pony of my dreams. I WILL be content as her friend!’

On Rainbow’s end, she was having trouble imagining her future with Maverick. This boy had made her happier then she had been for years, and she wanted to get to know him well. She would spend all of her free time with him, and they would become the best of friends. Maybe even more…

‘No, I must remember what happened all the other times. Every time one of the 6 falls in love with a human, it always ends tragically. No, I can’t let my emotions cloud my judgment. This human must never want to leave, and if the relationship got rocky, who knows what would happen? No, I shall be satisfied with being his friend.’ She thought. And yet, she could see them together, living in her too small house, sharing stories of their pasts by the window or playing games together in the living room. She could see them lying down on the grass under the stars. She could see them turning towards each other and…

‘No, absolutely not. It is my responsibility to keep him happy, and I won’t complicate his life by adding unnecessary problems. All he did was pick me as his pony; why did that make me so happy? I don’t even know him!’

‘But he knows you.’ A voice whispered in her imagination. ‘He knows a little about you. He chose you because he knows about you. He said you were cute. What if he wants it too?’

‘… I, I want him. But I won’t give in to my desires. If he show’s that he wants me too, then maybe… No, I must remain strong. I have responsibilities.’

‘What if he becomes sad because you won’t have him? Surely becoming a couple will only reinforce his desire to stay?’ The voiced continued to coo.

Rainbow couldn’t think of an answer. ‘I’ll let him make the first move, and from there, we shall see.’ She decided.

Onwards they flew, with both parties wrapped up in their own imagination. Maverick hardly noticed all the sights the city had to offer; the stadium where the ponies competed; the numerous shops lining the roads that crisscrossed the city. He was so lost to the world that when Rainbow finally stopped, he didn’t even notice.

“We’re here.” She said, snapping him back to reality. They were stopped in front of a hole in the clouds. As Maverick looked around, confused, he realised that there were many holes in the clouds around him. “This is the residential district for ponies who just want a house for the sake of having one. The houses here are low quality and compact, but they serve their purpose without being too costly. I know it’s not much, but…” She trailed off awkwardly, not sure where she was going with the sentence.

Maverick dismounted slowly, fearfully looking at the clouds below him. He doubted that they would hold even his reduced weight, but Rainbow had said they would. He put his foot down, still clinging to Rainbow as he tested it. To his surprise, they felt surprisingly hard for clouds.

“The clouds that are trampled more often tend to get compact over time. You could probably increase your weight here and still not fall, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” Rainbow explained. She led the way inside, beckoning him with her wings.

The interior of the house was bland; just white cloud walls with very few decorations. A table was set in against the far wall, and Maverick thought he saw what appeared to be a couch to his left. As he walked further in, the clouds beneath him began to soften.

“This is the main room of the house. I don’t tend to have company, so it’s really just here because of the lay of the house. The bathroom’s over there.” She gestured to her right where Maverick saw a curtain-like wall closing off his view of the room. “And back here is the bedroom. It’s the most used room of the house.” She shifted another wall-curtain.

The bedroom was much more furnished then the rest of the house. Maverick saw a bed of clouds that had some sheets on it, as well as a nightstand and a ceiling lamp, also made of clouds. On the left wall were some pictures of what Maverick assumed was Rainbow and her family, as well as a wardrobe. The right wall had picture of the main 6 ponies. On the floor he saw a rainbow coloured rug. Most of the far wall was bare, until Rainbow pulled a cord that opened the wall up, making a giant window.

“This is where I live when I’m at home.” She said. Maverick thought her saw a worried look on her face, as if she was waiting for his opinion.

“I think it’s brilliant. I’ve never liked big, high maintenance houses either; too much room with nothing to use it for is as good as a waist.” He said, hoping he had said what she wanted to hear.

It seemed to be. The worry vanished to be replaced with relief. “Good. I need to go see Twilight for a few minutes. Here, take this and go look around Cloudsdale.” She reached into her nightstand and took out a bag with her mouth, and then handed it to Maverick. “It’s a little money I had saved up. The ponies might not like humans, but none of them would dare harm one. Still, don’t walk near the edge of the clouds, just to be on the safe side. I’ll be back in less than an hour.” She hurriedly explained.

“Oh, um, okay. I’ll see you soon.” He said as she flew off. Maverick slipped the money into his pocket with no intention of spending it, it wasn’t his after all. Instead, he set out along the road in the reverse direction in which he arrived. Once he got out of the residential district and back into the main plaza, he quickly became overwhelmed by the sheer size of the city. Within minutes he was completely lost with no possible chance of backtracking, and he hoped Rainbow would be able to find him once she got back. Instead of worrying though, he decided to look around.

The shops that lined the streets had no doors, nor a front wall. Everything was very open, giving off a feeling of welcome. Even so, as he circulated, looking from one display to the next, he could feel accusing glares boring into his back, and sometimes the ponies didn’t even try to hide their dislike. Maverick did his best to ignore them, but it was difficult seeing as he was the only non-pony around for miles.

Or so he thought, until he came to a pet shop. Figuring it would be a nice change of pace, he walked inside. There weren’t many customers, and to his delight, they were all too busy to stop and glare at him. He took to browsing the aisles, and he quickly discovered that the majority of the pets were birds, not really to his surprise. They came in many different shapes, sizes and colours, but none of them were the big, carnivorous brand such as an eagle or a raptor. Maverick was pleased that he could tell some apart, like a humming bird in one cage and a blue jay in another. He was also pleased that some of the birds didn’t look like they existed on earth, such as one labelled “Ontigarus. Warning, it bites.”

“Can I help you?”

Maverick jumped and looked to see a yellow pony with bright orange hair standing nearby. She wasn’t glaring at him like the other ponies; in fact, she seemed quite pleased by his presence. “No, I was just looking. This one here, the ontigarus, it doesn’t exist on earth, does it?” He asked.

“You would know better than me. I’ve never been to earth, nor has anypony. We know very little about the world of our birthfolk.” She moved closer. “I’ve never seen a human before; none have ever come to Cloudsdale. You know, most ponies don’t appreciate your kind. But I know better; maybe they enslave us, but if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t even exist. Most ponies tend to forget that.” She smiled and winked. “So, you like animals?”

“I love animals. I love anything that’s cute and cuddly.” He replied.

“Odd that you would choose Rainbow over Fluttershy, but who am I to judge? Do you like big animals as well, or just the cute ones?” She asked

“It depends. I love tigers and wolves and stuff, but I don’t like all big animals.” Maverick wasn’t usually one who could just make friends like that, but this pony seemed pretty nice.

He talked with her about animals for a few more minutes, but then she had another customer. She asked him to come back sometime so they could continue their discussion, and he promised he would.

As he left the store, he saw and odd scene. All the ponies outside were landing and crouching down on the ground. As he watched, Maverick saw a group of Pegasi walking through the city, and all around them the ponies bowed to them. They were slowly making their way in his direction, and he debated what to do. He could probably still re-enter the shop, or he could bow to the Pegasi, or he could just stand there. In the end, he decided to avoid causing any problems and just bowed to them.

But apparently that wasn’t enough…

*****

Rainbow flew off from Cloudsdale with her heart and stomach in knots. She had to get to Twilight as quickly as she could; Twilight knew about humans, and she’d loved before. She could help Rainbow sort out her feelings, as well as help her provide proper accommodations for the human.

“Maverick…” In less than an hour, this random human had saved her from her depression and given her a reason to keep trying. With just one choice, he had sent her heart into overdrive and reminded her of what it felt like to be wanted. She didn’t know how humans judged potential mates, but to her, he looked perfect. He was kind and forgiving. But she couldn’t have him. She had responsibilities to her friends; responsibilities that came before her own happiness. The weight of those responsibilities suddenly felt much heavier now that they divided her from her desire .

Without realising it, she had covered all the distance between her and Ponyville, and she was rapidly approaching Twilight’s house. She returned her attention to the sky, making sure she didn’t hit anything while taking the shortest path.

Finally, she landed. She slammed open the door, not caring if it broke, which it didn’t.

“Twilight!” She shouted. “Twilight, I need your help!”

“What is it, Rainbow? Did the new human pick me?” Twilight said as she came into the room.

Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn pony. She has purple fur and very dark purple hair that has a streak of pink and purple through the middle. She’s a bookworm, always seeking to know more about everything. She’s a highly rational pony who’s good at finding middle ground and settling arguments.

“I sensed their arrival. Did you come here to deliver it to me?” She asked.

“No, Twilight, you won’t believe what happened.” Rainbow replied.

“You didn’t scare them off again, did you? Rainbow, you ne-”

“Twilight, he picked me!” She interrupted.

Silenced reigned in the room as Twilight stared at Rainbow’s face, which had distraught written all over it. “Then why do you seem so upset?” She asked.

“Twilight, I have no idea how to care of a human! Where will he sleep? My house is puny! What do they eat? What do they do? I don’t know ANYTHING about humans!” She panicked. “And that’s not all. Twilight, this human; I think, I think I’m in love with him! Oh Twilight, what do I do?” She collapsed on the floor and began sobbing.

Twilight rushed to her friend’s side, trying to reassure her as best she could; Twilight had never seen Rainbow so scared. She’d never seen Rainbow cry so openly. She’d never seen Rainbow cry at all!
“It’ll be fine, Rainbow. I can teach you how to care for a human. After all…” Twilight’s face seemed to darken. “I’ve loved a human too.”

Rainbow was still crying on the floor, but she managed to calm it down a little. “I’ll teach you the most important things first. Humans can eat like us, but they can also eat meat. Their taste buds are much more developed then ours; you need to discover what they like by having them try different things and watching for their reaction to each dish. That, or you can just ask them. As for sleep, I have an idea. Your room is large enough to be divided in two, so you can use a large shower curtain and just hang it between the two of you. I just happen to have one with me. Other than that, humans have mostly the same needs as we do; they need to have fun, they need to relax, they need love and affection… you get the idea. Just imagine him a pony and do what you would do for one of us.” She said.

“A-and what about my feelings? I-I’m scared that if I tell him, he’ll get scared or be disgusted with me. Even if he doesn’t, what happens if we have a fight? He might leave out of anger. Twilight, I know we’re not supposed to ask, but what happened between you and Trevor? Why did he leave?” She’d done it; Rainbow had asked the unspoken question.

Twilight’s face became a mask of hatred. She had once been chosen by a human who had seduced her into loving him. One day they we’re so close, everypony was sure he was the human that would free them. The very next day, he was gone. The other 5 had arrived to find the house empty with Twilight standing outside, staring out into space with bloodlust in her eyes. Twilight had never shed a single tear over the whole ordeal, or at least, not in front of anypony. Nopony knew what had happened, and nopony had dared ask.

“Please Twilight. I know you loved him, and I know he hurt you, but I need to know how. I’ve never been picked, and I might never be again; I need to get this perfect on the first try.” Rainbow pleaded.

“He didn’t love me.” Twilight said. Rainbow was shocked into silence; she hadn’t expected her friend to answer. “He had never loved me. He seduced me like males from his planet do to any female they find appealing. He lured me in with false promises and lies. He promised me love and care forever; he promised me he would never lift a finger against me. He painted an illusion of heaven. The only problem was, it was all lies. As soon as were alone, he made his true reasons clear. All he wanted was a sex slave. He wanted to be weighed on hand and foot; he wanted everything delivered to him on a silver platter. He wanted me to throw away my life and dedicate it to him. He told me that if I did that for him, he would save Equestria.” She said. “I refused. He tried to force me into submission, tried to rape me, but he forgot that I’m the strongest unicorn in Equestria, asides the princesses. I beat him half to death, and after he apologised and begged for his life, I forced the reverse-pill down his throat and sent him back to the hell he came from.” Twilight fell silent, and silence reigned over the room.

“So Maverick doesn’t really love me…” Rainbow said. “I knew it, somehow. I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up; nopony has ever loved me, why would some random human come through where nopony has?” She got up, her face awash with devastation. “I thought, maybe, just maybe, that I had found someone. Thank you Twilight, for saving me from heartbreak.” She started to leave, her head, tail and wings drooping pathetically.

“Rainbow, don’t be stupid.” Twilight said. As Rainbow turned, confused, Twilight tackled her to the floor.

“Ah, get off me, Twilight. Can’t you see I’m not in the mood for-”

*slap*

Rainbow felt the force behind the hoof Twilight had hit her with. It wasn’t meant to hurt, but inside, it had hurt a lot.

“You idiot. Trevor and Maverick are probably nothing alike! Don’t you remember him? Trevor strutted around town like he owned the place. He was an arrogant, cocky asshole. He would do anything to anypony because he was protected by his humanity. Is Maverick anything like that? Does Maverick make you feel like you should obey him just to make him happy? Does he make demands? Think, Rainbow. Just because Trevor was one bad egg, it doesn’t mean that all the humans of the world are the same! Have you forgotten Jayce? Jayce was the most amazing human ever! He’s the only human that didn’t abandon us by choice; he was forced into it! Maverick might end up like Trevor, or he might be like Jayce, or he might be something new entirely, but no matter what, if you don’t try to win him over, you’ll walk away from this and it will be your biggest regret ever.” She paused to get up off of Rainbow. “Humans have a saying, Rainbow. ‘It is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.’ If Maverick isn’t your future mate, that’s too bad. But you’ll never know, unless you give him a chance.” She looked Rainbow straight in the eyes as she got up. “Go to him now. Don’t throw yourself at his feet, and don’t toss him aside; be careful. Watch him, try him out. If he’s not for you, don’t continue with him. If he’s your match, stay with him. But no matter what, you need to give him a chance!”

Rainbow just stared at Twilight, dumbfounded, for a few moments. Then, slowly, a smile formed on her face. “I knew there was a reason I chose to come see you. Thank you, Twilight. I’ll make you proud; I’ll make sure he’s the perfect creature for me before I commit to anything! Even if it takes the entire length of his stay; by the end of it, I will know.” She ran over and gave her friend a hug. “I knew I could count on you.”

“Yeah yeah, just get back to your man. Oh, and I almost forgot; the shower curtain.” Twilight’s horn began to glow, and after a few moments and some crashing noises, a super long shower curtain flew out of the door Twilight had come in from. “Give me one second and I’ll enchant it for you so it won’t fall through the clouds. And I might as well shrink it down until you get there while I’m at it.” One flash of light later and the curtain was smaller than Rainbow’s wing.

“Thanks Twilight.” She took in her maw.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Where did you leave Maverick when you came to see me?” Twilight asked.

“I told him to look around Cloudsdale while I was gone.” She relied, dropping the curtain. As she registered the look of horror that passed over Twilight’s face, her heart started to race. “What, what’s wrong?” She asked, nervous.

“Rainbow, don’t you know what day it is? What time it is? It’s 3:30 PM on Thursday!” Twilight shrieked.

Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat. “The lightning wings!” She gasped. “But the odds of him running into them are low; Cloudsdale is huge!”

“It doesn’t matter; GO! Make sure he’s okay! They wouldn’t normally hurt a human, but if Maverick made them mad by not showing respect…” She didn’t finish her sentence; Rainbow had her curtain and was already out the door.

*****

“Well, well. Lookey what we have here. You think you can get away with this, human?”

Maverick could see the shadows of the Pegasi above him. They seemed somewhat larger then Rainbow’s shadow.

“Well what do you have to say for yourself, human?” The pony who had called him out said. He was standing over Maverick and glaring at him in a menacing manner.

“What’s my crime?” He retorted as he stood. Too late, he wondered if being hot headed was a good idea in his present situation.

The pony in front of him was a huge stallion. He made Rainbow seem like a young filly. The top of Maverick’s head barely cleared his back. He was a dark red Pegasi with an even darker mane, and he was clearly not someone that should be crossed.

“Don’t talk back to me, human, or I’ll shove you off this cloud. You rode on the back of a pony. The fact that the pony let you ride makes her just as unwanted, but you, a human; to think you would commit such a terrible crime! This is unacceptable.” He ranted.

“I didn’t know it was a crime to ride a pony. You can’t just-”

“Silence. It is not an official crime, but our gang punishes those that the law cannot. We of the lightning wing do not kill without reason. But be careful, human; if we ever find you riding another pony, we’ll force you out of our world. Ponies are not the play-things of humans. Only those of great stature are permitted to ride on the back of a pony, and I advise you not to test my patience with you.” He said.

“But how am I supposed to get off Cloudsdale if I can’t fly with a pony? Who are you to tell me what to do? You’re just some random gang.” Maverick said. He regretted it quickly.

“Do NOT insult the lightning wing, human, or we will kill you where you stand! It does not matter to us whether you have a way to Cloudsdale or not. If we ever see you riding a pony again, you will no longer live in Equestria, one way or another.”

“MAVERICK!”

*****

Rainbow was flying as fast as she possibly could. The curtain was slowing her down a lot because of its shape, and she considered ditching it so she could speed up. In the end, she kept it, only because without it, Maverick would have to sleep in her living room, and that felt wrong somehow.

Cloudsdale came into view too slow for Rainbows liking. She zoomed through the gate, ponies around her still glaring at her; her earlier scandal must have gotten around the city.

‘Let them glare.’ She thought. ‘When one of the 6 finally convinces a human to stay, they won’t be glaring anymore.’

Once she finally reached her house, she dropped the curtain on the floor and spun around, leaving again without even checking or him.

She flew up a little to try and see the lighting wings. If she found them and they weren’t confronting Maverick for something, then that would probably mean he was safe and she could start looking for him.

‘Please be okay, Maverick. I don’t want to lose you yet; not after you just got here!’ She thought.
She flew from one street to the next. The lightning wings presence alone halted all the traffic in the immediate area, so as soon as she found empty air, she would find them.

And she did, and they weren’t alone.

“…If we ever see you riding a pony again, you will no longer live in Equestria, one way or another.” Said Scorched. He was towering over Maverick and glaring down at him.

“MAVERICK!” She shouted. All the ponies in the area turned to stare at her; to interrupt the lightning wings was as good as signing a death wish. “Scorched, I’m so sorry. He’s brand new, just arrived today. He didn’t mean to offend. Please, let me take him-” She was cut off.

“Rainbow Dash. I should have figured it was you.” Rainbow froze. That voice, it was the voice of the leader of the lightning wings. But he NEVER came to the city; he hated to be around a group of ponies asides his groupies.

“Lord Icewing, please allow me to punish her.” Scorched begged.

“Now now, no need to be hasty.” Icewing replied. “Rainbow Dash, I’ve heard the oddest rumour lately. It seems you, you of all ponies, have let a human ride upon your back. Is this true?” He asked. His slow, kind tone of voice indicated that he was relaxed, so Rainbow knew she might still get them both out of this unharmed.

She turned to look at him. Icewing was the most famous Pegasus in the world because he led the only Pegasus squadron that managed to kill a dragon. He was, however, the only survivor, and upon his return he left the armies of Equestria and established the lightning wings. They are a gang of justiceers who seek to correct the ponies who commit crimes but who escape the reach of the law. Icewing himself is a pale blue Pegasus pony. He is very strong and very tough, and his body is covered in scars from the many battles he has fought for both the Equestrian army and the lightning wings.

“Yes, my lord. I couldn’t think of any other way to bring Maverick to Cloudsdale, so I allowed him to ride me up to the city.”

“I see. You did not think of using a chariot to get him here? Although still degrading, it is not quite as bad.” He said, lazily looking around at the assembled ponies.

“I, I did not. I was not thinking clearly at the time, my lord. I was pleased since I had been picked as a main pony for the first time, and it clouded my judgement.” She replied.

“Quite understandable. Maverick, is it?” He said, turning to Maverick. “You are the first ever human to see Cloudsdale, as well as the first human to ever pick Rainbow Dash. Is this a surprise to you?” He asked.

“Actually, yes, it seems quite unlikely, lord Icewing. Rainbow is my favorite pony of the main 6, and she is also the preference of the majority of my kind, if I am not mistaken. I find it very surprising that she has not had a single human pick her.” Maverick replied, being courteous.

“This news pleases me. I was scared that Fluttershy was the only representative of the Pegasi, but now I know that Rainbow is well known as well. I’m sorry for how my subordinate treated you; it appears you are quite a fine young man. Rest assured that we shall not harm the two of you for your actions today, Rainbow. Even the best ponies can make mistakes.” He smiled to the pair of them, and Maverick heard Rainbow sigh in relief.

“But lord Icewing, that human has insulted the honor of all ponies by riding one!” Scorched protested.
“And Rainbow Dash has done the same by allowing him to ride her. Surly we cannot let this merely pass by and do nothing about it!”

“I see no reason to punish this human, nor this pony. If anything, I believe he should be allowed to ride. It is clear he does not think of us as mere animals, and he is willing to admit he requires our aid, are you not, Maverick?” Icewing asked.

“Yes, I do require the help of the Pegasi. I believe that to help one-other is a noble way of life. There is no shame in aiding those who need it, and none in asking for help from those who can give it.” Maverick explained.

“But, but my lord!” Scorched began.

“You shouldn’t question the orders of your leader, Scorched. He is clearly a very kind and intelligent pony.” Maverick said.

Scorched turned to Maverick, rage blazing in his eyes. “You hold your tongue or I’ll-”

“What? What will you do, Scorched? You leader has forgiven me, and since you are his underling, you should as well. That is the mark of a good servant; he follows his master without question.” Maverick was quite openly insulting Scorched, and the latter was not taking it well.

“Say one more word, human, and I will kill you!” Scorched threatened.

“Scorched, if you wish to retain your position in the lightning wings, you will do no such thing.” Icewing intervened.

“But my lord, he is insulting our honor!” Scorched protested.

“No, Scorched. He is insulting your honor, not mine. I have no quarrel with this human. In fact, I like this human. If you wish to remain a high ranking officer in the lightning wings, you will apologise for your actions and walk away from this battle.” Icewing said.

“That’s right, Scorched, you follow your masters orders like an obedient little pet.” Maverick goaded.

“Maverick, stop it. What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?” Rainbow asked. “Just shut up. You’ve already impressed the greatest Pegasi in history; don’t push your luck.”

“I’m in no danger, Rainbow. Lord Icewing clearly keeps his servants in line.” Maverick taunted again.

Scorched was getting quite riled up at this point. In his eyes, he had two options available to him. Either he could swallow his pride and apologise to the human, or he could disobey his leader and try to kill the human. As much as he loved his leader and his gang, his pride was too large to allow him to simply walk away from the challenge.

“Get ready, human. You will die by the end of the next five minutes.” Scorched said.

“Will I now? How about we set some conditions for this fight then? If you kill me, then I’m dead and you’ve won back your honor. However, if I force you into submission, for I will not kill you if I can avoid it, then you will never again try to harm me, you will admit I’m worthy to ride on the backs of ponies, and you will go crawling back to your master and beg his forgiveness. Does that sound fair?” Maverick asked.

“Whatever you say, human. You will die here, and I will show the world of Equestria that your kind are nothing but talk.

“Maverick! Stop this. You-” Rainbow began, but she stopped as she felt a hoof press against her side. Icewing had approached her during the conversation, and now he said: “Do not interrupt them, Rainbow Dash. This is a battle that pits Scorched’s honor against Maverick’s determination. He clearly wishes to prove that he can hold his own against the pony who challenged him, and now he cannot back down. If you intervene, you will disgrace him in front of all these ponies. Live or die, he feels he must fight to prove himself to the ponies of Equestria and, if I’m not mistaken, you in particular.”

“M-me? Why would he need to prove himself to me?” Rainbow asked.

Icewing did not reply, instead watching the scene before him with great interest. He had no love for Scorched; the misguided pony did not understand the point of the lightning wings. Their job was to punish criminals, not uphold the honor of everypony in Equestria. He had been hoping a pony would come along that would return Scorched to the right path, but instead he had gotten this human. After this battle, Icewing had a feeling that Scorched will have learnt a lesson in humility.

“Well, are you ready yet?” Scorched asked.

Maverick turned to Rainbow. “Don’t help me, Rainbow, even if it appears I’m going to die. I have a few plans.”

“Maverick…” Rainbow whined.

Maverick returned his attention to Scorched. “I’m ready.” He put his fist up. Maverick had never had a real fight in his life, but he had always wanted to. He liked imagining battle strategies, and now he was going to put some into effect.

‘His greatest strength is his greatest weakness.’ Maverick thought. ‘He knows that he can rely on his wings, so if I shut those down, he’ll panic, and I can take the win at that point.’ Maverick started to formulate a strategy. ‘I’ve got it!’ He knew exactly how to make him vulnerable.

Scorched was just standing there, waiting, so Maverick decided to take the advantage by making the first move. He ran at Scorched, who smiled and started to run at Maverick.

When there was only a few meters left between them, Maverick jumped in the air and whispered “Heavy”. His strategy involved the fact that Scorched only weighed a few pounds at most.

As they closed in, Scorched lowered his head, as if to head-butt Maverick. Unfortunately, because of the weight difference, when Maverick swung his fist forward, Scorched went flying. Just before Maverick hit the clouds, he whispered “Lighter”. Since weight doesn’t affect fall speed, Maverick could hang in the air in heavy form for a few seconds, and that was more than enough.

Scorched clambered back to his feet. “Nice trick, but it won’t work twice.” As they ran at each other again, Scorched jumped at Maverick, obviously planning to copy Maverick’s idea. To counter this, Maverick stepped to the side. As Scorched passed by in front of him, Maverick waited until he was about to touch the ground, and then he jumped and punched him in the side. Scorched went flying again.

“What was that about not working twice?” Maverick taunted. Now he had to be careful; those were all his time killers. He had to goad Scorched into rushing him near the edge of the clouds. Maverick began to angle himself so his back was to the nearest edge.

Scorched rose again, seeing red. “Enough with the games. This time, you won’t get the best of me!” He sprung into the air and began to flap his wings.

‘Perfect, now I just need to let him find an opening.’ Maverick thought. He backed up, attempting a look of confusion. “What’s your plan, Scorched? Going to stay off the clouds so I can’t get to you? That seems like a pretty cowardly idea.” All he needed was for Scorched to charge. Suddenly, he felt his foot slip a little. “Uh oh.” He said.

Scorched, seeing an opening, fell right into Maverick’s trap and charged him. He flew at Maverick’s chest, intent of pushing him to his doom.

From the sidelines, the assembled ponies were watching with morbid curiosity. The ponies of Cloudsdale disliked Scorched; he abused his power frequently, and they were almost happy to see Maverick give him a thrashing. Almost without noticing, the assembled ponies began cheering for Maverick.

Rainbow was less enthusiastic. She didn’t want to lose her first human, and she was terrified for him; all he’d done so far was make Scorched look stupid. His hits looked good, but it would take more than that to hurt a Pegasus pony. Even with the weight difference, the punches didn’t appear to be having any effect. ‘What are you thinking, Maverick?’ Rainbow thought.

As Scorched charged and Maverick slipped, the assembled ponies gasped. Rainbow tried to surge forward, but Icewing had two of his other subjects hold her down. “Let me go, I have to help him!” Rainbow cried out.

Scorched collided with Maverick. Everypony assumed it was over, but nopony expected what Maverick did next.

As Scorched hit him, Maverick grabbed him around the neck. Without missing a beat, he swung himself around and landed on Scorched’s back. He sat down and wrapped his legs around Scorched’s wings as soon as he flapped them downward. “Heavy” He said, and the two of them began to fall down towards the earth below.

“MAVERICK!” Rainbow shouted, throwing off the ponies that had her pinned as she ran to him. Icewing grabbed her tail in his mouth, stopping her again. “LET ME GO!” She kicked out, connecting powerfully with his muzzle, but he held firm. She hit him another time, and another, and finally he had to let go. She flew off after the pair, but they were already out of her reach no matter how fast she went.

“What are you doing, you fool!” Scorched shouted.

“It’s quite simple, actually. You have two choices; either we plummet to our deaths together, since I won’t let you go if I’m not going to live. Your other choice is to admit defeat and fly us both to safety. Make a good choice, Scorched. What’s worth more to you? Your honor, which will be tarnished either way since you couldn’t beat a human, or your life? Perhaps if you had been less arrogant, you could have avoided this.” Maverick said. “Also, if you choose surrender, I want you to shout it to the heavens, so everypony hears you.”

The ground was rapidly approaching. Scorched had less than 10 seconds to decide before it would be almost impossible for him to break the fall in time. His honor was gone, blown away by this human, but if he lived, he could remake his honor. If he died, he would go down as the stupidest pony ever; a Pegasus pony that fell to his death.

“I SURRENDER!” He shouted, making sure everypony heard so Maverick would be satisfied.

Maverick hopped forward, liberating Scorched’s wings, and whispered “Lighter.” He was glad Scorched has chosen life; he wasn’t ready to die yet.

Scorched’s wings flared and slowed their fall. They still had quite a few meters between them and the ground by the time they reached a full stop, at which point Scorched angled himself downward so he could land.

The Pegasi up on the clouds cheered and flew down after the pair, following Rainbow.

As they landed, Scorched turned his head so he could see Maverick. “You are truly worthy of riding on the backs of ponies, human. I see now that I’ve been causing harm to those I was trying to protect. I’m sorry for what I said before. Don’t worry; I will remake myself from scratch, and I will become a better pony then I ever was before. Thank you for opening my eyes.” He didn’t smile, but perhaps a small grin crossed his face.

“Maverick!” Rainbow called out. She landed heavily on the ground a little ways away and ran over. As Maverick dismounted from Scorched she tackled him to the ground and glared at him. “Why would you do such a stupid thing? There was no reason! Don’t you ever make me worry like that again or I’ll leave you on top of the tallest tower in Cloudsdale for a few days and we’ll see how you like that.” She said. Maverick saw tears streaking her fur. “I thought I was going to lose you.” She whispered.

Maverick saw the scene of them kissing in his mind once again as she said this. ‘HER FIREND, NOTHING MORE!’ He reminded himself. ‘She’s just sad because she was going to lose the first ever human that picked her. She doesn’t feel like that. And even if she does, it would never work out.’ He told himself.

The other ponies started to land around them. Maverick was surprised to see looks of admiration in most of their eyes. Over the next few minutes he was treated ponies telling him how brave he was and how smart he was and thanking him for setting Scorched straight.

“Well well. It appears you’ve gained some respect, Maverick.” The ponies around him fell silent as Icewing came forward. “I must admit, you are quite the fighter. It’s not all about strength; if it was, I would never have beaten that dragon. If you have time another day, I would like for you to come to the training hall in Cloudsdale. A nice, long chat is something I look forward to.” He said. “Also, as the greatest currently living Pegasus pony, I believe I am entitled to give you this privilege; I, Icewing, hereby give Maverick permission to ride on the back of anypony willing to carry him. Let those gathered here today spread this news across Cloudsdale.” Once he finished his announcement, he moved past Maverick and the assembled ponies to Scorched.

“Scorched, for disobeying a direct order from me, I hereby strip you of you rank in the lightning wings and return you to an initiate. If you wish to return to your previous ranking, you will need to try twice as hard as ever before.” He said.

“I will. I will try a hundred times as hard, and I will do it all in the greatest of humility, my lord. To all the ponies here, please forgive me for the mistakes I have been making over the past few months; I have not been thinking straight, and I apologise. I will try my hardest from today on to prove to everypony that I am still worthy of being in the lightning wings.” He said.

“Good, I will expect a lot from you, Scorched.” Icewing spread his wings, and the lightning wings gathered around him. “For those who are curious, I have not returned to the city for nothing. Starting today, preparations are to be made. I am officially organising the next great competition of the Pegasi.” He stated before flying off. “Remember, Maverick, I will be expecting you. Come by soon.” He said.

As the lightning wings disappeared, the assembled ponies spoke to each other in exited, high-pitched voices. They were clearly excited about this competition.

“Maverick.” Rainbow came up beside him. “Get on, I need to talk to you, and I don’t want this gaggle of over exited ponies interrupting me.” She kneeled down for him.

Maverick mounted Rainbow, and together they flew off to Rainbow’s house. The ride there was silent. Maverick was unsure of how Rainbow had taken his actions; the idea behind them was to impress the ponies so they would forget about how he had ridden her, but he had also wanted to prove himself to Rainbow.

Once they got there, Rainbow let him off, still without a word, and led him inside. “Why did you do that?” She asked, her voice deceptively calm.

“I wanted to prove myself.” He responded. He wasn’t inclined to tell he wanted to prove himself to her; after all, she was just his friend.

“To who? To the ponies of Cloudsdale, to Icewing?” She asked.

“To everypony that was present. I wanted them to know I’m not just some pushover. I wanted them to know that I will be the human to liberate them.” He said.

“What about me? Didn’t you consider my feelings at all? What if you had lost that fight and died? Do you have any idea how that would make me feel? I let my first human die on the first day. Can you imagine the guilt I would have had to live with?” She asked. Her voice was getting angry.

“Rainbow, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just… Back on earth, I was always the super scared wallflower that never did anything. I liked my life because it was simple and easy, but it was boring. I never rebelled, I never broke the rules, I never had a girlfriend. I was a sheep that toed the line my whole life. I didn’t want to be the same person over here. I want… I want to have… I don’t know. I just want something different.” He was coming very close to confessing his attraction.

“And you think the best way to do that is to bet your life on some stupid life or death battle? I thought you were intelligent, but to do something so stupid… Why do you think your life will be the same in this world? You are going to live differently here, I can almost guarantee it. Almost every male we get is a videogame player, but we don’t have any here. As such, you need to find a new way to kill time. What we end up doing is bringing you along to our get-togethers. You’ll learn to talk with other ponies and pass time by hanging out with friends. Trust me, no matter what you’re used to, this will be completely new for you.”

“I’m sorry. I know that the fight was unnecessary.” Maverick said. “I really didn’t think you would be so affected by it. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“Yes, there is. Promise me you won’t do something as stupid as that again.” She asked.

“Alright, I won’t goad someone into a fight, I promise.” He said.

“It’s a start. Come with me; I need your help to get our room ready for tonight.” She said.

“O-our room?”

“Yes, our room. You’ll be sleeping with me in my bedroom. Twilight gave me a curtain to hang between us so we can have our privacy.” She said, picking up said curtain, which had returned to full size during her absence. “Here, help me set it up.”

It took almost an hour to get the curtain in place. Rainbow couldn’t figure out how she wanted too divide the room, and once she did, moving the curtain proved to be quite a challenge. It was so big that it took them three tries to get it in the room, and lifting it was hell.

“Finally!” Maverick shouted as they got it in place.

“Well, I’m not sure about you, but I’m hungry.” Rainbow said.

Maverick hadn’t realised it, but he was indeed quite hungry. “Yeah, I’m starving. But, what do you eat here in Equestria?” Suddenly, Maverick had visions of grass sandwiches and carrots.

“I’ll make you dinner. Something I loved as a kid and I still love as an adult.” She said.

Maverick watched as Rainbow made what she called and “Apple salad”. Maverick couldn’t quite understand the name. The dish was basically a bunch of cut up apples put into a bowl. After she cut them up, she dropped them into some sort of liquid, and once the bowl was full, she dribbled something on top of it.

“Now, I want you to tell me the truth about how it tastes. I’ve never fed a human before, so I have no idea if this is for you.” Rainbow said. Now that the battle was behind them, she was being positively cheerful again.

“Okay then…” Maverick was a little scared. His mother had experimented with her cooking quite often, and more often than not it would come out completely inedible. He tentatively took a handful, no utensils, and bit into it.
“This is AMAZING!” he said. He took handful after handful for the rest of the meal. It tasted like candy, but not the type that gets old after a few bites. He could honestly say that this was in the top 10 things he had ever eaten.

“I’m glad you like it. I made a lot, so take as much as you want.” Rainbow replied, smiling. She begun to eat hers, sticking her snout right into the bowl.

As the meal came to a close, Maverick realised there was still quite a bit leftover. “What do you do with that?” He asked. “You don’t have fridges here, do you?”

“It doesn’t go bad as quickly in our world, probably because of the cream I douse them in. We can eat this again for breakfast if you want; it’s very healthy.” Rainbow responded.

“Sounds good to me. So, um, now what?” He asked.

“Well, it probably around 6:30. We could go flying, sit here and talk or we could go shopping, since you didn’t spend the money I gave you.” She said. “I bet back on earth you would be playing video games right about now.”

“Yeah, they were really my only time killer. That and reading. I love to read.”

“Just like Twilight, and you like animals too, like Fluttershy. I bet you’ll along fine with everypony in the 6. Here, come with me, we’ll get you some books for when I’m not here.” Rainbow said she got up.

“Not here? What do you mean?”

“I have a job. It’s to help with the weather control. Pinky Pie is a cook with the cakes and Rarity sells her dresses. The other three don’t really have jobs; Twilight lives off the money princess Celestia gives her, Applejack has her apples and Fluttershy grows her own food, which she sells if she ever needs money. So while I’m gone out to work, you might get caught home alone if no one is available to hang out.” She explained.

“Do you think I could get a job somewhere? I don’t want to freeload off of you.” Maverick asked.

“Don’t be silly, you’re not freeloading. After all, you’re trying to save my whole race. I think that’s more than enough payment.” She replied.

“Still, a job would make me feel better, and I might not end up home alone as often. Do you think there’s somewhere in Cloudsdale or Ponyville that would employ a human?”

“Oh, there are quite a few places that would employ you now that Icewing has approved of you. In fact, you might want to consider the Training hall. You could ask to work there and you could learn more about us while you’re working.”

“That sounds good, when can I go?”

“Wait until Sunday. I have a shift on Sunday, so you can go and talk with Icewing and look for a job at the same time. Now come on, I want to make sure you have something to do while I’m not here.”

***** Earlier that day *****

Twilight watched as Rainbow flew out the door with the curtain. As soon as she was gone, Twilight called for Spike, her baby dragon assistant, and Owlicious, her owl assistant.

“Spike, go get Pinky Pie and Rarity and tell them to meet us at Fluttershy’s house. Owlicious, you go warn Fluttershy that we’re all coming to her house. I’ll get Applejack and meet you there.” She instructed.

“Hoo.” Owlicious flew off.

“Got it Twilight. What’s the emergency?” Spike asked.

“Rainbow is. I’ll explain it all when we get there.” Twilight said.

“Alright, see you soon.” Spike ran out the door. He had the two closest ponies to each other, but he would still need to hurry.

He ran straight to Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s shop. Mr. Cake greeted him at the door.

“Hello Spike, here for a treat?” Mr. Cake asked.

“Not today, Mr. Cake. I need to see Pinky Pie, there’s an emergency.” Spike answered.

“I’ll go get her.”

“No need, Mr. Cake, I’m right here.” Pinky Pie said. She was eating a cupcake at the cash register. “What’s the emergency spike?” Pinky Pie asked.

Pinky Pie is a pink earth pony. She loves to party and laugh, and she can turn any situation into a fun one if she wants to, which she usually does.

“Twilight wouldn’t tell me. She only said that it was about Rainbow. She wants us all to meet up at Fluttershy’s house, and I still need to get Rarity.” Spike answered.

“Get on; it’ll go faster this way.” Pinky Pie said, kneeling down.

“Thanks Pinky. We need to go fast; Twilight sounded scared.”

“Bye Mr. Cake, I’ll be back later, maybe.” Pinky Pie shouted.

“Bye Pinky.”

Pinky Pie and Spike ran over to Rarity’s boutique. As they arrived, they saw two ponies leaving in matching gowns, except one was blue and one was red.

“Rarity!” Spike shouted. “Rarity, are you here?”

“Oh, Spiky, and Pinky Pie, what’s the occasion?” Rarity asked, coming out from behind her designing booth.

Rarity is a white unicorn with purple hair. She’s a fashion designer who’s always ready to help a pony in need. Spike has a thing for her, but he’s far too young.

“Twilight called an emergency meeting at Fluttershy’s house.” Pinky Pie said. “Something about Rainbow, and she was sad.”

“Scared.” Spike corrected.

“Whatever, let’s go go GO!” Pinky said. “You’re not busy right?”

“Nothing important.” Rarity’s horn glowed and a ‘closed’ sign flew out and stuck itself on the door. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

The three left for Fluttershy’s house. “What’s the situation, Spiky?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know. Twilight just said that something was wrong.” Spike said.

The two ponies and the dragon were almost out of the city when they saw two very familiar purple and orange coats.

“Twilight, Applejack!” Pinky Pie yelled.

“Oh, Spike, that was fast.” Twilight said.

“Very quick, well done spike.” Applejack said.

Applejack is a very honest pony who works at an apple farm. She has an orange coat and yellow hair.

“So what was the problem Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“I’ll tell you once we get to Fluttershy’s, but let’s just say that the new human will either be our savior or our end.” Twilight said.

The other 4 gulped, intimidated.

As soon as they got to the woods, they found Fluttershy waiting for them.

“Twilight, what happened, Owlicious told me there was an emergency meeting.”

“It is an emergency. Can we go inside?” She asked.

“Of course.” Fluttershy led the way to her house and opened the door. Once the 5 ponies and the dragon were inside, she closed it again and asked: “So what’s the problem?”

“So, you’re all aware that Rainbow’s just begun to recover from her depression, right?” Twilight said. “She used to be on the verge of suicide, owing to her desire to find a mate but her inability to find a pony she liked. But she was getting better. We sent the message to Kyle after the arrival of the previous human to stop sending them until she got better, and we thought she was on the right path, right?”

“Yes, we all know this. What happened; did the new human send her back into the pit of despair?” Rarity asked.

“No, it is far worse than that. Rainbow was on the road to recovery; a new human who failed to choose her would have been a setback, but she would have recovered from it eventually because this human only came here due to Kyle’s drug being stolen, and after him she would have all the time she needed. No, this human will doom us if he leaves, no matter which way he leaves; intentional or not.”

“How do you know this?” Fluttershy asked.

“Come to think of it, which one of us did the human pick?” Applejack asked.

“…Oh no, he didn’t.” Pinky Pie started.

“Yes, he picked Rainbow.” Twilight finished.

The 5 assembled ponies understood the reason now why this human held their very lives in his hands. If he chose to leave, Rainbow, after tasting what it would be like to have been chosen, would fall deeper than ever into the pit of depression that had formed.

“But, but surely it wouldn’t guarantee our end? I mean, we would have to wait for a long time before we could call out to humans again, but would she really suicide? Maybe we could convince her that things would be going better, and that surely she would be picked again.” Rarity argued.

“Maybe it would be like that, if it ended here. However, Rainbow fell in love with the human; she told me herself. If he leaves her, before or after she confesses, it’ll all be over.” Twilight said. “After all, to lose the one you thought you loved…” Twilight’s face grew somber, and Pinky Pie’s face became awash in sadness.

“I know you two lost someone important to you, but we can’t take time right now to reminisce about Trevor and Jayce. What are we going to do about the human? We need to make sure he stays or it’s all over.” Fluttershy interceded. “I’ll go make some food for everypony; it’s getting late, and we’re going to need to focus if we want to come up with ideas.” With that, she flew off to her garden.

“The easiest thing to do would be to just make him happy as much as we can.” Pinky Pie said. “So long as Rainbow doesn’t confess, we can probably keep him here if we all try our hardest. What type of human was he, Twilight?”

“I don’t know; she fell in love with him after knowing him for all of 30 minutes, so he must be something. Or maybe she just fell for him because he picked her. Whatever type of human he is, we must make sure he stays, no matter what. Whether or not Rainbow confesses, we must keep him happy.” Twilight was beginning to regret her earlier decision to tell Rainbow to try him out, but there was no way she could take it back now. “Once we have a better idea of what he’s like, we can prepare a proper strategy for keeping him happy. Until then, nopony do anything stupid, if that clear?” Her gaze came to rest on Rarity.

“I wouldn’t do anything bad, Twilight. Not now that our lives are in danger. I may not like humans, but I’m not stupid.” Rarity said, annoyed that Twilight would assume something like that.

Pinky Pie suddenly sprang up. “I’ve got it, why don’t we throw him a welcome party? That was we can make him happy and learn about him. And it should give us time to tell Rainbow not to out her attraction.”

“Pinky, that’s a great idea!” The other three chorused.

“Well duh, I don’t say stuff because it’s stupid.” The other three’s faces turned incredulous.

“You did NOT just say that. Please tell me she did not just say that.” Twilight said.

“She did.” Rarity said.

At that moment, Fluttershy flew back inside with a basket of vegetables. “Anypony hungry? I just need a second to wash them; nothing complicated today I’m afraid.” She caught on to the incredulousness of the other 3 ponies and Pinky Pie’s face that seemed mad. “Did I miss something?”

“Nothing important.” Applejack laughed. “Are you up for a party tomorrow? We thought it might be a good idea to throw the human a welcome party so we could cheer him up and learn about him.”

“Cheer him up? Is he already sad?”

“No no, just to make sure he’s happy is what I should have said.” Applejack corrected herself.
Once they were washed, the 5 ponies dinned on the vegetables, with Spike and Owlicious eating some gemstones and meat respectively.

“Well, we’ll leave it to you then, Pinky, since this is you area of expertise. Just don’t overdo it like you always do. Remember, it’s just a welcoming party, and we need to be able to learn about him.” Twilight said.

“Got it. Don’t worry Twilight; I’ve got the perfect idea.” Pinky Pie said.

The 4 other ponies thanked Fluttershy for the meal, and they went their separate ways.

Once she got home, it was already past 9, so Twilight decided to go to bed.

“Hey Twilight, do you think we’re all going to be deleted?” Spike asked.

“I can’t be sure Spike, but if Rainbow handles the situation well and keeps her love a secret for now, I’m sure we’ll manage well enough tomorrow at the party. Pinky will set it up well; we can trust her with much. She might go a little overboard some times, but we can count on her to hit the nail on the head when we need it.” Twilight responded. “Go to sleep now; there’s no need for you to worry about anything until we get to the party.”

“Okay, goodnight Twilight.” Spike said.

“Goodnight spike.”

*****

Pinky Pie was rushing as fast as she could. She had managed to convince the Cakes to let her use the shop for the party on the premise that the world of Equestria was now in danger, and if she messed up the party, they could all lose their lives.

“It needs to be as close to perfect as I can get it.” Pinky Pie was showing off the one side of herself that the humans had never captured on film; her cold, calculating party planning side. “I’ll leave myself an error margin of 15%. It’ll take most of the night, but I can get this ready before tomorrow. If only I knew a little bit more about the human, I could erase the error margin completely.” She said.

It was 2 Am before Pinky Pie was finished. She had had to use all of her emergency party materials, and she had had to go collect some natural alternatives from around Ponyville, but in the end, the party was ready, and the error margin was only 18%. “Better than what I was hoping for when my supplies ran out. I can’t believe I let myself run so low.” She criticized.

*****

Rainbow and Maverick walked through Cloudsdale, talking and searching for a bookstore. Maverick quickly noticed that all the conversations around them were about the upcoming competition.

“What is this great Pegasus competition?” Maverick asked Rainbow.

“It’s a series of tournaments that the Pegasi will compete in. There are competitions for speed, strength, intelligence, agility and more. Most of the Pegasi in Cloudsdale will be going, either to watch or to compete. There are also prizes for the winners of each tournament.” She explained.

“Will you be participating?” Maverick asked.

“Probably. I usually try out for the speed competition, although I know I won’t win; the Wonderbolts usually win the majority of the competitions. They’re the best of the best after all. You might want to consider signing up for a competition if you can find one you’re good at.” She said.

“But I’m not a Pegasi. How can I compete?”

“The intelligence competitions should be within your range of abilities. Also, there are fighting tournaments that AREN’T to the death. You could look into those too.” She said.

“Can we go and watch the competitions together?” He asked. “The one’s we’re not in, although I don’t think I’ll be competing.”

“Sure, if you want. I go every time the completion comes around. Oh, here we go; the bookstore.”

Maverick browsed the aisles of the book store, searching for Fantasy. It was his favorite genre, and if he found one he liked, he would be able to finish it in a matter of hours, no matter how long it was. He picked out one called “Legacy of the MetalPony” and “Timeskip”. They both looked interesting, so he decided to get them both. Then another book caught his eye, and he turned a little red as he read the title: “Forbidden love; a pony desires a human”. He considered taking it too, but instead opted to come back alone at a different time so that Rainbow wouldn’t know.

He brought his selection up to the pony that was in charge of the store and bought them, and then he went to find Rainbow. She was in the comic section, reading a joke book. As soon as she saw he was done, she returned her book to the shelf and they left. They roamed around the city some more, occasionally sharing words, but silence prevailed for the majority of their trip. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence; in fact, both parties appreciated it. They were both happy just being together.

“You know, Maverick, I’ve been a little down before you got here. I think I might have been depressed. Now that you’re here, I feel much better, and I just wanted to thank you for that.” Rainbow said.

Maverick wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m glad I could help. Why were you feeling down?”

“I’ve been getting worse overtime as humans continued to pick the others as their main pony. I guess I was just sad because I felt unloved. You see, I’ve never had what you humans call a boyfriend. All the others in the 6 are currently either in a relationship or starting one, all but me. I guess I was just jealous of them, and since they’re all a little busier with their men, I was starting to feel lonely. But now you’re here, and it made me feel better.” She said.

Maverick wasn’t sure how to reply again. Could this mean she felt for him like he did for her? “Rainbow, I-” Suddenly, she turned around and pushed him up against a wall. “Rainbow?” He asked, a little frightened. They were in an alleyway with no other ponies around.

“I’m sorry, Maverick, but I can’t stand it if you don’t know any longer.”

“What are you-” He was cut off as she pressed her muzzle up against his lips and tried to kiss him.

Maverick’s eyes opened wide. He felt his heart race and his mind went blank. Rainbow was watching his reaction, and she was starting to regret her impulsive decision until he dropped the books he was holding and pulled her in tight, kissing her back as best he could. She melted into his arms, happy that he was willing to love her back. Since they were both inexperienced and of different species, the kiss was really awkward. Still, Maverick had seen enough movies to know the general idea of what to do. After he pulled her in close, he pulled his fingers through her mane, trying to make it feel better for her. The slight moan he got in response told him he was doing the right thing. Rainbow pushed in harder against him, unable to follow suit due to her hooves, but desperate to make it feel better for Maverick as well. Finally, Rainbow pulled away and gasped, and Maverick did the same.

*pant* “I like you, Maverick. Just encase the message didn’t get across.” *pant* Rainbow said.

“I like you too, Rainbow. I’ve liked you for a long time.” Maverick returned, and pulled her in close again, for a hug this time.

They stayed in the alleyway for a few more minutes, catching their breath, before Rainbow led Maverick out and back to her house.

“It’s late; we should really get to bed.” Rainbow said.

“Um, back home, before bed, I would brush my teeth. Do you have tooth brushes here?” Maverick asked.

“Yeah, we do. You can borrow mine if you want.” Rainbow gave a tentative smile to her new boyfriend.

After their teeth were brushed and they were ready for bed, Rainbow led the way into her room. When Maverick tried to go on to his side of the curtain, Rainbow blocked him and instead motioned to her bed. Maverick smiled and followed her in, getting snug under the covers with her body pressed up against his.

“Remember when I told you I’ve never had a girlfriend? It means I’m not sure how to be in a relationship.” Maverick warned.

“Don’t worry; I have no idea what I’m doing either. Shall we go at our own pace? Just tell me if you’re not ready for something and we won’t do it.” Rainbow offered.

“Same to you then. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Maverick replied.

Rainbow smiled and gave him a not-so-quick goodnight kiss, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms/front legs.

*****

Twilight tossed and turned in her bed, unable to shake an uneasy feeling. She woke with a start.

“Oh damn, it was just a dream.” She said, curling up into a ball. It had been ages since she had last dreamt of HIM.

“Oh, it was a dream alright, and so is this.” Twilight’s head whipped to the left. Trevor was leaning in her doorway, staring her down.

“Y-you!” She said, pulling the sheets up to cover herself as much as she could.

“Me.” He said with an arrogant smile. “Your world is dying, Twilight. You’re not worrying about the right thing right now.”

“What do you mean?” She said, her voice hardly a whisper. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to warn you. Your subconscious has me painted as the true image of fear for you, so I’m here to tell you about what you should be fearing right now. The human might hold your lives in his hands, but Rainbow can handle him for now. No, right now, you need to fear a much bigger problem.” He said, still arrogantly leaning on her doorframe.

“What is it, what should be feared more than death?”

“Nothing is to be feared more than death, but death doesn’t just come in one package. Be it a box or wrapping paper, a letter or a safe, the package is different, but the content is the same.”

“Stop speaking in riddles. What do you mean?” Twilight insisted.

His smile widened, and suddenly he was gone. Twilight could feel her body sinking away from the dream. Just before she left, she heard his voice right next to her ear.

“General Mantycus.” He whispered as she left him. “Lord Carrion.” He added. “And let’s not forget, Darkness.”

Twilight sat straight up, her heart racing. “No, they can’t be coming, not again.” She jumped up from her bed and grabbed her quill.

Dear Princess Celestia…

…Please respond as quickly as possible.
Your student, Twilight.

Twilight finished her letter to the princess and sent it on its way with her magic.

‘Now I just need to wait for instructions. Oh, I hope this isn’t as bad I think it is.’ She fretted. Twilight realised that more rest was impossible; she was too worried. She left the bedroom she shared with Spike and went to find a book to help her calm her nerves.

“Hoo?” Owlicious flew down from a shelf, already holding a book for her.

“You know me well, don’t you, Owlicious?” Twilight observed. She had only had the owl for a few months, ever since the humans decided to make the episode where Spike felt threatened, but he had grown attached to her quickly. She took the book from him with her magic and looked at the cover. “Party how-to for the socially challenged?” She asked. “Not quite what I was- Oh, you think I should check up on the party?”

“Hoo!” Owlicious replied.

She smiled. “You do know me well. Want to come?” Twilight asked.

As a response, Owlicious landed on her shoulder.

They headed out to the Cakes shop. It was still very early, probably before 5; the ponies of Equestria only used the human time system because it was simple, but they had no clocks, they just had the ability to feel approximately what time it was. This ability had recently become dimmed at night since Princess Luna was recovering from an illness. In fact, all of the night abilities of the ponies: their eyesight, their confidence in darkness, even their dreams were all a little less pleasant. ‘That must be how my subconscious managed to talk to me. At least Luna’s sickness had one upside.’

The land of Equestria was ruled by two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The sisters we’re very similar in personality; they were both very kind and caring for their people. However, because of her appearance, Luna had been used by the humans as an evil leader. Celestia had a pure white coat and was a unicorn and a Pegasus pony. Luna was the same, but her coat was black. As such, the humans made it so Celestia was the good ruler of the day and Luna was the evil ruler of the night. Of course, the ponies of Equestria knew better.

Twilight finally reached the Cakes shop. It was closed, but Twilight had permission to enter whenever she wished. In Equestria, locks aren’t common since both earth and Pegasus ponies can’t use them without the help of the unicorns, and the unicorns can open any lock with their magic.

Twilight cautiously scanned the door with her magic to make sure Pinky Pie hadn’t set up any trip lines to trigger a surprise for the party. After she was sure opening the door wouldn’t ruin any of Pinky’s hard work, she stepped inside.

Twilight didn’t gasp, nor was she surprised in any way. The room was unrecognisable; there were games in every corner, a buffet table was laid out, there were streamers hanging from the ceiling and balloons everywhere. However, somehow, Twilight felt that the room had a different appeal in it as well; one side of the room had a lot of natural alternatives, such as vines hanging from the ceiling and flowers here and there. In another, the super decorativeness was dimmed down a little, leaving more room for a serious-party atmosphere. ‘She made it so that no matter what Maverick is interested in, he’ll have something to associate to.’ Twilight assumed. Only Pinky Pie could make it this obvious and yet the subtle at the same time. She was clearly planning to bring in a few guests outside the 6 so Maverick wouldn’t feel as if he was in the spotlight. ‘A clever disguise; this isn’t a welcome party, it’s just a social get-together for any type of pony. Like this, just by watching what he does, we’ll be able to assume a few things about him.’ Twilight had to admit, when it came to being sneaky, as stupid as it sounded, Pinky Pie was without a doubt the most creative pony.

Twilight was about to leave when she saw something. It was a sign that read “Twilight, when you come in early to check on the party, can you send out these invitations? I’m just too tired to do it tonight.” It was signed by Pinky.

“That goof.” Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed everybody knew her pretty well.

Twilight picked up the bag on the floor under the sign and opened it. Inside she saw about 20 cards, each made out to a different pony that Twilight knew pretty well. They were all over the map of social status, confirming Twilight’s earlier theory.

Twilight enchanted the invitations so they would fly to the appropriate mail boxes and then returned home. She returned the book that Owlicious had taken out and instead brought out 4 others. She placed 3 of them on some wrapping paper and tied a quick note to each of them, and then she wrapped them up and stacked them by the door. She then sat down in her favorite reading chair and opened the fourth book, “Kyle the intermediates detailed guide to complicated human behavioral patterns and how to assess them. Book 1 of 10.” It was very thick.

A few hours later, Spike came down, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “You went to check on the party, didn’t you Twilight?” He said.

“Okay, now I just feel predictable.” She said. She had finished the first book and had moved on the second.

“You’re reading those AGAIN? How many times does that make?”
“Five.” She answered without looking up. “Since this human is life or death, I figure one more read through them can’t hurt.” She explained.

“Twilight, there’s one thing I don’t get. Why is this human life or death? I haven’t asked so far because I thought you might just be exaggerating, but you keep going on about it. I know there’s a chance that if he leaves, Rainbow will kill herself, but why would that mean our death as well?” Spike asked.

Twilight smiled a little despite how morbid the subject was. “The reason, Spike, is that we are all under the control of the humans. They only keep us around because they can make money off of us. They film their episodes and leave, and that’s it. So, assume this situation for me. If Rainbow were to suicide, the next time they come by to film an episode, what would happen when Rainbow’s part came up? If anypony who is central to the plotline dies, then it’s over for all of us. I’ll give you a quick rundown of the ones who will cause the end of the show if they die, and the ones who could, in theory, be replaced.

“The 6 main ponies are, obviously, irreplaceable. Outside that, you are irreplaceable. The princesses are irreplaceable. The Cutiemark Crusaders, that is to say Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, are irreplaceable. And Zekora is irreplaceable. Outside of these ponies, Zebra, and you, the majority of the rest of the population COULD be swapped out with fakes wearing makeup or such. However, it would be best if nopony who’s in the show got killed.” Twilight explained. “But let’s not dwell on these subjects; you’re too young to be worrying about anyone’s life other than your own.”

Spike sighed. “I wish you would stop treating me like I’m a still a baby dragon.”

“I treat you like you’re a baby dragon because you ARE a baby dragon.” Twilight said.

“What time is the party at?” He asked, intent on changing the subject.

“I don’t know. Pinky will come get us as soon as she needs us to be there.”

*Knock* *Knock*

“Gee, I wonder who that could be.” Twilight said as she closed her book and went to answer the door. She opened it to see exactly who she thought it was.

“Thanks for delivering the invitations, Twilight.” Pinky Pie said.

“No problem. Is it time to go already? Isn’t it a bit early for the party to start?”

“No, but it’s not starting yet anyway. I just need you to send these out too.” She held up 3 more invitations. “They just have the time to be there at. One for Fluttershy, one for Rarity and one for Applejack. By the way, I need you at the party any time before 2. The first guests arrive at 3, and Rainbow is due in at 4.”

“Okay, got it. And I liked what you did; sneaky way for us to learn.” Twilight said.

Pinky raised her eyebrows. “Why Twilight, what ever do you mean?” She said, making it clear she was joking. “I’ll see you at 2.” With that she returned home, intent on starting the cooking for the party, if Twilight had to guess.

Twilight enchanted the last three invitations and then went back inside. “Spike, I sent a letter to the princess last night; did you get a reply yet?” Twilight asked as she sat back down and re-opened her book.

“No, nothing yet. Are you expecting a quick reply?” Spike asked.

“A little.” Twilight was reluctant to make Spike worry more then he already was.

The time began to melt away as Twilight deepened her re-reading. She was almost finished the 5th book of the series when Spike said. “It’s almost 2, Twilight. Should we get ready?”

Twilight sighed. “I suppose so. Call me crazy, but I’m just not eager for this party. I hope this human is a good one; if Rainbow fell in love with a human like Trevor, the games over.” Twilight returned the book to its shelf; she already knew the end anyway. She went to her bathroom to wash up, and then she went to her bedroom mirror and fixed her mane, coat and tail. She was about to leave when she suddenly felt like dressing up a little. She added a necklace to her ensemble. It wasn’t anything super pretty or expensive, just a charm Zekora, the zebra/enchantress, had given her. Supposedly, it warded off bad luck.

Finally ready, Twilight grabbed her 3 parcels form the front hall and headed over to the Cakes along with Spike. She would be a bit early, but Pinky Pie had said any time before 2, so Twilight wasn’t worried.

When she got there, she was surprised to note the amount of movement she could see through the windows. Had the other 3 arrived early as well?

“I’m here.” Twilight said as she entered. “I didn’t expect all of you to already be here.” Twilight had been planning more, but she seemed to forget how to speak as she saw what was in front of her.

The whole room had been stocked up to the brim with food. The buffet tables were full to bursting and through the opened doors to the kitchen, Twilight saw even more food. It consisted almost entirely of cakes and apple based products. In the nature section, Twilight saw some birds roosting in the shrubbery and some kittens napping around the flowers. As for the serious section, the décor had received a major upgrade, spruced up with splashes of colour and refined decorations.

***Applejack***

Hey Applejack.
I had Twilight send you this. I need help with the party if I’m going to get the cooking done in time, so I was hoping you could bring some of your apples with you and help me cook up some treats.
Pinky Pie.

“Wow, Pinky Pie askin’ for help planning a party. Ah recon Ah should watch out for flying pigs while Ah’m on my way over there.” Applejack said aloud to nopony in particular.

“Eeeyup.” Big Mackintosh added.

“Do you every say anything else?” She asked. That was one part of her world the human had gotten right; her brother. He was almost EXACLY like he is during the filming.

“Anyway, can yall help me rustle up some apples? Ah need to get going as fast as Ah can.” Applejack asked.

“Eeeyup.”

In less than half an hour, Applejack was off with enough apples to make enough food for the whole party. She said goodbye to her brother, even though she would be seeing him again in a few hours; he was invited to the party too.

“Oh, Applejack, you’re here. I left half the kitchen open for you, so please use it to the best of your ability.” Pinky Pie said when she arrived at 8 AM.

6 hours later, even Applejack was amazed at the amount of food she had made.

“Wow, that amazing Applejack!” Twilight said as she saw the huge mountain of pies and fritters and sauces that the apples had become.

“Ah do my best.” She said, smiling. Together, the two ponies went to check on the other preparations.

***Fluttershy***

Hey Fluttershy.
I had Twilight send you this. I need help with the party so that I can make the nature section look realistic. Can you convince some of your friends to come in and look real? They can have some of the food if they want, and there are flowers for them too.
Pinky Pie.

‘Pinky Pie needs help with a party? I must be dreaming.’ Fluttershy thought. ‘I’ll need to move quickly if I’m going to convince enough animals.’

Fluttershy rushed around her many gardens and animal homes, asking the few animals that had already woken if they were up to the task. Some said yes, others said no. For now, Fluttershy didn’t bother trying to convince them; if her hit/miss ratio kept up, she could manage enough animals without any pleading.

By 1 O’clock, Fluttershy had assembled over 100 furry friends to help out with the party. She led them into town and to the Cakes shop with no incidents, and they were soon in place in their various nests or lying around within the nature zone. It had taken her almost half an hour to get the message across to each animal that they needed to stay in this zone.

“Wow Fluttershy, the animals really complete this part of the party.” Twilight commented.

“Ah love the diversity ya managed.” Applejack added, noting the squirrels that were sitting right next to the cats, and the platoon of birds that made a colourful parade.

“It was nothing…” She said, embarrassed. The three of them set off to see if there was any other way they could help.

***Rarity***

Hey Rarity.
I had Twilight send you this. I need help with the party. I’m not good with fancy stuff, so I was hoping you could come decorate the fancy side of the party so it looked more regal and attractive to those few ponies that I invited who fit the bill.
Pinky Pie.

Rarity re-read the letter thrice just to be sure she was reading it and not inventing the words in her mind.

“Well, at least she called on the right pony for the job she needed done.” Rarity said. She grabbed as much of her fabric as she could fit in the traveling cart she kept with her, as well as some lace, planning utensils such as an easel and measuring devices, and a few pictures she had of famous ponies.

“So this is the area you need reworked?” Rarity asked. Pinky Pie just nodded before returning to the kitchen to continue her cooking.

Rarity was the first pony there asides Pinky, so she had the longest to prepare her area. Still, by the time Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy came by to check on her, she wasn’t quite finished.

“Twilight, would you be a dear and hang these over there?” Rarity said as they approached. Her section was looking quite good in the eyes of the other three, but Rarity was unsatisfied. Over the course of the next 15 minutes, she instructed the other three so that her job would end quicker. When she was finally satisfied with the result, she called a halt, made a few final, nit-picky changes, and sighed in relief.

“Done. That took much more effort than I expected.” She exclaimed. “Thanks for the help girls. Let’s go see how Pinky’s doing.”

The four ponies set out to find the mastermind behind the party.

Pinky Pie was sitting down in the kitchen. “Hey girls, is everything ready?’ she asked as they came in.

“Yes, it’s all ready. Pinky, I’m glad were able to help.” Applejack said.

She smiled to her team. “Without you, I wouldn’t have finished on time.” She simply stated.

The four took seats around the table Pinky was sitting at. “So, this is it.” Pinky Pie said.

“This is our first impression on the man who controls our fate.” Rarity specified.

“Well, the atmosphere couldn’t be better.” Twilight said.

“And even if one of us messes up, we still have the other 4 impressions.” Fluttershy added.

“Now it all comes down to how far he along he and Rainbow have gotten.” Applejack whispered.

The five ponies looked grave. “Girls, I can help feeling bad that we’re doing this for ourselves, and not for Rainbow.” Twilight said. “Rainbow’s in love with this human. I know making him stay is priority, and it helps her too, but I just can’t shake this selfish feeling.”

The other 4 nodded in unison.

Twilight looked around. Spike was back in the main room, looking at the decorations and trying some of the food, so she figured she could tell them.

“Last night, I had a dream.” She began. “Trevor was there. He told me that I should let Rainbow deal with the human because we have bigger problems to worry about. He said that they would be coming back: Mantycus, Carrion and Darkness.”

The reaction was immediate. Fluttershy began to tremble, Rarity gasped, Pinky Pie’s eyes went huge and Applejack flinched.

“Not again. Surely you must be joking?” Rarity said. “Didn’t we show them how weak they are last time?”

“I’m just the messenger. I sent a letter to the princess requesting instructions, and I’m waiting on the reply.” Twilight explained.

“Nothing we can about them for now but that.” Applejack intervened. “Forgive me for not taking instructions from Trevor, but I think that we should still stay focused on the human for the moment.”

Fluttershy nodded, but Pinky Pie said: “I don’t know, Applejack. I wouldn’t want to remain unprepared if those three are coming. Maybe you should tell the mayor. She could prepare the soldiers.”

The ponies looked at each other uncertainly. Was it really okay to go so far just because of a dream?

“I think I’ll wait for the princess’s reply. She’ll know what to do.” Twilight decided.

The others approved of her decision, and from there the conversation carried on to how to best learn about Maverick.

“Yeah, his name’s Maverick.” Twilight specified. “Rainbow told me. Pinky, have you told your invited guests about the fact that he will be there?”

“Yeah. I told them to be nice and welcoming to him, but I didn’t tell them how he can kill us if he wants to. I thought it better to exclude that since I invited all three of the Cutiemark Crusaders and I don’t want them dropping the bomb accidentally.” Pinky said.

The Cutiemark Crusaders are three young fillies who still haven’t discovered their cutie marks. Sweetie Bell is Rarity’s sister and Apple Bloom is Applejack’s sister. Scootaloo isn’t associated with any of the main 6 ponies, but she admires Rainbow a lot.

A cutie mark is a symbol that appears on everypony’s flank eventually. It represents what that pony is best at. It is considered the greatest rite of passage amongst the ponies of Equestria.

“Scootaloo will be a problem if she pesters Rainbow during Maverick’s stay.” Applejack said.

“Not necessarily. Maverick likes Rainbow, but that doesn’t mean he dislikes other ponies. In fact, he might like Scootaloo too since she admires Rainbow so much.” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Anyway, about the party. We need to make sure the guest all treat Maverick with kindness. I was thinking, throughout out the party, one of us five should always have an eye on him. If things start to go sour, step in as needed, but don’t make it obvious. Remember, we can’t let everypony think he’s getting special treatment, or we’ll have to tell them about how central he is to our survival, and that could start an uproar.” Twilight suggested. Her idea was met with approval once again.

They thought up subtle ways for their plan, and decided on signals to tell each other if he was unwatched. “Also, we need to get him away from Rainbow if he tries to stay near her so I can talk to her at some point and warn her about her emotions.” Twilight said.

Time seemed to fly by as they prepared themselves for what was sure to be the most important night in their life so far.

*Knock* *Knock*

“Looks like the first guest are arriving.” Fluttershy stated.

“As the humans would say; it’s show time.”

*****

Rainbow couldn’t believe it. She had told herself this was not supposed to happen. She had told herself that she would let him make the first move. She had told herself a lot of things, but that was no excuse for how suddenly she had come onto him. She basically threw herself into him and kissed him! If he had been the type who was against that, it would have been over right there and then. ‘I can’t go quickly in this, not if I want to be careful. He seems cautious, reserved. I need to make sure he’s stable before I try to do anything.’ She chastised herself the next morning as she woke. Slow and steady is what she needed. ‘At least Twilight should be able to give me some good tips on how to tell when he’s ready for the next step. She’s read enough to know these things.’ Rainbow pulled Maverick a little closer to herself, careful not to wake him.

‘But could you really have gone on if you had just bided your time?’ The voice surfaced in her mind. ‘If he was against that type of relationship, then no matter how long you would have waited, he wouldn’t have come around. Now that that’s out of the way, you can go at whatever pace you want.’

‘That is true, I suppose…’ Rainbow realised, belatedly, that she was having a conversation with herself. 'What is wrong with me?’

Abandoning her self-induced verbal warfare, Rainbow stared down at the face of her new mate. ‘Boyfriend!’ She corrected herself. ‘We are not mates, not yet.’ His face was beautiful to her. He had some thin hair on the bottom half, stubble she believed it was called, and a few red dots that she couldn’t place, but no matter what they meant, to her, he was precious. She thought back to his eyes; green, but with brown in them, and some grey. They were so beautiful. His hair was brown, dull, but it didn’t matter, she still loved it. She looked further down, to his body. He was still fully clothed, but just by looking at his arms, she could tell he was no athlete. He was weak, no way to get around that, but he clearly made up for his disadvantage with that brain of his. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, the way he fought was impressive. Deceit and thinking outside the box, gifts that can’t be acquired by repeatedly pumping a bar into the air.

‘And he’s mine.’ She thought lovingly. ‘And I’ll treasure him forever.’ She tried to determine the time and came up with 7. ‘Still a little early to wake him.’ She thought. The 6 normally had to habituate the humans to a new schedule once they got here, since most didn’t wake up till ten or eleven. ‘A few more minutes of admiration can’t hurt.’ She thought.

However, just as she finished that thought, Maverick started to toss and turn a little. Rainbow’s good mood vanished to be replaced with concern. She tried to hold him down, but that only made him buck harder. She was about to wake him when his eyes shot open, fear induced visions still colouring his appearance.

“GAH!” He shouted as he saw her. He pushed her away, but because of their positions, he just ended up pushing himself off the bed. “Ow!” Even though the floor was made of clouds, it still hurt.

“Maverick, are you okay?” Rainbow asked, jumping up out of bed but not approaching him yet. He had just pushed her away, and she was scared he might not want to be near her.

Maverick glanced around wildly, trying to understand where he was. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened. “Oh, Rainbow, I’m sorry. I was having a bad dream.” He said.

Rainbow approached him cautiously, still unsure about her position to him. “Are you okay? When you woke, you tried to push me away, so I wasn’t sure if…” She trailed off.

Maverick smiled apologetically at her. “Sorry, I’m not used to waking up in bed with another person, and after the dream I had, I didn’t recognise you, so I pushed you away.”

Rainbow smiled back, her worried gone now that it was all cleared up. She walked over to him and helped him up, and then pulled him into a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

As they hugged, Maverick remembered the previous night. ‘My girlfriend…’ He thought. He’d always wished he could live in Ponyville because of how different it was then his world. In the show, everypony was friendly and kind and helpful. Even now that he knew that wasn’t exactly true, he was still happy that he could meet Rainbow Dash. She was the coolest pony in his eyes. She could fly, she was fearless, she was strong willed and a great competitor; all the things Maverick had always wanted to be. And he thought she was beautiful. He loved her coat, a nice faded blue; he loved her mane and her tail, rainbow coloured and flowing in the wind; and he loved her purple eyes, so big and full of mysteries to uncover. He had had a crush on her since the first few episodes, as weird as that sounds, but with no bronies around to share in his love of the show, he had quickly become a very lonely person. Now he had a new life, and a new lady to live it with, and he couldn't be happier. ‘My girlfriend.’ He thought more firmly. ‘I’ll make her proud of me.’ And yet, something was nagging at the back of his mind. His promise to keep them at friends suddenly came rushing back to him, or more precisely, the reason behind it.

‘If the ponies of Equestria find out, she’ll be shunned by everypony here. She doesn’t care about her reputation, but I don’t want to any more of a burden.’ He thought.

“Rainbow, if I asked you to do something weird for me, would you consider it?” Maverick asked.

Rainbow’s mind raced ahead of what he was thinking. Could he already want to go to the next step? Rainbow wasn’t sure if she was ready. ‘He told me to tell him if it would make me uncomfortable, but I don’t want him to think that I’m shy or embarrassed about myself. What should I answer?’ She thought. “I suppose that depends on the request.” She decided.

“I, I want you to keep our relationship a secret for now.” He asked. “I know it sounds weird, and it’s not because I’m embarrassed by you or anything, but I don’t want the other ponies to think any more poorly of you because of me. I know you don’t care about your reputation, but I do, so please, just for now, can you keep ‘us’ a secret?”

The first thing in Rainbow’s mind was relief. She wasn’t ready for step two after all, and she was relieved that Maverick hadn’t asked for that yet. The next thing was confusion. She knew that some ponies would think poorly of her, but most wouldn’t. Having a relationship with a human wasn’t frowned upon very much. Then she realised; he must think that because she let him ride and was glared at, that a relationship was the next step and that she might be shunned or even driven away.

“Haha, silly. Human-pony relationships aren’t frowned upon.” She said. “I think I need to tell you the stories of Jayce and Trevor. Here, sit back down.” She said as she got herself comfortable on the bed. Once Maverick was seated next to her, she began the tail of two most memorable humans that had visited Equestria; Trevor the tyrant and Jayce the martyr.

“Before I begin, you need to understand just how many humans we’ve had and how they’ve influenced us. I’ve told you before now that the longest any one human has ever stayed in Equestria is one month. However, there are some statistics you may find more interesting. We have had an approximate total of 350 humans visit Equestria.

“Of all of these humans, 20% have never seen Ponyville. These humans we’re frightened by the revelations I told them and have left before even picking their pony. The majority of the 20% are the more recent humans, since I’ve been getting more and more annoyed with your kind and how they won’t remain in our land.

“30% of humans leave before the night of the third day of their arrival. These are the video game addicts; those who couldn’t stand to be separated from their games.

“Now we only have 50% left; still a perfectly reasonable amount of people. However, the amount of humans that have ever remained longer than two weeks is a grand total of 4 humans. These four humans have portraits that are hung in the grand hall of Ponyville, except one…

“Trevor the tyrant. He was the 60th human to entre Ponyville. From the moment he got here, he demonstrated an incredible level of self-confidence; so much that it bordered on arrogance and narcissism. His confidence was so great that the ponies of Equestria thought he might be their savior for the first time since they had lost faith after the tenth human or so. The ponies began to worship him somewhat, doing whatever he said. His confidence grew, and by the time a week had passed, it began to tip the border between confidence and arrogance. His demands became steadily more and more powerful, but the ponies were so blinded by hope that they followed them anyway. All the humans that were currently in Ponyville were returned to the human world, and Kyle stopped sending in more. No human was safe from Trevor, and nopony was unable to follow his demands. The first pony that hesitated was imprisoned, and the first one that refused was killed. The ponies’ blind worship began to become worship based off of fear. Slowly, a few ponies would realise that he was nothing more than a dictator, but since he had all of Equestria in his pocket, they could not speak against him. Except for one pony; Twilight Sparkle. Trevor had a soft spot for Twilight; a love that went above his love for power, or so Twilight thought. She was the blindest of the ponies. She became his number one servant, always favored above the others. She stood next to him as he made decrees and followed him everywhere; an obedient little pet. After two weeks, the ponies tried to appease Trevor’s growing lust for power by painting his portrait and hanging in the grand hall of Ponyville. It was on this day that Trevor lost his control over his power. The story, until yesterday, ended here. It was thought that he would take Twilight as his mate and free Equestria from the tyrannical control of the humans, but the very next day, he was gone, leaving a broken and infuriated Twilight behind. The true story, Twilight just revealed to me yesterday. What happened was that he tried to force Twilight into submission, tried to make her his sex slave. At that moment, the haze that had covered Twilights eyes lifted, and she saw Trevor for what he truly was; a madman, a control freak, a HUMAN! She refused to be affiliated with him any longer, and when Trevor tried to rape her, she beat him to the point of death. Only when his life was almost gone and he had begged to be spared did she force him back to the human world, fire blazing in her eyes. That day, the ponies of Equestria all opened their eyes to the truth behind humans; they were nothing more than vile demons intent on controlling them for their own desires. However, to free themselves, they needed to convince one of these humans to live in Equestria, so Kyle restarted to send humans to Equestria. However, the ponies had lost all trust in humans, and the next few left within the first day. This is where our first story ends and the second begins.

“Jayce the martyr. If Trevor was the darkness within humans, Jayce was the light. As the 73rd human to enter Equestria, Jayce came in when all hope was lost for liberation. The ponies simply didn’t want to trust humans anymore. He chose Pinky Pie as his human, for she was the only pony who was still trying to save our race. Slowly but surely, he gained the trust of the 6, and after us, the ponies of Ponyville. By a week, the ponies of Equestria remembered what hope felt like; this human was nothing like Trevor. He showed them that Trevor was merely a bad egg and that some rare few humans were trustable. He became the new human that the ponies loved, but none worshiped him. However, Jayce only had eyes for one pony. He and Pinky Pie became very close. Their love became known to the whole kingdom. Some ponies feared at this point, but they came around after seeing how happy Pinky Pie was. Jayce was the second human to ever reach the two week mark. The ponies had destroyed everything that had belonged to Trevor, including his portrait, but they decided to try once more, and they put Jayce’s portrait where Trevor’s had been; Jayce was their new savior. The other two humans that lasted two weeks were number 75 and 78. They both stayed because of Jayce, but eventually they left as well. However, their portraits were added next to Jayce’s as testimonies to Jayce’s success, as well as proof that there were other good humans out there. As Jayce began to enter the third week of his stay, the ponies’ confidence rose to new heights. They believed in Jayce, and they were ready to celebrate. However, on the 24th day of Jayce’s stay, he made an announcement to the ponies all over Equestria. He said that he would not be their savior, that he was very sorry, but that his lifespan had just decreased and that his death was imminent. The ponies begged him to tell them the reason, but he refused, instead writing it down and giving it to Twilight so she could announce it after his death. The best medical ponies of all of Equestria flocked to his side, but they were powerless. Throughout the whole ordeal, Pinky Pie never cried once, only begged Jayce to tell her she could help him. He told her it was impossible. On Jayce’s final day, the last day that would have meant one whole month had passed, Jayce called Pinky Pie to his side. The pair were left alone as Jayce shared his finals words with Pinky Pie. He told her about how much he had loved her, about how he wished he could live with her forever, and about how she mustn’t dwell on him, how she had to smile for him, to forget him and move on. Pinky Pie didn’t cry, even when he finally revealed the reason of his death; a human disease, not contagious, but the most lethal in the human world. Cancer. Only when Jayce was finally gone did Pinky Pie let the smile drop off her face. For two days she cried almost non-stop, and for a week after, she bordered so close to suicide that the ponies lost all hope at survival. Then, as if by magic, Pinky Pie was back to her normal, peppy self. It was as if Jayce had never existed, almost. It is said that if you watch Pinky Pie for long enough, you will see that she will suddenly stop smiling, and during those few seconds, she continues her eternal mourning for Jayce. Jayce fought as hard as he could for Equestria, and in the end, he died for the cause of restoring the faith of the ponies of Equestria in humanity. This is the story of Jayce the martyr.” Rainbow finally finished her tale.

“All that to say, human-pony relationships aren’t frowned upon by the ponies of Equestria, even though they always seem to end in tragedy.” She told Maverick.

Maverick was flabbergasted, to say the least. “Wow, those are such depressing tales; it a wonder Equestria hasn’t sunk into despair and chaos by now.” He said.

“Maybe, but that hardly matters. I just want you to understand that even if we reveal our relationship to the ponies, they won’t shun me because of it.” She said.

Maverick sat there thinking for a while before he spoke. “I know this will sound weird, but for some reason, I still want to keep it a secret for now. Of course, if you disagree, you can tell it to anypony you want; I don’t want you think that just because I don’t want it revealed, that it means that you have no say in the matter…” Maverick was starting to blabber, and was only stopped as Rainbow leaned in and kissed him.

“Sweety, if you don’t want our secret revealed, then my lips are sealed.” Rainbow promised. It annoyed her a little now that she would have to keep their love in the closet, but she could live with that if it made Maverick happy. “What about the main 6? Should we tell them?” She asked.

“They’re the once I want to hide it from the most. I can’t understand why, but…” He trailed off.

“It’s fine. So I take it this means no public displays of affection?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

She laughed a little and curled up around him. “Then I guess we’ll have to make up for lost time while we’re alone.” She teased, leaning in towards him. Maverick leaned in towards her, but before either could start the kiss, two loud grumbles went out from their stomachs.

They jerked away from each other, embarrassed. “Guess this will have to wait.” Maverick said.

Rainbow pouted. “I don’t want to wait.” She whined.

Maverick laughed, and after a second, Rainbow joined in. They got up from the bed and went to the living room so they could get the leftover apple salad. As they entered it, Maverick realised that he didn’t know where Rainbow had put the salad. In fact, he didn’t know where Rainbow had gotten the apples or the cream in the first place and, now that he was thinking, he couldn’t figure out how she had used the knife to cut the apples, or used her toothbrush. ‘I must really not have been paying attention at all yesterday.’ He thought. As Rainbow entered the kitchen-ish area, Maverick watched with rapt attention as she bent over and opened a cupboard in the cloud-wall. She pulled out the bowl with her mouth and placed it on the table. ‘Well, that’s one mystery down.’

“Hey, Rainbow, how did you use the knife to cut the apples, and how did you brush your teeth? Without hands, it seems like an impossible task.” He said.

“Oh, that. Hah, it’s a problem that used to be amazingly annoying for Pegasi and earth ponies, until the unicorns helped us out.” She opened another drawer and out flew a knife, being controlled by unicorn magic.

“Wha, how can you do that?” Maverick asked.

“The unicorns enchant common household items for the Pegasi and earth ponies so that we can use them even though we can’t use that type of magic. It would be better if they could just let us use magic too, but that’s impossible.” Rainbow said, returning the knife to its holder. “Here, have some food; you sounded like you need it.” She giggled as she passed him a bowl.

“You sounded pretty hungry too.” He retorted as they began to eat.

When both bowls were empty, the two leaned back on the sofa, full and content at being so.

“If only there was a door there.” Maverick said. “We wouldn’t have to move before we pick back up what we started.” He smiled as he turned to Rainbow.

She was already smiling as he beheld her. “You know, odds are nopony is just going to come wandering by while we’re enjoying each other’s company.” She tempted.

Maverick smiled and put his arm around her shoulders, playing with her hair. Rainbow pouted a little. “That’s not fair; I can’t do that to you.”

His smile widened. “So?” He leaned in, intent on getting his, when a sudden movement near the door made him pull his arm back. Rainbow hissed a little as he pulled out a few hairs.

“Sorry.” He said, watching the letter that had just fluttered in through the window. “What is that?”

“A letter, and from Twilight by the looks of it.” Rainbow said, getting up. She picked it up in her teeth and whipped her head to the side, tearing the paper.

“Whoa, why did you rip it?” Maverick said.

“To open it? Letters in Equestria are different then those in your world; we make ours special so that anypony can open them easily, not just unicorns.” She dropped it on the ground and started reading. “Oh, isn’t that interesting.”

“What, what is?” Maverick asked.

“We’ve been invited to a get together. Pinky is throwing a party, and the both of us are invited. Funny, I don’t remember telling her about you.” Rainbow stipulated. “I’ll bet you anything it’s just a ploy so that the other 5 can meet you.”

“Well, we can’t really ignore it… I’ll have to meet them eventually.” Maverick said. “When does the party start at?”

“They say 4, but I know that’s not right. Pinky always starts her regular parties at 3. Something is definitely fishy about this.” She responded. “But we can’t just blow them off. When we go later, I want you to stick close to me for the first few minutes; there’s no telling what Pinky Pie has planned.” She turned her head and smiled mischievously. “Until then…”

*****

“Are all the ponies here?” Twilight asked Pinky Pie.

“All but the Mayor, although I didn’t expect her to come anyway; not after the last party. You would think that she would have forgiven me by now.” Pinky Pie sulked.

“You set her tail on fire, almost drowned her and let her fall off the side of your house thinking it was a 30 foot deep gorge.” Twilight pointed out.

“It was nightmare night! Of course things got a little hectic.” Pinky Pie answered. “Oh fine, I won’t invite her anymore if she doesn’t want to come. What time is it? I’ve already had some Perka, so I can’t figure it out.” Perka is the name of the brand for the most common pony alcohol. It muddles the ponies natural abilities, just like it does to humans, and makes their heads buzz if they’ve had too much.

“I thought this was just a get together, why do you have Perka?” Twilight asked. “And it’s almost 4, Rainbow will be arriving soon.”

“Don’t worry; there’s so little, even if one pony drank it all, the worst they would get was a headache.” Pinky Pie answered.

That reassured Twilight; she knew Pinky Pie was responsible. With the 24 ponies that we’re currently present, if the Perka was distributed fairly evenly, they would barely notice its presence. “Just keep it away from Spike; he can’t handle it nearly as well as we can.”

“Will do.” Pinky Pie walked off, her place almost immediately filled by Applejack. “Remind me not to accept any drinks from her, Twilight. I want my wits about me when I face this human.” Her face was grave, like Twilight’s had now become.

“We’ll be fine. Remember, you don’t know how Rainbow feels about him. The fewer ponies she thinks know about her feelings, the better. Also, although I want to talk to the human and Rainbow alone, separately, I don’t want it to be obvious. If they aren’t separating, I’ll pull Rainbow away for a minute. During the opening, make sure you get that human to Fluttershy; the two of you should be able to learn the most about him.” Twilight reminded her friend.

“Don’t worry, we’re ready.” Applejack now stood and left, Rarity taking her place.

“Twilight, help me cleanse this vile substance from my body. Pinky Pie gave me some Perka without me checking my glass, and I don’t want to be intoxicated when the human gets here.” She asked.

In the moments that followed, both ponies’ horns glowed. “Thank you dear. So, if he comes over to our section of the party first, do we assume he’s high class and role from there?” She asked.

“No, but do assume that he might think a little better of himself then the… actually, based on what we’ve seen in the past, just assume he’s like the other humans we’ve had. They are quite a… self-centered race.” Twilight said.

“Well, at least they’re quite a diverse group.” She said as she glided off.

In another section of the party, Fluttershy was sitting down with Applejack. “Is it really okay to let Pinky be the only one in the liveliest section of the party?” The divisions went as such: Twilight and Rarity we’re in the high class section, Fluttershy and Applejack were in the nature section and Pinky was alone in the super party section.

“Don’t worry; these sections are just for show anyway. You see the ponies moving from one to the next without a second thought? If Pinky gets herself in trouble, we’ll just rush over and bail her out.” Applejack stated with confidence. “I’m just glad we decided not to include any meat in the dishes; that stuff makes me sick.”

Fluttershy shuddered. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot how sensitive you are about that.”

“I just don’t get why I’M the one pony who can actually eat meat. Why does it have to be the one who loves animals?” Fluttershy said.

“Well, I think it says something that you don’t ever actually eat it.” Applejack tried to cheer her friend up. It worked, a little.

Once again the scene shifted, and we see Spike next to Twilight. “Spike, have you not gotten a response from the princess yet?” Twilight asked. The lack of speed on the princess’s side was making Twilight nervous.

“Sorry Twilight. Maybe she’s busy. Now’s not the time to be focusing on that though. You need to keep your eyes open; Rainbow will be here any second now.”

At that moment, the front door opened.

*****

Maverick and Rainbow were on their bed together, panting.

“It’s almost four; we really should be getting ready.” Rainbow said between gasps.

“Wow, time flies when you’re having fun.” He said.

The pair had been talking for hours now, interspaced with a few kisses. Maverick had told Rainbow all about his upbringing and how much he always stood out from those around him.

“You really are unique, you know that right?” She told him.

“Like I don’t get that enough already.” The pair rose in unison and headed out to the bathroom. Maverick stayed long enough to make sure that he looked decent, and Rainbow summoned up a hairbrush and re-aligned her hair.

“Well, I’m ready.” They said together, and then burst out laughing.

“Remember, not a word to Twilight about our relationship.” Rainbow reminded Maverick, giving him a quick lick on the cheek.

They took off from her house and were in Ponyville in less than 10 minutes.

“It doesn’t look like it does in the show.” Maverick commented as it came into view. “It seemed so much… smaller.”

“They edit out most of the town when their done filming. This part in front of you is called the set-zone of Ponyville. The rest of the city is where the ponies that aren’t in the show live. I’ll tell you more about it after the party.” Rainbow landed in front of the Cakes’ shop. “Remember, stick to my side for the first few minutes.” She said as she pushed the door open.

Author's note:
Okay, I’m trying to get the MLP dialogue and accents right, so if anyone is familiar with how they sound and is willing to tell me if I have the right idea, that would be brilliant.
Also, want a song that describes this story super well? Glad you came by the Wanted is the story from Rainbow’s eyes, more or less.

Rainbow and Maverick walked into the Cakes’ store. Rainbow had been expecting a lot of things: Ponies to jump out at them and carry them around; ponies to be playing pony games and eating food and such. But in the end, it was… calm, and Rainbow was sure she must be dreaming. There was a pleasant atmosphere as the 20 or so ponies talked and joked and ate cake, but nopony was bouncing off the walls, no pony was breakdancing in the middle of the room. ‘Something must be wrong.’ Was the first thought that entered Rainbow’s mind. Pinky Pie hated it when her parties were calm.

“Rainbow!” Twilight hopped over. “Glad you could make it. And this must be Maverick.” She said as she beheld him. “Come in. I know what you’re thinking; too calm for a Pinky Pie party. That’s what we thought too, but get this; She doesn’t want it to be over the top. Apparently this really is just a get together where ponies that haven’t seen each other in a while can catch up.” She smiled at Rainbow. “We couldn’t believe it ether, and neither could any of the other ponies that came.”

Rainbow sized Twilight up, trying to determine if she was lying or not. In the end she gave her the benefit of the doubt. “Well, if that’s the case, then I suppose this should go well; Maverick just finished telling me how he’s not one for loud, boisterous parties anyway. Isn’t that right Maverick?” Rainbow said as she dragged Maverick into the conversation.

“Yeah, I’m not a very social person.” He said as he looked away. Maverick wasn’t a very open person normally, and after what happened at his last party, it was understandable that might feel a little uncomfortable. In many ways he resembled Fluttershy much more than Rainbow.

“Well, don’t just stand there, come in.” Twilight said as she guided the pair inside. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Maverick. It’s been a while since we’ve had a human in Equestria. Do you know who I am?” Twilight asked.

“You’re Twilight Sparkle, if I’m not mistaken. The student of princess Celestia?” He asked. Of course he knew this, but Maverick decided to play it cagey.

“Twilight, why would you ask something like that?” Rainbow asked. “The humans Kyle sends through always know about us.” Rainbow was putting Twilight on the spot to see if she was hiding anything.

“Yeah, but Kyle told us that one of his drugs got stolen. This might be the human who got sent through because of it.” Twilight said.

“Well, I am.” Maverick said. “But I was a closet Brony back home, so I know a lot about the show.”

“Hey, is that the new human?” Pinky Pie bounced over. “Hey there, I’m Pinky Pie, but you already know that. Hungry? We have anything you could possibly want along the lines of pastries. And we have tons of juice and water and stuff.” She took a random glass from a table, filled it with punch from another, and tried to hand it to him, but Twilight stopped her.

“And how much Perka is in that glass?” Twilight accused.

Pinky Pie just smiled sheepishly. “Alright, alright. I’ll be back later.” With that she bounced back over to another group of ponies and instantly joined their conversation.

“What’s Perka?” Maverick asked as Twilight set the glass back down.

“Pony alcohol.” Rainbow said. “Which means you can’t have any since you’re still underage.”

“Sure sure. So Twilight, you’re like, the librarian for the city, right?” Maverick asked.

“Yes, that’s about right, why?” Twilight answered.

“Because I like to read, so I might stop by every once in a while.” He said as he gave his head a slight tilt and smiled.

“Uh, now that I think about it, how’s he been getting around, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, genuinely curious.

“I’ve been carrying him, obviously.” Rainbow answered. Twilight’s look of mute horror was well worth it. “Don’t make that face; Maverick has permission from Lord Icewing to ride ponies.” At that, Twilight’s face grew even more amazed. “What?” Rainbow asked.

“HE MET LORD ICEWING?” Twilight managed to make her whisper the loudest anypony had ever heard. “And he’s not dead? What happened that day with the lightning wings?”

Rainbow gave a bark of laughter. “It should be fine, Maverick, if you go and socialise a little. I’ll tell Twilight the story while you’re gone.”

Suddenly, Twilight’s eyes narrowed without the other two’s noticing and she nodded to Rarity, who was watching with rapt attention. Rarity nodded back. It was the signal to mean they were separating. Now Twilight just had to trust that Rarity would keep her eyes on him and track his movements, learning about him.

Rarity watched as Maverick glanced around tentatively. He slowly made his way in her direction, stopping briefly at a buffet table to snatch up a drink. She considered plucking him out of the crowd so she could talk with him, but decided against it so she could see what he chose to do. He kept glancing around and behind as if he was scared somepony was watching him. Then a pony blocked her field of vision for a moment, and when he passed, Maverick was gone.

Rarity glanced around franticly for a second, and was just about to get up when…

“You’re Rarity, right?”

She whipped her head around to see him right behind her. “I saw you watching me, so I decided to surprise you.” He said with a huge smile.

“Well you’ve certainly managed that dear.” She replied. So he chose to come speak to her in the refined part of the party. Did that mean he was high class?

“I must admit, this part of the party seems more… calm then the one over there.” He pointed to the livelier party section. “And I don’t care for insects.” He said, indicating the natural section. “Although the kitties are cute.”

So he chose this section because the other two displeased him more. ‘Odd.’ Rarity thought, making a mental note of it. “So you know who I am. Does that mean you aren’t the human who received the stolen drug?” She asked.

“No, it was me. It’s simply pure luck that I’m a closet brony, so I know the show.” Maverick said, taking a seat. “You know, humans seem to have made quite a few mistakes with your character.” Maverick said.

“How so?” Rarity asked, interested despite herself with this human.

“Well, in the show, you’re the spirit of Generosity, and yet, in more than one episode, you make selfish choices, such as when you had to make Twilight’s dress for her birthday and you chose to stay in Canterlot instead. No other examples pop to mind, but I know there are other mistakes.” Maverick said.

“Hm, I do believe you may be right there darling. But you must understand something; the 6 spirits that are in the show actually exist, but we cannot simply call on them. They must come to us and permit us to use them. We’ve never seen the real elements of harmony, but we know of their existence.” Rarity said.

“Really? That’s pretty awesome.” Maverick said.

Rarity was surprised to find that this human was actually pretty nice. She felt surprised when her usual hate towards his race didn’t surface. ‘I think I can understand why Rainbow fell for him.’ She thought. “I didn’t catch your name, dear.” She said, trying to remember that only Twilight, Pinky Pie and Rainbow knew Maverick’s name.

“It’s Maverick.” He said as he stood. “It was nice talking to you.”

“Likewise, Maverick.” The name sounded weird to her as she pronounced it.

Maverick left Rarity’s table and slowly made his way back over to the buffet table to refill his now empty drink. He was intercepted halfway.

“Hey Maverick. Are you having a good time? I can see that you’re not busy right now. Want to play a game of darts?” Pinky Pie shot off question after question.

“Um, hey. Yes. You’re right and sure.” Maverick said, answering each question in turn.

“Great!” She said, either understanding what he had done or just taking the last part of his answer. She led him over to a part of the party that was particularly rowdy as about 6 ponies shot darts at the dartboards. Maverick noted with some surprise that each pony held some sort of blowgun in their mouths and shot the darts from there. The adaptations in Equestria were quite interesting.

After a brief moment passed, a dart board freed itself up, and Pinky Pie asked, quite reasonably, if anypony had been waiting. When she got negative responses, she invited Maverick over.

“It’s funny; you’re the first human to ever play darts with me.” Pinky Pie said. “I’m not quite sure why. I haven’t asked many of course, but-” She was surprised as a dart whished part her head and hit a perfect bull’s eye.

“So, that’s 50 for me, right?” Maverick said with a grin. Pinky Pie’s mouth fell open, and for the first in a long time, she was speechless. The ponies around them all turned when they heard her sudden stop.

“Oh, it is SO on!” She said, flipping a dart gun into her mouth and shooting her own perfect bull’s eye on the board right next to Maverick’s.

They took turns after that aiming for the 60 point zone with three shots, just like in regular darts. In the end, they both hit 1000 right on the same turn. “Draw?” Maverick offered.

“Sounds like a deal.” Pinky hopped up and gave him a shove in the shoulder. “Why are you so good?”

“Practice.” Maverick simply stated, smiling. “You’re pretty good yourself.”

“I have to be good at party games. What type of host can’t play her own games?” Pinky asked. A little way’s off in the party, a pony called for Pinky. “I’ll see you later.” She said, bounding off.

“She’s quite something ain’t she?” Applejack appeared at Maverick’s should. “I ain’t never seen such a good game of darts in my life. You’re quite something.”

“I do my best.” Maverick said. “So, you’re the strongest pony in Ponyville, correct?” Maverick asked.

“Right-o. That’s me.” Applejack said. “Why, you up for a hoofwrestle?”

“Not a chance in the world. I can’t even beat my best friend’s brother who’s four years younger than I am.” He said. “I doubt I could beat you if I had both hands and you weren’t even trying.” Maverick said.

“Well, that’s either quite the compliment to me or quite the insult to yourself.” She said.

“Let’s go with half and half.” He said, laughing a little. Suddenly, Maverick’s ears picked up on something. “That song sounds disturbingly familiar.” He said.

“Could be. Kyle sometimes sends songs in with the humans he sends.” Applejack said. “I must admit, I actually like this one. I think I’ll go over to it. Care to join me?” She asked.

“So long as I don’t have to dance. I hate dancing so much.” Maverick said.

“Oh, really? That’s too bad.” They moved steadily over towards the music, a song by Beyoncé, which was coming out of…

“Speakers? I thought Ponyville wasn’t advanced on a technological level.” Maverick said.

“We have a few exceptions. This is one of them.” Applejack said. “Now then, why don’t you like dancing?”

“I’m not good at it. I’ve been made fun of in the past when I tried to dance, and it gave me a permanent scar on my confidence. I don’t dance because of that.” He said.

“Well, nopony’s gonna make fun of your dancin’ here, and if they do, I’ll smack um one for yeh.” Applejack promised.

Maverick smiled. “As nice as the intent is, it’s just not something I can do.” He said. “Not with anybody watching anyway.”

As the song ended, Maverick and Applejack steadily made their way back to the buffet. “I haven’t seen Fluttershy yet.” Maverick said. “I’m guessing she’s probably deeper in the nature section?” He asked Applejack.

“I reckon so. Ain’t much point in going to look for her; she don’t like stran-” Applejack cut herself off as Fluttershy slowly edged out of behind a table, frightened but trying despite herself to make a good first impression. ‘Wow, that’s almost as amazin’ as Pinky Pie askin’ for help to throw the party.’ She thought.

Maverick gave Fluttershy a small smile, which she returned. He then stooped down and picked up a kitten, holding it snugly and safely and petting it too. It began to purr. “You take good care of your animal friends.” Maverick stated. “Unless that’s another thing the humans made up.”

“Oh yes, I always make sure they’re healthy and happy. Humans actually downplay the amount of care I give them.” Fluttershy said, somehow not stuttering at all.

“Well, I can’t deny that I love animals too. I’ll have to drop by sometime and learn a few tricks.” Maverick smiled again, a little stronger this time, but Fluttershy wasn’t intimidated; she could feel that this human was trustworthy.

“Oh yes, my door’s always open for a friend, especially one who likes animals.” Fluttershy smiled again. Then she noticed a dish on the table that hadn’t been there before. “I think that one’s meant for you.” She said, pointing.

Maverick turned about and saw a hotdog on the buffet table. At first he didn’t get it, but after his brain kicked itself into gear, he realised that ponies didn’t eat meat.

“That’s funny; I don’t remember Pinky making any meat.” Applejack questioned.

“Actually, I made it.” Twilight said as she appeared out of the blue. “I was reading a cookbook at some point earlier today and decided to try out one of the more popular human dishes.” She glanced over at Maverick. “Will you try it?”

“Sure, thanks Twilight; hotdogs are one of my favorites.” Maverick thought he saw a look of pleasure pass over Twilight’s face. Maybe she was happy that she guessed at the right dish.

Maverick picked up the plate with the hotdog. “Um, do you have ketchup in Equestria? I always put ketchup on my hotdogs.” Maverick asked.

“We do, but I’m not sure if Pinky-” A pink blur flew by, and suddenly Twilight had a bottle of ketchup in her hoof. “Here you go.” She said, handing it to him.

“Is she always like that?” Maverick asked as he poured out some ketchup.

“Pretty much. Rainbow tends to exaggerate when she explains how much the show is off by. They actually do a pretty good job of capturing our general personality.” Twilight said. Both Applejack and Fluttershy were gone, leaving the other two alone together.

Maverick bit into his hotdog. He could tell instantly that it was moderately overcooked, but he ate it anyway. It wasn’t that bad, just a little burnt.

“How is it? Be brutal; we need to learn how to cook these things eventually.” Twilight said.

“It’s a bit overcooked, but asides that perfectly fine.” Maverick said. “But why haven’t you learned how to cook meat by now? Surely, with over 100 humans to your name, you would have learnt how to by now?” Maverick asked.

Twilight shook her head. “They mostly insist on following our diet. I’ve been wanting to try out cooking meat for so long now, so I made this before you could try and adapt to our way of life.” That wasn’t true at all. In fact, it was normally the ponies that insisted humans give up meat, but Twilight had decided that it was best for Maverick’s happiness if they bent that rule a little.

“Well, considering it’s your first ever try, I don’t think I could have hoped for anything better.” He said, intending it as a compliment.

Twilight decided that he had aimed at a compliment and not tried to insult her. “Thanks. So, have you met everypony?” She asked.

Maverick shook his head. “I’ve only met the main 6 at this point, and a few assorted others, but none of them are at the party.”

“That’s what I meant.” Twilight saw her friends beckoning her over to a table. “Shall we go take a seat?” She asked, indicating the offenders.

“That would be nice.”

*****

Rainbow had just finished the tale of how Maverick had fought Scorched.

“And you let him?” Twilight asked, exasperated.

“I told you before, if I had intervened, it would have made Icewing mad.” Rainbow replied. “As soon as he went over the edge, I was trying to free myself. Twilight, if I could have prevented it, don’t you think I would have? There’s no way I want my first human to be my first failure.” Rainbow said.

“Have you told him yet? About your feelings, that is.” Twilight asked.

“No, he doesn’t know yet, and I intend to keep it that way until I discover if he’s okay with a human-pony relationship.” Rainbow lied. She was frustrated now that she couldn’t ask Twilight for advice on relationships.

“Well, I have something for you.” Twilight said, summoning the three books she had wrapped up earlier. “When the party’s over, take these home with you and read them. They belong to the library, so I can’t give them to you; consider it an indefinite loan.” Twilight said.

“What are they?” Rainbow took control of the enchanted books, staking them up by the door so she wouldn’t forget them.

“One’s a book on human nature and how to play with them. One is a book on human emotions, how to recognize them and how to recognise that they mean. That one should help you with your relationship issues. The last one is a human cookbook, in case you want to try making him food from his home world.” Twilight said.

“Thanks Twilight.” Rainbow said.

“It’s nothing. I made him a hotdog and I want him to try it out, so I’ll be going now.” Twilight said as she trotted away.

“Rainbow.” Rarity was beckoning from a table. Rainbow sat down next to her. “So, how does it feel dear?” She asked.

“What?” Rainbow asked.

“To be in charge of a human of course.” Rarity explained.

“Well…” Rainbow thought about the fight. “They’re certainly a handful. But it’s worth it.” She said.

“Good luck with him dear. You’ll soon find out that they’re more trouble than they’re worth.” Rarity said.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Humans can be pretty fun if you get lucky!” Pinky Pie had sat down on Rarity’s other side. “He’s good at darts, at least.” She added.

“I must admit, this human hasn’t jumped out to me as repulsive like the rest of his race.” Rarity said. “I think I may be able to tolerate him, maybe even befriend him.”

“He hasn’t done nothin’ wrong in my eyes, and he even managed to coax a few words outta Fluttershy.” Applejack added as she and Fluttershy sat down too. “I reckon he may stand a chance at making the two week mark. After he does that, we’ll see how long he might last.”

“He’s nice.” Fluttershy said. “And good with animals.”

“I think he might just be the one to make it.” Rainbow said. “But then again, we said that about Jayce too…” The 5 that were present shared a brief moment of grief for their lost friend.

“Oh, there he is. Why don’t we get him over here?” Rainbow said as she saw Twilight and Maverick through the crowd. She waved them over before the others could say anything.

“Hey girls.” Twilight said as she sat down, leaving only two spots open for Maverick. He could either sit between Pinky Pie and Fluttershy or between Rainbow and Twilight. Obviously, he chose to sit next to Rainbow. The others made mental notes of the decision. They had been keeping good track of him all afternoon.

“Have you tried any of the pastries?” Pinky asked. “They were made by me and Applejack.”

Maverick nodded. “I wasn’t that hungry, but I did try a few of the small cupcakes, and a slice of apple pie.” More mental notes.

“Well? Were they good?” She asked.

“Yeah, very. I love apples, and cakes.” He said.

Twilight, fearing that Maverick and Rainbow might begin to cotton on to their plan if they questioned Maverick too deeply about the taste of the sweets, changed the subject. “So, had any good sex lately?” She asked.

Maverick, who had been sipping at his drink, spat it out all over the table. Rarity and Rainbow, who had just taken a bite of cake and pie respectively, almost choked. Fluttershy whimpered and Applejack just gave Twilight a “Really?” look. Pinky Pie was, as always, oblivious.

“What?” She asked.

“You don’t ask that type of question when you first meet a person, and definitely not at the table and with others around!” Applejack said.

Rainbow was coughing terribly, as was Maverick. Rarity had managed to clear her through and was now trying to catch her breath.

“It was supposed to be a joke.” Twilight said, shying back a little at her failed attempt.

“That’s also not the type of thing you joke about when you meet someone new. And it tends to be a joke that’s used only when same-sex ponies are around, dear.” Rarity explained as Applejack slapped her hoof against her head. Pinky, still oblivious to Twilight’s social faux pas, went over and tapped Maverick’s back lightly as he finally managed to catch his breath. Rainbow was still wheezing, but she managed to shoot a stink eye at Twilight from beneath her bangs.

“Sorry.” She said, her ears down and he head a little bowed. Her cheeks were blowing cherry red.

As Maverick finally regained his breath, he managed a few weak chuckles. “Oh, that was precious. It’s this sort of thing that really got me attached to the show. The quirks of each pony.” He said, still chuckling weakly.

“You liked my joke?” Twilight asked.

“Not so much the joke as the reactions it brought out. Oh, that was funny. I wish I hadn’t been drinking at the time, but the pain was so worth it.” He said. “That’s the type of joke my father would have made. Or at least, those are the reactions his jokes get.”

A silent sigh of relief went up from the 6 ponies, and Twilight gave herself a reminder to read up more on jokes before she tried another one.

The day was steadily moving into night when the party finally disbanded. Everypony said goodbye and thanked Pinky for the nice opportunity to catch up. The five main ponies, asides Rainbow, gathered up at Twilight’s house to discuss their findings.

“After you separated him from Rainbow, he came to me first.” Rarity began. “I think he came over to the high end part because he disliked it the least: he said that Pinky’s part was rowdier and that he didn’t like insects.” She summarised. “Then he told me about how he thought that humans do a poor
job with my character in the show, pulling up the episode where I choose to stay in Canterlot instead of returning for Twilight’s birthday as proof of a selfish decision.”

“So he’s attentive to details like that, and he avoids things he dislikes over going to things he prefers.” Twilight said.

“Then I hit him up while he was going back to the drinks table.” Pinky Pie said. “I challenged him to a game of darts and we tied. He was like, a professional or something; he didn’t miss once!” She said.

“Well, the distance for humans when they play darts is a little longer.” Twilight said. “If he really does play the game often, it’s no surprise that it was easy for him.”

“Well, after he finished with Pinky, I spoke to him for a little. He told me he was weak, he picked up on the music and said he couldn’t dance because other humans used to make fun of him for his dancing and now he has a scar on his confidence, or some hooey like that. Oh, and he was surprised that we had speakers in Equestria.” Applejack recited.

“So he’s weak, he can’t dance and he doesn’t know about our technology.” Twilight was writing down what they had learned about Maverick on a piece of paper.

“He’s good with animals.” Fluttershy added.

“And good with animals.” Twilight wrote. “And then, he ate the hotdog I made him, saying it was slightly burnt. We all sat down, he chose to sit next to Rainbow, and then he talked about his taste in food, and finally, he thought my joke was like his father’s.” Twilight read through the list aloud to the other 4. “Did I get everything?”

The others nodded. “Has Rainbow told him yet?” Fluttershy asked.

“No.” This was met with sighs of relief. “I gave her a few books on humans so she would have an easier time reading him and reacting to his decisions. It does include some relationship advice, but by the time she’s sure about it, he’ll either be gone or rooted in, hopefully. So, we know what we learned about him, so the question that now comes to mind: Could he be the one?” She asked.

“I can’t see why not. He’s nice, he’s fun, he hasn’t left yet... I think he’s definitely got a chance.” Applejack said.

“He doesn’t seem like the type who abandons a friend in need. I think that if we don’t give him a reason to leave, he’ll stay because of that.” Rarity added.

Fluttershy just nodded, and Pinky Pie was looking thoughtful. The other four stared at her until she noticed. “What?” She said.

“You haven’t given your opinion. That’s not like you.” Twilight said.

“I was just thinking about how he still holds all of our lives in his hands. It’s like, he could leave whenever he wants and kill us all.”

“Yes, we already know that. That’s why we threw the party sugar cube.” Applejack said.

“Well, I was just thinking about the other side of the coin. If he stays, Rainbow will be back to normal, and she’ll eventually have a boyfriend. It’s funny because he can be so bad or so good.” Pinky attempted to explain her logic.

“So, what now?” Fluttershy asked. “Do we let Rainbow take care of him or do we get involved?”

“Let’s just do what we normally do when a new human arrives. We just live like we always do; hangin’ out, workin’, you know; life.” Applejack proposed. “It’s not like we can have a super huge impact on his decision anyway.”

“Well, I’ve heard a rumor that the Great competition of the Pegasi is starting soon.” Rarity said. “If that’s true, we won’t have to worry about him all that much; the games usually last around 5 days, and Rainbow never misses it; it’s an easy way to watch the Wonderbolts, and maybe even a chance at recruitment if she places well. Until the games are over, since they apparently start within the next week, we shouldn’t have to do anything.” She turned her gaze to Fluttershy. “You might want to consider going to watch the games this time dear; you could help keep an eye on Maverick, and the tournament is the perfect excuse for you to gather more information.” Then she turned her gaze to Twilight. “You should go too. You can say it’s part of your studies.”

“Actually, I have been meaning to study up on a few things about Pegasus flight. This works out really well.” Twilight said. “Hm, before we all leave, let me tell you the story Rainbow told me.

*****

“And she let him do it?!?” Rarity asked.

“That’s what I said.” Twilight said. “Anyway, that means that we can let him ride us if we ever need to.”

“Asides Jayce, no human has ever died in Equestria.” Applejack said. “I thought he might be the one, but if he’s gonna pull stupid stunts like that…”

“He said he’d never do it again though.” Pinky Pie interjected. “Besides, he seems like a reasonable human, and now that has some respect, ponies shouldn’t be challenging him as lightly, right?”

“Whatever. It’s not super important so long as he doesn’t do it again.” Twilight said. “So, Fluttershy and I will go watch him during the Pegasi games. After those are over, we can decide on a new course of action.” The proposal was accepted, and the 4 guest at the library returned to their own homes.

“Now all I have to do is wait for the princess’s answer.” Twilight said as she watched her friends file out the door.

“Hello Twilight.”

*****

Rainbow and Maverick flew off from the party with Rainbow’s temporary books in tow. They had both enjoyed themselves, and their secret was still safe, so all in all a good afternoon.

Rainbow decided to take a longer route back home. She hadn’t been out for a joyride in ages, and the feeling of flying just for the sake of it reminded her of times past when she had always been happy. Memories of her days as a young filly surfaced, and as she followed the track of her life, she realised that since the humans had first arrived, her life had become nothing more than sad event after sad event.

She flicked her head to send the memories away. Her life had been sad before, but now she had Maverick, a new, miniature sun to help brighten the dark times. She cast a furtive glance backwards, watching him as he gazed around in wonder. He seemed so innocent, and from what he had told her, they resembled each other quite a lot; they were both seeking love and had both recently considered suicide.

Maverick had done it because he thought finding a lover was too much work with too little reward. After all, how could he possibly fine someone who fit the bill when his desires were so numerous and yet his own contributions so few: he wanted a girl who was a furry. He wanted her to love him and he wanted to love her. He wanted someone pretty and kind. He wanted her to be exactly as he imagined her, the only problem being that whenever he imagined his perfect mate, she wasn’t human. And because he couldn’t talk to animals, it would be impossible for him to find his perfect match. He may be able to settle for a human, but she would have to be flawless, and since Maverick considered his appearance unpleasant, he knew that flawless was out of his reach.

On Rainbow’s side, she couldn’t find many ponies who were willing to love her in the first place. The hatred for her was so strong throughout Equestria that her pool of potential mates was miniscule. And amongst that pool, most of the ponies were the disgusting type that nopony would ever consider dating. She knew Scootaloo had a lot of respect for her, and quite frankly, if she was a little older, Scootaloo would probably have been her first choice. Rainbow eventually just started dreaming that a random pony would come by one day and sweep her off her hooves. She hadn’t been that far off.

“You know.” Maverick said, pulling her out of her memories. “That you still owe me an explanation, right?”

“Oh yeah, about Ponyville. It’s the same thing for every city the humans have ever filmed in; they aim for the idea that Equestria is a land that isn’t super highly populated, but if you ever visit any of the cities anywhere, you’ll notice quickly enough that this is not true. There are a few million ponies across Equestria, with the largest concentrations being in Cloudsdale and Canterlot. These are the main cities for Pegasi and unicorns. Earth ponies are spread out across the land since they tend to be farmers, and farmers need space. But back to the main question; Ponyville is much bigger than in the show simply because the humans chose Ponyville as their main filming location. Once this was known, the city’s population exploded since everypony wanted to be in the show. This was before we learned about the true nature of the human race.

“Cloudsdale and Canterlot are the same; the humans cut out most of the cities’. Since the humans are aiming at a small community idea, only a few ponies are selected to be in each episode of the show. The others live in the surrounding parts of the cities. Also, something that tends to throw most humans off is the time flow in Equestria. We have well over 2500 years of history in Equestria and an uncountable number of years before Equestria was founded. However, since the moment the show began two years ago, the flow of time had been nearly halted. Ponies only age for the first few years of their life, and then when they near the age of the Cutiemark Crusaders, their aging slows down dramatically. The point of this is to keep the main 6 at the same age, as well as the other characters in the show. This is wreaking havoc on the young fillies and colts. Now they’re stuck at the same size and maturity level forever, and as such they’ve been in school for much longer then they should be. It’s also disrupting the arrival of cutie marks. The humans decided to take the three of the Cutiemark Crusaders as tools to use for their episodes, trying to show just how important a cutie mark is for our young, and how much not getting one can upset them.” Rainbow explained.

“And this is the truth of Equestria…” Maverick said sadly. “Will the time flow return to normal when I free you?”

“We don’t know. Some think we may be stuck like this forever, but obviously we hope that it will return to normal. Many of our kind have chosen to stop having children until everything is fixed.” Cloudsdale was just around the next patch of clouds, but Rainbow was really enjoying her flight, despite the conversation, and wasn’t keen for it to end. “Hey, want to eat out tonight?” She asked.

Maverick’s mind, which had been in the gutter since the moment Rainbow talked about children, jumped to the worst possible conclusion. He turned red and tried to figure out if that had been what she meant. After a few uncomfortable moments he managed to puzzle it out. “Yeah, sure. Where were you thinking?” He asked.

Rainbow turned around before Cloudsdale came into view. “It’s a nice little bar that serves excellent fruit meals. They have other stuff too, but their fruit is to die for. And it’s usually pretty empty at this time; it fills up overnight.”

“Won’t that cost a lot? I already told you I don’t like leeching off of people.” Maverick protested.

“Don’t worry; the owner owes me a favour, and I doubt he could ever come in handy with anything else.” She said.

Maverick thought of something that made him turn red again. “So, is this like, a date?” He asked.

Rainbow’s face got a little hot as well. This did seem like a date. She loved Maverick a lot, and because of that, this could unveil their love to the other ponies at the bar. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise it would look like that.” She said.

“No it’s fine. All we have to do is hide it, right? The ponies will just see one of the main 6 trying to make her human happy.” Maverick responded. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. He’d kissed this pony already, and yet the idea of a date made him uncomfortable.

Rainbow was mentally beating herself up for not noticing the implications of her idea. She had outings with her friends all the time, but Maverick wasn’t used to that. Of course he’d see it as a date. It felt odd to her. Now that she considered it a date, she felt as if she had to act differently; as if more was expected of her. ‘Now I understand why he was against it. Normally the stallion pays for the date, not the mare, and of course he can’t do that without money.’

Rainbow flew on anyways. She took another long detour, trying to enjoy the flight, but the conversation had just set her on edge. She didn’t know how to perform on a date, and she doubted Maverick did either. “Hey, do you think it would be okay if we just saw this as an outing between friends?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, I’d prefer that.” Maverick hadn’t wanted to ask because he thought she might find it weird, but the idea of being on a date had just made him feel like he was going to be sick. Unknown to Rainbow, Maverick had been on one date a while ago. It hadn’t gone well, and it had ended horribly. Maverick wasn’t quite ready for another yet. “What’s the name of the bar?”

Rainbow giggled a little. “It was named after the man who first kissed his pony inside. “Jayce’s Bar” Not a very original name, but it’s definitely one of the most popular bars in Equestria.” She said as a city came into view. “That’s Manehatten. It’s probably the pony equivalent of Las Vegas; Bar’s, casino’s, hotels. It even has prostitutes.”

“You think you know a TV show…” Maverick began as he saw it. Maverick had never been to Las Vegas, nor had he really seen that many pictures, but this definitely seemed like the right idea. Neon signs were at every corner. Ponies were walking everywhere. As they got closer, the noise grew to a deafening level, and it was still light out. “How many…”

“About 3% of Equestria’s population lives in or near Manehatten. It can be a little difficult to orient yourself if you get lost in here, so I suggest you stay nearby. Also, be careful; ponies in Cloudsdale might be a little more open to you, but I doubt the new has spread to Manehatten. Even if it has, the ponies here are often drunk, and when they’re drunk, they do stupid things. Keep your eyes open.” Rainbow cautioned. “Oh, and don’t accept ANYTHING from anypony there. Spiked drinks are more common than unspiked ones. Only take the drinks that the waiter will bring you, and keep your eyes on it. One last thing; don’t order anything alcoholic. Humans can’t hold down our stuff as well. What would make a pony a little tipsy will make a human pass out.”

“So basically be super paranoid about everypony there and keep my drink under surveillance?” Maverick summarised. “I hope this bar it worth risking my life for.” He joked.

Rainbow landed near the outskirts of the city. As soon as she was on the ground, everypony in the vicinity was glaring at her. “It’s Cloudsdale all over again.” Maverick said.

“Don’t worry; there’s not a gang in the world that would dare mess with the lightning wings. As soon as we tell them who gave you permission to ride, they’ll back off.” Rainbow assured. “Still, best to not fly through the whole city. There’s no point in aggravating everypony.” The pair set off at a leisurely walk.

The city was even brighter, louder and more crowded at street level. Maverick was surrounded from the moments they left the residential district and entered the main plaza. Most of the ponies ignored him, but every now and again one would smile at him or one would glare at him. More than once along the way, Maverick spotted a drunken pony in the distance. Half the time they had somepony chasing after them, usually the police ponies.

“Manehatten has the largest amount of law enforcers in the world of Equestria, and even at that it still has the highest crime rate. This is the city that resembles human tendencies the most. Gambling, brawling, stealing… all these things are omnipresent in this city.” Rainbow explained as they walked on.

Maverick eventually managed to filter past the crown of ponies to see those who had more discreet trades. He saw a stallion follow a mare into a hotel, a grin on his face. He saw a pouch of pink powder exchange hooves, along with a very large sum of money. He thought he saw a group of ponies eyeballing him, but after he lost sight of them for an instant, they were gone.

Then he saw the glint of metal. A large knife was being drawn from a sheath in the back of an alley, followed by several others. When he pointed it out to Rainbow, she turned to a police pony who was right next to them and alerted him to the scene. They walked off before Maverick could see what happened.

“Like I said, dangerous city. Humans created us with themselves in mind, and unfortunately there are some habits we simply cannot shake. Crime is one of them.” Rainbow said. “We’re here.”

Maverick looked at the front of the bar. It looked just like every other shop front in the city, the only difference being the sing that was hung. They stepped inside to a bar, obviously, but Maverick had never been in just a bar before. He was used to bars in restaurants, but this was totally new to him.

It resembled a restaurant, with the table in arranged in a neat, orderly manner. It had a few card tables here and there, as well as some pool tables. Maverick saw the special customized cues so the ponies could play. But the main attraction was the HUGE counter along the left side. It was as long as the restaurant and had glistening wine glasses, bear mugs and other assorted cups. It also had hundreds of bottles, all slightly different from the one next to it. Three bartenders stood serving the few ponies that were already present.

“Rainbow.” A rather large pony bellowed as she entered. “What can I do for ya?” He then noticed Maverick. “Friend of yours?” He asked.

The pony was a dark grey with an even darken mane. A stallion by Maverick’s guess, he was an earth pony and was wearing expensive looking beads that appeared to be woven into his mane and tail.

“Maverick, this is Shademane. He’s the owner of Jayce’s Bar. Shade, this is Maverick, my first ever human.” Rainbow made the introductions.

Shademane smiled. “Any friend of Rainbow’s is a friend of mine. She got me out of a bad spot a few months back. Whatcha’ here for Rainbow? Can’t be the atmosphere, it far too early for that.”

“I’m calling in the favor you owe me. I want Maverick to taste your fruit paradise, but I’m too low on cash to buy it normally.” She said.

“Then until the morn, anything you want is on the house.” Shademane said. “Take full advantage of it Rainbow, I owe ya at least that much for what you did for me.”

“Thanks Shade, I think we will. Two fruit paradises please, as well as a bottle of Litsy.” Rainbow ordered. She then led maverick to one of the tables.

“One thing I don’t get, why are the chairs in Ponyville exactly the same as those in the human world?” Maverick asked as he sat down.

“Not all of them are. You’ve just seen a lot of places that get regular human visits, and of course this bar is named after the most loved human in Equestria, so obviously it will have human chairs.” Rainbow said. “Besides, ponies don’t need chairs. Most ponies are fine with standing or sitting on the ground. If there’s a chair and the pony doesn’t want it, they just move it.” Rainbow stood and pushed her chair away a little and then sat back down.

“Alright, I get it. What’s Litsy?” Maverick asked. As he did so, the bottle and two glasses were set on the table.

“It’s a non-alcoholic beverage that I’m sure you’ll love. It’s pretty strong, so if you don’t like it, tell me and I’ll have them bring you something else.” Rainbow pressed down on a little tab sticking out of the bottle and the cap popped off. She then poured it for both of them. Maverick watched, amazed, as she handled the bottle with her two hooves.

“How do you do that?” He asked.

“The bottles are enchanted too. It’s very hard to drop them. Most of everything you have in the human world that’s not a technological advancement, we have in Equestria, with a few modifications.” She took her glass in one hoof, even though it looked like it should slip right out, and drank a mouthful. “Twilight tried to explain it to me once, but I’ve just grown up with it like that, so I didn’t pay attention. Have some Litsy, it’s good.”

Maverick took his cup and sipped at it. The liquid inside was almost tasteless, like water, and clear as well, but as he drank it, he felt a warm tingling in his stomach. “What is that?” He asked.

“That’s Litsy. It doesn’t taste like anything; it’s the sensation that you fall in love with.” Rainbow explained, finishing her glass and pouring another. “This is the type of thing you can drink to get ready for alcohol, since ponies only really drink the stuff for the buzz anyway. The only difference is this won’t make you drunk.” She passed Maverick the bottle. “We have as much as we want tonight, but one warning; in high enough doses, this will begin to act like alcohol. If you feel your thoughts clouding over, stop drinking it.” With that, she drank her second glass.

“Won’t it ruin your appetite if you drink too much?” Maverick asked.

“Normally it won’t. It’s pretty light, and ponies have larger appetites and quicker digestive systems then humans do because of our diet. You may want to take it a little slower though.” She said.

“That’s why you gave me the bottle…” He said as he took another sip of Litsy and passed the bottle back to Rainbow.

After she finished her third glass, the food came out. Maverick almost managed to stop himself from gasping. On the plate was what appeared to be a building made entirely out of fruit, the cream Rainbow had used for her apple salad and graham crackers. It started with a road of thinly sliced strawberries bordered with a fence of blueberries and surrounded by a field of grass, like actually grass. The road led up to a moat made of raspberries that were pealed apart. Over the moat was a graham cracker bridge, and on the other side was a wall of blackberries and pomegranate seeds. Inside the wall was a castle that had 5 towers. The four minor towers were each made of their own combination of fruits: the first was apples and bananas, the second was pears and peaches, the third was a collage of berries and the fourth was pineapple and oranges. The center tower was twice as large and high as the other 4 and made up of all the other fruits combined. The whole thing could probably feed four or five people.

“There is no way I’m going to eat all of that.” Maverick said, making the waiter and Rainbow laugh.

“Don’t worry, remember that we have all night, and we can take home what’s left; it won’t go bad for a few days. I’ve never managed to finish mine in one shot either.” Rainbow said as she scooped up a few strawberries and ate them.

“You wouldn’t happen to have human cutlery here, would you?” Maverick asked the waiter, a unicorn. A spoon, fork and knife came out of the apron he was wearing and placed themselves around Maverick’s rather humongous plate. “Thank you.”

He began to peal apart the road. Maverick liked all the fruits on the plate, but he had the sinking suspicion that living on a diet consisting entirely of fruits would grow old quick. He resolved himself to ask Rainbow about other foods that he might be able to procure during his stay once the meal was over.

After half an hour, Maverick had barely managed to make a dent in his castle. A quarter of his apple/banana tower was gone, as well as most of his road, a large portion of the moat and the bridge. He looked over to Rainbow and found that she hadn’t managed to finish one tower, although all the roofs were gone, as well as the whole road, the moat and half the wall. “Breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days.” She said as he gazed at her. She picked up the third bottle of Litsy, which was now only half full, and filled another glass for herself. He could see that she was comfortably full and probably on the verge of falling asleep. He was also feeling rather drowsy, and he hoped that they would be on their way soon.

Around them, the bar had steadily gotten more active. At this point, most ponies were just starting to reach the point where the rest of night would be a blur by the next morning. A few had already passed out and were now being carried to a room in the back, the purpose of which Maverick didn’t understand.

“They sleep there, under the watch of a few employees, to make sure nopony dies overnight.” Rainbow said as she followed his gaze. “It’s a very common job, and it pays well too. Before you ask, I’ve never slept in one of those.” She said, anticipating his train of thought.

“So, what now? I can’t eat another bite, I’m moderately sure you can’t either, but you don’t look too steady. Are we going to fly back to Cloudsdale?” Maverick asked.

“I was thinking of staying the night. The bar doubles as a mini hotel where hookers and prostitutes can get a room for cheap and a sensible pony, few as they are, can stay if they’re still awake. Most everywhere you go around here will have that. Even actual hotels have cheap, one night rooms.” Rainbow explained. “I’ll just check with Shade to make sure it’s okay.”

“And he won’t take that the wrong way?” Maverick asked.

“Naw, I’ll make sure he understands. Even if he does take it that way, he’s got nothing to prove that we’re into each other.” Rainbow said as she got up. She wobbled just a little as she made her way over to the bar.

While she was gone, Maverick took a moment to size up his leftovers. They would easily last him 5 days, probably a week. ‘She should have ordered one for the pair of us.’ Maverick thought. ‘There would still be plenty left over.’ He glanced over to the billiard tables and saw a few ponies trying to hit the balls, most of the shots missing entirely. The few that connected barely ever sunk anything, but Maverick thought he saw one pony that was doing okay. He shot a quick look between its legs, since this was the easiest method to tell ponies apart, and came up with a female. She seemed to be taking long draughts from her bottle between shots, but she kept hitting straight. The ponies playing with her kept handing her coins, so Maverick assumed she was cheating by not drinking.

“Room’s ready.” Rainbow said as she appeared behind Maverick. “And Shade doesn’t think anything’s going on between us. Ready to retire?” She asked.

“What room is it? You go on ahead, I’ll be there in just a sec.” Maverick said.

“M’k, it’s room number 8. I’ll see ya soon.” Rainbow said as she moved to the back of the bar and climbed a staircase Maverick hadn’t noticed before.

Maverick picked up the bottle of Litsy on the table and finished the little bit that was left. Then he took it with him to the bar.

“Hey Shade, can you do me a favour? There’s potential money involved if it goes well.” Maverick said.

“What did you have in mind?” Shade responded, all ears.

Rainbow Dash flipped around in her bed for what felt like the thousandth time, and she’d only been in bed for 10 minutes. Since she’d left Maverick at the bar, she just couldn’t get comfortable. As she flipped again, to her back this time, she sighed.

‘What’s wrong with me?’ She thought. ‘I’ve almost never had trouble falling asleep. After all the excitement, the energy spent, the food and drinks… I should be on the verge of passing out. I wasn’t even sure if I would make it to the room, and now that I’m here, I’m wide awake.’

Rainbow put her hoof over her lower chest. She’d been in pain since the moment she’d entered the room. ‘Was it something I ate? Did I pull a muscle? Or is it just that again?’ Rainbow asked herself. She got out of the bed and turned on the lights.

The room lit up. It wasn’t anything special, probably even worse than her living room back home: All that it contained was a bed, a mini dresser, a night stand and a bathroom concealed only by a thin, almost transparent curtain, unlike her home which had a much firmer and denser cloud-curtain. The walls were a faded grey and the light was so dull it barely snuffed out the shadows. Rainbow went to the bathroom and ran the water in the sink. The sound of water calmed her; she’d used it before to help her fall asleep when she had felt the pain in her chest before. It usually came for the first few days after a new human appeared. Rainbow always attributed it sadness over not being picked, again. But she HAD been picked this time. Why would her chest be hurting this time?

‘Maybe it’s cause by the shift in space that the drug causes.’ Rainbow thought. ‘No, that’s just silly. I’ll need to talk to Twilight about it tomorrow.’

Rainbow made her way back to her bed. She lay back down, the pain as strong as ever. In fact, she could almost imagine it was slowly hurting more. Annoyed, Rainbow got up again. She still hadn’t turned off the lights, but if she couldn’t make the pain recede, there was no point. She took a mouthful of water from the tap despite how gross it looked and swallowed, trying to clear the after effects of the Litsy. It didn’t work.

Rainbow was getting really frustrated with her body. The pain was normally bad, but not THIS bad. Sighing, she extended one of her wings and counted through a row of her feathers. When she reached number 23 she plucked it out, wincing a bit. She had asked Twilight to enchant that feather for nights like this, when she couldn’t sleep. She chewed the feather slowly, feeling the magic seep out of it and into her body. The drowsiness hit her like a train. She climbed back into bed without hitting the lights and fell asleep almost instantly. The sleeping spell had worked perfectly.

As Rainbow lost consciousness, her last thought was of Maverick and what he was keeping him. Then her eyelids shut for the last time that night.

*****

“So, you up for it?” Maverick asked.

“Why do you want to this again?” Shademane asked. He wasn’t against the idea, quite the contrary; it was actually a good idea. However, Shademane couldn’t understand why Maverick wanted to do something like that.

“Well, I could use some money, that’s for sure, and I’ve always wanted to try something like this. Even if it doesn’t work, these ponies are too drunk to catch on to the fact that it’s faked.” Maverick said.

“If you say so…” Shademane wasn’t super interested in the reasoning. If it worked properly, he could easily make over a hundred bits from this scam. He just hadn’t expected Rainbow’s friend to be this… shady.

Maverick walked over to the mare he’d seen playing billiards earlier. She had amassed around 50 bits at this point and it looked like she was about done with her game. The stallions and mares around her were all starting to get a bit suspicious, and she figured it best to take her money and run.

“You seem like you can hold down your liquor pretty well.”

The mare turned and saw that a human had appeared. “I’ve drunk before.” She said, trying to keep up the illusion of her slight intoxication.

“Care for a drink off?” Maverick asked. He pulled out the bottle he was carrying with him and placed it on the table next to him along with three shot glasses.

“That hardly seems fair; I’ve already been drinking tonight.” She responded. What game was this human playing at?

“And I haven’t?” Maverick gave her a very subtle wink. “How about this: If I win, you buy the next round. If you win, I’ll buy it.”

‘The next round? Does he even know how a drink off works?’ The mare thought to herself. Then it hit her; this was some sort of setup. She saw the bartender hovering in the background as the ponies around them were starting to talk about bets. ‘I see.’

She smiled. “Alright then. But be warned; no human will ever beet me in a drink off.” With that she spun a chair around and sat down at the table. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a few ponies approach the bartender, who was now taking money and writing down names and amounts.

“Well?” She asked as Maverick still stood.

“Hold on, we need to make sure this stuff is legit.” He said, pointing at the alcohol in his hand. He quickly poured it into one of the glasses and handed it to a nearby pony. “Would you confirm that this is what it’s labeled as, good sir?” Maverick asked. As the heads of the many ponies turned to the chosen third party, the mare saw Maverick quickly swap the bottle in his hand for one on a neighbouring table that looked identical.

“Yep, that’s the stuff alright.” He said, his speech slurred ever so slightly. The ponies around the pair turned back to the bartender, making more bets on the outcome.

“Alright, let’s get this moving.” Maverick said as he poured two shots and passed the mare one of them. “We keep going until one of us drops out or drops out.” He said, laughing at his own very poorly done joke.

“Wow, with a sense of humour that bad, you couldn’t possibly be sober.” The mare responded. She downed her glass in one shot. ‘Water.’ She concluded. ‘Pretty smart, for a human.’

Maverick followed suit, taking two swallows to finish his glass. As he put it down, he made a face. “Not my usual type of liquor. Too bad I’m new here.” He was gonna try and play the odds against himself, apparently. The mare frowned. She wanted her cut of this, but losing in a drinking game to a human wasn’t worth another 50 bits; not if she wanted to keep her reputation.

“I bet you’re thinking that this being not my type will be a downside, eh?” Maverick said. “Don’t even consider it; it just means that I’ve tried a lot of different stuff.”

‘Hm, this human is tricky.’ The mare continued to ponder. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the bartender still taking bets. ‘And he’s putting on a good show.’ She took her glass back after the human had refilled it and downed it in one go again. “These shot glasses are too small. I can take well over a dozen of these before I’ll start to feel anything.” She said.

“Too bad, the smaller the shot, the more time you have to let it poison you between drinks.” Maverick offered as he downed his next glass. “I’m a pro at this stuff, girly.”

The mare just shook her head. Finally, the bartender was done with the betting. She saw him sit down to observe the contest. Then, very nonchalantly, as if he did this all the time, he shook out his right hoof a little, while still holding the pen. Four times he shook it, and then he leaned his head against his left hoof. ‘That must be some sort of code.’ She thought.

Maverick noticed the motion from the corner of his eye. ‘Drop out after 8, eh?’ He thought. ‘Well, there’s clearly a lot of faith in me.’ Maverick poured them another glass and downed his first this time. Now that the betting was over, all he needed to do was keep it convincing. Once the mare had finished her shot, he poured them another, and another. By the 6th shot, he started spouting nonsense, and even sloped some of the water onto the table. The mare followed along well, seeming a little clearer then he was, but drunk none the less.

Finally, he came to the ninth glass. As he poured it, missing a few times, he slouched forward. “Ung, alright, you win this one girly. I can’t keep it up.” Maverick said.

The ponies around who won cheered and gathered around the bartender quick as a flash. The losers, on the other hoof, groaned in defeat and returned to their conversations from before.

Maverick stayed slouched there for a good minute, waiting until the eyes were mostly elsewhere, before whispering softly: “I’ll see you in the kitchen in 5 minutes.”

“That was a good drink off, human.” The mare responded as Maverick sat up. “I must admit, I’m impressed. I’d love to stay and chat, but I must be going.” With that, she rose from her chair and teetered around to the bathroom.

Maverick just sat still until he saw Shademane finish with the gamblers. Once he had, Shade returned to the bar. Maverick took this as cue and rose unsteadily from his chair. He shuffled his way across the now overly crowded room and sagged against a wall near the doors to the kitchen. He kept his head low, but his eyes were checking to make sure nopony was still watching him. Once he deemed it safe, he leaned a little to his right and gently let himself fall through the doors.

Inside, he quickly stood back up. The kitchen only had about four ponies it, and they paid him no attention. A few minutes later, Shademane came in, followed shortly by the mare.

“That was brilliantly done, Maverick. The ponies thought you were so determined; the great majority bet you would lose, but that you would pass out before you would give up.” Shade praised him.

“It was nothing.” Maverick said as he turned to the mare. “You were great too. I’m glad you caught on so quickly.”

She just nodded. “How much was made?” She asked.

Shademane smiled. “Just under 600 bits. I figured it best to divide it evenly.” He said as he passed each of them a bag.

The mare opened hers and rifled through it quickly to make sure she wasn’t being cheated. “Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you, boys.” She said as she made for the backdoor. “I’ll take my leave now.”

Once she was gone, Shademane turned back to Maverick. “I hope you don’t mind, but I lied. We actually made about 700 bits.”

“Honestly, I’m just happy to have money to my name.” Maverick said. “Besides, you risked a lot more than I did. If I was found out, it’s not like much would have happened to me, but if you had been…”

“That about sums it up. I’ll be returning to the bar now.” Shademane proclaimed as he stepped out the doors. “Don’t you do anything to Rainbow Dash. She said she trusts you, and if I find out you’ve hurt the feelings of one of my friends, there’ll be trouble.”

Maverick nodded even though the bartender couldn’t see him anymore. He slowly made his way back out of the kitchen to the table he and Rainbow had shared. The leftovers where still there, so he asked a waiter to bundle them up for him and bring them to room 8. With that out of the way, he drifted slowly upstairs, still trying to pull off the drunken act.

As he entered the room, he saw Rainbow on the bed, sleeping soundly. He also saw that she had left the light on and heard the water running in the bathroom. He wasn’t surprised; after all, she had just partied, followed by a long flight and then a huge dinner. Who wouldn’t be exhausted after all that?

Maverick shut off the tap in the bathroom, giving himself a quick once-over in the mirror. His stubble was starting to get long and he could really use a shower. His clothes needed a changing as well, and his acne was only going to get worse without his cleaning kit. He gave himself a mental note to ask Rainbow about a razor, shower and clothing store tomorrow. He thought he remembered a bath tub in Rainbow’s bathroom, but he wasn’t sure.

‘At least I can pay for my own clothing.’ Maverick thought as he made his way back into their bedroom. He gazed at the mare asleep in the bed they were going to share. ‘Things sure went quick between us.’ Maverick thought. ‘By then end of day 1 we were already sleeping in the same bed.’ Maverick was a little disturbed by how fast they were moving. ‘It doesn’t feel right. Our first kiss was nice, but not quite I was expecting.’ Maverick added another mental note to ask Rainbow if they could slow down a bit. ‘I’m sure she won’t mind.’

Maverick walked over to the light switch and flicked it off. He then felt his way slowly back to the bed. Their room had no window, which suited Maverick just fine. He hated when light filtered in through the blinds.

His hands brushed the side of the mattress. Maverick tried to picture which side Rainbow had been lying on, and then realised he had to go around. His steps slightly more confident now, he reached the other side in a few seconds and slid himself under the covers, leaving a small amount of space between him and Rainbow. It felt better like this.

Maverick felt the slight brush of Rainbow’s tail as she flicked it in her sleep, and it’s with that feeling in mind that he slowly and gratefully fell asleep.

*****

“Hello Twilight.”

Twilight would recognise that voice anywhere in Equestria, or out of it for that matter. It was the voice of the pony she knew the best, and the pony she could always go to if she needed an ear to talk to.

“Princess!” She exclaimed, turning around. “I mean, princesses?”

There, just in front of her, stood princess Celestia and, to Twilight’s surprise, princess Luna as well. The pair of sister alicorns were gazing down at her, one with the small smile she always held when she saw her student after such a long period of time, the other with a worried frown.

“I got your letter and I couldn’t help but decide to visit.” Celestia began. “You must inform me of this dream you had.”

“Inform US of this dream.” Luna interjected. “I did not come all this way to be left out of this conversation, sister.”

“Yes of course. Please Twilight, tell us what happened.” Celestia corrected herself.

And so Twilight did. She told the princesses about the warning Trevor had given her. “He just told us to worry about Mantycus, Carrion and Darkness, so hopefully it ends there and we won’t have to figure in any other evils.” After that, Twilight saw fit to update the princesses about the new human and the precarious problem he posed. She also explained how Trevor insisted that Rainbow could handle him alone, but how she saw fit to intervene anyway.

“You did the right thing contacting us, Twilight.” Celestia began again. “However, I’m not sure how to respond to this threat.”

“Would it not be wise, sister, to increase the size and number of border patrols around the kingdom?” Luna suggested. “Also, perhaps we should relocate some of the soldiers from the scattered towns and cities to a more central location so they can rush to the scene of a battle as quickly as possible. We may also want to warn the citizens to keep their eyes open for any intruders in our land and we should increase the funding to the various military research teams scattered across Equestria.” Luna continued.

Twilight looked on uneasily. “Are you sure we should do all that just because of one dream?” She asked. “I mean, what if it was just that, a dream?”

Luna turned her attention back to Twilight. Both princesses had a lot of respect for the magically inclined unicorn. “You have had dreams such as this that have come into play before, Twilight Sparkle. Surely a few precautions are to be put in place. It is nothing overly extreme that we are suggesting, merely a few ways to get an advanced warning and methods to respond to that advanced warning.” Luna insisted. “It’s not like we’re sending the royal army to war.”

That made Twilight feel a little better. “What about Maverick and Rainbow? I know Rainbow will try her best to make Maverick happy, but I think we should still keep an eye on them.”

“About that, I’ll leave it you.” Celestia said. “You will be able to judge the situation better than I would seeing as you know your friend better. But listen Twilight; if push comes to shove and Maverick wished to leave, you need to convince him otherwise and, assuming you can’t, force him to stay.”

“F-force him? But I thought we weren’t allowed to do that.” Twilight worried.

“We are allowed to use magic or force to keep a human here, but that would mean that he is no longer “choosing” to remain in Equestria. As such, it voids him as a potential candidate for liberation. One more thing; if you are forced to keep him here, use a love spell or something similar. If Rainbow realises he doesn’t want her, even if he does magically decide to remain in Equestria, then she could still tempt suicide.” Celestia elaborated.

“But princess, that seems so…” Twilight couldn’t finish her sentence.

“I know, I don’t wish to do it either, but with the fate of the whole of Equestria residing in him, we simply cannot take chances.” Celestia said sadly. “We cannot stay much longer. Already we are needed at the palace; Luna for the night court and I must begin making the war time preparations.”

“Wait, princess Luna, are you feeling better?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, yes, the um… illness had passed.” Luna said, blushing a bit and turning her head away. “We really should be going now.” The two alicorns’ horns began to glow, and Twilight was forced to blink after the slight flashes of light as the sisters returned to the castle by teleportation.

Twilight stood there for a few moments as she brooded over the news she had just received. Now she HAD to make sure that Maverick intended to stay, and if she was going to keep him here, she’d rather it be by his own choice then by force.

Twilight brought out an advanced spell book from her shelves. She quickly flipped to the page about love spells, ignoring all the warnings about its potential for disaster. She had to brush up on this one since she may have to cast it at any moment.

“Twilight, are you okay?” Spike asked as he walked in with a pair of books in his claws. He quickly stashed one on a shelf near the door and slowly shifted the ladder over so he could stash the other.

“I’m a little upset that I might have to use another mind control spell, but asides that I’m just peachy.” Twilight responded, not actually being sarcastic. She returned the book to the shelf now that she felt confident about her ability to perform the spell on a moment’s notice. “Come on Spike. It’s been a long day and I’m sure we could both use an early bedtime. By the way, I’ll be leaving on Sunday and for the next two weeks to help prepare for and watch the great Pegasus competition, so I’m leaving you in charge of the library while I’m not here.”

“Are you going to stay in Cloudsdale?” Spike asked.

“No, I’ll be leaving early in the morning and coming back in the afternoon.” Twilight said. “I can’t leave you home alone for two whole weeks, you’re still far too young for that, but I AM going to entrust pretty much the whole library to you while I’m gone. Can you handle it, or should I ask Pinky Pie to come by and check up on you during the day?” Twilight asked. Although she didn’t exactly trust the pink pony with keeping a good watch on Spike, she knew Pinky Pie would be able to tell if the dragon was in need of assistance.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight. It’s not the first time I’ll have watched over the library.” Spike huffed.

Twilight just smiled. “Alright, are you going to turn in early with me?” She asked as she made her way up the stairs.

“Sure, why not?” Spike said as he followed her.

*****

Maverick woke the next day to the feeling of something itchy tickling his face. He opened his eyes and saw that a lock of green hair was the cause. A brief flash of annoyance later, Maverick was sitting up slowly in bed, not wanting to disturb his roommate. He had a slight after taste in his mouth, probably from the Litsy they had drunk. ‘I wonder what we’re going to do today.’ Maverick thought. So far, their first two days had been… different than what he was used to. Maverick had never really just hung out with friends, nor had he ever had a real girlfriend, unless you can call one terrible date reason enough to make that association. As such, this was an entirely new feeling for him; not knowing what he was going to do with his day. Maverick flopped back down onto the mattress. He wasn’t going far until Rainbow woke, and if her sleeping habits were anything like they were in the show, patience was going to be a skill Maverick would need to master very quickly.

He needn’t worry however, as after a few minutes he felt Rainbow stir next to him. To his surprise, as she slowly began to open her eyes, her wings became quite erect, poking straight up as she was lying on her belly. ‘What the?’ Maverick thought. As she swam closer and closer to consciousness the solidity of her wings began to lessen, although by the time she was up, they were still semi-erect.

Rainbow let out a huge yawn, flapping her still hard wings a little to get them back to normal. She used to wake up with wingboners all the time, but since the arrival of humans they had become less frequent.
As she flapped, she accidentally cuffed Maverick on the chin. Surprised, she turned her head and, once she saw him, immediately blushed right through her fur. Her face skipped purple and went straight through to scarlet, but she didn’t say anything. Maybe Maverick didn’t know the significance of her erect wings, and he may just pass it off as some Pegasus thing.

“Morning.” He said, making no comment on the light touch he had just received.

Rainbow still wasn’t sure about the situation, but looking at Maverick while he sat with his legs spread was making it hard for her to drop her wings to her sides, and being in a bedroom, alone, wasn’t helping either.

“Morning.” She said back, trying to downplay her wingboner, which was re-hardening. She hopped out of bed and slowly made her way over to the bathroom without saying more.

Maverick looked on in confusion. Did he do something wrong? Maybe Rainbow’s wings were sore from all the time she was carrying him. “Rainbow, are you okay?” Maverick asked.

“Fine.” She responded. Maverick heard the sound of water running as she opened the tap. It was followed by the sound of splashing.

Rainbow was still trying to get her wings down. She ran some water over her hooves and then splashed it up onto her face, trying to forget the dream she had had right before she woke up. Thank Celestia it had only been her in the dream or she would never have managed.

A few minutes passed before she finally managed to fold her wings in. She quickly shut off the water and returned to the main room.

Maverick had turned the lights on, realising belatedly that there was indeed a window in their room; he just hadn’t been able to see it. The light of day shone through it now, albeit dimly due to the curtains that were drawn across it.

As Rainbow returned from her brief trip to the restroom, Maverick asked: “So what’s the plan now?”

“I have to visit Twilight again. Something’s been bothering me recently about, well me.” As Rainbow said this, she suddenly realised that the pain which had kept her awake last night was now gone. It had disappeared like Pinky Pie when somepony mentioned party in a different room. Rainbow glanced over at her wing from which she had plucked the feather. It had already regrown, thanks to Twilight’s magic, and it was still enchanted with another sleeping spell, should Rainbow need it. “I’m guessing you’re okay with coming with me? Seeing as your only other option is to stay here.”

“Now that I think about it, I guess picking you would make my life a little more complicated than any of the others. After all, I can’t really go anywhere on my own now, living in Cloudsdale and all.” Maverick thought aloud. “So be it, I wouldn’t change my mind anyway. When do we leave?” Maverick asked. “And, while I’m at it, what do we do about these?” Maverick asked, indicating the two plates of leftovers, which were already in saddle bags. “If what you said before is true, then you shouldn’t be able to carry them while you’re in the air, right?”

“Oh, that’s another thing the unicorns have done for us.” Rainbow said. “Almost all of the saddle bags in this world can detect when a Pegasus drops their weight. The bags then drop their weight as well. It’s amazing that we even managed to get by before we met the unicorns. Come on, let’s get going. The sooner we get to Twilight’s, the better.” Rainbow picked up the saddle bags’ strap and slipped it over her back.

The pair walked out of their room and made their way downstairs. Maverick saw a few ponies mulling around in the lobby, most clutching at their head and groaning a little in pain. “I’ve never understood what could push a pony to drinking. It’s such a stupid idea.” Rainbow said.

As they slowly made their way out of Manehatten, Maverick noticed that, although still crowded, the streets seemed… different than the previous day. The more they walked, the more empty the streets seemed to become. “Hey Rainbow, is it usually this quiet?” Maverick asked, glancing around.

Rainbow, who had been absorbed by her mysterious pains, looked up and realised just how alone they were. “Oh horseapples! Get on, we might be in danger.” Rainbow said. She saw a shadow move off to the side and the glint of metal in a few different spots. Throwing caution to the wind, Rainbow picked Maverick up by the scruff of his shirt and all but threw him on to her back. He barely had time to whisper “lighter” before Rainbow took off running so she could build up some momentum. Just as she began to take off, the two gangs exploded out of the side streets and rushed at each other, knives and poles and other assorted pony weapons clashing as a territory war erupted.

In the air, Rainbow was trying to get away before she got dragged in to something. Luckily, neither of the gangs appeared to have any Pegasi in them and Rainbow made it away without incident. “Maverick, are you okay?” She asked before she noticed that he wasn’t on her back.

“NO I’M NOT!” He was desperately clinging to her as he hung down from between her front and back legs. Rainbow quickly flipped over so she was flying upside down. It was much harder to do, but for an expert like Rainbow, even with the added weight, she managed to fly straight.

Maverick was still clinging to her for dear life, his face pressed into her chest and his legs wrapped around her belly. Despite the fact that they were flying, Rainbow could feel Maverick trembling against her. He was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, and Rainbow slowly angled herself downwards. Normally she would never even consider a landing on her back unless it was a dramatic ending to some super complex trick; it was considered more pathetic then a crash-landing for a Pegasus to end up on their back, but this time it didn’t seem like she wouldn’t have a choice.

She came in slowly, trying to slow her pace to a crawl before she touched down. She managed to get into an almost perfect hover about a foot off the ground before she finally snapped her wings shut. Now that she was on the ground, Rainbow turned her attention back to the earthquake on her underside.

Maverick could be mistaken for undergoing a seizure. His shaking had only gotten worse as they had flown on, and it was still climbing.

“There there, it’s okay, you’re safe now Maverick, I got you.” Rainbow whispered as she ran her hoof down his back, trying to calm him down. “Don’t worry, Rainbow’s got you.” She kept at it for a few minutes, whispering reassurances and petting him. “We’re on the ground now Maverick, it’s right next to you. You can’t fall anymore.”

Slowly, ever so slowly, Maverick’s quivering calmed. Maverick had entered what could be considered a “panic zone”. His mind had pretty much disconnected itself from his senses. Gradually he began to feel the soft fur beneath him and the hard hoof running between his shoulderblades. Once his sense of touch was back, he began sniffing at the air, recognising the scent of sweat and that of dirt. Next was his hearing as he heard the light purr of Rainbow’s voice, trying desperately to calm him down. Finally, he pried his eyes open and gazed at her shy-blue fur, and then slowly tilted his back so he could see her eyes. He was still now; watching her like a baby watches its mother.

“Better?” Rainbow asked, giving him a small lick across the forehead.

Maverick just nodded and pushed his face back into her chest, nuzzling her as best a human could.

Rainbow continued to pet him, waiting for him to speak up so she could be sure he was ready to keep going. ‘Poor thing’ she thought. She understood just how scary the thought of falling could be. Flying was amazing, and even if a Pegasus began to lose control, their innate magic would protect them from most of the damage that falling from a few thousand feet entailed. After all, if they only weigh a few pounds, they could only fall so fast before wind pressure will keep their speed constant.

But Maverick wasn’t a Pegasus. He wasn’t born with the magic that shielded her race. Even though he could only fall so fast due to his reduced weight, he could still die after a long fall.

After a good half hour of just lying in the grass, Maverick rolled off of Rainbow’s chest. He stood up slowly, tottering around a bit on his unsteady legs. He almost fell back down, but Rainbow pressed her side up against him to help him keep his balance.

“Are you okay?” Rainbow asked. “I’m sorry I took off so suddenly, but if I hadn’t, we might have gotten hurt.”

Maverick just nodded again, still unable to speak. “Are you okay to keep going yet, or do you need some more time?” Another nod.

Rainbow lowered herself to her knees so Maverick could get back on. It took him a few tries, but he managed to get seated again. “I’m sorry.” He sighed into her ear.

“Why? If anypony should be sorry, it’s me. That was uncool of me, putting you in a situation like that. I should have been paying attention when we were in the city.” Rainbow replied

Maverick felt a smile spread across his lips. That was the first time Rainbow had used the word ‘cool’ in any way since his arrival. In fact, she hadn’t been talking like she did in the show at all. Maverick briefly wondered if that was a side effect of the depression or if she faked her whole way of talking on said show. “If you say so.”

Rainbow took to the air again, more slowly this time. As desperate as she was to reach her friend’s magic tree house, Maverick’s peace of mind came first.

She needn’t worry. The city came into view much faster then she had expected. She landed in front of the library and proceeded in a much calmer manner then she had two days ago. Of course, it being a library, she still didn’t feel the obligation to knock.

As such, when she saw Twilight and Cheerilee making out on the couch, she lost her train of thought for a moment.

She’d known, of course, that the pair had been dating for a few weeks now, but it was still weird to see her best friend with a school teacher who was at least 5 years older than Twilight. Weirder still was walking in on the couple while they were being… intimate.

Rainbow gave a slight cough and the pair sprung apart, heads whipping around and faces flushed. “You do realise this is a public library right? The expression ‘get a room’ usually means somewhere a bit more private.” Rainbow chuckled at her friend’s expression.

“Yes, well I should probably be going. Papers to correct and all that.” Cheerilee hopped up from the couch. “I’ll see you later Twi.” She walked out a little faster then was necessary.

“Hm, Twilight and Cheerilee.” Maverick observed as he slid off of Rainbow’s back. “I can see it.”

Twilight’s blush deepened. “Do you need something, Rainbow?” She asked, not unkindly, but perhaps with a little bit of frost in her voice. She regretted it instantly; this was the pony and human that held the fate of Equestria in their hooves/hands after all.

But Rainbow just laughed it off. “No need to get so steely, Twi. I just want to talk to you about something.” She looked over at Maverick. “Why don’t you find a good book while we talk? It shouldn’t take long.”

“Sure thing.”

Rainbow led Twilight out of the main room, not wanting Maverick to overhear them. “Hey, sorry about that. I should probably have knocked. It was uncool of me.” Rainbow apologized.

Twilight was about to respond when she clued into ‘uncool’. Rainbow hadn’t used that word in months! “It’s fine. So, how’s it going with Maverick? Have you read the books I gave you yet?”

“No, I brought him to a bar last night. I didn’t get a chance to read. But things are going totally awesomely! He so amazing, even when he’s scared he’s still awesome.” Rainbow squealed.

Twilight was a little taken aback by the surge of pre-depression Rainbow. “What makes him so awesome?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing, he just IS awesome. He terrified of heights, but he faced his fear instead of running from it. And he’s super smart! He looks cool, and he acts cool too. And he cares about me.”

“Okay, I see.” Twilight sorta interrupted. “So what did you want to talk to me about? Did you just come here to gush about your new boyfriend?” She was just a wee bit annoyed that her session with Cheerilee was cut short.

“Oh, yeah. You know those old pains I got when a new human came around?” Twilight nodded. “They’re back. I thought maybe they wouldn’t come this time, because Maverick chose me, but they’re here again. I had them last night while I was lying in bed, but they were gone once I woke up.”

“And now?” Twilight asked.

“Um… it’s weird. It’s not painful, but I can definitely feel something.” Rainbow said.

“You know, I think it’s about time you went to see doctor about those, Rainbow. It might actually be something to worry about. Go now; I’ll watch Maverick while you’re gone.” Twilight said.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, this might be something serious. You don’t want to be too sick to attend the Pegasus tournament, do you?” Twilight said as she nudged Rainbow towards the door.

“Yeah, I guess so.” The pair returned to the main room and saw Maverick lying on the couch reading. “Maverick, I’m going to leave you here with Twilight for a little. There’s something I need to do. Is that okay?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure thing.” He said, not looking up from his book.

“I swear.” Rainbow whispered in Twilight’s ear. “He resembles you and Fluttershy more then he resembles me.” She flew out.

Twilight turned back to look at the human on her couch. She wanted to ask him a bunch of questions, but she knew better then anypony just how rude it was to interrupt someone while they’re reading. Instead, she decided to check what book he was reading.

‘Mood wings?’ She read. ‘Oh, that’s the one about a Pegasus’s wing language.’ She turned about, intent on returning to her studies, when she heard the book close behind her.

“Twilight, can I talk to you for a minute?”

*****

As Rainbow made her way across Ponyville to the doctor’s office, she slowly felt the pain growing inside her. It was driving her crazy! She would prefer to have it consistently and just suffer through it then this whole on/off deal.

Eventually it reached its cap, which was about as bad as last night. Rainbow couldn’t help but feel that this pain wasn’t the same as the one she normally got from the arrival of humans. The other one was consistent, not quite as bad and she was always sad during its stay. But this one, for some reason it felt like happiness was causing it.

Rainbow shook her head and looked around. She had gotten so caught up in her thoughts that she had flown right by the hospital. She doubled back and made it inside without further problems.

The hospital was relatively empty. After all, Ponyville was a very clean and crime-free city. It had to be since it was the main filming zone. Rainbow trotted up to the counter.

“Hello Rainbow Dash.” The receptionist said. “What can I do for you?” Her voice was warm, but Rainbow could still feel the undertow of dislike that was omnipresent when most ponies spoke to her.

“I need to see a doctor about some pains I’ve been having.” Rainbow replied.

The receptionist sifted through a few papers before looking back up. “There happens to be a doctor free now. Take this to room 27, its right down the hall, take the first right and it’s on your left side.” She said as she handed Rainbow a few pieces of paper.

“Thanks.”

The room was a bland beige-ish colour with a bunch of medical equipment stacked on a table in the far corner. Rainbow lay the documents down on said table and went to sit on the examination table as she waited for the doctor to arrive.

Only a few minutes had passed before a nurse popped in. She nodded to Rainbow and then quickly arranged some of the equipment on the table, leaving a bit more then had initially been there. She left without a word, and a few moments later the doctor came in.

“So, Rainbow Dash.” He began. “What appears to be the problem?”

“Well, I’ve been having these pains every time a new human came to Equestria.” Rainbow explained. “I never thought much of them, figuring it was just sadness at never being picked, but the newest human picked me and they’re still here.”

“I see. Can you describe them to me? Perhaps the location of pain, how painful it is, the duration it stays for…”

Rainbows pointed to her lower chest. “It’s usually somewhere around here, and it feels like my insides are being twisted around. It tends to last for about three days after each human arrives, and the amount of pain tends to decrease over the duration.”

“I see… Sounds to me like it’s exactly what you thought it was; depression induced physical pain. Is the pain you’re feeling now any different than those normally are?” The doctor asked.

“Kinda. It hurts more than normal, and it’s not consistent. It comes and goes randomly. Like, I had it last night before I went to bed, but it disappeared in the morning. Then it came back a little while I was at Twilight’s house, and now it’s back in full force.” Rainbow tried to explain.

The doctor nodded. “Since you’re just recovering from depression, I think I might have an idea of a possibility. It’s a very rare condition, and it’s very unlikely, but it makes the most sense. Tell me, this new human, how do you feel about him? And don’t lie.”

Rainbow blushed a bit and couldn’t look the doctor in the eye. “I l-like him, a lot.”

“And have you told him this?”

Rainbow’s head turned even further away. “Yes.”

“How did he respond?”

“He said he likes me too…”

“Now then, was he with you last night when the pain appeared?”

“No.”

“How about at Twilight’s?”

“He was in the other room.”

“Was last night the first time you were separated from him since the moment you confessed your attraction to him?”

Rainbow’s mind started rushing ahead of what the doctor was saying, and she didn’t like the conclusions she was drawing. “Yes.”

“Well, I can’t say for sure that I know what the problem is, but I would stake my professional reputation on what I’ve concluded.”

Rainbow really didn’t want to hear what the doctor was going to say next, but she knew she had to. “And that is?”

He began to explain her predicament, and Rainbow realised she was entirely right.

She didn’t like what she heard at all.

*****

Twilight turned back to the human. “Sure, what did you want to talk about?” She asked.

“It’s about this.” Maverick took out the reverse pill.

Instantly, Twilight was on alert. She knew that if he tried to swallow that, she had to stop him. Her horn began to glow, just a tiny bit. “What about it?” Her voice was strained and almost cracked.

“I was wondering if you could hold onto it for me.”

… It took Twilight a few seconds to figure out what he had asked. Once her mind restarted, she quickly deduced the most important question she could ask, one that would convey to Maverick the entirety of her confusion on the matter, as well as aid him in informing her of what she wanted to know.

“What?” Well, close enough.

“I can sometimes have a bit of a temper, and I also like to spite people who do stuff I don’t like. So I was hoping you would hold onto this for me, that way I don’t make a stupid mistake while I’m mad and end up sending myself back to earth.” Maverick said.

Oh, well that made perfect sense. “Um, are you sure?” She asked, the glow in her horn petering out.

“Yeah. I mean like, obviously if I really do want to go back, I’ll come get it from you. But if I come in and I’m clearly not thinking straight, I want you to keep it away from me until I’ve calmed down.” He asked.

“Okay, sure, I can do that.” Twilight said, very pleased at how rationally this human was thinking, and also at the fact that it was now impossible for him to leave. If he ever came to get the pill back, Twilight would just cast the love spell on him at that time.

“Also, I was wondering if you have showers, razors and a place where I can get some new clothes in Equestria.” He asked.

“Yeah, we have all three. We don’t have human clothing stores, but I’m sure Rarity would be overjoyed to design some for you.” Despite her hatred for his kind, Rarity could never resist the urge to design new clothes.

“Oh good, I’ll have to go ask her later.”

“As for the other two, I’m sure Rainbow will help you find both when she gets-”

*BAM*

“-Back”

Rainbow landed in a heap in front of Twilight, but she picked herself up in an instant.

“IneedtotalktoTwilightforasecberightbackbye.” Neither of the two understood a word as Rainbow pushed Twilight outside and slammed the door behind her.

“What was-” Twilight began, but she was interrupted as Rainbow shoved a hoof in her mouth. She quickly explained her problem.

“Wow, really? He thinks that…” She began again.

“Yeah, I know. Twilight, I’m not ready for this. I thought I had a lot more time before this would happen!” Rainbow choked out.

“But I thought you said you loved him.”

“I did say that, but I just thought it was going to be some filly’s love, you know? Like the type of thing that last a little while, because he made me happy, and that it would run its course and I’d be able to forget him. I never expected THIS to happen.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.” Twilight said.

“Well of course it’s a bad thing. I didn’t even know this could happen between a human and a pony. Twilight, I’ve been rushing through this relationship like it was just for fun!”

“Wait, what relationship? I thought you said you hadn’t told him yet.”

Rainbow suddenly backpedaled, but there was no way she could fix her mistake now. “Look, don’t tell him I told you. He wanted to keep it a secret. And please don’t tell the others.”

“So you have told him.” Twilight said. “Well, how did he take it?”

“He likes me too. We’ve already kissed a bunch of times, and he’s slept in my bed.” Rainbow ignored Twilight’s look of shock. “I just thought… I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting this to come. Twilight, what should I do? If the relationship went sour before, I could just have broken up with him. I mean sure I would have been sad, and so would he, and we might have had to wait for the next human, but now there’s no way I can do that! My whole life depends on him now!”

Twilight was silent for a few moments. “Well, I can tell you one thing. If you can imprint on him, then chances are he can get you pregnant too, so I’d be careful of what you do with him in bed.”

Rainbow turned redder then BigMacintosh. “Twilight this is serious. The doctor said I imprinted on him because I was depressed and he lifted me out of it. Now I can’t stand to be apart from him. As soon as he’s out of my view my stomach twists around, and the further I go, the more it hurts. If he leaves now, it’s not going to end at depression. I’ll never be whole again! I know to most ponies, finding your special somepony is rare. Most ponies can fall in love with anypony, but only a few have ever found their true special somepony. The difference is that he isn’t a pony. Normally when you find your special somepony, the infatuation is mutual; both ponies fall deeply in love with the other. But because he’s a human, he doesn’t work the same way! Twilight, what happens if I make a mistake? What if he decides to leave?”

“You know, this sounds a lot like the conversation we had TWO days ago.” Twilight said. “Just do your best. He can’t ask for more than you can give.”

“But”

“No buts. Look, he gave me his pill so that he wouldn’t get all hot headed about one little mistake and just leave for no reason, so stop worrying. It’s normal for a couple to have fights. The important thing is trying to learn from those fights and to move on. There’s no denying it; your relationship won’t be perfect. But you can’t fret about each and every little thing!” Twilight said. “Now then, go in there and be the girlfriend he expects you to be, not this little drama queen you’re being right now; it’s not for nothing he picked you over Rarity.”

Rainbow nodded, running a hoof over her eyes to dry them and pushed open the door.

Maverick had been reading through the whole conversation, indifferent to the conversation outside. He had just finished the intro of the chapter on wingboners, and he was now thinking back to what had happened that very morning with a much different perspective, his face flushing a little.

“Maverick?” Rainbow said as came in, causing him to blush harder and slam the book closed.

“Y-yes? Are you done talking?” He asked.

She nodded. Maverick noticed her eyes were a little red. “Where did you go? Are you okay; it looks like you were crying.”

She just shook her head. “I was, but I’m fine now. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m ready. I need to get some clothes, and a razor, and I could use a shower too.” He said.

Rainbow smiled. She had just had her whole world turned upside down and he was completely oblivious. ‘It’s better this way.’ She thought. “Shall we stop by Rarity’s on the way home?”

“That would be nice. Can we walk over? I want to see more of Ponyville.” He asked.

Rainbow nodded and together the pair walked off from the library, leaving Twilight to wonder how much longer they really had before something happened to end the world of Equestria.

I’ll be taking a brief break from writing to edit this whole story into a more acceptable format (IE: double spacing the paragraphs.) Sorry for the delay.

“No, the big one with the icing and the cupcake with the candles. How can you not see it? It’s the only building around that even has a remote chance of housing Pinky Pie.” Rainbow said, trying to point out sugarcube corner to the human that she was now almost sure was blind.

“You mean the one that looks like a giant gingerbread house?” Maverick asked.

“YES! By Celestia, how could you possibly not see that monster?” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Yeah, I guess the cupcake should have been a dead giveaway.” Maverick grinned sheepishly.

Rainbow resisted the desire to facehoof as they walked on. Sugarcube corner could be seen from the front door of the library, but she had had to walk almost halfway there before Maverick had finally managed to see it, despite the fact that he had just been to a party in that very store!

Maverick inspected it as they passed it by, deciding that the quick glimpse he had gotten of it earlier had not done it justice. It was much larger than the show made it out to be, or maybe that was just because he was standing in front of it, and it smelled so good! It was like a chocolate factory mixed with a bakery and a sugar farm.

“Keep moving kid.” Rainbow said as she gave him a gentle but firm push from behind. “You’ll see it again; it’s our most common meet-up spot after all.”

The pair continued on to Rarity’s fashion store. Although Rainbow wasn’t usually one for dressing up, she did appreciate the fact that certain events had fashionable expectations. That was not, however, the reason of their visit.

Rainbow glanced over at Maverick, who was walking next to her. His clothes shielded most of his body from prying eyes, just like all the humans before him. Pony’s had no reason to wear clothes because they had nothing to hide, but humans seemed to get super embarrassed if they were caught naked. Rainbow thought back to the books she had in her saddlebags. She really needed to get around to reading those.

Maverick wanted to visit Rarity because, as he put it, “Clothes aren’t washed in the same way people are.” Whatever he meant by that was beyond Rainbow; she wore clothes so rarely that she basically threw them out after she’d worn them. If she ever needed another dress, she’d just get Rarity to make her another one. ‘Then again.’ She reasoned. ‘If he wore the same thing over and over again without being able to wash it, I guess that would get a little gross.’

While Rainbow contemplated the idea of clothes, Maverick was watching the houses they past and trying to pick out the subtle differences between Equestria and earth. He noticed that each pony house looked different from its neighbor: whether it was the colour of bricks being used, the type of roof on top, the decorations adorning the front lawn, or even just the windows, something was always different enough for it to be impossible to mistake two houses.

As they moved further and further away from the library, Maverick noticed that he could glimpse areas off to his left which had empty houses, or at least houses that didn’t appear occupied.

“What are those?” He pointed to said houses.

“Oh, that’s where the non-set Ponyville starts up. It’s not as pretty as Ponyville because it’s never on camera.” Rainbow replied. “There’s Rarity’s house.”

Maverick turned his attention back to the road. The fashion designer’s house was much simpler then sugarcube corner. It also resembled the in show store, although Maverick noticed that some of the model horses that usually lined the outside walls were missing. The windows were also closed, but for some reason the door was ajar.

“Is that normal?” Maverick asked.

“Rarity’s probably just in one of her creating sprees. She must be making an atmosphere.” Rainbow replied. She kept going for a second before realising Maverick had stopped. “Problem?”

“I don’t want to just walk in and interrupt her if she’s making something.”

Rainbow shrugged. “She’ll be cool with it. If the door’s open, she can’t really get mad just because we walked in. She’d put up a closed sign if she really didn’t want to be bothered anyway.” Rainbow doubled back behind Maverick and gave him another push.

“Alright, I’m going.” He said as he started his march back up.

The inside of the shop was lit by candles placed somewhat haphazardly around the room, along with the light streaming in from the doorway. A heavy musk floated in the air, and Maverick saw several ponies inside lined up for something and chatting animatedly amongst themselves

“Rarity?” Rainbow called out as the pair walked in. A few ponies in the line turned and gave Rainbow a quick, inquisitive glance before turning back to each other. Maverick noticed that all the ponies were unicorns, and they all appeared to be trying to get a glimpse of something or somepony on the other side of the group.

“What’s going on?” Rainbow asked a pair of darker coloured unicorns, one red and one purple.

“Haven’t you heard? Unifashy himself has come to inspect some of the designs that Rarity made.” The red unicorn blurted out in a surprisingly high-pitched voice.

“I heard he said that he was considering actually purchasing the rights to one of her newest dresses!” the other added, unable to help herself from squeeing like a filly. “The fact alone that he visited Rarity’s will send her sales through the roof!”

Maverick glanced over at Rainbow with confusion written all over his face. “Unifashy is the head of a tightly-knit group of fashionistas that are all unicorns and only sell their wares to unicorns. They’re the arrogant type of ponies that think their race is superior to the other two. To make it into their team, a unicorn must make enough dresses of a quality superior to that of another member. Once they’ve done that, they kick the other member out and take their place. The group is composed of 10 unicorns, but the circle of groupies contains over a quarter of the unicorn population. Most of them don’t share in the arrogance of the members, those one’s are only in it for the fashion, but a respectable number has had their minds corrupted by the way of thinking of Unifashy.” Rainbow explained. “If he wants to buy one of Rarity’s dresses, it must be pretty impressive.”

The pair of unicorns nodded. “It’s remarkably simple, considering it caught Unifashy’s attention. We saw it for a few seconds while Rarity brought it in form her back room.” The red one said.

“It only had a few gemstones, it’s cut rather short and it doesn’t have any over-the-top qualities, but it’s that very simplicity that pulls all the differences together. I think sh-” The purple unicorn cut off mid word as the whole group split itself to let the fashion designer pass.

The first thing Maverick thought was that money was no object for this pony. His face was completely hidden in makeup and his eyes were covered with three sets of shades. He had more gold around his neck then Maverick had seen in his whole life, including the movies he’d watched, and his legs were covered in what Maverick guessed was either body paint or tattoos. His clothes looked like they were linked together by golden thread, and they were so covered in diamonds that he couldn’t tell what colour the material was.

The pony strutted his way slowly between his followers, all of whom back up and bowed respectfully. Maverick considered following suit as he remembered his experience with the Pegasi, but when Rainbow didn’t budge, he stood his ground.

A brave unicorn amongst his followers glanced up for the briefest of seconds and asked: “Was it?”

Unifashy stood pensively, looking around very slowly. “The dress was of the highest caliber I have seen in years. I have bought the rights to it from lady Rarity.” He said, addressing his words to all those present. With his declaration finished, he began to walk forward again, a few rather large unicorns flanking him as he set out. However, he stopped as he saw Maverick and Rainbow.

Maverick couldn’t see his eyes, but the strange little wriggle he gave as he stopped again suggested he was surprised. The three pairs of shades floated slowly off of his face, allowing Maverick to see a pair of startling yellow irises. His gaze narrowed slightly, and he took a few steps closer to Maverick, scrutinising him with quick, precise movements that came from years of practice. A few moments later, he returned the shades to his face and exited the shop, the gaggle of half-crazed unicorns following him out.

“What was that all about?” Maverick asked Rainbow as she gave the back of the fashion designer’s head a firm glare.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to.” She replied. “Common, let’s go check up on Rarity. Lousy good for nothing racists. I hate anypony who thinks one race is superior to the other two.”

As the pair crossed into the other room, they saw Rarity lounging in a stool. “Rarity?”

Her head shot up at Rainbow’s voice. “Rainbow! Oh my stars, Rainbow, Unifashy just bought one of MY dresses!” She pranced about the room in utter glee. “He gave me 5000 bits for the dress and the rights to create and sell it. I won’t have to work for months, but my business will be so busy from this moment on!”

“Rarity, please tell me you don’t intend to join his group.” Rainbow asked, her face an impassive mask which hid her supressed anger at the racist fashion designer.

“Oh I could never manage that, Rainbow. And really, what type of pony would join a circle that only sells unicorn clothes? I daresay I could never agree with his views and ideals, but to think he would actually buy one of my dresses!” The unicorn swooned, almost hitting the floor before her chair caught her mid-fall.

“Well, I can see you’re busy enjoying your fantasies, so I guess we’ll come back later.” Rainbow said, unwilling to watch her friend gush over such a disgusting pony.

“Oh, you need something?” Rarity perked up immediately. “Why didn’t you say so? What is it; a ball gown? A flight suit? Some frilly underwear?”

“What? No, it’s not for me. Maverick would like some clothes because he doesn’t want to wear the same ensemble day in and day out for the rest of his life.” Rainbow paused. “Why suggest frilly underwear?”

“A girl can dream.” She answered, giggling and confusing Maverick and Rainbow even more. “Come in, come in. I’ll need to take measurements.” She led the pair into her designing room and had Maverick stand on the dais in the center. She quickly procured a measuring tape from the many drawers and began. As she measured, she made a few comments on how thin he was, putting more and more emphasis on it as she took his waist measurements.

“Are you quite sure this is healthy, dear?” She asked.

“No, but it’s not like I’m trying to be super thin, I just am.” He answered.

She quickly finished with the measurements, but she was nowhere near done. She started asking him questions like what was his favorite season, his favorite colour, if he liked patterns or plain. At first he got the relevance, but once she started asking questions like the age difference between his parents and the month he was born in, Maverick couldn’t figure out how the questions associated anymore.

After what felt like at least an hour, she was finished. “Come back tomorrow; I’ll have a few things for you to try.” She smiled mischievously. “It’s nice when I get to experiment on humans since your kind needs a whole different set of cuts and accessories.”

“Thanks Rarity. We’ll come by later on tomorrow; I’ve got a shift and Maverick’s got a meeting at the training center.” Rainbow said as she turned to leave.

“Thank you, dears, for giving me this inspiration!” As the pair left, they heard the clip-clip of scissors.

“Should I be worried? I feel like I should be worried.” Maverick said.

Rainbow shook her head, smiling. “She might be crazy, but then again, who isn’t in their own little way? I’m willing to bet that you’ll like at least one of the things she makes. So, what were the other things you needed?”

“A razor and a shower, and some shaving cream, if that exists here.” Maverick listed.

“Yeah, we have all that.” She led him through the city, searching for the spa. She knew they sold what he was looking for, but Rainbow had only gone to the spa in the episodes during which the humans had her visit it, so she couldn’t quite remember where it was.

A brief trip and a few dead-ends later, the pair walked into what felt like the muggiest place in the world. The air was heavy with steam, making breathing difficult and visibility almost zero. Ponies were fleeing the building in packs, the last two being Aloe and Lotus.

“Oh, I’m sorry Rainbow; one of our saunas has been tampered with.” Lotus said as she glared at a small pack of unicorns, all with sheepish grins on their faces. “Apparently there wasn’t enough steam, so some magically inclined nincomponies decided to give it a “little boost”.” She turned to all the ponies, most of which were now also glaring at the unicorns. “I’m sorry everypony, but the spa will be closed until we can solve this problem.”

Rainbow made to ask a question, probably along the lines of: “Can I shoot in there and grab a razor real quick.”, but before she could, Maverick held out a hand. “It’s fine, I can go for a few days without shaving; it won’t kill me.” He whispered to her.

Aloe was guiding the unicorns off the scene and over to a group of fireponies and policeponies while Lotus assured the remaining Pegasi and earth ponies that the unicorns would pay for their next trip. Either that or they would never set hoof in the spa again. Seeing as they no longer had a reason to be there, Rainbow set off towards sugarcube corner, unsure of what to do for the rest of the day. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember doing anything alone recently. She was always either with her friends or sitting around on a cloud. Even when she was with her friends, she hadn’t been participating as much as she used to.

‘Was I really that far gone?’ She thought as she tried to remember the last time she had practiced her tricks. It wouldn’t come, and she got worried. ‘Dear Celestia, what happened to me?’ As they walked, she discretely gave herself a once over. Because of the altered time flow in Equestria, it was harder to alter one’s body; not impossible, just harder. As Rainbow gave herself a quick but through checkup, she realised that her muscles, usually super hard and lean, were now starting to soften and sag a bit. She checked her gut and saw she was a bit rounder then she remembered. She looked her wings over and was aghast to see just how unclean they’d become; she needed to preen them asap. Her lack of care for herself was a huge wake-up slap. She’d been WAY worse then she thought, and that changed today.

Without warning, she popped in behind Maverick and threw her head between his legs. Without pause, she whipped her head up and let him slide onto her back with a muffled “ouf”, followed by a cry of shock and protest. She heard none of it as she galloped down the street and set off towards sweet apple acres, drawing more than one set of eyes.

*****

As Rainbow finally slowed to a canter, Maverick managed right himself on her back. She’d kept him from being thrown off by guiding his bouncing body with her wings, trying to get him to land on her normally, but he just couldn’t manage it. Now that he was in a sitting position, Maverick took a brief moment to catch his breath, and then eat her alive.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!” Maverick wasn’t one to lose his temper, but on the very rare occasions he did, it wasn’t too pretty. “I have half a mind to break one of your wings, or both!” He wasn’t ever violent, and he’d never managed to hurt anybody no matter how mad they made him, but even he had a breaking point, and it had passed about 20 bucks ago.

“Oh calm down. It’s not like I was trying to kick you off.” Rainbow said, bucking her rump a bit to cause him to fall against her neck. She gave him a quick, apologetic nuzzle before turning her attention back to the road. She had no intention of telling him the reason behind her actions. Now that she knew just how fall she’d fallen, she decided to soar even higher then she used to be. She was going to throw herself back into life with a strict training program, a healthy diet and a socially acceptable reappearance. Rainbow had been broken, now she was about to remake herself from the pieces.

She felt Maverick huff before leaning forward and resting on her neck. He’d done so much for her without even knowing it. He’d saved her from herself, and now she was going to make it up to him. She’d become the Rainbow he knew and loved. She would refine herself until she was worthy of calling him her boyfriend.

And that started with a lesson in hard work. Her recovery meant she would have to remake her body as well as her mind, back into the strong and fit pony she’d been before, and then stronger still. Apple bucking seemed like a good start; it was strenuous, it was dull and it was helpful.

“Applejack!” She yelled as she saw the orange earth pony in a distant field. Normally she would fly across the short distance that separated them, but the human on her back impeded that somewhat. She decided to just hop the fence instead.

“Well howdy Rainbow Dash.” Applejack replied, a very brief look of confusion rolling off her face to be replaced with joy at seeing her friend doing something without having to be prompted. “What brings you ‘round these parts; you outta apples again?” She asked.

“Nope, I want to help you with the apple bucking.” She answered, eliciting another, much more obvious look of confusion. She couldn’t help but smile at her friend.

“Um, no offence Rainbow, but I never took you for a pony to willingly offer to do work. Who put you up to this?” She asked, glancing around to see if she was being watched and this was some little prank.

“It’s not a joke, Applejack. I honestly want to help you.” She replied.

“Why…” Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes at the Pegasus.

“I’d um, rather not say. But don’t worry; it’s not a prank or a favor or anything like that, I promise.” Rainbow explained.

The earth pony kept staring at the Pegasus. More often than once, she’d wished that Rainbow had taken a lesson in honesty; that pony could take lying to a whole new level.

“Um, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to help too.” Maverick said, sliding off of Rainbow’s back.

“Wait, why?” Applejack turned on the human. “Why does everypo-, um… why do yall wanna help me all of a sudden?”

“Well, I can’t speak for Rainbow, but back on earth, I really didn’t do… anything. I was really lazy and useless. Now that I’m in Equestria, if the show was anything to go by, you ponies can’t relax quite as much as we could. Everypony seems to have some sort of job to do, and the young fillies and colts are seen helping out as well. I want to know what it feels like; having to work to survive.” Maverick tried to convey his thoughts to the other two.

Applejack nodded to him. She might not be the best at understanding big, complicated feelings or drives, but she knew an honest answer when she heard one. She turned back to Rainbow. “You still not up for sharing?”

“No. Your call, you can either accept the help of Ponyville’s fastest pony and get the job done in half the time or you can say no.” She gave Applejack a serious stare, daring her to say no.

The orange earth pony sighed. She had a feeling she was going to regret this, but she couldn’t just leave an offer for help like that, and taking the help of the human while leaving Rainbow out to dry seemed unfair. “Alright, but if this is some sorta joke, there’ll be hell to pay.” She threatened.

“Great!” Rainbow disappeared in a puff of smoke, returning a few moments later with a basket for the apples. “Where do we start?”

Applejack sighed again and led Rainbow over to a row of trees. Rainbow flipped the basket down and bucked the tree as hard as she could. The result was instantaneous. A few dozen apples fell down, almost all of them missing the basket. Rainbow zoomed around the ground, collecting all the fallen fruits and flipping them back into it.

“Yeah, that’s the idea.” Applejack said as she watched her friend. “Once you’ve finished cleaning the first buck, give it a few more to see if any other apples will fall, pick um up and then move on to the next tree.” Applejack instructed before she moved to the next line of trees with her own basket. She kept a firm eye on her rainbow coloured friend, still unsure about her reasons and determined to figure them out.

Then she remembered Maverick. The human was observing Rainbow as she bucked the tree again, causing a few stragglers to come rushing down. Applejack knew he could never manage to buck the trees like they could, but before she could think of a task for him, he walked off. She gazed in confusion at the spot where he vanished, only to be pleasantly surprised as she saw him return with a pile of baskets. As she watched, he lay one under each of Rainbow’s trees and then under each of her own, and once Rainbow moved on from her first tree, he picked up the first basket and lugged it back to the barn.

Satisfied that she’d provided both of her assistants with what they desired, she began bucking her own trees. The three of them made short work of the two rows, moving on to the next pair in record time. In under an hour, they had cleared that whole section of the orchard.

“Well, that there was some of the best apple bucking Ah done seen in a long time.” Applejack said as they rested. She still hadn’t seen fault in Rainbow’s actions, so she’d decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She also noticed how… out of breath her friend seemed to be. Rainbow might not work very hard, or work at all for that matter, but Applejack knew she had more stamina then this. She wasn’t troubled at all, and yet Rainbow was panting hard. “You okay there, Sugarcube?” She asked.

“Just… a bit… winded.” She replied. Applejack stared hard at her friend, quickly picking up on the small changes. She considered a new possibility for Rainbow’s actions, but decided not to say anything; if Rainbow didn’t want to admit to her depression, that was fine. So long as she got better.

Applejack turned her eyes on the third member of their group. Maverick had had what was arguably the hardest job of the three, and it showed. He was lying on his back, dead to the world since he’d fallen asleep about 10 minutes ago. The poor guy had made it through the majority of the bucking, but about halfway through he’s begun to lag behind, and as they reached the last few rows he’s almost collapsed with a basket on top of him. Thankfully, Rainbow had had her eyes on him, as had Applejack. The moment it was clear he wasn’t able to keep going, they’d sat him down and told him to rest. He’s been out in seconds.

“Well, he definitely ain’t the most athletic human we ever got, but good on him for making it that far.” Applejack commented as she turned her gaze back to Rainbow.

She saw Rainbow give him a quick look of pride. “He’s much stronger then he looks, that’s for sure.”

Applejack was about to ask about how it felt like, for Rainbow to get her first human after so long, but she was interrupted by a loud rumble of the Pegasus’s stomach. Rainbow grinned sheepishly. “Guess I haven’t eaten yet today.” She said.

“Want some apples? Ah dare say Ah could spare a few after all the help you gave me.” Applejack offered, but Rainbow shook her head.

“I already have something. Care to join me for a few leftovers of fruit paradise?” Rainbow offered.

“F-f-fruit paradise?” Applejack stuttered. “How in the hay did you afford a fruit paradise? Those things cost more than 50 bits!”

“I called in a favor.” Rainbow said simply. “Since it was free for me, I can’t see why we shouldn’t share it.” She flew off to the spot where she’d dropped her saddlebags and picked them up before flying back to her yellow maned companion. She quickly opened the left bag and removed the carefully wrapped up castle.

“Well Ah’ll be, ‘s been a long time since Ah last saw one o’ those. You sure it’s okay if Ah have some? Them thing’s dun come cheap.” Applejack questioned.

“Just eat it.” Rainbow said, elbowing her friend in the ribs as she moved the dish between them.

*****

The meal was still as delicious as it had been yesterday, and even with Applejack’s help, they hadn’t managed to eat half of the castle. Once they finished, Applejack had returned to the barn to sort and store the apples. Rainbow decided to let Maverick sleep, taking the opportunity to start on the books Twilight had given her.

She levitated out all three and set aside the cookbook; she could get to that one later. The other two both seemed important enough to read first, but Rainbow settled on the book about human nature, leaving his emotions for later.

Unfortunately for her, Twilight seemed to have made a mistake on what the book meant. By “human nature and how to play with them” she had meant “human anatomy and how to ‘play’ with them.”

Rainbow opened the book, unknowingly setting herself up for an awkward afternoon. She began by reading the overview of humans: how they’re bipedal, omnivorous, sentient, blah blah blah. She skipped ahead to the next chapter and came face-to-page with a naked human male and female.

*SLAM*

She closed the book, face flushed. ‘What did Twilight give me?!’

Rainbow cautiously returned to the page with the naked people. She looked underneath the pictures to the next paragraph and carried on.

“Human anatomy is very different from that of ponies.” It began. “The most notable difference being the form. Humans walk on only two legs, making their sense of balance much poorer than that of a pony. They also have no fur, this being the most likely reason for clothes; to keep their bodies warm. Human males do tend to grow some hair on different parts of their body, but it is not as thick as pony fur. Females grow hair as well, but it is even less coarse and less widespread.” This continued on for the rest of the page, moving on to opposable thumbs, lack of tails and manes, facial differences and so on.

As Rainbow turned to the second page, she got a close up shot of human genitals. “Perhaps one of the largest differences, but hardest to notice, is the human genital system. Human males have no sheath like stallions do. Instead, their penises are always showing, another potential reason for clothes. The human penis inflates when a human is sexually stimulated in the same manner as a stallions does; by filling with blood. This is referred to most commonly as a ‘boner’, not unlike a Pegasus’s wing boners.” Rainbow paused, unsure if she really wanted to continue. She flipped to the next page, skipping the rest of the information about boners, and groaned.

What she saw was a human couple copulating. Rainbow was torn. On one hoof, she really wanted to learn about Maverick, but on the other, this hardly seemed like the right thing to learn about, and it wasn’t the right way to learn about it either. She flipped ahead again and could only sigh as she was now in fertilisation and pregnancy. ‘Buck it.’ She thought, skipping ahead to the next chapter which was titled: Sexual stimulation; all you need to know about fun in the bedroom.

… Rainbow glanced around guiltily, making sure that there was nopony around and that Maverick was still sleeping. She turned the page and began to read.

“Humans are quite like ponies in their sexual desires, which is to say that they have a wide list of preferences to the type of foreplay, sex and after-sex wind-down. Many humans enjoy many different combinations, and many humans dislike certain aspects of sex. The most common types of foreplay that are both enjoyed and hated by humans are caressing, full body exploration, cuddling, oral sex and mutual masturbation. This is not a full list of possibilities and should not be treated as such; the best way to learn about a human’s sexual desires is to ask him or her about what “turns them on” to quote a very common human expression. Take note that humans are also aroused by oddities like ponies, commonly referred to as “sexual fetishes”. Each human is different in their list of fetishes, some having none, some having many. Currently, the most common fetish is believed to be incest.” Rainbow paused, glancing at Maverick. She hoped he didn’t role that way; she’d always had problems with incestual relationships. On to the next page.

“The human body is very sensitive, this sensitivity increasing as one is sexually stimulated. During foreplay, it is best to start slowly and build up a good rhythm so as not to end the encounter too quickly. Humans have a limit to the amount of times they can orgasm before they become too tired to continue, quite like ponies do. It is not uncommon for a couple to achieve orgasm twice during the encounter; once during foreplay and once during the actual sex. This is not, however, the only way to proceed. There are many diff-”

*Yawn*

Rainbow slammed the book closed again as she saw Maverick stretch on the ground. She quickly stuffed the three books back into her saddlebags and closed it before walking over to him and nuzzling the side of his neck.

“Hey sleepy-head.” She whispered as he came to. “You feeling better?”

Maverick’s eyes opened slowly, still heavy with the residual wisps of sleep. He smiled groggily as he gazed at her. “Now I am.”

Rainbow blushed, ducking behind her mane a bit. Fluttershy would be proud. “I’m glad.” She took a brief moment as Maverick wiped the sleep from his eyes to stand tall. “I was wondering, um.” Rainbow realised she hadn’t thought of what to do next. Thinking on her hooves, she said: “Would you mind helping me practice for Pegasus games that are coming up?”

Maverick glanced at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I haven’t been practicing as much as I used to. I’ve never made the finals before, and there’s no way I could make it this time if I don’t get some hardcore practice in. So, I was hoping you could lend me a helping hand by acting as a resistance for me.” She flung it all out as she thought of it, hoping Maverick would fall for her lame excuse to get back into shape.

He gave her a quick smile. “I’d be glad to, but do you really need my help? Can’t you just make yourself weigh more to train your strength?”

Rainbow considered this. She’d thought about it before, of course, but there had always been a problem with that strategy. Now what was it…?

“Oh yeah, I remember now. That can’t work because I can’t control the shift in weight well enough. When Pegasi shift their weight around, they can only control it to a certain degree, some better than others. I only have 3 settings: normal, flight and clouds. I’ve tried to alter it before, but I just don’t have the natural talent for that kind of thing.” She explained. “Fluttershy gets how to do it. She’s tried to explain it to me before, but I couldn’t follow what she said.” Rainbow waved the thought away. “So are you willing to help me?”

“Of course I am. All I have to do is sit on your back, right?” He asked.

“Sit on my back while I’m trying to go as fast as I can.” Rainbow corrected. “It’ll be MUCH faster than we’ve been going up until now.”

Maverick nodded, a wee bit intimidated. He’d seen how fast Rainbow could go. “One question before I say yes or no.”

“Hm?”

“Can you actually do a sonic Rainboom, or was that made up too?”

Rainbow grinned and stood tall. “Not only can I do a sonic Rainboom, I’m the ONLY pony that can do one, asides the princesses, but that hardly counts; they’re alicorns.”

Maverick trembled a bit as he imagined breaking the sound barrier. “We’re not going to do one, are we?”

“Haha, no. It would be too dangerous to break one with another creature near me; the only reason I could catch Rarity and the Wonderbolts in that one episode was because of VERY precise magical intervention.” She said. “Well, no time like the present. Hop on.” She said as she flared her wings and kneeled down.

“Wait, if you can do a sonic Rainboom, why do you need to get faster? Surely you’re the fastest pony in Equestria and you should be able to win that race no problem.” Maverick questioned.

“Well, I can’t exactly pull it out of nowhere. It takes a lot of effort to do a Rainboom. I have to be going downwards, and I have to use all of my strength to get up to speed. The race isn’t just a little sprint; it’s too long for me to keep up a sonic Rainboom for more than a quarter of the race, even if I was allowed to go downwards.” Rainbow explained, adding in mentally that in her current state, there was absolutely no way she could manage a sonic Rainboom.

“Oh…” Maverick, seeing no possible way out of it, hobbled over to Rainbow. He got on, more than a little fearful, and waited as Rainbow prepared to take off.

She took a running start again, getting an extra boost. Maverick grit his teeth, closing his eyes and tightening his grip.

And then they were airborne.

Maverick could feel the wind whipping his face. He could feel every clench of the muscles beneath him. His stomach was knotted, but it wasn’t all that bad…

Until he looked down. He really shouldn’t have looked down. They were flying low to the ground, so low that when he saw all the trees whipping by mere feet below his face, he shut his eyes and prayed to Celestia (Maverick doesn’t believe in god) that he would survive.

Rainbow was panting within seconds of their take off. This was much harder then she had thought it was going to be, even though she was on cloud setting. The shortest sprint was only 2 miles long, but she’d barely finished the first mile when she had to slow down. Not only was she slower then she used to be, but she couldn’t even pull off a full two mile sprint! She berated herself mentally, not happy.

“We’re done.” She told Maverick. “That was bad, really bad. I’m going to need a lot of practice if I want to make it to the finals, let alone qualify for the tournament.”

Maverick was shaking again, so she landed. “We’re on the ground Maverick, its safe again.” She said.
He loosened his grip, but other than that she felt no change. “Maverick, are you okay?”

“In a second…” He managed to wheeze out.

“I guess this is too much for you. You know, you don’t have to help me if it scares you so much…” Rainbow said.

Maverick just pressed his face into her mane, breathing in her wild and potent musk. It helped to calm him down a bit. “No, I can do it. I’m fine.” He said, albeit quite shakily.

Rainbow didn’t believe a word of it, and it made her heart shine that he was willing to do this for her despite his fears. “Are you sure, I can find something else to help me, you know.” Rainbow offered.

“I’ll do it, and you’re just going to have to live with that.” He said, re-tightening his grip. “When do we go up again?”

And so they trained. Rainbow would take-off as fast as she could and fly as fast as she could for as long as she could. Maverick would hold on tight and try to keep from fainting, throwing up or doing anything else. Once Rainbow had flown her best, she would land and catch her breath while Maverick fought down his panic attacks.

How romantic?

They kept at it for the better part of, well the rest of the day really. By the time they decided to call it quits, Rainbow could hardly flap her wings and Maverick was sporting such a green completion that it looked like he was wearing a face mask.

The pair left the field they’d ended up in. Rainbow had flown from one to the next randomly and they’d ended up really close to the city, to their immense pleasure. They returned to Ponyville on foot, Rainbow too tired to fly any longer and Maverick too queasy.

Their first stop was the spa. Lotus and Aloe were still there, carefully replacing the lobby after the explosion of steam had displaced everything, as well as mopping up the whole floor, the walls, the ceiling and every other surface in the store. Rainbow asked how they were doing, to which she got two enthusiastic great’s. Apparently the unicorns had felt so bad for their actions that, on top of paying for the repairs and the disrupted customers, they were going to give the girls some free publicity from their respective businesses. Once Rainbow was sure that they were in a pleasant mood, she asked if they could possibly sell her a razor and some shaving cream for Maverick. A few minutes and a few bits later, the pair walked back out of the spa, a razor and shaving cream added into the saddle bags.

At this point, the sun had almost disappeared under the horizon and Luna’s moon was just visible in the sky to the east. Rainbow had Maverick mount her again, but try as she might, she couldn’t get herself off the ground. She was just too tired to fly them back up to Cloudsdale. This led them to their second stop of the night.

*Knock* *knock*

Twilight opened the door to her house to see one exhausted pony and one ill-looking human.

“Hey Twilight, sorry for asking about this, but there is no way I can make it back to Cloudsdale tonight. Could we stay here until tomorrow?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight shook her head. “You never knew when to stop, you don’t know when to stop, and you’ll never learn when to stop.” She said as she beckoned her friends in. On the inside she was positively glowing. The fact that Rainbow was too tired to get home meant she’d been doing something. Whatever that something was, it was a step up from what she had been doing not 4 days ago; nothing. Twilight quickly led the faint hearted Rainbow to one of her many guest rooms, putting her to bed. Rainbow fell asleep the moment she entered the room, forcing Twilight to levitate her the last few meters and tuck her in.

Maverick had followed her up, albeit somewhat shakily. “Are you feeling okay?” Twilight asked.

Maverick shook his head. “I just spent hours helping Rainbow fly at dizzying speeds, in the air. On top of that, I haven’t eaten a thing all day.” He said.

“Oh my, let me get you some food.” Twilight made to run to her kitchen, but Maverick stopped her.

“I’ve already got something. It’s in the saddlebags.” He shuffled across to said saddlebags, which Twilight had discarded upon levitating Rainbow into bed. He opened the one on the right and took out the castle of fruit, which lay almost entirely whole. “Want some? I’ll never manage to finish this, no matter how long I have before it goes bad.”

Twilight stared in shock. That was a fruit paradise! How in Equestria had Rainbow gotten her hooves on that?

Lacking a response to his question, Maverick turned and gave Twilight a questioning stare. “Oh, um, sure, I’ll have a bit. Thank you, but maybe we should eat in a different room?” She motioned towards the unconscious body on the bed.

“Sure.” Maverick got up, stooped to pick up the castle, and managed to get it about halfway off the ground before he slipped. Lucky for him, Twilight caught both him and the castle in her magic before they hit the ground.

“Maybe I should carry it.” She added, levitating the castle out of the room and, after a moment of consideration, Maverick as well.

He didn’t protest, enjoying the sensation of floating without having to worry about falling; he was only a foot off the ground after all.

Twilight dropped the cake off on her kitchen table, seating Maverick on one end and taking a seat in the other. Maverick proceeded to peal one of the tower roofs apart with his fingers, too hungry to bother asking for a fork. Twilight watched him for a few minutes before peeling off a few slices of pineapple for herself. She’d already eaten dinner, and as such wasn’t very hungry.

The sun had disappeared completely by the time Maverick finally finished his meal. He sighed in contentment and lay back in his chair.

Twilight kept her eyes on him. Such a stranger creature he was. So much power, so much potential for disaster, was contained within this one, innocent little human. What happened if he died, just like that? Maybe if he fell off a cloud, or was mauled by a wild animal? Twilight rebuked herself for thinking such things; nothing good would come of worrying over some silly things like that.

She was about to ask him if he was ready for bed when she noticed he’d already nodded off. Smiling in a coy manner, she levitated him and the castle and began to return him to his room…

Until she realised; it was entirely possible for him to die, just like that. But she could help protect him from some of those possibilities. After a brief mental debate about the morals she was throwing into question, she lay him down on the couch and brought the cake back to Rainbow’s room, returning it to its bag. Once that finished, she placed a spell of sound distortion on the stairs so as not to wake Spike or Rainbow and returned to the main floor.

Twilight wasn’t stupid; she knew that she couldn’t save Maverick from everything. However, she could give him a certain level of protection. With the help of her impeccable sorting order, Twilight quickly pulled out a few books from random shelves across the library. She flipped through them, searching for the section on innate Pegasus magic. Once she found what she was looking for, she began casting the spell that protected Pegasi from fall damage. It was much more draining then she anticipated, and she was forced to rest for a few minutes after it was over.

‘Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.’ Twilight though as she gazed at the sleeping human. Over the course of the next hour, she added on three more spells; one that would signal Twilight if he was ever alone and lost, one that allowed her to pull him back to her side across vast distances, and one last one to help keep his body alive should he ever get hurt really badly. Satisfied that she’d given him a much better chance in the wild and dangerous world that was Equestria, Twilight levitated Maverick back off the couch. She brought him back upstairs with her, taking another spare bed from the adjoining room to Rainbow’s and placing it in Rainbow’s room. Her spare beds were only big enough for one, so Maverick and Rainbow would have to sleep in separate beds for tonight.

It was probably close to midnight at this point, but Twilight had one more thing to do before she went to bed. Taking out her quill and a roll or parchment, she began writing.

Dear princess Celestia,

Maverick and Rainbow are in a relationship. I had hoped this wouldn’t come to pass quite so quickly, but seeing as it has, I will be keeping a close eye on them. Also, this information is supposed to be a secret.

On another note, Maverick has given me his reverse pill, instructing me to keep it from him should he ever appear with the intention of leaving Equestria. He wished to be certain of his decision before taking the pill. Now that he has done this, it is impossible for him to leave. Should he ever ask for it back, I shall cast the spell to ensnare his mind.

Rainbow’s depression is improving. I do not have conclusive evidence of this yet, but rest assured that I am fairly certain of my hypothesis.

I hope you and Luna are well.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight knew the letter was a bit under her usual standards, but seeing as it was now past midnight, she blamed it on her desire to get herself to bed. She rolled up the scroll and sent it herself, unwilling to wait until Spike woke in the morning to send it off properly. After that she replaced all the books she’d taken out and then got ready for bed.

The moon was just beginning its decent when the purple unicorn fell asleep, thinking of the coming Pegasus games and how they would keep here away from Cheerilee.

Rainbow woke early the next morning, her wings feeling like they had broken overnight. The poor Pegasus ached all over, a reminder of her poor physical condition. She used to pass training sessions that were twice as intense with better results.

Rainbow felt around the bed, searching for her companion. When she couldn't find him, she searched the room with her eyes, finding him on a separate bed a few feet away. The bed was far too small for Rainbow to crawl in with him, so she stretched in her own. Remembering what she’d learnt yesterday, she spread her wings, giving them a thorough examination. Her primaries were all crooked and dirty, leaving a few unappealing gaps and tufts here and there. Her secondaries were so thick and disorganised that they were probably slowing her down while she flew. Her coverts were just… unspeakable.

Aghast, Rainbow fled from their room. She made a beeline for the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind her and not even noticing the flare of discomfort in her chest because of the distance between her and Maverick. Once inside, she began the long and complicated procedure of fixing her wings.

At first Rainbow had thought she might have been overthinking it all, but as she plucked out her old feathers and straitened the newer ones, she was hit, once again, by how far she’d fallen. Even when she’d failed that trick and ended up in the hospital, an actual event that had had an episode made out of it, Rainbow hadn’t felt so helpless. She’d managed to keep in shape even then and, once she was free, she’d worked twice as hard to catch up on all the training she’d missed out on.

After a half hour she’d finally straightened out her right wing. It didn’t look as good as it used to, but Rainbow had done her best; only time could help it now. She turned her attention to her left wing.

‘It’s not fair.’ She thought as she ripped out a few broken feathers. ‘I worked so hard to get where I was and now, because of this stupid race, I need to start all over again.’ She paid special attention to her alula, seeing as she used them to guide her landings. Of course Rainbow couldn’t stay mad for long; without the human race, she would never have met Maverick. ‘Then again’ she thought. ‘Without them, I wouldn’t be hated throughout Equestria.’

Her left wing finished, she flared the pair, examining them again. Her wings looked much better; prim and proper, with no gaps between feathers and no large tufts where multiple coverts overlapped. She flipped them upside down and examined the backs, which looked just as good as the undersides.

As she scanned them over one last time in the bathroom mirror, Rainbow couldn’t help but admire her body a bit. Even with the recent… backtracking, she still looked great. Her figure was slim; not quite small enough to be considered thin, but Rainbow didn’t like the idea of looking too skinny either. Her muscles flowed sleekly beneath her baby blue coat, softer than they used to be, but still hard enough to show off. Her flanks were shapely, round, but not exuberantly large; a nice combination of form and fitness. Her legs were strong and they showed it, muscles creating slight knots as they wound down to her hooves, unmarked but not too feminine. Her chest formed a perfect ‘V’ shape with her front legs, allowing her easy movement, and it was nice to look at too. Her neck was thick with muscle.

She turned her attention to her rainbow mane and tail. They were messy and knotted, with locks flowing everywhere, yet somehow still perfectly sorted into their respective colours. Rainbow loved her mane, which she took good care of despite its appearance. She liked it the way it was. Her tail was the same.

Finally, she turned around and let her rump face the mirror. Her butt was a little slimmer than that of most ponies, but it made up for that with the nice curves it had on both sides and down the middle. She flicked her tail around, admiring the quick flashes she got of her jewel hidden beneath.

Satisfied that she still looked good despite her depression, Rainbow relaxed a bit. The pain that she had been ignoring up until now washed over her, and her knees buckled. She fell on her stomach as the pain threatened to knock her unconscious and rode out the waves of agony, which were slowly dimming back to what she was used to. After another few minutes, the pain had subsided, leaving Rainbow gasping on the floor.

‘What was that…’ She thought. She’d never experienced pain of that magnitude before, not even when she’d flown headfirst through a window and ended up with multiple lacerations and a concussion. Rainbow struggled to her hooves, dizzy and disoriented, and made her way back to the spare room.

The moment she saw Maverick lying in bed, the residual pain vanished, returning her to normal. She trotted over to his bed, pressing her muzzle into his hair and inhaling deeply. He smelled of sweat and smog, like most of the humans that had come to Equestria. An idea entered Rainbow’s mind, and she climbed on top of him, lying down and covering his body with her own. The bed wasn’t big enough for two, but she could definitely fit like this.

Rainbow continued to stare at him as he slept. He had such a handsome face despite its alien appearance. She nuzzled his chest, wanting to convey her love even as he slept.

Rainbow lost track of time as she lay there, careful not to put all her weight on Maverick so she didn’t crush him. Eventually she heard movement outside the door. She got up off of Maverick and followed the sound to find Twilight in the kitchen, mixing something in a bowl.

“Sleep well?” Twilight asked as Rainbow entered.

“Awesomely, but the wake-up could use some work. I’m super sore after all the flying and apple bucking we did yesterday.” Rainbow replied. “What’cha making?”

“Pancakes. I’ll be leaving in half an hour to go help set up the Pegasus games.” Twilight said as she flipped the first pancake into a plate next to the stove.

“What? Why?” Rainbow asked, confused. Why would Twilight want to help with the Pegasus games? They were pretty much only for Pegasi.

“I’ve doing some studying on flight mechanics recently and I wanted to do some research first hoof. The stadium could always use some more help, so I asked if I could trade my time for some tickets to the events. Having a unicorn around will make things go much faster.” Twilight answered. She levitated a plate with about 5 large pancakes onto the table in the corner of her kitchen. “Want some? I made more than enough for two.”

Once they were finished, Twilight said her goodbyes to Rainbow and Spike before teleporting herself up to Cloudsdale. Mere moments after her departure, a pony came into the library searching for a book. Spike went to help the customer while Rainbow went to wake Maverick. They would need to leave soon if she intended to make it to her shift on time.

She found him in the same spot she left him, a very thin line of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth. She giggled at the sight and prodded him a few times.

“Wha’?” He gasped as he sat up. “What time is it?”

“Early. You’re going to have to get used to it; ponies usually wake an hour or so after the dawn, if not earlier.” Rainbow said. “Come on, we need to get going soon or I’ll be late for work.” Of course Rainbow was usually late for work, but Maverick didn’t need to know that.

Maverick got up and ate quickly, continuing on his fruit paradise. They were off with plenty of time to spare and arrived at the training center just as it opened.

Rainbow led Maverick to the registration counter. She’d been to the center many times before, more often than not to check in about a competition which usually included the Wonderbolts in one way or another. As such, upon seeing the black Pegasus pony at the counter, Rainbow gave a confused tilt of her head.

“Where’s Cloudy Sky, Dark Hail? He’s always working the morning counter shift.” She asked Dark Hail, who gave her a sad smile.

“He’s been in bed sick for days now. They think he might be watered down. Poor guy can’t even fly; they have him on an anti-weight bed so he won’t fall through the clouds. I’m working his shift until he gets back and Cutesly took mine.” He explained.

“Oh, I hope he gets better soon. Anyway, Maverick’s here to meet with Lord Icewing, and after that he wants to check in about some employment, if any is available.” Rainbow said as she turned to Maverick. “I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you as soon as my shift is done.” She felt a little buzz of fear at the thought of leaving Maverick alone again, and then another at the thought of the pain she’d felt that morning, but she brushed them off. He was in good hooves.

She took off without another word to help the weather station.

Maverick turned his attention away from the receding rainbow mane and tail and turned it instead on the black pony before him.

“I’ll have somepony take you to Lord Icewing.” Dark Hail said as he beckoned over a teal Pegasus that was waking nearby. He gave him his directions and the pair were off.

The Pegasus led Maverick quickly and quietly through the building, clearly unhappy about his task. Once they reached the appropriate room, he left Maverick without a word.

‘Prejudiced jerk.’ He thought as he pulled the cloud curtain-door thing away. He was really starting to miss human doors and the privacy that they secured.

Or so he thought, until he opened the cloud/door, which prompted a flood of chatter to hit him square in the face. Clearly the cloud/doors provided more privacy then he thought.

As Maverick stepped inside, he saw what all the commotion was about. Two Pegasi were facing each other and shooting daggered glares at the other. A small circle of Pegasi had assembled around the pair, most having small debates with their neighbour about the verbal battle going on in front of them.

“I told you, it’s unheard of! The competition is exclusively for Pegasi; we cannot have other species participating in the events or it would no longer be the great Pegasus tournament. Let the others wait for the Ponylympic games if they want to compete against our kind.” The one on the right shouted. He was a pure white Pegasus.

“And I’ve told YOU that the pony in question was born a Pegasus. The only reason he has no wings is because they were dysfunctional; he couldn’t use them so he had them removed. Even his birth certificate verifies him as a Pegasus.” The other, a deep blue Pegasus mare, replied. “I want to speak with Lord Icewing about this.”

Before the white Pegasus could deny her, Scorched trotted in from a door across the hall. He looked exactly as he has 3 days ago; big and red. The only noticeable difference was the slight grin that he carried on his face, which faltered as he saw the argument and then resurged as his eyes fell upon Maverick.

“What seems to be the problem here?” He asked the argumentative pair of Pegasi. The blue unicorn presented her problem and the white one presented his objections, after which Scorched told them to bring their quarrel to Lord Icewing, who had just finished his meeting with the mayor of Cloudsdale.

The squabble dealt with, Scorched approached Maverick, his grin evolving into a full-blown smile. “Maverick, you don’t know how glad I am to see you. Lord Icewing has been eagerly awaiting your arrival, and I wanted to thank you again for helping me see the light. Thanks to my recent turn around, I’ve already almost regained by previous position, but things are going so much more smoothly now; the reputation of the Lightning wings has diminished as a commanding dictatorship and returned to that of peacemakers and bandit hunters.” He looked down, his features now showing his shame. “I can’t believe how much wrong I was doing.” He perked back up almost instantly. “But never mind about that; you may have to wait a few minutes now that I just sent those Pegasi to talk to him, but I’m sure Lord Icewing will want to talk with you as soon as he’s done.”

And so he did. The pair of squabbling Pegasi came out moments later, the blue mare sporting a winning smile while the white one glared at the ground in front of him. Their departure was quickly followed by an over exited Scorched dragging Maverick in to the room they had just left.

“My lord, Maverick is here.” He announced, pushing Maverick in and shutting the curtain behind the two of them. Maverick’s eyes open wide at the sight he beheld upon seeing the Lightning wing’s leader.

Lord Icewing looked exhausted. His eyes had huge, noticeable purple circles all around them. His coat was filthy, covered with dirt and sweat, and he was slouching in his seat, barely able to keep himself awake.

However, when he saw who Scorched had dragged in, Icewing began to grin. “I’ve been waiting for you, Maverick. I-” He broke off into a yawn. “I’m sorry; preparing the games had taken much more time and energy then I’m used to spending in one sitting. It seems like everything that could go wrong IS going wrong. Arguments, weather schedules, event participation, materials… Until that young Twilight Sparkle offered to help me sort out all the different issues and organise a list of priorities, I thought I might have to delay the games. She’s a life saver.” Clearly the world number one Pegasus was not one for leading, despite being a leader.

Scorched’s grin fell a bit as he saw the state his leader was in. “My lord, I think you should take a break from leading the organisation of the games. You’ve hardly slept during the past two days.”

Icewing nodded a bit. “I know; I’ll get to it soon. Go tell that Twilight girl that I’d be very grateful if she would take my place for the rest of the day.” Scorched saluted and left the room. “I’m sorry I’m not really in a fit state to speak, but I just wanted to thank you for what you did with Scorched. Not many humans have shown the bravery and ingenuity that you did.” He yawned again. “I think I’ll take my leave now, unless you wanted something?”

After Maverick assured Lord Icewing that he was fine, the Pegasus lumbered unsteadily from his chair and off towards a door in the back of the room. Just before he passed through, he told Maverick to get Scorched to give him a tour of the training center.

Maverick, now alone, returned to the room he’d been standing in before. It was almost empty, with just a few Pegasi standing in a corner talking about the games and debating which events to enter.

As Maverick waited for Scorched to return from his assignment, he reviewed his mental checklist of things to do:

1- Take a shower. (priority)
2- Shave.
3- Get the clothes from Rarity. (do not let Rainbow pay)
4- Get a job of some sort.
5- Ask about varying diet.

He also added settle relationship issue and learn about what being in a relationship means. He felt as if there was something he was forgetting, but it wasn’t all that important at the moment since Scorched had just walked back in.

“Well, she certainly wasn’t unhappy about her new job.” Scorched responded to Maverick’s question on how it went. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony get so happy about being assigned extra work. Must be a unicorn thing.” He reasoned, a confused frown on his lips.

Maverick couldn’t stop a wide smile from forming. “Must be. Lord Icewing asked me to get you to give me a tour of the facility. I hope I’m not imposing.”

“Oh no, it’s fine. One pony won’t make a difference in the planning of the games.” Scorched replied. “Come on, I’ll show you the stadium where the air races will be.”

And so he did. Imagine the best young fliers’ competition stadium. Now imagine it 10 times bigger. Now add in a ton of colored drapes representing the different colours of the ponies attending. Add in seating that surrounds the stadium; a race track on the outside; an obstacle course on one half and a shooting range on the other. Now you got the idea.

“It’s HUGE!” Maverick shouted.

“Of course. Flying is much faster than running, so we need to have a stadium that can accommodate the extra distance.” Scorched replied. “Oh look, the two mile dash is about to start.” He added, indicating a line of Pegasi that were fluttering in place.

“So this stadium is two miles wide?” Maverick asked as he leaned against the bleachers, intent on observing the race.

“The race track is. The stadium itself stretches to 3 miles with the seats and all that included. It was sup-” Scorched was cut off by a loud bang, and the Pegasi exploded into action. The race wasn’t organised at all like a 100 meter dash. Instead, the Pegasi flew with two different styles; either they raced out ahead, or they drafted behind another to reduce the strain.

The race was only about two minutes long, but in that span, almost all the Pegasi had stopped. Scorched explained that as soon as victory became impossible, they would conserve their strength for the next run. The winner was a purple Pegasus with black and red hair.

As a second line of Pegasi flew up for the next run, Scorched led Maverick out onto the field. “Races aren’t the only event of these games. We also have contests for endurance, dexterity, strength, agility, performance and so on.” He pointed to the sky where a group of Pegasi were performing a synchronised aerial routine, then to the ground where there was a small group on the shooting range doing…

“Archery!” Maverick exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to try that. But how do they hold the bows?”

Instead of answering, Scorched let Maverick find out for himself. One of the Pegasi reared himself onto his hind legs, flapping his wings furiously to keep himself steady. He drew an arrow from his quiver and fitted it into the bow, pulling back hard on the string. He then took a few moments to steady himself, slowing his wing beets and trying to aim at the target. Maverick could see that he was very unsteady despite all attempts at control. He let go.

The arrow flew straight, but it missed the target altogether. Maverick noticed that the wall behind the targets, in which the arrow had lodged itself, was riddled with holes.

The Pegasus dropped back down to all fours, dissatisfied by his shot. A few targets down the range, a second Pegasus was using a different technique. He held the bow in his wings, drawing the arrow with his mouth and pulling back. He seemed much steadier, but as Maverick watched, the arrow flew even further off target then the first one. Before he could ask, scorched said: “When you use your wings, they block your vision, making aiming impossible. You have to rely on memory rather than sight. Also, holding the arrow in your mouth makes it very difficult to tell how much sting you favored left or right, which causes the arrow to fly crooked.”

Maverick nodded as he watched a few more shots. Only one actually hit the target, on the outer rim, which would be worth 1 point by human standards. “Why is this even an event if it’s so hard?” Maverick asked.

“Don’t forget that the point of these games isn’t to be easy; it’s to see who’s the best. These Pegasi train for days just to be able to hold a bow, and weeks to be able to shoot straight. It may not look like it, but they’re very dedicated to their sport.”

“Can I try?” Maverick asked. Scorched hesitated a few seconds before nodding. Maverick grabbed a bow from the rack that was a little off to the side of the range, as well as a quiver. He then took up and empty target and pulled out and arrow.

A few of the Pegasi turned, curious to see how this new participant would do. The first impression wasn’t a good one, as Maverick was holding the bow upside-down. He quickly righted himself and drew an arrow from the quiver, knocking it and pulling back of the string. He was surprised by the amount of resistance it offered. As Maverick is pretty weak, he began sweating jus from trying to pull the string back. A few of the Pegasi snickered, but they were quickly shushed by their peers, most of whom had heard of Maverick feats a few days past. This wasn’t someone you should underestimate.

As Maverick finally felt he wouldn’t be able to pull the sting back any further, he began aiming at the target. Quickly calculating that his shot would lose some height between him and the target, Maverick tilted the bow slightly higher than he felt he should. He also moved it a smidge to the left to take into account the slight wind that was blowing. Finally, as his fingers began to scream out in pain, he loosed the arrow.

Unlike the other shots he’d seen that day, Maverick’s arrow did not fly fast and straight. Instead, it arched slightly through the air, at the height of its flight passing over the top of the target before falling back down slightly…

And hitting in the nine point ring.

As one, all the Pegasi that hadn’t been paying attention until that point turned to see who the shooter was. Their eyes fell upon a very surprised human, who was staring wide-eyes at his shot, a few centimetres too high to be a perfect bulls-eye. The Pegasi that had snickered earlier felt their lips part as they forgot to hold their mouths closed. One of them trotted up to Maverick, and asked the question which was now probably circulating through most of their minds.

“Have you shot before?” She asked. She was a pale shade of blue, not unlike Rainbow Dash.

Maverick shook his head, still in awe at his first ever try. A few of the Pegasi clapped their hooves together for him, followed quickly by the masses.

One pony though, unlike the rest, was staring intently at Maverick. She wasn’t here to participate in the sports like the others. Her only job was to help with the preparations for the event, a job which she was doing magnificently as she ordered around a few Pegasi. However, at the moment, her indigo eyes were locked onto Maverick. As he shyly accepted the praise of the Pegasi, her eyes drifted to his hips. It was a long standing question amongst the ponies of Equestria; could humans get cutie marks? So far none of them had succeeded, but the purple unicorn, who also happened to be very knowledgeable, was perfectly aware that there was nothing disproving the possibility. Could his clothes be hiding an archery cutie mark? Probably not; after all, if ponies had to discover their own cutie mark, then this human would have to realise that archery was his. After all, no one simply picked up a bow and hit and almost perfect bulls-eye.

But now wasn’t the time to confront him. Twilight turned away from the Pegasi which were now peppering Maverick with questions and returned to the job at hand. She couldn’t tell him archery was his cutie mark; it was almost considered criminal to help a young colt or filly determine their cutie mark. However, she would research the subject later that night, and then maybe… prod him in the right direction.

A little ways away, Scorched was trying to rescue Maverick from the mob of Pegasi which were surrounding him, wanting to know his secret. Eventually they cleared off, asking as a group if he would show them again. Maverick happily agreed, knocking another arrow. He repeated his adjustments, keeping the same height but lowering the tension by the tiniest amount so his shot wouldn’t fly quite as high. The second arrow hit the target in the ten point zone, barely, but the Pegasi around him cheered all the louder. When he told them that he really had no idea how he had managed it, explaining that it just ‘felt right’, they accepted it without question, instead asking him if he might have any tips for them.

“Well,” he began. “It’s all about the aim. If you know where you want the arrow to go, then put it there. Being blinded by your wings shouldn’t matter if you already know where the arrow is going. Just stare at the target while you pull out the bow; even once it disappears from view, you should still know where it is.” He had no idea if his suggestion was right or wrong, but he remembered from when he was learning how to drive at night that if you stared at where you wanted to go, you could keep your orientation even in pitch blackness.

The Pegasi eagerly returned to their individual targets, preparing themselves with the new advice they had. Scorched trotted up to Maverick, giving him a few words of praise for his actions, which were sure to buy him even more respect amongst the flying race of ponies. From there the pair moved on the watch some of the other performances.

However, one thought would linger in Maverick head long past the acrobatic displays and obstacle course runs; why had the ponies discovered bows? Was it just something they took from the human, or maybe only for sport? Or was there another, darker reason?

Rainbow left Maverick with a scowl on her face. She hated leaving him alone due to the scuffle with Scorched; she feared that he would somehow manage to fall into more dangerous situations, but what choice did she have?

‘You could have brought him with you.’ A voice whispered in her mind.

She waved the thought away. Planning weather schedules and then dragging the clouds into their respective places was far too boring. She had no intention of subjecting him to that kind of torture.

‘If it was with you, he’d probably be fine with it.’

She waved it off again; no point in second guessing herself at this point, it was already too late to go back and still make it to work on time. Not that Rainbow had ever cared about making it to work on time, but maybe learning some responsibility would be a good asset. After all, you were supposed to be responsible in a relationship, right?

As she left Maverick behind, the pain began to make itself heard. Rainbow ignored it, instead directing her thoughts to her workload for the day. She probably needed to catch up on the schedule that she hadn’t done in forever, and moving all the clouds would be an annoying chore. She’d have to submit a request to the cloud makers too for a bunch of cumulonimbus clouds for the storm that was coming up.

A sigh escaped her as she thought of all the work she’d been putting off for a few shifts now. She knew the other weather ponies assigned to Ponyville would probably have done some of her work, but she couldn’t just shove it all on them.

Her place of employment began to enter her field of vision; the cloud factory. She never enjoyed the sight, as it meant another day of work, but even she had to admit it was pretty innovative compared to the other technology in Equestria. What with the assembly lines and the giant, automated cloud sorting and distribution machine. It would probably replace weather ponies all together within the next decade, assuming progress kept going at a solid pace.

Wanting to take as much advantage of her on-timeeness as she could, Rainbow flew straight to her supervisor’s office. Since she was the lead Pegasus of Ponyville’s weather team, she had to report to her supervisor at every shift so she could give him a detailed explanation of how things were going and ask if anything unusual had to be addressed in Ponyville’s weather schedule.

As Rainbow landed outside her boss’s office, she took a quick second to check the time. She was 5 minutes early, a very good achievement for her. She passed a quick hoof through her mane before going to knock.

However, before she could, the door opened inwards and she saw Cloud Kicker making her way out. A surprised glance passed between the pair. Rainbow made nothing out of the other Pegasus’s presence, assuming the boss had just called her in for a quick word about her work. When Cloud Kicker looked down and mumbled and apology, however, before running off, Rainbow began to feel apprehensive.

“Come in, Rainbow Dash.” Her boss called. As she stepped into the office, she noticed that her boss had rearranged the place. Brushing this aside, she took a seat in her usual chair across from him.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it Miss Dash?” He asked nonchalantly.

Rainbow gave a confused tilt of her head. “Not really, my last shift was like, last week.”

“Was it? Funny, I don’t remember seeing you last week.”

Now Rainbow was even more confused. “But you told me last week that I needed to organise a storm for Ponyville because it was due for one. Remember, you even told me to make sure we would have enough cumulonimbus clouds for the whole thing.”

Her boss looked up from some papers on his desk. His eyes were those of a pony who had lost a dear friend. “Rainbow, that storm was 3 months ago.”

Rainbow felt as if her stomach had dropped out of her body as her boss continued. “You were acting off for a while before that; shirking your duties and missing whole weeks in a row. I hoped that you were just having a bad day at the start, but when you didn’t come to my office for a month straight, instead forcing Cloud Kicker to come instead, I had to make a decision.” He paused to take a deep breath before dropping the bomb. “Rainbow, you haven’t been in charge of Ponyville’s weather team for about 2 months now. Cloud Kicker is the new head pony.”

Rainbow wanted to say something, but she had no idea what. “You’re still on the weather team, of course, but you almost never show up for your shifts. I was considering firing you at some point, but Celestia came to me herself, offering to pay your salary and asking that I just keep scheduling you like I always do. So I did.” He locked his eyes with Rainbow. “What happened to you, Rainbow? You can’t hide it from me; something broke you, didn’t it? You were never my most reliable employee, but you always managed to get the job done eventually, and when we were in a pinch, you always managed to get it done before the deadline.” She saw a tear well up in the corner of his eye before he blinked it away. “Come back to us. I know you get a lot of hate because of the humans, but not everypony hates you; I don’t hate you.”

As Rainbow sat there, somewhat speechless, her boss slowly regained his composure. He gave a slight cough and thanked her for coming in before dismissing her. As Rainbow made her way out, tears leaking from her eyes, she turned her head back to her boss and said: “I’ll be back soon, boss, thanks.”

Rainbow wouldn’t see the tears in her boss’s eyes as she flew off to find her new supervisor.

*****

Cloud Kicker sighed as she though back to her unconventional meet up with Rainbow. She been great friends with the cyan Pegasus, and stealing her job had been the hardest decision of her life. But in the end, the weather team needed a leader, not a no-show, so she’d taken the position. Back then she’d assumed Rainbow would have been pissed, but the next shift they had together, Rainbow hadn’t even noticed when Cloud Kicker had given her directions.

She gave a hard kick to a nearby cumulous, causing it to disperse in midair. Rainbow had been losing her mind and she hadn’t even noticed it until her boss asked her to step up. What kind of friend was she? How could she not have seen the signs? Looking back now, she realised that all of their conversations had been amazingly one side, the rainbow maned Pegasus only giving short answers, if any at all. Rainbow, who used to boast to the point of conceitedness, had clamed up, and Cloud Kicker hadn’t even noticed!

Before she could vent her frustration on another undeserving cloud, she saw the pony occupying her thoughts flying towards her. Uh oh, could the boss have spilled the beans? Had Rainbow finally woken up? Although nothing would make Cloud happier, she knew that Rainbow would be pissed. And nopony pissed off Rainbow Dash (and escaped the hospital)!

However, before she could say anything to defend herself, Rainbow landed in front of her and gave her a hug, startling her supervisor. Was this a new tactic? Draw them into a false sense of security and then BAM!?

“Thanks, Cloudy, for taking over for me.”

Aha, she knew it, Rainbow was fu- what?

“Um, you’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“I stole your job! You were always the highest of Ponyville’s weather team, since before I joined the team! And not just that, but I didn’t even know you weren’t okay! The boss had to come up and ask me to step up before I even realised there was a problem! Even after that, what did I do to help you? I’ve done nothing! What kind of pathetic excuse for a friend am I?” She took a deep breath, probably to continue, but she was interrupted in her tirade.

“Cloudy, you did the right thing. I was… am in no fit state to be in charge of our weather team.” Rainbow said with an understanding smile. “And there really wasn’t much you could have done to help me. If my closest friends couldn’t do anything, then it’s not surprising that you couldn’t. But I’m going to get better, and when I do, you better watch out or I’ll steal that position right back from ya.” She said, a competitive glint in her eyes. “Now, what do you want me to do, boss?”

Cloud Kicker smiled. It was bittersweet, but she knew that she would eventually have her friend back. “Not much to do today, Miss Dash. We’re merely required to displace the clouds from the factory to the destination, Ponyville.”

Rainbow, who had been hoping to fluster her friend with her new title, ended up not understanding a word she said. “Um, one more time, in English please Cloudy.”

Cloud Kicker let out a bark of laughter before repeating the order in Rainbowdahsien. Once she understood, Rainbow quickly rounded up the light cloud coverage they would need. She calculated that it would take the pair of them 4 trips each to get all the clouds in place. Of course, this being Rainbow Dash, there was only one thing in her mind.

“Wanna-”

“Race?” Cloud Kicker finished for her. “Now that sounds like the Dash I know.” Without a second of delay, Cloud Kicker took off with her first bundle, leaving the cyan Pegasus in the dust.

“HEY!” Rainbow grabbed her own bundle of clouds and sped off after her lavender counterpart. She might be out of it, but Cloud Kicker was not an athletic speed demon with an amazing understanding of wind currents and a bruised ego. She caught up within a minute and quickly took the lead. However, Rainbow couldn’t keep her pace, so she slowed down the moment she had a decent lead. After all, slow and steady and whatnot.

The gap between the two held firm for the first two trips, but even with her lack of devotion to her training schedule, Rainbow still had better endurance. At this point, Cloud Kicker would need a miracle to catch up.

Instead, she got a curse. As Rainbow was about to arrive at Ponyville with her third bundle of clouds, she felt a lightning bolt of pain rip through her whole body. She had a seizure in mid-air, after which her body managed to glide on in auto-pilot for a few moments. This would not last, however, and once it ended, she began to plummet back down to earth a few miles short of Ponyville.

Cloud Kicker saw the whole scene unfold from a mile behind Rainbow. The moment her friend appeared to fall unconscious, she dropped the clouds she was holding and, at a potentially record-breaking pace, managed to catch Rainbow a few meters off the ground.

Rainbow, still semi-conscious, would hear her friend shout her name a few times before she felt herself being lifted and carried off. The last thing she would remember was the scent of dew before she blacked out.

*****

As Rainbow woke from her nap, the first thing that she remembered was that she had lost something. But what had that something been? A race? That sounded right. No, wait, she never lost a race! The other racer must have cheated! It was impossible for her to lose, except maybe to the Wonderbolts…

The next thing to come back was her demotion. It had stung a bit at first, but she acknowledged the fact that she wasn’t really in the best of places to be making complaints. After all, she was hardly a role model for the other members of the team.

One by one, her memories returned. Cloud Kicker had taken her job, they’d raced, and she’d fell. As she sat up in her hospital bed, her mind sowed itself back together. It was all well and good until Maverick came back into the picture, triggering the unyielding pain that being apart from him created. She hissed under her breath at its appearance.

Almost at once, a nurse strode into the room, seemingly by accident. When she saw that the rainbow maned Pegasus was awake, she checked her vitals and informed her of her situation, which Rainbow had already managed to piece together. Satisfied that she wasn’t going to pass out again, the nurse left again and a doctor appeared a few moments later in her stead. To Rainbow’s surprise, it was the same doctor that had informed her of her depression induced love.

Before she could even ask, he answered her question. “It’s even rarer than your imprinting. Well, that was the first time I’ve ever seen a pony imprint on a human, so perhaps it’s just as rare. If my assumptions are correct, which is that you fainted because of the same pain you were speaking of before, then you are suffering from the most severe case of separation anxiety that I’ve ever seen! I’ve seen it before; mostly in new couples in which one of both members suffer from low self-esteem or insecurities. They fear what their partner is doing behind their back, and all it takes is one shred of evidence, no matter how small or misunderstood, to send them spiraling into a fear induced depression. It’s also very common in animals such as dogs, who are upset when their master isn’t around. However, you seem to be, quite literally, unable to let him out of your sight.” The doctor explained.

“Is there a cure? Please tell me there’s a cure; I can’t live my whole life without letting Maverick leave my side. For one, he’ll find it really weird. But I mean come on, there has to be something!?” Rainbow begged.

“Unfortunately, although I can offer medication to help alleviate the pain, it won’t get rid of it entirely. This is something you’ll have to overcome on your own. Don’t worry; with time, you should gain the confidence to separate, but until then, I recommend that you avoid it as much as possible. Normally I would never give this type of advice; feeding a fear is no way to deal with it. But in your case, it could turn out lethal if the pain were to overwhelm you when you aren’t in a situation during which you can cope with it, such as flying. I can recommend a therapist to you who might be able to help, maybe.” He levitated a pen and paper over, scribbling down an address. “He works from home. If you agree, I’ll pass him a message and tell him to expect you in the next few days, hm?”

Rainbow sighed and nodded. It seemed like every time her life was becoming a little better, it took a turn for the worse. She wasn’t sure if she would have preferred to continue sinking in her depression rather than waking up and having to face the music. It was, however, too late to turn back now; she would have to press on, and one day she would be back on top.

After collecting the address and the medication, and swallowing a pill, she made her way outside.

“Rainbow!” Cloud Kicker jumped her the moment she saw her, pulling into a bone-cracking hug and subtly wiping away a few tears of joy that had leaked out at seeing her friend able to walk out so swiftly. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine Cloudy, I’m fine. It was just a… um, residual effect of the depression. I’m, uh, going to need some time off though.”

Cloud Kicker nodded. “Whatever you need, just get better.”

As they walked out of the hospital together, Cloud Kicker kept one eyes glued on her friend, making sure she was okay. Because of this, she noticed a slight trembling overcoming the cyan Pegasus. It wasn’t much but it pushed her to ask her friend if she was okay.
“Really, I’m fine Cloudy. I just need to get back home. I’ll be staying out of the sky for the next little while.” Rainbow explained, trying hard to tell her friend the truth while withholding as much information as she could. Although there was no reason she couldn’t lie about her problem, she didn’t really want to.

The pair of Pegasi made their way back to Cloudsdale together, with the lavender mare keeping a tight watch on the cyan mare. Once they were safely on the clouds, Cloud Kicker parted with Rainbow, although quite grudgingly. She was still quite worried about her friend, and she wanted to make sure Rainbow made it home okay. However, Rainbow had told her she’d be fine, and Cloud Kicker hadn’t wanted to insist. So it was with a somewhat guilty conscience that she made her way back to the cloud factory. She resolved herself to go by and visit her friend later in the day, just to be sure.

On her end, Rainbow began trotting off towards the training center. She had a human to reunite with, and she had absolutely no intention of delaying that reunion for a second longer then was necessary.

“Of course we have work. There are like, a million things that we do here; I’m sure we can find somewhere you fit in.”

Once Scorched had finished showing Maverick around the track-and-field, Maverick had popped the question, so to speak.

“Of course, over half of those things require wings, but I’m sure we have something available. What I’m more scared of is making sure the other Pegasi are cool with it. As you well know by now, not everypony has the fondest opinions of your kind.”

The pair continued on in silence for a brief moment as Scorched pondered the potential positions that Maverick could fill. He realized quite quickly that the pool of possibilities wasn’t as large as he first thought. In a matter of minutes he’d narrowed down his list to under twenty positions, most of which were already occupied posts.

“This may be harder than I thought…”

*****

“And that’s the situation. Do you think you could find a post for him?”

Scorched, even after half an hour of walking and thinking, couldn’t think of any open positions. As such, he’d done the only thing he could think of; he went to see the owner of the training center, or at least the stand in.

Of course, since the owners were currently the Wonderbolts, who had bought the giant stadium from its previous owner, they couldn’t be present to manage it 24/7. As such, they had hired a pony whose job was to keep it running in tip-top condition.

Said pony was currently studying Maverick with a critical eye. A piercing yellow eye with a gaze like a hawk. The other eye was staring off in another direction, unable to focus on the same point.

“He might…” Derpy began. “Be able to fill a unique position, but I’ll need to check with my researchers first. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get back to you.” The dismissal was clear, and Maverick left with Scorched to wait for the gray mare to make her decision.

“I-” Maverick began.

“Don’t bother saying it; I already know what you want to ask. Most humans don’t meet her, and those who came before season two didn’t know. This is, indeed, the mare you call “Derpy”. Her real name is Fuchsia, and the story that comes with her is tragic.

“Fuchsia used to be, as you’ve probably guessed, the most beautiful shade of fuchsia. She was also one of the most brilliant flyers in all of Equestria. She was to join the Wonderbolts eventually. However, that was before the humans… changed her.

“As season two began, the humans desired a new level of comedic relief. They thought that a pony who appeared to be silly, clumsy and mentally-unstable would be a good idea. We, of course, have ponies that fill that role. The problem is that they aren’t very good at following orders. The humans found one particular pony by the name of Grey that fit the bill. She looks exactly as Fuchsia does now; gray, yellow mane, cross-eyed, not too bright. However, Grey just couldn’t understand what the humans wanted of her. The humans, seeing that they couldn’t use her, got angry. At this point, let’s just say that Grey is no longer amongst us.” A soft gasp escaped Maverick’s lips. Scorched chose to ignore it.

“The humans anger sated, they wished to continue their search. However, one of them had an idea. Why not take the image of Grey and place it on the body of a mentally-stable pony? That way the pony would understand the commands and still give the desired comedic relief. It was the perfect solution. All the humans needed was a pony.

“Well, we had plenty of those available. The humans scouted amongst the Pegasi, searching for the one that they wanted. Poor Fuchsia never had a chance. The moment they saw her, they were smitten. Maybe they envied her beauty, or perhaps it was that they found her too colourful. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, they took Fuchsia with them. They forced a unicorn to change her colour. If they had ended it there, she would still be fine.

“But they didn’t. They forced the unicorn to edit her brain as well. They made her cross-eyed and clumsy, but made sure to leave her smarts intact. Once she was finished, they deleted her memories, forcing the unicorn to replace them with strange, half-finished ones. She’ll never be able to remember how she was before; she’ll never join the Wonderbolts; and worst of all, she doesn’t even blame them. She doesn’t know what they did to her, and nopony has the heart to tell her the truth. This is one the largest driving forces behind our hatred of humans.

“Of course, the humans wouldn’t go completely unpunished. As soon as Celestia heard the news, she went on a rampage. She swore to the humans that if they ever did that to another of her subjects, she would personally kill every single one of them, even if that meant the end of her world. They might need the humans to survive, but if the humans were going to kill her kind and destroy their minds, she’d rather death for all of them.

“That may sound extreme to you, but the ponies stood behind their monarch. Many ponies knew Grey, and even more knew Fuchsia and her potential. We already suffer more than any race should have to and we won’t accept to anything worse.”

Finally finished with his tirade, Scorched looked over to Maverick. He realised, a bit belatedly, that he’d been stomping around and shouting, due to the hoof marks on the clouds and the way Maverick was covering his ears.

“Sorry about that.” He grinned sheepishly. “It’s a good thing the doors and walls are sound-proof or I would have told Fuchsia the whole story.”

“That’s…”

“Tragic, I know. I saw Fuchsia a few days before the change, and the moment I heard about what they did to her, I rushed to see her in the hospital.” Scorched’s eyes narrowed frighteningly, but also began to glaze over with repressed tears. “I was, of course, too late. The doctors tried to pull back the memories that the other unicorn destroyed, but there was nothing they could do. The other unicorn was ‘imprisoned’ for her crimes. I say imprisoned lightly; it was more of a way to protect her from the ponies that would wish her harm because of her actions. She didn’t do it by choice, but some ponies just wouldn’t understand that…” He paused briefly. Maverick had an idea of what was coming next, and wasn’t surprised to be correct. “Fuchsia and I had been dating at the time. I saw her 2 days before they nabbed her. We were having dinner together. It was after they destroyed her that I began to lose myself as well.” He gave Maverick a warm, albeit bittersweet smile. “I wish you could have saved her instead of me, but we can’t get everything we want in life.”

At that Scorched fell silent. Maverick followed suit, mostly due to the fact that he was speechless. He’d never really liked his race; after all, they only seemed to know how to hurt others, what with all the wars they fought and the fact they hogged all the land away from the other living creatures that needed it. Humans were destroying the planet and each other, to what end?

His loathing of his own race would have to wait, however, as they were called back in to hear Fuchsia’s answer.

“I think we’ve found something. As you know, we haven’t seen much human activity up here in Cloudsdale due to Rainbow’s lack of popularity. As such, my research and development department would be overjoyed if you’d agree to help them by being a research subject.” She explained.

“Um, I, um, well, um, what?” Maverick stuttered as Scorched mirrored his speech with his body language.

Fuchsia couldn’t help but snort at the pair of them. “It’s not what you’re thinking. They just want to watch you do stuff like running, jumping, lifting, you know, to test your physical capabilities. They’ll record the data and use it to pull some statistical stuff. Something like that; I don’t quite get it, but don’t tell them that.”

“Oh, um, if that’s all then sure.”

“Great! Just come by whenever you have some free time and they’ll get started. It’s not like they do anything else anyway.” She let a sudden, shrill laugh which sounded disturbingly like a squeal of joy. When both males gave her a confused glance, she just waved them away, giggling.

“Is that..?” Maverick asked once they were safely out of ear-shot of the gray pony.

“A side effect? Not that I’m aware of, but who knows; she’s changed a lot since that day…” Silence prevailed once again as the two slowly made their way through the giant complex. Scorched wasn’t really leading Maverick anywhere, instead thinking about how unfair life was for the pony kingdom. Maverick’s thought wandered on a path parallel to Scorched’s, instead focusing on how he would help the ponies even if it meant throwing away his own happiness. However, it seemed like it would be the exact opposite; he’d never been happier than he was at the moment.

Seeing as both parties (Pinkie: “Did somepony say parties!”) were lost in thought, neither one noticed that they were making their way back to the entrance. As such, when Rainbow walked in to ask where Maverick was, she saw him first.

The trembling that she had been present since she woke disappeared; the pain dimming back down to nothingness. Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. She was a junkie, drugged up on love.

A sudden urge to pounce on Maverick and rut him sprang up in her mind, causing her to blush scarlet and forcing her wings up. Some of the Pegasi nearby chuckled at the sight of Rainbow desperately trying to force down her wingboner, a few trying to find the stud that caused it. The cyan Pegasus was dying of embarrassment, desperate to get out of sight until she’d calmed her wayward wings. She moved quickly into the restroom, rushing back out and then proceeding into the mare’s restroom a few moments later.

It was empty inside, allowing her some measure of privacy. This privacy, however, was accompanied by a slight flare of discomfort as well as more dirty images flooding her mind. This in turn only furthered the stiffening of her wings. A slight whiff of a very, VERY familiar scent caught her attention.

‘Oh this is NOT a good time…’ She sighed mentally. She was doctor-prescribed to stick as close to Maverick as possible, and being stuck next to her boyfriend while in heat was not going to have positive repercussions, assuming she didn’t want to become a mother.

Of course, she couldn’t just sit in the bathroom forever. Rainbow splashed some water on her face, trying to calm herself down. What she really needed right now was a long, thick pole-like object. Unfortunately, no such object presented itself. Sighing, Rainbow tried again to fold her wings. They complied a bit, but there was no way she’d get them back to normal with such… vivid pictures floating around her mind. She tried to shift her thoughts over to a turnoff, any turnoff, but now that she was horny, most things that would usually work only seemed to turn her more on. When even a scene between Twilight, Cheerilee and her roleplaying a Daring Doo fantasy failed, she bucked her hind legs against a nearby wall. It was then that she remembered; the pain! She focused on the pain, willing it to hurt her more, trying to rip away her arousal with suffering.

It began to work, and with agonising slowness she managed to force her wings down. The pain was quickly becoming overwhelming, but she knew that it would disappear in an instant. Now she just needed a way to keep her wings down until they were home. With her arousal sedated, she re-summoned the image of the three-way, as well as some thoughts of raping Spike. These disgusting, morbid thoughts served her well, causing her wings to cease any residual resistance.

Now that she could move without fear of her feelings being discovered, Rainbow made her way back outside. She saw Maverick immediately, and the pain evaporated again. Her wings strained a bit, trying to rise, but she held them down.

Maverick’s back was to her, as was Scorched, so Rainbow still had the element of surprise on her side. Moving stealthily, the Pegasus wove her way through the other ponies until she was behind them. She got as close as possible while still remaining out of sight, until she heard their conversation, which caused her to freeze and listen.

“Poor girl, I don’t know how I’d feel if everybody hid something like that from me. I mean, I understand why you did it, and I agree that it’s for a good reason, but if she ever found out…” Maverick said.

Rainbow’s ears perked up. Who were they talking about? Was it her? She couldn’t hear Scorched’s reply, so she sneaked a little closer as Maverick spoke again.

“Well that’s good. If you all work together, I’m sure she’ll never find out.”

Rainbow missed another line from Scorched, to which Maverick replied: “I’m sure she was before that happened, but she hasn’t lost all of her beauty. It’s still there, just in a different form.”

Rainbow gave a confused shake of her head. What happened? To who? It couldn’t possibly be her.

“Did you ever love another, Maverick?” She heard Scorched this time.

Maverick hesitated for a long time before saying: “No, I went on one date in my whole life, and it was such a titanic failure. Since then, dating was never even a thought in my mind, loving even less. I mean, I still look at girls the same way, and I still judge them by their personality to see if we could be compatible, but between the bad date, my already pretty low self-esteem and the fact that I don’t like my appearance, I’ve never actually tried to ask another one out.” He paused briefly before adding. “I’m too scared of making a mistake.”

Rainbow let out a tiny gasp. He was insecure too! She wanted to spring forward and tackle him in a hug; to reassure him that she would always love him, no matter how many mistakes he made. Instead, she backed away, putting enough distance to make sure he wouldn’t think she’d heard him.

“Maverick!” She called out, a little too happily. ‘Remember, he’s your friend for now, boyfriend later. Maybe lover…’ Her wings gave an involuntary twitch. ‘Later!’

The smile that materialised on his face told other stories, but he managed to hide it before anyone but Rainbow could see it. It changed to a confused frown. “Rainbow, hey. Um, that was a quick shift…”

“Oh, yeah, wasn’t much to do today, hehe.” She rubbed the back of her mane, embarrassed. Rainbow could think up the most intricate lie ever, but put her on the spot and she was as bad as Applejack. “Anyway, did you talk to lord Icewing?”

“Yeah, we had a quick chat. He wasn’t all there though; he looked like he was about to fall asleep in his chair. I got work too; whenever you have a shift, I can just pop in here. It’s perfect!” Maverick’s giddy smile returned.

Rainbow smiled back as Maverick gave her a summary of the trip he took, starting with the debate, then his meeting with Icewing, the trip to the stadium, a quick summary of how he got his job, and then the random way he made his way back to the front. She missed most of it, however, as she was focusing very hard on not letting her thoughts stray to steamier regions.

When he finally finished with his tale, Rainbow made a few comments, trying to prove she’d been paying attention. He seemed to fall for it, so she turned to Scorched and asked if he was finished with him so that they could leave. When Scorched nodded, the pair departed. Rainbow took to the sky, knowing full well that it wasn’t safe due to her arousal, but they needed to get to Rarity’s so Maverick could try on the clothes. Luckily, they made it there without any accidents.

“Hello dears, come along, I have made many designs, most of which should fit with your rather peculiar assembly of oddities.” Rarity explained as she led the pair to her designing room. “I must admit, I’ve never worked with anything like you before, dear. Your personality, your birthday, your upbringing; it’s almost as if your whole life is in conflict with itself. You gravitate towards almost no base designs, but I think I’ve managed to create a whole new style because of you.”

She had Maverick stand on the dais again, pulling out a few of the pieces she’d thought had less of a chance; might as well get the failures out of the way first. “Rainbow dear, you don’t need to stay for this; I can’t imagine how boring you’ll find it.”

Rainbow made to protest, but then she realised that it was the perfect excuse for her to deal with her needs, so she thanked Rarity and made her exit. She didn’t go far though, instead choosing to borrow Rarity’s bathroom. Luckily for her, the bathroom was right next to the designing room, so she could still hear Maverick’s voice, albeit a bit muffled. It helped to hold the pain at bay as her hoof drifted down towards her rear.

*****

On the other side of the wall, Rarity had already discarded her first attempt, which, as she put it, “Clashed horribly with his eyes.” Maverick had absolutely no experience in fashion, and would have been glad if she’d just made him a few extra shirts, pants and underwear. Instead, he resigned himself to a few hours of torture.

The second outfit tore of him while placing a disgusted sneer on Rarity’s face, the third following a few minutes later. She had, of course, expected the first designs to fail, but it was still just as annoying to see herself being proved correct.

As she removed the forth shirt, she let out a short rant it French. “Mais ques’que je pensais?” It came out with a heavy English accent, but Maverick, who’s mind had been drifting around since the start, suddenly snapped to attention.

“Was that French?” He asked.

“Yes darling, it’s the only other human language present in our society. It is considered very high class to be able to speak French, especially in Canterlot. I’m still learning it, and I must say it is quite difficult.” She explained as she put on, examined, and removed the next piece. ‘Not too bad, but still not good.’

“Oh, mais ce n’est pas difficile du tout de parler le français.” Maverick spoke in perfect French, causing Rarity to freeze for a second.

“You speak French?”

“Of course, I went to a French school my whole life, although my mother tongue is English.”

Rarity’s eyes began to shine. “Could you teach me?”

“Um, I can try.”

She squealed, overjoyed, and reached for the next outfit, striking up a conversation in ‘fancy’ as AJ called it. Maverick would reply in the same language, correcting her whenever she made a mistake in word choice or pronunciation. The sitting seemed to fly by after that, with Maverick actually managing to enjoy himself as he instructed the white unicorn in the complicated art that was French grammar.

*****

Back in the bathroom, Rainbow was basking in the afterglow of her alone time. Maybe now she’d be able to keep her head on straight for a while. She cleaned up her mess and made her way out of the bathroom, opening the window so that Rarity wouldn’t suspect anything. She stole a quick glance in the room, but when she saw that they were still hard at work and speaking in another language, she decided not to interrupt them. Instead, Rainbow decided to get some more reading done.

She pulled out the two same books she’d deliberated on earlier. The horny part of her mind instantly vouched to keep reading the sex book, but she decided on the other, rationalising that the more she knew about human sex, the more she’d be tempted to pressure Maverick into banging her. So it’s with a heavy heart that she set aside her damning for later, instead picking up the book on human emotions and relationships.

The first chapter was similar to the other book; a summary of humans, both physically and mentally. Then it moved on to explain how humans had emotions like ponies, and weren’t soulless monsters like the majority of Equestria seemed to believe. It went on for a while about the history of humanity to prove its point. Rainbow kept skipping pages, eager to get to the relationship part. It took almost half the book, but she finally skipped past the section on sarcasm, an art that she had perfected long ago, and reached it.

“The first thing to remember about a human-pony relationship is that it will be exceedingly rare.” The chapter began. “This is due mostly to two reasons. The first is that most humans would find the idea of loving a pony to be repulsive. The second is that most ponies would find the idea of loving a human repulsive. If by chance a pony and a human who are open to this relationship stumble upon one-other, then the first condition is met. However, just because they are both open to the idea, does not mean they will be compatible. For example-”

“Blah, blah, blah.” Rainbow said as she skimmed over the rest of the page. “Get to the good part already.”

‘The good part’ as she called it didn’t actually come. The book was a summary of human emotions as well as a guide to finding potentially attractive traits in a human, including ways to let them know about these feelings and an explanation on how to determine if they were open to such relationships. It also cautioned about STD’s and all that sex stuff. However, the part Rainbow had been interested in, the actual dates, were summarised as ‘The same as any regular pony date.’ She slammed the book closed, frustrated. She’d already done everything the book offered up, although not quite in the same way it suggested. Now that she wanted help planning a real date and keeping it secret, the book told her to check another book, or maybe it assumed she already knew what to do.

It wasn’t the end of the world, of course. She’d just go to Twilight’s and ask her for a book on dating; no biggie. On the other hoof, she was left with nothing to do until Maverick was finished. As soon as the thought touched her mind, her eyes drifted over to the other book, her wings perking slightly and her cheeks reddening. What was the harm?

She didn’t need to be told twice. Rainbow snatched the book up as if it were about to fall off a cliff, resuming her lecture as if she’d never stopped it. (Chapter 6, for those who need a refresher.)

“There are many different approaches to sexual intimacy that can be observed. It is not uncommon for a sexual encounter to end with no actual intercourse, merely being acts of foreplay. It is not even necessary to achieve an orgasm, although most parties would not avoid this intentionally. For further information on sexual encounters in general, continue reading the present chapter. If the reader desires more specific details on certain aspects of sex, he or she should consult the index at the end of the book and refer themselves to the appropriate chapter.”

Rainbow flipped to the last page.

Chapter 1: Humans, a generalisation.
Chapter 2: Guidelines: the base of sex.
Chapter 3: The first time: how to bring it up.

3.5: First time do’s and don’ts.
Chapter 4: Foreplay.
Chapter 5: Intercourse.
Chapter 6: What comes next?
Chapter 7: Warnings and consequences.
Chapter 8: Annexes.

Rainbow flipped backwards to chapter 3, eyes filled with lust. That was exactly what she needed; how to ask Maverick to rut her. Then the rational part of her mind caught up with itself, causing her to pause.

‘It’s too early, I shouldn’t be doing this! Besides, what if he gets me pregnant? How the hay am I supposed to keep us a secret then?’ Her reasoning was sound, her ideals good. Clearly she had no intention of continuing to read, right?

“The first encounter is almost always awkward and difficult for both parties. Losing one’s virginity is, of course, not repeatable, and many ponies attempt to preserve this special event for their special somepony, that is to say, their husband or wife. For the purpose of this chapter, the writer assumes that both parties are inexperienced in the ways of sex.

“So you want to move on to the next step. You feel that you are ready to bring your relationship to the next level. But you’re scared; ‘What if my partner isn’t ready?’ you ask yourself. Or maybe you want this but aren’t prepared for the potential consequences of your actions? There are many reasons that cause us to hesitate when in a proper, committed relationship, to ask our partner for sex. Social taboos, insecurities and the lack of desire to become a mother/father are all good reasons to delay the first sexual encounter. But for how long are you willing to wait? How long is your partner willing to wait?

“Sex, although not a subject to be taken lightly, isn’t something that needs to be feared. We, as grown mares and stallions, realise that it is a very important part of a relationship. This does not change between humans and ponies. Although we’re still unsure if human can cause pony pregnancies and vice-versa, this book assumes it is a possibility. That being said, there are easy ways to deal with the fears of that first time.

“First and foremost is the fear or unwanted pregnancies. Many young mares across Equestria have this phobia, and with the arrival of the humans and the altered time flow, it seems to only be increasing the fear. The funniest thing is the absolute lack of any reason for its existence.

“As any pony in Equestria that should be reading this book knows, there is a very simple way to control child birth for mares. The simplest way is to avoid sex while a mare is in heat. However, since it is during this time that mares desire sex the most, we ponies have invented, even before the arrival of humans, the condom. With a 99.9% chance to stop unwanted pregnancies, it is the single most used method of birth control. Barring that, abortions, although considered immoral, are still an option. In summary, so long as proper protection is used, there is no reason to fear getting yourself or your human lover pregnant.

“Second, the fear of rejection. Many, if not all of us, have had this fear before. ‘What is their not ready? What if they don’t want to? Will they hate me forever if I bring it up?’ These thoughts are common amongst new couples, especially in mare. Socially speaking, it is tradition for the stallion to be the ‘sex crazed’ member of the relationship. Mares are, from a social point of view, required to wait until the stallion is ‘in the mood’. Conflictingly, if the mare isn’t ‘in the mood’, most will still submit the desires of their lover. This is not only completely unacceptable, but one of the very real traits we share with the human race.

“So, how to deal with this fear is what you’re probably waiting for. Allow me to spin you a scenario. You’ve (hopefully) been dating this human for long enough that you know them pretty well. You’ve probably had some disagreements, even some fights maybe. You’ve also had good times, suspicious times, confusing times etc. Now tell me, after reflecting upon all the time you’ve spent with this human, does it really seem logical to assume they would leave you out to dry just because you were a bit more eager than they were?

“Most of the time, when it comes to sex, both parts of the relationship are fully interested, even eager. As such, why is it we have such a hard time gathering up enough courage to ask our partner? If you want to become intimate, don’t you think it’s possible they’re in the same frame of mind? That being said, even if they aren’t interested yet, what are the odds that they’ll up and leave you just because you asked for something they weren’t ready to give?

Rainbow put the book down with a sigh. Could she honestly associate to what the book said? She hadn’t been with Maverick for a long time and she hadn’t gotten into any fights with him. She had no idea if he was as interested in this relationship as she was, for she was quite interested indeed.

‘I guess it couldn’t hurt to wait a bit longer.’ She thought to herself. Her heat surged in protest, but she ignored it, no longer in any sexy frame of mind. She closed the book and put it away before going to check on her boyfriend. On the way, she decided to check the time, and was amazed to find that she’d been reading for over two hours. Between the whole second book, what she’d read in the first and her ‘alone time’, it did seem like she’d managed quite a bit.

As she pushed open the door to Rarity’s working room, she was amazed to find outfits littering the floor. She didn’t even bother trying to count them, amazed at the amount of work her friend could do in such a short time frame.

“Rarity, I, you, I mean… How?” She stuttered.

Rarity shot her a gentle smile. “Creation overcame me. I must admit, your little friend was quite amazing. I don’t think many ponies could stand their way through a two hour fitting, but he’s something else. He spoke with me in French the whole time too, such a gentleman. I’ll warn you now Rainbow, he may not be in the best of moods right now, and I doubt he will ever willingly go through this again.”

Rainbow smiled back at her friend, remembering her first fitting with Rarity, before grimacing a bit. “How much do I owe you?”

“No you don’t Rainbow, you know my motto; I never accept bits for creations inspired by customer. Besides, so few of my designs actually fit his… unique persona.”

“But you’ll lose so much money, not to mention the time it took to make all of these!”

“And I have almost 5 completely new fashion lines because of it, each composed of at least 8 outfits and most of which would only take a few tiny adjustments to be suitable for our kind. Plus, with the recent sale I made, this barely scratched the amount of bits I have available.” She enthused. Rarity wasn’t being entirely truthful at this point; it would take almost 500 bits to replace all the materials she’d spent, but in her eyes, it was an investment towards a very immediate future, not to mention the fact that there was no way Rainbow would be able to pay that off. “Now collect your charge and depart with his new wardrobe; it’s getting late and I need to prepare myself for bed due to the fact that I have a big day tomorrow.” She floated over a pair of saddlebags. “All of his clothes are in there; try not to shake them too much.”

As Rarity made her escape into her kitchen, Maverick returned from the fitting room, wearing the same blue ensemble that he’d been wearing since day one and carrying a pair of blue track pants. Before Rainbow could say anything, he gave a huge sigh.

“That was exhausting! I’ve always hated shopping for clothes, but that was something else! That she-devil made me try on EVERY. SINGLE. THING. Even those she already knew would fail! If I ever need clothes again it’ll be too soon.” He slumped down on the dais.

“Sounds like someone’s ready for bed. Come on, let’s go home.” Rainbow said, slipping both sets of saddlebags on her back and offering him a lift.

It was on the way home that Maverick realised that he hadn’t paid for the clothes. He gave himself a mental rebuke, wishing to ask Rainbow how much it cost so he could pay her back, but unwilling to let her know that he’d conned some bits behind her back.

Instead, he asked: “Did you sign up for the race while you were at the Training center?”

“No, I forgot. Oh well, we’ll drop by tomorrow.”

The trip carried on in silence, and the pair got home without incident. There, Maverick finally got his shower and shave, discarding his used clothes for the pyjama’s Rarity had made for him. For the second time since Maverick’s arrival, they slept together in Rainbow’s bed, one determined to keep things chaste for his partner, the other lusting for the exact opposite from her partner.

Twilight sat in her study, lazily dragging a hoof back and forth across the floor. She had been studying up on Pegasi, but the more she read, the more she realised her mind wasn’t absorbing any of the information. Every time she would realise that she’d stopped paying attention, she would backtracked and begin again. This had been going on for over an hour before she finally gave up; deciding instead to focus on what was distracting her.

And that was probably a terrible decision. Thinking about Rainbow and her problems was giving Twilight gray hairs. Of course, she’d been worrying about this for months; ever since the girls had realised Rainbow was out of it. Now that it was worse, and on top of that, the fact that she couldn’t speak of Rainbow’s problems to the others, was really wearing her down.

Twilight didn’t like being worn down. She already had enough problems on her own without needing Rainbow’s on top of hers.

She felt bad instantly. Rainbow was in much worse state then she was and she needed to be there for her friend. Still, Twilight needed someone to talk to, much like Rainbow did. On top of that, Twilight felt she wasn’t the best pony to be giving out relationship advice, seeing as she’d been blinded by her first love, and her second was still blooming.

It’s because of these conclusions that, 5 minutes later, Twilight found herself in front of Sugarcube corners. She’d debated, briefly, which friend would be the best to share Rainbow’s secret with. At first, Rarity had made the most sense, seeing as she was good with romance and always willing to listen. But Pinkie had the one thing that Twilight needed; experience. Asides herself, Pinkie was the only other pony who’d loved a human. Unlike her, Pinkie’s relationship had gone well, until its tragic ending at least. On top of that, Pinkie could keep a secret.

She walked in. It was pretty late at night, so the shop was closed. However, as soon as she opened the door, Pinkie was at the register.

“Hey Twilight, what can I get you?” She chirped.

Figuring Pinkie would be more open to discussion if she played along with her; Twilight ordered a small banana split. When she was seated, she asked if Pinkie would sit with her.

“Only if it’s not too busy Twi, the cakes need a lot of help with the shop.”

Pinkie glanced around the shop playfully. Seeing that they were alone, she accepted Twilight’s offer, pulling up a tray of cupcakes for herself.

“What’s up?”

Twilight explained to Pinkie the situation she was in, leaving nothing out. Once she was done, she let out a short rant about her own feelings and how helpless she felt. Finally, she began crying, with Pinkie holding her and telling her that it’d be okay.

“It’s alright, Twi, it’s okay. Don’t worry; I’ll help you as much as I can.”

It took a while, but Pinkie eventually managed to calm Twilight down. “So, what do you want me to help you with first? Should I give Rainbow some dating advice? Maybe follow her around and make sure it goes perfectly? Should I prepare a room in my fungeon for their laughter torture?”

Twilight gave Pinkie an odd look. “Fungeon?”

“Yeah, like fun dungeon. It’s a play on words. So, good idea right? I’ll tickle them together until they lose their minds, clinging to each other since they were the only other creature present during the torturing. I even have an executioner’s costume!”

“No.” Twilight deadpanned. “You’re not supposed to know. I wasn’t supposed to tell anypony. I didn’t promise not to.” She added as Pinkie made to interrupt. “I sort of just kept talking after she asked me not to tell anypony. But I don’t want the whole town to know, so YOU have to promise me you won’t tell anypony.”

After Pinkie went through her odd little ritual, which was featured in the show and apparently very popular back in the human world, Pinkie said: “So, if I can’t help Rainbow, how do you want me to help you?” She asked.

“I don’t know, I guess I just wanted someone to vent to, and maybe you could tell me if I gave her the right advice?”

Pinkie smiled and tapped her head a few times. “Don’t worry Twi, aunty Pinkie Pie is always willing to help.” Twilight let the inappropriate age difference slide. “You gave fine advice, and even if it was somewhat short sighted, there’s not much you could do about that. It’s not your fault if you’re inexperienced.”

“But what do I tell here next time she comes and asks for advice?” Twilight whined

“I can’t help you with that, Twi. I don’t know what she’s going to ask for. The best I can tell you is to give your honest opinion, and if you reeeeeally believe in your advice, it’ll all work out for the best.” Pinkie replied, making a soft cooing noise and running her hoof through Twilight’s hair as if she were comforting a foal.

Twilight, in a strange, warped way, was enjoying Pinkie’s treatment. As Pinkie ran her hoof through Twilight’s hair, the latter began to fall asleep. She hadn't felt so safe in a long time, almost like when her brother used to tuck her in before bed, and she realised that she missed relying on others to help her with her problems.

After a few minutes, Pinkie stopped petting Twilight, smiling as her over-stressed friend hit the hay. She carefully lifted Twilight onto her back, trying not to disturb her rest, and walked her upstairs to her bed. After she transferred her, Twilight squirmed around a bit before getting comfortable.

Pinkie left the purple unicorn, climbing into the second bed. She had 6 beds in her room; emergency extras encase she needed to organise an emergency sleep over. Good thing they were here tonight.

As she drifted off, she thought about just how stressed Twilight really was, and then tried to figure out how stressed Rainbow must be. She couldn't even imagine it.

Maverick awoke feeling more refreshed then he had in days. He smelt a pleasant, fruity scent, which he recognised as Rainbow’s shampoo, as well as a muskier, unfamiliar scent. He turned in the bed, gazing at the multi-hued mane in front of him, and buried his face in it, inhaling deeply. She smelled of strawberries and apples and bliss.

He kept at it for a few seconds before realising what he was doing. Surprised, Maverick pulled back. Why had he done that? He waited a few seconds to see if he’d woken his girlfriend, but she didn’t stir, to his relief.

After a few moments, he got up. For once he could do something on his own, not needing to wait for Rainbow to kite him around, and as such he searched for his food castle.

Breakfast past in a flash, to Maverick delight. Less of a delight was the fact that he hadn’t eaten meat since the hotdog, but Maverick was sure he’d find a way to fix that soon. He moved to put his fruit paradise back in the saddle bags when he realised that there was no reason; may as well leave it in the kitchen.

‘In fact’ He thought, ‘Why not put Rainbow’s there too?’

Maverick, ever the helpful little soldier, returned to the saddlebags to get Rainbow’s meal. When they were both safely stored on the counter, in plain sight, with nothing guarding them at all, Maverick moved them into the cupboards. Feeling smarter, he returned to the bedroom.

Seeing his still snoozing girlfriend, Maverick decided to explore the house a bit more. A minute later, he had seen everything he’d missed upon earlier exploration; Rainbow really didn’t have anything to make her house seem like one. It almost felt cold, as if she never used it, which she had already said. Still, it was an odd feeling for Maverick, who had lived in the same house since birth.

Thinking about home made Maverick think about his family. Now that he was thinking about it, he realised that if he truly wanted to help the ponies, he’s never see his parents or his brother again. He’d never see Brandon again. He’d never sleep is his bed, he’d never play his video games, he’d never finish his education. He’d never get a job in video game design, he’d never own a human house and, potentially most distressingly, he’d never have children.

Maverick suddenly understood why most humans left. He fell to his knees as the sense of loss tore him apart. It felt like his insides were clamping down on his stomach, trying to squeeze it out of existence. Tear welled up in his eyes and he curled up into the fetal position as waves of agony (not unlike Rainbow’s) passed through him.

His mind was full of sadness, but within it, a spark of hope flared. He might be losing everything he’d ever loved, but in exchange he was getting something even else. It wasn’t better or worse, it was just different. Instead of parents and siblings, he had Rainbow. Instead of Brandon and his other friends, he had Twilight and Rarity and the others. His old possessions would be replaced by new ones, some better, some not.

And as for children, well, they’d get to that later. Maverick had no immediate plans anyway.

Moving slowly, Maverick sat up. In a few minutes of thinking, he’d changed more than he had over 17 years of life. It was an odd change, a big change, but not unwelcome.

Now over his little panic attack, Maverick’s gaze shifted over to his girlfriend, still sleeping peacefully. A smile graced his lips as he watched her sleep; she was such an amazing pony, so cute, and with a strong will to back her big mouth.

He got up, his eyes shifting over to the saddlebags she’d been carrying. One pair contained his clothes; the other had contained the food. However, did the one with the food still had something in it?

Maverick picked up the saddle bags, confirming that there was still something inside. Something that was shaped in an oddly familiar way, almost like…

‘Books?’ He thought, pulling them out.

He gave them a quick once over, starting with the cookbook. Looking at it made him smile; maybe he DID have a chance at getting more meat.

His gaze shifted to the book on emotions and relationships. He flipped through it quickly, but once he realised it was full information that anyone with common sense would have, he put it back down.

That left one…

The title left Maverick confused, so he opened the book. The first few pages also contained things he already knew. He was almost ready to put the book back down, until he flipped to the second chapter.

…

‘Oh my…’

He began reading, getting more and more confused as he went. Then his face turned red. Surely Rainbow didn’t want to-

Behind him, Maverick heard movement. Acting fast, he stuffed the three books back in the saddlebags. He wouldn’t have the chance to make it out of the room or back to bed in time, so he jumped to the other pair of bags, pretending to be looking for an ensemble.

“Maverick?” A tired and confused voice asked.

“Yes Rainbow?” He returned.

“Have you been up long?”

“Just a few minutes. I ate breakfast and moved the dishes into the kitchen…thing. I was just looking for when I planned to wear today.” Maverick didn’t like lying, but he felt that now wasn’t the best time for the truth. Besides, it wasn’t a big deal, right? Now he just knew that a horse wanted to have sex with him, that’s all. Nothing weird, right? He was totally cool with that, right?

…

He’d answer his own mental question later.

“Well, c’mere.”

Oh god no…

With this new information buzzing around his brain, Maverick had no desire what so ever to fulfil that request. But logically, if Rainbow wanted to do anything with him, she’d have tried by now, right?

Besides, Maverick still wasn’t sure if he was against it.

As such, a few moments later, he was back lying in bed next to his girlfriend, still in his pyjamas, and he was now unpleasantly aware of the fact that she was completely naked. Why hadn’t that bothered him before?

She turned to face him, eyes still closed, and reached over to him. Before Maverick could react, he was pulled into a loose hug, with Rainbow gently nuzzling his neck. She sighed happily in her semi-awake state and slowly began drifting off again.

And you know what?

He was totally cool with having sex with a horse.

…

So long as she asked first.

Maverick’s eyes opened for the second time that morning. He had, after snuggling in tight next to Rainbow, fallen back asleep. Now awake again, he reached his arms back around his pony and pulled himself closer. Next to him, Rainbow subconsciously tightened her hold for a moment before slackening it again.

Maverick would have been content to lie there all day, and since nothing was stopping him from doing so, he would. It was such a change from earth. Back home, he either had school to wake up to or parents trying to get him to do chores. But now, now he had had absolutely no reason to move.

So, after 5 minutes had passed, why did the prospect of lying in bed all day become so unappealing?

Everyday back home he wished he could just stay put for another 5 minutes, but now that he actually got that opportunity, he felt like getting up. ‘Humans are a weird species.’ He thought. ‘We only want what we can’t have…’

With that out of the way, he began to pull himself out of Rainbow’s embrace.

Only to be pulled right back up against her belly.

Surprised, Maverick looked at her face. She still seemed to be asleep, so he tried again. And again, he was pulled back into place. Her face scrunched up a bit, and she grabbed on even tighter, as if saying: “You aren’t going anywhere.” It was super adorable. Maverick suppressed a chuckle and leaned into the embrace, causing a smile to return to Rainbow’s lips as she nuzzled up against him blindly, ending up with her face in the crook of his neck.

Suddenly, the prospect of not doing anything felt okay again. Maverick placed his head on top of hers and began to ponder life. After all, he wasn’t going anywhere fast.

Oddly enough, the first things to enter his mind were two brony songs that he used to listen to back in the human world. Join the herd and Loyalty. This caused his mind to wander off in two directions.

The first was how he’d joined the herd in the first place. It was a funny story really. He’d stumbled on a story online about ponies. He’d heard of the show of course, but he never thought it would be his type of thing. Still, the story looked promising, but he realised that he couldn’t understand it properly without watching the show. 5 episodes later, he was totally hooked. It’s funny, but he never did get around to reading that story.

Then the other song dragged his mind down a rockier road. Seeing as Rainbow embodied the element of loyalty, or at least that’s what the show said, than in theory, he’d never have to worry about her cheating on him. Never a pleasant thought, thinking about your love cheating, and of course Maverick trusted her completely, but it was still nice to know. Applejack would tell him straight out of she wasn’t interested anymore. Fluttershy would let him down as gently as she could. Pinkie would make him feel better about it, but she would still do it. Rarity… well, the only thing he could think would be that she’d offer herself up to both of her lovers, but that just sounded odd. And Twilight would probably clone herself or something. All this based purely of their elements, of course.

More thoughts came and went as Maverick lay there. He thought about how his brother would be at school now, and how his other self back on earth would be in his computer class right now. He considered the potential for magic to solve human problems such as poverty, homelessness, hunger and all that. He wondered if destiny existed, or if there were an infinite number of possible universes based on people’s choices. He considered the possibility of fiber optic computer cores that might improve computer speeds by thousands of times over. He imagined how different the world would be if said computers were coded in binary with the digits 0 through 9 instead of just 0 and 1. He imagined what would happen if there was actually a single digit number for 10 and 11 and then 12 became the new 10.

A few stray trains of though later, Rainbow began to stir. Maverick put his plans for the zombie apocalypse on hold as he returned to the real world, desiring to see the eyes that had been closed for the past night. He did, however, remember to note that that there was no second exit the he could use in Rainbow’s house. It wouldn’t make a very secure fortress if he was alone during the apocalypse but, if Rainbow were with him, it had potential.

Rainbow’s eyes opened, revealing to Maverick the magenta windows that led to her soul. Of course, Maverick believed none of that mumbo jumbo, instead just happy to be the first thing she saw for the day.

“Good morning sweetie.” He said, giving her a swift peck on the forehead.

Her lips parted in an enormous yawn. Maverick was pretty sure he could have shoved his fist in her mouth if he wanted to.

“‘Morning.” She replied, pulling him in close again and snuggling up to him. She nuzzled her way up from his chest to his neck, then to his chin, and finally she reached his lips, on which she placed a gentle, loving kiss.

Caught unprepared, Maverick’s lips parted in a small gasp. Rainbow considered taking this as an invitation to slide her tongue in, but in the end she decided against it, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Instead, she slid one of her hooves up his back and pressed their chests together, placing the other on his lower back and pulling him in closer.

She parted her own lips in a sigh of content as she broke the kiss. Looking into his eyes, which were wide with surprise, she couldn’t help a twinge of fear from popping up in her mind. Had she gone too far?

After a second, Maverick wrapped his arms around her, pulling Rainbow into a hug. “That was a nice surprise.”

She smiled and hugged back. Why was she so jumpy? Of course it was fine.

And, as it had yesterday, a sudden surge of desire to ride Maverick all the way to Orgasmia sprung up in her mind, causing Rainbow to blush and almost forcing her wings up. She managed, however, to keep them pinned to her sides as the fear of his reaction damped her mood. She still had no idea if he understood the significance of wingboners, but even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist’s level of intelligence to think through the possibilities.

Instead, she pressed up against him all the harder, taking a moment to chase her rampant thoughts away. Maverick, on the other hand, was enjoying the moment to its fullest extent.

Once Rainbow finally had her wings under control, she let him go, to both of their disappointments, and told him to get dressed so they could go back to the training center and she could register for the race. As soon as Maverick grabbed his clothes and stepped into the bathroom, Rainbow took off through the city, searching for the pharmacy. She grabbed the nearest bottle of heat-supressing pills, which would help her control her ‘urges’, paying at the cash, popping one and taking back off for home. She made it back just as Maverick was opening the cloud-door.

She blushed a bit at his choice of outfit, mentally cursing Rarity. The clothes matched Rainbow’s coat perfectly. They were the exact same shade of blue. Whether Rarity had meant to do it or not made no difference to Rainbow, but it was an outfit that suggested they were engaged in the pony universe. After all, during pony marriages, it was tradition to wear an outfit that matched your soon-to-be partner’s coat. Most ponies would just blow it off as a coincidence, but Rainbow wouldn’t put it past some of the more… unpleasant one’s to kick up some rumors.

“Um, Maverick, could you change your shirt?” Rainbow asked.

He gave her a confused look before retreating into the bedroom, reappearing a few seconds later with a different shirt on. To Rainbow’s dismay, it was exactly the same colour.

“I meant one with a different colour.”

“They’re all the same colour. Rarity said it was the only “Fashionably acceptable” colour. Why, what’s wrong with blue? It’s my favorite colour.” Maverick asked.

Rainbow mentally filled away the sidelong compliment of her coat for later. Instead, she focused on a full blown mental rage at Rarity’s expense. Rainbow was now fairly certain that the white unicorn had done it on purpose. Whether it was because she knew, she suspected, or she desired was irrelevant; now Rainbow didn’t have a choice but to go out with Maverick wearing her colour, and he’d be wearing it every single day.

“There’s nothing wrong with blue; I like it too. The problem is that when a couple get married in Equestria, they wear a dress and suit that matches their lover’s coat colour.”

It took a second, but when a look of horror passed over his face, Rainbow knew he understood the implications. “How did she find out?”

“I honestly don’t know, but we’re going over right now so I can give her a piece of my mind.”

Before either could move, a flash of white light appeared in the middle of the room. When she could see again, Rainbow saw a folded piece of paper lying on the floor with Rarity’s signature. Before she could open it, another flash of white light appeared, and in the center was a pair of saddlebags.

Now confused, the Pegasus opened the letter.

Dear Rainbow,

I’m terribly sorry about the clothes; I didn’t realise the colour implications until after you left. He really doesn’t synergise with anything besides cyan. I’m sending some of the more acceptable failures now.

Sorry again,

Rarity.

While she had been reading, Maverick had gone to inspect the saddlebags, and was pleasantly surprised to see a plethora of multicoloured shirts. He took his off and replaced with a nice red one.

“I guess she just made an honest mistake.” Maverick said cheerfully.

Rainbow wasn’t quite as optimistic. Rarity, of all ponies, shouldn’t have missed such an important detail. Was it a warning? Or maybe a “thumbs up” as the humans would say?

“Come on Rainbow, let’s go to the training center and get you registered so we can get back to some real training.” Realising what that entailed, Maverick rethought his statement. “On second thought, take as long as you need.”

Giggling at his mistake, Rainbow swept him off his feet, juggling him in the air or a second before having him land on her back.

“I told you not to do that anymore!” He sputtered indignantly.

“No you didn’t.”

“Well I meant to.”

This brought on another round of giggles, which ended with a very un-lady like snort. Rainbow reddened as Maverick started laughing.

“Aw, that was too cute. Do it again.” He commanded. Rainbow bucked her hips in response, causing him to fall face first into her mane.

“Wanna play rough, do ya?” He stated as he pushed himself back up. Before she could respond, he flipped over sideways on her back, pulling her to the ground beside him. He flipped her onto her back and pinned her to clouds, sitting on her stomach with his arms on her shoulders. If it weren’t for the fact that they both currently weighed about the same, Maverick doubted he could dominate her again. Still...

“Ha, nopony can take me!” He cheered

Rainbow almost made an attempt to struggle out before a wicked idea came to her. She tried to look innocent as she said. “Oh, well, you can take me if you want. Just be gentle~”

Maverick’s face flushed redder then a tomato as he tried to backpedal. Rainbow used his momentary lapse in concentration to flip him off of her. A quick flick of her wings later, she’s pinning him to the clouds.

“Who’s on top now, tough guy.” She beamed.

“Ha ha. That was a dirty trick.”

“‘All’s fair in love and war.’ Isn’t that one of your human expressions? Well, this qualifies as both.” She said before leaning in and nuzzling his forehead. Another hell-spawned plan came forth. “Not much you can do in this position though, it there? I think I should have some fun while I can.”

Maverick’s eyes widened at that. She wouldn’t actually rape him, would she? Her hooves began to float slowly down his sides, escalating his fear. He tried to buck her off, but she had his hips locked beneath her bottom. Her hooves stopped next to his lower ribs. He glanced at her in confusion before she brushed them lightly along his sides, electing an unwanted and surprisingly girly giggle. His eyes widened even more.

“No, please no, anything but that! Rainbow, please d- BAHAHAHA!”

Maverick’s body spasmed and convulsed as Rainbow tickled him mercilessly. Despite not having actual fingers, she was doing an excellent job of stimulating his overly sensitive nervous system. He tried, unsuccessfully, to beg for forgiveness between breaths, but Rainbow was having none of it.

After a minute, Maverick was starting to regain some control, especially of his arms. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he pushed Rainbow as hard as he could, causing her to stumble a bit. In the brief moment of downtime, he made a mad grab for her hooves, managing to capture both of them in his hands. Of course, he had no doubt that Rainbow was the stronger of the two, but he hoped he could at least hold her off long enough to squirm out of her hold.

However, once she regained her composure, Rainbow made no attempt whatsoever to free her hooves, instead grinning maniacally. Maverick tilted his head, confused, and was about to ask if he had won when Rainbow zipped her wings forward and continued to tickle him, using her feathers now.

His laughter boomed forth again, louder than ever, as the overly dexterous and precisely aimed feathers worked their magic. There probably wasn’t a point in his life that Maverick had ever been tortured so powerfully, and he actually managed to shift Rainbow’s position on top of him due to the power of his bucking.

Once she finally let up, Maverick’s chest was heaving as he fought against any residual giggles. Before he could say anything, she leaned down, letting her hair fall around her head as she brushed it along his face, and pressed down on his shoulders with her wings, using her hooves to immobilise his hands.

“So, who’s the strongest pony ever?”

“You are!” He giggled again at the feelings her hair made as it ran across his head and neck.

“And who’s the most amazing pony ever?”

“You are!” His voice was growing hoarse.

“And who-”

“YOU! You, it’s all you. You can do whatever you want, just please stop!” He begged.

She smiled as she leaned in close to him, placing her muzzle right next to his ear. “Anything~?” She whispered in the sultriest tone she could manage.

Maverick had some second thoughts, but he cried out “Anything!” as she ran her wing along his side again.

She smiled and rolled off of him. “Then rub my belly.” She commanded.

Confused, Maverick turned his head to see Rainbow on her back again, waiting patiently. Her pose was very potentially revealing, and if he tilted his head just the slightest bit, he would have been able to see her more feminine parts.

But Maverick had a lot of respect for his girlfriend, so he scooted forward across the cloud-floor and gently began rubbing circles on her stomach region, making sure that he couldn’t see anything he wasn’t supposed to. Rainbow let out a contented sigh as he massaged her tummy evenly, and then another as he began running his hand through her mane. She hadn’t had this done to her since she was a filly, and she planned to enjoy it for as long as she could convince Maverick to keep going.

Maverick could feel the tension in Rainbow’s stomach muscles slowly melt away, and he could also feel the strength behind them. Strength that he would never have, not that he regretted it. He could also feel the smooth strands of hair flowing like water through his fingers.

After a few minutes, Maverick’s hands were getting tired. He stopped for a second to rest. As he did, Rainbow let out a high pitched whine of dissatisfaction. Maverick hopped over her to the other side so he could switch his hand places and continued, eliciting another sigh of content.

Finally, when his hand could take no more, Maverick fell to his back with a groan. Rainbow let out another sigh, this one of resignation. It had been nice while it lasted.

“You know” Maverick began as he heard her sigh. “I can do this again later if you like it so much.”

Rainbow’s ears perked happily. “Really?”

“Of course.”

She hopped on top of him, peppering him with light pecks across his face. Maverick chuckled at her attitude. Clearly she had enjoyed his ministrations much more then he thought.

“Alright, alright, I get it; you like having your belly rubbed. Don’t we have somewhere to be?” He asked.

“We. Can. Get. To. That. Later.” She said between pecks. Maverick thrashed about bellow her as Rainbow continued her assault of his face.

When she finally finished, leaving one final kiss on the tip of his nose, Maverick breathed a sigh, half of relief and half of disappointment. “Are you happy now?” He asked.

“I’ve been happy since you got here, but yes, I’m happy now.” She replied. “Come on, we have somewhere to be.”

Maverick held back an angry retort, choosing instead to climb on her back before she could make any more hypocritical remarks.

They took off, flying at a leisurely pace. Neither felt the need to rush, which was quite unusual for old Rainbow. Depressed Rainbow hadn’t wanted to do anything, but old Rainbow hated wasting a second. If she wasn’t practicing, then she was sleeping, eating or having fun. But new Rainbow seemed to be fine with a slow, calm pace, and it scared her. ‘Will I ever be back to what I used to be?’ She asked herself.

‘No, of course I won’t; I have a boyfriend now. Old Rainbow wasn’t suited for a boyfriend, so old Rainbow is gone, and so is depressed Rainbow.’ Her inner conscience replied. ‘This is a new life for me, and I need a need attitude to go with it. For now I’ll be recovering Rainbow.’

Rainbow, now worried about her sanity once again, sped up her pace just a bit. They arrived at the training center without incident and she led Maverick to the kiosks so she could sign up for her event.

There were quite a few different stalls, placed randomly around the main foyer of the training center. Rainbow quickly picked hers out of the crowd since it had the most ponies trying to sign up. She gave small sigh, realising that she would probably be there for the better half of the day.

“Hey, why don’t you go look around, see what competitions you might wanna watch while we’re here?” She suggested to Maverick. “I’ll be standing here for a while, probably over an hour, so you have as much time as you need. Just don’t go too far; I want to know where you are, so keep me in sight.”

Maverick nodded eagerly, already looking around at the signs which hung above each kiosk. There were quite a few, more then he cared to count, as his eyes roamed left and right, searching for archery; that was one he wanted to watch for sure.

He found it rather quickly, and was surprised to see just how popular it was. When he made his way over, he saw a second kiosk next to archery that was named obstacle archery. His curiosity led him to take it down mentally so he could check it out after.

He picked up a brochure about times and places as well as the names of a few notable ponies that were participating. One name in particular, Skeet Shot, drew his attention, mostly because skeet shooting was a human sport that he highly doubted ponies had copied, due to the apparent lack of guns in Equestria.

This led him to question how naming worked in Equestria. How had Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara’s parents known about their children’s special talents? Had the names just been strokes of luck, or chosen by the humans? Decidedly, Equestria was a very unique place

After he finished glancing over the brochure, Maverick turned towards the second kiosk, the obstacle archery course. The pony running it explained that it was all about combining the high precision of archery with dexterity and flexibility, as the Pegasi were forced to navigate a long, winding course full of various obstacles such as gates, wind tunnels, cloud mazes, amongst others, and most offering visibility reducing conditions such as rain, snow etc. The goal was to hit every target along the way, with major time penalties being attributed for missed shots, missed gates and improper obstacle use such as breaking through the walls in the maze or avoiding the cloud tunnels. However, the pony explained that it was practically impossible to be disqualified; so long as you pass the finish line, no matter how many obstacles or targets you missed, you had a chance at winning.

Maverick grabbed a pamphlet for that event as well before moving on. By the time he was making his way back to Rainbow’s side over an hour later, he had almost a dozen brochures, including synchronized flying, short aerial routines, long aerial routines and even weight flying.

He was almost back to Rainbow when his eyes fell on a sign he had missed on his earlier exploration; a sign that almost caused him to drop all of his brochures.

“Experimental weapons engineering and combat?!” He shouted, attracting the attention of the many ponies gathered around the kiosk.

The pony running the stall chuckled at his untimely appearance. “Yes my dear boy, they finally brought it back. It’s been 20 years since this baby was allowed in the Pegasus games, not since that one time when one of the experiments ended up killing a number of bystanders, as well as the operator and his opponent. However, safety procedures unlike any before are now in effect, and we, that is to say, the official board of judges for the regulation of safety and protection, have deemed it safe once again. To be perfectly secure, we will also be evaluating every weapon before allowing them into the arena, as such ensuring that nothing will go wrong again.”

The crowds milling around began whispering amongst each other, some excitedly, others with a more nervous tint.

“I wish I could sign up for that. It sounds killer, um, I mean, awesome.” Maverick sighed wistfully.

“Well, I don’t see why not. I’m sure our head manager, the honorable lord Icewing, would be more than happy to permit an exception to that peculiar rule. After all,” His tone darkened, as did the expressions of the ponies as they heard his explanation. “I’m sure a human would solicit a lot of interesting situations, what with your races knack for killing.”

Maverick saw no need to argue with the Pegasus. “Yeah, my race does tend to be good at that, don’t they?” His tone was equally unpleasant. “You might think me lucky, what with not being subjected to slavery and all, but I had to live with the arrogant, annoying assholes my whole life. Some are fine; my parents were great. Others are less fun.” Maverick could probably count on his fingers how many times he’d sworn aloud, but this situation really called for it.

The Pegasi nodded, some in understanding, some in agreement at his statement, but none challenged him about it. “So, you wanna play? Think you can liven it up a bit?” The pony running the kiosk asked.

“I would, but I don’t have a weapon, or the means to make one.”

Before the pony could reply, another spoke up. “I’d be more than happy to help you make a weapon.”

All eyes turned, searching for the owner of the voice. A dark blue Pegasus stepped forward. He had a white mane with yellow streaks, blue eyes and a red crosshair for a cutie mark.

“The name’s Mid-Night Light. I’m not much of a weapon smith, but I know a pony who’s crazy enough to make anything, so long as you can dream it up. A unicorn, to be exact. If you can manage to sign yourself up, I’ll take you there.” He promised.

“Seems like you’re out of excuses, Maverick. Well, you think you’re tough enough?” The Pegasus at the kiosk asked.

Before he could say anything else, another voice spoke up. “He most certainly will not be participating.”

Again, all eyes searched for the speaker. This time, they fell on a rainbow maned Pegasus.

“What the hay are you thinking? What did you promise me the day you got here?” She shouted at Maverick, all the while glaring at him with such intensity that he seemed to wilt. “Don’t you know how dangerous this event is? You will be doing no such thing.”

“Now Miss Dash, the security measure have been tightened tenfold since the last accident. I’m sure he’ll be-”

Rainbow turned her death glare to the Pegasus. “Do you still make them sign a waiver?” She asked, still pissed.

“Well, yes, but-”

“Then the answer is no.” Her tone made it clear the subject was closed for discussion. She turned away from the kiosk. “Let’s go Maverick; I’ve already registered for my event.”

Maverick mumbled a quick apology to the Pegasus and jumped after Dash. “Um, Rainbow?”

“What?” She still seemed miffed, and continued walking.

“Rainbow, look at me, please.”

She turned around, still glaring.

“I want to fight. You know how much I like fighting, and if I can make any weapon I want, it’s just…” His eyes took on a dreamy quality. “The strategies I could use. The combinations, the experimentation, the sheer control! Oh Dashie, you have no idea how much I’ve fantasied about doing something like that.”

Her glare diminished, just a little. “Dashie?”

“Oh yeah, it’s like, your most common nickname back on the fandom. Anyway, please let me fight them! I promise if anything starts going wrong, I’ll forfeit. I won’t put my life in danger, so PLEASE let me fight! It’s been my life dream since I was, like, 6, to have super powers, or a super weapon or something.”

The rest of her glare melted away. “You can register for now, but I want a full rulebook and list of precautions that are in place, and I swear by Celestia that if I find ONE thing I don’t approve of, I will pull you out of that completion so fast you’ll get whiplash.”

Maverick leapt at her, tackling her with a hug, before quickly drawing back, looking around and seeing that his actions had been noticed by many. “Sorry. And thank you!” She saw that his need to keep their relationship a secret was facing a strong rebellion cause by his desire to thank her affectionately. In the end, secrecy won out, but he whispered in her ear: “When we get back, I’ll do something to make it up to you.” Before dashing back to the counter.

The Pegasi were exited now; a human, the ultimate killers. If anything could have pushed the event over the top, it was that. The Pegasus running the stall promised to work out the details, handing him the rulebook and safety regulations he asked for and wishing him good luck.

“So you managed to convince her, eh?” Mid-Night asked.

“Yeah. This is gonna be killer. You said this unicorn friend of yours could make anything?”

“If you can dream it, odds are it can be made.” He replied as Rainbow trotted over. “Shall I take you two?”

Rainbow nodded, kneeling down. Within moments they were off, exiting Cloudsdale and soaring out in the wide open sky. Mid-Night flew up alongside Rainbow.

“Are you competing in the fight?” Maverick asked him.

“Hell no, I have my own event to compete in.” He somehow managed to wiggle his flank in mid-air. “I’m an archer; one of the few Pegasus archers that can consistently hit the mark. I hope I’ll see you in the crowd during my competition?”

“Definitely! I love archery.”

Mid-Night took advantage of the remainder of the flight to give Maverick a few other Pegasi who were notable competition in the archery event, namely Skeet Shot and Red Wilds. Both had been shooting since they were just colts, and the three had been sharing the podium for about 5 years now.

They alighted a few minutes later in front of a rather conspicuous looking house. The most defining element was its location, which was right on the outskirts of a nearby city; Polio, which lacked a certain horse pun. Asides from that, it had a sign out front which said: Black Hooves, Unconventional Blacksmith, and from the air, one could see many gadgets and gizmos behind the house, presumably used for the creation of weapons and armor.

Mid-Night led the pair around the house, not even bothering to knock. As he rounded the corner, a very large hammer slammed down in front of him.

“What do you want?”

The speaker was large; not as big as Scorched, but damned close. It had an orange coat and mane, but its hooves were black, as if working the forge with the ash and charcoal had somehow changed their colour. It had an anvil for a cutie mark and was currently wearing what could be described as welding goggles.

Most importantly however, she was female.

“Hey Blacky.” Mid-Night began, only to be interrupted as the hammer crashed into his face.

Maverick, from his spot next to Rainbow, expected a sickening crunch to ensue and, as such, he was confused when the hammer exploded into mush, covering Mid-Night’s face with a layer of what smelled like banana pie. Rainbow just snickered.

“How have you been?” He finished without missing a beat.

Blacky was now hunched over, pounding her hooves into the ground as she laughed; a powerful bellow that degenerated quickly into fits of giggles.

“Yes yes, do you ever greet anypony normally? For Celestia’s sake, one day you’re actually going to be carrying your sledgehammer, and it’s going to hurt.” He whined, rubbing the gunk off of his face.

The orange unicorn was slow to regain her composure. When she’d finally calmed herself down, she pulled Mid-Night into a hug, licking the little bit of pie that he’d missed off his face.

“Mmm, you always taste so good when you come by.” She winked. “Next time, I’ll use a bigger hammer.”

“Alright.” Mid-Night said as he pushed her away, blushing a bit. “I brought others.”

Blacky turned her attention to the Pegasus and the human just a few feet back. Grinning, she pulled the pair forward with her magic into a hug. “Always nice to meet new ponies. First time meeting a human though.” She released them quickly and levitated another hammer over, slamming it into Maverick’s face. As he tried to wipe his eyes, she licked some of the blue jam of his face. “Oh, you taste even better then Mid-Night!” She quickly pushed him onto his back, pinning his arms as she licked the rest of the jam off his face.

Rainbow looked on with her mouth ajar, unable to comprehend the situation; a total stranger was licking blue jam off her boyfriend’s face! She wasn't sure if she should be furious or jealous. Before she could react, a third hammer slammed into her own face, the liquid runny and pink. Blacky was on her in an instant. “You’re a little spicier then the usual, but you’re bitter too, and you taste good. How unusual.”

As the pair or newcomers spluttered, Mid-Night explained. “Don’t take it the wrong way; that’s how she greets everypony. Her hammers are filled with a special, flavorless liquid. When it hits you, it takes on a taste, texture and appearance based on your personality. The better the taste, the easier you’ll get along, usually.”

Rainbow, still at a loss, asked the only think she could think of. “What does spicy and bitter mean?”

“Spicy is a powerful conlflict, but one that’s usually resolved quickly. Bitter is more of an aftertaste; it tends to mean that you’ll hold a bit of a grudge. Still, if you taste good, you’ll get around to liking her. She’s never wrong.”

Her hunger sated, Blacky backed off. “So, what’s up? I’d ask if you were here to hang, but that never happens when you’ve got friends with you.”

“Well, it’s simple really; they’ve restarted the experimental weapons fighting in the Pegasus games.”

She nodded, turning her eyes to Rainbow while a huge smile made its appearance. “Let’s get down to business.”

“Um, actually, I’m the one fighting.” Maverick said.

Startled at his announcement, Blacky’s smile faltered for a second before doubling in size. “Even better.”

A quick warning to all who read my story (love you all btw). This chapter has a scene which some way find cloppish. It's not actual clop, but it's close. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, and if it does, feel free to leave a comment expressing your undying hatred of me for ruining your perfect pastel ponies.

Without further ado...

*****

“So, you can make anything?”

The three ponies, along with their human companion, were seated around a coffee table in Blacky’s house. After a few venomous objections to being licked, Rainbow had settled for a glaring silence, pointedly staring at anything but Blacky, or glaring at her when she was forced to.

She had also noticed just how little Maverick had complained at the treatment. In fact, if she didn’t know better, Rainbow could have sworn he had enjoyed it. This pissed her off even more, and she really wanted to be anywhere but there.

Sitting on Rainbow’s left, Mid-Night was trying to make himself as small as possible. The atmosphere in the room was so close to tangible, he was surprised lightning bolts weren’t flying out of Rainbow’s body. She was giving everything around her the death glare, including him, multiple times. At this point, Mid-Night was glad that he was still unharmed, although he wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.

Across from Rainbow sat Blacky, either ignoring her guest’s hostile attitude or simply too thick to notice it. She was staring intently, maybe even a bit affectionately, at Maverick, who was now waiting for her answer with baited breath, oblivious to Rainbow’s anger.

“In theory, if we had the time and energy, I could make you whatever your heart could possibly desire, and whatever your brain could concoct. However, seeing as I only have about a week and my own ability, you’ll have to settle for something a bit more conventional.” She responded.

Blacky’s heart melted at the child-like grin that was plastered on Maverick’s face. She thought he was adorable with his tiny body and big dreams. At less than half her size and weight, she was almost sure he was the underdog in the upcoming fight. And yet she had this crazy feeling that he not only intended to win, but that he was certain of his victory. ‘He’d make a good coltfriend.’ She thought before giving a mental chuckle. As much as she wanted to get to know him, the pony sitting across from her was giving off an icy aura that clearly stated “Back off, he’s mine.”
So it was with a sad smile that she decided not to interfere with his love life. It would be complicated enough without forcing him to choose between ponies.

“Alright then kiddo, let’s talk weapons.”

*****

Rainbow had stepped outside, followed shortly by Mid-Night, at Blacky’s insistence. “One does not simply listen in on a weaponry conversation.” Had been her statement to Rainbow’s protests.

“If she lays one hoof on him I swear…”

Next to her, Mid-Night was contemplating the possibility of just leaving before she ended up turning on him. Unfortunately, he didn’t contemplate fast enough.

“Hey, Night guy, why did you bring us to this slut’s house?”

“Whoa, that is no way to talk about a pony you just met!” His coat bristled with rage, sweeping away his meek uncertainty. “Look, you might have the hots for that human kid, and I can smell your heat from here, but don’t think that Blacky’s gonna try and steal him from out under ya. I’ve known her for years; she would never do anything like that. Now you better apologise for what you just said or I’ll smack you one myself.”

He thought he had sounded pretty tough and convincing, and was fairly certain his order would be obeyed, but it was clear he had never met Rainbow Dash before.

“And why should I? I was here for less than a minute and she was licking my face! She gave my boyfriend bedroom eyes right in front of me, she’s in there alone with him and you’re telling me to apologise?! I swear, if she tries to take him away from me, I will break her horn and drop her from 10’000 feet straight up in the air. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't go stampeding back in there and say all that to her face!"

“Because if you do, not only will you hurt an innocent pony’s feeling, and you’ll seem like a total ass in front of your “boyfriend”, but you’ll also be taking away any chance he has of competing in the Pegasus games. Now I don’t know about you, but if I were in your place, I’d try and calm down a bit before I ended up doing something stupid because I’m feeling insecure. Don’t you trust that human?”

Rainbow felt liked she’d been slapped. Of course she trusted Maverick. She might have only known him for a few days, but he was her whole world. Couldn’t this pony see how much he mattered to her? She’d give her life for him in an instant. If he asked her to jump off a cliff with her wings bound, she’d do it. But she knew him, and she knew he would never, ever do that.

‘So why don’t you trust him?’ Her inner voice asked.

And to that, she had no answer.

“You’re right, I’m over reacting. Of course he would never leave me; what was I thinking?” Rainbow slumped down, burying her face in her hooves. “I’m a terrible marefriend. He loves me, he cares about me, he’s everything to me. He’s like an angel, a gift straight from Celestia, and here I am questioning his loyalty.”

Mid-Night facehoofed. “Don’t start worshiping him now, I just wanted you to realise how unreasonable you were being. Now get up; you can pity yourself and consider how unworthy you are later. For now, you still owe somepony an apology.”

“I’m sorry I called your friend a slut.”

“Good. Now then, he’ll be in there for about an hour if I know Blacky. You said something about competing in some race, right? Want to help me with my training and get some in for yourself?” Mid-Night proposed.

Rainbow raised her head, removing it from her hooves. “What do you mean?”

*****

Back in Blacky’s house, Maverick was running around like a foal, inspecting the vast array of machinery Blacky had at her disposition with a huge, dopey grin plastered on his face. There were hundreds of tools, from screwdrivers to hammers to clamps. There were devices that spat magical fumes, some that were magically grinding rocks into tiny chunks, even some that were boiling down certain metals to a liquid state before reaping the impurities. Basically, everything around him was either sitting there waiting to be used or operating with a constant flow of magical energy. Maverick was extremely curious as to the purpose of the hundreds on instruments he’d never seen before, as well as how they were being powered while Blacky’s horn remained unlit.

“I bet you’re wondering where the magic is coming from.” She said, reading his mind. “Well, that’s a secret, but what I can tell you is that it involves geothermic larvae and molten magma.”

Maverick wasn’t sure if she was joking. “Anyway, come here and let me measure you.”

She set him up on a dais much like the one Rarity had used and began recording measurements on a chalkboard. The measuring tape flew around him, moving so quick he only saw it when it passed in front of his face. The chalk had to move twice as fast to keep up.

As the two instruments completed their tasks, Blacky pushed her magic so it surrounded Maverick on all sides. Once the measuring tape was out of the way, it flooded his body, allowing her to feel him as if she were in control of his limbs. She could tell he was extremely uncomfortable because of the invasion, and she told him aloud that it was only temporary; the best way for her to understand how his human limbs operated. It would give her an idea of how much maneuverability she would need to incorporate into the weapons.

“Fascinating…” She said as she manipulated his fingers and toes, marveling at their dexterity compared to the hooves she possessed. She was also astounded at the lack of a tail muscle, feeling naked and exposed without the ability to protect her most intimate parts. But the most disorienting was his severely reduced field of vision. Even though her eyes were near the front of her face, she could see everything in front of her as well as a bit behind her. His vision was less than that, although she could see a bit lower due to the lack of a muzzle.

Once she finished with her investigation, she pulled out of his body, allowing him to reassert control over his limbs. Maverick was trembling, unused to feeling so powerless.

“Now that I understand how you work, I think we can start talking weapons.”

*****

*Twang*

The arrow soared through the air, plating itself right in the bull’s-eye.

“Go!”

A rainbow blur sped through the archery field, collecting the many arrows from the 10 targets that were distributed at random intervals, as well as the few missed shots.

“45 seconds, you shaved off a second from the last run.” Mid-Night informed Rainbow as she returned, dropping his arrows back into the quiver before sitting down and gasping.

As she recovered, Mid-Night took aim at another target, carefully pulling back on the drawstring with an arrow knocked. They’d been at it for just under two hours, and it showed. Mid-Night’s legs was trembling from all the strength he had been exerting, all four of them since he shot from the human-like stance. He was sweating profusely and he was shooting more and more off center.

Rainbow was worse. Sweat poured off her body, forming a miniature puddle every time she rested. Her wings were aching, as were her legs from the times she’d been too tired to fly. Her mouth had a bit of froth forming at the sides, and her eyes were unfocused as she rested.

Over the next few minutes, Mid-Night shot 18 arrows at 10 random targets from the hundreds that were placed, seeming randomly, across the wide open plain. As soon as he hit the tenth target, Rainbow was off to collect the arrows. Due to Mid-Nights skills, he always made sure to keep the total distance she traveled the same, give or take a few meters.

“48 seconds. No slacking off now.” He said as he tried to knock another arrow. But, despite his words, his leg froze up, unable to keep shooting. “Actually, maybe it’s time for break.”

Rainbow fell to the ground, too tired to do anything.

The dark blue Pegasus was amazed, to say the least. 2 miles. Rainbow Dash could do 2 miles in 48 seconds consistently, while grabbing arrows along the way. Although it wasn’t a record breaking time, he has no doubt that she had a shot at the finals in the upcoming games. And yet the Pegasus was dissatisfied. Every time she got back and he told her her time, she would curse softly. That is, until she was too busy panting to speak.

He flopped down next to her, just as exhausted. He had proved himself capable of making the podium, as he did every year. The only reason he couldn’t constantly keep first because the other two ponies on the podium were just as good as he was. The deciding factor was usually a stray gust of wind or whichever one of them got too tried to shoot straight first. That’s why, when they got down to the last three, the judges always pulled the targets back to almost three times the usual distance. If they didn’t, the archery finals would take hours.

The pair stayed like that, slumped over, for the next 10 minutes. Once he could stand again, Mid-Night stumbled his way over to the house, knocking on the back door. “Blacky, can we come in yet?”

The door swung open.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

He stepped inside without bothering to see if Rainbow was following. As far as he was concerned, the mare had earned the right to a long nap, even if it was in the dirt.

Inside, he saw Blacky carefully adjusting various pieces of machinery and activating others. Blueprints were scattered across her designing table, all of them blank. Blank to him, anyway, since Blacky hated when others saw her work before it was finished. On the couch, which he had been hoping to rest on, Maverick was snoring. His body was drenched in sweat and his clothes clung to his skin, emphasising how skinny he was.

“What did you do to him?”

From outside, he heard Rainbow force herself to her hooves, and he regretted saying anything.

“What did she do to him?! Is he okay?” She shouted, trying to force her already strained muscles to move.

Blacky quickly popped a pair of ear plugs into Maverick’s ears. “It’s nothing bad; I just had him show me how strong he is. I’d rather not make a weapon if he can’t even lift it.”

The ponies inside heard a thump from outside. “K, I’ll be out here if you need me.”

“What did YOU do to HER?”

“Oh, nothing much, we just practiced for our respective events. With her there, I can train much faster.”

Blacky nodded before returning to her machines. Mid-Night, knowing he wouldn’t get a peep about the weapon out of her, decided to move right past that argument. “Can I borrow your couch? I’m exhausted.”

She nodded, levitating the human off of it and sending him through the house to her guest bed. “It’s all yours. I still don’t get why you refuse to use the bed.”

He said nothing, collapsing onto the already wet furniture that would hold him for the next 4 to 8 hours.

“’Night”

“It’s not even 3…”

A few minutes later, Blacky was aware of three different sleeping creatures in her presence. She sighed before levitating the Pegasus from outside and dropping her in the same bed as her lover. The mare, perhaps sensing her love, reached out in her sleep and wrapped him in her hooves, a contented smile gracing her lips.

“Honestly, doesn’t anypony value endurance nowadays?”

Back in her lab, Blacky continued to watch her machines, adjusting various knobs and magical flows until she was finally content. She then sat in the same chair she’d been in while speaking with Maverick and pulled out a book. This was the most boring part of weapon making; the preparation.

*****

Hours past. Mid-Night woke after only two, thanking Blacky for her help before flying off to his own house to finish his rest and recuperation.

Back in the guest bedroom, two hours after Mid-Night left, Rainbow Dash woke with a groan. She was sore from all her exertion, and all the sweat had either dried or evaporated, leaving her feeling and smelling like a disgusting pig. Rainbow hardly wanted Maverick to see her like this, with her coat matted and clumped up, her mane plastered to her neck and her… unpleasant scent. However, she had little choice. It was either go home on her own, shower, and come back, which disagreed with her doctor’s recommendation, or she could shower at Blacky’s, an option which was even less appealing since Rainbow was really uncomfortable using somepony else’s shower. So, with a disgusted sigh, she poked Maverick awake.

He squirmed under her touch. “5 more minutes, it’s not even a school day.” He mumbled, trying to escape the feathers.

She giggled and continued her poking, aiming for a more ticklish region.

“Stop it! Mom, I don’t wanna get up yet!”

Her giggles turned to full out laughter, which Maverick couldn’t hear due to the ear plugs. She leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips, making it as sensual as she could without using her tongue.

That woke him up. His eyes shot open and he shoved Rainbow away as hard as he could. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?”

Once his mind sped up and he remembered where he was, his whole face turned bright red as Rainbow lay on the ground next to the bed, kicking and screaming and pounding the ground, unable to control the monstrous fits of laughter. She was snorting over and over, but she didn’t care.

Back on the bed, Maverick ripped the earplugs out, embarrassed and pissed off. He had, obviously, assumed it was his mother that had kissed him. The idea was disgusting, and he had the sinking suspicion that this was going to be brought up at many parties in the near future. Still annoyed, Maverick frowned, waiting for Rainbow to finish her fit.

But Rainbow wasn’t near done. For another minute at least, she kept convulsing on the ground, flipping from lying on her back and kicking the air to lying on her stomach and pounding the ground. Every time she started to calm down, her eyes would drift over to Maverick and she’d start all over again.

Finally, once her voice had gone hoarse and cracked multiple times, she subsided to giggles. She turned her eyes to Maverick and playfully pounced on the bed, approaching him like cat would stalk its prey. Once she was close enough, she dropped into a poor hunter’s crouch, with her body flat on the ground and her butt lifted high in the air. Maverick just sat there, watching her with an eyebrow quirked.

She pounced on his chest, pushing him back onto the bed, and pushed forwards to kiss him again. He made no attempt to resist, but the kiss was lacking for Dash. She pulled back and frowned playfully, teasing a smile out of her boyfriend. When she pushed forward again, he met her halfway, kissing back.

Rainbow, deciding that it was about time, gently pushed her tongue against his lips. His eyes widened a bit, but he parted his lips slightly and touched his tongue to hers. There were no fireworks, no explosion of joy, but Rainbow did enjoy the feeling. She held back though, giving his tongue a quick feel before pulling hers back. When he gave her a confused glance, she broke the kiss and said: “So we have more to look forward to. I can’t give you everything now; you might get bored of me.”

Maverick just rolled his eyes. “As if I could ever got bored of you.” He passed his fingers through her fur, straitening the clumps and clumping the straight parts. Rainbow gently lay down on top of him, purring at the casual touch. She was careful not to flatten him, but as she got more and more relaxed, her legs supported her less and less. Eventually she was barely holding herself up, and Maverick was feeling the majority of her crushing weight, which he placed between 600 and 700 pounds total. The combination of the bed’s fluffiness and his thin frame was enough to divert most of the excess weight off of him, but he made a resolution to never let Rainbow be on top if they got intimate at some point. If she got a bit too excited, bam, there went his pelvis.

Maverick could feel Rainbow beginning to nod off, and he rubbed her a bit harder. “No you don’t; you woke me up, you don’t get to go back to sleep.”

She gave a half-hearted sigh before peeling herself off of him. “Alright then, let’s go home. Unless you need to do something first?”

“No, I’m ready when you are.” He gave himself a disdainful sniff. “A shower will be welcomed with open arms.”

And so the pair made their way out of the bedroom. Back in the lab, Blacky had fallen asleep. On the chalk board was written a note: “Come back the day prior to the event, I’ll have everything ready. And not a day before, or you won’t get anything. As for payment, win the competition and it’s free. Lose, and for every round you had won, I’ll reduce the price accordingly.”

With that in mind, the pair left. Outside, Rainbow stretched out her wings, as well as her legs. They still ached like mad, but she managed to work most of the kinks out. Before long they were soaring through sky, and Rainbow asked a question that had been buzzing around her mind for a while now.

“What type of weapon did you ask for?”

Maverick wore a sad smile. “At first I wanted an Icarus suit. I thought being able to fly would put me on even ground with the other competitors. But when Blacky told me that she could only barely make it within the time limit, I changed my mind. After all, I wouldn’t have an actual weapon to fight with.

“My second idea was to explain how a gun worked. It would have been ideal, but it takes materials that aren’t easy to find in Equestria, as well as a very high amount of magical input to make if I want it within a week. Plus, you know, guns are boring.

“My next idea was a photon cannon. Like a light ray. She discarded it in an instant; that much magical energy is on the same level as the princess and well out of her range, even after a decade of storing up energy.

“Finally, I asked her if she could give me an idea of what was possible. She refused, telling me that she had a few ideas but that she’d only incorporate them if I couldn’t think of anything that was possible. So I told her to surprise me.”

“So basically, you have absolutely no idea what type of weapon you’re getting?” Rainbow asked.

“I know it’s not a photon cannon.”

“Haha, funny.”

They made good time from then on, and were home by eight. As soon as they got in, Rainbow claimed the shower. She wanted to be beautiful again so she could stop worrying about her odor. She kept the shower short, if only because Maverick desperately needed one too.

Once she was done, Maverick rushed in. Rainbow made her way to the bed, flopping down on top of the covers, completely exhausted. She would have been fine with just drifting off to sleep, but she was also very hungry. She weighed her options carefully, and decided that eating would be the better choice. She rolled out of bed and slowly pulled herself across the floor and out to the living room to her fruit paradise, which was now almost done.

By the time Maverick finished his shower, she was already back in bed, her belly full and her mind sluggish. All she wanted was to sleep.

“Her Rainbow?”

“Yeeeeaaaah?”

“You know I still owe you a favor, right?”

Her ears perked up. It was true; he did owe her a favor. Rainbow considered getting him to rub her belly again, but at this point she was too tired to flip herself over.

“Can it wait until tomorrow?”

“Well, actually, I had an idea. Something I wanted to try out, if that’s okay. You wouldn’t have to do anything.”

She thought about it for a moment. He had said that he would be willing to rub her belly for free, so she supposed letting him try out his experiment was okay.

“Alright, but I might fall asleep halfway through.”

Satisfied that she had fulfilled her duty, Rainbow let her head fall between her hooves. She was right in the middle of the bed, which she regretted a bit since Maverick would only have a small spot to sleep, but she honestly felt like her body was lead.

She waited patiently for him to begin whatever he was doing. Behind her, she felt him shift around the bed, looking for something. He took his time, pacing.

Rainbow was almost asleep when she felt him crawl onto the bed. She was still curious at his intentions, but at this point she was simply too tired to try and figure it out.

That is, until he climbed onto her back and sat there.

She gave a little squeak of shock. He was sitting much lower down then when they were flying, with his butt on her flank, just above her cutie mark.

“M-Maverick, what was it you wanted to do?” Her mind, which had been on the brink of sleep just a moment ago, was now going a mile a minute. Was it finally going to happen? She had to admit, this wasn’t how she’d expect it to go down.

Instead of answering, he gently put his hands on her shoulder blades, feeling them up. Rainbow let out a very faint moan of pleasure at the touch. He began making small circles, feeling around. After a minute, he went back to her should and started pressing down hard.

“Ahh~”

A massage. Rainbow understood now. She was a bit sad that she wasn’t going to get rutted, but this was a pleasant substitute.

Maverick worked his hands over her shoulders, pressing harder. Once he found a good pace, he began working around the area, slowly moving down her back. His hands felt divine, his fingers softly kneading the muscles, but still hard enough to relax them. Rainbow felt her pent up tension slowly melt away under his loving touch.

He worked her upper back, alternating between pushing with his fingers and kneading with his knuckles. He found one particularly tight muscles and pushed down a bit harder.

“Ohh~ press harder!”

He obliged, increasing the power slightly. Rainbow felt like she was floating on a cloud, which she was, with an angel on her back, which she was starting to believe.

His hand slipped further down, working around the wing joints. Maverick left a little bit of room between his hands and the wings, pretty much ignoring them for the moment. Rainbow was disappointed; that was one of the spots she’d been waiting for, but she didn’t complain. After all, he didn’t know much about Pegasi.

His hands kept going lower, and he scooted back along her body so he could reach the new regions. He was at her lower back now, and Rainbow was starting to feel a tiny bit uncomfortable, but she said nothing.

*gasp*

His hands had reached her cutie marks. The skin around them was very sensitive, and with the small circles he was tracing, Rainbow felt a bolt of pleasure shoot through her. She bucked her hips the tiniest bit, letting out a throaty moan of desire.

“Hgn, don’t stop~”

And he didn’t. Maverick kept going, slowly massaging around her cutie marks and rump. Rainbow knew she shouldn’t let him touch there, mostly since he had no idea what she was feeling, but she couldn’t stop him; it felt too good. Her wings splayed themselves out, now completely erect and begging for attention.

Rainbow was panting, her pleasure overriding her other senses, as Maverick’s hands kept going. They didn’t lower any further, to Rainbow disappointment, but she could accept that he wasn’t ready for that yet. Instead, she let herself melt, her whole body relaxing. Except for a certain lower part, which was getting quite excited.

Suddenly, his hands left her fur, and she let out a very loud whine of displeasure. She wasn’t done enjoying herself yet! She felt them return, brushing lightly along her coat as they moved back up towards the wing joints. Then he began massaging them.

“Oh Celestia!”

Pleasure exploded within her. The joints were extremely sensitive, and she felt every touch, every brush of fingers against fur. He worked around the left joint first, massaging circles on the coat and ignoring the actual wing bone. He kept at it, switching to the right after a minute and repeating his actions. Then he moved back, massaging her back between the wings as he shifted to the left join. He switched back and forth another 4 times, and every time he did, she would moan softly.

Then he started on the actual wing. His fingers began to work on the left wing bone, which had very little muscle on it. Maverick had originally assumed it wouldn’t need to be tended to, but based on the reaction he was getting, he had assumed wrong. He continued up the wing, gently running his fingers along the feathers. He wasn’t sure if could really massage wings, but Rainbow was clearly enjoying whatever he was doing. He switched sides, repeating his actions once more on the right wing. As he massaged them, he felt them continue to stiffen up, and he got confused. Did wings work in the opposite way of the body? He sped up his actions to try and compensate for the hardening, and Rainbow let out a much louder moan in response.

At this point, Rainbow’s mind was clouded, so clouded that she didn’t realise it until it almost too late. Because of the sensitivity of her wings, and the fact that she was in heat, her climax was building. As it was closing in on her, she woke up. Maverick thought he was only giving her a massage! And she was about to...

Panic flared. She needed to move, NOW. With total disregard for her boyfriend, Rainbow shoved him off of her back. He fell to the ground with a startled cry, the wind knocked out of him. Rainbow leaped off the bed, knocking a picture off the wall, and dove for the bathroom, slamming the door closed and trying desperately to stifle her cries of ecstasy.

Back in the room, Maverick was slowly recovering from his fall. His head was spinning from where he’d banged it on the floor and his breathing was shallow and wheezy. But all he could think of was Rainbow. Had he hurt her? Did he do something wrong?

He forced himself to his feet, using the bed to help stabilise himself. The world was spinning around him, but he had to check on his girlfriend. With help from the wall next to the bed, he slowly made his way around the room to the bathroom door.

In the bathroom, Rainbow was panting hard, back arched as she rode out the waves of pleasure. She regretted nothing as she lay on the floor, mouth agape in a silent scream. Her reverie was cut short, however, when she heard Maverick call her name.

“Rainbow, Rainbow are you okay?”

Her mouth worked to formulate a reply, but all that came out was a low moan. A moan that was, fortunately, interpreted as pain.

“Rainbow! I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you. Oh, please forgive me.”

She tried again. “’M Fine”

“What?”

“I’m fine, you didn’t hurt me, it’s just…” She paused, thinking quickly. “I had to… use the bathroom! Yeah, that’s it. Your massage was so good it distracted me from my need to pee.”

‘Great choice Dash, totally believable excuse. Moron.’ She berated herself.

She could practically see Maverick’s frown from across the door. He didn’t believe her at all. Better he be suspicious then know the truth. “I’ll be out in a second, go back to bed and I’ll meet you there. Thanks for the massage, it was amazing.”

Maverick knew that he was being lied to, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Instead, he gave a weak “Okay” and returned to the bed. His head was still aching, although not as bad, but the world had stopped spinning. He flopped down on the bed and immediately felt something off. His hair felt slightly damp.

Confused, he flipped onto his belly. Under his head, the clouds were slowly absorbing a bit of moisture that had leaked onto the bed. But where did it leak from? Maverick looked up to see no problems with the roof. In fact, there were no potential spots that anything could have leaked from. Except…

Maverick’s face reddened, but he knew that had had to confirm his thoughts, else he might falsely accuse his girlfriend. He brought his nose right up to the few stains of darker cloud and inhaled deeply. Despite never having sniffed female regions before, he could tell what he was smelling wasn’t pee. Tentatively, he touched his tongue to the sheets. It was very faint, but he could taste something other than water.

At this point he was redder then any tomato, ever. He had no idea what to make of the situation, but what he did know was that he’d just accidentally given Rainbow an orgasm, and she hadn’t tried to stop him.

As he reached his conclusion, he heard Rainbow pull the cloud-door aside. He lay down in the bed, trying to make it seem like he hadn’t noticed anything. It was kind of hard though, since his face was still flush.

Before she could get to the bed, Maverick got up. “I’m just gonna eat something first.”

“S-sure. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

Back in the other room, Maverick took his time, slowly taking apart another tower. He’d known, of course, that Rainbow had sex on the brain. But things were only getting more and more awkward between them. She had to open up before things got out of hand.

Once he was finished, he made his way back into the room. “Rainbow, is there anything you wanna tell me?”

Silence.

“I won’t laugh or take it the wrong way or anything.”

More silence, and then…

*snore*

She was already asleep. Maverick couldn’t help but smile. As annoying as the situation between them was, he had to admit that she always had a way of looking cute.

He slid under the sheets next to her and wrapped his arms around her chest, glad that horse anatomy made it much harder to accidentally brush against the boobs.

“Goodnight love.”

Maverick was alone.

He found himself walking, to where he didn’t know, but he couldn’t stop. His feet beat down on the black stones beneath him. He was in a black tunnel, a tunnel devoid of light, and yet he could see. He saw black stones lining the walls, the ceiling and the floor. He saw his arms as he waved them in front of his face. He could see as if there was sunlight, yet the tunnel was black.

He walked on, trying to figure out what was going on. He considered the possibility of the stones being luminescent, but the light did not shine from within them. Rather, it seemed to originate from Maverick himself, for although he could see his surroundings, the tunnel itself disappeared into a black fog.

Maverick began to worry. Where was he? Today was like, Tuesday, right? He should be waking up to go to school right about now. No, that sounded wrong. He hadn’t been to school in a while. Was it summertime?

As he walked on, the path began to shift. The stones colour darkened. What used to be black became blacker. The stones were sucking the light out of the air! What was going on?

Maverick’s mind was dragging up images long forgotten. He saw an old friend. Someone he hadn’t spoken with in years. They’d had a fight, but over what? What was his name?

The image changed. He was sitting alone, in his bed, crying. Then he was back at his elementary school, outcast by the other students. After that he was surrounded by people, all of them smoking or drinking or doing drugs. Someone offered him one, and he turned it down, but inside he had wanted to take it.

Maverick had stopped moving forward now. He couldn’t find the energy to lift his legs, and now that he was stopped, the light he was emitting began to fade. With the stones absorbing the light and the source diminishing, Maverick was losing the ability to see around him. He looked down to see that his feet had already vanished, and that his legs were following suit.

Panic flared. He tried to get his legs moving again, but it felt like they’d been sucked into a block of cement. He pulled desperately but to no avail. The darkness was at his knees now, and he knew that it wouldn’t stop until it got to his head.

Maverick saw more images from his past. They always had a sad ring to them: The time he’d gotten lost in an amusement park for hours when he’d gone with his school; the time he was pushed down the side of a small hill and got bruises and scrapes on his hands; the date with Vicki. The imaged drained his will to fight, and eventually he just stood there, waiting.

As if it had sensed his distress, the darkness doubled its speed. It had reached his chest at this point, and Maverick began having trouble breathing. He felt himself suffocation as the darkness clamped around his neck and pulled its way up to his chin.

Maverick closed his eyes. He had no idea where he was or why he was there, but he knew it would be over in the next few seconds.

…

Maverick waited. Was it trying to give him false hope, that way he’d be sweeter, or something?

But somehow, he could breathe again. He opened his eyes and saw that the light, which had all but faded before, was now blindingly bright. It also revealed that the stones he had thought black were actually a very pale cyan blue.

Maverick looked down to his body to see that it wasn’t him emitting the light; he was merely reflecting it, and it looked to originate from somewhere behind him. Surprised, he turned his head and immediately covered his eyes to save them from incineration.

He waited long enough to feel safe and then slowly cracked an eyelid open. What he saw amazed him.

It was Rainbow Dash, and yet it wasn’t. Rainbow Dash didn’t get dressed up, nor did she wear makeup, and she certainly didn’t style her mane.

But that’s what he saw. Rainbow Dash in the most beautiful silver dress. Rainbow Dash with eye shadow, eyeliner and a bunch of other stuff Maverick didn’t know the name of. Rainbow Dash with her hair and tail braided. In a word, breathtaking.

She slowly trotted up to him, and he realised that the stones weren’t blue either. They were reflecting the light she was emitting. The light that was shining through the whole tunnel. It burned away the darkness and the shadows like a sun and let Maverick see all the way to the end of the tunnel, where a door stood.

He felt her poke him gently in the back before she began circling him. Every time she ended up behind him, she poked him with her muzzle to get him moving. Eventually, Maverick felt strong enough to take a step. The moment his foot left the ground, he felt the weight of his body drop dramatically. His first step changed into two, then ten, and so on as he continued his march to the door.

Beside him walked Rainbow Dash. She gave him a cheeky grin each time he looked to her, almost as if she was mocking him, but in a playful way. He tried, more than once, to say something, but no sound left his mouth. Eventually he just returned her cocky grin, causing her to nuzzle him.

The pair walked their way to the door, which open at Mavericks touch. On the other side he found…

*****

Maverick’s eyes opened slowly. He still remembered the dream that had just finished, but he couldn’t for the life of him recall what lay hidden behind the door. He tried for a good minute to bring it back, unsuccessfully. When that he failed, he groaned sleepily, looking around.

He was in Rainbow’s bed, back at her house. Next to him, the energetic Pegasus lay on her back, head at his feet and butt facing the pillows. Somehow she’d managed to turn herself around in her sleep.

Maverick chuckled at her awkward position until he remembered what had happened before they went to sleep. When he did, he shifted over on the bed, moving away from her rear. His smile didn’t leave though as he watched her sleeping, her breathing deep and regular.

He was about to lay back down when he noticed something off. It started out small: her face crinkled up, as if she smelt something bad, and her breathing sped up a bit. Then she kicked out with one of her hind legs, effectively destroying one of the cloud pillows. Maverick began to get worried as she raised her hooves, as if to ward off some sort of attack. He looked at her in concern as she began mumbling in her sleep, and was about to wake her up until, all of a sudden, it just stopped. He waited for a few seconds, but all she showed in response to his concern was the appearance of a big, goofy grin. Satisfied that the problem had subsided, he lay back down and closed his eyes.

He was just about to drift off again when he felt a bone-crushingly heavy weight pressing down on him. He opened his eyes and came face to, well, butt with Rainbow’s rear. She had rolled over, and was lying spread eagled on top of him!

The first thing that popped into his mind was a burning desire to move away from the puffy lips that were right in his face. However, it only took him a second to realise that she was pinning his whole body to the bed; his legs, his chest, even his arms were stuck underneath her.

Then next thought was one of confusion. Why was she so heavy? In theory, she should weigh less than a single pound, and yet she felt as though she was full weight, maybe even heavier than normal.

He was trying to figure out just how magic worked in Equestria as the third and most important thought hit him; he couldn’t breathe! Once he was aware, he tried to pull in some oxygen, only to realise that he had maybe a tenth of his usual lung capacity. He immediately tried to push Rainbow off, a vain attempt as it felt like she was a horse lying on top of him, which she was.

Struggling desperately not to panic, Maverick tried shouting out to wake her up, but due to his limited breathing, he only managed a faint wheezing. It was then that he began to panic. His body was immobilised, his voice was gone, and he appeared to be out of luck. Already the edges of his vision were blurring and he was feeling light headed.

He looked around desperately for something to help him, and his eyes came to rest on Rainbow’s female nethers, from which a small drop of moisture was leaking. An idea came to him, and without taking a moment to consider the consequences, he reached his head forward, took one of the lips between his teeth and bit down hard.

The reaction was immediate. Rainbow let out a shrill wail of pain as she slammed her rear down, effectively getting Maverick to release his hold on her marehood. As soon as she felt the pain lessen, she jumped up and sprang away from the bed, landing in a pile on the floor. Maverick was pretty sure he heard a few more cries of pain as he tried to catch his breath.

As soon as she recovered, Rainbow spun around, bloodlust in her eyes, and stared Maverick down. Since he was still trying his best not to faint, Maverick offered very little resistance as she approached with a hoof drawn back, as if to punch him.

Luckily for Maverick, Rainbow noticed his wheezing at the last possible second and managed to hit the bed instead of his chest. The bloodlust in her eyes dimmed, replaced by fury as she struggled to say something. Seeing as her mind was still trying to process what had happened, she asked the simplest question.

“What?!”

On his end, Maverick was still desperately fighting for breath. He held up a finger, giving the human sign for ‘gimme a second’ and was rewarded with a moment of reprieve as Rainbow sat down at the foot of the bed, still glaring at him.

Once he’d finally managed to fill his lungs somewhat, he said: “You were *pant* squishing me. I needed to *pant* get you off or *pant* I would have suffocated.”

Her look changed to one of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, just winded.”

She scooted up next to him; wrapping her hooves around his back and pulling him close as she curled around him. “I’m sorry.”

“S’not your fault, it could’ve happened to anyone.”

“But for Celestia knows why, it happened to you. Any other pony would’ve been fine had I rolled on top of them, but not you. Why does it always seems like wherever we are, bad things happen to you, and only you?”

Maverick shrugged in response. “Maybe I’m just unlucky.”

Rainbow nuzzled the back of his neck. “Now I can’t even sleep next to you without killing you.” A silent tear rolled down her cheek, landing on Maverick’s skin.

Having finally caught his breath, Maverick wrapped his arms around the hooves in front of him. “Don’t say that. Accidents happen. If I wanted to be protected from every single little possible accident, I’d live in a padded, sealed white room, completely separated from all contact with others.” He turned around to look Rainbow in the eye. “But to do that, I’d have to leave you behind.”

“But I almost k-”

“No, you rolled over in your sleep. Just forget about it.”

“But…”

Maverick sighed. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to do the same to you, that way we’ll be even.”

Rainbow stared at him with confusion. “What?”

In response, Maverick pushed her down and climbed onto her underside so he was lying on top of her. “Now we’re even.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything, instead choosing to wrap her hooves around him again. “You’ve got a death wish. What happens when luck and quick thinking isn’t enough to save you?”

“Then I guess I’ll die.” He returned before quickly changing the subject. “Here’s a silly question; we both weigh almost the same amount right now, so why did it feel like I was being sat on by an elephant?”

Rainbow, quite to both their surprises, blushed. “Are you calling me fat?”

Maverick couldn’t help but laugh at that, and after a few seconds of pouting, Rainbow joined in.

“Of course not, I’m just wondering.”

“It’s probably the magic of Equestria. Unlike what we’ve heard about “earth”, Equestria has magic that flows through the very air around us. You humans have “science” and “the laws of physics” to explain how your world works. In Equestria, magic is the more prominent explanation for things we don’t understand, although we do acknowledge things like gravity and electricity.” Rainbow explained.

“Really? So I shouldn’t just take for granted that I won’t suddenly start seeing everything in blue?”

Rainbow chose not to answer this, instead giving Maverick a nuzzle. “Alight, I get it. Let’s just go back to sleep.” She said as she tried to shift him back to her side.

Maverick, however, protested, grabbing onto her and holding firm. “Can I stay here?”

Rainbow cocked her head, but stopped trying to move him. “Thanks” He said, quickly snuggling up to her chest and pulling the blankets back on.

Rainbow smiled and pulled him up a bit so his head was resting underneath hers. Once he settled back in, she started to drift off, happy once again.

*****

Maverick yawned.

He looked over to the doorway, seeing a bit of light slipping around the curtain/cloud/door thing, and assumed it was morning. He wasn’t on top of Rainbow anymore, probably since he rolled off during the night, or maybe she rolled. Either way, he felt her powerful hooves still wrapped around his chest and her muscular body spooned to his back. He sighed contently, squirming around a bit to push himself further into her embrace when he felt a kiss on his neck.

“Morning sleepy head.” She whispered, nuzzling him.

“Good morning.” Maverick replied before trying to turn around and look at Rainbow. She allowed him to do this, but only because she was getting up. “Hey!”

She turned to smile at him. “Come on, I need to get back into a training schedule. That means waking up, eating and then training. I’ve only got a few days left before the games start, and I want to be better prepared than I am now.”

Maverick sighed sadly, knowing that this meant a lot more time in the air holding back his desire to vomit, but complied, following her to the main room.

After they ate and Rainbow stretched, she made him get on.

“We’ll start with a warm up; a couple dozen kilometers of steady flight. After that, we’ll do the sprints again.”

Maverick just nodded, and they were off. Rainbow flew at a quick, steady pace. After the first dozen kilometers, she was starting to feel the burn. By the time she was done, she had landed on a nearby cloud and was panting.

“Okay… I little *gasp* more than a warm up…”

She was really starting to get annoyed with herself. Even with Maverick on her back, this would have been the easiest thing in the world for her a year ago. She lay down on her legs, breathing heavily as Maverick leaned over her shoulder to look her in the eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Rainbow nodded. “Just a bit winded. It’s been a while since I’ve done any training…”

Maverick looked at her in concern. “Do you, um, wanna talk about it?”

She blinked at him. “What’s there to talk about?”

“Well, I don’t know, you seemed… unhappy the day I first got here. You hated my race, you were kind of mopey, you were talking like Twilight, and now you’re telling me you haven’t trained for the Wonderbolts in “a while”. It doesn’t sound like you, or at least, who the show portrays “you” to be. So I’m opening the door if you want to talk.” He explained to her.

Rainbow looked at him as if he had just explained Pinkie Pie. She didn’t know what to say, what to think.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay…”

“No, it’s um, I mean sure, I guess. It’s nothing serious; I was just feeling kind of down before you got here. I mean, think about it; with all the hate I get from ponies, and the threat of enslavement or death, well, that would get to anypony, you know? I guess I was just feeling a bit out of it.” She said. Obviously, this was a huge understatement, but Rainbow didn’t want to trouble Maverick with her troubles.

Maverick looked like he wasn’t convinced by her story, but he wasn’t going to press for more. Before either could say anything, they heard a voice shout “Oh, well if it isn’t the big superstar.”

Both of them looked up to see Scorched, or his twin brother anyway. The Pegasus looked exactly like Scorched, but his cutie mark was a set of crossed wings with a checkerboard background. His voice was also a little bit higher pitched.

Rainbow glowered. “What do you want Hot Rod?”

“I just wanted to check up on my favorite second place medal holder. I heard you’re racing in the 2k Dash and I was hoping you would tell me how it feels to never get first place when it matters.” Hot Rod taunted.

“I don’t know, probably the same thing you feel when you realised you’re last place WHERE it matters.”

If Hot Rod weren’t red, Maverick was sure he would be after that.

“Please; don’t talk about things you don’t know.”

“Oh, I know pretty well if what Lightning Dust told me is true.”

Now Hot Rod balked, and the pair thought they could see his already red fur turn even redder. “You little bitch! How dare you criticize me when you can’t even get one measly human to stay in Equestria! You’re completely useless.”

Rainbow wilted at this. Maverick, on the contrary, felt a fury unlike any he’d had before.

“Back off you ass. Rainbow’s done her best since day one; it’s not her fault humans are selfish, evil jerks. And she HAS found a human who’ll stay forever.”

“Ha! The day I believe that is the day Princess Celestia gives up her throne to Death and goes for a trip to hell. Humans will never stay, and that bitch is the reason!”

“Stop calling her that! She’s amazing! She’s the most amazing pony, and worth a hundred times more then you will ever be!”

“Ha! She’s worse than the humans.”

Maverick saw red. He stomped down on the cloud, trying to disperse his rage.

Instead, from the position he was standing, a giant shockwave rippled outwards. The moment it touched Rainbow, she felt a gigantic surge of strength which made her light headed. It continued, passing through the cloud and Hot Rod and exploding outwards across Equestria. Everypony it touched felt a sudden change in their bodies: some felt a wave of lethargy; others felt ecstatic. Some were blinded by rage while others felt a sudden explosion of knowledge. All foals who hadn’t finished growing or had been frozen in time experienced a random, instantaneous growth spurt.

In her tree house, Twilight, who had been practicing a new spell for hours with little success, found herself suddenly able to understand where her mistake was. Applejack, who had just finished bucking her first section of apple trees, felt her hind legs tingle with newfound energy and strength. Rarity, who had been designing a new dress for a noble pony in Canterlot, felt her mind brim with ideas. Fluttershy, who had been calmly reading to her animals, felt a wave of lethargy, mirrored by said animals. As for Pinkie, well, the wave set her Pinkie sense off the hook, which actually knocked her out due to the millions of different signals it received in a split second.

Everypony in Equestria looked around themselves, confused at the sudden spike of energy that had affected every living thing on Equestria. Flowers bloomed, grass had grown, weeds had overrun gardens. Many of the ponies panicked for a few moments, others just continued on as if nothing had happened. Some few geniuses, Twilight included, tried to come up with an explanation of what just happened. It would only take a few minutes for most ponies thinking about it to figure it out.

Back on the cloud, Rainbow and Hot Rod were staring at Maverick, who was staring back at Rainbow with confusion plastered all over his face.

“What was that?” He asked.

“How should I know? You just sorta…. exploded. Did you not mean to do it?” Rainbow asked.

“N-no.”

The three looked around. Rainbow examined her body with a critical eye, the explosion of strength having faded, and gasped.

Her whole body had buffed up! She was back to how she had been before her depression: her legs muscles were toned and taught; she has powerful abdominal muscles, and her chest rippled as she flexed her legs; her wing muscles clenched and unclenched as she gave a few powerful, experimental flaps.

But there was more: her coat was overgrown and overdue for a brushing; the feathers that she had plucked had grown back considerably, almost halfway to their full size. Her hair felt longer, almost half an inch. However, the most noticeable thing was the sudden disappearance of her horniness. She felt as if her heat had ended.

Rainbow shifted her look to Hot Rod. He seemed to be experiencing the same coat and hair problems, but he didn’t look to have put on a few pounds of muscle. She then looked to Maverick, who was completely unchanged by the wave of force.

Maverick was looking back at her, totally confused and shell shocked.

“I think you just… altered time.” Hot Rod said as he landed on the cloud, his hateful tone totally gone.

Maverick looked to him, still dumbfounded. “I what?”

“Altered time. I think you just pushed our bodies through time. By the looks of it, probably by about two weeks…” He continues, his voice slowly edging towards awe.

Maverick looked to Rainbow, unable to help himself from noticing the sudden increase in muscle mass. “Rainbow! You got stronger.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at this. “Whatever you did, that does seems to be a side effect. It’s almost as if…” She found her own awe starting to build. “As if you gave me a body that went through two weeks of training…”

The three stood there a few seconds, stunned into silence, before Hot Rod asked the obvious follow up question.
“What does this mean?”

He looked to Maverick first, who shrugged and looked to Rainbow. She shrugged as well and added “How would I know?”

A few moments later, Hot Rod took off, shouting back “You’d better be ready for the games loser, because I’m going to be taking first again!”

That jib seemed to breathe life back into the other two. Rainbow rolled her eyes and crouched down. “Get on, I want to get home and brush this crud out of my coat.”

Maverick complied, although it wasn’t overly pleasant to be sitting on a pony with two week old hair in her un-brushed coat. As he put his hands on her neck, hundreds of hairs fell out, leaving her coat underneath fresh and glistening.

One quick flight later, during which millions of hairs were lost, Rainbow and Maverick returned home. Along the way, they saw hundreds of Pegasi, all of whom were shedding layers of fur.

Rainbow immediately went to the bathroom and pulled out her brush. She began running it through her coat, sighing blissfully as she felt the old, dead hair fall away. She finished her first front leg and had done half her second before Maverick came in behind her.

“Need some help?” He asked slyly.

In response, Rainbow passed him the brush. He climbed back onto her back and started at her neck, pulling the brush through the cyan coat gently but insistently. Although his grip and position allowed him to work faster than Rainbow could, it still took almost 10 minutes just to do her neck.

“This is ridiculous…” Maverick said as he slowly made his way to her back. “No creature in existence should grow this much hair in two weeks!”

Rainbow, who was lying on her belly and enjoying the brushing, calmly said “Well, there’s nothing to it but to do it. You’re doing great, by the way.” He resumed her relaxing treatment, and she started murring in pleasure.

Almost an hour later, when Maverick had finished her back, sides and back legs, Rainbow flipped playfully onto said back, exposing her soft underside and grinning expectantly.

“The things I do for you…” Maverick whined, although he was also smiling.

The moment he started, Rainbow’s murring escalated. Every time he pulled the brush through her fur, she would let out a satisfied sigh, and Maverick was tempted to slow down a bit and let her enjoy herself.

Eventually he finished his task. Rainbow sighed happily, pulling him down on top of her belly for a quick peck on the cheek before she got back up.

“Well, now I need to take a shower. My hair has gone two theoretical weeks without one, so…”

“Don’t worry, I get the hint.” Maverick responded, turning to leave. “Tell me when you’re d-gurk” He was interrupted by Rainbow pulling him back.

“Who said anything about you leaving? I was going to ask for your help.” She said as she began to run the water.

Maverick’s face was tinted with the first hints of a blush as he said “Um, maybe it’s different here in Equestria, but humans don’t typically shower together.”

“Why not? It’s like going to the beach or to a swimming pool.”

“Except that humans wear clothing Rainbow. We take it off for our showers, and when we do, we have nothing to hide our…”

Maverick saw the back of Rainbow’s neck begin to turn red. “Right… okay then, you can just wait for me outside…”

Maverick didn’t need to be told twice and politely exited the bathroom, closing the cloud door behind him as Rainbow stepped into the scolding stream of water.

*****

Twilight was pacing back and forth across her library floor. She had the day off from setting up for the games, seeing as with her help, they were almost a full day ahead of schedule. As such, she had been trying to make some headway in her study of magic by developing a new spell; that is, until the shockwave hit. Now she’s furiously trying to think of an explanation behind said phenomenon.

A scroll which contained a full summary of the changes she’d noticed was lying on her desk, patiently waiting to be sent to the princess, while a second, more detailed scroll contained her stipulations on possible causes and side effects.

Twilight approached the desk with the intent of sending the first scroll to her mentor only to stop as she heard a faint pop from behind her. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was, and she took the scroll in her magic, levitating it over to Celestia.

“There’s no need for that Twilight, I already know what it contains.” Celestia began, only to be interrupted before she could continue.

“Princess, this is catastrophic! The time stream was altered, but not fully, nor properly. It’s almost as if a rift froze everything for an undisclosed amount of time, allowing it to continue growing without permitting it to do anything else!”

“Twilight, I’m wel-”

“Not only that, but the source of this magic is unknown to me! I’ve done scans and reverse tracking, but it’s almost as if the very magic in the air suddenly came to life and decided to act of its own accord!”

“I know, Twilight.” Celestia said a bit more forcefully, obtaining the attention of her student. “I’ve been waiting for this to happen.”

Now Twilight looked even more confused. “You’ve been waiting? You knew the time continuum was going to disrupted?”

“Yes, it gets disturbed every time a new human comes in, with only one exception to date.

“You see, my dear student, every human who’s ever come to our world and left again has affected the time flow. The reason you haven’t noticed it until today was because most of the humans have only pushed it forward by a few seconds each. The human who moved it the furthest was the one you do not speak of. When his time shift triggered, all ponies and life on Equestria aged by just over an hour.”

Twilight gaped at her teacher. “But this was much, much worse! You said most of the humans’ shifted it around by small, unsubstantial amounts. Why did this one suddenly throw us all two weeks into the future?”

“That is what I came to warn you about, Twilight. You see, I’ve researched the time skips immensely, for they seem to be the only consistency between all the humans who have come here, and I found that although the amount of time skipped varies depending on many factors, though there are two that stand out dramatically over the others.

“The first is the emotional influence. The more a human made the ponies around him or her feel powerful, negative emotions, the more time they typically pushed us forward. That’s why Trevor ended up shooting us forward; his treatment of you, coupled with the crippling demands and hatred he sowed, caused him to have an enormous impact on the time continuum.

“The second factor is the duration of their stay. Humans who stayed longer pushed us a bit more as well, although it’s not as important of a factor as the first.”

Twilight stared at her as if she had just announced that doomsday was tomorrow. “But, but princess! If that’s true, and Trevor pushed us all forward by only an hour…”

“Then this new human will do something much, much worse than Trevor, in theory.” Celestia finished for her.

Twilight felt dizzy. She fell back on her haunches and stared at her monarch. “What about Jayce? How far did he push the time stream?” She asked.

“He didn’t change it at all, and he’s the only human who didn’t. I think it’s because he never took his reverse pill, seeing as he died here on Equestria.”

Twilight’s head was still spinning, but she forced herself to think straight. “What should we do Princess?”

Celestia smiled sadly, taking her student with her wing pulling Twilight into a sidelong hug. “There’s nothing we CAN do, my dear. Whatever must happen will, and it is not our place to interfere.”

Twilight hugged Celestia back, letting a few tears flow into her coat. “We’re going to die, aren’t we Princess?”

“We all die eventually, Twilight. Perhaps the reason he altered the flow so much is due to a different factor. We can only assume one thing by this development.” Twilight looked up to Celestia, who had a grim expression on. “It means we know that at some point, he uses his reverse pill.”

Twilight gulped, and then gasped. “It’s Rainbow! He must push her over her limit; she’s going to commit suicide! I need to do something!” She said as she tried to push her way out of the embrace.

Celestia held her firm. “Do not assume, Twilight. It is very dangerous to assume things like that. For now, all we can do is watch. If we must act, then we shall when the time is right.”

With that, Celestia let her student go. “I must return to Canterlot; many nobles are flooding the courts as we speak, all asking the same question. I trust in you to make the right choices that will help us in this time of darkness, Twilight Sparkle.”

With a flash, Celestia was gone, leaving a confused and panicky Twilight in her wake.

Maverick had just finished his fruit palace. He was relieved to have finally made it through all that fruit, but 5 days of not eating meat was beginning to take its toll. Maverick was desperately craving anything with blood: pork chops, chicken, even steak, the one meat he usually hated.

So when Rainbow stepped out of the shower still somewhat damp, Maverick immediately asked “Can we find somewhere that serves bacon tomorrow?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Rainbow tilted her head and gave him a confused look. “Bacon?”

“Yeah, like bacon and eggs. I haven’t had bacon in forever, like, almost a week!” He pleaded, pouting pathetically.

Rainbow fell for it immediately. “Well of course we can, but what is ‘bacon’?”

“Bacon is the gift that the earth has bestowed upon us mortals. It is the single reason that humans can live with even the slightest sliver of happiness in their lives. Bacon is the most divine entity, with the power to crush a million suns in a single instant. Bacon composes the blood that flows through our veins and the air that we breathe. It is known for its miraculous healing abilities and its ability to sustain the body on bacon alone forever if needed. Bacon is the truest form of art, and cannot effectively be depicted by paintings or explained with words. Bacon is perfection in its purest form. Bacon is-”

Maverick finally noticed Rainbow’s deadpanned expression and smiled sheepishly. “Um… Bacon is fried pig meat?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, plopping down on the sofa next to Maverick and causing him to bounce up a bit. “I’ll cook you some tomorrow morning. You said ‘bacon and eggs’ right?”

Maverick’s eyes went wide with delight and he lunged forward, holding Rainbow in a death grip. “Oh thank you thank you! You have NO idea how much I miss bacon.” He pulled back, his smile a foot wide, and added “Oh, and ketchup!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and nodded. “Wanna go get it now?”

At Maverick’s eager nod, she grabbed a pair of saddlebags, dropped a bag of bits inside and trotted out with Maverick following like an eager puppy.

*****

Luna was waking up from her daytime slumber. The night was still a few hours off, as per the norm, so she decided to find her sister and chat about the recent scientific breakthrough that was making headlines: a pill that voided a mare’s heat cycle.

‘It’ll be the biggest thing since horseshoes.’ Luna though as she wandered through the palace, searching for her sister.

She happened upon Celestia as she passed her room, hearing the tell-tail sound of water falling. Having seen her sister in the shower hundreds of times before, Luna was not embarrassed to walk right in to the bathroom, which was easily the size of a normal pony’s living room, calling out “Sister, may I join you?”

Celestia’s head popped out from behind a shower curtain, and Luna immediately noticed that her sister’s mane lacked its usual flowing splendour. Not only that, but her coat was wild and un-groomed, almost as if Celestia had just…

“Oh Tia, looks like somepony forgot to recharge her mane~” Luna sung. “And your coat is so unclean; were you having sexy times with the royal concubines again?”

Celestia’s fur, already flush from her shower, did not redden any more than it already was, to Luna’s great surprise. “Actually, dear sister, I think you may want to come join me, and I forgot just how… male-like your mane becomes when it loses its lustre.”

Luna, now thoroughly confused, trotted over to the mirror. At first she thought her sister must have played a devious and evil prank on her during her sleep, given the state of her coat and mane, and she rushed back to the shower to tell Celestia off when a thought came to her.

“Dear sister, did-”

“Indeed; two weeks, 5 minutes and 32 seconds.”

Luna fell back to haunches. “But, but… How, sister?”

Celestia simply shook her head. “I do not know Luna. Whatever the human intends to do, it will be great, although probably not good…”

As Luna silently thought out hundreds of different possible scenarios, Celestia calmly finished her shower, after which she re-cast the spell that gave her mane its ethereal appearance.

“I must go warn my student of the impending disaster. Perhaps she can keep a watchful eye out for the cause of such a catastrophe. I shall return shortly Luna.”

With a muffled pop that came with years of practice, Celestia vanished, leaving Luna with nothing to do but take her own shower.

As she lathered up the shampoo and began scrubbing it into her mane, Luna’s mind turned again to the potential possibilities that could cause such a massive disturbance in the time stream. She factored in the hatred that Trevor had amassed along with the amount of time he stayed and tried to form some sort of equation. Almost without realising it, an idea began to form in her mind. It was a foolish idea; one that almost certainly would prove to be false, and yet for some reason, as she rubbed her coat clean of all the hair that had grown, she couldn’t quite seem to shake it. The idea persisted through her whole shower, and it caused something to stir within her. It was a feeling that she hadn’t felt in over a year, ever since the death of Jayce.

The moment she was finished with her shower, Luna burst free of the bathroom and galloped across the castle, intent on finding out if her sister had returned. She was in the main hallways of the palace, which led to the throne room, when she saw the line of nobles filing their way into said throne room.

Luna flew over their heads, all poise left back in the bathroom, and all but tossed the ponies entering the room back out. She instructed the guards to exit as well, declaring that she needed a few private words with her sister.

“What is it Luna?” Celestia asked with mild shock at seeing her sister so zealous in her quest for privacy.

When Luna turned to face her, Celestia saw moisture brimming in her sister’s eyes. She also saw a wide smile etched on her face, and couldn’t help but wonder if Luna had finally lost it. She had hoped her sister would be able to endure the humans for quite a bit longer than two years, but she had always known that it would be Luna who broke first.

However, when Luna recounted her idea to Celestia, the latter couldn’t help a small smile from forming on her lips, and as she thought about the idea, her smile could do nothing but grow as the same feeling that had surprised Luna began to blossom within Celestia’s chest as well.

It was hope.

Celestia fought to keep the smile out of her voice, playing the devil’s advocate as she asked Luna to recount the whole story again; just to be sure they hadn’t missed anything that could signal the impossibility of the idea.

“It went like this, Tia. I was in the shower, washing my mane when I had a thought. The humans who stayed longest typically had a larger impact than those who did not. And the humans who inspired the most emotion also seemed to have a larger impact. However, the only human who truly inspired the ponies with happiness, true, widespread happiness and hope, never affect the time flow, correct? What if happiness also causes a disturbance in the flow? What if it’s not just negative emotions, but *all* powerful emotions? What if Maverick is… the one? And that’s why there was such a gigantic jump?”

Celestia nodded, then said. “But then, if that’s so, why did Jayce not-”

“Not alter the flow? Why would Maverick alter it if Jayce did not? I think I may have the answer to that as well. Perhaps breaking our chains of slavery is also a way to stimulate the effects of the reverse pill? We supposed that was because he had never taken his pill, and we are probably correct, but what if it’s because he is going to free us that Maverick had the same effect?”

Celestia swept across the room and engulfed her sister in a bear-like hug. “Oh Luna, could it be?”

The pair shared a long, tender moment of sisterly affection before they parted with large smiles. However, almost simultaneously, the smiles fell, and the sister both spoke at once.

“What do we tell our subjects?” said Celestia.
“What if we’re wrong?” said Luna.

They looked at each other in worry, until Celestia came do a decision.

“We must not let anypony know of this. Not only because if we are wrong, it would crush the spirits of our little ponies forever, but also because it would cause pandemonium. For now, I believe it best to keep all plans for the future to ourselves.”

Luna nodded to this. “What will you tell the nobles?”

“I will think of something. Quickly now, open the doors so they do not suspect anything.” Celestia said, quickly clearing her face of all signs of recent tears and resuming her neutral expression.

Luna was about to open the door when a very loud and insistent banging took place on the other side. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I request immediate entry with dire news.”

The pair of pony princesses spared each other a quick glance as Celestia called out “Enter.”

The massive doors opened slightly, allowing a trio of guards access to the throne room. While two of them quickly shut the door behind them, the third ran to his sovereign, bowing quickly.

“My princess, we have news from the border.”

Immediately, Luna appeared at the stallion’s side. Her eyes, which had contained tears of joy mere moments before, were now hard and serious. “What is it, soldier?”

“Ma’am, there is a highly powerful magical presence at the border. It wrote words into the earth itself, demanding that the both of you should meet with it and discuss the terms of the coming war. It also stated that, should it not receive its hearing, it will begin its assault within the week. If I may make a sug-”

The soldier was cut off as Luna hoisted him onto her back. “No time for suggestions, solider. Lead us to the location of this spirit.” She said, galloping to the nearest open balcony and taking to the skies, her sister mere moments behind her.

The stallion, who was a unicorn, quickly directed the princess of the night to his post on the wall, unable to supress a strange sense of giddy delight at the feeling of flying on a princess’s back.

The trio made quick time, arriving at the border in half the time it would take a regular Pegasi to make it. Even Rainbow Dash would have trouble keeping pace with the alicorns, who alighted on a tower next to a huge gash in the earth.

“Well, that is certainly an effective way to grab somepony’s attention.” Luna said as she stared down at a giant caricature of herself and her sister.

Celestia released a quick pulse of magic and immediately felt the strong ethereal presence that the guard had sensed. “We will take it from here soldier. Carry on.”

The stallion dismounted from Luna’s back before saluting. “Yes ma’am. What are we to do if you require out aid?”

The pair of pony princesses smiled back at him, displaying large teeth and an intimidatingly wide spread of lips. “My dear boy, if *we* require help, a legion of soldiers would not be enough to stop the catastrophe that we would be facing down.”

With that cryptic display that would cause even the bravest soldier to shudder, Celestia and Luna flew down to the ground, alighting lightly.

Immediately, the pair saw a black aura. Ahead of them, the light seemed to dim in the shape of a sphere. It darkened slowly and surely as the light approached the center, which was a pure, pitch black, like a black hole.

Both princesses stared at the anomaly, both rather certain they knew what was causing it. “You wanted to see us, Darkness. Well, we’re here. Talk.”

From the center of the sphere, a pair of eyes appeared. They were black, yet easily visible, being blacker still then the aura they floated in. A villainous smile accompanied their apparition. It was a pure white, blinding against the black background, and the teeth were razor sharp, ending in points and crossing like a badly stereotypical cartoon villain.

As the princesses watched, the pitch black sphere began to morph, growing a pair of enormous arms. The centre appeared puny compared to the monstrously huge clawed hands that tipped said arms.

The sphere then morphed a head, vaguely human in shape, but with a muzzle like a wolf. The eyes and the smile shifted forward, ending in what was arguably an acceptable position for them, but seeming dramatically oversized for the head, which was also larger than the center.

Finally, a ghost-like ethereal tail grew, enveloping the sphere and flowing out behind the monster, which was now fully formed. The black specter laughed a deep, maniacal and cliché evil laugh before finally settling down, grinning as his claws dug up the earth, as if to keep him from blowing away.

A voice echoed around the area, seeming to come from everywhere at once. To make it worse, the words all reached the princesses at different times, causing them to hear multiple words overlapping one-other.

“Celestia, Luna, it has been many years my dear archenemies. May I say you ladies appear as stunning as you did during our previous encounter? Stunning being synonymous to hideously overcharged with magical light, of course.”

The spirit produced a set of tinted sunglasses, putting them over his eyes. “Ah, that procures me such a measure of comfort…” He floated onto his back, crossing his arms behind his head.

“I see you haven’t changed a bit, Darkness.” Celestia spat. Just to razz the spirit, she started glowing, allowing sunlight to flow straight out of her body.

Darkness merely shrugged. “Do not think such petty light will harm me, Solar Deity. You know you cannot hurt me. Of course, you are free to try.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “What do you want mongrel?”

“You should watch your language, dear. How would your mother react to such a fowl mouth? Oh, wait a moment; she wouldn’t react, would she?” He said, smirking evilly.

Both princesses glared daggers at him.

“Oh, very well… I have come to offer your highnesses a deal. You are aware that a war brews between your nation and that of the Primate and Filth, are you not?” When neither princess denied it, the spirit carried on smugly. “You see, I have personally aided them in their preparations, and even I must admit, they have risen magnificently to the challenge. They shall be ready to match in a matter of days, after which we shall obliterate the holly ground of Equestria.”

The spirit paused to nonchalantly clean its claws. “Unless, of course, you agree to my demands.”

At once, both princesses shouted in disagreement, followed by a colourful series of curses and insults. “You shall not touch a single hair on the pelts of the elements of harmony!” Luna concluded their tirade.

“I see. I must admit, I was hoping you would be more prepared to give me at least one of them, seeing as she is no longer happy being alive. Oh yes, I’m aware of her predicament.” He said as Luna flinched. “You are certain this is your wish? I am convinced you could explain the situation to the other elements.”

“Shut up demon! The ponies of Equestria will never let you take their homes!” Luna shouted, stomping a hoof in irritation.

“Perhaps not, but a certain pair of princesses lack the ability to interfere with my plans, do they not?” Darkness taunted as he waved to something behind him.

Instantly, two figures walked out of their hiding spots. One was easily comparable to a giant rat. It walked on all fours, although its front legs ended in something similar to human hands. It had grey fur covering its whole body, and appeared to be very fat. However, as it approached the princesses, the rat shifted to walking on two legs, and the rulers saw that he, for it was a he, was very powerfully muscled.

Next to him was what appeared to be a very thin and lanky monkey. It had red fur covering its body, and it bounced forward on long arms and legs. It’s tail, which was easily as long as its body, thrashed to and fro. Most noteworthy, however, were the antlers on its head. One side was missing most of it, with only a tiny stub to prove it had ever been there. The other resembled that of a deer, with multiple sections like a tree branch.

Both creatures approached the princesses without caution. The way they walked suggested an arrogant confidence, although neither spoke.

“Lady Celestia, lady Luna, meet Lord Carrion.” He pointed to the rat, who waved merrily. “And General Mantycus.” He then pointed to the monkey, who did nothing. “I do believe you 4 have met in the past, but I feel reacquainting is necessary, as it has been a few years.”

There was a not-so brief moment of awkward tension as both sides stared each other down. Then, without prompt, the monkey reached into the shade and took out a spear.

“Know what this is?” He said, he voice unnaturally deep and intimidating.

The princesses recoiled at the sight of the spear, wide eyed and angry. “That’s a pony slayer!”

The monkey nodded before planting the spear in the ground. “We need land. Pony land is most fertile. We take pony land, by force or by deal.”

The rat nodded as the monkey continued. “We ready to march. 3 days until we go, unless we receive demands. We demand land, enough to live on. Ponies will give us land or die.”

The monkey pulled the spear of ground again and hefted it. “We know princess can’t fight. Ponies are helpless without princess. We come back tomorrow at noon for answer.” With that, he stalked off, leaving the rat and the specter.

The rat nodded to the princesses and followed the monkey without a word.

“Such a tragic day. I had hoped that your highnesses would be able to see reason. The poor dears need room to expand their living grounds. Tis unfortunate that the ponies are in control of all the good land in the immediate area.”

The specter began to float backwards. “I wonder if your pony army will be able to hold the Primates and Carrions at bay, seeing as you poor princesses are hindered by your… handicap. Good day Lady Celestia, lady Luna.”

The shades body dematerialised, shifting back into the form of a black sphere. In an instant, the darkness dissipated, leaving the co-rulers of Equestria alone.

The princesses turned back the way they came and returned to the watch tower. They thanked the soldier for his rapid actions and warned him that he, along with his unit, would soon be relocated. They then refused to answer the plethora of questions he asked, instead taking to the skies again and returning home to the palace. Many of the nobles were still waiting outside the throne room, but they were quickly shooed by the guards at the princesses’ command.

“What do we do sister? Our little ponies will be forced to fight for Equestria, and we can do nothing to stop the villain responsible for this.” Luna asked. She seemed oddly subdued after their meeting.

Celestia stood silently for a few moments of contemplation. “We cannot yield our home to the other races that live on our planet. As sad as it is, we shall be forced to prepare the army for a war. We did not, after all, assemble thousands of combat-ready ponies just to have them laze around the country.”

“But sister, what about us? We can’t help them because of the spell we had cast so many years ago. You remember, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. You’re referring to the spell of binding we placed on Darkness’s brothers. I’m aware that it prohibits us from fighting, Luna. What would you have me do; break the enchantment and release ALL of the spirits of evil? Darkness is hard enough to deal with as is, and his power is a mere fraction of what it once was. I’m certain that our army is prepared for this.”

Luna looked at the floor in shame at her next words. “I know we assemble them personally, but I had hoped that they would never need to perform their duty…”

Celestia put her wing around Luna’s back. “As do I sister, as do I. Do you think you can assemble our forces from around Equestria and inform them to be prepared to move to Ponyville? That is most likely their target.”

Luna nodded. “I shall have them all informed by daybreak. What are you doing to do, dear sister?”

Celestia looked up to the sun, which was nearing the horizon. “I need some time to think.”

“Oh. My. God! You are without a doubt the most amazing pony ever!”

Maverick was sitting with Rainbow at her kitchen cloud-table thing. Placed in front of him was the most amazing looking plate, simply because it contained two items; bacon and eggs.

The night prior, after the pair had returned from their time-meddling and procured their bacon and eggs, Maverick had immediately gone to bed, feeling oddly drained, especially after having done nothing of note. Rainbow had been just as tired, but she couldn’t go to sleep just then.

For the next four hours, Rainbow experimented with her kitchen. She’d never even known that the countertops included both an oven and a range, as well as a cutting board, a microwave and, weirdly enough, a blender, all made entirely of cloud. She spent so little time at home that she hadn’t needed any kitchen appliances.

Now, however, she couldn’t be happier in discovering them. After reading up on how to make bacon and eggs in the basic human cookbook Twilight had given her, Rainbow had realised that a heat source would be necessary, and how lucky was she to find that she had one this whole time?

Four hours and multiple failed attempts later, Rainbow finally managed to cook something that looked edible. Pleased with her work, the weather pony joined Maverick in bed.

Now, the next morning, Maverick took a strip of bacon and bit into it eagerly. Had this been serve to him at home, he would probably have frowned at his father and asked why it tasted so off. However, seeing as he hadn’t eaten meat for a week, Maverick eagerly tore through his favorite breakfast.

Sitting opposite him, Rainbow looked on nervously as Maverick tentatively tried the first piece of bacon, and then sighed in relief as he devoured the food, using more ketchup then was even logically necessary on the eggs. On her end, Rainbow had chosen one of the tastiest foods a pony could eat: Maple leaves.

When Maverick was out of eggs and down to his last strip of bacon, he finally realised that Rainbow wasn’t eating the same thing he was. He wasn’t surprised; horses don’t eat meat. Still, it felt wrong that he should eat all off the delicious, mouth-watering bacon while a living creature nearby had none.

He caught Rainbow’s eye and motioned towards that last strip. She looked at him confusedly, so he pantomimed eating it. Keeping to their random and pointless game of charades, Rainbow shook her head, her eyes explaining well enough that she couldn’t eat meat, as Maverick had already guessed, and that he should finish it. The human, however, would not be denied, using his elaborate theater skills to cross his arms and sulk at her refusal. In response, the pony made an exasperated face and was about to launch herself into a complicated series of acrobatic maneuvers until she remembered that there was actually nothing preventing her from speaking.

“I can’t eat it; it’ll make me sick.” She stated.

“But it’s BACON! I can’t just sit here and wait while you suffer through life not knowing the divine properties that are associated with bacon.”

At Rainbow’s dead panned expression, Maverick took a moment to consider a path of action that would allow him to force feed her the tasty morsel. With a spark of romantic inspiration, or maybe an odd desire to try something he’d read about and wanted to imitate, Maverick asked “What if I sweeten the deal?”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “There’s no way you could find a way to make me swallow that stuff if I’m just gonna hack it back up later.”

“That’s the genius of it; you won’t have to swallow it.” He said, smiling widely as he took the piece of bacon and held it out for her. Rainbow was about to ask another question, but he stopped her before she could. “Look, just eat it, but don’t swallow.”

With an overdramatic sigh, the Pegasus lunged forward and bit off the strip. It tasted pretty dry and bland to her, which didn’t help her understand what Maverick was so hyped about. She finished chewing the meat and looked at her boyfriend, waiting for his instructions on what to do next.

With a devilish grin, Maverick leaned in until they were practically kissing. Rainbow blushes and pulled back a bit. “Ever read a romance novel where the lovers “share” their food?” He asked.

Rainbow wasn’t honestly overly comfortable with the idea, but she decided to force herself through it. She pushed herself back up against Maverick’s lips, slowly parting her own and pushing the slop of spit and chewed up bacon over to her boyfriend.

On his end, Maverick received the treat eagerly. He also noticed quite quickly that it felt gross; receiving someone else’s spit with food in it. It was like thick water with big chunks of something moderately chewy in it. The taste of the bacon was also thin, and it clashed horribly with the natural flavors in Rainbow’s saliva, having more of a wild berry tang to it. Why her spit tasted like anything at all was beyond the human. Overall he found the experience to be an unpleasant one, and swallowed the bacon quickly and unhappily.

“Bleh! They make that sound much better in the books then it actually is…” He whined. “How did you feel about it? And the bacon?”

Rainbow shook her head. “It was bad, and so was the bacon. How can you eat that trash?”

“Hey! That “trash” is my favorite food!”

“Yeah well you got weird tastes.”

The pair were interrupted by the appearance of a mailpony. Although typically this wouldn’t be all that special of an event, it caught there attention because not only did Rainbow claim to “almost never get mail”, but also because she had no mail box, and as such the letter was dropped a few feet inside her house.

“I’d read that if I were you; it’s about the games.” She said eagerly before flying off to the next house.

With a shrug, Rainbow trotted over to the letter, opening it as she did the last one and dropping it on the table before beginning her read. Maverick quickly made his way to her side and read over her shoulder.

To the competitors of the experimental weapons engineering and combat event:

We are pleased to announce that the event is still on track and will be part of the tournament, as promised. However, all participants are required to attend a mandatory fitting for the specially engineered combat suits that will be worn during the event. The fittings will be held in 1on1 settings and will include an explanation of why it is required and how it will influence the participation in the event.

We would like to thank all participants in advance for their cooperation and remind them that the fitting is mandatory. Any participants who do not show will be disqualified immediately. The fittings begin as of the moment the participants have received their letter and will end on the day prior to the beginning of the tournament.

We hope to see you soon.

The official board of judges for the regulation of safety and protection.

The letter continued on with a list of ponies involved in the material of which it concerned, but Maverick stopped reading at “We hope to see you soon”. ‘A combat suit?’ He thought. ‘I hope it won’t affect whatever weapon Black Hooves if making for me.’

Next to him, Rainbow stiffened. Maverick has a feeling the cause was her fear that he would get hurt during the tournament, but she didn’t say anything, instead trotting for the front door. He followed her outside, where she stretched out her back and wings before crouching down as she always did when she wanted him to ride her. Maverick quickly found the comfy and now familiar kink between her shoulders and her wings, siding into it and leaning forward so he was resting with his face in her mane.

Two powerful strokes of her wings later, Rainbow was off. The blue Pegasus was now used to the extra weight on her back, and with the recent time splint, she found that he was suddenly a much smaller burden. She got up to speed more easily then she usually did, and by the time they arrived at the stadium, she was barely even warm, let alone winded. Rainbow was both pleased and worried about her newfound strength. On one hoof, it would certainly help her win her races in a few days, and who didn’t like winning? She was certainly a big fan of it. However, what was the drawback? If the humans taught her anything, it was that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Every time the humans offered the ponies something, they seemed to get more out of the exchange. In fact, some times the ponies didn’t get anything at all, and the humans just demanded something or other. Rainbow was worried that in time she would come to pay for newfound strength, even though she didn’t ask for it.

The moment they hit the clouds, Maverick dismounted. Although he was cleared to ride, the pair still attracted quite a few sets of eyes when the human was on Rainbow’s back, and most still held glares, although they were starting to lose some of their venom. They walked inside and asked for directions at the help desk before continuing on their way deep along the confusing melee of corridors that composed the coliseum.

Their journey led them to a large indoor gymnasium. It was empty save for two ponies who were standing in front of an open doorway, clearly watching something. The sounds of magical miniature explosions accompanied by various banging noises could be heard throughout the gym, and Maverick covered his ears reflexively as they stepped inside. Rainbow, having no hands and arms to imitate him, was left to flattening her ears along her skull, which did little to alleviate the painfully loud noises.

By chance, one of the ponies at the door turned to glance around the gym. Upon seeing the pair, he nudged his partner, who began making his way across the gym with two sets of what seemed to be headphones in his mouth. He was also wearing a pair on his head, which seemed like a very good idea to the other two at that particular moment. The other member of the duet seemed to begin speaking to somepony out of sight in the other room.

Maverick understood how they could hear each other as soon as he put the headphones on. Immediately, all the banging stopped. The whole gym fell silent as his ears adjusted to the new level of noise, and then he could hear the stallion at the door murmuring something, although he couldn’t make out the words. Next to him, Rainbow let out a sigh of relief.

“Sooo much better.” She cooed.

The stallion who has brought them the headphones grinned. “So you’re Maverick eh? I’ll tell ya, you’re sure stirring up a big commotion in the Pegasi this year. Your event is generating the second most attention. Ticket sales are through the roof, and it’s rumoured that the event might even beet out the 2K sprint!”

Next to him, Rainbow gasped. “That’s impossible! The 2K has been number one since the games began centuries ago!”

“Well, the projected sales were already high. It was predicted that the experimental combat event would take third in popularity, but that was before you through a human into the equation. I mean, come on; everypony wants to see him get crushed. Humans are killing machines, completely unparalleled in weapon crafting.” He turned to Maverick at this point. “Meaning no disrespect, but most ponies hate humans, and there are hundreds of wild rumours that ponies have made up over the years. Rumours like how humans are vicious, heartless cannibals who’ll stop at nothing to get what they want. Obviously, nopony actually believes all the farfetched rumors, but they’ll certainly be eager to see how much of the rumours is truth.” At this, the stallion leaned in. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a betting pool went up about everything from how bad you’ll beet the adversary to how dangerous your weapon is. If ya don’t mind me asking, what IS your weapon?”

The stallion was watching Maverick with eager, almost giddy anticipation. Next to him, Rainbow, who had just recovered from the news about her event, slipped him a knowing grin.

“Oh, you’ll love it.” He began. “It’s the most death defying, stunning piece of technology Equestria has ever seen.”

He nodded vigorously. “But what is it?!”

Maverick grinned cockily. “I have no idea; it’s being created entirely by pony hooves. I had no say in its making at all. But don’t tell anypony that; I want to see how the betting goes.”

The stallion’s eager grin fell, and he pouted sadly for a few seconds. “So you’re not a vicious killing cannibal?” At Maverick’s calm “Nope”, his face fell further. “Darn, that was my favorite story too…”

“If it makes you feel any better, one of my best friends was a psychopath serial killer, and another was a terrorist suicide bomber.” Maverick said jokingly.

The stallion gave him a half-hearted grin and mumbled “Sorry” before turning back to his friend, beckoning the pair to follow.

The second stallion was still talking to somepony beyond the door. As Maverick got closer, he began to get the gist of the conversation. Something about magically disabling the nervous system in the host body to make sure the participants weren’t running around like maniacs. Maverick gulped nervously, suddenly wondering what he’d signed himself up for

“And here he is; the last one.” The other stallion began. “I’ll tell ya, it took a surprising amount of time to track you down. You would think the pony who signed you up at the kiosk would be smart enough to convey the simplest message. “He’s staying with Rainbow Dash.” Nope, instead we gotta go to another element of harmony to find it out. Ended up wasting a whole day, so you missed the rush we got yesterday, what with all the ponies clamoring to get sized up and measured. You might consider yourself lucky though; you get a by for the first round cause of it. O’course, they had to give out quite a few bys, what with the tournament being single elimination and all, and only 27 participants. Anyway, get in here!”

The stallion started guiding Maverick into the backroom. It was two more ponies in it, one unicorn stallion and a Pegasus mare, who were busy building what can only be described as a robotic pony. The casing was being worked on by the female Pegasus, who was hammering all the separate pieces into the right shape. A few meters away, the unicorn was welding them together magically, hence the magical explosions, and filling the inside with a strange, goopy substance.

As he was inspecting his surrounding, the stallion kept talking. “Now, Featherhoof is just giving each piece its general shape. The pieces gotta sit in a magic bath for two hours to adapt perfectly to make a form-fitting casing. Once they’re ready, old Bright Spark’ll be sealing um up. They have to be perfectly made for each pony, cause that’s what’s going into the arena that is. Yes sir, no more ponies in harm’s way. Ain’t it amazing how much times is changing? 20 years ago, this stuff wasn’t even thought about. Now? It’s subconscious! And that magic foam going inside? To make sure the controller feels every bump, bruise and blister, without and lasting effects. By the competition, it’ll be proper innards and bones and muscles and everything! I tell ya boy, this here’s the future! Anyway, you’ll be in a skin suit, sitting in a chair somewhere nearby the stadium. The suit will communicate all the sensory afflictions back to you. Basically, you feel all the pain and wind and stuff the suit does, without actually being there! Neat eh? You could lose an arm in that suit, and feel the blood slowly ooze out of ya, and still nothing would happen to your body! How’s that for magic and science working together?”

Maverick and Rainbow Dash, who had followed him in, were left speechless. “Are you kidding me? Are you actually kidding me? Humans are nowhere near this level of technological advancement! You say it’ll be like a real, functioning pony? That’s amazing! Unbelievable even…”

“Eeyup, its magic at its finest. Alright, let’s get those clothes off; gotta take ya measurements boyo.” The stallion said, grabbing a measuring tape from a nearby counter and grinning expectantly. Maverick saw how his eyes darted around the human’s body, probably curious to see a real live human naked. The other 4 sets of eyes all turned towards him at once, all curious to see it as well.

“I, um, I already know my-”

“Sorry bucko, these need to be perfect, to a hairs breath margin of error.”

Maverick fidgeted. “But… Can we at least do it somewhere private?”

The unicorn spoke up. “As much as you want to see him naked Bookmark, I think I shall scan his measurements with my magic. Wouldn’t want you to get too excited and… well, you know.”

Bookmark blushed scarlet, glaring at Bright Spark. “I would never force myself on another living creature! Don’t you go telling me, or anypony for that matter, rumours like that, you hear me!”

Bright rolled his eyes and trotted up to Maverick, giving him a warm smile. “This will only take a second, and I promise I’ll keep everything I find sealed in my brain. I’ll even make your amour entirely by myself and dress it for you so it nopony can see what’s under the clothing you wear.”

Maverick nodded gratefully. “Thank you Mr. Spark.”

The unicorn waved his hoof. His horn glowed blue, and Maverick felt warmth spread through his body, from his head to his toes. He looked down at his hands to see them glowing the same colour as the unicorn’s horn. “Stay still, please.” Say said, grunting a bit as the spell took its toll. Maverick tried to keep from moving as the spell slowly worked its way back up his body, tailing numbers everywhere. Once it was finally gone, Maverick stretched every muscle he could.

Across from him, the unicorn was watching him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry to say this, but I’m glad you’re wearing clothes; your race is not one of the prettiest.”

Maverick stuck his tongue out. “I have one question though; how is it supposed to move? I mean, it’s made of metal. Metal can move if it has like, joints and stuff, but this is like, supposed to emulate our bodies perfectly?”

The mare, Featherhoof, grinned. “Allow me.” She turned to a pony manikin and said. “Activate.”

The eyes began glowing a bright gold. The ponykin got off the dais it was standing on and trotted up to Featherhoof, waiting patiently. “Colour change; blue.” The ponykin changed from white to blue. “Sever; right fore-hoof.” Instantly, the right-most leg lost its last ligament, which started bleeding. “Undo.” And, like magic, the blood disappeared and the limb re-attached itself. “Breathe.” The chest started expanding and contracting. “Return to dais, deactivate.” And so it did.

“It is living metal; a magical metal either found naturally or created. It has all the properties of regular metal when being forged, but it can be instructed to change those properties at will. There isn’t a more complicated type of metal in the known universe, and it’s only recently that we’ve begun learning to exploit its potential.”

Maverick could feel his eyes widen and his breath catch. “This is like, Irobot level… If humanity had this level of technology, we would wipe our race off the surface of the planet…” He thought out loud.

The ponies in the room all looked at him apprehensively. “Oh, I wouldn’t do anything of the sort, but humanity is… unpleasantly dumb and evil. Trust me, be glad you don’t live on earth.

Spark and Feather turned back to their work, both looking somewhat more sober then they had a few seconds ago. The stallion that handed Maverick the headphones was grinning a bit, looking at Maverick with newfound respect. Meanwhile, Bookmark had started talking again.

“The official event schedule will be posted along with all the other events the day prior to the beginning of the tournament. The tournament is single elimination, and since you have a by, you should be participating in four different matches. For each round, you will report to the arena you’re designated to fight in, and then we’ll get ya suited up and ready to rumble. All clear?” At Maverick’s nod, he added. “Then you’re all done here. We’ll be seeing ya in less than a week. Good luck in the tourney; I’ll be rooting for ya.”

He escorted Maverick and Rainbow back to the gym door, taking their headphones and wishing them a good day.

The pair swiftly made their way back outside, Maverick mounting up and Rainbow flew them out of Cloudsdale. “I want to try another sprint.” Was her excuse when he asked why.

She set up quickly, and exploded into action. Maverick, who had already been holding on tight, felt his whole body snap taught from the sudden wind force yanking him backwards. Rainbow was going much quicker then she usually did, and the human began to feel queasy.

The two kilometers were over in record speed, and Rainbow, overjoyed at her new level of strength, started performing some corkscrews and loop-the-loops in celebration. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she pitched into a vertical dive, accelerating at an amazing and terrifying rate. Maverick felt his grip begin to slip, and shrieked like a banshee as he was yanked off Rainbow’s back. The Pegasus, realising her mistake, caught him in her hooves with dozens of meters to spare.

As Rainbow slowly alighted on the ground, she felt her charge shudder and spasm. She laid him on the ground, quickly curling herself around him like a cat and apologizing over and over. “I’m so, so sorry Maverick, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just so happy; I broke a personal record in the 2K, but I’ve never, ever even made finals. This could be the year I hit the podium! But I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry!”

Maverick nodded faintly, still trembling, and Rainbow nuzzled him, trying to comfort him as best she could. Like the previous occasion, he slowly regained control of his body, cuddling up to Rainbow and taking some deep breaths. She looked him in the eyes, hers pleading. “I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

Maverick smiled ruefully. “Yeah, I forgive you.”

Princess Celestia alighted on the far side of the guard tower. Darkness was already floating there, in ball form again. Next to him was General Mantycus, but Lord Carrion was nowhere to be seen.

“You have considered the offers proposed to you, my dear princess?” Darkness asked, a hint of smug satisfaction in his tone. The shade’s voice was echoing as it had last time, and Celestia noticed with satisfaction that the monkey took a moment to glare at him. Whether Mantycus disliked his voice or his self-imposed authority was a mystery to the solar goddess, but it was an edge she could make use of.

She turned to the general. “I have considered your offer, sir, and I would like to make a counter proposal.”

She felt a pulse of magic emanate from Darkness’s center. He hadn’t been expecting that, and that gave Celestia another point. If she could keep him guessing, he wouldn’t be able to stop her until it was too late and she planted the seed into Mantycus’s head.

“Speak.” He said in the same brutish manner as the previous day.

“You wish to conquer Equestria for land. If land alone is your problem, we can help you acquire it elsewhere. It would mean less bloodshed for both of us, and I could aid you in bridging your territory over the harsh deserts to the south to the more fertile lands beyond. Of course, I would be willing to offer the same bargain to your fellow commander.”

Celestia had felt Darkness pulse again, twice more, and knew that she was getting under his skin, so to speak. “It is not rudimentary magic, and would require time, but once you cross the desert, there is a large quantity of fresh, rolling pastures, forests, streams, lakes… You could certainly expand well beyond the limitations my kingdom has to offer you.”

The monkey was nodding his head subconsciously. “This good deal. What you ask in return?”

“I will simply require you to call off this war. The ponies do not wish to see their fellow living beings suffer, and are always willing to help. Of course, fueling the magic for the spell is impossible for me, and I would need the aid of your people for that, but I am still able to show them the proper weaves, incantations and runes that they would use.”

“Please be cautious, General. The ponies are shrewd cre-” Darkness began, only to stop with what could be described as a gasp of shock and outrage as the monkey-like creature held up its hand.

“No interfere, Dark. I rule mantyky, I choose best deal. Princess, you offer good deal; better than his. But how I know you keep?”

“I am willing to show you the spells in exchange for a binding magical contract. It will be fulfilled with the exchange of both halves of the deal. You will agree to assure there will be no war, and will be bound magically to the contract with your life. I, on the other hoof, shall be bound magically in the same manner, and should I fail to give you the promised spells, I will die.”

The monkey took a moment to ponder something, turning away from the two and rubbing his chin as a human would. “General is not king of mantyky forever. What if people go to war when me lose power?”

“I shall set the contract with a dual liberation requirement. Once both conditions have been satisfied, you will be free from your boundaries. The first is that you should lose your power as king, permanently. The second will be a pre-set amount of time. I believe half a year would be acceptable. If and when both conditions are met, the contract will dissipate.”

Mantycus nodded again, turning once more. For minutes on end, he could be seen performing various subconscious actions: Scratching his head, pacing, squatting down, amongst others. A little ways away, Celestia felt darkness’s outpouring of raw hatred, and couldn’t help but feel satisfied at a more infantile level.

A good deal of time later, the monkey turned back. “Need time to consider all possibilities. Must consult with advisors, get public opinion. Carrion must share opinion. War will be delayed; mantyky return in two weeks, give answer then.”

Darkness was releasing several pulses of magic at this point, which were slowly warping the light flow in the area. “Surely you are not truly being swayed by the honey coated words of these murderous backstabbers, general Mantycus? Your very own great-grandfather was betrayed by a guild amongst the pony kind! Do not make the same mistake he made.”

The primate glared at the shade. “Past is past. Grandfather dumb, made stupid deal. Me smart. Me judge pony worth thought. You be quiet. Dark know nothing of mantyky way.” He turned back to Celestia, his eyes losing their intense glare. “Two weeks. Be here.”

The solar princess gave a small bow of her head. “Of course General; if you have need of me earlier, feel free to approach the guard tower. I shall inform my soldiers on watch that you are permitted as a dignitary of a foreign nation. But please be aware; this invitation is solely to you.”

With a nod, the monkey turned and walked off, leaving the shade of shadows and the princess of the sun alone together.

In an instant, Darkness had all but drowned out every single particle of light in a dome around Celestia. All she could see were his eyes, which until a moment ago, had been black. Presently, however, they had changed to a deep, blood red.

“You BITCH! How DARE you try and stand in MY way?” He shrieked, his voice slowly climbed several octaves, until it stung the goddess’s ears. “I WILL have my prize; even if I have to kill every single damn pony is existence! Do you understand me? I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

With a waterfall-like crash and a scream of anger that echoed longer then physically possible, the spirit exploded out of existence, leaving Celestia to be momentarily blinded by her own sunlight. Now alone, she allowed herself a smug smile. Oh yeah, she had *so* gotten under his skin.

*****

Back at the castle, Celestia has barely landed when she felt a pulse of night magic envelope her.

“Sister! Are you alright? I sensed such powerful black magic, I thought Darkness might have broken our contract in a mad attempt to harm you.” Luna fretted, carefully scanning her sister for bodily harm, physical or magical.

“I’m fine Luna; you know he would never do such a thing. Returning us to our full power would be the end of him and his brothers in the evil arts. You know as well as I do that he is only allowed to use his heavily sealed powers to harm the poor dears who star in that horrible show… Why they seek the death of our universe is beyond my comprehension, but we’ll stop him at every turn, like we’ve been doing for the past thousand years.”

“Humanity.” Luna began. “Nay, the humans who would extort us for money. They are the reason these monsters were created. Had Lauren merely kept the show under her jurisdiction, our world could have been so much more peaceful.”

“I know sister, but we must not blame her. She wasn’t aware of the repercussions her actions had.”

*****

After his near collision with the ground, Maverick had thought of a question. It was something that had been bugging him subconsciously for a while now, and when he asked her, Rainbow realised she wasn’t the best mare to explain the complex history of Equestria and its bond to humanity. As such, she’d decided to bring him to Twilight, well versed as she was in such matter, in hopes that she could better sate his curiosity.

“You see Maverick.” She began. “We’ve only been interacting with humans for a bit over two years. However, we’ve told you that Equestria has existed for at least a few thousands of years, although it would be more accurate to assume it was born the moment humanity first attained sentiency. Equestria is what we few pony scholars have named a “parasite dimension”. That is to say, Equestria was created to fill a need, which would be a television show invented by a lady known as Lauren Faust. Our dimension, being linked to and created by yours, requires it for survival. However, we still have our history, our own universe, and a future that we control, to an extent. You could say that Equestria was born thousands of years ago for the single purpose of one day meeting the human race. It was our destiny, and was out of our control. But now, because of the deal the humans have made with us, we have the potential to free ourselves.”

Maverick sheepishly raised his hand. “What if the humans hadn’t made that deal?”

Twilight smiled like a teacher would to her student. “That’s a good question. You see, Equestria is just one of millions of other parasitic dimensions clinging to yours. My little pony generations one, two and three? All separate parasite worlds. Family guy? Parasite world. Pokemon? Parasite world. The Disney movies? Parasite worlds. Most cartoons are parasite worlds just waiting to be discovered. The thing is, as far as we can tell, each cartoon has or will have interaction with humanity, and each one in turn was offered their deal. And each deal will either be resolved, or the world will be destroyed. That is, except for one thing.” Twilight paused as she sighed.

“So far as we can tell, there hasn’t been a successful resolution of the deal yet. MLP gen 1, 2, 3? All dead. The lion king? Dead. A second lion king universe exists for the second movie, and for the third, and another set for the re-made edition, whether it’s out yet or not. In the end, none of them have managed to succeed in whatever challenge the humans have assigned them. We believe, from the glimpses we can get into the other universes as they pass close, that the humans always put a little twist into the deal. Like a “do not open until this condition is fulfilled” type idea. We do not know why they do it, why they don’t simply release the worlds after they’ve made their money, but we do know that our deal won’t end if you decide to stay in Equestria for ever. Maybe we’ll need a second human to do it as well, or maybe they have some sort of magical backup that pushes any human that gets close to choose to leave. The deals are always possible, but unfairly biased in human favor.”

Twilight gave a bitter laugh. “It’s because of this that ponies have such distrust for humanity. Oh sure, we know they’re not all bad. In fact, there are many groups of ponies who do as you bronies do. Some write fictions about the human world, a world without magic. Others draw pictures of structures that previous humans have told them about, like the statue of liberty. They try to explain that, like ponies, humans also have good and bad in them, and it’s just our bad luck that a bad human controls our world.”

She paused here, an odd place, and looked over at Maverick. “There are good humans, right?”

He nodded. “Of course. It’s like I always say. Any group of people is usually dumb, ignorant, and unpleasant. However, meet each member individually, and you’ll realise that most of them are just too confused by the ideals of the group to show just how good of a person they can be. A good example is Americans. They’re generalised as fat, ignorant and lazy, and although it is true for some, I know a couple who are the exact opposite.” (Happy?)

Twilight nodded. “So there you have it; that is how we think our world works. Did you need anything else?”

Maverick shook his head, and Rainbow got up from the couch where she’d been lying and listening.

“Alright, if you think of any other questions, feel free to some ask them.” She said with a smile. “Before you go, I’d like a word with Rainbow, in private.”

Maverick nodded and took a seat in a reading futon, flipping around a bit before settling down on his back and looking up at the ceiling. Meanwhile, Twi nudged Rainbow into the kitchen.

“How have things been? Between the pair of you, I mean.” She asked in a hushed voice.

“Fine; he’s a really nice guy you know. I really hope…” Rainbow looked at Twi with half hopeful, half worried eyes.

“Only time will tell, which reminds me. Were you there when he broke time?” Twilight asked. She was treading in dangerous waters, and she knew it. She had to make sure Rainbow didn’t figure out what the two week skip meant, while still warning her about the potential danger he now presented. All the while, she had to slowly distance Rainbow from her feelings for Maverick, and subtly make her regain control of her life. ‘Simple, right?’ Twilight thought.

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, he got like, really, really mad, and then he just sorta exploded. You shoulda been there, it was like this ripple of pure force pushed the air back or something! And look at what it did to me!” Rainbow took a moment to flaunt her body, flexing her legs and wings. “I bet I’m even stronger than I ever was! AJ doesn’t stand a chance now!”

Twilight had to crack a smile at her friend’s newfound self-confidence, and at the return of her competitive spirit. “You know Dash, if it made you stronger, who says it didn’t make AJ stronger too?” ‘How can a human that can inspire such a dramatically positive reaction possibly be evil?’ Twilight thought, glancing through the doorway at Maverick, who was still struggling to get comfortable, and managed to tumble off the side of the bed, pulling a painful-looking belly flop on the floor.

Rainbow’s eyes shone with newfound excitement. “I guess we’ll need another Iron pony competition to see who’s stronger!”

“Another… but I thought you hate everything that has to do with the show?”

Rainbow waved a hoof. “I do, and the show made AJ seem racist to Pegasi. You know she would have either accepted defeat or asked for challenges where the outcome wouldn’t be altered by having wings. But they made her seem all prissy. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. We can get it done after the games; I still need to practice if I want first place this year.”

Twilight realised that they’d gone way off topic. “Rainbow, if Maverick left; what would you do?”

She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Rainbow’s smile faltered, and she looked at Twi nervously. “Do you think he will..?”

“No no no! I just mean, um, if?” She replied in an unsure tone. Why had she asked such a dumb question? Now Rainbow would totally suspect something was up.

“Oh, well, I’d rather not worry about something that won’t happen.” Rainbow replied, putting on a mask of confidence that convinced about zero ponies present, herself included.

Twilight just went with it, happy to have an escape that didn’t involve Rainbow relapsing into a panic attack. She was about to ask about the Pegasus’s separation anxiety when a very loud crack sounded from the other room.

Twilight glanced through the doorway again to see Applejack standing next to a very broken library door, and that Maverick was holding his head and whimpering in pain, having apparently whacked it against the bedframe. The unicorn turned to her orange friend, although whether it was with the intent to question of chastise her was lost at the sight.

Applejack was covered in sweat, panting, and hunched over, as if she’d sprinted all the way from her farm. Twilight’s annoyance at having to repair the door magically, again, evaporated as she sprung across the room, trying to get AJ so sit down and breathe. “Calm down, deep breaths Applejack, come on.” She coaxed.

Back across the room, Rainbow was looking on with mild confusion and nervousness. As Twi fussed over the earth pony, Rainbow trotted over to Maverick, asking him if he was okay. When he assured her that he’d only cracked his skull open and would be totally fine, followed by a roll of the eyes at Rainbow’s “Really?!”, she sat down next to him and rubbed his head a bit, waiting for AJ’s news.

As soon as she could speak, AJ hacked out “Pinkie’s in the hospital.”

It took a few more minutes for her to regain her breath after Twi accidentally knocked it back out of her. She had, unintentionally, whacked AJ on the back, having been trying to clear the orange pony’s airway with gentle taps. Before continuing, AJ made sure the unicorn wasn’t in any position to interrupt again.

“The time-thing. It broke her pinkie sense. She’s in a coma. The doctors want your help.” She recited in quick, broken speech, having to take a few breaths after each sentence.

“Dash, stay here and make sure AJ’s okay.” Twi ordered before a loud pop signaled her disappearance.

Rainbow trotted over to AJ’s side. “Are you okay?” When the earth pony nodded, Dash continued: “Can I get you a glass of water or something.”

Another nod sent her scurrying off to the kitchen, quickly pouring a large glass of ice water and removing a magic ice-pack from the freezer. She placed the glass next to AJ, whose breathing had settled a bit, and gently aided Maverick in applying the special, magically soothing ice to his head.

“What’s magic about it?” He asked.

“It has the uncanny ability to numb pain.” She replied with a smug smile. “And you don’t have to worry about tissue damage; it’ll apply the exact amount of cold necessary for ideal healing, depending on the situation. I tell ya; modern medicine is amazing in Equestria.”

“Wish we had this back on earth…” Maverick grumbled, hissing as he pressed down a little too hard. “Then again, I wish we had magic, living, talking pastel coloured ponies and superpowers too.”

Once AJ’s breathing had returned to normal and she’d chugged the water, she got up and trotted towards the door. “I’m going to tell Rarity. Can you go get Shy?” She asked as she was leaving.

“Sure, I’ll meet ya there!”

AJ took the trip to carousel boutique much slower than that to Twilight’s library, seeing as she had gotten the pony with the most potential to save Pinkie. Back at said library, Rainbow was trying to coax Maverick to his feet so they could go get Fluttershy. Maverick, however, had different plans, saying in hi seated position.

“Can you go get her without me? And then just come back and get me after? I don’t think I’m up for flying right now…” He asked, still gingery holding the ice pack against the now-forming bump on his head.

Rainbow nodded, quickly flying outside and over towards the cottage. She got there in good time, and was soon returning with a fretting Fluttershy, at a fraction of her original speed.

It was then that the blue Pegasus remembered; she was on doctor’s orders not to leave Maverick’s side. She screwed up her eyes, expecting the paralysing pain to make itself heard, but to her surprise and immense joy, they arrived at the library with no incident, and with Maverick joining them, sped off to the hospital.

The aforementioned location was abuzz with activity. Clearly, Pinky Pie wasn’t the only pony who had been severely affected by the time manipulation. Many elders and newborns crowded the usually empty rooms of Ponyville general, as well as the hundreds of families associated to the patients.

Upon entering, Maverick found that every eye which passed over him returned to stare, and then glare. Within moments of his entering the main lobby, a dead silence passed over the waiting room as each and every pony turned their attention to the human.

Always observant, Fluttershy subconsciously moved to form a barrier between Maverick and the hateful gazes. Rainbow, being a bit less vigilant and insightful, flew over to the closest nurse, quickly inquiring about directions to the pink earth pony’s room. Said nurse managed to break her vile stare and passed on the requested information before returning to work. The other nurses quickly followed suit, seeing as they were quite overcrowded, and the deathly atmosphere gradually lightened.

“I’m just not getting lucky…” Maverick whispered, mostly to himself, as Dash began navigating her way back to his side. However, whether intentional or not, she was intercepted by a nurse, who said some words and began guiding her off in another direction. “Guess we gotta go catch her.”

Fluttershy gave a timid nod and began walking towards her fellow Pegasus. Maverick tried to follow, but he found that every time a pony passed by, they would bump into him or kick at his shins. After the third time he fell due to one of the “accidents”, Shy had him mount up. On her back, the other ponies finally gave him a break, and the pair quickly managed to get to Rainbow’s side, who had missed the entire ordeal. From there, they made their way up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, quickly locating the room which housed the unconscious pink pony.

Twilight was already there, as were two doctors, looking on nervously as the purple unicorn finished up her magical examination of the unstable pink pony. As the glow from her horn dissipated, she looked up with a tired smile on her face.

“She’ll be fine. The only thing I could diagnosis it as would be a cognitive overflow; her body, quite literally, received too many different pieces of information at a single instant, and it overloaded her brain. She most likely fainted on the spot.”

The doctors both sagged with relief as the unicorn continued. “All she needs at this point is rest. She should wake up soon, hopefully, and until then she’ll have to be taken care of. I trust the hospital can take care of this?” At the doctors’ nods, she smiled and added: “Thank you.”

It was then that she noticed another presence in the room. The trio of newcomers were smiling, and Twilight smiled back.

A few minutes later, when Applejack and Rarity arrived, Twilight repeated the situation, and the six conscious friends decided to get something to eat together, in celebration.

With their orders placed at a nearby restaurant and their worry about Pinkie sated, the group’s conversation turned to a new topic.

“So the Pegasus games start tomorrow, do they not Rainbow?” Rarity asked, sipping at a glass of rose water.

Rainbow nodded excitedly, and Applejack asked with a smile that said she already knew the answer: “Ah’ bet somepony signed up for some event, eh sugarcube?”

“You bet I did! And you know what? Because of this little sucker,” She said as she gave Maverick a playful tap. “I’m going to blow away the competition. Look at what his little time-thing did to me!”

For the second time that day, Rainbow showed off her sleek, strong new body. Her friends all rolled their eyes, although each was noticing that Rainbow wasn’t dwelling on her past at all anymore.

“And what about you, dear? Will you be observing our athletic friend during her event?” Rarity asked to Maverick. “I wish I could attend, but business is in a particular high after I was visited by Unifashy. I am simply so swamped I’ve had to turn ponies down.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be there, although it’s not just for Rainbow.” Maverick said with a cocky smirk. “I’m in the games too.”

Four pairs of eyes widened with various levels of confusion and curiosity. “Which one are you doing?” Fluttershy asked, her voice its usual, timid whisper.

Maverick explained the event in which he was participating, and various nervous looks were shared by the other 5, Rainbow included.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do great.” Twilight said, forcing a wide smile and peppy voice to cover her nervousness. “I’ll be rooting for you.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Me too.”

This was followed by an odd glance from Rainbow “You’re coming to the games, Shy? They’re usually not your thing.”

The yellow Pegasus smiled. “I know, but I want to be there this time, to cheer for both of you.” She took a deep breath and “Yay~”.

Everyone at the table laughed, and Fluttershy gave a bashful smile. The group continued their meals, chatting amiably, and then broke up for the evening. Maverick and Rainbow returned home, and after a short conversation which revolved around the few days between the present day and the completion, they went to bed.

The next few days were filled with further training. Rainbow Dash wanted to be in the best shape she could possibly be for the tournament, and Maverick was all too glad to help her. At this point, he was finally getting used to flying, and was confident enough to relax his death grip, even willing to let go with one hand at a time. On her end, Rainbow was gaining more and more confidence in herself. She finally felt like she was ready.

On the day prior to the opening ceremony, as instructed, the pair returned to the blacksmith’s shop. However, to their surprise and chagrin, Black Hooves was not present. A note was all that the pair found, nailed to the front door.

“Unexpected delay: Come back day of first match. Get here early.” Was all it said.

“I guess I won’t get any practice in…” Maverick pouted. He had really been looking forward to this. He seriously wanted to see whatever Blacky had in store for him.

Rainbow nodded sympathetically, and together they spent the final day preparing for the coming events by eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep, and taking a nice, long shower, separate of course.

Finally, it was upon them. Together, the pair proceeded to their position in the parade of participants for the Pegasus pony competition.

“So it’s like the Olympic games opening ceremony?” Maverick asked as they waited in a very long corridor just outside of the giant stadium in which everypony had been practicing for their respectful events for the last few weeks.

“I’m not sure what the “Olympic games” are, but basically, there are dozens of ponies out there putting on a show for the crowd. It’s usually composed of a 90/10 split. That is, 90% Pegasi, 10% everything else. Almost every Pegasus across Equestria is either out on those stands or in here waiting to be called. The parade works like this: every event is called out depending on the pre-purchased tickets. The event that has the most goes last, the one with the least goes first. Every year since its opening hundreds of years ago, my event, the 2K sprint, had gone last.”

She paused as the first group was sent out, something about spotting being shouted, followed by polite applause. “This year, though, the spread is much, much different. It’s a 50/50. Half the ponies sitting out there are Pegasi, the other half are earth ponies, unicorns, griffins, and heck, there are even donkeys and cows. COWS! We haven’t had cows in the stand since, well, ever. And the number of Pegasi is at an all-time high. It’s like, almost double what it usually is! I mean, I didn’t even know there we this many ponies in Equestria! There must be millions in those stands! I don’t know what could possibly have called out to so many, but I’ll bet anything you’re a big reason.”

Over the next 10 minutes, as each even was slowly called. Each group was organised as the group before it left. “What happens if a pony is part of two events?” Maverick asked.

“They always go in the smaller group, just to try and even it out. That way we don’t have an event called with no ponies actually trotting out for it. And every event needs at least 8 ponies participating and 100 tickets sold. That’s the rule, to make sure we’re not wasting space and time.”

Finally, Rainbow informed Maverick that they were down to the last five groups. “And there goes feather dancers…” Rainbow said. “That’s the most controversial event. Ponies aged 18 and under are not permitted to watch because it can get quite… explicit.”

As the ponies trotted out, quite a few shamelessly waiving their hips and bobbing their tails more than strictly necessary, the 4th place event began lining up.

“That’ll be the obstacle course. They’re usually a bit lower, like 7th. I guess it’s a bit more exciting for the earth ponies though. During their games, it’s event number two.”

The ponies trotted out were mostly sleeker ponies, not quite as strong-looking as Rainbow.

“Alright, top three. I’m pretty amazed yours is so high up… I guess ponies really want to see a human fight. Oh, and there goes the heavy weight flyers. They’re supposed to carry heavy weights through the sky as far as they can. It contains solo, duo and team categories, so the tickets are tripled. That’s the only reason it makes it so high on the list.”

Rainbow’s voice had taken a nervous tint to it as she watched the coordinators who had been shouting out the groups that were to assemble. Was the 2K sprint going to be usurped for the first time in history? Finally, as the 3rd group shuffled out, all muscle heads, the head Pegasus turned back and shouted: “Alright, next up is The Two kilometer sprint!”

Shocked outbursts could be heard from all around the room. Quite a large number of Pegasi began questioning the organisers as they were shuffled into place, and they all got the same answer: there was no mistake; the 2K has been beaten out.

Rainbow gave Maverick an incredulous glance as she was pulled away. She hesitantly lined up at the back of the group, and when the group of frazzled ponies finally made their way outside, they were greeted by a loud cheer, but also by many confused and shocked exclamations.

Maverick was left in a room about a thousand times too big for the amount of remaining ponies. As he was prodded into place, specifically told to stay right in the back, he counted 26 Pegasi in front of him. They were the first group that didn’t seem to have many things in common. They were big and small, strong and weak, thin and wide. The cutie marks were all over the place, from a set of crossed wrenches to five knives forming a crown, to a set of dice, and even…

“A blank flank?” Maverick whispered to himself. The Pegasus in question’s ear twitched at the exclamation, despite how impossible it would have been to hear, between the cheering and how softly Maverick has spoken. He, for it was indeed a male, appeared to be quite young. Maverick would peg him at 16, maybe younger.

“Alright, no breaking formation. Take a step a second, keep in pace with each other, don’t try anything funny. Remember, the ponies out there? Most of them are here to see you! Let’s show them Pegasi, and one human, can at least step in pace. Are we clear?” The pony speaking was met with various nods and spoken declarations of agreement. “Alright, on my mark: 3, 2, 1, Go!”

As one, everypony present took a step with their right foreleg, then the left hindleg, left foreleg, right hindleg. Maverick took one step for every two the ponies took, meaning he had to wait two seconds between steps. It made him feel really silly.

As soon as the group was visible, the loudest cheer so far exploded forth from the crowd. Maverick almost covered his ears, it was so deafening. He looked up at the crowd surrounding the stadium to see that, not only was the stadium packed and larger than it had been last time, but there were even Pegasi flying in the sky. They had run out of seats!

Maverick dutifully followed the Pegasus in front of him, but as the roars got louder and he was looking around, he fell out of step and swerved out of line. He only realised his mistake when he stepped right off the clouds and began freefalling. Of course, he was caught within moments, and quickly deposited back in the rear of the line, but the damage was done. Laughter could be heard throughout the arena, even amongst his fellow athletes. His face red, Maverick’s group finally reached their designated position, right in front of the stage where Lord Icewing stood. His fur was impeccable, without even a single strand out of place. His mane was blowing in the soft wind. His hooves gleamed their very pale blue, and on his face he wore a proud smile.

“I officially declare this year’s Pegasus games OPEN!”

Once all the tedious announcements about fairness were over, each pony had pledged to follow the rules and regulations associated with such an important event, and the various show-ponies had finished their amazing opening performance, Maverick was led out of the arena by a very confused Rainbow Dash.

“I mean, did you see those swordfish? I thought they were just called that because, you know, they have a long nose, not because they can cut a pony clean in two!” Maverick gushed. All his embarrassment at having fallen was gone, replaced instead by the ecstasy of impending competition.

“Yeah, totally.” Rainbow responded, having totally not heard what he said. She couldn’t have, seeing as she was far too absorbed in her own thoughts. The Pegasus games had ALWAYS been all about the 2K dash. It was a universal constant, since the start of time! She shot a glance at the male who had managed to alter the very fabric of her reality. He was silent now, but in his eyes she saw something she hadn’t felt in years; true happiness, the one that came with simply riding through life and enjoying every minute of it. When had she forgotten what it was like?

“Hey, boy!” There was a call from behind. Maverick turned to see the young, Cutiemark-less colt he’d seen earlier walking up to him.

“I hardly think you should be addressing someone older then yourself as “boy”.” Maverick muttered, but he stopped anyway.

“I’ll call you what I want.” He shouted, and again, Maverick observed that there was no way the Pegasus could have heard him. “Where do you get off calling me a blank flank? If you think I’m going to be a pushover, you got another thing coming!”

He was a darker blue, with a multi-hued mane. However, unlike Rainbow Dash, his colours were all over the place, almost like he’d dye every section a different colour. Maverick saw some neon green, bright orange, dark yellow, pink, purple, a darker purple, black. Not just that, but the colours seemed to change right before his eyes. Where the hair had been white a second ago, it now almost seemed teal. Black turned to red, and then to a dark auburn.

The colt waited a second, but when he realised Maverick was too transfixed with his hair to reply, he stormed off. Rainbow flipped him off with her wings, but she doubted the colt had seen it.

Before he could ask about the hair, Maverick, who had been moving around relatively inconspicuously before, was swamped with reporters and other ponies who had essentially attended only to see him. Suddenly the center of attention, the human could only blink as question after question was hurled at him.

One report asked what had caused the exchange. “What did you say to anger the born prodigy and currently favoured competitor, Mind Spark? Or has he merely sniffed you out as his most worthy competitor?”

“What? I don’t know.” Maverick responded, and the reporter was pushed aside by another.

“What do you feel your odds are at placing in medal contingency?”

“Well, I’m gonna try. It’s not like I know any of my opponents.” Maverick said.

“You’re kind is well known amongst us for their bloodthirsty tactics and killer instinct. How do you feel this will affect your approach at this competition?”

Before he could respond, another reporter shouted. “Bloodthirsty? Oh come on! As if that’s a fair stereotype, even by pony standards.”

“It’s still true! Humans are horrible!” Another replied

“And are ponies better? We have wars here too!”

All of a sudden, the interrogation changed to a political debate, and the reporters and fans took sides on several separate arguments; Which race is ‘truly’ evil, why are the Pegasi always stereotyped as the more violent race, are red coats more attractive then yellow coats. Maverick raised his arms as Rainbow flew over, easily maneuvering between the many airborne Pegasi. Not a moment too soon, as a brawl was breaking out among the earth ponies and the Pegasi, who were “debating” which race of pony was the best.

Maverick was freaking out, but above him, Dash was laughing her head off. “Same old same old. We have a saying among the wisest of ponies; Never put sports jocks from two or more breeds of ponies together.” She giggled as Pegasi and Earth Ponies and even a unicorn or two were tossed out of the melee. “As if any one race is better.”

The pair stopped once they were clear of the giant crowd of fighting stallions and mares behind them. Unfortunately, they should have gone just a bit further…

“Hey! Human brat!” Maverick was seriously starting to wonder if ponies knew the reason first names existed. Never the less, he turned to face the new challenge, and was met with a herd of pissed of glares.

“Where do you get off, butting into our competition like some, some curious Zebra!” He spat.

Although the metaphor/insult was lost on him, Maverick still frowned. “I-”

“Was invited by the host of this event himself.” Icewing interrupted. The entire crowd, which had been bristling aggressively, wings flared and teeth bared, shrunk back. The transformation was so sudden and dramatic that Maverick couldn’t hold in a snort; it was like a tiger had just realised it was a little kitten.

“And he will be treated just like any other contestant, right?” He said. He spoke normally, as if he was just having an amiable conversation, and yet the Pegasi continued to shrink back and scatter, as if he was threatening to cut their wings off.

“Riiight?” He repeated, receiving a plethora of nods and yeses and such, before the whole swarm scattered like a dandelion’s fluff.

The three remaining members of the party turned to look at one other and shared a poorly stifled laugh. “I’m so glad you’re competing, my friend. It seems the will be the most successful games in the history of Equestria.” Icewing exclaimed. “It means a lot more work for me, but I don’t truly mind.”

Of course, having seen just how ragged Icewing had been mere days ago, Maverick was tempted to apologise. However, he felt after that statement that it would be an insult to the gang leader’s pride. “I’m honored to be an honorary Pegasus.” He chose to say instead. “I’ll try my best to wipe the field.”

“That’s what I like to hear. The roster is already up in the main hall, in the middle of all the other rosters. You’ll have to excuse me; I have meetings to attend, unruly Pegasi to calm, and dignitaries to meet.” He gave Rainbow a nod. “Before I go though, I should inform you that the rules proctors are awaiting a visit from both of you, to explain the dos and don’ts of the competition.” Icewing gave the pair directions, and then made a hasty exit, and Maverick noticed more than one member of the paparazzi sniffing around.

Rainbow flew Maverick over to his proctor before leaving for her own. It was a small, empty classroom, so Maverick took a seat in one of the desks. Or he tried, but the stool was really low. It was clearly not made for humans. Instead he decided to just sit on the cloud-desk, which was awfully hard for a cloud.

“Oh good, someone sent you.”

Maverick whipped around. In the doorway stood a fit-looking Pegasus mare, who trotted in quickly and took a seat next to Maverick. “The others have all already been briefed on the tournament. You’re the last.”

“So, my job is to oversee the competition. I’m the ‘Referee’ as they call it on your planet. The rules are simple, in that so long as the weapon of choice’s effect range can be limited to the combat zone; there are no rules for the fighting.” She gave a devilish smile before carrying on. “However, the combatants can’t leave the arena for more than five seconds. If you do, it’s a disqualification and before you ask, yes, it is permitted to knock your opponent out. It’ll be hard, but permitted. You can check out the arena if you wish afterwards. To make the matches more interesting, each participant, except you so far, has had a spell cast on them. It renders them completely un-able to remember or understand what weapons their opponent is using until the match starts. This exemplifies two of the most important traits in a Pegasus; their quick wits and adaptability.”

As she was explaining, the mare quickly ran a glowing baton around Maverick’s head. “There, now you have the spell as well. The spell won’t work on your final adversary, just to keep things fresh, so do make sure to watch the other pod; I know they’ll be watching you.”

“I see.” Maverick said, not really seeing at all. “So in summary, don’t fall out and don’t worry about the future? Isn’t planning an important trait in Pegasi? You know, for the weather and stuff?”

“Yup! Now, make sure you go review your matchups and dates, so you know when you’re fighting.” She said with a large smile before flying out of the classroom. She seemed quite eager to get away.

With an annoyed sigh, Maverick made his way to the great hall.

And great it was; Maverick would never have recognised the crowded atrium that had held all the stands advertising the up-coming events. Instead, it was now a lavishly decorated, multi-hued, GIANT room completely filled with posters, banisters, and other large paper-like substances. These depicted each and every single event to come. In the dead center of the room stood a giant cube, which had a leaderbord on each side. It appeared that, even though it came second overall, the 2K sprint was still the most populated event. It was so large, the ponies had to participate in several layers of pre-race qualifiers. Only the top 64 would progress to the actual race. It would then be subdivided, and come down to the top 8 in the finale.

‘Just like the Olympics.’ Maverick thought, wandering around. At various locations, more cubes were set up, some portraying just one event on all four sides, others having several different events on one side. Even the walls were plastered, and it was so bad that the Pegasi had to fly up and shout down the times to those unable to see.

Finally, after he had looked at every single damn poster in the whole room, twice, Maverick gave up and asked a nearby pony where his event was. The Pegasus chuckled to himself and pointed Maverick to the ceiling, where a gaggle of ponies were all standing on a pane of glass and looking down at the floor. Confused, Maverick glanced down as well.

At first he didn’t understand. It was just the white cloud floor. He searched it for any form of irregularity, and was about to give up when he noticed something. The cubes, which he had assumed were placed randomly throughout the room, actually formed a pattern. The largest was in the middle, and then from the middle outwards, they became smaller and smaller, standing at about twice his height near the ends of the rooms. Not only that, but they progresses outwards in only two directions, as opposed to four. And, as if it wasn’t obvious enough by this point, Maverick noticed that there were pitch black thunderheads among the cloud flour, organised in neat orderly lines. Thankfully, they were covered by some sort of clear material which kept them from discharging.

“Oh you HAVE to be kidding me…” Maverick groaned. The Pegasus pointed him towards an archway, through which many ponies were coming and going. Maverick walked up the clouds with trepidation; Rainbow Dash was one thing, but even if it was on a bed of clouds, Maverick didn’t like the idea of being so high up. Thankfully, the ponies parted around him like a wave.

At the top, Maverick kept his eyes forward until he was safely away from any edges, and because of this, noticed that several other ponies, particularly those without a horn, were also looking a bit nervous. He took a deep breath. ‘There’s a floor; you’re safe and on a floor.’ He repeated to himself as he looked down.

Maverick had to grit his teeth to keep from shouting out. The glass was perfectly transparent; if he wasn’t standing on it, he wouldn’t know it existed. He took a few moments to breathe and calm down, but when he did, he couldn’t help but smile.

It was the tournament brackets, single elimination. Twenty six names, five tiers, and plenty of carnage. Maverick’s name was in the middle slot on the left, and across from his name was a blanc space; he had a bi in the first round, just like the Pegasus who made him try on the suit said he would.

But there was also a schedule, on top of the big center stone. To Maverick surprise and rapidly developing horror, he was going to be fighting tomorrow at noon; his was the first event of the games.

Maverick’s eyes shot back to his name. Sure enough, on the second tier, slightly larger stone it appeared again, and it wasn’t alone. Across from him sat the name of his first opponent, who also apparently had a bi in the first round.

And, try as he might, Maverick could no longer summon even an ounce of fear, for he was far too busy laughing. “King of Cutlery? What the hell kind of name is that? What is going to do; invite me to a refined dinner? Throw spoons at my face?” He exclaimed to nopony in particular.

Maverick understood why he was going first, or at least he assumed he did. If he won, it would attract even more ponies, and keep the attention of those already present. If they wanted him to lose, then they would stay to boo him in the next round. If they wanted him to win, well they get their wish anyway.

The only problem was if Maverick lost, all the hype over a human would evaporate, and the number of attendees would probably drop like a rock. On the flip side, it would certainly make the job of coordinating all the ponies much easier. Maverick hoped they wouldn’t cheat for him; he wanted to fight it out fair and square, win or lose.

Then another, far more troubling thought accrued to him; he didn’t have his weapon! Maverick glanced around the room, but there was no cyan Pegasus with rainbow hair flying nearby. He decided to go searching for her.

By the time he was safely on solid… gaseous cloud, he was feeling much better about his situation; they still had a whole day to go find Blacky, how hard could it be? However, as luck had it, Maverick wouldn’t need to go finding her at all.

“Hey Maverick” He heard a pair of familiar voices speak. At the same moment, Scorched and Mid-Night appeared next to him. Scorched was wearing a cocky grin, while Mid-Night instead held a morose frown.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Maverick asked.

Before Mid-Night could open his mouth, Scorched began. “I’m just here to congratulate you! You’re the first, and probably only, non-Pegasus to make it into the games! Do you know what this means? History is being created today! This day will go down in history as one of the most amazing turnabouts of Pegasus mind-set. It will forever shape our opinions of humans from now until the day the world ends, and the complete entirety of this will be based solely on your actions during the tournament!” Scorched grabbed Maverick in a one legged hug. “I don’t think you understand how much I envy you right now; you’ll be as famous as Jayce or Trevor in our books, maybe even more! I’ve always wanted to be such an amazing pony, to be remembered for all eternity, to be a role model for good.” He sighed happily. “But I’m glad it happened to you; you’ll be a great asset to clearing the stigma created by humans. Anyway, I wish I could stay but I’m needed elsewhere; I just couldn’t stand not to say hello. Remember to have fun!” And with a poof that can only happen with the cartoon logic that existed in this world, Scorched vanished, leaving a puff of smoke behind.

Now, of course, his discourse hadn’t gone un-heard. Maverick, now aware of the enormity of the upcoming battle, felt more nervous than ever. He HAD to win, or he’d go down as the hype train that had crashed and burnt in the first round! Given the choice, Maverick would rather live in a wold where he was praised for his combat prowess than ridiculed for his weak and pathetic failure.

“Well…” Maverick turned, having forgotten about his other conversation partner. “Um, that was certainly… something. I’ll be honest, I think he MAY have been exaggerating, just a little.” He gave Maverick a few quick taps on the back. “So, um, don’t worry about it. Just do your best, I guess.” He sighed. “I guess I’m now the bearer of even worse news than before. Blacky sent me to tell you that your weapon will only be ready tomorrow; you’ll have to take it in without any practice.”

Obviously, this news did nothing to improve Maverick’s mood. Mid-Night, seeing this, wisely spurted “Gottagobye!” And took off with a very similar puff of smoke to that of Scorched.

Maverick, now alone, considered the situation. In less than twenty four hours, he was expected to be amazing in a tournament he had never even seen before, on stage, in front of thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of miniature talking horses. On top of that, he has zero idea what he would be using to fight his opponent, nor what strategy that Pegasus was going to implement. And as if it wasn’t bad enough, this fight would be going down in history!

But even with all that information cluttering his mind and making him sweat, Maverick still managed to chuckle when he remember who he was fighting. “Cutlery…” He whispered.

*****

Rainbow Dash finally trotted out of the amphitheater. She, as well as several hundreds of other Pegasi, stretched out their legs and wings and they swiftly made their escape from the confined seats and immobility that the Pegasus race hated.

Once the heard thinned out, Rainbow took to the sky, eager to find her little human and be away. However, she had to first check her schedule, to make sure she was ready for her races.

Rainbow flew through the open roof into the atrium, immediately noticing the giant leaderbord on the floor. She couldn’t help but crack a smile; leave it to lord Icewing to instill a little Pegasus culture into the other races in a way that makes it seem like a gift, and not an insult.

She was, however, a little more disconcerted when she saw Maverick’s name on the leaderbord. Even though they had reassured her that the even was perfectly safe, Rainbow was still worried. It didn’t help when she noticed Maverick was going to be in the very first fight. In fact, her anxiety was so bad she couldn’t even laugh when she saw who his opponent was.

She quickly flew over to the center cube, which obviously held her schedule. Seeing that she had a few days before her first preliminary race, Dash turned about and scanned the floor for her little human bundle.

To her utter amazement, he wasn’t in trouble, surrounded by press, falling down ten thousand feet, picking fights, getting dragged into life or death competitions, or even being glared at, noticeably. In fact, he had just turned about, and the grin that split his face gave Rainbow butterflies in her stomach. To be the one who could, by merely being there, bring a smile to the face of another, was a blessing that didn’t go un-appreciated.

“Hey stranger.” She quipped happily. “What’s the news? I see you’re gonna be busy tomorrow; should we go find your hammer swigging engineer?” Rainbow tried to stamp down her misgivings; she didn’t want to dull Maverick’s enthusiasm. Now that the even was going to happen, whether she wanted it or not, she might as well at least support him in it.

“No; she said it won’t be ready until tomorrow…” Maverick said with a sigh. “I’m going to lose in the first round.”

“Don’t be silly! You fought off Scorched with your brain and improvisation; I’m sure you can manage some silly little weapon.” Rainbow returned. She felt oddly sad that Maverick was nervous especially since she had been unsupportive thus far. After all, Maverick had helped the cyan mare with her training, despite his fear of heights. He deserved some help in return, despite her fear for him.

Maverick gave a half-smile, only turning up the left corner of his mouth. “You really think I’ll win? I’ll have to learn the whole weapon in all of ten minutes.”

Rainbow gave a quick, playful shove. “Would I say it if I didn’t believe it?”

“Well, when it comes to lying… Loyalty would kinda win out over honesty, eh?” Maverick suggested.

“Oh ha ha, very funny mister brony man.” She leapt into the air, out of his reach. “Maybe I’ll show you just how un-loyal I can be! Have fun finding your way home” She said, sticking her tongue out before flying off and hiding behind a nearby boulder.

“Hey!” Maverick called out. He tried to follow her with his eyes, but she was way too fast, and after disappearing momentarily from his sight, he lost her. Feeling dejected, Maverick turned about to try and do as she said, only to come face to face with the same mare that had just let him.

“Ha, bet I had ya worried for a sec!” She giggled. “It’s too bad I’d miss ya if you were gone.” She jumped in the air and completed a quick series of flips and turns before swooping underneath the poor, confused human and scooping him onto her back. “Come on, let’s go home.”

*****

Blacky lay down her hammer and smiled mischievously. Mid-Night Light had returned mere moments before, and told her the news.

“I still don’t understand; it’s right there.” He said, pointing at a carefully reader-concealed package. “You haven’t touched the… whatever it is in days. Why couldn’t you just give it to him a day in advance like you said you would?”

Blacky snorted. “Have you forgotten what virtues are being tested in this competition, Light? Quick wits and adaptability. If I gave it to him now, he’d practice. If he practices, he’ll find a rhythm, a pace at which he knows he can use it right. If he gets comfortable, then he won’t be able to adapt. Trust me on this one, sexy. I might be crazy, but I’m not insane, and before you ask; no, they don’t mean the same thing.”

“Okay, okay, sure, whatever. But then, if you’re done the weapon, and you have been for days, what have you been working on?” Mid-Night asked.

Blacky’s smile widened. “Why, the weapon, of course.”

*****

Meanwhile in the monkey kingdom.

General Mantycus sat on a very unpleasant looking chair-like object, massaging his temples. He’d been having terrible headaches as of late, and couldn’t for the life of him manage to figure out how to get them to stop. For the third time that day, he had dismissed his comity of strategists, who had been debating the princess’s offer. They had made no progress what so ever in negotiations within the tribes; the monkeys simply couldn’t come to a consensus. There existed exactly nine tribes in his kingdom. Three wanted to go to war, four wanted to take the offer, and the other two didn’t want either option. With no majority vote of five, the monkeys were unable to make a decision.

“Most confusing part.” He muttered to himself. “Red brothers want war; are a peace loving tribe. Mae no sense.” He had expected the offer to be scooped up in an instead, and only the black tribe, who yearned for war, and the yellow tribe, who hated ponydom more than anything, would be unhappy.

“My dear general, are you unwell?”

Mantycus didn’t react to the sudden, now normal appearance of the shade. “What want?”

“Oh nothing, nothing. Just checking in on you. You seem in pain; is there anything I can do to help?” Darkness offered.

“Go away.” The monkey chuckled briefly at his own joke.

“Yes yes, very funny.” ‘Patience, dear temper, patience. We will have what we want yet.’ Darkness chanted to himself. ‘Blood will spill blood, and with the shift in command, the battlefield will run red.’