FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

If you have been following my journals for as long as I think you have, then I am sure you know how I am going to start this one. However, you would be wrong. For whatever reason, I seem to remember my dream from the previous night quite clearly. And...what an interesting dream it was.

I recall my surroundings being a vast field with streams flowing through it. I was even wearing my winged armor as I trekked through it. I seem to recall looking around as the twin moons hung low in the night sky above me. Judging from how I was looking around, I was probably looking for someone. Was I just a traveling adventurer in that dream?

"Allie! Allie, where'd you go?!" I called out. Perhaps I was looking for my horse, if I had one. And Allie... Heh, now I see. My dream was triggered by memories of playing a certain video game. I could only hope that no bandits got to her. Although I know she could hold her own against the weaker ones.

I remember passing below a ledge in the field that reached just over my head. As I stood below it and gazed out into the distance, a voice spoke above me. "Who is Allie?"

I looked above me and replied, "Oh, she's my...horse?" Looking down at me from the ledge was another horse... No, not a horse. A pony. That great billowing blue mane filled with stars and those narrow eyes... "Wait... Nightmare Moon?"

The alicorn above me smiled and flapped her wings, jumping from the ledge before slowly descending until she rested beside me. "Indeed, it is I."

I then asked, "But what are you doing in... Oh, wait... Am I dreaming?! I should've known better when I passed those giants and mammoths. I'm pretty sure even Equestria doesn't have those."

Nightmare Moon chuckled, "Yes, I noticed them too when I was following you. Those creatures with massive sticks looked rather dozy. Perhaps they too wanted to get to sleep."

I replied, "Oh, giants aren't so bad. They won't pay you any mind when you're on horseback."

Nightmare Moon then slowly glanced around at the vast field before turning her gaze to the skyline. Her eyes stared at the twin moons before asking, "This world has beauty to rival even Equestria. Where are we, exactly? Do you know?"

I looked around, eyeing a heavily forested mountainside to the south with many more mountain ranges in the distance. There seemed to be a familiar hilltop settlement to the east. "If memory serves... Seems that we're in Skyrim right now. That's Whiterun over there. And if I remember correctly, I have a house there with two adopted daughters and a beautiful wife."

Nightmare Moon raised an eyebrow, "Skyrim?! I thought you were from Earth! And... Wait, you were MARRIED when my sisters brought you to Equestria?! Oh my god, we need to send word to your wife and children right now! They must be worried out of their minds!"

At those words, I burst into laughter. "Good god, no! I was never married! Skyrim and everything in it is completely fictional!"

The princess of dreams stared at me with a blank expression. "Wait... What? This world does not truly exist?"

I shook my head once I had stopped laughing, "No, it doesn't. This world was conceived by people on Earth as part of a fictional series. I indulged myself in it and found it to be very enjoyable. Think of it as a story where you choose what happens." I then turned my gaze towards Whiterun in the distance. "When I was presented with the opportunity to get married, I jumped at the chance and went to find the only Argonian in Skyrim who was looking for a lover. Her voice may be less than feminine, but I can look past that since she is a total sweetheart."

Nightmare Moon approached me and stood by my side, her gaze also being directed towards the distant town. "Hmmm... She does sound kind. Would it be all right if I met her?"

I grinned, "Well, there's no telling when I'll dream about this place again, so I guess we better while we have the chance!"

The two of us spread our wings and took to the air before soaring towards Whiterun while gliding on the cool nightly air. "Man... I never actually had the chance to fly over Skyrim before... This beats out riding horseback by a long shot."

My friend smiled, "You sound like you love this place."

I sighed, "I do. The vast natural landscapes just suck you in and the sense of freedom you get while hiking through the beautiful expanses... There's nothing else like it. Granted, there is the occasional bandit and hungry predators, not to mention the odd skeleton wandering around, but those are only minor nuisances. More than anything, I loved being able to just go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted."

As we landed before the gates of Whiterun, I then spoke, "But it was always so good to come home to Whiterun and walk into my house."

Nightmare Moon sighed, "I know that feeling. I felt that when I finally woke up inside my palace for the first time... Hm?" She was quick to notice the two guards standing at the sides of the wooden gate, torches in hand. I always did love their helmets.

One of the guards spoke to me in a heavy accent while I reached for the gate, "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow to the knee."

I paused, having heard that phrase used far too often before. Nightmare Moon also gave me a bemused gaze, clearly puzzled by those words coming out of nowhere. However, I then smirked as I replied with an idea in my head. "Really? Well, she used to be an evil queen of the night..."

Nightmare Moon seemed to know where I was going with this and looked at the guard over my shoulder, "Then I took a rainbow to the face."

The two guards looked at each other, clearly not being able to comprehend that joke. Nightmare Moon then whispered to me as I pushed the gate open, "You think they'll get the joke?"

I chuckled, "Not in a million years."

When we stepped into town, I found virtually no one out and about other than the guards on patrol with torches in hand as they walked along the stone streets. For a dream, this whole thing felt so real... Too real, in fact. I honestly felt like I was wide awake. All the visual information my eyes were reading felt too concrete to be just an illusion played by my resting mind.

"James, what is wrong?" Nightmare Moon asked, clearly noticing me pause for an extended period of time.

I turned to her and spoke, "Nightmare Moon... I'm not sure I should go through with this... All this... This dream feels too real. I don't want to establish a bond with anyone here if I might never see them again in a dream and remember it when I wake up."

Nightmare Moon's expression became one of slight shock before she frowned sadly. "I see what you mean... Becoming friends with someone only to never see them again afterwards..." She then looked around, "But while we're here...may I at least see what is here? This world intrigues me."

I nodded, "All right. But no interactions with anyone. Let me show you to my home." I then walked along, passing the blacksmith's forge on my right before standing before the wooden house on its left.

"This is where I live in Skyrim. Pretty cozy, if I do say so myself." I spoke while reaching for the door handle. However, I then remembered to restrain myself and to lower myself to the ground to hopefully remain unnoticed.

"Why are you doing that?" Nightmare Moon asked, obviously noticing my unusual stance.

I replied, "It's a type of stealth stance. Don't ask me how it works. I don't fully get it myself." I then gently nudged the door inwards as slowly as I could. I did not want to barge right in just to be detected.

Standing over the fire in the center of the main room was my wife. Shahvee. She seemed to be at work preparing a meal. Her thick alligator-like tail would sometimes swish into view from behind her. She was still wearing the same humble blue dress she wore at the time of our wedding in Riften. I felt Nightmare Moon peeking through the door above me, her eyes cast upon the Argonian ahead of me. "Is that her?" My friend asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. Her voice is a bit off-putting, but I've learned to see past that. She's very beautiful and a total sweetheart."

Nightmare Moon nodded and smiled, "I agree. She does exude a type of beauty. Should we go in and say hello?"

I too wanted to approach Shahvee and greet her since I did hold some genuine affection for her. However, I had to remind myself that this was merely a dream and not reality. Getting too attached to a nonexistent person would only bring heartache. For all I knew, this would be the last time I ever saw her. "No... It's for the best that we don't get too attached to anyone here. Let's go."

As I stepped away from the door and closed it, Nightmare Moon asked, "James, are you sure? I understand they are not real, but..."

I sighed, "Trust me, I know what it's like to fall in love with a woman who does not exist. It hurts..."

Nightmare Moon looked back at my house before looking back to me. "Was it her?"

I shook my head as I began to walk towards the main gate, "No. It was from years ago when I was younger. And besides, my heart belongs to someone else now. Someone who is as real as me."

My friend trotted up alongside me as we left the town, the immediate area still bathed in light from the torches held by the two guards. "In all honesty, James... That is part of the reason I came to you tonight. Today is a very special day."

I turned my gaze to her while approaching the edge of the crumbling stone wall just ahead of me instead of following the path to my right, "It is? Which day is it?"

Nightmare Moon smiled while directing her beautiful exotic eyes towards me. "Today is Hearts and Hooves Day. Do you know about it?"

Judging by the name, this day is likely Equestria's equivalent to Valentines Day on Earth. "Um... Does it have to do with young couples?"

My friend chuckled, "Well, you have the right idea. It is a day that celebrates love and friendship."

I then smiled, "And that's why you're here?"

The beautiful alicorn gently nuzzled my face, "James, what I am about to say is not something to say lightly. You are the most important person in my life. Of course that is why I am here."

I felt immensely flattered at those words, my body temperature rising as I began to sweat in embarrassment. "Really?"

She chuckled, "What do you expect? After all you did for me? I would not even be alive right now if you never met me. You are my dearest friend. And you always will be. And since this is Hearts and Hooves Day, even if it is only in the earliest hours of the day, I want to be able to spend at least a little time with you while I can."

I asked, "You mean...we won't be seeing each other today?"

Nightmare Moon shook her head, "Sadly, no. I have too many duties to always have time to mingle with those I hold dear. That is why I am spending time with you as we both sleep. And I assure you that this dream will always remain in your memory."

I must admit this dream felt far too real, even though I felt like I was not feeling any sort of exertion. I could feel the chill of the night wind blowing against my face, the smell of the meadery churning out bottles of sweet mead in the distance. The smell of a campfire just below... Wait... Down there? Was that the Khajiit caravan?

"Hm? What are you looking... Oh! Are those giant cats?!" Nightmare Moon asked as she stood at the edge of the crumbling wall. Down below was the humble campsite where the usual caravan set up shop. Despite being as late as it was, it seemed that all four of them were still awake.

"Oh, them? They are Khajiit merchants. They carry... Huh?" I noticed that Nightmare Moon had gone airborne and was drifting down towards the caravan. "Oh boy, this won't end well." I muttered, jumping down the wall's collapsed chunks to reach the campsite as quickly as I could.

I was worried that the caravan's guard would mistake Nightmare Moon for a possible threat due to her darker features and decided it would be wise to keep her out of sight. I cast the levitation spell on her with the use of my left gauntlet, keeping it concealed behind my shield. Nightmare Moon was coated by a billowing blue aura, as was my gauntlet. I raised her higher into the air to help keep her out of earshot of the Khajiit, knowing one of them was a mage and could strike her even from a distance.

The caravan's guard passed near me as I strolled through the camp. She turned her feline face towards me and spoke in a Khajiit's trademark raspy sly tone. "Ah, such fine armor you wear. Are those wings just for show?"

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and smirked before spreading my wings, "See for yourself." At those words, I flapped them and took to the air before soaring west over the vast field.

I released my magic grip on Nightmare Moon once I felt we were far away enough to avoid drawing attention. She flew down next to me and glided by my side before flashing an irritated gaze at me. "What was that for?! I just wanted to pet them!"

I replied, "Sorry, but I wasn't taking chances. This might be a dream, but I have no idea if you could get hurt in it or not."

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes, "Oh please, what harm would they have attempted to inflict on me?"

I sighed, "As beautiful as this world is, it's by no means a peaceful one. Virtually everyone in it carries a weapon. There are threats everywhere... In fact, I would say it's a world ponies should never have to see."

Nightmare Moon frowned with a most unhappy expression, "In other words... It is much like the world you came from."

I rolled my eyes, "Well... I guess it's a lot like my world from a thousand years ago, but yeah. This world is not nearly as pure as Equestria. So I would prefer to keep you from seeing the darker aspects of this world."

My friend nodded, "Yes... I suppose it would be regretful for this dream to become a nightmare..." She seemed to look behind us before smiling, her horn coated by that deep blue aura I had come to recognize as her own. "I think I know of a good place to relax while staying out of harm's way."

Next thing I know, I am standing on solid ground. Was that a teleportation spell? However, I found myself very nearly falling off due to the ground's steep slant. I felt myself rise into the air again through the use of a levitation spell and found myself being seated on a narrow beam... The top of a slanted roof? And...the view was amazing. When I looked down, I saw the rooftops of Whiterun. Was I on the very top of Dragonsreach?

"Quite a view... Though it is no Canterlot." I heard Nightmare Moon speak beside me. She was delicately perched upon the wooden beam that stood at the very apex of the slanted roof.

"Very true. Hard to beat the view from a city built right into the side of a mountain near the summit. We aren't anywhere near the highest point in Skyrim..." I replied before shuddering as a cold gust of wind blew against my face. "Jeez, I never knew just how cold it is in Skyrim! No wonder the Nords have a resistance to cold from living here."

Nightmare Moon chuckled, "And I have no idea what you are even talking about at all."

The view from the very top of Dragonsreach was simply divine. I could see from the fields below to the colossal mountains beyond. And with my dear friend by my side, the moment was all the more magical. To think that this was a dream when it felt so real.

I soon felt Nightmare Moon gently lean against me with her head resting next to mine. "It seems that you will be awakening soon."

These words were genuinely unpleasant to hear for whatever reason. "Already? But... It doesn't feel like much time has passed..."

Nightmare Moon sighed, "True. I only just entered your dream barely an hour ago. The sun has already started to rise."

With a sigh, I asked the classic question. "Five more minutes, please?"

The beautiful alicorn snickered, "Very well."

Moments passed as we just sat there, enjoying each other's company. Nightmare Moon then whispered, "I hope your first Hearts and Hooves Day will be an enjoyable one."

I smiled, "I'm pretty sure I know what to expect, but I'll still just take it as it comes."

The dark alicorn chuckled, "From what I have heard, those are words Twilight Sparkle could learn from."

I rolled my eyes, "No argument there, especially if what I've heard is true."

Minutes later, I noticed an odd sight. The mountains seemed to be fading away into a white veil of light. Or was it just an empty void? I started to feel unnerved when it began to reach the fields and engulf them too. And it was not just from one direction. It was closing in on Whiterun from all around us at an equal pace. "OK, that's creepy... What's going on?"

Nightmare Moon replied calmly, "The dream is ending, James. That's what it is."

If anything, this was a genuinely unnerving way for a dream to end. It felt like the wondrous world of Skyrim was being erased right before my eyes. The wall of white continued to close in, covering all that it moved over. It reached from the ground and towered above into the sky. How does one describe watching even the vast night sky disappear into a colorless void? It truly felt like the end of the world.

I was tempted to try to fly away, although that obviously would have been futile. It was closing in from all around me, so there was nowhere to run. However, Nightmare Moon rested her hoof on my pauldron. "James, it's all right. You will soon awaken in your bed and all will be well."

I looked at her and nodded, trying to calm myself and accept that this world was just an illusion on the lids of my sleeping eyes. "I know, but... This world just feels so real right now..."

Much to my shock, I felt Nightmare Moon's lips touch my cheek. "I know it does not feel pleasant to see a world you care about fade, but remember that an even more wondrous real world awaits you when your eyes open. You would much rather be in Equestria, right?"

I paused, taking a moment to process in my mind that the beautiful princess of dreams had just kissed me. I replied frankly while trying to not be distracted by my own wandering thoughts, "Yeah... Skyrim is wondrous, but it is full of danger and evil. There is so much greed and corruption in the world. Equestria pretty much has all of its wonders minus all the evil in it." I then turned to her and smiled, "I'll take Equestria over Skyrim any day."

She gazed at me with those beautiful teal eyes as the towering walls of white breached the walls of Whiterun. Not as a force of doom, but as a gateway to take me back to the world I love. She then reached out and kissed me on the cheek again, "As would I. Even though this world is false, I can sense that not all is well here. I too am eager to return to the beautiful land I was born in."

I smiled, gently touching my cheek, "I hope the peace and purity of Equestria never fades."

Nightmare Moon smiled as the walls of white void towered above us with only Dragonsreach itself left untouched. "It will never fade. Celestia, Luna, and myself will see to that."

I could feel my vision starting to become covered in white light. "It's time to wake up, my friend. Goodbye. And a have a very lovely Hearts and Hooves Day."

I slowly awakened, feeling very rested from the dream I had just experienced. My hand reached up and touched my cheek, still remembering the touch of Nightmare Moon's lips as if she had only just touched it. I very slowly sat up in bed, finding myself alone as the light from the newly risen sun shone through the open window. Hearts and Hooves Day... Today was going to be a very interesting day.

I took a moment to stretch as I let out a yawn. My hands clasped into fists as my arms reached out, shuddering while I let out a groan. Once that was done, I stood up and began to get dressed. Once my pants and shoes were on, I looked over my shirts. Today was a lovely summer day, so a t-shirt would be fine. However, I was unsure of which color to wear.

My eyes glanced back and forth at the six colorful shirts. Which shirt would go best for the day? I did not think long. My eyes fell upon the yellow shirt with pink butterflies on the back and chest. "Who else?" I muttered with a smile as I slid on the shirt that matched my girlfriend's colors.

As I went down the stairs, I noticed the scent of fried eggs in the air. Fluttershy was surely starting on breakfast. When I peeked into the kitchen, that was exactly what I saw. The beautiful pegasus mare was hovering next to the stove while stirring the crackling eggs while also checking on a waffle iron. I stepped forward and smiled, "Let me help with that, honey."

Fluttershy glanced at me with those big beautiful eyes and grinned while still holding the spatula in her mouth. She could not speak without dropping it, so she stayed silent. I went over to the waffle iron to make certain the batter inside did not overcook. After another moment, I popped the lid open and got blasted in the face with a cloud of fragrant steam. The waffle was quite large and a perfect shade of golden brown. I turned the waffle iron upside-down, allowing it to fall onto a plate Fluttershy had prepared.

Once I had set the waffle iron back down, I poured the remaining batter into the iron and closed it while it let out a hiss with the release of moisture. I then looked down, finding Fluttershy eyeing the crackling eggs in the frying pan. I then smiled before reaching down and wrapping my arms around her from behind and lifting her into the air with her back against my chest.

"Honey?" She asked calmly while trying to look back at me.

I replied while kissing her neck, "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, honey."

My girlfriend giggled at my touch, "You knew? I thought you had never had... Mmmm... I thought this was your first Hearts and Hooves Day. How did you know about it?"

I smiled as I began to nuzzle my face into her gorgeous mane. "A little alicorn princess told me in my dream while I slept."

Fluttershy giggled, "Princess Luna? Or... Nightmare Moon? Well, they spoiled the surprise I had for you."

I kissed her on the neck, "Don't worry about it, honey. All I learned was what day it is. You can still surprise me later in the day with something special."

My girlfriend smiled sweetly, "Now I just need to think of something special.... Ooh! I think I have an idea!"

I cocked my head to one side, "You do? What is it?"

Fluttershy winked at me teasingly, "I can't tell you. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I did."

I snickered with a grin, "Good point.... Whoa! The eggs are gonna burn!" I only just remembered about the eggs frying next to us. "I got this." I spoke, gently setting Fluttershy down before taking a plate and pouring the scrambled eggs onto it. They seemed slightly overcooked with some crispy segments, but I honestly like my eggs like that.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew... Almost forgot about... Ooh! I'll get the toast." She then approached the counter that held the toaster and removed the darkened slices of whole-wheat bread. I watched as she spread butter and delicious strawberry jam over them.

"Thanks, honey." I spoke as she carried the two slices over on a plate. Along with the toast, we had scrambled eggs and a waffle for each of us. A bottle of syrup and a small bowl of strawberry slices was nearby along with a bottle of ketchup.

"I know it's not much, but I hope you like it." Fluttershy spoke with a modest smile.

I replied, "It's all perfect, Fluttershy. Just the right amount. And if I get hungry again... Well, it'll just make lunch all the more satisfying."

Fluttershy flashed me a joyful smile, but then a voice spoke above us as we took our seats at the table. "Hi! Am I interrupting anything?"

I looked up and saw... Wait, how did she do that?! Pinkie Pie was sticking her head out of one of Fluttershy's decorative birdhouses! "What the?! What're you doing there?!"

Pinkie Pie grinned, "I know you're supposed to come in to work today, but I'm here to let you know that Mr. and Mrs. Cake have given you the day off! It's your first Hearts and Hooves Day and we don't want to take you away from your cuddly-wuddly boopsie-woopsie pumpkin pie!"

I honestly had to catch myself from bursting out laughing at that last line. "I'm sorry... Just what was that last part?!"

Fluttershy blushed, "Um... I don't think I've ever heard anypony talk like that..."

Our silly pink friend giggled, "Oh, Fluttershy. You know what I meant by that! And we wouldn't want you to not get to spend time today with your kissy-wissy snuggy-wuggy sugar bear!"

That time, it was Fluttershy's turn to stop herself from laughing. "Hee...heehee... Who honestly says stuff like that anymore?!"

I then asked, "And just where did you even hear that? I can't remember the last time I even heard stuff like that. Maybe from my grandmother when I was five or six years old, but never anywhere else!"

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes, "I overheard it from the kitchen in Sugarcube Corner on Hearts and Hooves Day last year and thought it was so cute! I never got the chance to see who was doing it, but the voices sounded kinda familiar..." She then stuck her foreleg out of the hole in the birdhouse...somehow...and waved to us, "Anyway, that's what I came here for! You two lovebirds have a great Hearts and Hooves Day!" And just like that, she...pulled herself back into the birdhouse.

".....How did..." I then stood up and peered inside. There was absolutely nothing inside the birdhouse at all. I then looked back at Fluttershy and asked, "How does she do that?! I don't see any way she could've gotten in there!"

Fluttershy laughed, "I don't know! Even after all this time, I still don't understand how she does all that!"

I shrugged my shoulders, knowing I just might give myself a seizure if I tried to make any sense of what I had just seen. However, it was then I noticed someone was missing from the kitchen. "Hang on... Where's Scootaloo?"

Fluttershy replied, "She left early to go meet up with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at the clubhouse before school. I think they wanted to make something special for Cheerilee."

I nodded with a smile, "Yeah, that Cheerilee is a sweetheart. You think if I hurry along, I can see them there?"

My lover replied after taking a bite of her eggs, "I think so. But when you're done, please come back home. I would like to spend a little time with you too."

I nodded, "Will do. Better hurry this up before I miss my chance." I then started working on my breakfast, eating quickly while not quite scarfing the whole thing down.

I poured a little ketchup on my eggs before spreading it around before eating while placing some strawberry slices on my waffle before pouring the syrup over it. Also, a little trivia. Whole-wheat bread makes better toast than white bread and is even better for your body. Needless to say, I was really enjoying Fluttershy's cooking despite the simplicity of it all.

"Hoo... That was...hu... Darn it. Don't tell me I got...hu..." I muttered right as I finished eating. Fluttershy held a hoof to her mouth as she smiled, my body twitching every several seconds.

"Hiccups?" She asked, her eyes watching me.

"Yeah... Happens every time I...hu....eat too fast." I replied with a frown. Regardless, I then stood up and kissed Fluttershy on her snout. "But it was all great, honey. I'm gonna go check on...hu...the girls and head on back for...hu... Oh, come on!"

Fluttershy tried to not laugh and kissed me back on my cheek, "OK, honey. And tell them I said hello. And I'll make some tea just in case those mean old hiccups aren't gone by the time you get back."

I grinned, "Please add honey to mine... Hey! I think the hiccups just...hu... Nope, not yet! Anyway, I better get going. See you soon!" I hugged my girlfriend briefly before heading out of the kitchen and out the front door. I then headed south towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Instead of entering through the main area of the farm, I ended up walking into the vast apple orchard itself from the north. Fortunately, after entering through this route so many times, I had figured out the way to the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. While weaving around the many apple trees and taking note of one tree that never seemed to grow any apples, I soon found my way to that familiar little tree house.

"I wonder what the girls are up to..." I muttered while approaching the clubhouse. As I drew near, I could hear the three fillies discussing something inside through an open window.

"Huh... Does it feel like somethin's missin'?" I heard Apple Bloom speak.

Scootaloo's voice spoke next, "Yeah, it just doesn't look like we added enough... But we don't want it to look the way it did last year, right?"

Sweetie Belle spoke up last. "I know what you mean. We don't want to make the exact same thing twice in a row, right? How do we mix this one up a bit?"

I smirked and knocked on the underside of the clubhouse. "What the...?! Somepony out there?!" I heard Apple Bloom ask before the sound of little hooves clopping moved above me and out the clubhouse's door.

"Helloooo? Was someone knocking?" Sweetie Belle asked from above me on the balcony.

I stepped out into the open and found the three fillies looking down at me. "Morning, girls. What's going on?"

Scootaloo beamed at me, "Oh, hey! Morning, big brother! We were just trying to make a special gift for Miss Cheerilee! Wanna see?"

I smiled, "Sure! I'll be right up." I walked up the ramp and ducked through the doorway. Only to immediately bump my head on the ceiling when I stood up. "Ow! That gets me every time, doesn't it?" I heard the three fillies giggle before they followed me inside.

"Anyway, James... This is what we're workin' on. Looks good so far, right?" Apple Bloom asked while she and the other two fillies stood at the opposite side of a large heart-shaped rug in the middle of the clubhouse.

I looked down and smiled, finding that the rug very nearly spanned the entire length of the clubhouse. Along with being in the shape of a heart, it had elegant white lace around the edges while the heart itself was a lovely shade of pink. I noticed a few open paint cans nearby, finding that the place seemed to have an art studio vibe to it. What exactly were they making?

I shrugged my shoulders, "Nice rug, I must admit."

The three fillies looked at each other with bewildered expressions. "Wha...? That ain't no rug! That's a gift fer Miss Cheerilee fer Hearts an' Hooves Day!"

I smiled, "So you made a rug for her? I'm sure she'll like it."

Scootaloo then let out a laugh, "Heheh, no! It's not a rug! Think of it like a giant card!"

Sweetie Belle giggled, "We made it that big just to show how much we love her! Miss Cheerilee is one of the best mares in Ponyville!"

I smiled, having met Cheerilee numerous times over the last several months. She really is a sweetheart. "Sounds like your opinions of her are very high. And you're right. She is one of the nicest mares I've ever met."

Apple Bloom beamed at me, "She sure is!" But she then frowned, "Only trouble is we're tryin' ta get this one ta look different from the last one. Last time, we used ribbons, glitter, and hoofprints. This time, we wanna mix it up a bit."

I took a seat on the floor to avoid bumping my head again and crossed my arms. "So... This is to show her how much you girls adore her?"

Scootaloo nodded readily, "Yeah! She's the best teacher we've ever had!"

I then had an idea. If they wanted to portray their admiration and love to Cheerilee, then why not do so in one of the oldest and most artistic ways in history? "Well... Why not tell her how you feel in the language of flowers?"

The three fillies glanced at each other before Apple Bloom cocked her head to one side while giving me a very bemused expression. "Language of flowers? Never knew flowers could even talk."

I snickered, "They don't. You use them to speak for you." I then went over to a small bookshelf. "Hmm... Oh, you have an encyclopedia here?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "Uh huh. We keep one there to help with homework sometimes."

I then opened the encyclopedia and began to flip through the pages. "Well, the language of flowers is an ancient means of communication through the use of specific flowers to speak with a type of code. For example, the red rose is a symbol of true love while the black rose is a symbol of intense hatred or even death. It doesn't apply to just roses though. Lavender can symbolize devotion while the white lily shows purity."

Scootaloo grinned, "You can talk just by using flowers? That's awesome! Is there any that say 'You're awesome' or 'Wanna hang out sometime'?"

I smirked amusingly at that question, "Uh... The messages with each flower are very specific and are not complex... But for those... I think your first phrase suits a carnation while the latter would... Um... I think a viscaria would suit it best."

Sweetie Belle then asked, "Well, what kind of flowers do you think we need to show Miss Cheerilee how much we care about her?"

I smiled, "Grab a quill and write down the flowers I'm about to tell you. Scootaloo, you'll have to go into town and get a bouquet of each."

My little sister gave me a salute, "You got it! I'll get those back here in no time!"

I began to look through the list of flowers and their meanings while Apple Bloom lied down with a sheet of paper before her with a pencil in her mouth. "OK. We need...red roses...asters...gardenias...red tulips...blue violets...heliotropes...agrimony...and top it off with some pear blossoms."

Apple Bloom then rolled up the sheet of paper and gave it to Scootaloo, who was in the process of putting on her safety gear. "All righty then! Scootaloo, it's up ta you ta find the flowers on the list."

The little pegasus filly smiled at us. "You got it! Sit tight for a bit and I'll be back in no time!" She then took the scroll in her mouth and ran out the door. Seconds later, we heard the sound of her wings buzzing like a motor before the sound steadily faded out into the distance.

"I hope Scootaloo doesn't take too long. We only have a little over an hour before class starts." Sweetie Belle spoke while looking over the massive heart in the middle of the room.

I decided to pass the time with simple conversation. "So... Cheerilee's your favorite teacher? Does she have a sweetheart of her own for today?"

Apple Bloom frowned, "Actually, no... We tried ta help 'er with that last year, but..."

She and Sweetie Belle smiled sheepishly before the unicorn filly spoke, "It...uh...didn't turn out so well... We found a recipe for a love potion and thought it would help her and the stallion we picked out for her, but..."

I raised an eyebrow at those words. "Hang on. Who did you think would be a good match for her?"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, "My big brother. Big Macintosh."

I stared at them in silence for a moment as I tried to process that information. I then laughed, "Seriously?! Big Mac?! Whoa, he's one lucky guy!"

Sweetie Belle smiled with an uneasy expression, "Yeah, we thought so too. I mean, he really seems like a nice guy, right? Only...the love potion worked a little TOO well. They...uh...went all gaga over each other."

I cocked my head to one side, "Uh... Just...how much into each other were they?"

Apple Bloom sighed, "I hope I don't barf from sayin' this... He...uh... One of the things he called 'er was...his heartie-smartie smirchy-wirchy baby-waby...hurk!" I heard a rather unsettling sound as Apple Bloom held her hoof over her mouth for a second before gagging, probably due to nearly vomiting.

"Big Macintosh...saying that... Oh my god!" I yelled before bursting out into laughter, my hand over my face. "That is just so embarrassing! So wrong, but I can't help but laugh!"

Apple Bloom sighed with a huff, "Ugh, don't remind me! That was awful! Who in their right mind even says that kinda stuff these days?!"

I replied, "Apparently someone who is experiencing the side-effects of a love potion. Do they even remember what happened that day?"

Sweetie Belle replied, "I think that's the only good thing that happened. Neither of them had any idea what happened! Thank goodness too."

Apple Bloom nodded, "Yeah, we learned we shouldn't meddle in the relationships of other ponies..." She then asked, "That reminds me. Did ya ever have a special somepony back where ya'll came from, James?"

Just when I had all but forgotten about those days, those words brought up unpleasant memories from not too long ago. I sighed before turning my gaze towards the open window. "I would rather not talk about it."

Sweetie walked up to me and rested her hoof on my hand. "It's OK, James. As a fellow Cutie Mark Crusader, we should be there for you when you have problems. We can at least lend an ear."

I looked down at the two fillies. Each of them were looking up at me with very concerned expressions. I finally gave in and sighed, "Do you know what it's like when you finally find true love and stick with that special someone with them telling you daily that they love you for three years straight only for that person to reveal that the entire thing was an elaborate lie maintained out of 'pity' for you?"

The two fillies gasped at my words. "A... A lie? Fer three years straight?!" Apple Bloom spoke with a truly startled expression. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me! Who would do somethin' so mean?!"

I sighed, "I don't know... Even now I still don't understand why she did it... I don't even know what was true or not in that relationship... Did she love me? Was she brainwashed into thinking she did not? I just don't know anymore..."

Sweetie Belle frowned at my words, "If Big Macintosh ever found out about that, I know he would buck her lights out! I hope I never meet that girl!"

I sighed, feeling slightly better that my friends were standing up for me. "Thanks, Sweetie... It doesn't bother me that much anymore though since I've found my real love."

Apple Bloom smiled faintly, "We know... Fluttershy really does seem like a great match fer ya. I'm glad ya met 'er."

I nodded with a faint smile, "I know... I'm really glad she's in my life... And that you girls and all my other friends are in my life too."

The two fillies let out an aww before hugging me in unison. "Awww, we're glad we met ya too, James. Ya'll have been a great member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders with us."

Sweetie Belle giggled, "And to think what would've happened if you hadn't found us at that playground that day..."

I wrapped my arms around the two fillies, holding them against me. "Yeah... You girls really are special to me. But just remember... Never ever get into a relationship with someone out of pity... There are few things you can do to someone that is more cruel than that."

Sweetie Belle nodded, "I know. That'll only hurt him more when he finds out."

We just sat there for a moment longer, holding each other in a cuddly embrace. However, I then heard a voice speak from the window. "Save some for me!"

I looked up and saw Scootaloo jump through the window before trotting over to us and joining in the group hug. "I'm glad I got back in time before this was over. What'd I miss?"

I felt it was not necessary to worry her over what I had just discussed and replied with a calm smile, "Not much. We were just chilling together as friends."

Sweetie then smiled, "Wow, Scootaloo. You weren't even gone twenty minutes! Did you find everything you need?"

The little pegasus filly nodded, "Sure did! Every last one of them! Come here and I'll show you." She let go of me and trotted over to the window before reaching over it with her head. She then turned to face us with a paper bag hanging from her teeth. Sticking out of it were a varied variety of flower bouquets.

"Whoa, you seriously found every kind I mentioned?" I asked, finding it hard to believe that all of the flowers I mentioned were cultivated in Ponyville.

Scootaloo smiled, "Yeah, though I had to ask around for some. I think some of these aren't really popular." She then took her helmet off and held it upside-down, "And before I forget, I got you something too, James!"

She held out her helmet to me. I looked down and noticed a single flower resting inside it. It was a light purple bell-shaped flower. "Huh? Which one is that?"

Scootaloo replied, "They said it's a Canterbury Bell. You know what it means?"

"Um... Let me get back to you on that." I replied before looking through the encyclopedia again. "Canterbury Bell... Ah, here we go. Campanula medium..." I paused as I read over the symbolism of the flower in floriography. The meaning of the Canterbury Bell is gratitude and faith. As I looked at Scootaloo, I felt my heart melt. "Aww... C'mere, Scoot."

My little sister grinned widely as her tiny wings flittered like the wings of a cicada before she came sailing into my arms. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, big bro."

I stroked her purple mane while we wrapped our arms around each other. "Thanks, Scoot." That was really all I could say.

Apple Bloom then spoke up, "C'mon, Scootaloo! We gotta get all these flowers in place before school starts!"

Scootaloo jumped out of my arms and smiled, "OK! What do we use to put these on the card?"

Sweetie Belle dumped the flowers out of the bag and looked them over. "Um... I don't think glue would be a good idea for these... Maybe we should try staples and tape this time."

Apple Bloom nodded, "All righty then! We got some over here, I think... Yup! Here they are."

I watched silently while the three fillies went to work, stapling the flowers that had stems to the card while using tape to attach those without them. Upon closer inspection, I found that the heart-shaped card actually had three hearts in all, each of different sizes. How do I describe it... Inside the card itself were the outlines of two increasingly smaller hearts. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were laying the flowers out over the edges of each heart with the flowers on the largest heart being just inside the white lace border.

Sweetie Belle beamed, "Wow! They're sticking on there a lot better than all that glitter last year!"

Scootaloo then looked at her two friends and smiled, "I think that's all the flowers too. Now we just gotta get it to school on time."

Apple Bloom was starting to carry an envelope over to the 'rug', but then stopped. "Oh wait... We're gonna need a really big envelope fer this one, huh?"

I then asked, "You need me to carry it for you?"

The three fillies glanced at each other before looking back at me with smiles. "Ya will?! Thanks!" Apple Bloom spoke first.

"Just be careful to not fold it. We don't want it to have any creases when we get it there." Sweetie Belle added as she and the other two fillies walked out of the clubhouse before standing out on the balcony.

"Just be careful with it!" Scootaloo spoke while looking in at me.

I looked down at the massive card, pondering how I was going to get it out of the clubhouse with it being wider than the doorway. "Huh... Only one way here." I stood at the very top of the heart and firmly gripped the sides of the card where it was at its widest. I gently lifted it, causing the card to bend and take on a U shape. Very slowly, I inched towards the door while taking care to keep my head down.

"Yup! That'll do it! Keep it comin'... A lil' more... OK, now lift it... A lil' higher..." Apple Bloom spoke as I started to get the card out the door.

"I get it, Apple Bloom! I know what I'm doing!" I called out, finally making my way out onto the balcony.

"All right then! Now we just gotta get it to school. Do you think you can carry it there?" Scootaloo asked with a smile.

"I don't see why not. Although... How far is it?" I asked, not sure just how far away the school is from the clubhouse.

Sweetie Belle replied, "Uh... I don't think it's TOO far from here... But let's go! We don't wanna be late!" There was no arguing with that, so I followed the three fillies down the ramp and through the orchard with that massive card constantly held out in front of me.

I do not know if you have ever tried keeping your arms taut and stuck straight out while keeping your fingers pinched shut onto something that is hanging down, but doing it for any extended amount of time gets rather painful, even for fairly light loads. By the time the schoolhouse came into view, I was all too ready to let go of my cargo. Regardless, I tried to hide my soreness behind a neutral expression.

"All right! Let's get it inside!" Apple Bloom spoke as she and the other two fillies charged in.

"Do I really have to bend my knees for this..." I muttered to myself as I tried to duck through the doorway while not causing any damage to the card that was still being held out in front of me.

"Good morning, girls! Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!" I heard Cheerilee speak from just inside the classroom as I finally entered the lobby.

"Morning, Miss Cheerilee! Sorry if we showed up late. We were putting the finishing touches on something special." Scootaloo replied. I could hear the chatter of kids from inside the classroom, probably from all the other students passing around cards to each other.

I heard Cheerilee speak with a puzzled tone, "You were? Well, may I see it?"

Sweetie Belle replied, "You bet! Mr. James! Please bring it in!"

At least she was considerate enough to say 'please' after straining my arms through the entire walk. I then carefully ducked through the doorway with the card being held out in front of me. I found Cheerilee standing between the rows of desks and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I then looked at her and managed to crack a smile despite my discomfort. "Morning, Cheerilee."

The kindly teacher smiled back at me, "Good morning, James. And is that what I think it is?"

All three of my little friends beamed while holding their heads high. They were clearly proud of their work. "Maybe." I replied briskly while holding the card upright with one hand, displaying all the flowers on it.

"Oh my... It's so colorful...and it smells so nice! And...it's still so big!" Cheerilee spoke with a delighted smile. Something tells me this was not the first time the Cutie Mark Crusaders presented her with such an impressive gift.

Apple Bloom beamed, "We just wanted ta show ya just how much we think yer the best teacher ever!"

I smiled, managing to ignore the pain in my forearms a moment longer. "They really seem to think highly of you, Cheerilee. I'm glad I was able to take part in this."

Cheerilee flashed me a puzzled look. "You did?"

Sweetie Belle spoke, "We wanted to do things a little differently this year. It's no fun getting the exact same thing twice in a row, right?"

Scootaloo then spoke, "Soooo we asked my big brother for some advice on how to express how much we love you! What did he call it again? The language of flowers?"

Cheerilee gasped with a delighted grin, "Floriography?! I can't think of a more artistic means to do that! James, that was brilliant!"

I think I blushed at those words, my eyes rolling as I tried to avert my gaze, "It wasn't a big deal... It just popped into my head when they asked."

Cheerilee then went over to her desk and started looking through a thick textbook. "I'll figure out what each flower represents today. But for now, it's time to start our first class of the day. Please take your seats, girls."

I set the massive card up against the wall next to the chalkboard. "I guess I should be going then."

All three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders then turned and gave me a triple salute. "Thanks fer helpin' us come up with that new idea, James!" Apple Bloom spoke first, a delighted grin on her face.

"I hope you and Fluttershy have a great Hearts and Hooves Day!" Sweetie Belle added.

Scootaloo then smiled, "Be nice to her! And be nice to Rainbow Dash too!"

I nodded with a smile before gently patting each of them on the head. "Thanks, girls. And have a great Hearts and Hooves Day." I then said my goodbyes and headed out the door into the lobby before stepping outside the schoolhouse. But before I took more than five steps, I paused. "Wait a sec... Rainbow Dash?!"

I looked back at the schoolhouse and crossed my arms. Be nice to Rainbow Dash? Just where did that come from? Did Scootaloo know something I did not? What did that brazen pegasus mare tell my little sister?

"Wait..." I muttered as I began to connect the dots. I started thinking back to earlier days. I remembered the morning after the night when I rescued Mitta from Sunny Town. Rainbow Dash was acting...odd that morning. And she promised she would say why on a special day during the following month... This month. And that magazine she got me for my birthday...

"Today is the day..." I muttered, feeling myself becoming hot with anxiety. Just what did she have planned for me? Knowing how wild she is, it could be anything. And all those photos she took of herself in the issue of Playcolt she gave me for my birthday... What, was she secretly a porn star who wanted me to take part in a photo shoot?! I literally winced and pulled my arms up against my torso while my legs bent. Such an unnerving thought.

"Oh, no no no no no, there's no way she's like that..." I spoke aloud as I tried not to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought. Whatever it was she had in mind for today, it could not possibly be THAT bad. Even so, I did promise to return home to Fluttershy once I was finished with the Cutie Mark Crusaders for the time being. I then turned west and began to walk.

I returned home without a hitch. Fluttershy was still tending to her little animal friends, though her attention seemed to be directed towards the tree just across from our cottage across the brook that passed before it. Songbirds of numerous colors were perched on the mostly leafless branches while Fluttershy hovered before them. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes before practically humming a familiar tune in front of them. When she seemed to stop halfway, the birds then whistled the remainder of the tune. It was quite nostalgic to hear and I still am not certain where I have heard it before. Perhaps I will never know.

I lightly applauded while approaching them. "Bravo. May I have an encore?"

Fluttershy jumped slightly, but then calmed immediately when she turned to face me. The birds did not seem to mind my presence at all. "Oh! Welcome home, honey. You saw that?"

I nodded with a smile, "And heard it. Very cute. You do this often?"

The adorable pegasus mare replied, "I don't know about often, but we do need to rehearse now and then. These birds are my choir for special events."

I crossed my arms while cocking my head to one side. "You conduct a songbird choir?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Only during special events. Such as at the Summer Sun Festival. The one I remember most was the one just after the day I first met Twilight."

With a smile, I asked, "Nice. What made it so memorable?"

My lover replied, "It was the day Nightmare Moon returned. And the day we finally became friends with Twilight."

In all honesty, I could not imagine those six lovely mares falling out of touch with each other. They are as tight as rope knots. Heh, that sounds like something Applejack would say. "And it sounds like a whole load of wild stuff happened afterwards. I get the feeling that your life got really interesting after that."

Fluttershy smiled, "Oh, yes. We've been on so many little adventures since then. We've learned so much, about friendship and each other." She then looked up at me and beamed, "And now we have a whole new set of adventures ahead now that you're here."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, "Have? Honey, we've already had a fair share of little adventures since I showed up!" The two of us got a fairly good laugh out of that.

I watched as Fluttershy went about her business, finishing up with feeding the animals for the morning. After a minute, I asked, "Do you need a hand there?"

Fluttershy replied with a smile, "It's all right. I don't have much more to do anyway."

I nodded, but then Fluttershy turned around and gasped, "Ooh! I just remembered! A friend of yours wants to see you today at noon!"

I glanced over at her, "Huh? Who exactly?"

Fluttershy flashed me a little smile, "I was told not to tell you. It's a surprise."

"Huh... Well, where exactly should I meet up with this friend of mine?" I asked, starting to wonder just who it was who spoke to Fluttershy in secret.

My girlfriend replied, "She said she wanted to meet you in the park by the pond. You know, where I keep that bag to feed the fishes?"

I nodded, "OK, that spot. I'll be there." I was starting to wonder just who it was who wanted to see me. Mitta? Rainbow Dash? Nightmare Moon or Luna? All I knew was that the friend is female and I have a hefty number of female friends. Strangely, the vast majority of them are female. Almost as if 90% of Equestria's population is female. Or am I just overthinking this?

Fluttershy then smiled, "I will be joining you a little while later too, so please don't leave the meeting spot too soon."

I smiled and nodded, "Will do. I'll make sure we stick around for a while."

I watched silently as Fluttershy went about, wrapping up the last steps of her morning routine. She looked so cute as she looked so happy doing what she loved doing best. There was some sort of humble entertainment in watching such a sweet and loveable pony doing what made her so happy, though my mutual love of animals may have been contributing to it as well.

After a moment of thought, I called out. "Hey, honey? Have the eggs been collected for the day?"

Fluttershy looked back at me and replied, "The eggs? No, I haven't collected them yet."

I then started to walk towards the side of the cottage, "OK. I'll go handle them then. I've got nothing else to do at the moment."

Fluttershy giggled, "All right. Thank you, honey. I need to head into town to pick up some more food for the animals. I'm starting to run low."

I reached out and gently stroked my lover's gorgeous mane. "OK, honey. If you don't see me when you get back, I'll see you at the park later." My lover hovered up to me and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek. While she started to trot up to the cottage's front door, I made my way around back to the chicken coop.

Once I rounded the corner, I saw all of Fluttershy's chickens milling about while pecking at the ground. I suddenly got a weird urge while looking at the little birds milling about. After glancing around, I shrugged my shoulders, "Oh, why not?" I then cleared my throat before yelling in a goofy tone, "CHICKENS!!!"

I then began to run towards the chicken coop with the most absurd silliest gait I could possibly pull off. "Pet the chicken, pet the chicken, pet the...uh..." I froze in place with one leg extended in front of me while I leaned back fairly far. Sticking her head out of the coop's entrance was none other than Derpy Hooves. Again.

Derpy and even the chickens were gazing at me with blank expressions, none of them moving. Then again, chickens have a hard time showing any expression, so I suppose they are always blank. I can remember feeling my face becoming hot while a deep blush spread across my face. Slowly, Derpy crawled out of the coop and stood up. I was frozen with nervousness. What was she going to do?

Suddenly, Derpy smiled at me and spoke, "I like chickens too!" She then trotted over to one of the brown hens, who did not seem to mind Derpy's presence at all. The silly pegasus then snatched the bird up in her forelegs and cuddled with it, "Pet the chicken! Pet the chicken!"

I felt myself relax, watching my goofy friend just follow along. I then casually walked over to the coop and stepped over the low fence that kept the chickens from leaving the pen. I then approached Elizabeak and snatched her up before nuzzling my face against her plumage. "Pet the chicken. Pet the chicken." Derpy and I continued to chant those words in goofy tones over and over for a minute or two.

After a brief moment, Derpy put the chicken she was holding down and asked, "So, how's your first Hearts and Hooves Day so far, James?"

I smiled as I set Elizabeak down, "It's been fine so far, but what are you doing out here this time? You're not still lost, are you?"

Derpy shook her head, "Nope! I just like taking naps out here. The chickens don't mind and the little quiet noises they make are soothing to listen to." She had a point there. I could hear the faint clucking noises the chickens were making as they milled about.

I looked down at the little hens and smiled, "They are a friendly bunch, aren't they?"

Derpy then surprised me by embracing me from behind. "Before I forget, Happy Hearts and Hooves Day! You and Fluttershy have something planned, right?"

I grinned, patting Derpy's hoof. "I'm not entirely sure. I'm certain we'll be spending some quality time together. But I first need to meet up with a friend in the park in... Oh, I think two hours." I then asked, "Come to think of it, do you have a special somepony to spend time with today?"

Derpy giggled while she released me from her grasp and hovered in front of me, "Oh, I don't have a special somepony right now. Although I am supposed to see a friend at the café for lunch."

"Who is he? Or is it a she?" I asked in turn.

"He's the doctor! Or... A kind of doctor. Doctor Hooves. Maybe you've seen him around! An earth pony with an hourglass cutie mark?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I do see him around at times. Not very often though. He a friend of yours?"

Derpy nodded, "Yep! He comes to town every now and then to relax. And we meet up sometimes. He always has new amazing stories to tell."

I then asked, "What kind of doctor is he? Orthopedist? Dentist? Plastic surgeon?"

Derpy's expression became one of bewilderment. "Um... I don't remember. I think he tried to tell me a few times, but I don't remember the whole thing..." Her goofy eyes then opened wide as she gasped, "Ooh! I remember now!"

I crossed my arms and smiled, wondering what she would say. However, I did not get the response I was expecting. "He said he can't explain his job to me anymore because I kept having seizures when he tried to explain it. And the weird thing is I don't even remember having seizures!"

At those words, I stared blankly at Derpy. Just what kind of doctor is that guy? Probably best to not ask. "Uh... Wow... OK then, I don't think I want to know the rest then..... But be sure to tell the doc I said hi."

Derpy nodded with a smile, "Will do... Oh! We're supposed to be meeting up soon! I better get going!"

I nodded, "OK. Take care. And Happy Hearts and Hooves Day." But just as she started to fly away, I grabbed her and then turned her towards Ponyville. "You wanna go THAT way, Derpy."

My silly pegasus friend giggled, "I am such a muffinhead! Thanks for stopping me from going into the Everfree Forest again, James! See ya!"

As Derpy flew off, I grabbed the closest pail and crawled into the coop to collect the eggs like I had promised. There was one egg for every nest. I suppose it would be dull to describe this simple activity, so I will move on.

"Thanks for the future omelets, girls." I spoke towards the chickens while I left the pen. After glancing around to make certain no one was watching though, a cheeky smirk spread across my face. "I'll be sure to let ol' Rolf know Fluttershy borrowed you girls! And stick together, because I know you don't like being separated. Except for Elizabeak, who prefers solitude." The chickens did not seem to comprehend what I had just said, half of them giving me blank stares while the rest continued to mill about. "Meh, chickens have no sense of humor." I muttered as I began to walk around the cottage.

When I came around to the front of the cottage, my eyes gazed at the brook that flowed before it. I snickered before speaking in a goofy tone, "The sound of a babbling brook makes me want to babble!"

As if to respond, a familiar quiet voice asked from behind me, "It does?"

I jumped forward at those before turning around to find Fluttershy looking up at me with a perplexed expression. "Uh... You weren't meant to hear that!" I then lightly smacked myself across the face, "What's wrong with me this morning? I must have Ed boys on the brain." I was very tempted to spout another silly line from my memory at the mention of 'Ed boys', but I managed to restrain myself that time.

Fluttershy giggled, "It's all right, James. I honestly didn't know you could be silly out of nowhere like that. It sounded like something Pinkie Pie would do."

I rolled my eyes, "If she ever found out about that, I would never hear the end of it. Might even hound me to join her on some kinda stand-up comedy gig."

Fluttershy held a hoof over her mouth as she grinned, "I can imagine her doing that. But she does do some good stand-up sometimes."

I chuckled, wondering if Pinkie Pie is a fulltime comedian. However, I was quick to notice that Fluttershy seemed to be carrying a thick book on her back. "What's that you have there?"

My girlfriend smiled, "It's a photo album. I was wondering if you would like to see what's in it."

I grinned, "I would love to." Fluttershy then led me over to the little earthen bridge that spanned the babbling brook that made me want to babble... All right, I swear that is the last time I will say anything like that for the remainder of this journal. Regardless, I took a seat at the edge with my legs dangling off the side while Fluttershy lied next to me.

"It's been a long time since I last looked through a photo album. Always a lot of fun for some reason." I spoke calmly while lifting the book off of her back.

Fluttershy nodded, "It always feels nostalgic to look through them. On the first page..." When I opened it, I was greeted by the sight of a little yellow pegasus filly in a diaper with small strong cyan eyes. She had a bowl of something on her head, her short pink mane hanging down from under it.

I immediately knew who it was and smirked at my girlfriend. "You were a messy eater, honey."

She grinned with a noticeable blush on her face, "I guess I was. But yes, that's me when I was just a few months old." The surface she seemed to be sitting on appeared to be made out of clouds, leading me to believe that Fluttershy used to live in Cloudsdale. I have yet to visit that city due to obvious reasons.

I flipped the page and found on the backside another photo. "Hey, it's Rainbow Dash!" The photo showed Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy as children. They seemed to be standing on what seemed to be a pale platform or floor made entirely out of clouds. Rainbow Dash seemed to be giving the camera a confident grin with one foreleg draped over Fluttershy's shoulders while Fluttershy seemed to be more reserved and...well...shy. I then asked, "You and Rainbow Dash were friends as kids?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Well, I don't think I saw her often enough for us to be actual friends, but she was always there to stand up for me whenever somepony teased me. Our friendship didn't really develop until Twilight came to Ponyville."

I smiled at her words. I did not know that two of my dearest friends had known each other long before meeting the others. But as I looked back at the photo, I noticed some differences with how they looked back then compared to now. Fluttershy's mane and tail were not quite as long back then, instead ending in a very cute shoulder length style that still retained the same curls at the tips. Her legs were also noticeably longer and lankier than they are now, giving her an adorable faunlike appearance. Rainbow Dash's hairstyle was virtually identical to how it is now, but...wow. Her mane and tail were remarkably more frazzled as a child than as an adult. "Whoa... On closer inspection... Rainbow was one heck of a wild child, huh?"

Fluttershy rolled her eyes a little, "Yes, she was very rebellious as a filly. She was even more obsessed with speed back then than she is now."

That is a thought I find hard to imagine. How could that speed demon be MORE obsessed with speed than she is now? Oh wait... As much as she likes speed now, Rainbow Dash also loves to take it easy. I rarely go more than two days without seeing her just lounging around on low-lying clouds over Ponyville at some point during the day. For her to be like that as a kid... She probably did not know the meaning of 'taking it easy' back then. "Um... Just HOW obsessive was she back then?"

My lover giggled, "About as obsessive as most kids are over things they really like. She picked up the nickname of 'Rainbow Crash' in flight school. She had amazing speed, but she was absolutely horrible at everything else. She could never focus on anything more than flying fast and kept having trouble stopping or even turning. In the end, she just dropped out."

"And yet, she's one of the best fliers I know. You gotta give her credit for overcoming her problems on her own." I spoke with a smile. I then brought a hand to my chin and smirked, "Now we just need to find a way to cut her ego down to size..."

Fluttershy giggled, "Well, please don't tell her I told you this. She's very sensitive about how awful her flying skill was back then. She tries to cover it up by spinning all sorts of stories just to make herself look good."

I rolled my eyes, "It's OK, Fluttershy. It's all too obvious when she's bluffing. The more full of herself she sounds when she talks, the less likely it's true."

After getting a good giggle out of that, I looked at the page that was opposite of that one. It seemed to show Fluttershy somewhat older. Her hair had not yet grown to the gorgeously long lengths it is now, but I could tell she was full grown by then. The photo showed her beaming happily with numerous happy animals surrounding her. And waving at the camera while atop her head was none other than Angel. "What time was this one taken?"

Fluttershy replied, "That was taken when I first moved into this cottage. I had made so many little animal friends by then. And Angel..." She then sighed happily, "That was the day I adopted him."

That looked like a happy day for Fluttershy. And I certainly see the charm in being able to interact with various animals ranging from the small and cute to the large and majestic. But when we turned the page, I was met with a different kind of photo. This one depicted not just Fluttershy, but my five other dearest friends as well. Twilight Sparkle seemed to be in the very center with all five of our friends around her. Fluttershy was lying on the ground before her with Rarity sitting to her right. Pinkie Pie was standing just behind Rarity with one hoof on the gorgeous unicorn's head for leverage while waving at the camera with the other. Rainbow Dash was just behind Twilight with one foreleg resting on Twilight's head while giving the camera a very aggressive look. Honestly, does that girl need to make herself look tough in every picture taken of her? Lastly, Applejack stood to Twilight's left with her right foreleg raised while her left eye was closed for a wink. They all seemed to be having a good time, yet I could not help but feel this photo had some sort of significance. "It's a simple picture, but it seems special somehow."

Fluttershy smiled at me, "It is. This was the first picture taken with us all together. We all have a copy of it."

I smiled, looking back at the photo again. "How long have you girls known each other by now?"

My girlfriend replied, "By now, almost three years. And we've never looked back since that day."

I sighed, "I hope the same applies to me. I never want things to change between us."

Fluttershy gently leaned against me and sighed with a smile. "Me neither. You've been wonderful to us. I'm so glad I met you."

I gently draped my arm across Fluttershy's shoulder, holding her against me gently. After a brief moment of silent enjoyment, Fluttershy then asked, "James, do you have a photo album to show?"

I replied, "Sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't bring a... Wait... Actually, I kind of do. My DSi has a photo album of sorts in it." I pulled out the little device from my pocket and flipped it open before turning it on. "Let me open it and I'll show the photos I have."

Fluttershy's eyes brightened as she leaned against me, her head tilted down at the twin screens on the device. Displayed on the top screen was the first photo. It depicted a room with six round tables covered in white tablecloths and plates and glasses with yellow napkins 'blooming' out of the glasses. Blue chairs were situated around each table, strong bloom shining through a large window at the back of the room. A glass chandelier hung above each table while decorative and colorful glass bowls hung on the walls. "This shows where I sometimes worked back home after I was finished setting the place up."

Fluttershy smiled as she looked the photo over, "It looks like a fancy restaurant in Manehattan. Or maybe even Canterlot. How many stars does it have? Four?"

I replied, "Nope. Just two stars. But it's always been successful and is known all across town. I am not exaggerating, by the way."

My girlfriend giggled, "I know you're not. May I see more?"

I nodded before pressing on the D-pad to cycle over to the next photo. Fluttershy grinned, "Ooh! Chickens!" In the photo was a small chain link pen with somewhere around twenty chickens on the other side. Most were gold while a few were a reddish brown, although there was one white hen. One was gray and another was black. "They're all looking at you, James."

Trying to be witty, I replied with a smile. "Yup. I was a real chick magnet that day." Fluttershy covered her mouth with a hoof as she tried to suppress her laughter.

I moved on to the next picture, which showed many long narrow leaves with a green praying mantis walking along them. There seemed to be a small purple flower off to one side of the photo too. "Ooh, a mantis. I don't see those too often." Fluttershy spoke with a hint of wonder in her voice.

"My grandmother called me over to see it since she had no idea what it was. Who doesn't know what a mantis looks like?" I replied while shaking my head as I recalled the event.

"They are very easy to recognize..." Fluttershy spoke softly. I suppose she too wondered how someone with so many years under their belt would not know what a mantis is.

The next photo I showed displayed a tiny white moth resting on the tip of my thumb in such a manner that could have been described as a dramatic close-up. The bold yellow walls of a stairwell stood behind it. "Aww, what a pretty moth! And it didn't mind you holding it?"

I smiled, "Not at all. She was on my front door and I just had to coax her onto my finger. She never flew away once."

Fluttershy nuzzled me sweetly, "Maybe she knew you meant no harm. I think even bugs can sense that in people."

Bit by bit, I showed Fluttershy more and more of my photos. One showed a barely noticeable rainbow, another of an old friend of mine whose photo I had tweaked a bit, and one showing an algae-covered pond in the city park with a tiny heron perched on a branch in the middle of the shot. But I saved one of my favorite photos for last. It depicted a cloud with the sun hidden somewhere behind it. As the sun shone at the cloud, rays of light with varying intensity could be seen spanning out in different directions. It was a very ethereal sight.

"That's...so beautiful... And this was from back on Earth?" Fluttershy asked as she beheld the sight.

"Nature can surprise you when you least expect it. I'm pretty sure something like this happens in Equestria too." I replied, smiling at her. Once we had looked at the photo long enough, I turned my DSi off and slid it back into my pocket after closing it.

Fluttershy smiled, "Well, they were all good photos. I especially loved the picture you took of that pretty golden retriever."

I grinned, "Oh, you would've loved her if you ever met her. She's a sweetheart."

My girlfriend nodded, "Oh, I know I would've. But...um...what time is it?"

Having forgotten myself, I flipped my DSi open again and checked the time on it. "Around 11 o'clock. You think I should head on over to the park to meet up with my friend?"

Fluttershy nodded, "I think so too. Not sure when she will show up. She might have decided to go early."

I then climbed to my feet, as did Fluttershy. "I should get going then. But we'll have plenty of time to spend together today, right?"

The beautiful pegasus hovered up to me and embraced me tightly while smiling brightly. "Of course we will. I'll come and find you at the park once I've finished up with things here. Have fun with your friend, James."

I smiled while embracing her back. "Still not going to tell me who it is?"

She giggled, "Nope! You'll have to see for yourself." It was very unusual to see Fluttershy get this cheeky.

"Heheh, OK. I'll see when I get there." I replied before placing a kiss on her snout. "See you soon, honey." We both said our goodbyes before I made my way south towards the local park.

I ended up passing through Sweet Apple Acres on my way to my destination. I did see Big Macintosh carrying several bushels of apples at once, which I stopped to watch. How does one pony carry that many on his back without buckling under the pressure? Granted, he did seem to be very focused on maintaining his balance and seemed to be working up a sweat, but I was starting to wonder if that guy possesses Herculean strength. I would have offered to help, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Once that mighty stallion entered the barn, I continued onward.

My trek to the local park went unhindered. Upon arrival, I found the place littered with couples. So many of them were ponies I did not recognize. Some were chatting while resting on benches, others were tossing horseshoes, and one couple even seemed to be napping under a tree. However, there was one pony I did recognize. And she was galloping right towards me.

"Mitta!" I spoke with a smile as my friend from Sunny Town approached me. Her crimson mane trailing behind her as she ran, Mitta sailed into my arms and held me in a tight embrace. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Mitta. How've you been?"

My friend looked up at me and beamed, "I've been just great! Oh! And I have something for you." She then dropped back down onto her hooves and motioned towards a pair of saddlebags resting against her sides. Each bore the color of Rarity's mane and her diamond cutie mark as a buckle. "They're in here."

I reached for the flap of the bag on her left, noticing a delightful aroma that I recognized right away. Cookies. It is something you pick up from working in a bakery for a while. And sure enough, stuffed into the bag was a multitude of chocolate chip cookies. "Ooh, the classics. And they're still warm."

Mitta grinned, "I've been going around handing them out to my friends. Oh, and these too." She moved her head to her right and lifted the flap on her saddlebag with her snout. Inside that bag were more cookies. Only the cookies themselves were chocolate while the chips were white.

"A little yin and yang, huh?" I asked with a smile.

Mitta smiled, "I guess so. But I didn't bake those. Ruby made them with me."

That reminds me. I seldom see Ruby these days. I suppose it would be hard to keep tabs on a ghost though. "Come to think of it, how has she been lately?"

My friend replied, "She's been doing fine. She even opened her own little business in town, though most of her customers are schoolchildren. She calls it 'Ruby's Lost and Found'. Her tagline is 'You lose it, I find it'. I think she's been doing pretty well with it."

I chuckled at those words. "A ghost running something of a detective agency? Why haven't I seen that thing anywhere in... Oh, that's right. She works undercover. No wonder I never notice her around town."

Mitta let out a chuckle. "Wow, I never thought of it like that. Ruby's a sneaky one though. And she's had a lot of time to practice. But before I forget, go ahead and take some! I made these cookies with you in mind."

I smiled at her and stroked Mitta's mane. "Thank you, Mitta... Oh, I should take two of each."

As I took two of each kind of cookie out of the bags, Mitta asked, "Two of each? What for?"

I replied, "I'm meeting up with a friend in the park by the pond. I was thinking she would like some too. Unless you've already met her today."

Mitta shook her head and spoke, "I probably haven't. I've only found Derpy, Rarity, and Applejack today. But when you see her, tell your friend I said hi!"

I gave Mitta one more hug. "I sure will. I'll see you later, Mitta." The two of us bid each other goodbye before I watched Mitta run down the path and back towards Ponyville.

While I walked along, I enjoyed one of each of the cookies. The warmth made them very soft and chewy, just how I like my cookies. The taste of the chips went very well with the cookies. Come to think of it, do I really need to describe the flavor? Anyone who has ever eaten cookies surely has had chocolate chip cookies at some point.

Once I reached the pond, I found the area was fairly deserted. The bag of fish food Fluttershy always kept filled was still sitting in the middle of the small peninsula jutting out into it. I was tempted to take a seat by it and toss some to the fish that undoubtedly were swimming near the edge of the pond just waiting for someone to come along and feed them, but I did not want any of the flavoring to brush off onto my hand and rub onto the cookies I was carrying. Instead, I chose to walk laps around the pond to pass the time until my friend arrived.

I turned my gaze to the clouds a few times. There were not very many, but they would make for a nice hiding spot for a pegasus like Rainbow Dash. I began to wonder just who my friend was who I was supposed to meet at the pond. Was it Rainbow Dash? Perhaps Twilight Sparkle? Maybe even Applejack? Or was it someone else? Maybe Big Macintosh wanted some personal time with me so we could chat about dude stuff. Or did Lyra want to see me? I became somewhat excited at the thought of Luna coming by for a visit. But as much as I pondered the possibilities, I knew I would just have to wait and see for myself.

Before I even knew what was happening, something streaked by me at high speed while kicking up a gust of wind in the process. I was somewhat startled and staggered around for a second before I regained my balance. When I looked up, I saw a familiar rainbow vapor trail of sorts painting itself across the sky before diving down towards the pond. "Heh... I thought as much."

The flier stopped plummeting and began to hover over the pond with a pair of saddlebags hanging off her sides. "Heya, James! Did I keep you waiting?"

I smiled at the sight of my friend, not at all surprised by who it was. "Not at all, Rainbow. And whatcha got there?"

Rainbow Dash landed on the opposite side of the pond near a tree. "Come here and see for yourself!"

I did as I was told and walked around the pond to the other side while Rainbow was busy unloading her saddlebags once she had slid them off. She reached into one and pulled out a red and white checkerboard blanket. She jerked her head up while gripping one edge in her teeth before jerking it back down, causing the blanket to spread out. It was quite large, big enough around to hold me, her, and probably a full table's worth of food. "We having a picnic?"

Rainbow grinned at me, "There's no better time than today to have one!" She then reached into the bags and set out various foods. They ranged from sandwiches to chips to a salad to even a few cupcakes.

"Man, you spared no expense here." I spoke while approaching my friend as she took a seat on the blanket.

"Heheh... Yeah, I didn't want this to be just any old picnic. Today's a special day after all." Rainbow Dash replied with a somewhat nervous smile. The same nervousness I had seen with her a few times before since...

I was starting to get a sinking feeling in my gut. Something was telling me to come up with an excuse to get away from Rainbow Dash. But as I looked at her, Rainbow was gently patting the empty space beside herself with a calm smile. She clearly wanted my company. And she had put in quite a bit of effort to prepare this picnic for us. It would be extremely rude to turn it down at the last second. What was more, I had not been given any reason to doubt Rainbow Dash in months. Granted, she has done a few things that really got under my skin, but that feels like ages ago. Doing my best to ignore my gut instinct, I approached her with a smile. Surely one's instinct is not always right..... Right?

"So, you were wanting to see me today?" I asked while taking a seat beside my brazen pegasus friend.

She nodded with a rather uneasy smile, "Yep. I honestly wasn't sure if you were going to show up."

I replied, "I kinda thought it was gonna be you. Today is the 'special day' you told me about last month, right?"

Rainbow Dash seemed to blush just slightly, almost looking like she was starting to sweat. What was wrong with her? "Heheh... You remember that, huh?" She then playfully tapped my head with her hoof, "Should've known. You almost seem like you're just as much of an egghead as Twilight sometimes."

I rolled my eyes at her claim, "Some things just stand out in your memory more than others." I then asked, "Well... Today is the day you promised, right? So, what's up? What's been up with you over the last month?"

I was not surprised by her response. Rainbow Dash instantly became nervous. Almost panicked, even. "Yeah, I did promise you, huh? Well... Uh..." She then grinned at me with a pleading gaze, "Uh... If it's cool with you, can we wait until we've finished lunch first? That might help me calm my nerves."

I nodded, knowing how good for the mind a tasty meal can be. "OK then." I then browsed our selection again and noticed that there were no drinks. "Are there any beverages?"

Rainbow Dash's expression at those words seemed.....odd. As if it was conflicted. "Huh? Oh, right. Just a sec." She then reached into the closest saddlebag again and pulled out a thermos, the container hanging from her teeth by its handle. "Right here. It's a little special brew I whipped up just for us." She then began to try to twist the lid off with her hooves. As one would expect, she failed.

"Oh come on. Why are these so hard to get open?!" Rainbow grumbled as she grabbed the lid by her teeth and began to roll across the ground while growling like a pestered dog. I could not help snickering at this silly display.

"Need a hand, Rainbow?" I asked while wiggling my fingers at her.

After pausing for a moment, the silly pegasus turned her gaze towards me. "A hand is exactly what this calls for!" She then trotted over to me and let me take the thermos in hand before I firmly grasped the lid and removed it with a few twists. "I dunno why they even designed something like that if only unicorns can get it open without any problems." Rainbow grumbled with a jealous frown, her gaze directed at my hands.

I replied, "Makes you wonder what nutjob even designed it in the first place. This thing is borderline ponyproof." As I spoke, Rainbow Dash set out what seemed to be a martini glass. It seemed to be made of plastic instead of glass though. "Huh. Going for a fancy look this time, hm?"

Rainbow replied with another uneasy gaze. "Yeah, I wanted to go the extra mile with this picnic. This isn't any old day, so this shouldn't be any old picnic."

"Heh, good point." I spoke before pouring the contents into the glass. It was a bright purple in color. And as it poured, bubbles rose from it. I could not help but smile at what I was seeing. "Ha, the bubbles are in the shape of hearts! Did Pinkie Pie come up with this?"

She replied with a surprisingly somber smile, "Uh... Yeah, Pinkie Pie came up with that just for Hearts and Hooves Day. And she wanted me to ask you to try it. She wants to know if it'll be worth selling."

I set the thermos down and gently picked the glass up in my hand. "I'll give it a taste now and let you know."

I lightly sniffed the air above the glass. The beverage was giving off an amazingly sweet aroma. But just as I was starting to bring the glass to my lips, Rainbow Dash let out a groan. "I can't do it!" Immediately after that, she lashed out with her hoof, smacking the glass out of my hand and to the ground, spilling the beverage all over the ground.

"What the... Rainbow, what was that for?!" I spoke loudly, casting an irritated gaze towards my friend. She had only just asked me to try it, so why stop me at the last second?

Rainbow Dash was directing her gaze towards the ground, her head tilted down. "I won't lie anymore... That wasn't something Pinkie Pie came up with... It was something I found in the library. The recipe, I mean." She then looked up at me with a very guilty expression, "That isn't punch or anything like that. It's a love potion."

I am not sure why, but that made me burst out laughing. "Bwahahahaha! A love potion?! Seriously?! Sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

As I slowly stopped laughing, I noticed that Rainbow Dash's expression was still just as somber as a few seconds ago. This clearly was not a laughing matter to her. "You... You're serious?"

Rainbow sighed, "Yeah... But...I can't do it... It's not right... Fluttershy would never forgive me."

That sinking feeling in my gut returned in an instant. I could feel myself beginning to sweat. "Rainbow, what are you trying to tell me?"

The pegasus mare turned her gaze at me as tears began to stream down her face, "What do you think?!"

Unreal. I was having difficulty wrapping my head around what was happening. Rainbow Dash... That boastful energetic daredevil... She has a crush on me?! "Rainbow... How long have you..."

She sighed while bowing her head, regaining some of her composure. "Since the night we saved Nightmare Moon..." She then gazed at me, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I saw how far you went to defend me from her. You... You even got hurt protecting me..." She then bowed her head again and closed her eyes while grittng her teeth, "Sometimes, that memory plays in my mind without warning... I honestly thought that was the last time I was ever gonna see you alive... I've never felt so scared as I did when I watched you walk away..."

I listened silently, unsure of what to say. I had never once expected to be caught between two women, especially with one of them being my polar opposite. "In all honesty... I've always liked you. You were never anything like me. Laidback, quiet, reserved. But for some reason, I really liked that about you." Rainbow then sighed, "I know you and I go together like oil and water sometimes. I know I've done some things that ticked you off and we bump heads pretty often..."

I spoke softly, "It's called 'opposites attract'. I don't know where that philosophy started, but it seems to be true."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, that... Whoever came up with that saying knew what they were talking about."

After a moment had passed, I found the words I was looking for. "Rainbow... When all is said and done, I'm with another woman."

Out of nowhere, Rainbow Dash let out a sob. "I know, all right?! Why did it take me this long to figure out how I really felt about you?! Why did you and Fluttershy get so close in just your first week in Ponyville?!"

I bowed my head and sighed, "I really don't have an answer to that... Maybe we just meshed better... But that's not to say you and I couldn't mesh."

Rainbow Dash suddenly leaned against me, her head resting against my chest while gazing downward. I placed my hand on her shoulder in the hopes of comforting her at least a little. "James... Tell me honestly. Do you think...if you weren't spoken for... Do you think you and I would mesh together pretty well?"

This was not an easy question for me to answer. I had an answer, but voicing it would be awkward. Regardless, I spoke softly. "If that's you're way of asking if I would ever develop the kind of feelings for you that I have for Fluttershy... The answer is yes."

Rainbow clearly was not expecting such an answer since she immediately looked up at me with a tearful yet bewildered gaze. "Wait... Seriously?"

I sighed, averting my eyes while looking out at the pond ahead of me. "Like you said, you and I have little in common and bump heads often. But...that never stopped me from finding you attractive."

My friend said nothing, so I continued. "You're brash and far from ladylike, but I somehow find that to be an endearing quality. I like your personality, despite the parts of it I occasionally have issues with, and I even find you to be physically beautiful in your own unique way. In the long run... Maybe. Just maybe it would've worked."

I remained silent while awaiting a response from Rainbow Dash. It felt like I should say no more until I got a retort of some sort. She finally muttered, "Have you...ever thought of me like that?"

I sighed, bowing my head. "As ashamed as I am to admit it, there have been a few times in the back of my mind where I did think of you in a more intimate way." I noticed Rainbow Dash blush deeply at my words before showing a faint somber smile.

And, of course, there was one question on my mind that had been lingering since the moment I first saw Rainbow Dash that day. "But what is the exact reason why you wanted to wait until today before telling me all this?"

Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh, seemingly gathering her courage. Despite her ego and enthusiasm, it was understandable that she was taking her time to build courage for this. "Because...this is the one day of the year I can get away with saying this to you..."

She then started to raise her head until her lips were right next to my ear. With a tender whisper, she spoke. "I love you."

Those three special words. Words I both dreaded and felt lucky to hear. How can that sacred saying bring so much stress? Somewhere in my heart, I was thrilled to hear those words come from her. But everywhere else, I was hot, sweating, and overcome with anxiety. What if Fluttershy found out about this? Would it sabotage their friendship?

Rainbow Dash must have been able to see just how much those words bothered me since she placed her hoof on my hand. "James... It's just for today. Everything will go back to normal tomorrow."

I suppose she was right. Hearts and Hooves Day only comes once a year. It is not like it takes up an entire weekend. I managed to let out some of my stress by taking a deep breath. But as I did so, I felt Rainbow Dash rest her head against the center of my torso. "Heh... I like the way you always breathe deeply. It's calming to listen to up close like this."

That somehow caused me to crack a smirk. "That's involuntary. I always seem to breathe deeply. Can't help it."

Rainbow Dash sighed as she held her head against me, one ear against my body. "Nah, it's cool. That's just one little thing I like about you. Nopony else constantly breathes long and deep like you. Or at least nopony I know."

I felt grateful that such a simple topic had taken my mind off of the stress from just a moment before. Maybe the same was calming Rainbow Dash as well. She seemed noticeably calmer now. But after a moment, she broke the silence and asked, "James... May I ask you a request?"

I did not like where this was going, but I decided to at least hear her out. "OK. What is it?"

Rainbow Dash then asked in a remarkably meek manner, "Could we...you know... Make out?"

I slightly winced at those words. "Wait... Really?"

She looked up at me with a pleading gaze that bordered on desperate. "Just for today... I want to know what it's like to be your girlfriend... What it's like to..." She suddenly gagged in a humorous fashion that forced me to suppress a chuckle. "Bleh, I can't believe I'm sounding so sappy saying all this..."

"Well, it does sound weird coming from you of all ponies." I spoke with a faint smile. "But I know what you're trying to say."

Rainbow's expression became one of...hope, perhaps? "Then...can we?"

After a moment to contemplate what she was asking, I decided that there was no harm in it. I mean kisses between certain friends are fairly common in showings of affection. I know Rarity will often kiss me, and Pinkie Pie and Nightmare Moon have done so at times too. I too have given kisses to some of my closest friends, such as Scootaloo. A more intimate kiss from another dear friend could not possibly have any consequences behind it. At least I hope so. "OK. Just one kiss."

The wings on the blue pegasus suddenly sprang open as a very excited grin spread across her face. "Really?! You mean it?! Awesome!" Man, she must have been really looking forward to getting the chance to do that with me.

"Uh... Yes, I mean it. But...uh..." I muttered, starting to feel nervous from her eagerness.

Rainbow Dash's grin became one that was a bit more sheepish. "Oh, sorry. Guess I shouldn't be THAT worked up over it, huh?" She then smiled calmly, "All right. So... How do we do this? You've got more experience with this than me."

I rolled my eyes. This girl probably had no real experience in romance. "OK... I'll lead. But make sure you relax, all right? Making out isn't a really big deal."

Rainbow nodded, moving closer towards me. Sitting down, we were eyelevel with each other. I reached out and gently caressed her mane to help set the mood. It seemed to work a little too well since Rainbow Dash suddenly tensed up at my touch. She let out a faint gasp, her eyes closing while her face showed...ecstasy?

"Um... Rainbow?" I asked softly, wondering what was going through her head.

Her eyes opened partially before she spoke very quietly, "Keep going... You know I want this."

Something felt very wrong here. A little voice in my head was telling me to stop. However, I pushed it off to the side. I did not want to disappoint Rainbow Dash further. As I stroked her mane, my other hand gently cupped her cheek. She seemed to know where I was going with it since she started to lean closer. Her expression was dreamy, as if she was in a trance. I was hardly doing anything. Her raw emotions must have been pushing her on.

I leaned towards her, narrowing the gap between our faces. I could feel her breath on my chin. Warm and long, Rainbow Dash was breathing heavily. In unison, we closed our eyes and sealed lips. The kiss was brief, but it did not stop there. Over and over, I softly kissed her. And I will admit I was enjoying it. But after a brief moment of that, I got a surprise when Rainbow Dash suddenly embraced me and kissed me more deeply and passionately than Fluttershy ever had.

This sudden approach caught me entirely by surprise, pushing me to the ground. Rainbow Dash was practically laying on top of me, smothering me with the most powerful kiss of my life with her tongue grinding against my own. I could hear faint muffled moans deep in her throat. Good lord... She loves me. She definitely loves me. My arms wrapped around her again as I pushed into the kiss as well. It felt wrong...yet so right.

However, I soon felt something that sent a faint chill down my spine. I could feel something brushing...against my crotch. Her tail. I did not pay much mind to it at first, but the intense affection I was receiving combined with that faint sensation was starting to leave me hot and bothered. What was more, I could feel the flat firm hooves on Rainbow Dash's feet firmly pressing into my legs while pulling downwards. As if.....she was trying to slide my pants off.

I was instantly filled with panic as I realized what Rainbow Dash was trying to do. I managed to free my mouth long enough to mutter, "Rainbow... We really shouldn't... I'm already spoken for..."

My friend looked down at me with an expression of very powerful desire. She whispered with a very deep blush on her face, "I can't help it... I've wanted this for too long..." She then silenced me with another kiss, my pants slowly starting to give way while her legs continued to pull down on them.

This was bad. But at the same time, I felt guilty knowing just how much Rainbow Dash craved me by that point. I was going to be furious with myself for what was about to happen. Struggling against her, I managed to slide the palms of my hands under her chest and push upward. With a great heave, I hurled the pegasus off of me and over the picnic blanket. She let out a shocked yelp, landing on her side across from the blanket.

I slowly sat up, panting from the mental stress I had just gone through. I know it would have been wrong to allow Rainbow Dash to have gone all the way with her desires, but it still made me sick to myself knowing that I had forced her away from me so abruptly and harshly.

Rainbow Dash did not move at first, her back facing me while she remained on her side. I finally decided to speak up, "Rainbow... I'm sorry. That is the one thing I just can't give you."

Very slowly, Rainbow Dash began to sit up. However, I noticed faint noises coming from her while her body seemed to shudder. Just before she could reach a sitting position, she collapsed and buried her face in her forelegs. What followed was one of the hardest noises to listen to I had ever heard in my life. Rainbow Dash began to scream and wail as she lied before me, just bawling her eyes out. I knew what I had to do was going to hurt her, even if it needed to be done, but it did not make the result any less agonizing for either of us.

It was very difficult to watch someone who had long ago established herself as a tough dependable individual brought to her knees and crying. I could not even bring myself to look at her. I covered my face in shame with one hand, feeling absolutely awful that I had broken her heart.

I waited and waited for Rainbow Dash's crying to cease. Moments went by, but the sound of her voice did not truly stop. What started as wailing slowly turned into sniffling and light sobs. It was then that I lowered my hand to look at her. She was still lying where she fell, head still resting on her forelegs. Her face was turned away, preventing me from seeing her expression. She was still making absolutely pitiful sounds, clearly still devastated from being so forcefully rejected.

I knew I had hurt her and I was afraid to approach Rainbow Dash as a result. But I knew I was the only person who could comfort her then. After taking a deep breath to brace myself, I climbed to my feet and walked around the picnic blanket before kneeling next to the weeping pegasus. I silently caressed her mane, waiting for her to look up at me. Ever so slowly, she began to raise her head.

"Rainbow...?" I spoke softly, constantly stroking her mane with my hand. When she looked up at me, her beautiful rose-colored eyes were puffy. Tears were still streaming down her face, more than I had seen on anyone in quite a while. "Are you all right now?"

She squeaked out a response while choking on her tears, "I'm sorry..."

I whispered in response, "It's OK, Rainbow... I don't hate you..."

Ever so slowly, I felt Rainbow Dash sit up and wrap her forelegs around me. She shuddered constantly, her face buried in my chest. "I couldn't help it... I... I just love you so much.... So much, I can't stand it..."

I asked softly, feeling guiltier by the moment. "Is that why you tried to use a love potion on me?"

I heard Rainbow speak, "I was desperate... I've never met a guy like you before... I've only met guys who like to act tough all the time, or dudes who are all talk. You... You're the only guy I know who's really gentle and sweet, but really does get tough when you need to..." She then looked up at me, her face still soaked from her tears. "That's what drew me to you, James... You're awesome...and that's part of why I love you so much..."

To think the events that took place on the night of Nightmare Moon's return could develop into something like this. I sighed, "I'm not that awesome, Rainbow. I just do what I have to in order to help my friends..."

I felt Rainbow apply a bit more of her weight against me, showing that she was leaning against me. "You're pretty humble too. I like that. I could learn a lot from you."

I spoke quietly, "You know... I've noticed that you haven't been as boastful since the night we brought Nightmare Moon home. You might let your ego take over now and then, but I don't see it as often anymore."

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, "I think that's because of you... I think you rubbed off on me."

I let out a sigh, "Well... Don't completely let go of that part of your personality. I kinda like that about you."

Over the course of the next few minutes, I noticed that Rainbow Dash had stopped crying. "Rainbow, are you feeling better?"

The pegasus mare let out a long sigh. "Kinda... I... I guess just being next to you like this helps me relax... But..." She then pushed her face against my chest, her head tilted down. "I still want you...but I know I can't have you..."

I somehow managed to crack a smile when I replied, "Do you...want another kiss?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly looked up at me with a tearful, yet bewildered expression. "Huh? Seriously?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling slightly better that she was no longer horribly depressed. "Rainbow, you know it's no secret that Rarity likes to give me smooches sometimes. Pinkie Pie occasionally does it and I know Nightmare Moon does." I then nuzzled her face while gently holding her in another embrace. "I wouldn't mind one from you now and then too."

My friend's expression immediately brightened with hope. "You... I'd love to kiss you again... But...are you sure you're OK with it?"

I asked in return, "The real question is do you mind letting anyone see you kiss me."

Rainbow surprised me with a smirk, "Ahh, let 'em think what they want. This is the guy who risked his neck to save me from Nightmare Moon. He's earned my love."

"Now there's the Rainbow Dash I know and love." I replied, the mood improving drastically in an instant now that she was back to her old self.

I watched as Rainbow Dash sat up and threw her forelegs around me in a tight embrace. "Remember, Rainbow. Nothing fancy this time."

She nodded while looking at me in the eyes, "I know. I won't let my desires get the best of me again." With nothing else to say, we both closed our eyes and sealed lips once more.

This kiss felt more at ease and gentle than the last. Less like a passionate kiss between lovers and more like sweet sincere affection between very dear friends. Although... I must confess that if I were not involved with another woman, I would have likely accepted Rainbow's feelings for me. And after all we had been through in the Everfree Forest last month, I suppose it is safe to say that she and I probably go beyond just friends. Definitely someone I can trust with my life.

As we kissed, I felt Rainbow Dash completely relax in my grasp. She was definitely feeling better by then. However, I froze when I heard a gasp somewhere to my left. Rainbow Dash seemed to hear it too since her eyes opened wide. We both turned to look at the source of the voice. Of all times...

"Wha... What are you doing...?" Fluttershy spoke as she stared at me and Rainbow Dash tightly embracing each other. I felt a slight pain in my heart when I saw that tears were slowly trickling down her cheeks.

I could not even bring myself to speak. I could only sit there, holding onto my friend. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash managed to let go of me and face Fluttershy. "It's not what it looks like, Fluttershy... We..."

My girlfriend let out a sob and she raised her voice, "I thought... Why didn't you tell..." She could not continue what she was going to say. She closed her eyes and turned to run away.

"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash shouted before swooping in front of Fluttershy in an instant. Fluttershy suddenly stopped and took a step back as Rainbow stood before her. "This isn't his fault, Fluttershy!" She then bowed her head and sighed, "It was mine."

Fluttershy looked back at me before looking at Rainbow Dash before looking back at me and asking, "Re... Really? You didn't know...?"

I shook my head, feeling extremely anxious over the situation. Hot sweat was constantly oozing from my pores as I spoke, "I did not expect all of this either."

Rainbow Dash sighed, "I'm sorry, Fluttershy... Ever since the night where we saved Nightmare Moon... These feelings just... They wouldn't leave me alone..." Once more I saw tears beginning to build at the edge of Rainbow's eyes. "I admit it, Fluttershy! I'm in love with your boyfriend! I waited until today because... Well, it's Hearts and Hooves Day! I thought today would be the best time to confess... And... I couldn't stop myself..."

There was a moment of silence before Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy and smiled, the tears finally flowing free. "You're very lucky, Fluttershy... He didn't give in. That guy's heart belongs only to you. And I don't think I'll ever be able to change that."

Fluttershy immediately turned to face me, a smile of intense relief gazing at me. "You... You didn't leave me?"

I shook my head and smiled, "Of course not, honey. You're the one I love. And I don't care how sappy that sounds."

Fluttershy gave me her brightest grin and galloped towards me before sailing into my arms, giving me the tightest hug I had received all day. "Thank goodness... I don't know what'd I do if I lost you..."

I sighed as I hugged her back, "Neither do I."

The two of us cuddled and nuzzled each other like total sweethearts, both of us absolutely relieved that we were still lovers. I could feel all of my stress just oozing out of me, as if Fluttershy's tight embrace was just wringing the bad feelings out. However, I could see Rainbow Dash standing where she had been a few seconds earlier. She was just gazing at us with a truly forlorn expression. I knew exactly what she was feeling. Watching someone you love being with someone else is never a pleasant experience.

"I hope you two are happy together..." Rainbow Dash finally spoke with a truly melancholy tone.

Fluttershy seemed to notice the unusual tone of voice her friend used and looked at her without releasing me from her grasp. "Rainbow Dash... Are you going to be all right?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly raised her head and grinned boldly, "Yeah! I'm fine! Never better! You know me! I'm always on cloud 9!" But seconds later, she let out a sigh and bowed her head, "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm super bummed... I mean...how do you think I should feel?"

Fluttershy looked up at me and whispered, "Please excuse me for a bit, honey." I nodded and let her go, allowing her to drop to the ground before she walked over to our friend. "Rainbow... I'm sorry that you and James can't be together... Please understand."

The brazen pegasus mare sighed, "I do understand... But...it doesn't make it any easier to take!"

My girlfriend then asked, "Well...how much do you love him?"

Rainbow Dash clearly hesitated for a moment before replying, "Enough to make him drink a love potion to make him mine forever..."

That look on Fluttershy's face. She was utterly speechless at that response. I too felt extremely warm and was probably even blushing at those words. How could I not be flattered? "You would... Um... I guess... You must really love him..."

Our friend groaned before bowing her head again, "I almost did that too... I feel sick to myself knowing I even considered that... I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Can you ever forgive me?"

My girlfriend did not hesitate with her response. She smiled sweetly and nodded, "I do, Rainbow. I know you love him and I know you have good reason to. I..." She then bowed her head and smiled sheepishly, "I think...I might've done the same... Maybe. If I had a moment of confidence."

Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy a slight grin before the two of them embraced in an adorable hug. I could not help but cross my arms and smile. I suppose those two really do go back quite a ways. However, once they let go of each other, Rainbow Dash then gave me another brief forlorn gaze before looking back at Fluttershy. "Hey, Fluttershy? Um... I have a favor to ask."

Fluttershy smiled, "What is it, Rainbow?"

Rainbow glanced at me for a second before gulping hard. "Um... If it's OK with both of you... Could I...uh...hang with you two for the rest of the day?"

I raised an eyebrow at that request. "You mean...with me?"

My friend groaned, blushing from the sheer awkwardness of the situation. "You know what I mean! I just can't find the right words for it!"

Fluttershy seemed to blush faintly at what Rainbow Dash was requesting. "Uh... I... I don't know. I mean...two mares with one stallion..."

Our friend shook her head from side to side, "No no no, not like that! I mean...uh..."

I then spoke up, "You mean you want us to go out on something of a double date."

Rainbow raised her hoof and smiled, "Yeah, that's it! A date!"

Fluttershy giggled, "Then why didn't you just say so? It's not that hard to ask somepony out for a date... Or at least, it wouldn't be hard for anypony besides me." But she then seemed to fully comprehend the request since her face changed to one of...I suppose uncertainty.

Rainbow Dash dropped to her knees and held her hooves together, "Please, Fluttershy? Just for today? It is Hearts and Hooves Day, you know. I'll never bring this up again! Please, just for this one day outta the whole year!"

I honestly rolled my eyes at just how desperate Rainbow was acting. I will admit it was starting to become rather laughable. Fluttershy soon looked back at me and asked, "Do you think we should?"

This was truly an awkward request and I was not entirely certain of how to respond. "Uh... Well... I guess we can as long as we put some limits down."

Rainbow Dash suddenly leaped into the air, her wings holding her aloft. "YES!!!"

Fluttershy then sighed, "All right. I'm willing to try, but we need to place some limits."

I nodded, "No smooching, no intimate cuddling, nothing of the sort that may give others the impression that you and I may be seeing each other. Because we are not."

It honestly did not feel good to say those words to Rainbow Dash, and her disappointed expression only amplified my guilt. "OK... I know what you mean. And I think that's fine."

Fluttershy then smiled reassuringly and patted Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. "It'll be OK, Rainbow. But what would you like to do first?"

Our friend looked around with a frown before her eyes fell upon the picnic under the tree nearby. It still had all the food from before spread out on it. She then looked at us with a more neutral expression, her hoof outstretched towards it. "Wanna do lunch?"

I asked, "Is there enough for all of us?"

Rainbow Dash showed a faint smile before nodding, "There should be. I packed a lot today just to be safe if Pinkie Pie crashed the party."

Fluttershy scratched her chin, "Come to think of it, she stuck her head out of one of my birdhouses today and was gone a moment later. How does she do that?"

The brazen pegasus rolled her eyes, "That's nothing! She stuck her head outta my bathtub drain once! Right before she fell through the whole thing since it's made of clouds. Good thing she had a trampoline under my house when that happened."

I crossed my arms with a smile, "Looks like we won't be bored during this meal."

The three of us took a seat on the blanket and started passing around the food to each other. There was half a dozen cupcakes for dessert, making two for each of us. The topic of the conversation was, like before, Pinkie Pie. I mostly stayed silent in order to hear everything my friends had to say about that silly pony. Some memorable mentions were when she triggered a buffalo attack on a frontier town named Appleloosa by singing a truly abominable song, lured away a massive swarm of something called 'Parasprites' by playing AND carrying an absurd number of musical instruments simultaneously, and went far out of her way to earn the friendship of a new arrival in Ponyville who seemed to be a cranky old curmudgeon who goes by the name of Cranky Doodle Donkey. The fact that I have not seen such a person in Ponyville during the last eight or nine months despite the fact that he seems to live near town led me to believe that he must be quite a recluse. Although I have crossed paths with a kindly female donkey named Matilda on occasion, so I assume they must know each other.

"Yeah, that! Oh, and the time she helped us out when we went looking for Applejack! How'd she fit all those cherries into her mouth without bursting? That looked like it hurt!" Rainbow Dash added while looking towards Fluttershy.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know. But I remember when Twilight first saw her Pinkie Sense work. It was kind of funny to see everything she predicted happening to Twilight and nopony else."

I spoke up and asked, "Why only her?"

Rainbow Dash grinned while rolling her eyes, "Probably because she was a nonbeliever. You know her. She has a hard time believing anything that can't really be explained."

Fluttershy then added, "She told me once that even magic is easier to understand since it's something you study and practice."

I cocked my head to one side and crossed my arms, "If she has such a hard time understanding the Pinkie Sense, then would you kindly ask her next time you see her to explain just how magic works? And why only unicorns can use it. And just HOW their horns let them use magic."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stared at me with blank expressions before staring at each other. A second later, they suddenly burst into laughter before collapsing on their sides. "Oh, my gut! You're right! I'm so gonna call her out on that today!" Rainbow Dash cackled.

Fluttershy was giggling loudly, probably more enthusiastically than I had ever seen. "Ohoho my.... Hehehee, I wish I had thought of that back then!"

I smirked while rolling my eyes, "Then how about we pay a visit to the library today just to call her out on that?"

Rainbow Dash snickered, "I'm all for it! Can't wait to see what kinda reaction she'll have! Right, Fluttershy?"

My girlfriend giggled with a hoof over her mouth, "Oh, I think that does sound funny. I can almost... Heeheeheeheehee!" She must have just had a very strong mental image of Twilight's reaction to such a question if she broke down giggling like that.

"That's gonna be the highlight of the day, I'm sure." I spoke with a smirk while snacking on some chips.

Nothing of significance occurred during the rest of the meal. Once we had finished, we piled the used plates and blanket back into the picnic basket. "Did you remember to dump out the rest of that love potion?" I asked Rainbow, who was shaking out the thermos it was contained in.

"Yep! Nopony should ever drink this stuff." She replied, replacing the lid once she had emptied every drop from it and placed it inside the basket.

"What should we do with the basket before we go see Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow replied, "Well, all this stuff is mine, so I'll fly by my place and drop it off."

I then added, "In ten seconds flat. Right?"

Just as Rainbow Dash was about to grab the basket's handle in her mouth, she looked over her shoulder at me with a smirk. "You know it. Start counting as soon as I take off."

"You got it." I replied. As soon as she took the handle in her mouth, Rainbow spread her wings and bolted into the sky, flying somewhere to the southeast.

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot with each passing second. Fluttershy seemed to be looking down at it too, probably keeping track as well. Five seconds went by. Then six. Then seven and so forth. But just as I tapped my foot a tenth time, a familiar rainbow trail popped up in the distance. "Not quite ten seconds flat, but she did manage to come into our sight in time."

"Oooh, she's going to be so disappointed." Fluttershy spoke with a frown.

"Don't tell her. She still succeeded by a technicality." I replied with a smile. Fluttershy smiled back at me while also giving me a nod.

Rainbow Dash bolted towards us and landed right next to us in the blink of an eye, not sliding across the ground at all. "Ten. Seconds. Flat."

I nodded with a smile, "You sure did. Ready to go?"

She grinned brightly, "Oh yeah, can't wait to see Twilight's reaction." Without any further delays, we departed from the pond and started heading back towards Ponyville.

The park was still full of ponies having a good time, as well as plenty of young couples. In fact, I saw a pair of donkeys leaning against each other on a bench, clearly in love. They had their eyes closed and seemed to just be enjoying each other's company. The female was obviously Matilda, her dark brown mane elegantly kempt while wearing a small turquoise earring and a frilly white collar with an identical round turquoise brooch in the center. The male was quite possibly Cranky Doodle himself. He definitely looked like a man who is past his prime and was not wearing much, though his mane was... Huh. I do not know why, but that stylish tall golden mane on his head seemed fake. A wig, possibly? "Is that him over there? Cranky Ko... I mean Doodle Donkey?" I do not know where it came from, but thinking of the name 'Cranky' caused me to imagine him in a rocking chair while lecturing Pinkie Pie and occasionally pausing to bop her lightly on the head with a walking stick. Heh, I can honestly see myself calling him Cranky Doodle Monkey someday.

Fluttershy turned and looked before smiling, "Oh, yes. That's him. And that's Matilda... Oh, I'm sorry. You've met her before, right?"

I nodded, "Not often, but I have. She's a sweetheart."

Rainbow added, "Those two go way back, from what Pinkie told me. And I see why. You think we should leave them alone?"

I smiled, "Probably. Let's get going. I still have what I want to ask Twilight fresh in my head." I could not help but smirk at the thought of her reaction.

Fluttershy let out a giggle, "Oh, yes. Let's hurry before we forget."

For the sake of getting to the good part, I will skip ahead to when we arrived at the library. Nothing of interest occurred along the way anyway. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door before pushing it open. "Hey, Twilight! Are ya home?"

A voice spoke from my right just as Fluttershy and I followed Rainbow inside. "Who?"

I turned and found Owlowiscious perched on his roost... Wow, after having not written that name for a few journals, I am amazed by just what a mouthful that name is. Regardless, Fluttershy hovered up to him and nuzzled him sweetly. "Awww, hello, Owlowiscious! How is our favorite owl doing today?" That adorable little owl cooed happily, nuzzling her back.

"Oh, hello! And Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!" I heard Twilight's voice speak up. We all looked towards one of the bookshelves carved out of the walls and found her putting a book away.

I waved with a smile while Rainbow Dash replied, "Heya, Twi! Sorry if we're popping up on short notice, but we needed to ask you something important."

Our brainy unicorn friend walked over to us calmly. "Sure! What's on your mind?"

I spoke up, "I heard about how you first experienced the Pinkie Sense for the first time while being the victim of its predictions repeatedly without ever believing it was real."

This caused Twilight to blush and bow her head with a sheepish grin instantly. "Uh... Heheheh... Yeah. That. Can't say I'm too proud to admit that. I still don't fully understand how it all works, but I would have to be a fool to deny it exists after all that. Some things just aren't meant to be understood or explained. Like the Pinkie Sense."

I then added, "Or Pinkie Pie herself, for that matter." Everyone who was present chuckled at that quip.

Fluttershy then asked, "And you said there is a big difference between that and magic?"

Twilight nodded, "There is a huge difference." She then climbed up onto the table in the center of the room and cleared her throat. I have to admit; I think she was starting to take herself a little too seriously by that point. "Magic is something you study and practice. And it only happens when you choose to make it happen. Unlike the Pinkie Sense, where it happens only when it wants to."

That was a perfect time to set our prank into motion. I glanced down at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Both pegasi mares gave me sly smirks. It was go time.

Rainbow Dash spoke first. "OK, that's cool. But...just HOW does magic work?"

Twilight replied, "That's easy! It requires mental focus that channels the magic energies through a unicorn's horn!"

Fluttershy then asked, "But why is a unicorn's horn needed to use magic?"

Twilight started to reply, "Well... The horn...it... It's connected to..." That expression clearly showed that she was having trouble finding an answer for that.

"And why does the magic aura differ for every unicorn?" Rainbow Dash asked, only adding to Twilight's frustration.

Then, just for the sake of being witty, I crossed my arms and smirked, "And why is magic called 'magic' instead of...oh...for example, 'Purple Monkey Dishwasher'?"

At those words, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash struggled to hold in their laughter before collapsing on the floor and cackling like seagulls. "Bwahaha, where did THAT come from?!"

Looking back at Twilight, it seemed that our plan was working. She was starting to twitch, her face showing very bizarre expressions with gritted teeth and diluted eyes. "That is... The reason... I think it's..." Suddenly, Twilight froze with by far the creepiest expression I had ever seen on her. Or on any pony, for that matter. I swear, I thought I heard the sound of a window cracking the instant she stopped moving. Her expression showed demented eyes with an absurdly toothy grin while I think her jaws were not properly aligned. Her mane seemed to have become bizarrely unkempt as well, as if she had just woken up with a bad case of bed head.

Rainbow Dash snickered loudly, "Oh man, it worked! We got her good! She's speechless!"

I chuckled, "Oh lord, that face. Twilight, you better stop looking at us like that. That look just screams 'pedo smile' at me."

However, Twilight did not respond. She just stood there, gazing at nothing in particular. "Uh oh... Do you think we broke her?" Fluttershy asked with a worried gaze.

"Um... Twi? Are you all right?" Rainbow Dash asked while nudging her. Twilight did not respond, but nudging her caused her to stiffly fall sideways and onto the floor. Her body's stance did not change. It was as if she was a prop for a show on TV or something. "Oh man, she's frozen solid!"

Before any of us could freak out further, a familiar voiced called from the stairs. "Not again!" Spike came running down the wooden steps and over to the petrified unicorn. "Did you think too hard about Parasprite reproduction again?!"

I looked down at the little dragon boy and asked, "Huh? This isn't the first time?"

Spike replied while dusting Twilight off with his hands, "Yeah, this happens every now and then when she gets obsessed on a really complex subject in one of her books. When it doesn't explain something very well, she tries to decipher it herself. Usually she thinks up a really good explanation, but sometimes, she burns herself out like this. The last time, it was when she tried to figure out how Parasprites multiply."

Rainbow Dash then asked, "And...did she?"

Spike crossed his arms and rolled those big eyes of his, "Nope. I came upstairs when I heard a thud and found her like this. She'll be fine in an hour of so. I just like to think her brain is 'rebooting' when she's like this."

I snickered, "Oh, Twilight... You need to just stop overthinking things and roll with it sometimes."

Spike groaned, "Don't ever tell her that. She HATES it whenever I say it." But he then smirked, "Which always makes it satisfying when I tell her I told her so whenever she wakes up from this." He patted Twilight's side, the petrified unicorn showing no reaction whatsoever.

Fluttershy did her best to not laugh, but still had to cover her mouth to show she was not grinning at those words. "She can be very stubborn sometimes. I wonder if she got that from Applejack?"

I smirked, "At least her stubbornness can prove funny when it backfires on her like this."

Spike smiled, "Well, I better get her upstairs so she wakes up comfortable." He then somehow picked up Twilight in both hands, carrying her over his head. For such a little guy, Spike seems to have a lot of power in him. I suppose carrying around mountains of books for Twilight on a daily basis helps bulk a man up. "Thanks for stopping by though! And Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

Rainbow smiled and waved goodbye, "No problem, Spike! And thanks!"

However, just before Spike could walk up the stairs and out of sight, he turned and looked at us again. His eyes seemed to scan all three of us before he smirked. "Hey, do any of you have special someponies for today? Or is there something going on here?"

Man, that kid is sharp! How did he know?! All three of us became nervous at those words. "Of... Of course we do! You know James and I are lovers!" Fluttershy replied while leaning against me cutely, my hand caressing the side of her head in response.

"Yeah! Uh... James and Fluttershy are sweethearts! I was just along for the fun!" Rainbow Dash replied with a nervous grin.

Spike nodded, "OK, I getcha. It's definitely gonna make for a fun moment when she wakes up. Anyway, see ya!" He then ran out of sight and upstairs.

Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, "That was close. You think he was onto us?"

I replied, "That kid would have to have a pretty dirty mind to consider something like that. Unless he doesn't know about that sort of thing and thought we were just hanging out with each other for the day. Although I was almost expecting him to ask 'what kind of fun' after what you said, Rainbow."

Fluttershy then whispered, "I think we should get out of here before he comes back down." Rainbow and I nodded before leaving the library as quickly as possible.

Once we were outside, Rainbow Dash snickered. "Man, did you see that look on Twilight's face?! I haven't seen her look like that in over a year!"

Fluttershy giggled, "I hope she'll be OK though. It was kind of creepy when she froze up like that."

I replied, "But it was soooo worth it."

Rainbow nodded, "Heheh, totally!"

Fluttershy then smiled, "Well, now that we did that, what's next?"

Rainbow replied, "How about a day out on the town?"

I crossed my arms, "Isn't that what we kinda agreed on?" I then thought for a moment before asking, "Actually, I'm kinda curious of what the fillies are up to at school. You think they're at recess yet?"

Rainbow Dash took to the air and spoke, "I'll go check!" She then took off to the northwest. Not even eight seconds later, she came back and landed before me. "Yup! They're all out in the playground. Looks like they just started too."

Fluttershy smiled, "Should we go say hello?"

I nodded, "Sounds good. I'd love to see what they did with that card they made today." We then started to walk away from the library and through Ponyville, trying to find the best route to the local schoolhouse.

Not much later, the sound of children began to fill the air. We must have been getting close. The many humble houses of Ponyville started to give way to many trees as we reached the edge of town. The red schoolhouse stood in the distance while numerous colorful fillies and colts were playing in the playground next to it.

The three of us had taken a more scenic route this time, having decided to walk through the trees and bushes instead of following the usual dirt path. As a result, we were looking out at the kids from behind a bush. "Looks like they're in the Hearts and Hooves spirit too." Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Yep. And it looks like they've all got plenty of cards passed around." Rainbow Dash added. Indeed, each of the kids seemed to be carrying or looking through several cards that more often than not were in the shape of hearts. However, I noticed a sight that caught me by surprise.

"Hey, what's wrong with..." I muttered. Off to the sides was Diamond Tiara. I almost always find her with Silver Spoon, but this time even Silver Spoon was taking part in all of the fun the other kids were having. But for whatever reason, Diamond Tiara was not. In her hooves was a single card. Despite this though, she seemed utterly miserable. A far cry from the egotistical bully she was when I first encountered her months ago.

"Huh... What's up with her? And why does she only have one card? All the others have at least five!" Rainbow Dash spoke, clearly noticing what I was seeing.

Fluttershy added, "She only has one... Why is that? I thought she was popular in school."

I sighed, "I'm guessing that whole incident from way back when I first showed up here must've resulted in some fallout with her classmates."

Rainbow Dash suddenly let out a snicker, "Oh yeah! No wonder. We called her out right in front of the class when we confronted her about where you went! The whole classroom must've heard us!"

Fluttershy seemed to blush with a frown, "I'm worried I went too far... I lost control when she didn't seem guilty for causing you to hide in the Everfree Forest..."

I gently hugged my girlfriend with one arm and smiled, "Actually, I'm honored you girls went to such lengths to locate me." I then looked back over at Diamond Tiara in the distance. "But I'm not surprised none of the students want anything to do with her anymore. Harassing someone to the point of forcing them to skip town in order to protect a loved one from an outdated law is bound to wreck ones' reputation."

Fluttershy squinted her eyes as she seemed to focus on Diamond Tiara. "Can you see what that card says?"

Rainbow then suddenly pulled a telescope out of...what I assume is Pinkie Space. "Use this. I wanna know too."

I took the telescope without saying a word and looked through it after lining up its lens on the distant filly. I muttered while looking at the cover of the card, "My favorite filly... I'm guessing that one card came from her mom and dad."

As I handed the telescope back to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy spoke. "Well, all of the kids seem pretty preoccupied with their card trading. Should we leave them be?"

I spoke with a smirk, "Not yet. Rainbow?"

Our rowdy friend came closer to me. "Yeah?"

I reached into my pocket and handed her a pair of bits. "Could you swoop by the closest store that sells holiday cards and pick one up that you think might be best suited for a child?"

My friend raised an eyebrow, "Wait a minute... You mean for her? Are you sure? After all she put you through?"

I nodded, "She's a changed filly, Rainbow. I honestly hold nothing against her anymore. And, crazy as this sounds, I do view her as a friend."

I could tell that Rainbow Dash was skeptical of my reasoning, but I knew she would not disregard it. "Well, if that's what you want, OK. I'll be right back." She then flew out of the trees and back to town, leaving me with Fluttershy.

"Do you really think you should give her a card today, dear?" Fluttershy asked me with a slight frown.

I nodded with a smile, "It's not easy watching a girl look so sad. And since we're on good terms with each other, I'd like to perk her up somehow."

My girlfriend smiled sweetly, "That's very sweet of you, James. I just hope Rainbow Dash picks a good card for her."

I suppose that was one request Rainbow Dash could not complete in just ten seconds. She did not return until at least five minutes had passed. She dropped through the treetops and landed right behind us with a rattling of leaves being shaken. "I know I didn't break any records on that one."

Fluttershy and I turned and found Rainbow standing with another heart shaped card hanging from her jaws. On the cover was a little colt with a red mane and a white coat reaching out with his forelegs as if awaiting a hug. Above him were the words 'Need a hug, friend?'. When I took the card in hand and opened it, I found some text written in bold white letters against the red card. It read 'The biggest hugs are earned. And you have earned mine!'.

I could not help but smile at just how well the card matched the situation. "Rainbow, this is perfect."

My friend grinned proudly, "Yeah, I tried to find one that matched you and her. Oh, and here's a quill." Rainbow then held out an ink quill. I have no idea where she got it, but I felt it was not necessary to ask.

I took the quill in hand and wrote in the card. 'I'm proud you. You've become a real diamond, Tiara.' I then added my name at the end to show who had sent it. "OK. I'll go give it to her now, so please wait here."

Fluttershy nodded with a smile, "We'll be watching."

I felt somewhat nervous about this, but managed to calm myself enough to walk out from the bushes and towards the schoolyard. All of the other fillies and colts were too preoccupied with each other to notice me coming and Diamond Tiara was just lying down with her hoof over her one card. It was quite a sad sight, seeing that one kid being separate from the rest of the kids. And judging by the fact that Silver Spoon was being better received by her classmates, I suspected she was more of a follower of Diamond Tiara and was more than likely more pleasant to others in the past.

Diamond Tiara did not even notice me walk up beside her. It was not until I got down on one knee and stroked her mane that she looked up at me. Her miserable expression became one of surprise. I smiled, "Hey there."

The little filly let out a sigh, "Hi... Happy Hearts and Hooves Day..."

I asked, "But you don't seem too happy... What's wrong?"

Diamond Tiara glanced over at the other chatting playing kids and sighed, "On the day you disappeared into the Everfree Forest... Everypony in the school found out. They want nothing to do with me anymore. They think I'm dangerous... And I guess I deserve it too."

It was quite refreshing to see just how much she had been humbled by that course of events in the past. I then gently patted her on the back and smiled, "Well, someone wanted me to pass you this."

The filly looked up in surprise as I held out the card to her. "Really? Who?"

I replied, "Don't know. Look inside. Maybe they left their name."

Diamond Tiara did exactly that. She took the card and opened it. Mere seconds later, her eyes started to moisten and quiver, tears starting to build at the edges. Her hooves began to shake, her teeth starting to grind. "Um... Tiara?" I asked. She truly looked like she was going to have a breakdown of some sort.

After a moment more, she squinted her eyes closed and forced out the tears. She let out a gasp before looking up at me and sobbing, "I don't deserve this!" She then jumped at me, holding onto me as tightly as she could.

I honestly did not expect Diamond Tiara to react quite that strongly. I was at a loss for words. "Uh... Tiara?"

She then squeaked out a response. "Thank you..."

I felt then that words were not needed. I smiled and wrapped my arms around my little friend, holding her against me. "The biggest hugs are earned. And here's mine." I then tightened my grasp, gently squeezing her in a tighter embrace.

I could feel Diamond Tiara trembling against me, probably just overwhelmed with emotion. My hand stroked the back of her head gently, trying to calm her down. For her to be hit this hard, she must have had a lot of pent up sadness that had been festering for the last several months. I asked softly, "Have the Cutie Mark Crusaders been good to you?"

Diamond Tiara replied quietly, her voice still faintly choked by her sobbing. "Yeah... We've been friends for a while now... It's just that everypony else won't even look at me now..."

I glanced to my right and smirked, "Well, they're looking at you now."

Diamond Tiara lifted her head and looked to her left, finding that all of the kids who just minutes ago were paying us no mind had all lined up and were silently observing us.

"Diamond Tiara, what's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked with a look of concern.

The little filly replied, "I... Uh..." She wiggled out of my grasp before picking up her card and showing it to her classmates. "I'm just...so happy that James gave me this."

Scootaloo spoke aloud while reading it. "The biggest hugs are earned...and you've earned his?"

I nodded with a smile, "Yup. She's earned my friendship for changing her ways and stopping her bullying." I then reached out and gently rubbed her head. "And I say you really have changed for the better."

Diamond Tiara showed a tearful smile, "You really think so?"

Apple Bloom nodded, "Yeah! I can hardly remember the last time ya'll gave any of us trouble!"

Lastly, Silver Spoon stepped forward. "Diamond Tiara, I was honestly glad that you stopped being such a bully. But everypony else was just worried that you were only acting like you had stopped. You never said sorry. That's why they've been staying away from you."

I then spoke while Diamond Tiara looked up at me, "The longer you take to admit you were wrong and to seek amends, the harder it will be. Do you want to wait any longer?"

She did not take long at all to reply. "No..." The little filly then looked back at her classmates and asked with tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry... I wish I never did all those things... Can you all forgive me?"

What happened next was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. The entire group of kids let out a simultaneous aww before coming forward and holding Diamond Tiara in a massive group hug.

Seconds later, there was the sound of a bell ringing. "Was that the bell for class?"

The herd of foals started to spread out. "Sure was. We better get goin' ta class." Apple Bloom replied.

"It was great see you here, James. I'll see you at home when school gets out!" Scootaloo added before giving me a quick hug. I patted her on the head and smiled in response.

Silver Spoon then smiled, "Are you coming, Diamond Tiara?"

Our friend nodded while wiping the tears from her eyes, "Uh huh... I'll be right there."

The schoolchildren started to clear out of the playground and entered the schoolhouse. But Diamond Tiara stayed behind a moment longer while gathering up her cards. She gazed up at me while I looked down at her. She seemed to be having trouble finding the right words. But she eventually spoke softly, "Thank you..."

I nodded and smiled, "No problem. Have a good day, Tiara." She smiled much more brightly before turning and trotting away and into the schoolhouse. Now all alone, I turned and began walking over to where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were surely waiting for me.

Once I came close enough, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy jumped out of the bushes. Fluttershy spoke first. "James, that was sooo cute!"

Rainbow nodded, "Yeah! I honestly didn't think I'd live to see the day, but you made me feel kinda sorry for Diamond Tiara."

I shrugged my shoulders, "She's someone who has a long way to go before her reputation finally changes. I'm just glad she really did change. She's not nearly as bad as everyone thinks she is these days."

Fluttershy fluttered up to me and nuzzled my cheek. "Well, what should we do next? We've still got all afternoon to go."

Rainbow Dash added, "We just had lunch, so it's too soon for dinner. How about...the spa! No better place in town to chill!"

I smiled while crossing my arms, "Sounds good to me. Maybe we'll even catch Rarity there."

Fluttershy then flew ahead of us and waved back, "Then let's go! I can't wait for a dip in the hot tub!"

It was rather entertaining to see Fluttershy get excited over something that did not involve cute cuddly animals. "I second that. Lead on, honey."

The trek through Ponyville was fairly uneventful. Although I suppose I should mention there were couples everywhere to be seen. Sightings of solo ponies were few and far between. I glanced down at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy every now and then, hoping that Rainbow at least was minding herself. To my relief, she seemed to just be focused on walking and nothing else. A good thing too. I would not want her to show any great affection towards me in public. By then, it was common knowledge that I was with Fluttershy and no one else.

Once we stepped into the spa, we found the lobby empty with the exception of Aloe seated at the front desk. Her head was tilted down, probably to view a list of reservations or a magazine. She immediately glanced up at the sound of the door opening and greeted us. "Hello! Happy Hearts and Hooves Day! Can I help you?"

Fluttershy replied, "One usual, please. For three."

Aloe then smiled and spoke again in her strong accent, "Ah, yes! You're just in time! Miss Rarity is already waiting for you."

Fluttershy seemed surprised by that. "She is? But I thought we always meet on Saturdays."

Rainbow Dash then replied, "Maybe she just really needed to chill today. But since she's here, let's pop in and say hello!"

I nodded, "Sounds good to me. Lead on, Aloe."

The spa sister stepped out from behind the counter and led us into the main chamber. As it turned out, the spa was quite busy that day. Quake was hard at work hammering out massages while Lotus was filing the horns of a few unicorns. "Whoa. I don't see the place get this busy very often. At least not when I'm here."

Lotus then asked, "You can start anywhere you like. I need to tend to the sauna, so feel free to help yourselves!" She then trotted away while we stood just behind the side of the hot tub with a raised wall.

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy and me and asked, "You wanna take a dip in the hot tub first?"

I was about to agree before I remembered that I did not bring a pair of swim trunks with me. Maybe I should just stash a pair at the spa for all future visits. "Uh... I don't think that's a good idea. No swim trunks."

Fluttershy seemed to blush at my words, more than likely imagining myself climbing into the tub with nothing on me. "Oh...my... That is a problem."

However, Rainbow Dash grinned, "What're you talking about?! I don't see a problem with that!"

Fluttershy did not seem to find that particular quip amusing at all. She gazed at Rainbow with half-closed eyes and a frown. It was as if she was trying to say 'Really...? Just...really?' without actually opening her mouth. I too could only look down at her and grumble, "Rainbow..."

The brazen pegasus mare covered her mouth and blushed, "Oh snap, I shouldn't say stuff like that around you guys today. Umm... I'll be right back!" Before either of us could object, Rainbow Dash bolted out of the spa and out the door.

"Where do you think she went? Think she bailed out on us?" I asked, turning my gaze down at Fluttershy.

"I don't think so. She'll probably be right back." She replied with an uncertain expression. However, she then raised her voice a bit. "Wait... Say stuff like that around us TODAY?"

I had to suppress a snicker as I rethought Rainbow Dash's remark. "I'd say it's a bit uncalled for on any day!"

Mere minutes later, Rainbow came trotting back into the main chamber. But in her teeth were a pair of...blue shorts? Wait... Those were my own swim trunks. "Uh... Rainbow? Where did you find those?"

Fluttershy then added, "Did you go to our house?"

Our friend grinned while the blue garment hung from her teeth, "Well, where else was I gonna find your clothes?!"

I snorted while averting my eyes, "Point taken." I then took my swim trunks in hand and started to look around for a place to change into them. "Uh... Do you girls see a spot where I can duck into to swap out of my clothes?"

The two pegasi glanced around. "Uh... I don't think so." Fluttershy spoke while showing a slight frown.

"Huh... Guess we forgot to check if there were any spots with curtains." Rainbow Dash added while hovering above me to get a better view of her surroundings.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Oh well. I can do without a dip in the hot tub. Maybe my bosses will let me use it tomorrow."

Rainbow sighed in clear disappointment, "Sorry about this... I was really looking forward to a hot dip with you."

Somewhere deep inside me, I suspected there was more to that than there seemed to her intentions. Maybe it was for the best that I could not join them. However, Rainbow Dash then beamed at me, "Hang on! Why not just get in there with only your boxers?"

I rolled my eyes at that suggestion. "I'm not leaving the spa with soaked boxers under my pants. It'll take hours to dry!"

Fluttershy winced at those words. "Ooh... I'm sure that would chaff after a while."

Rainbow sighed, clearly having giving up. "Good point. Well, you'll still stay close, right?"

I nodded, "Of course I will. Today's all about us."

Not wanting to delay my two friends any longer, I walked around to the other side of the hot tub with them in tow. However, once I stepped out from behind the raised barrier next to the hot tub's platform, a familiar voice spoke out. "Well, howdy! What brings ya'll out here today?"

Not expecting to hear Applejack, I turned and looked towards the hot tub. Sure enough, resting right in front of me with her nose nearly touching my face was Applejack. "So good to see a friendly face! Are you by yourself, darling?" And right next to her was Rarity.

"Heh, I can't say my day's complete until I've spoken to all six of you girls." I replied, not expecting to find Rarity and Applejack together. Those two do seem to bump heads at times, certainly more than they do with our other friends.

"Hey, what's up, girls?" Rainbow Dash spoke, hovering up beside me.

"Oh, Rarity! I guess our weekly get-together is happening a little early this week." Fluttershy added with a cute smile as she too hovered next to me.

Rarity grinned, her mane wrapped up in a towel. Applejack's mane too was concealed behind a coiled green towel. "I suppose so! I just didn't want to be cooped up in my home on a day like this."

Applejack then added, "The harvestin' season hasn't quite hit us just yet either, so I took the day off. I could really use a good soak too. All that applebuckin' really gets ta yer hindquarters after a while."

Fluttershy smiled, "Mind if we join you?"

Rarity grinned brightly, "But of course, Fluttershy! And you are most welcome too, Rainbow Dash."

"In that case, take cover!" Rainbow replied before diving into the hot tub and making quite a splash in the process. Applejack merely chuckled once Rainbow resurfaced, although Rarity seemed mildly annoyed judging by that scowl of hers.

"Um... Please make some room." Fluttershy spoke softly as she hovered over the tub before descending into it as gently and elegantly as a swan. She then folded her wings and even seemed to be floating in the middle of the tub like a large waterfowl.

Rarity applauded lightly with her hooves and spoke with a smile. "Elegant entry, Fluttershy! I give a 9.5 out of 10!"

Fluttershy grinned sheepishly while giving a soft blush. However, I then asked, "What about that last half of a point?"

Rarity looked towards me and replied, "Her expression did not seem quite as euphoric or enraptured to match her movements. So she lost just a little bit there."

Applejack then spoke, "I dunno. I say she still gets a perfect from me."

Rainbow Dash then spoke from the edge of the pool right next to me, "Hey, can we just chill and relax?"

Fluttershy moved closer to the edge of the tub and rested her head on the edge of the tub where I was resting my elbow. "I'd like to just relax too, if that's all right."

Rarity let out a giggle, "Yes, yes, I suppose this is a time to just relax and not critique."

Applejack cast a sly smirk towards Rarity and spoke, "Took ya long enough ta remember why yer here, huh?" Rarity merely rolled her eyes.

The four mares then began to partake in friendly chitchat, discussing simple things such as picnics, business, aerial stunts, and newest fashion designs. I really had nothing to add to the conversation, so I took a moment to look around and see just who else was attending the spa that day.

Sure enough, the majority were couples. Although I was quick to notice there were just pairs of friends being together. I suppose Hearts and Hooves Day is not always about romance. In the sauna, at least from where I was standing, I saw a light gray earth pony mare with a gorgeous shimmering dark gray tail. Her eyes seemed to be a light purple of sorts. Sitting next to her while seemingly engaged in conversation was a white unicorn mare, although I may have seen a barely noticeable tint of yellow to her as well. Her eyes were a vibrant purplish pink, probably the same color as Rainbow Dash's eyes. While her mane could not be seen due to being wrapped up in a towel, just like with her earth pony companion, I could see her tail. It seemed to have been kempt in a much wilder style than the other, being striped with shades of different hues of cobalt and cyan. Their frilled robes obstructed their cutie marks, but I was certain I had seen the earth pony before... Ah, now I remember! It took me all day, but I recall now that she was the cello player at the Grand Galloping Gala. Regardless, she seemed to be busy with the unicorn mare, so I decided to not intrude.

At the massage tables were none other than my bosses. Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Each had their forelegs folded while resting their heads on pillows, Quake hard at work pounding away on Mrs. Cake's back. Her expression was stern and focused, just like every time I had ever seen her. However, the Cakes seemed to be very relaxed, possibly even asleep. I suppose I could have gone over to them to say hello, but I felt I should not interrupt their time together. I cannot remember the last time I did not see them at Sugarcube Corner on a workday, so they probably do not get very many days off.

On the platforms on the other side of the hot tub where facials are given were two ponies I recognized despite their faces being covered in that weird green goop. One was Lyra, who was being given a horn filing by Lotus, and the other was likely Bon Bon. I often see those two together, and I am sure I have described their appearances at some point. I think that was all of the ponies I could see around the place, not to mention each pair had one of the spa employees tending to them. I cannot imagine there being more at that moment. If there were, they would be backed up inside the lobby waiting for someone who could tend to them.

"James! Yo, Equestria to James! You there?!" I heard Rainbow Dash call out to me from right next to my head.

I turned to face the rowdy pegasus, finding her looking at me just inches away from my face. I grinned sheepishly. "Huh? Oh, sorry. Kinda zoned out while examining my surroundings. Can't remember the last time I saw so many ponies in the spa before. Especially this spread out."

Applejack glanced around too and nodded, "I see whatcha mean. Ya seldom see so many ponies at so many spots all over the spa."

Rarity then smiled as she leaned back against the side of the tub with her eyes closed. "Good thing the rest of us in the hot tub need no such supervision."

Fluttershy then asked, "I know we've seen Twilight today, but have any of you seen Pinkie Pie?"

Rarity replied, "I heard she had her hooves full whipping up special orders for today at Sugarcube Corner. I doubt she will be getting out until closing time."

Applejack then let out a chuckle. "If there's one thing we girls love just 'bout as much as diamonds and flowers, it's them fancy chocolates."

I smirked and rolled my eyes, wondering what kind of unorthodox antics Pinkie Pie was using to keep up with demand. "So true, so true."

Applejack then asked, "Come ta think of it, whatcha got goin' on today between ya and James, Fluttershy? You two out on a date?"

Fluttershy immediately blushed at those words. She glanced at me for a second while I smiled at her. She then looked back at Applejack and spoke softly, "Um... We're not doing much today... Just...spending the whole day together."

Rarity then asked, "But then what are you doing with them, Rainbow Dash? Or was it just coincidence that you came in with them?"

Rainbow Dash did not waste any time in giving a reply, although she seemed slightly nervous in the process. "Huh? Me?! I just had the same idea as these two lovebirds and walked in with them!"

Applejack frowned, "All right, we get it. No need ta shout, ya know."

I stared at Rainbow Dash next to me, seeing that she had gotten somewhat desperate and lost some control when she replied. She clearly was trying to avoid drawing suspicion to herself and Fluttershy. Although raising her voice like that was not the subtlest way to go about the issue.

Rarity began to climb out of the tub; her tail utterly soaked and weighed down by the water in such a fashion I will admit right now was...shockingly sexy. Yes, I really meant what I just wrote. I did my best to keep a straight face though. "I'd rather not let my hooves get pruney, so I'll be right over here at the massage tables."

Applejack turned to face her and nodded, "All righty then. I'll be down in a minute too."

I watched as the beautiful unicorn mare climbed onto one of the massage tables. Mr. and Mrs. Cake had departed a few minutes earlier, so there was no one to distract Quake from her. That androgynous earth pony mare then began to hammer away on Rarity's back with both hooves at turbo fire speed. It almost looked like it hurt, though Rarity's face clearly showed no discomfort.

"You think she can applebuck as hard as you, AJ?" I asked, motioning towards Quake nearby.

Applejack looked over the side of the tub before looking at me with a smug smirk. "Hmm... I reckon she can, but there ain't no way she can match Big Macintosh."

Rainbow Dash then asked, "You think he can buck an apple from Sweet Apple Acres all the way to the other side of town?"

Applejack then grinned in an odd fashion, as if she was embarrassed to admit something. "Funny story there. We tried that once sometime last summer."

Fluttershy then asked, "And did it make it all the way to the other side of town?"

Our farm pony friend rolled her eyes, "Well... I'll put it like this. A lil' while later, Twilight got a note from Princess Celestia. There was an apple packaged with it."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Don't tell me he..."

Applejack held her hoof to her forehead and snickered, "And there was a bill ta pay fer a new window in the royal palace."

That explanation nearly blew my mind. Being able to kick an apple from Sweet Apple Acres all the way up to Canterlot?! How much steroids does that burly red stallion take on a daily basis?!

Fluttershy seemed petrified as she tried to process that information. "Um... Wow... I...uh...didn't know he was that strong."

Rainbow Dash then asked, "Did you ever ask him what his secret is?"

Applejack chuckled before smiling, "I did. And he said he has no idea."

I smirked before shaking my head, "A true Hercules, that one. Maybe he's the offspring of Sleipner."

Fluttershy then asked, "Slip...who?"

I grinned and bowed my head as I tried to not laugh. It was no surprise to me that they knew nothing of Norse mythology. "Don't worry about it, you're not supposed to get it."

A short while later after a few more entertaining conversations, Applejack started to climb out of the tub. "I reckon it's time fer my back hammerin'. I could really use it now that harvestin' time's almost here."

Fluttershy looked over the side of the tub as Applejack walked below her, "Is it really that tiring?"

Applejack looked up at my girlfriend and replied, "Now, I can handle quite a bit of applebuckin', but sooner or later I'll really start feelin' the strain an' pain. I wanna make sure I'm all toned up fer it this year."

Almost immediately after Applejack climbed up onto a massage table, Quake walked around the one Rarity was lying on and began to hammer away into the farm pony's back with her forelegs. Applejack let out an odd sigh, sounding similar to how she would sound if trying to talk through a spinning electric fan.

"Well, if you can't join us in the tub, what can you do while we're here?" Fluttershy asked from just behind me.

I turned to face her and replied, "Well, I have no use for a facial, I have nothing that needs filing, I'd rather not sit in the sauna with these clothes on, and a mud bath is out of the question... I guess that only leaves a massage."

Rainbow looked around, eyeing Quake before glancing at Aloe. "Think you can handle Quake's treatment?"

I looked over at Quake, her stern focused face fixated on Applejack at all times. "Um... I don't know if I could handle that kind of treatment... I don't have nearly as much muscle on me as AJ."

"But Rarity didn't mind either." Fluttershy retorted. I glanced over at the elegant unicorn and saw that she seemed quite relaxed despite that rough treatment to her back a moment ago.

"Huh... Guess it'll be OK after all." I spoke with a smile. While Rainbow and Fluttershy sat in the hot tub chatting, I proceeded over to the last remaining massage table and took a seat on it. "Um... Quake? When you have a minute?"

My coworker glanced over at me without a word before going back to focusing on Applejack. I decided to take my shirt off before lying down on my belly with my arms crossed to allow the side of my head to rest on them. I closed my eyes, hearing the clopping of hooves as Quake made her way over to me. I was certain the procedure would be enjoyable.

However, a moment later, I felt an unpleasant pain as if someone had just punched me in the back. "Ow! What the... Agh! Hey! What're you...OW!!!" As expected, Quake was indeed hammering away on my back. The only problem was that she was massaging me way too hard! I know she is an earth pony, which means she has a lot of power in her body. And ponies tend to have more muscle mass than humans, plus a coat to help absorb the blows, so it is no wonder my body could not handle the power she was exerting.

"Ow! For the love of... Darn it, Quake! Quit it!" I finally yelled. Quake did stop when I told her to, but by then I was feeling sore as if I had been struck in the back multiple times with a wooden paddle.

"Oh my goodness, are you all right?!" I heard Rarity ask from nearby. She probably saw the whole thing.

"Ugh... I'm gonna be feeling that in the morning..." I replied with a groan. I was unwilling to even move at that point.

Applejack then asked, "Ya think a softer massage might do ya some good after that?"

I sighed, not sure if I even wanted anyone to touch my back at that point. But I soon heard Applejack speak up again. "Howdy, Lotus. Would ya'll mind givin' James over there a softer massage? He can't handle the harder stuff."

With my eyes closed, I could not see who was approaching me. But before I could deny anyone, I felt a pair of hard objects press down into my back.

"Whoa! Hang on, I'm... Huh?" I started to object, but then felt much more relaxed as they began to press down into me. They moved around slowly, gently applying pressure to my back in several spots. When I turned my head to look at whoever was massaging me, I found Lotus standing on just her hind legs while moving her forelegs subtly to change the location her hooves were pressing into.

"Is this more to your liking?" She asked with a smile.

I nodded before sighing, "Much. Thank you." This type of massage felt much more enjoyable. The amount of pressure was constant and shifted frequently, but never pounded into me rapidly like Quake does. "Huh... So this is how it feels when I give massages. No wonder the way I do it has such a cult following."

Lotus let out a faint chuckle when I spoke. "I suppose so. I just wish Aloe and I could massage with the same precision you do. There's only so much hooves can do."

"It's all right though. This is great. Best massage I've ever had." I retorted, enjoying every second of it. While I lied there, I looked up and noticed that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were no longer at the edge of the hot tub anymore. "Lotus, where did Rainbow and Fluttershy go?"

My boss replied, "They are currently in the sauna. Aloe is supervising them."

I was somewhat glad that they had not left without me. Although I confess I was not entirely sure of what else I could do once my massage finished.

While I waited for Lotus to finish with my massage, I allowed my mind to drift. Rainbow Dash had been handling herself very well since our time at the park. If all went well, she would probably forget about her feelings for me by the time this 'date' ended... All right, I suppose that is just wishful thinking. I cannot imagine someone as loyal as her completely discarding her feelings for me after just one afternoon. And I know from experience it is difficult and takes time to lose those feelings for someone who is already spoken for.

I honestly felt bad as I contemplated this. I love Rainbow Dash. I really do. If things were different, I could definitely see myself dating her. But Fluttershy and I are lovers now and I do not wish for that to change. And I know I simply do not have the moral integrity to successfully maintain a relationship with more than one woman. As satisfying and enjoyable it would be if I could, I simply cannot.

Before I could even think about the concept any longer, I noticed that the soothing pressure on my back had vanished. "Huh? Are we done?"

I heard a clop as Lotus dropped back down onto all fours. "Yes. Feel any better?"

I slowly sat up, stretching while reaching as far as my arms could extend. I honestly felt as if I had just awoken from a nap. "Man... That really did the trick. No wonder so many customers keep coming back for massages... Oof. Although I still feel some of the soreness from Quake's 'treatment' on me."

Lotus flashed me an awkward grin. "Um...yes. I'm sorry that I could not undo all that she did."

I shrugged my shoulders, "It's fine. My bad. I shouldn't have asked her to do it in the first place."

Lotus went to check on Lyra and Bon Bon while I went ahead and pulled my shirt back on. "I trust the massage was as stellar as you had hoped?" A voice behind me spoke. When I turned around, I found Applejack and Rarity looking up at me. They seemed to have finished with their spa visit and were ready to depart.

"Oh, much better than I expected. Well, except for that bit at the start. That felt like the Cake couple were taking a bunch of rolling pins to my spine." I replied in an effort to be witty.

Before anyone could comment on that... I still cannot comprehend what happened next. Right behind my two friends on the platform beside the hot tub was a basket full of bath sponges. And suddenly, out popped none other than Pinkie Pie. "Ooh! Or maybe it felt like someone took out your spine and tossed it in a mixer to make cupcakes before putting it back inside you!"

Applejack was the first to retort. She turned around and gave Pinkie a most bewildered gaze. "How in tarnation... Where'd ya even come from?!"

Pinkie Pie let out a giggle before replying, "Oh, that! You see, I hopped along the letters, rode the scroll bar down, and popped up here! Now I'll just ride it back up. See ya!" Before either of us could ask her anything else, she ducked back into the sponge basket and was gone.

"Wait a minute..." I muttered before reaching over and feeling around in the basket. Much to my shock, there was no way in or out of it except through the top. How did she slip into it from underneath?

"A scroll bar... Hopping across letters... What do you suppose she meant by that?" I heard Rarity speak from behind me.

I turned to face my two friends, my eye twitching slightly. "Girls... She's starting to scare me." Honestly, a scroll bar? Last I checked, Equestria does not even have computers to use word processors on!

Applejack let out a nervous chuckle, "Uh...yeah. Me too, sugarcube. Me too. Um... I just remembered I still got lots of stuff ta...uh...take care of back at Sweet Apple Acres."

Rarity grinned nervously as well. "Oh, yes! And...um...I just remembered that one of my clients wish to pay me a visit today! He...er...proposed to his sweetheart today and wants me to design a wedding dress for her!"

I nodded, also feeling apprehensive. "Yeah, you girls do that. See ya tomorrow." I waved goodbye, the two mares rushing out into the lobby and out of sight. I think it would be best if I just forgot about this whole thing. Seriously... Riding scroll bars... Ha!

Having absolutely nothing better to do at the time, I decided to wait out in the lobby for my two companions. There was not much to do aside from look through a few magazines that were lying around. "Huh... Equestria's Finest. Haven't read this one lately."

I picked up the magazine, seeing what seemed to be a burly minotaur on the cover. "Iron Will's regime considered too rough? Three clients reveal harsh effects..." I raised an eyebrow, having never once seen a minotaur in my life. "Who's this Iron Will guy? And there are minotaurs in this world? Hopefully they're not of the man-eating variety from legend..."

I forget how much time passed while I read through the magazine. Much to my surprise, I found that a certain Miss Fluttershy was the first client of Iron Will's to come back completely unsatisfied with the results of his 'training'. Knowing exactly who that pony was, I felt curious of what my girlfriend had to put up with under his tutorage. However, I felt it was best to not ask, so I pushed that question out of my head.

Before I could finish with the magazine, I heard the voices of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash steadily becoming louder. They more than likely had decided they had had enough of the spa for the day and were approaching the lobby. Not wanting Fluttershy to have any old wounds reopened or the like, I closed the magazine and placed it on the nearest end table cover-down.

"Man, I feel so soaked down by all that steam, I doubt I can even get myself off the ground now." I heard Rainbow Dash speak as she stepped into the lobby.

"Me too. I feel so lazy and relaxed now, I don't even want to spread my wings." Fluttershy replied, the adorable pegasus walking alongside her.

I smiled at the two mares and stood up. "We all done here?"

Rainbow Dash started to reply, but took a moment to pause for a yawn. "Aw yeah, I've had enough. I need to get outta here before I wanna stay until closing time."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out some bits to pay for the visit. Being an employee, I received a hefty discount. "Thanks for everything, Aloe."

The spa sister stationed at the front desk nodded with a smile. "It was a pleasure, James. See you tomorrow!" All three of us waved goodbye before heading out the door.

"That was a lovely visit, wasn't it?" Fluttershy spoke before yawning, clearly a little too relaxed after that sauna session.

I stretched and let out a yawn myself before replying, "It sure was... I just wanna go home and take a nap now..."

However, Rainbow then spoke up, "But we can't just stop the date now! It's too soon!"

I looked down at Rainbow Dash, as did Fluttershy. That outburst was certainly somewhat unexpected. She seemed to realize that she had suddenly raised her voice despite being so relaxed and rested a moment earlier and bowed her head. "I mean... You know. This is the only Hearts and Hooves Day I'll ever be able to spend with you, James... I don't want it to end before it's even nightfall..."

I sighed, being reminded of just why she was with Fluttershy and me at that moment. "Right..."

Fluttershy then asked, "Well...what should we do now?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Hmmm... I dunno... Why don't we do something really special? Something only we can do with him?"

I felt my body temperature spike at those words. Fluttershy seemed to be thinking the exact same thing since a deep blush had spread across her face. "You... You don't mean..."

It was then that Rainbow caught on and raised her hooves before shaking them with a nervous grin, "Whoa, easy there! I wasn't talking about that! Although..." She then blushed while rubbing the back of her head, eyes looking away from us. "I would jump at the opportunity for that..."

I frowned and crossed my arms. "Rainbow... You know that's the one thing we can't do."

She let out a sigh of disappointment. "Yeah... I know..." But she then asked, "But what's something special and unique we can..." Suddenly, she jumped into the air and began to hover. "That's it! Let's go for a soar!"

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at those words. "Huh? A soar? You mean for us to go fly somewhere?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah! You and me are pegasi, so we can fly! So let's go for a little trip in the sky for a while!"

I rolled my eyes, "Rainbow, you know I don't have... Oh, wait!"

That rowdy pegasus nodded rapidly, "Yeah! Your armor! I'll head on up to Canterlot and ask if we can borrow it for a while!"

Fluttershy seemed to like the idea since she was showing such a smile on her face. "That sounds lovely. But...uh...do you really think they'll let us use it for something like that?"

Rainbow replied, "Wouldn't hurt to try. What about you, James? You wanna give it a shot?"

While not a fan of the idea of falling, I had learned to love flying during the first few times I had worn that enchanted armor. I smiled and nodded, "Sure, I'm all for a little flying before the day's over."

Rainbow Dash cheered, "All right! The two of you wait for me in the meadow next to your house. I'll be right back!" With that, our speedy friend bolted through the air to the northeast. Canterlot could be seen plain as day on the mountain Rainbow Dash was streaking towards.

"I don't think she'll be long." I spoke idly.

"Well, shall we go?" Fluttershy asked while motioning for me to follow. Certain that Rainbow Dash would probably be back fairly soon, I followed my girlfriend at a brisk pace. Knowing Rainbow Dash, she would likely complete a roundtrip and beat us to the rendezvous if we did not hurry.

The walk to the meadow that lay beyond the western edge of Ponyville was rather uneventful. But once we were walking across it with no one around, Fluttershy started to open up a bit. "So... James... What do you think of Rainbow Dash spending the day with us?"

I looked down at her and asked, "You mean how she feels towards me and how this is kind of like a date?"

Fluttershy nodded with a slight frown, "Uh huh. I was always worried she might try to get between us at some point, but I'm glad she never did."

I rolled my eyes a bit before replying, "Oh, honey... Rainbow Dash isn't THAT desperate. Element of Loyalty, you know.

My girlfriend let out a giggle, "I keep forgetting about that! Maybe if we had to use the Elements more often, I might have an easier time remembering which one she is connected to." Once she had calmed down somewhat, she then looked up at me again. "But how do you feel about her being with us today?"

I shrugged my shoulders in response. "I dunno, really. I was a little worried at first, but she's been handling herself well. This day feels more like I'm just hanging out with two great friends. In all honesty, I forgot several times that this is a double date of sorts."

Fluttershy grinned brightly, "That's what it felt like to me too after a while. And I've really been enjoying myself today."

Just before we could converse longer, a voice shouted somewhere behind us. "Yooooooo! You guys there?!"

We both turned around abruptly, seeing Rainbow Dash swooping down towards us. "That didn't take long." I spoke with a smile.

"Well, whaddya expect?!" Rainbow asked before landing before us.

"Well? Did the princesses let you take it?" Fluttershy asked as she stepped forward. I noticed right away that Rainbow did not seem to be carrying anything. Did they turn her down?

Rainbow Dash seemed a little nervous at first, or maybe nervous is not the right word. Although she did manage to reply, "Yeah... About that. They said you can use it, but there's a catch."

Fluttershy asked, "What kind of catch?"

Our friend then pointed upwards, "We've got one more coming with us today."

When I looked up, I saw a familiar form slowly drifting down to us, wings spread wide. A voice spoke up as a familiar dark alicorn landed before us. "Salutations, everypony. I hope you are all having a splendid Hearts and Hooves Day."

Fluttershy gasped and bowed, "Princess Luna! It's an honor."

I was about to reach out and embrace my royal friend, but paused when I noticed she was clutching what seemed to be a large silver chalice in her left foreleg, an equally silver lid resting atop it. "Luna? What's that you have there?"

My friend beamed at me before replying, "Behold its contents and see for yourself." As much as I wanted to hug her, that chalice would have to be removed first. I reached out and took the chalice from her, finding it to be surprisingly heavy. Something thick and viscous was sloshing around inside it with every movement I made while holding it.

"Does this thing contain what I think it does?" I asked, starting to wonder what was inside.

Luna chuckled lightly at my inquiry. "Perhaps. Remove the lid and see."

I did as I was told and removed the lid of the chalice. Swirling around inside it was exactly what I expected. A constantly shifting liquid of white and dark blue. I looked over at Luna and smirked while trying to not chuckle. "I was wondering how you would ever get this to me without me coming to Canterlot... Wait a second. Why did you need to deliver this to me? Rainbow Dash could've done it just as easily."

Luna flashed me an annoyed glare, "Are you saying you would rather not have me here?" I took a step back, fearful that I had offended her. She then let out a chuckle, "Oh, I'm just jesting you! I know you only are curious. As for why, equip your armor first. Oh, and you should remove your shoes as well."

I shrugged my shoulders and dipped my hand into the liquid metal after sliding my shoes off. Sure enough, it began to creep over my hand before oozing all over my body. Bit by bit, it solidified into a tough armored shell, forming that beautiful suit of plate armor I had come to love. Large extensions of white liquid metal stretched from my back before solidifying into large white feathered wings that shimmered in the sunlight.

Rainbow Dash shuddered as her wings sprang open in a wingboner. "Oh man... And I thought those wings looked awesome before..."

Fluttershy seemed equally impressed, her wings also spread wide as she seemed to blush. "Y...yes... So shiny..."

Luna seemed to notice their expressions and covered her mouth to suppress a snicker, "Well, they ARE made of shiny metal, after all."

I smiled, looking myself over. I felt as if I had full control over this metal shell and the wings that were attached to it. "I don't blame you for being so impressed. This armor is so cool, I can't... Huh?! Hey! What's going on?!" Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a familiar billowing blue aura as the armor began to literally melt right off my body!

Rainbow Dash let out a groan, "Oh, come on! After I went all the way up to Canterlot just to ask?!"

The armor melted back into a liquid state, pooling around my feet. I immediately knew who had caused it, my eyes looking towards Luna's horn as an identical aura surrounded it. "Luna!"

The princess of the night grinned, "What?! It would be far too time-consuming for you to have to go out of your way to come to Canterlot just to return the armor. And it would surely be annoying for Rainbow Dash to have to carry each component by hoof back and forth."

Fluttershy nodded, "True... I don't think Rainbow Dash could carry every single part in one trip."

Luna nodded before smiling, "And that is exactly why I am here. Only Celestia and myself know of the magic to return that armor to a liquid state for repairs and easy transport. Far easier to carry it in a chalice than to carry each component separately, wouldn't you say?"

I smirked, finding Luna's reasoning to be intelligent and humorous at the same time. I jumped once before landing back in the puddle around my feet. Responding to my touch, the liquid metal crept up over my legs before engulfing the rest of my body save for my head. In a moment, I was fully clad in that armor again.

"That's better. So...are we all going?" Fluttershy spoke as she beheld my armor once more, the lovely pegasus hovering back and forth around me.

Luna nodded, "That is indeed why we are all present, aren't we?"

I smiled, realizing that Luna would be accompanying us. "It's great to have you along, Luna."

Rainbow Dash then called out, "All right, ponies! Let's fly!" Spreading her wings, she then took to the sky.

Luna looked at Fluttershy and me before smiling, "Shall we?" She then spread her elegant wings and went airborne before following Rainbow Dash. Higher up, I could see Rainbow Dash hovering in place while likely waiting for us.

"Ready?" Fluttershy asked while hovering nearby.

I nodded and spread my armor's great wings. "Ready. Now, how did it go again? Like this?" It had been some time since I last flew, so I tried to take things slow in getting accustomed to my wings again. With one great flap, I launched myself into the air before flapping my wings in a steady rhythm to remain aloft.

"You're doing fine, James! Let's go!" Fluttershy spoke with a smile before rising into the air. Flapping my wings harder, I too began to ascend.

"Well, now that we are all airborne, what comes next?" Luna asked once Fluttershy and I were hovering before her and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow replied with a grin, "We fly wherever we want! Come on!" She then bolted east.

Luna shrugged her shoulders at me and asked, "Uh... So, we are just flying for the sake of flying?"

I replied while raising my hands, "I guess. I mean, flying does carry a great sense of freedom with it."

Fluttershy then asked, "Um... If it's not too much trouble, can we try to not fly too high?"

That was actually rather funny to hear. A pegasus who is afraid of heights. "I'll catch you if you fall. Just stay close to us and you'll have no problems."

My girlfriend nodded nervously, "OK... I'll try to be brave... Just have to remember to not look down."

Moments later, the three of us caught up to Rainbow Dash. We had no real destination in mind. Just four friends soaring above Ponyville without a care in the world. Think of it as taking a leisurely bike ride, only you were flying a thousand feet off the ground instead.

Fluttershy seemed to be rather nervous when we started to gain altitude. She stayed near me at all times, occasionally glancing down at the ground far below us. The rooftops of Ponyville could be seen slowly scrolling by below us. "Having fun, Fluttershy?"

She replied with a nervous smile, "Uh...yes! Lots of fun! Fun is #1!" I could only smirk as I tried not to laugh at her unexpected rhyming. She soon asked, "Is it that obvious I'm really really nervous right now?"

I retorted with a chuckle, "If I was holding you, my whole suit would probably be rattling right now."

Fluttershy let out an adorable giggle. "I believe that... Uh... Can I just stay close to you until we land?"

I reached out to her with one hand, her hoof reaching out to touch mine. "I'll be right here if anything goes wrong. I still know how to use the levitation spell." My left gauntlet, the one I was reaching out to her with, was engulfed in a billowing blue aura. Fluttershy yelped as the same type of aura suddenly engulfed her, barrel rolling constantly as she looped under me until popping up on my right. "See?"

Fluttershy's eyes rolled around in her head for a moment while she just glided next to me. "Uhhh... Huh? Oh, that was magic?"

I snickered, surprised by just how off-guard I had caught her. "Uh huh. I pretty much just juggled you right there. You OK though?"

She nodded after shaking her head to clear up her vision. "I'm fine. Let me know ahead of time next time you want to do that though."

Before I could even agree, Rainbow Dash performed a loop and ended up flying alongside me on my left. "What's up, guys?! Isn't flying just the coolest thing ever?!"

Luna too slowed down until she was gliding just above Fluttershy and me. "I certainly must agree. I never had the chance to go out on a leisurely flight like this before!"

I looked at each of them and nodded, "I'd say it is. Ultimate freedom."

Fluttershy then asked, "Where do we go though? We can go anywhere we want now."

Rainbow Dash then smirked, "Wanna go fly over the Everfree Forest?"

Fluttershy gasped with a look of fright on her face. "There?! Oh no, please don't!"

I spoke up, "Fluttershy, she meant flying OVER the Everfree Forest. Not flying INSIDE it."

Luna nodded before speaking as well. "Granted, the Everfree Forest is filled with untamed wild beasts, but as long as we maintain a proper altitude, there is no chance of them reaching us."

Fluttershy seemed to understand that there was virtually no risk involved as long as we remained airborne, although she was still visibly nervous. "OK... But...let's try to stay really high up just to be safe. Please?"

Rainbow Dash groaned while holding a hoof to her face, "Ugh, you're always such scaredy pony... Fine, we'll stay waaay above the canopy."

In unison, the four of us made a u-turn and began to head west towards the vast forest that stood beyond Ponyville. Even from so high up and from so far away, I could still see just how vast that forest is. I would be willing to wager that it is at least three times larger than Ponyville in total space covered, if not more. That massive expanse of green... Last time I saw that much canopy was when I was flying in to Tallahassee.

We all stayed close to each other, starting to slow down to a more leisurely speed while mostly just gliding high above the treetops. The atmosphere was certainly more relaxing than expected with only the sound of our wings occasionally flapping to keep ourselves aloft.

"Ya know, I used to be creeped out by this place. Never thought I would...huwaaah...be this relaxed while flying over it." Rainbow Dash spoke up with a yawn.

I too was starting to feel absurdly relaxed from just gliding along in almost total weightlessness. "Total freedom can make one pretty lazy at times..."

Luna then asked, "Do you suppose we should take a nap while we're out here?"

I replied, "We need a spot to rest on for that. And I don't see any... Oh, wait. What about that cloud up ahead?" Floating in the air up ahead was a decent sized cloud that was probably large enough to cover the entire main chamber of the local spa.

Fluttershy smiled as she flew on ahead, "That looks just right for all of us."

Together, we approached the cloud and gently landed upon it. This was the first time I actually had time to examine the thing. I suppose the best way to describe a cloud is that it feels like a malleable air cushion that you can rearrange and take apart by hand.

One by one, we lightly set down on the cloud. Rainbow Dash raised her forelegs to the sky, let out a yawn while she stretched, then fell backwards onto the cloud with her forelegs behind her head. "There is nothing in the world like chilling on a cloud. Right, guys?"

Luna too let out a yawn before lying on her side. "Agreed. Even the softest beds in Canterlot do not feel quite like this."

I was grateful Luna did not bring my helmet with her. The feel of soft cloud against the back of my head as I lied down was most indescribable. I mean, how does one explain the feel of something that should not even have physical mass to begin with? I suppose the only way I could describe it was being as soft as possible without becoming semi liquid. However, as my head rested against the cloud under me, a thought occurred to me. "Luna, why is my head able to touch clouds while I'm not wearing my helmet?"

The princess of the night looked down at me from a slightly higher position on the cloud just above my head while I looked up at her. She remained silent for a moment, her eyes glancing back and forth while her chin rested on an upturned hoof. "I... I suppose the armor generates a magic field all over the entire body that produces the same effects upon contact with clouds as those with a pegasus."

I then raised an eyebrow at her noticeable uncertainty. "You're not sure, are you?"

Luna blushed faintly, grinning with a nervous expression. "Um...not really."

Rainbow Dash then let out a cackle, "Why not?! You made that armor in the first place, right?!"

Luna rolled her eyes and groaned, "You are only half right, Rainbow Dash. Celestia took part as well."

Fluttershy then walked over to me before looking down at me with a smile. "Is this your first time resting on a cloud?"

I nodded while trying to take my gauntlets off. "Yeah. And it's comfier than our own bed. I'm surprised you don't use one for a mattress."

"I guess I could have, but it would just get blown around the room whenever a gust of wind blows. And I can't put any sheets on a cloud without them falling through it." Fluttershy replied while reaching out and nuzzling me with her nose.

I must confess that just reclining on that cloud was sapping the energy from me like a leech. A bed that forces you to become sleepy, so to say. However, it was difficult to try to get to sleep with the sun shining down on us. "If only I had a napkin to cover my eyes with.

Fluttershy seemed to know what the problem was before looking around for a minute. "I'll fix this. Wait right here." She spoke before taking to the air again and flying a short distance away.

"What do you suppose Fluttershy is up to?" Luna asked from just behind me.

From what I could see, my girlfriend was flying towards a much more distant cloud. "I think... Is that cloud a little darker than this one?" Rainbow Dash asked while rolling over onto her belly.

I saw what it was Fluttershy had in mind. "I get it now. A little cumulonimbus should block out enough light." Fluttershy flew back over to us while pushing the cloud along. Rather than place the cloud directly above us though, she instead pushed it higher up before making certain it was completely between the sun and us. The darker thundercloud blocked a significant amount of light, placing us comfortably under its shadow.

"Much better, Fluttershy." I called out while waving my arm up at her as she began to descend towards us.

Rainbow Dash let out a yawn, rolling over several times until she was lying beside me. "Yeah, now we can get a bit of shuteye."

"I second that." Luna said before letting out a yawn before curling up behind me. "Should I awaken first, I will rouse all of you gently."

"Thank you, Princess Luna." Fluttershy replied upon landing beside me. "I think I'm in the mood for some sweet dreams too." She then snuggled up to me, nuzzling my cheek gently. However, her eyes then opened a bit wider while looking beyond me. When I turned my head to see what she was looking at, Rainbow Dash had her face right in front of mine.

"May I?" She whispered softly, probably to avoid getting Luna's attention.

It was only then that I was reminded of just why Rainbow Dash was with us. I turned my head to gaze at Fluttershy. Her face seemed to show uncertainty at first, but she soon smiled and nodded. I smiled too before looking back over at Rainbow Dash. "Sure, Rainbow."

Our rainbow-haired friend grinned brightly before cuddling up to me, her muzzle nuzzling my cheek. "Thanks, guys." She whispered again, her eyes closing while keeping a foreleg draped across my chest.

I would not have minded that so much if Fluttershy did not do the same thing. Both beautiful pegasus mares had one foreleg draped over my chest, almost as if holding me in a type of embrace. But as awkward as that situation was for me, I could not help but grin at just how absurdly cute it was too. I placed my bare hands on their backs and pulled them closer to me, prompting silent smiles from them as they slowly drifted off to sleep. "Sweet dreams, girls." I muttered before closing my eyes.

What eventually played across the lids of my eyes was a familiar sight from not even twelve hours earlier. Snow falling while standing on a snow-covered mountain road. "Huh. I'm starting to think I'm not in Equestria anymore."

"No, I don't think you are. What did Nightmare Moon say you called this place? Skyrim?" I heard a familiar voice speak from behind me. Turning around, I found none other than Princess Luna looking up at me.

"Huh? Don't tell me you're a dream diver too!" I asked while taking a step back.

Luna was clearly amused by my surprised response, chuckling lightly before she could reply. "Well, Nightmare Moon and I are cut from the same cloth. It is no small wonder that we share many capabilities."

I crossed my arms, finding myself clad in my winged armor. "I guess that makes sense. But what are the odds of me dreaming about Skyrim twice in a row?"

"Oh, I just used a little magic to conjure up your most recent memories of sleep. When Nightmare Moon informed me of this land you called 'Skyrim', I got curious and wanted to see it for myself." She explained before looking around at her surroundings. "It is rather cold out here though. And where exactly would you say we are right now? This winter landscape is quite beautiful."

I looked around, casting my gaze at my surroundings. On each side of the cobblestone path were many evergreen trees, probably pine. "Um... I have to say we are somewhere around..." Not far from our current location, I could make out what seemed to be a large stone statue of a winged robed woman with her hands reaching skyward. "I think... What is this place called again? The Kilkreath Ruins?"

Luna stepped forward, also taking notice of the statue's presence. "You seem to know your way around quite well. Did you use to live here?"

Live in Skyrim? The thought made me chuckle. "No, Luna. Skyrim is a fictional land. This world does not truly exist, no matter how real it seems."

The princess of the night seemed rather disappointed by my response. She bowed her head for a few seconds before speaking. "I see. A shame too. The natural beauty of this land rivals even Equestria."

"Indeed, it does. That's something I adore about this world." I replied while letting out a sigh. The frigid cold in the air did not bother me as I smiled. There is something about snowfall that makes the cold winter air seem less chilling.

My friend looked up at me and asked, "Well, is there anywhere you wish to go? I am most curious to see what this world has to offer."

I crossed my arms once again and bowed my head in thought. There was certainly much to see in Skyrim, though I would have to take great care to avoid letting Luna see the evils of the land as well. I dread what sort of affect it could have on a princess from a world of purity and innocence like Equestria. "Ummm..... Well, I showed Nightmare Moon a decent bit of Skyrim... How about Solstheim?"

My friend cocked her head to one side. "Solstheim?"

I pointed to the east. "It's an island nation to the northeast of Skyrim. The environment is quite different over there than here in Skyrim. Wanna take a look?"

Luna seemed rather excited at the prospect of visiting a distant region. "A land that even my sister has not seen? Oh, she is going to be so jealous when I see her again! Let's be off!"

Spreading my armor's wings, I took to the air. "Follow me. I just hope I know the way." I then flew east with Luna close behind me, soaring over snow-coated forests and towns before gliding over the frozen ocean.

Having never traveled to Solstheim as the crow flies, I was honestly worried I was leading Luna on a wild goose chase at first. It was rather unnerving to me to be flying over a vast ocean with hardly any landmass in sight. Fortunately, I knew one could always see the smoldering Red Mountain volcano and the landmass of Morrowind from Solstheim's southern shoreline. So as long as I kept the landmass to the south within sight, I would never get lost.

While we flew along, Luna steadily crept up alongside me. "This is taking quite a while. Are you certain you know where we're going?"

I nodded, "In a sense, I've been there before. I'm trying to locate the island via memory of surrounding landscapes. A massive volcano can be seen from Solstheim's southern shoreline. If we find the volcano, we head north from there... Oh, there it is! Pretty hard to miss, actually." Sure enough, in the distance was the silhouette of a truly colossal volcano with a massive plume of smoke and probably ash rising high into the air.

For whatever reason, Luna seemed somewhat unnerved by the sight of that volcano. "That is... I have not seen a volcano quite that large since..."

I noticed the unusual tone of my friend's voice as she spoke. "What's wrong? It's just Red Mountain. We won't be in any danger in Solstheim."

"Oh, I'm not scared of it! It's just... How often do you see an active volcano that massive?!" Luna replied with a noticeably nervous chuckle.

"Well, it IS the largest volcano in this world." I replied with a smirk, finding the situation amusing. But now that we had located Red Mountain, I veered to my left and began to head towards another landmass on the horizon. Thank goodness the time seemed to be midday. I would be lost as a bat if it was nightfall at the time. Although this did make me ponder something. Does the time of day when I sleep determine the time of day in my dreams as well?

Steadily, the landmass drew near. And before long, I saw it. The ash-covered shoreline of Solstheim. However, Luna did not seem quite as thrilled as I expected. "The entire place... Covered in volcanic ash?"

I nodded while looking over at her. "That's how Solstheim is. At least the southern half, that is. The northern half has a climate similar to most of Skyrim. The southern half is covered in ash that was launched from Red Mountain."

Luna replied with a surprisingly deadpan tone of voice. She did not seem to be paying much mind to my words, as if her mind was somewhere else. "I see..."

Making sure to set down at a spot with as little strife as possible, I led Luna a little further up the western shoreline until I found a boat floating a short distance off the coast. It was fairly small for a vessel that seemed meant for carrying a whole crew. Possibly just a fishing boat. It seemed to be undamaged with its single sail coiled up at the top and with its anchor dropped. Strangely, it seemed to be abandoned. However, I saw no signs of foul play such as corpses on board or floating in the water or scattered along the shoreline or even bloodstains. Thank goodness too.

Immediately upon landing on the deserted vessel, Luna turned her gaze towards the ash-covered shoreline. Just a little further north, I could see the snowy northern half of the island's western shoreline spreading north. I was just about to speak, but noticed that Luna seemed...transfixed by something.

"Hm?" I muttered, looking in the same direction as Luna. There was nothing of interest there aside from a few large clams. I then happened to notice bits of volcanic ash drifting down through the air, likely being blown from Red Mountain to the south.

I noticed Luna's lips move as she muttered something very lightly. It sounded similar to the word 'lava' to me. What did she say then... Lavar? Lavem? Lavak? I really am not certain; she spoke it far too lightly for me to accurately make out. "Luna...? Are you all right?"

My words seemed to get through to her. Luna's eyes opened wide for an instant before she shook her head. Her lovely teal eyes looked up at me as she smiled ever so slightly. "Sorry... The ash reminds me of snow for whatever reason. I can't remember the last time I saw such a blanket of ash coating the landscape."

I turned my gaze back towards the shoreline. As I observed the soft ash, a rather...devious thought came to mind as I processed what Luna said to me. "I suppose you have heard the old saying that you should never eat yellow snow?"

Luna let out a sigh, clearly not knowing where I was going with that. "That goes without saying, actually."

My eyes gazed directly at the brownish gray ash. "Then I suppose that would be doubly so for brown snow."

That got her. Luna's melancholy expression changed to one of absolute revulsion. "Oh, James, no! I don't want to think about that! How disgusting!"

I snickered at her reaction. "Sorry. I really couldn't help myself on that one...ack!" Before I even knew what hit me, I had been shoved overboard. Fortunately, my wings reacted in time and I began to hover over the water that surrounded the boat.

"Drat. I wish your wings had locked up right there." Luna grumbled while gazing at me with an irritated expression.

Hoping to distract her, I pointed south. "Well, now that we're out here, you wanna explore a bit?"

Luna did not reply at first, although she did let out a sigh while rolling her eyes. "Very well. But no more snow jokes!"

"That's a promise." I replied as Luna spread her wings and flew towards me. With her by my side, we both flew south.

Mere minutes later, a couple of old stone towers jutting up out of the shoreline came into view. "Hm? What's that?" Luna asked while outreaching her hoof towards it.

She may not have known what that place was, but I did. "Uh oh... Bloodskal Barrow. Stop for a second, Luna." The two of us paused and began to merely hover in place above the ocean.

"Why? Is this place dangerous?" She asked with an understandingly baffled expression.

"Let's just say this world isn't nearly as safe or peaceful as Equestria. I don't want you to witness any such thing."

Luna let out a laugh at my words. "Ha! Danger?! James, you underestimate me. I am a princess of Equestria. I am more than capable of defending myself. And besides, this is just a dream! No one here can truly harm us."

I sighed; disappointed that Luna was missing my point. "Just wait here for a second, OK? I'm gonna scout ahead. Please?"

Luna raised her hooves and shrugged her shoulders in the process. "Very well. I suppose you do know this world a thousand times better than I do."

Grateful that Luna had taken my advice, I flew on ahead while surveying the towers from above. Although I had expected to find bandits prowling the area, I was most surprised to find none. Excellent. There would be no distractions as we explored.

I flew back west until I could see my friend again. But just before I could call out to her, I noticed a particularly large object floating near her. Luna seemed to be flitting to and fro around it, clearly having a good time. "Oh lord, I need to see this." I muttered with a grin before flying towards her.

"What's going on, Luna? You make a friend?" I asked once I came closer.

"Oh, yes! This loveable thing just came floating by and seemed so peaceful, I just had to reach out to it. Just listen to the sound it makes. So cute!" Luna replied while cuddling up against the floating creature. Every few seconds, a deep calming droning noise would emanate from it. It sounded otherworldly, but I found the sound and the creature to be endearing. I suppose the best way to describe how it looked is to compare it to a jellyfish. It was quite large, probably being bigger than myself. Only instead of a perfect dome, the creature was a bit more stretched out for a more streamlined form. Its appearance was a dull brown and leathery, having no discernable face or features. Six long tentacles hung lazily below it from its body while the underside was giving off a peculiar blue glow.

"That's a netch, Luna. And as you can see, they're quite docile." I explained before reaching out and stroking the soft docile creature. "I always did find them to be pretty cute. How's the big netchy wetchy today?"

Luna let out a giggle as the netch started to lean towards us, floating on more of a tilt by then. "Ah! I think it likes us! Oh, you're such a good boy. Luna likes you!"

I snickered at my friend's enthusiasm. I too was rather excited, being able to hug a netch for the first time in my life. Even if it was a dream. I reached out with both arms, cuddling with the gentle giant. "Didn't think they'd be quite this adorable."

The two of us got distracted for quite a while. Hovering around the netch while petting and stroking its tentacles. Eventually, the netch seemed to grow bored and started to float north to graze. Or perhaps it was returning to its herd. "See ya around, netchy." I called out with a wave.

"Such a charming creature. And you said this world was dangerous!" Luna spoke while nudging me with her elbow.

I smirked, trying to not laugh. "There are exceptions. But in general, this world is quite treacherous. The netch is just one of the few gentle giants you can find in it. But before we get sidetracked again, let's check out Bloodskal Barrow."

Luna's eyes lit up a bit with excitement. "Bloodskal... Such an intriguing name. Lead on!" And I did. With Luna behind me, I led her to the stone towers and towards an ancient iron door wedged into the hillside behind them.

Upon opening the door, we found ourselves in a dark tomb with only a few torches on the walls illuminating the area. I am not entirely certain of how to go into describing the area sine I do not remember every specific detail. To my relief, I found even this section of the area to be deserted. "Good thing there's no one here."

Luna proceeded to ask as we turned a corner and came to what seemed to be a makeshift dwelling, "Just how dangerous is this place?"

I decided to be blunt with my response. "Bandits in armor swinging swords and daggers, that sort of dangerous."

"Oh... That sums things up nicely." Luna replied with a humbled expression. Following the stone floor, we passed a fire pit with a cooking pot hanging over it and rows of fish and vegetables placed in small tombs in the wall. To my delight, I found that a passage in the wall at the back of the area was present. "Hm? Where does this lead?"

I stepped forward into the passage and motioned for Luna to follow me. "Let's find out." Granted, I knew what was already down there. Although it would not do for me to spoil it for her, would it?

Once more, we passed through an iron door and descended a spiraling set of wooden planks used as stairs. At the bottom, we found several ancient urns and an intricately designed table with light blue runes spread out on it. Ivy was growing here and there, likely due to the significant amount of moisture in the air. "Intriguing... Are you sure this world is entirely fictional?" Luna asked while surveying her surroundings.

"Actually, yes. This world does not really exist." I replied while passing through a stone gateway. Just beyond it was a massive stone room with what I suppose was a large pond in it, or perhaps a reflecting pool. A stone platform extended halfway through the pond, two stone pillars rising from the corners. But just as I was starting to approach the extension, Luna caught up to me and spoke up with a noticeably worried tone of voice. "James, something doesn't feel right here. I really don't think we should be here."

I looked down at my friend. She seemed afraid. Perhaps she could detect faint magical forces in the air that I could not. Still, I knew the place well enough to know that there were no threats there anymore. "It's OK, Luna. There may have been something dangerous here before, but it's been gone for a while."

There was an ancient wooden chest sitting smack-dab in the middle of the stone platform. "Maybe we can take a souvenir with us." I muttered while approaching it. But just as I was reaching for it, I glanced upward. Ahead in the center of the pool, something floated up out of it. A skeletal humanoid figure clad in a tattered yet intricate robe while wearing a strange metallic mask that soon righted itself while floating above the water's surface. "Aw man, not you again!"

Luna seemed quite unnerved by the sight of the bizarre creature ahead of us. "What in the name of Equestria is that?!"

"Get down!" I replied, grabbing my friend and pulling her down behind the chest an instant before the masked undead bombarded the chest with a stream of powerful magic lightning. Fortunately for us, the chest held.

"Is that thing casting lightning magic?! Just what is it?!" Luna shrieked, keeping her head down to avoid making herself an easy target.

"Told ya this world is dangerous! As for just WHAT that thing is... Uh... I think he goes by the name Zahkriisos. And yes, he's an undead. Probably a lich. You're familiar with those, aren't you?" I replied, knowing that Luna should not be terribly surprised to see one. Though I suppose she had yet to see an undead human until that moment.

"Why, yes! Only I have never seen... What is that noise?" Luna glanced around very slowly, the sound of the lightning barrage ceasing for a moment. In the air was the sound of... Hmmm... What is the best way to describe it? It sounded like low-pitched creepy breathing through spinning fan blades. Suddenly, Luna looked in my direction and pointed with her hoof. "J...James... Tent...tent...tentacles..."

I froze at her words. "There's something behind me?" Very slowly, I turned around. Oh lord, the creature that was floating behind me. Four wrinkled arms hanging down with a toothy gap in the torso and tentacles hanging from the face and underside with a green 'robe' of sorts draped across its back. "Gah! Not Cthulhu!"

Just as that freakish entity was beginning to raise its creepy wrinkled arms, it let out a creepy roar as it was struck by a powerful blast of electrical energy. Before I even knew it, the Cthulhu cosplayer vanished in an aura of azure sparks. "Too close. Are you well, James?"

I looked over my shoulder. Luna's horn was coated by her cobalt blue magic aura. "Hang on. Did you cast that?"

"Of course! Lightning magic is my specialty! I can...ack!" Luna was interrupted as Zahkriisos bombarded the chest we were behind with another volley of lightning. I have to say, lightning magic is not nearly as loud as lightning strikes in general. Good for me since I cannot stand sudden loud bangs.

"OK, we need to deal with that thing... Wait, where's the Lunar Shield? Where's the Celestial Sword?! And where's my helmet?!" I took a moment to examine myself, noticing that I was conspicuously unarmed.

"Where?! I never brought them with me! They're still in the vault under the throne in Canterlot!" Luna replied while standing up and projecting a cobalt barrier around us. None of the lightning our foe conjured up was able to get through.

"Well... That's a problem... Wait a sec! My left gauntlet has the same magic aura you have. Does that mean...?" I asked, recalling how she and Celestia told me how my left and right gauntlets have the same magical polarities they have.

"That you can cast lightning magic? Yes! Only I do not have time to teach you!" Luna replied while occasionally taking potshots at the lightning-launching lich that floated over the pool ahead of us. She would have to drop the barrier to do so, but she was impressively quick in swapping between launching lightning and erecting a barrier.

I looked down at my left hand, a cobalt blue aura starting to coat it. True, I had never once been trained in using any other type of magic besides levitation. However, this was a dream. Surely I could will the gauntlet to cast lightning magic. "Maybe you don't need to train me this time." I stuck my left hand through the barrier. A second later, a bolt of lightning streaked across the pool and slammed into Zahkriisos. The lich was clearly stunned, showing some intelligence since he seemed genuinely startled and disoriented.

"Ha! It works!" I yelled, starting to feel exhilarated now that I had a means to take the fight to the undead.

"How did you do that?! Lightning magic is a very advanced type of spell!" Luna shouted while keeping the barrier up. She clearly did not understand how I was able to cast it. And come to think of it...perhaps I was not using the gauntlet to cast Lightning Bolt. Perhaps it was just being cast from memory.

I looked down at my hand, smirking as sparks surged around my curled fingers. "I don't think I did, actually. But now... Heh, this is gonna be good." I flapped my wings and flew out of the barrier, starting to circle Zahkriisos while hovering around the room. I extended my left hand, launching bolt after bolt of enchanted lightning. "Ha! Zappity zap zap, liches!"

I was getting so caught up in bombarding that undead sorcerer with lightning; I was not taking into account my own safety. Granted, my armor practically negated the lightning he launched at me, but then a flash of bright light engulfed my vision when the stream was directed towards my unarmored head. Next thing I knew... I was looking up at the sky with a soft cushion of sorts right under me and a dark thundercloud partially blocking out the sun floating above.

I gritted my teeth as I suddenly sat up and reached my arms to the sky. "Oh, come on! It was just starting to get interesting!"

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy suddenly rolled away from me as I yelled. Fluttershy then asked, "Huh?! What was getting interesting?!"

Luna let out a yawn from right behind me before I had the chance to reply. "Yes, that was starting to look like fun. Then again, it is hard to stay asleep when you get hurt in a dream."

"Yeah?! Well, you weren't the only ones having a nice dream! Thanks for waking me up!" Rainbow Dash retorted before crossing her arms and pouting. Considering what had been happening today, I felt it would be best to not ask what the dream involved.

Regardless of my abrupt awakening, I reached out with my arms as far as they would stretch and let out a long yawn. Heh, I yawned as I wrote this even. I suppose they really are contagious. "Come to...think of it... How long were we out?" I asked before allowing my arms to become lax.

Luna turned her gaze to the sun, seemingly noticing that it had moved out from behind the thundercloud. Fortunately, more clouds that were much higher up were weakening its powerful glare. "I would have to say...two hours?"

I looked back to the east, seeing Ponyville in the distance. "Hmm... You think we should be getting home right now? Scootaloo's probably gonna be hungry when she gets home from school... Oh, wait. They're already out by now. But she's probably hanging out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle right now."

Fluttershy looked over the side of the cloud at the Everfree Forest below. She almost immediately scooted away from the edge of the cloud and up against me. "Um... I think I've had enough of big heights for one day too. Do you think we could...um...head home now?"

"I don't see why not. Where are... Oh, there they are." I replied, finding my gauntlets resting on the cloud nearby. It would be a problem if they fell into the forest below. Could probably take forever just to find one.

Once I slid my gauntlets back on, I prepared to stand up. However, Rainbow Dash suddenly went airborne. "Hey, you guys just stay put for a minute. I'll getcha back there in style!" That brazen pegasus suddenly flew out of sight before I heard her call out from somewhere behind Luna, "All aboard the Rainbow Express! Enjoy your flight!"

All of a sudden, the cloud we were on suddenly lurched in one direction. "Eek! We're moving!" Fluttershy yelped while holding onto me tightly.

"Rainbow Dash, are you pushing the cloud towards Ponyville?!" Luna called out while looking in the general direction that Rainbow Dash was in. I could not see her, but I knew that our friend was somewhere below the edge of the cloud.

"Sure am! Just sit back and enjoy the ride!" Rainbow called out from somewhere out of my sight.

The cloud was flying along at a pretty swift speed, judging by how my hair was wavering in the wind. If I stood up, the wind would likely knock me down. So I remained seated while Luna and Fluttershy rested by my sides while their long beautiful manes blew in the wind. "Guess this is one nimbus I won't be able to ride properly."

Luna cast her gaze towards me. "A nimbus cloud?"

"I think this is more of a stratocumulus cloud than a nimbus." Fluttershy retorted while looking over her shoulder at me. I suppose most pegasi would know their clouds better than me. Especially when they spent their childhoods living on them.

It was quite an entertaining experience to just be gliding over the Everfree Forest without exerting any effort for once. I suppose I can compare it to riding an airplane without the droning noise of jet engines and a compact cabin restricting movement. I leaned towards the edge and peered over it. The trees almost looked like a flowing green river due to the speed we were traveling at.

"Is everything OK back there, Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy called our in a slightly louder tone than usual. I was a little too enthralled with what was happening around me to really speak out. How often does one get the opportunity to ride a cloud while simultaneously having the cloud speeding along at roughly the same speed as a racecar?

"What did you say, Fluttershy?!" Rainbow Dash called out, Fluttershy's tone of voice still too quiet to reach her back there.

Luna then leaned towards the back of the cloud and lowered her head towards the edge. "She asked if you are holding up well back here."

Rainbow Dash called out with a bit of a laugh. "That?! Ha! I'm fine! Just sit back and enjoy the ride!" And we most certainly did. Luna and Fluttershy were paying just as much attention to their surroundings as I was. It did not take long for us to start soaring over the edge of Ponyville, the rooftops sweeping by beneath us. We did not pass directly over the town though. Our destination was likely the meadow that separated Fluttershy's cottage from Ponyville.

Sure enough, our ride began to slow to a stop as we drifted over the meadow with Fluttershy's cottage on the horizon. "Thank you for flying with Rainbow Airways! Make sure to keep your hooves above the cushion at all times as we come in for a landing." Rainbow Dash spoke in a very professional tone as her ego got the better of her. Again. I could not help but roll my eyes at the way she was talking.

While Rainbow Dash talked, the cloud we were sitting on steadily descended towards the ground. Once we were less than a foot off of it, Luna, Fluttershy, and myself hopped off of the cloud and onto the soft grass below. "I hope you enjoyed your flight! Have a nice day!" Rainbow Dash peeked out from behind the cloud with a cheeky grin. She then trotted over to the other side of the cloud and looked over her shoulder at it. "Ready for takeoff!" Upon saying those words, she bucked the cloud with both of her hind legs and sent it back towards the Everfree Forest. Who knows how long it took for the thing to drift to a stop.

Luna cocked her head to one side before suddenly tilting it in the other direction, the sound of her neck's vertebrae popping and creaking rather loudly. "Well, that most certainly was a fine time we had."

I stretched once more, finding it to be rather relaxing now that I was back on solid ground. "Eeeeyup. That nap helped too... Huh? What's so funny?" For whatever reason, Fluttershy had started to giggle.

"Sorry... It's just that you sounded like Big Macintosh for a moment right there." Fluttershy replied while looking up at me with her hoof over her mouth.

"Big Mac? How... Oh lord, that. I need to catch myself when that happens. That little quip of his is contagious!" I retorted with a groan and chuckle. That word is surprisingly easy to sneak into one's vocabulary.

Luna chuckled along with me, but then approached me with a smile. "Well, it was quite an honor to be able to spend some time with you again, James. Especially on Hearts and Hooves Day of all times. But I should be returning to Canterlot soon. The night will be starting in a couple of hours and I should return your armor to its resting place too."

Rainbow Dash looked around for a moment before asking, "Hey, didn't that stuff come in a big silver cup?"

The alicorn's eyes opened wide in shock. "Oh my... I left it somewhere around here, didn't I?!" She trotted here and there, checking behind rocks and trees. Where did we leave that thing anyway?

"Oh! I think I know someone who can help us!" Fluttershy gasped before approaching a tree that seemed to have a large knothole in the side that likely could be used as a small den to any little critter that could reach it.

Fluttershy lightly knocked on the trunk of the tree with her hoof. "Hello, are you there? I think you know where we can find what we're looking for." In response, a raccoon stuck its head out of the hole.

"Oh, this explains everything." I spoke as I rolled my eyes. Having read 'Where the Red Fern Grows' well over a decade ago in a school textbook, I know that raccoons are effectively packrats that sometimes hoard any peculiar items they find, especially shiny objects. Anything made of silver is probably fair game... Wait. 'Where the Red Fern Grows' has never been published in Equestria... My apologies. Do not think too hard about what I just wrote.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but Princess Luna is looking for a big silver cup she left around here. Have you seen it?" Fluttershy asked the raccoon in a soothing reassuring voice. The raccoon seemed to smile before ducking back into its den and emerging while holding out the same silver chalice Luna had used to transport my armor to me while in its initial liquid state.

"That's it! The chalice!" Luna called out before her horn was engulfed in her signature magic aura. An instant later, the chalice was coated by the same aura too. However, as the chalice floated over to her, the raccoon refused to let go and ended up getting carried along through the air.

"Looks like someone has some sticky fingers!" Rainbow Dash joked while taking note of the raccoon's clinginess to its treasure. Once a raccoon takes hold of something it is interested in, it will probably never let go.

Luna did not seem to be very amused at all by the rodent's refusal to part with the chalice. She frowned in irritation, making the chalice wiggle around quite a bit. "Come now, forest dweller. That chalice belongs in the royal palace. Unhand it this instant!"

When the raccoon still did not let go, Fluttershy stepped forward and spoke to it. "Please let it go, little raccoon. I know it's very pretty, but it doesn't belong to you. So could you give it back? Pretty please?"

For whatever reason, that seemed to do the trick. The raccoon seemed to sigh in defeat, reluctantly letting go of the chalice and dropping to the ground. Fluttershy smiled while gently nuzzling the raccoon's head. "Thank you. You did the right thing." The raccoon seemed to smile a bit before scampering off across the meadow. Probably to try and find another shiny object to replace the treasure he had just parted ways with.

Luna too nodded with a smile. "Yes. And thank you for keeping it safe until we returned." She then set the cup down and removed its lid before facing me and pointing her horn at my chest. "Be still, please."

At those words, I felt my armor starting to melt right off of me. The thick viscous metal oozed down my body before it settled into a puddle around my feet. Before I could comment on it, it was surrounded by a cobalt blue aura before 'jumping' like a liquid organism into the chalice. Luna then placed the lid back onto it. "That should do it."

"It was awesome seeing you again, Princess Luna. Thanks for coming along!" Rainbow Dash grinned while waving her hoof.

Luna replied with a smile, "It was my pleasure. And I can't wait to tell Nightmare Moon about that little adventure we had. Especially about that cuddly soft...um... What was that thing with the tentacles?"

Fluttershy seemed to have taken some interest in our conversation and approached us. "Tentacles? Did you see an octopus somewhere?"

I looked down at Luna and spoke, "That was a netch, Luna. And no, they're not a type of octopus. But you would've loved to meet one."

My girlfriend seemed to get very excited at the mention of meeting a new type of friendly creature. "Oh, I would? Are they cuddly? Big or small? Fluffy or squishy?"

I rolled my eyes while trying to not laugh. "Sorry, honey. You'll never meet a netch. They don't really exist."

That certainly seemed to kill her mood. Fluttershy bowed her head and let out a long sigh. "Oh... That's a shame."

Luna approached Fluttershy and gently patted her on the shoulder. "There now, Fluttershy. Perhaps you will see them in your dreams." She then gave me a wink, silently expressing how the knowledge of the netch's existence was shared between us.

"As much as I would love to stay a bit longer, I really should depart for Canterlot now. But thank you all for allowing me to stay." Luna spoke once more before approaching me and giving me a tender embrace. "I am honored I was allowed to be a part of your first Hearts and Hooves Day, James. Let's meet again soon."

I responded in kind while wrapping my arms around her in an embrace of my own. "It was a pleasure, Luna. See you soon." The princess of the night then spread her wings and took to the air with the silver chalice cradled in her left foreleg. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash waved goodbye with me as we watched the beautiful alicorn fly east.

"Going out on a flight was a good idea, Rainbow. That was a good time." I spoke while flexing my neck to loosen myself up.

"Hay yeah, it was! Who doesn't like flying?" She replied with that enthusiastic tone of hers. But she then asked, "So, what's next? Wanna check out the bowling alley? Maybe grab some dinner at the café? Oh, wait! How about some manticore wrestling?!"

What was with Rainbow Dash spouting out all those activities with the enthusiasm of a cheerful school kid? Was she just bored out of her mind to the point where she had to keep doing something interesting to stay stimulated? That sounds more like something Pinkie Pie would do!

Fluttershy spoke up before I could. "Actually, Rainbow Dash... We really should be getting home now. Scootaloo's probably coming home soon and we need to start on dinner."

For whatever reason, Rainbow Dash's expression seemed to show something of a cross between a smile and a look of desperation. "Oh, come on, Fluttershy! Can't we just....uh..."

Her inability to provide an answer really showed that something was not right. I sighed to myself, remembering why Rainbow Dash was even with us. With all that had been going on today, I had all but forgotten.

"Well... Uh... OK. If you really have to go, I guess that's all right. But..." With quite possibly the most pathetic pleading gaze I had ever seen on her face, Rainbow Dash asked, "Could I...spend a few minutes in private with James? Just for a little while?"

I was starting to feel quite nervous as an unpleasant heat began to fill my body. And Fluttershy clearly did not like the idea either. My girlfriend frowned and sighed before replying, "Rainbow... James isn't your..."

Our friend did not give up. She raised her voice a little further and bowed before the lovely yellow pegasus. "I swear I'm not gonna take your boyfriend away from you. I just want to spend a little time with him before I go home... Please, Fluttershy? Just for a few minutes?"

Fluttershy silently looked towards me with a slight frown, as if she was unsure of what to say. I averted my eyes for a moment while deliberating on what to do. After a brief moment, I nodded to Fluttershy to show I felt it was best to give Rainbow Dash what she was asking for.

Fluttershy clearly wasn't happy with the decision, but she seemed to respect it. I do not blame her for doubting Rainbow Dash, but our friend is practically the living definition of loyalty. I was sure she would not betray our trust now. "All right, Rainbow. You can have a little time with James. But please don't keep him too long...eep?!"

Rainbow clearly caught Fluttershy by surprise, suddenly reaching out and snatching her up in her forelegs for a huge hug. "Thank you! I swear you won't regret it!"

I honestly had to suppress a laugh from watching that response. Fluttershy seemed to go limp in Rainbow's grasp, leaning backwards with a dazed expression. "Uh... Thank you? Um... Could you put me down, please?"

It was only then that Rainbow Dash realized what she was doing. She giggled a little while gently letting go of Fluttershy and allowing her to fall back onto all fours. "Right, sorry... Anyway, thanks. I promise I won't keep him for too long."

Fluttershy looked up at me with a rather worried expression. I nodded with a smile, trying to reassure her that I had no intention of allowing myself to be taken from her. She smiled softly, though I could still see that she was somewhat worried. "I'll go tend to the animals at home while I wait. See you soon, James." I waved goodbye before Fluttershy turned and walked away, though not without glancing over her shoulder at me a few times.

Once we were alone, I looked down at Rainbow Dash. "So...uh... How was today?"

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh at first before lying down next to the tree Luna's silver chalice had been stored in. I followed her, taking a seat beside her. "Today... Well..." Rainbow sighed again before continuing. "Today was awesome... Just being with you constantly was... I loved it."

I smiled at her words. "I enjoyed it too. It was very enjoyable being with you today, Rainbow."

My friend pulled herself up and started to lean against me with her hoof on my hand. I was not as nervous this time since I was all but certain Rainbow Dash would not be making any sudden advances on me again. "It was...almost like you and I were on a real date..."

This darkened my mood. Even though I knew there was no way around it, it did not make the truth any easier for me. I really wanted to make Rainbow Dash happy, but I knew I could not. At least not without leaving Fluttershy.

"James... Can I ask a favor from you?" I heard my friend ask.

"Yeah, Rainbow?" I replied, not certain of just how to respond.

I looked down at the beautiful yet rowdy pegasus mare as she looked up at me. "Could we...make out one last time?"

One last kiss. That was what she was asking me for. In truth, it almost hurt to hear those words. Not because I would not enjoy it, but because it would be the last romantic act Rainbow would ever experience with me. Still, I nodded with a faint smile. "Sure, Rainbow."

No more words were spoken as she pulled herself up to my face. We gazed into each other's eyes for a brief moment. I did not see the usual brashness or ego I usually saw in them. Instead, I saw a powerful want in them as well as a very deep kind of admiration. It was strange... In that brief moment, Rainbow Dash seemed far more beautiful than ever before to me.

Almost as if in a trance, the two of us lightly touched our lips together for a very soft kiss. Over and over we repeated that simple action, placing kiss after kiss on each other. Until finally, Rainbow planted a kiss on me and did not pull away. I felt her wrap her forelegs around me as she closed her eyes and pushed against me.

I knew what was happening and accepted her affections. My lips parted, feeling myself becoming very relaxed as I was being practically engulfed by Rainbow Dash's affection. I felt her tongue reach into my mouth, the faint taste of cupcakes coating it. I did not resist. My arms wrapped around her, holding her against me. What a kiss. I could feel the passion in Rainbow's kiss. I never once imagined that such a bold and brazen woman could be such a passionate lover. I always thought that the concept of romance was unimportant to her. I suppose I was wrong.

I closed my eyes, losing myself in that amazing kiss. I did not really think about anything else. I was focused on just that one moment between us. My hands stroked Rainbow's back as she arched against me, her wings spreading open in a strong wingboner. I could hear faint moans reverberating in her throat.

I honestly do not know how much time passed before we finally broke the kiss. Maybe two minutes or possibly even ten. I felt dazed, my body filled with warmth as Rainbow slowly pulled away from me. We both slowly opened our eyes at the same time. I could see that her light blue face had a noticeable shade of pink around her cheeks as she blushed. She seemed daze, her expression almost looking hypnotized. Her mouth hung open slightly with a thin string of our saliva hanging from it. We both panted lightly, each of us clearly just as overly stimulated from the kiss as the other.

"Whoa... That..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she started to regain her composure. A few seconds later, she fell against me and let out a very content sigh. "That was awesome..."

I gently stroked my friend's mane, letting out a sigh too. "Yeah... I feel like I just woke up from a nap. Really relaxing."

I felt rainbow Dash rest her chin on my shoulder as she embraced me in a tender hug. I did not say anything, just enjoying the gentle quiet company of my friend as we sat there while a gentle meadow breeze blew through the air. However, I soon felt faint tremors shuddering through her body. Was the breeze too cold for her?

"Rainbow...?" I asked softly. She did not respond, but with her head right next to mine, I could hear faint sobs and whispers. She was crying. "Rainbow, what's wrong? You can tell me..."

I heard her choke on tears as she whispered, "I... I don't want this moment to end..."

I could only sigh at those words. This was probably as close to being lovers as we were ever going to get. And I knew that was probably tearing her apart on the inside. "I'm sorry..."

Rainbow Dash slowly pulled away and looked at me. As expected, big wet tears were trickling down her face. "It's not fair... I love you and I can't have you... You don't know how long I've waited for the moment...but it feels like one big tease!" She buried her face in my shirt and cried. "I finally almost have you, but I just can't reach the goal... It's just out of reach and I'll never be able to hold it in my arms..."

I honestly felt absolutely awful to hear her say that. Maybe if things had been different... I could honestly see Rainbow Dash and I as a couple. We contrast greatly, yet I am certain we would mesh well. But fate had chosen a different path for me instead and I was not going to leave Fluttershy just because someone else wanted me.

"Rainbow... I know we can't ever become sweethearts... But... How to I put this..." I muttered while embracing her in as gentle an embrace as possible. "I'm going to try to word this the best I can. I know you want to reach out and hold me. But you can't reach that far, right?"

My friend nodded while still keeping her head buried in my shoulder. She did not speak, but I did hear a faint whimper that probably was a muffled 'uh huh' from her. I continued, carefully thinking out my words before speaking. "Well... Even if you can't reach far enough to hold me..." I then gently pulled away from my friend until she was facing me. Reaching down, I lifted her left foreleg and gently pressed my right palm against her hoof while its underside was directed towards me. "You can still reach far enough to feel me."

Her face seemed to show a faint glimmer of surprise, her big rose-colored eyes looking down at her hoof and my hand. "Rainbow Dash. You and I more often than not go together like oil and water. But despite our differences, I can't imagine life without you anymore. I've got quite a few friends now. And out of all of them, you're one of the best."

Rainbow Dash gazed at me, tears filling her eyes. But instead of sorrow, she seemed to be steadily beginning to shows signs of being truly touched. "You mean that?"

I nodded with a smile while my fingers curled and gripped her hoof. "Yes. And now that I think about it..." I leaned in closer to whisper into her ear. "I've seen you on more days than anyone else in Equestria."

The brazen yet beautiful pegasus mare let out a faint gasp. "Oh my gosh, you're right. That day... When you went into the Everfree Forest..."

I nodded with smiled. "Out of all of my friends, you were the only one I saw that day. And I was glad to see you." I then leaned forward and gently rested my forehead against hers, those lovely rose eyes staring into mine without blinking once. "I honestly think we share a type of special bond, Rainbow. Do you?"

A gush of tears burst forth from Rainbow's eyes as a lovely smile spread across her face. "I do... I really do... I can't imagine living without you anymore. I always cherish every single day we spend time together."

I then asked as my grip on her hoof tightened, constantly making certain my voice was calm and soothing. "Can we keep things that way then? Can we continue to see each other every day without fail as the friends we are?"

Rainbow responded by suddenly holding me in the tightest embrace I had received that day. "Yes... I don't want that to ever change..."

I responded in kind, holding my friend while stroking her back and down to her wings. Curiously, they were still spread wide. After a moment, when I felt that the tension from before had passed, I felt the need to ask. "Rainbow... Why are your wings so stiffly spread?"

Her eyes shot open next to my head. "They are?" She pulled away from me and looked at them before looking back at me with a rather unnerved grin. "Uh... What do you think it is?"

A wingboner. It had not gone away? "Where did that even come from?"

Rainbow smiled while wiping away her tears and sniffling lightly. "That kiss...got me hot and bothered. And... Heh, I see you felt it too."

She was right. That kiss was...quite enthralling and got to my body. "Uh... Don't tell Fluttershy about that."

Rainbow Dash flashed me a wink before managing to fold her wings. "Hey, the only reason we got turned on so much was because one of us is one hay of a kisser."

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. "I don't recall being the one to initiate the more intimate smooching... And how are you going to deal with that wingboner anyway? It still hasn't really gone away, has it?"

Rainbow Dash looked down at her folded wings. "Um... I dunno. I'm actually trying to keep them folded. Lemme see if they've relaxed yet." An instant later, they sprang open. "Nope! Still got a wingboner! I'll have to go home and...take care of it."

I rolled my eyes, not surprised in the least that it was taking time to fade. "Figures... Um... I know this isn't probably something I should ask, but...what do you think about when you...take care of wingboners?"

The look she gave me unnerved me a bit. It almost looked seductive, yet also whimsical. "What do you think? I think about you."

My body heated up in an instant, as what I think was a blush filled my face. I would not know for certain since I could not see my reflection anywhere. However, Rainbow continued to explain. "I especially try to imagine you without your armor, but with those...huge shiny wings..." That expression... She was just melting at the thought. And I confess I was starting to feel rather uncomfortable as I imagined what was going through her head. "Oh man... Just thinking about that gets me every time..."

"OK, I get it! You dig guys with big wings!" I groaned, facepalming in the process. Rainbow Dash let out a laugh at my reaction while regaining her composure.

After a moment, I looked to the west. Somewhere over there, Fluttershy was likely tending to her animals alone. "Rainbow... I really should get going. I don't want to leave Fluttershy alone for long today."

Rainbow Dash frowned and let out a sigh at my words. "I know... And I know she's who you've chosen... I won't get between you two...but..." She leaped at me as I stood up, holding onto me for one last hug. "Thanks for letting me spend Hearts and Hooves Day with you... It... It meant the world to me."

I let out a long sigh while my mouth curved upward into a smile. I gently wrapped my arms around her, holding her against me. "It was a pleasure, Rainbow. I enjoyed having you with us."

I just stood there for a moment. Neither of us spoke. Neither of us moved. We just remained still, holding each other close. Although I suppose I was also holding Rainbow Dash off the ground. Eventually, she was the one to speak first. "James. Before I go, I have something important to tell you."

"Hm?" I muttered, releasing my grasp on her. Rainbow Dash immediately began to flap her wings, hovering in front of me. Her expression showed a somber smile.

"You know I love you... And I want you to do what makes you happy. But... Now, don't take this the wrong way. I'm not saying I want this to ever happen, but..." She stammered on, seemingly having difficulty finding the right words to speak. I merely crossed my arms and waited, curious of what she was implying.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... If anything ever goes wrong between you and Fluttershy... If you two ever break up..." Rainbow Dash then held her hooves over her chest and smiled at me with tears in her eyes. "You can give your broken heart to me...because I will always save my lonely soul for you."

That... That was so beautiful. I honestly felt tears start to build in my eyes at that moment. I believe it was only then that I truly understood just how much I meant to Rainbow Dash. "I... I will, Rainbow... If anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know."

My friend reached out with one hoof, gently wiping a tear from my cheek. "Don't cry, big guy. That day hasn't happened yet. But if it does, I've got your back." She then leaned forward and nuzzled me. "Hay, if anything does get you down, you just come to me. I've always got time for you."

I reached out and stroked Rainbow's mane. "I will, Rainbow. And thank you."

My friend flashed me one of her big toothy grins, looking like she was back to her old self. "Anytime. Now, get going. You have your one true sweetheart to tend to right now. Give her plenty of love tonight!"

I snickered, finding her enthusiasm to be flattering. "I'll try. I'm not an aggressive lover, you know. It's all up to whether or not she wants any."

She began to rise higher into the air. Her eyes constantly gazed down at me, never leaving me for a second. "See ya tomorrow, James! And thank you." I waved at her while she waved back. A few seconds later, that beautiful brazen mare bolted to the east, leaving a rainbow vapor trail in her wake. Not really having anything else to say, I smiled and began to walk home.

As I drew near to the cottage, I could see Fluttershy carrying a basket of birdseed up to some colorful songbirds perching in the tree closest to her house. They all fluttered over to the basket and perched on the edge while plucking the seeds from the basket. "Cute. A portable birdfeeder." I muttered aloud as I watched. However, it did not take long for her to see me standing on the little earthen bridge spanning the creek in front of our home.

Fluttershy seemed like she was about to call out to me, but her eyes then glanced downward at the last section. Probably because she was taking note of the basket hanging from her jaws. After hovering over to a branch and hanging the basket on it, she then swooped down to me. "How was Rainbow Dash? Do you think she'll be OK?"

I replied while bringing myself to the ground and sitting at the edge of the bridge with my legs hanging off. "Yeah. She had a lot to get off her chest, but she seemed to be very happy when she departed for home."

Fluttershy took a seat next to me, her body lightly leaning against me. "That's good... I was worried her feelings would tear her apart."

I let out a sigh, knowing all too well how she was feeling. Even though we had parted on good terms, knowing what she was going through still made my heart a bit heavy. "I know what it's like to develop feelings for someone who ends up choosing someone else. It hurts."

"I hope she'll be all right... I've never seen Rainbow Dash in love before." Fluttershy spoke with a sigh. Our gazes were directed to the stream of water that was flowing underneath us.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Rainbow has proven herself to be a hardy one on more than one occasion..." I replied, my eyes gazing at our reflections.

The two of us just sat there for a while, not really paying much mind to anything. However, Fluttershy seemed to notice something on my face. "James? Are you all right? Your face seems a bit red."

I glanced at her, not really understanding what she meant. She then reached out and touched my face with her hoof. "You feel warm too. Are you OK?"

It was then that I realized I was still feeling rather hot and bothered from that amazing kiss Rainbow and I had shared. In fact, it was rather difficult to not think about it. "Uh... Just distracted by some thoughts..."

Fluttershy's eyes seemed to glance down at something before looking back at me. "Did Rainbow Dash kiss you before she left?"

I winced at those words. "Is it that obvious?"

My girlfriend let out a giggle before looping her tail around herself and draping it over my leg and crotch. I could almost feel the delicate fibers of her long gorgeous tail through the fabric of my pants. She then winked at me with a surprisingly alluring gaze that she does not show me very often and whispered, "Then I'll have to do something about that tonight, won't I?"

If I was still feeling warm and aroused from minutes earlier, I must have felt like I was in a desert after hearing those words. I could feel warm excited sweat starting to soak me from under my clothes. "Heh... Sounds good to me, honey."

She leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, dear."

I could only smile at those words. I gently placed my hand on the back of Fluttershy's head and pulled her in for a kiss. However, we did not have much time to really get into it before the buzzing of a motor could be heard in the distance before steadily drawing near. I looked to the south, frowning with irritation. "Oh, come on. Just as we were starting to relax."

Sure enough, I could see Scootaloo in the distance riding her scooter. She was definitely on her way home from the clubhouse. However, Fluttershy then looked up at me and asked, "Tonight, James?"

I winked at her and smiled, "Count on it."

Fluttershy then whispered into my ear with a giggle. "I'll wear the lingerie." That made me wretch with anticipation. I was going to have a hard time focusing on cooking dinner that evening.

I suppose I could write about how things went in the evening, but it would probably be redundant. That and...this entry has reached over one hundred pages. Good lord. I really should wrap this one up.

As I lie here in bed, Fluttershy is holding onto me in her sleep. Today was one big roller coaster for us. But all in all, it was a lovely first Hearts and Hooves Day for me. Although I have to wonder what Rainbow Dash is doing right now...

I still feel guilty for what happened today. I truly feel for her. But I know my heart belongs to Fluttershy and no one else. And I pray my friendship with Rainbow Dash remains strong.

I am actually feeling rather drained right now, so I will stop here. Sweet dreams, Fluttershy. And thank you for always being there for me, Rainbow Dash. And Happy Hearts and Hooves Day to you both.