FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

It has been exactly one week since the day I got out of the hospital and things have been really good, to say the least. I cannot describe the sheer joy of being back home and with the people I love. Although...I have had a lot more free time than I am used to lately. As requested by my doctors, I was to receive no less than a week of rest. As a result, I have been given the week off by my employers at Sugarcube Corner and the spa. That is not to say I do not enjoy the extra relaxation time, but I have found myself taking a lot of walks in and around Ponyville to help pass the time.

The walks have been good for helping me get back into shape, although building my upper body strength back up has been less enjoyable. Every day so far, I have stopped by Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack carry some bushels of apples to help my body build strength as well as to earn a little extra pocket change. However, she has always insisted that I carry no more than two per day. I suppose it does not help that the trees closest to the farmhouse have already been shaken clean of apples, leaving only the most distant trees untouched. That makes for a lot of distance to cover and a lot of stress on my back. But I think I am getting better with each day.

My life with Scootaloo has been slowly easing its way into its current state. It took a few days to finally get used to her calling me her father, but I think I am finally settled into it now. It feels all the more fitting now when I walk her to school and pick her up at the end of the day. When all is said and done, our bond really has not changed all that much. I still adore that filly and I know she adores me. Pretty much the only change has been what we call each other and how others see us, but that may change a bit over time. Actual parenthood is still new to me.

Speaking of parenthood, Fluttershy and I recently underwent some steps to get ready for the upcoming birth of our child. Still cannot believe she is actually pregnant... We still have not told Scootaloo just yet since our final decision on the matter is currently undecided. We sought out the local adoption services and started looking for couples who are seeking to adopt. Granted, our decision on whether or not we will keep the child is not yet final, but it was best to have a plan in order to be on the safe side. In all, we found four couples who had recently registered. One lives in Appleloosa, another in Manehatten, and another in Cloudsdale. Thankfully, since our child will undoubtedly be a pegasus, there is no trouble with having it be in Cloudsdale. Or will it look more human than others? The possibilities are enough to keep one up at night. However, the fourth couple contained two names I was familiar with that got a prompt scowl from me. Jet Set and Upper Crust. I think I already went over how a few weeks ago I encountered them in Canterlot. Needless to say, we readily denied them custody of our future child. I dread the thought of what sort a person a child raised by them would turn out like...

I would also like to mention here that... Well... Fluttershy and I are officially engaged. Later this week, we finally decided on a date. The wedding will be taking place in early April next year. Definitely more than enough time to think things through. Sometimes, when I look at her, I cannot help thinking about it. We have been lovers this past year. And soon, she will be my wife. I... I really cannot wrap my head around this, even though it was I who proposed. She constantly wears that engagement band around her hoof, making me feel a sense of pride as if she is showing the world that she is set to be wed to the man she loves and is completely unavailable to anyone else.

Of course, that is not all that has been happening recently. I do not think I have spent more time with all six of my dearest friends than I have this week. I think they have been going far out of their ways to catch up on lost time with me. Every single day so far, we have gotten together to do...something as friends. On Monday, Rainbow Dash came knocking and invited us to a Pony Pet Playdate or something. It seems to be a semi weekly get-together where my friends show up in the park with their pets for a simple fun time. It was no small wonder that I had never been invited. I was always at work whenever they did it! Regardless, Fluttershy and I showed up with Angel and Angela while the rest of our friends arrived with Winona, Owlowiscious, Gummy, Opalescence, and Tank. And I will say right now that I had forgotten how utterly awkward and hilariously amazing it is to see Tank chasing after Rainbow Dash while wearing those tiny goggles and that propeller device on his shell.

On Tuesday, Fluttershy invited all of us to a tea party out in the meadow near our house. While tea parties have never exactly been my thing, I could not turn her down since I learned that she and Rarity would be providing many types of tea to try along with numerous baked goods as snacks. Much like before, all five of our closest friends showed up to partake in it. I thought for sure Applejack and Rainbow Dash would have been more than just a little underhyped about the whole thing, but they enjoyed themselves just fine. Several of Fluttershy's animal friends joined in too, including a towering brown bear that left me feeling a bit intimidated at first until I found he is basically a gentle giant. Most of the tea Rarity and Fluttershy provided were fruit based, which I absolutely adored. It was a fine time indeed.

One Wednesday, I was invited out by my friends for a trip to the spa. And like before, all six of my dearest friends were there with me. Needless to say, my body definitely needed it. Lotus and Aloe were all too happy to see me back after being gone for a few weeks and went the extra mile to insure that I was getting the best treatment they could provide. Although it certainly helped that Rarity kept insisting that they give me only the best performance they could, what with her being their most valuable customer. I greatly enjoyed my time in the sauna and even partook in a mud bath. Although it was a bit awkward to do so since I had to remove all of my clothes for it. Rinsing myself was a bit easier than expected in a specific tub they had nearby, but I was most grateful that everyone averted their eyes or distracted themselves while I did so before I could put my clothes back on. Lotus even provided me a fantastic massage after a dip in the hot tub, although she was initially shocked to see that scar around my middle. The rest of my friends saw it too while seated at the edge of the hot tub. I do not know what it is about that scar, but just seeing it greatly...unsettles my friends and I can never get a straight answer out of them as to why.

When Thursday came, we all hit the local movie theater. I was especially surprised to find that movies exist in this world. Despite having not been much of a movie fan for the last several years of my life, I decided to tag along solely for the sake of my friends. The interior of the theater was not too far removed from those I would find back on Earth and we loaded ourselves down with buckets of popcorn, soda, and candy. Not surprisingly, Pinkie Pie went a bit overboard on the candy. As it turned out, the movie was a Daring Do film based heavily on one of the books. Rainbow Dash was especially excited to see her favorite novel hero on the big screen and it took a little help from Twilight to keep our rowdy friend in her seat. At the climax of the movie, Rainbow Dash even almost got herself thrown out of the theater when she rocketed up and blocked the view of other visitors sitting in the back. I forget the name of the movie, but I think it shared its title with one of the Daring Do novels. I believe it was the one mentioning a sapphire artifact. Needless to say, it was a fun little adventure film with a memorable soundtrack that almost sounded like it was plagiarizing another familiar adventure film series I had seen before a long time ago. But I could be wrong. And I swear I was having fantasies all day rolling through my head of Rainbow Dash being the one experiencing the adventure I had just witnessed. It does not help that she and Daring Do are physically identical to each other aside from their color schemes! Now I know why Rainbow Dash went dressed up as Daring Do during Nightmare Night last year.

On Friday, we all took the train up to Canterlot just for a little fun out on the town. Basically a field trip. And this time, even Spike tagged along. None of us really enjoyed the presence of the local Canterlot elite, and I was especially relieved to not having once encountered Jet Set, Upper Crust, or the Prince of Blueballs, but we did not let them bother us. We mostly just did some window shopping while occasionally ducking inside the shops to do actual shopping. We even had the pleasure of encountering Fancy Pants at one point and were even lucky enough to bump into Cadence while she was visiting a café. No sign of Shining Armor, unfortunately. We ultimately stopped by a pizzeria for dinner. While I was not surprised to find that none of the toppings consisted of meat, I loved the fact that they made some with garlic olive oil instead of tomato sauce. That went so well with spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes. Twilight even took the time to introduce me to her parents at her childhood address. A couple of nice middle class folks. Her mother's name is Twilight Velvet and her father is Night Light. Twilight definitely inherited her looks from her mother while I could see that her brother had inherited his from both of their parents. We did not head home until after sundown, but that just made the trip back down the mountain all the more magical under the moonlight.

Just yesterday, we once again got together for a bit of a beach party. Well, it was not quite the beach since Ponyville is nowhere near the ocean, but it was the next best thing under the summer sun. We all gathered at the swimming hole in the park for a little last minute enjoyment of the last days of summer. Even though Equestria's weather and seasons are completely under the control of the locals, they cannot hold off autumn forever. The water was a bit cool, but not too cold. Just the way I like it. A tree nearby even had a rope swing hanging from a branch which Pinkie Pie would use to hurl herself across the water before making quite a splash. While most of my friends did not bother wearing anything, Rarity just had to come along with a blue and white striped swimsuit that... Well, even though I did not mean to stare, it did a fine job of showing off her curvy rump. Although I suspect she may have noticed my gaze since she did blow a kiss at me at one point while I was behind her. Heh, she always has to look her best, I suppose. I suspect she might have been subtly teasing me the entire time. She and Rainbow Dash spent a good deal of time relaxing on a pair of beach chairs while just getting a tan as the rest of us went for a good swim. Pinkie Pie even brought some extra pool toys and goggles. While wearing the goggles, I even did some diving. The swimming hole was not very deep at all, probably going down no further than twelve feet. There were even fish swimming in it, which added to the charm. Even better, Applejack fired up a barbeque grill to roast some veggies for dinner. I can still remember the carrots with barbeque sauce. Delicious. And to top it all off, Fluttershy even invited some frogs and ducks to come swimming with us. I really cannot imagine the visit could have gotten any better.

And that brings us to today. I woke up in bed with one arm draped over Fluttershy's side. She was still fast asleep, snoring very lightly. I slowly sat up in bed before gently sliding my hand down her side until I rested it upon her belly. After slowly and firmly rubbing that taut belly for a moment, I felt Fluttershy stir and coo quietly while she weakly kicked with her hind leg. I was tempted to snicker at just how cute she was being and whispered into her ear, "Mama's being cute this morning."

She slowly opened her eyes and rolled onto her back before gazing up at me. While initially looking quite drowsy, Fluttershy soon showed a very relaxed smile before resting her hoof upon my hand as my fingers rubbed against her belly. "And Papa's being really sweet too."

The atmosphere in the morning light was just so calm and relaxing. I was not even in any hurry to leave the bed. Especially not with her by my side. For the next several minutes, we just lied there under the covers while our hands and hooves grasped each other. Our lips softly touched over and over while our eyes frequently remained closed, my hand tenderly caressing the side of her face.

Finally, just as I was about to suggest that we start to get up and get ready for the day, Fluttershy giggled nervously and said quietly, "Um... Maybe we should start getting up now. Scootaloo will probably want some breakfast soon."

"Took the words right outta my mouth, honey. And sure. Don't wanna stay in bed all day." I said with a chuckle before placing one last kiss on her nose. I then sat up in bed and pulled my covers off me while letting out a groan as I stretched my arms as far as I could. But just when I was almost done, I felt Fluttershy place her hoof upon my middle. Or rather she placed it upon the scar that hooked around the left side of my waist.

When I looked down, I saw Fluttershy displaying that same look of anguish and silent dread as every previous morning after I came home from the hospital. Since I prefer to sleep in just my undergarments, my upper torso is constantly exposed. That means there is nothing hiding that scar. Knowing that she was merely concerned for me, I gently caressed my beloved's mane. "Honey... It's OK. I feel fine. Really. It's just a scar. You don't have to keep checking on my every morning like this."

"I... I know, James... It's just..." Fluttershy quietly stammered before reaching out and placing a kiss upon the uneven flesh that lined my scar. "I just don't want to lose you... Not now."

With a sigh and smile, I gently lifted her chin until she was looking up at me. "You won't lose me, honey. I'm not going anywhere."

Fluttershy remained silent for a moment while her eyes gazed downward. Eventually she looked at me and showed a somber smile. "I know... I just need to learn to accept that and get over my fears. You're back...and you're here to stay."

"Exactly. This wouldn't be the first time I've come home after a while away, right?" I said with a smile of my own before we joined lips one more time. There is nothing like a deep sensual kiss to help allay your fears.

After losing track of time for another five minutes while holding each other, we finally decided to get out of bed. While Fluttershy went into the bathroom to tidy up her mane, I proceeded to get dressed by pulling on some khaki shorts and my favorite green polo. And once Fluttershy had finished up in the bathroom and headed downstairs, I headed on in to deal with my own messy hair. Nothing a wet comb could not fix. And once that was done, I could already smell the aroma of waffles baking. With a hint of banana. I immediately felt my mouth water at the thought of banana fruit mixed in with the waffle batter.

I hurried downstairs, but stopped halfway and looked to my left to see Scootaloo still sound asleep in her bedroom. Not wanting her to be left out, I snuck over to her bedside and began to lightly trace my fingertip along the edge of her ear. "Rise and shine, Scoot. Breakfast is waiting."

A minute later, that rowdy little pegasus filly began to stir and grumble before she turned away from me and pulled the covers up higher and falling silent. I smirked as I had a better idea on how to get her up. "So, human tactics won't work? How about this one then?"

I held onto the side of her little bed and pulled myself forward. I then lowered my jaws and gently gripped her ear in my teeth before I started tugging. "Wakey wakey, Scoot. You're gonna miss out on some awesome waffles."

That definitely got her attention. "Huh? Wha... Hey, who's... Ack!" Scootaloo suddenly yelped when she looked back at me. I promptly let go of her ear once she saw me. My daughter then let out a laugh and rolled over to look at me. "Knock it off, Dad! I'm up!"

I snickered lightly while I tussled her mane. "Sorry to wake you up like that, Scoot. It's just that we've got waffles this morning. With bananas."

"Oh, sweet! Nothing beats banana waffles! I'll be right there!" That definitely got her moving as Scootaloo rushed out of the bedroom and upstairs to freshen herself up. I then made my way over to the kitchen and found Fluttershy getting a pail of eggs out of the refrigerator. Steam was rising from a nearby waffle iron along with the scent of baking bananas.

"Smells awesome, honey. Need a hand with anything?" I asked while taking the eggs from my fiancée so she could speak more easily.

She replied with a smile, "I hope so. I bet you could smell the banana. Well... Could you fry up some eggs and chop several strawberries for the waffles?"

"No problem. Can't have bananas without strawberries." I spoke before taking a seat at the table and cracking half a dozen eggs into a bowl before mixing them up with a pinch of milk for extra fluffiness. I then split an equal number of strawberries in two down the middle while chopping off the tops.

Just before I could stand up, Scootaloo galloped into the kitchen. Fluttershy had already finished two waffles and was about to pour the remainder of the batter into the still hot iron. Our little girl then inhaled deeply through her nostrils before looking utterly famished. "Oh man, that smells awesome. Is it done?"

"Um... Not yet. But... Ooh! Would you be a dear and go gather up the eggs out back? Breakfast should be ready by then." Fluttershy asked in return while noticing that the egg pail was completely empty by that time.

Scootaloo seemed to have no problem with that request and hurried over to the nearest window. "Sure thing! I'll be back in a bit!" Before we could even say anything, she jumped out of the window and was gone.

"She had to use the window?" I asked while shaking my head. That girl certainly is an adventurous sort.

Fluttershy merely giggled while she poured the last of the batter into the waffle iron and closed it. "At least the window isn't too high off the ground."

The rest of the cooking went by without ceremony. I fried up the eggs on the stove and served them out on the plates while Fluttershy spread soft butter on the waffles while also getting out the syrup. God, just looking at that was getting me hungry. However, just as the table was almost set, I heard Scootaloo call out from the living room just after I heard it open. "Flutter... I mean, Mom! Mom, your chickens won't leave me alone again!"

"Oh boy, what happened this time?" I asked while Fluttershy and I peeked out of the kitchen. Sure enough, a rather disgruntled Scootaloo was standing in the doorway with three of Fluttershy's hens standing around her while she carried a pail of eggs in her jaws. One of those hens was even seated on her head. "What is it with you and birds, Scoot? You spill some birdseed in your mane?"

"I dunno! I got all the eggs right here, but these chickens wouldn't stop following me!" Scootaloo practically yelled while attempting to shake her head-mounted chicken off. I could not help but snicker under my breath.

"Oh dear... Girls, you come with me." Fluttershy said softly before making some cute clicking noises with her tongue and teeth. That got the chickens' attention while they followed her out of the house.

"Thanks, Mom!" Scootaloo called out before trotting over to me and the kitchen with that pail still in her mouth. "Oh man, that smell's getting me hungry. Just lemme put the eggs away."

Just after Scootaloo placed the pail in the fridge and sat down at the table, we heard the front door open before Fluttershy came trotting back into the kitchen. "There we go. So sorry if they bothered you, Scootaloo. The girls just really seem to like you."

Scootaloo did not seem all that bothered by it at the time though and merely shrugged her shoulder with one hoof upturned. "It's OK, Mom. It's just that they're not allowed in the house, right?"

Breakfast was pretty amazing. The strawberries with the banana paste in the waffles tasted simply awesome and the eggs balanced it all out with some protein. However, before we could eat very much, there was a knock on the window. A immediately after that, someone stuck their head in after pushing the window open. "Morning, guys! What's up?"

"Hey there, Rainbow Dash! Want some waffles? Fluttershy made them really good today!" Scootaloo said first before either me or Fluttershy could word a reply.

"I dunno, Scoot. I don't think we've got enough for any guests right now..." I added while surveying our breakfast. There really was only enough for the three of us.

Fortunately, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. I already treated myself to some pansy pancakes." She then leaned forward and took a few sniffs of Scootaloo's waffles. "Smells awesome though."

"Thank you, Rainbow Dash. What brings you over here this morning?" Fluttershy replied with a smile while helping herself to some scrambled eggs.

It seemed that Rainbow had briefly forgotten what she had even come in for. But it did not take her long to remember. "Uh... Oh, right! You guys wanna go bowling in a little while?"

"Bowling? Ponyville has a bowling alley?" I asked in return, having not expected the offer at all. Perhaps it is because its location is nowhere near where I usually trek, but I have never come across a bowling alley in town. And if I did, I simply forgot about it due to not seeing it often enough.

Fluttershy turned to me and said with a smile, "Yes, there is. And who else is going, Rainbow Dash?"

"All of us! Spike too. You guys game?" Rainbow Dash replied with an enthusiastic smile. I was hardly surprised, what with me being invited for group activities with all of my closest friends.

"Sounds good to me. Been a while since I last went bowling. You coming too, honey?" I said before looking towards Fluttershy.

Fluttershy seemed to like the idea. "Mmhm. Bowling with friends sounds fun. Do you want to come too, Scootaloo?"

Surprisingly, Scootaloo merely shook her hoof. "Nah. Me and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders already tried bowling and we didn't get anything outta it. We were gonna meet up at Sweetie Belle's place instead. Something about trying knitting? Sounds boring, but as long as I get my cutie mark..."

I almost laughed at the idea of Scootaloo getting a cutie mark that pointed to her special talent being knitting. With how boring that must be to her, it cannot possibly be her special talent. Besides, I already know what it is. I mean who does not know by now? "Yeah, well... Have fun with that. Anyway, Rainbow... When are we meeting up?"

"I was thinking in an hour. The rest of the girls should be there by then. That all right with you?" She replied while trying to keep herself from sneaking a bite of Fluttershy's waffle. And Fluttershy was quick to notice and gently push her away.

"I guess that's OK. I'll start heading over once we finish up here." I said with a nod while taking another bite of my waffles. "And you, honey?"

Fluttershy was about to speak, but then suddenly flinched as she seemed to remember something. "Well, I still need to take care of all of the little animals this morning... Once I'm done, I'll fly on over to save time."

"OK, sounds like a plan! I'll see you guys there. Later!" Rainbow Dash then waved goodbye before flying right outside the window.

At that moment, I noticed Scootaloo eyeing the window for a moment longer. Knowing what she was probably thinking, I spoke, "No coming and going from the house through the window until you've mastered flying." This got a rather nervous grin out of the little tomboy while Fluttershy merely giggled.

A short while later after we had finished breakfast and dealt with the dishes, I headed out for town while Fluttershy stayed behind to feed her little animal friends for the morning. I was feeling marginally better than I had been the day after I got out of the hospital last week, though still slightly weak in the legs. It felt good to be out there in the meadow feeling the warm summer breeze through my hair. Still need to remember to get a haircut this coming week.

Being a Sunday, Ponyville was fairly quiet. The market had not been set up and not terribly many ponies were out and about. But when I reached the town square after a good while, I came to a sudden realization. I had no idea. I had no idea where the bowling alley even was!

Having lived in Ponyville for a full year by now, I was a bit hesitant to ask for directions. Fortunately, I did not have long to think too hard about it. While I was gazing at the surrounding establishments, a distant whistle caught my attention. A look to the west revealed a familiar earth pony mare with a wide hat waving at me. "Ah, Applejack!"

I hurried over to my friend while she cast me a glad smile. "Howdy, James! Y'all on yer way ta bowl some strikes an' spares too?"

"Yep. Only problem though... I've got no clue where the bowl alley even is. Never really took the time to memorize its location." I replied while still feeling mildly embarrassed about the confession.

Fortunately, Applejack merely rolled her eyes while smirking. "Can't say I'm surprised! But it's no big deal. I don't really swing by there too often myself. But I reckon pretty much anypony enjoys a good bowlin' with friends. How 'bout we head on over tagether? I know the way."

"Many thanks, AJ. Lead on." I felt quite relieved that my friend did not mind pointing me in the right direction. I stayed by her for the entire walk.

Not even a minute later, Applejack tried to hit me up for a conversation. While I was more in the mood to just walk and take in the sights and sounds around me on such a relaxing day, I certainly did not mind chatting either. "So... How're ya holdin' up these days? You've been lookin' much better this past week."

"Well, I'm getting there. I think the doctor might recommend I take another week off before I go back to work at the spa. I don't think I can give massages very well until my hands are as strong as they used to be. Giving those massages really wears a guy out." I replied while flexing my fingers. I can only imagine the disappointment of some of my regulars coming in only to find that I had been hospitalized. Chances are I will be getting quite a few patrons once I am back to work at the spa.

Applejack seemed to get a bit of a chuckle out of that comment. "Heheh, I'll bet. Rarity's really been hankerin' for some good rubbin' lately. Although I'd reckon it'll be a while before yer grabbers will be in good enough shape ta give my haunches a proper massagin' when I come by."

"AJ, you're built like a tank! I have no idea how I could have ever massaged you properly in the first place!" I replied louder than usual while remembering the first time I ever gave her a massage. My hands were sore all day afterward.

My friend could not help chuckling while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I'm guessin' all that farm work really bulks ya up after several years. Think I should always let Quake do that job whenever I stop by the spa?"

"That might be best. Her hard pounding definitely gets through that thick muscle of yours better than I ever could." I replied while thinking back to my job. I have to wonder how Aloe and Lotus have been doing in my absence. At least I am still getting paid while on leave.

We continued to chat for a while longer, covering topics such as Fluttershy's pregnancy and a recent letter from Applejack's cousin in Appleloosa. I think the guy's name is Braeburn? Regardless, Applejack eventually came to a stop and pointed ahead. "There it is!"

Right up ahead was a building that seemed to have a layer of grass growing across the roof, possibly as an alternative to having a thatched roof. A large wooden banner that resembled a thick boomerang hung above the doorway. Aligned in a row were four alternating panels of light blue and maroon that displayed bowling pins and purple bowling balls respectively. At the far ends of the building stood two large purple bowling ball effigies while a pair of giant fake bowling pins stood to the sides of the doors along with two exceptionally large black halves of bowling balls embedded in the ground before them. "Huh... Come to think of it, I guess I should've been able to deduce this place is the local bowling alley just by looking at it."

"I'm guessin' y'all don't come 'round these parts all that often, do ya? No biggie. Whatcha say we get in there? The rest of the girls are... Oops, spoke too soon." Applejack said before glancing up. I did as well and noticed Fluttershy approaching us through the air before she began to descend.

"Hello! I hope I'm not too late." Fluttershy said while she set down beside us with a clop.

I reached for the door and held it open for the two mares. "Nope. We just got here. Who's ready to bowl?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Gpq9oGblE

Upon stepping inside, I found that the place's design was fairly straightforward. It had about eight bowling lanes while having the back walls decorated in monochromatic designs not unlike what I had occasionally seen inside Canterlot's royal palace. Probably a popular interior design style. Several local ponies, including a trio of finely dressed stallions who seemed to be professionals in the field of bowling, were already filling the air with that tantalizing clatter of rolling bowling balls and toppling bowling pins. Before we even had the chance to really look around. I saw a familiar pink mare waving at us from the far end of the bowling alley. Fluttershy noticed too and said, "I think they're already here. Coming, Pinkie!"

As we approached the benches that stood before the bowling lane, we were quick to find our four other dearest friends had already gathered and seemed to have reserved a space for us. Even Spike seemed to have tagged along while sipping juice from a beverage cup. Rarity was the first to speak and waved at the three of us. "Hello, darlings! We're all set to bowl! Shall we grab some balls and get started?"

Right as she said that, Rainbow Dash began to open her mouth to speak. However, Twilight then placed her hoof over our rowdy pegasus friend while looking mildly annoyed. "Not in front of Spike, Rainbow."

"Huh? What about me?" Spike asked, apparently having heard his name while not paying attention to the rest of what Twilight said. Our friends only laughed or snickered while Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes as she displayed a fairly nervous grin. I am unsure what exactly she was going to say, but it must have been rather perverted due to Rarity's prior mention of balls. Speaking of which, Rarity grumbled quietly while holding her face in her hoof.

We all headed over to the bowling ball racks and started to browse. One by one, we started to pick our balls out. While a few of us did use matching colors, the weight differences made them easy to tell apart. Due to my body still not being quite back up to 100%, I picked up one of the lightest bowling balls with a blue finish. Fluttershy also opted for the lightest type of ball. Most of our other friends settled for the middleweight balls, although Applejack obviously went for the heaviest type of ball. Spike did too, surprisingly, and even had no trouble lugging it back over to our bowling lane. I guess dragons are really hardy creatures, even when they are still children. Although he did have trouble maintaining his balance what with how top-heavy he was while carrying it over his head.

Twilight carried most of the balls back over to the lane with the levitation spell and set them in a row on the... What do you call that strip where the balls return after being tossed down the end of the lane? Well, that is where they stayed, although fitting seven on there made for quite a tight fit. I opted to carry my ball though. "So, who goes first?"

"Hmmm... How about you?" Pinkie Pie replied while she lounged around on the benches.

"Yeah, why not? I'd like ta see how a human bowls a strike!" Applejack added while my friends started to look more and more interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqHPtn--YnQ

"All right then. Just let... Uh... Wait a second..." I started looking over my bowling ball while trying to find the three finger holes used for properly grasping it. There did not seem to be any. "Uh... I think we're using the wrong kind of balls for ten-pin bowling! I can't find the finger holes!"

Right when I said that, Rainbow Dash gave me a very dry look and held up her hoof. "What fingers?"

I stared at her for a moment while trying to make sense of her response. When it finally did occur to me what she meant, I almost busted out laughing. The bowling balls in Equestria do not have finger holes because the people who use them do not even have fingers. "Oh... Right. Well... How do I make this work?"

I faced the bowling lane and briefly eyed the ten pins lined up at the end. Without a proper grip point, I was basically holding the ball in the palm of my hand while using my other hand to balance it. While I stood at the middle of the lane, I remembered a little something about the other times I had bowled. I took a few steps to my right took a step forward and then hurled the ball low to the ground, letting it roll towards the pins. My unorthodox starting point seemed to catch my friends by surprise with Spike even asking, "Hey! Why'd you throw it from there?"

"Just watch." I said back to him. As I expected, the ball soon started to curve to the left rather sharply. Before it could curve too much, it slammed into the first pin and scattered seven of the ten pins in all while leaving only the back three on the right untouched.

"Whoa, nice! How'd you know it would do that?!" Rainbow Dash asked while all my friends seemed rather surprised.

"It's just a little quirk I've noticed about myself over the years. Not sure why it does that, but it does." I explained while I saw my ball rolling down the side of the lane back towards us. It rolled back up to the row of bowling balls and made a light clack upon contact with the back of the row.

"But how will you hit the rest without the ball curving away from them? Can you make it curve to the right instead?" Fluttershy asked while looking a bit concerned.

"I think I have a way to deal with that." I replied while I retrieved my ball. I then lined myself up with the pins on the right of the lane while firmly gripping the ball in both hands. I widened my stance before lowering my hands. Even though my stance was a bit awkward, I lowered my hands and pretty much launched the ball straight ahead with both hands. I swear I heard Spike or Rainbow Dash snicker at such a pose, but the ball rolled straight ahead without curving at all. A few seconds later, there was another clatter as the last three pins were bowled over.

"Well, that's a spare! Nice start, James!" Twilight exclaimed as she seemed to check the scorecard.

I smiled slightly while I headed back to my seat next to my friends. "Yeah, I'm not sure why that stance works like that. If I need to bowl straight, that's the way I do it."

Rarity then hopped up from her seat as the pins at the far end of the lane were replaced. "Certainly not the most finesse I've ever seen from you, but it got you the results you needed. Shall I go next, darlings?"

"Go right ahead, Rarity. I'll go next." Applejack said while she adjusted her hat slightly.

After searching the row of bowling balls for the one she had picked out, Rarity used the levitation spell to lift a pearly white bowling ball from the row before trotting over to the front of the lane. She seemed to closely consider her options as the ball floated back before shooting forward as her magical grasp on the ball was released. It rolled right down the middle of the lane and created quite a clatter as all ten pins were sent sprawling. My beautiful friend swung her head in pride as her gorgeous curled mane unfurled briefly before she smiled at us. "Perfect as always."

"Oh, come on! Using magic's gotta be cheating!" Rainbow Dash called out while sounding more like she was just trying to have fun.

Fortunately for Rarity, Twilight used her magic to pull up a small booklet. "Not really!" She then opened it up to a page and said while reading, "It says here that the levitation spell is perfectly acceptable so long as the ball is released before it crosses the red line. Rarity just has a really good eye for detail."

"It comes with the job, dear Rainbow. But now it's your turn, Applejack." Rarity replied as she pranced back over to the benches and took a seat right beside me while Fluttershy was on my left. In the process, the pins were reset.

"All righty then. Let's see if some good ol' Apple family muscle can keep me from fallin' behind." Applejack said while she made her way over to the row of bowling balls. I was curious of how an earth pony would lift a bowling ball without hands and it was too big and smooth around for her to grasp it in her mouth very well. Dropping it to the floor from that height would likely even damage the floor, so knocking it off to the floor was a bad idea. Fortunately, Applejack seemed to know what she was doing by using one hoof to roll a deep green bowling ball off the side and onto her other waiting upturned hoof. She had no trouble walking with the use of just three legs and lined herself up at the middle of the lane.

"All righty then... Here we go!" Applejack said rather loudly before she hurled the heavy ball. It rocketed down the lane in barely a second before smashing right through the middle of the pins with a thunderous clatter. Applejack definitely seemed pleased with herself since she then performed that signature stance where she crosses both hooves on one side with the others. "And that right there is how we do it on... Oh, you've gotta be kiddin' me!"

I actually got a good laugh out of what I was seeing. "Whoops! Guess raw power isn't always enough!" As it turned out, the ball had only bowled over eight of the ten pins. And the last ones standing were in the worst possible place. Back row, opposite sides.

Most of my friends even laughed at the utterly impossible setup. Who could possibly pull of a spare on that? Fluttershy then asked while Applejack's ball came rolling up the ramp while the eight fallen pins were pushed out of the way at the end of the lane. "Oh dear... I don't think anypony could get a spare now. Are you OK, Applejack?"

"Well, I gotta at least try." Our farm friend replied while she retrieved her ball. She then stood at the middle of the lane while appearing to gauge the distance. I am not entirely sure why she was bothering. It was a shot that was impossible to score.

"Come on, AJ! Hook it just right!" Rainbow Dash called out to her best friend. At least I assume they are.

"Hook it? Hmm..." Those words seemed to get Applejack thinking. But she then soon looked back at us and smirked. "Thanks, Rainbow! That's what I needed."

Applejack then pushed herself up higher and spat onto her spare hoof before...quite literally giving one side of the ball a spit shine. Rarity, as expected, was less than pleased. "Oh, come on! Applejack, must you be so unsanitary?! Think of the next pony who has to use the ball!"

"It'll be fine, Rarity! I just need ta work my own magic just right." Applejack replied before shifting her stance to the right. The way she threw the ball was very unorthodox. Instead of launching it straight, she swung her arm as if she was trying to slap something. The bowling ball left her hoof on a spin, sliding down the lane while rapidly rotating clockwise.

"Ooh, I think she's gonna get it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed while she bounced in her seat.

"I don't know... Is it even possible to hit both pins when they're on opposite sides of the lane?" Fluttershy asked in return.

We soon got our answer. The ball curved to the left while it slid down the lane. But just when it looked like the bowling ball was about to go right in the gutter just before it could hit the left pin, it clipped the bowling spin, sending it flying to the right and knocking over the other pin! Twilight then jumped up and practically shouted, "No way! How'd you do that?!"

Satisfied with her tricky spare, Applejack trotted back over to her seat while showing a proud smirk. "It's all in the wrist, girls."

Spike was showing an especially big show of admiration, being the kid he is. "That was way too cool! We should call you The Great Leapp... I mean The Great Leja... The Great...Apja..." After a brief pause and awkward stare fro the rest of us, Spike shrugged his shoulders and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I got nothing..."

"Ah, it ain't no trouble, Spike. How 'bout you go next?" Applejack said after a momentary chuckle.

"Me?! Sure!" The little dragon boy hopped down from his seat and ran over to the line of bowling balls while the pins were being reset. His ball was the heaviest amongst the bunch along with Applejack's and was purple. Due to his short stature, he had to resort to pushing the ball off the side of the row and onto the floor next to the opposite lane. I was worried that the drop may have damaged the floor, but it seemed to be fine since the drop was so short. Roughly the height of two bowling balls.

Spike walked over to the end of our bowling lane with the ball being held above his head. I was curious of just how someone so small would throw a ball half his size that probably weighed more than he does, of not just as much. "OK... My turn... Urk!"

Just when it seemed Spike was about to throw the ball, he suddenly jumped while belching out a plume of green fire while he also lost his grip on the ball. After practically tossing it into the air, Spike fell flat on his back and let out another belch of fire as it dropped right on his belly, letting out an additional groan in the process.

Painful as that must have been, it was hard for us to not laugh. We were utterly howling at the unexpected spectacle. However, Twilight was quick to stop and rushed to her little assistant's side. "Spike! Are you OK?! Did that hurt?"

"Oof... Kinda... But I'm OK!" Spike replied while clutching his stomach before promptly climbing to his feet. "We dragons are built tough. I'm fine!"

Twilight gently rubbed her little friend's head before noticing what seemed to be a scroll on the floor. "Oh, a message from Princess Celestia! No wonder it caught you by surprise."

"Could she have picked a worse time to do it, though?! That really didn't feel good!" Spike complained while he grabbed the scroll and slid the ribbon off. We could not help laughing or chuckling at the mention of that silly antic that just transpired. I mean it was surprisingly funny.

However, before he could actually open the scroll, Fluttershy then spoke up. "Uh... Wait a minute. Where did Spike's bowling ball go?"

She had a good point. I did not see it anywhere. The pins were still standing and it could not have ended up as a gutter ball since it had not yet returned to the row of balls at the side of the lane. But then I remembered seeing Spike belch out a second plume of green fire the instant his ball fell on him. "Uh oh... Didn't Spike just..."

That look of horror on Twilight's face... She knew it too. "Spike... When you coughed up that fire, did it happen to touch the..."

Spike's eyes opened very wide just before he suddenly belched again. The green fire and smoke rapidly condensed and burst in a flash of magic light to reveal another scroll identical to the first. Spike took it in his hands while showing a very nervous grin. "Uh... Heheh... I think I better read this one first."

"Oh, this is gonna be good." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk while we all watched with keen interest.

Spike then began to read aloud. "Dear Twilight... Did I happen to contact you at a bad time with that last message?"

That got a laugh out of us. Was it that obvious? Twilight, giggling nervously as well, used the levitation spell to bring over the pencil she had been using for the scare card. She then began to write on the scroll's blank backside while speaking aloud. "Oh, not really. Your message reached Spike while we were enjoying some time together as friends in the bowling alley. And he was just about to take his turn when the message reached him."

I facepalmed while imagining just what happened to that bowling ball once it reached Celestia, seeing as how the messages Twilight always gets from her are NEVER on the ground when they materialize. Spike laughed lightly too while he took the scroll in hand before sending it on its way with a quick breath of green dragon fire. "I really hope that ball didn't break anything."

"Should one of us go next while we wait for the princess to reply?" Pinkie Pie asked while getting noticeably impatient.

Applejack rolled her eyes and nudged her friend's shoulder. "I reckon we'll be gettin' a reply real quick. Besides, Spike can't finish his turn without that ball anyway."

Not even a minute later, Spike suddenly belched up another plume of green fire that became a scroll that he promptly opened and began to read. "OK... Um..." Spike muttered before he snickered loudly. "That explains why a bowling ball smashed my table. Good thing I have insurance. Haha. Anyway, please do read that first scroll when you get a moment. I trust I will be seeing you and your friends today."

"Wow, Celestia certainly has a sense of humor." I said while many of us laughed or lightly chuckled at the rather humorous response Celestia sent to us. I am just glad she took that little mishap in stride.

However, just before Spike could close it, he seemed to notice something at the bottom of the scroll. "Hang on... P.S... Think fast?"

Right after he said that, Spike suddenly gagged before he belched up a plume of green fire. This time, he and Twilight quickly backed away from it. And sure enough, that fire and smoke materialized into a familiar purple bowling ball that hit the floor with a loud clack. Pinkie Pie then clapped her hooves together and called out, "All right! Now Spike can bowl again!"

"Hold on, Pinkie. We still need to check this first scroll." Twilight spoke up while she used her magic to hold the first scroll before her. "All right then... Dear Twilight... Just as a reminder, you and your friends are cordially invited to Canterlot Castle this afternoon at 2 PM to partake in refreshments and relaxation in celebration of your recent victory over the foul Discord..."

I smiled at the offer. While I certainly did not remember a thing about what happened with Discord, it was nice to be invited to essentially a victory party. Applejack even mirrored my thoughts by looking my way. "Well, that was mighty courteous of 'er ta wait 'til you were back on yer feet before tossin' out the invites."

"Mmhm. You think we should head out once we're done here?" I asked in return while noticing that my friends...did not seem quite as excited about the invitation as I suspect they should have been. Except for Spike, that is. He seemed to be excited about the thought of having a good time.

"Um... I think that'd be OK..." Fluttershy said quietly while the rest of our friends remained quiet. Even Applejack seemed to have become a bit more somber since she last spoke.

Before I could even think about it, Spike got our attention by tapping on Twilight's shoulder. "Hey, uh... What kind of party does it sound like? Anything fun?"

Twilight quickly glanced back at the scroll, apparently having not read everything on it. "Well... Hot food will be provided... Soft live musical entertainment... Doesn't sound as much like a party as it does a quiet get-together."

Being the kid he is, Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight's take on the event. "Meh... Doesn't sound like my kinda party. You think I could just stay behind and hang out at the arcade with Button Mash?"

Nopony was really surprised by his response to that. Some of us just chuckled or rolled our eyes while smiling. Even so, when taking into consideration his lack of involvement with that whole mess, it would make sense that he would likely not be invited. Regardless, Twilight nodded with a slight smile. "Sure, Spike. I'll give you some bits before we head out for the train station. But right now, isn't it your turn to bowl?"

"Oh, right! Yeah, I better stop stalling." Spike exclaimed while Twilight stepped away from the lane. At first, he did not seem to know how to properly roll the ball. Especially since it was roughly half his own size. "Uh... How do I do this again?"

"Just throw it, Spike!" Applejack called out with some impatience.

"All right! Um... Whoa!" Spike lost his center of gravity with that heavy ball while he staggered about and finally ended up haphazardly tossing the ball as he fell forward and fell flat on his belly. The ball rolled along at a lazier pace than the previous ones and bowled through one half of the pins. "Huh! I guess that's not too bad!"

"Go for the spare, Spike!" Rainbow Dash then called out while his ball rolled back up to the line of other bowling balls. Twilight saved Spike the trouble of retrieving it by using her levitation spell to bring it to him.

"All right! I can do this..." Spike spoke while he held the ball above his head. Only this time, we got quite a spectacle. When Spike threw it, he did not let go and started rolling down the lane head over heels with his ball! "Agh! Whoa! Stop the ride, I wanna get off!"

"Oh man, is he gonna be OK?!" Pinkie Pie called out in unease. Well, for Spike, it might have been the right thing to do since he and his ball crashed through the rest of the pins at the end and got him that spare.

"Well, it seems little Spike Wikey got lucky with that toss. But...where is he?" Rarity asked while the bowling pins were pushed away while more were set up. It did not take long for Spike's bowling ball to come rolling back down the chute. And sure enough, Spike himself came rolling along after it in a tuck and roll position while looking no worse for the wear. "Ah, there he is!"

While the bowling ball made it back up to the line with the rest of our bowling balls, Spike did not quite make it up the ramp and laid flat on his back while looking noticeably dazed. Twilight rushed to his side and asked, "Whoa, Spike! Are you all right?! You didn't get hurt in there, did you?"

"Nah... But I did do a lot of rolling. Just lemme stand up..." Spike replied while he staggered to his feet. He looked quite dizzy indeed.

However, Fluttershy then stepped forward and asked, "Come to think of it... What is it like in there?"

Spike shook his head to clear up his dizziness and said, "Dark, noisy, and with lots and lots of bowling pins. But anyway... Who's going next?"

"Hmm..." Twilight muttered before her gaze fell upon Fluttershy. "How about you, Fluttershy? You're already at the lane. I'll go after you, OK?"

"Me? Well... All right, I guess." She replied meekly before going to the line of balls and picking out hers. A lighter bowling ball with a hot pink finish. But instead of tossing it, she set it down at the very end of the lane while surveying her options. "Um... Which way would be best?"

Rainbow Dash was clearly eager to tell her to hurry up so she could have her turn, but managed to stay quiet so as to not stress her friend out. Finally, Fluttershy gave the ball a firm nudge with her nose and sent it rolling. However, she may have nudged it too gently since it was a rather slow slide across the lane. I then decided to speak up, "Looks like it's a creeper!"

"Oops... Was I too gentle?" Fluttershy asked as she looked back at us while clearly blushing. Applejack and Rainbow Dash either groaned or rolled their eyes, but the rest of us merely watched in respectful silence. Although the result was far from interesting. The bowling ball lightly tapped the front bowling pin, but came to a stop.

"Now it's a sleeper! But... Uh... What do we do when it stops on the lane?" Pinkie Pie asked while looking noticeably confused.

"Well... Huh? Is that... Angel?" Fluttershy said quietly while she looked at the end of the lane. For whatever reason, a little white rabbit was standing at the end of one of the gutters. He then scampered out onto the lane and then shoved the bowling ball around until the lot of ten pins were knocked over before pushing it past the end to allow the pins to be removed. He then waved at Fluttershy before disappearing at the end of the gutter again. I guess that earned her a strike instead of a spare. Meanwhile, Fluttershy called out with a smile, "Thank you, Angel!"

"Whoa, hold on! That's gotta be cheating!" Rainbow Dash groaned before flying over to Twilight and snatching the rulebook away from her and searching through it.

"Well? Whatcha find, Rainbow?" Applejack asked while Fluttershy returned to her seat beside me. I then stroked her mane while smirking at the unexpected aid of her pet rabbit.

After a moment, Rainbow Dash closed the book while a rather bemused expression covered her face. "Weird... I couldn't find any rules that says a rabbit can't help knock down the pins."

I smirked while gently tickling Fluttershy's ear as she squeaked in enjoyment. "Looks like you got a strike by a technicality, honey."

At that moment, Twilight set the rulebook down and trotted over to the bowling lane while using her magic to levitate a dark blue bowling ball over to her. "All right then... Hmmm..."

Twilight seemed to pause for a long moment as she seemed to gauge how to roll the ball. After a bit longer, she suddenly gasped in what sounded like a moment of inspiration before she seemed to use the teleportation spell to summon...I think it was a type of sextant? She then seemed to hold it near the ball, possibly to measure its radius, before lowering it to the opening of the lane. As I watched, all I could say was, "Really?"

Needless to say, Rainbow Dash was not about to put up with this. "Oh, come on, Twilight! Knock it off with the whole egghead routine! You keep that up, we'll be here all day!"

Twilight jumped a bit at Rainbow Dash's complaining and turned to face us with a very uneasy grin spread across her face. "Sorry! Old habit!" With another flash of pink magical energy, the sextant vanished. Without even waiting to really aim, she used her magic to hurl the ball down the lane only for it to promptly roll into the gutter. "Shoot! I was too hasty!"

"There's no hurry, Twilight! Just don't waste our time with any unneeded equations." Rarity said while Twilight's ball rolled back up to the row of bowling balls. Spike merely crossed his arms and shook his head, apparently not being surprised at all on how Twilight performed.

"All right. I'll try to make it count this time." Twilight then used the levitation spell to bring her ball back over to herself. After a moment of observing the ball and the lane before taking a couple of steps to the left, Twilight let the ball roll. There was a moderate clatter at the end of the lane as eight of the pins fell, but two of them remained standing. Even so, Twilight seemed pleased with herself while she trotted back to her seat. "Eight pins! Not bad, right?"

"Plenty of time to catch up! But now it's my turn!" Rainbow Dash then jumped out of her seat and trotted over to the row of bowling balls as the pins were replaced. She then began to hover over them and picked up a red bowling ball before moving to the left and staying airborne above the lane. "Hmm... Need a bit more speed for this."

"Whoa, are you sure that's OK?!" Spike called out while Rainbow Dash began to flap backwards until she was well past the actual playing area of the bowling lanes. Almost all the way to the front door! We all began to move away from the seats just to make sure Rainbow Dash would not drop the ball on one of us should she happen to lose her grip.

"No worries, guys! I've got this!" Rainbow then called out while appearing to be clutching her ball very tightly between her forelegs. After a moment more of lining herself up, Rainbow Dash then suddenly swooped forward in a burst of speed before releasing the ball, sending it hurtling down the lane at identical speed and sending all ten pins sprawling.

"Woo! Nice throw, Rainbow!" Applejack called out while most of us applauded. I merely watched with a smile while our friend landed and strutted back to her seat while looking about as proud of herself as you can imagine.

"Yeah, I know I'm awesome. But now it's your turn, Pinkie! Show us whatcha got!" Rainbow then spoke while she took a seat. In response, our jolly pink friend hopped over to the row of bowling balls and retrieved a light blue bowling ball before holding it upon her upturned hoof.

To my mild surprise, Pinkie Pie sat herself down while holding her ball in both hooves. She then looked back at us and said with a smile, "Just a minute, OK? I've got a little trick that's guaranteed to earn me a strike! I've just gotta finish the chant."

While Pinkie Pie turned and looked back down the bowling lane with her ball in front of her face, Fluttershy quietly asked, "Um... A chant?"

"Some sort of chant from a bowling cult?" I asked somewhat sarcastically, knowing that Pinkie Pie is someone who is all but impossible to understand half of the time.

However, Applejack had a rather uneasy crooked grimace across her face. "I dunno, but my 'Pinkie Pie's about to try somethin' extra crazy' sense is goin' off somethin' fierce right now."

As it turned out, Pinkie Pie was not doing a good job of keeping her words as a whisper. Even from where I was sitting, I could still hear her. And as she sat there, she quietly spoke the following. "I am the ball. I am the pins. The pins are my enemy. I am my enemy. I must roll my soul down the center of the lane and destroy my enemy. Thus destroying myself, but in destroying myself, finding peace."

I could tell that everyone else around me heard her words too. And they were all staring in silence. Finally, it was Rainbow Dash who broke the silence. "Hit the deck."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVXnoanopzA

Right then, Pinkie Pie outright threw the ball straight down the lane. But her aim must have been a bit high since it instead seemed to fly above the lane and hit the wall. Only instead of crashing through it partway and getting stuck there between the room and the underlying drywall, the bowling ball ricocheted right off it and began to just bounce around the entire bowling alley!

"What the...?!" I yelped before we all scattered and tried to stay out of the maverick ball's way while everyone else in the bowling alley started ducking for cover as well. I then peeked out from behind the seats and yelled at Pinkie Pie while trying to keep my eyes on the runaway bowling ball, "Pinkie, what did you do?!"

"This isn't right! I took lessons from a bowling pro! It should've been a strike! Ack!" Pinkie Pie shrieked while also jumping and ducking whenever her own ball came flying by us.

"What kinda pro bowls like THAT?! Sounds like a real hack job, if ya ask me! Twi, would ya mind grabbin' that thing?!" Applejack replied while making sure to keep her hat down.

Twilight and even Rarity had their magic auras coating their horns while they seemed to be trying to follow the bowling ball. I think they were trying to halt it by catching it in a levitation spell. Unfortunately, it seemed to be moving too fast and too erratically for them to focus on it long enough to actually cast the spell on it. "Ugh, it's no good! It's too unpredictable! I can't get a lock! And are bowling balls really supposed to bounce like that?!"

Thankfully, just before the ball could bounce around much longer while causing who knows how much collateral damage, it finally crashed into a row of pins and sent them all sprawling for a strike while disappearing into the back end of the lane. While I was expecting it to have happened to any of the other bowling lanes, by some miracle, it ended up going down the one we were using. And I swear all eight of us shouted the exact same thing the instant we witnessed it. "NO WAY!!!"

After the initial shock of the craziness that just occurred wore off, Pinkie Pie then jumped in the air and cheered at the success of her bowl. "YES!!! Told you! A guaranteed strike... Hey, who's laughing?!"

As it turned out, the three stallions I had seen earlier who seemed to be professional bowlers were laughing quite heartilly. Probably because of just how ridiculous Pinkie Pie's performence was. One of them, a rather suave looking fellow with an equally suave golden blond goatee and mane decked out in a dark blue suit jacket with a red tie that seemed to have a bowling theme to its patterning, spoke up while trying hard to control his laughter. "Whoa, girl...! Don't know who taught you how to roll a ball, but I bet he can't bowl for beans!" He then went right back to laughing with the rest of his bowling buddies. They hardly seemed that bothered by the performance. It certainly was worth remembering, I will give Pinkie that much.

Right then, a rather lanky mare with a pale yellow coat and with her mane of two shades of light blue tied into a ponytail yelled out at Pinkie Pie from the registration desk near the front door. I suspect she was the manager of the place. "Hey! Try something like that again and you're outta here!"

Pinkie Pie then took a moment to survey the area, taking note of various dents in the wall and ceiling as well as just various other chips and cracks all over. I did not have the time or interest to really survey the extant of the damage, but it became pretty clear to even Pinkie Pie just how bad she had screwed up. With her face turning an even deeper shade of pink than it normally is, she grinned painfully wide and called out, "Sorry!"

Thank goodness Pinkie Pie did not try that stunt again. With there being eight of us bowling in all, it took quite some time to finish up our game. It was already noon by the time we ended. I did fairly well, ranking in 4th place among my friends. Rarity ended up barely coming out on top with Applejack coming in very close behind her in quite a heated competition between them. Fluttershy came in third, although that was mostly due to the occasional aid of Angel like earlier. Rainbow Dash was rather disappointed with herself due to having come in 5th place, although I doubt essentially dropping your bowling ball while performing a dive over the bowling lane is an effective way to make it roll straight. It veered off to the sides a bit more often than not. Maybe that will teach her to not showoff while bowling next time. Twilight ultimately came in 6th due to her lack of experience while Spike was right behind her. Poor Pinkie Pie ended up with the lowest number of points out of all of us. Most of her throws turned into gutter balls, but at least she did not cause any further damage. Overall, it was a fun time.

"Phew! I reckon that was a fun time." Applejack said with a bit of a yawn once we were back out in the summer sun.

"And now it's time for more fun! Princess Celestia called us up to Canterlot for a little private party, right?" Pinkie Pie added while hopping alongside us.

"Oh, right! She did! But you wanted to stay behind. Right, Spike?" Twilight replied while her gaze fell upon the little dragon child who was walking beside her.

Being reminded of the invitation brought a bit of a slight frown to Spike's face. "Huh? Oh, right. That party. Yeah, it doesn't sound too fun to me. I can stay behind and hang out at the arcade, right?"

Twilight nodded with a smile of her own. "Mmhm. Go ahead and take five bits from my coin purse. We're going to head on over to the train station and head on up to Canterlot. Have fun, all right?"

"You bet! See you all later!" Spike then waved goodbye while he ran off for home.

"At least now we can party like grownups, right?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk, probably because she was looking forward to enjoying some hard drinks once we got there.

"Um... I thought it doesn't take much to get you drunk." Fluttershy then said while I also glanced at our brazen friend.

"But that's what makes it fun!" A couple of us got a brief laugh at Rainbow's response, especially since we have seen how goofy she gets when drunk.

Rarity seemed to scan the horizon for a moment, possibly while searching for Ponyville's clock tower. "My word, that bowling session took quite a bit of time to finish. It's nearly noon! Do you suppose we should head on over to the train station now?"

Twilight glanced at the scroll that contained Celestia's invitation to us. I suppose she was holding onto it since it would also likely serve as our boarding pass for the train. "Well... I think that would be a good idea. We need a northbound train to get to Canterlot and that could take hours. Better go ahead and hurry over there to make sure we don't miss the train!"

We all headed over to the train station right after that, which turned out to not be terribly far from the bowling alley at all. And as it turned out, there was no train there. Pinkie Pie then looked at us and asked, "Well, looks like we're stuck here for a while. Who's up for some charades?"

As small as the train station was with almost nothing but outdoor seating, I have to admit I was pretty bored throughout most of the time. I basically just paced around while most of my friends took part in Pinkie's games. I did occasionally take a seat to watch. But barely twenty minutes later, all eyes turned south. I recognized that sound. The toot of a steam whistle.

"Is it here?" Fluttershy asked while she stretched her neck out over the edge of the train platform to get a better look. And sure enough, there it was. That stylized steam locomotive was starting to peek over the horizon.

"Yep! And it's coming from the right direction too!" Rainbow Dash added while she hovered in the air with excitement. I suppose even she was getting sick of sitting around waiting too.

We watched as the train pulled into the station while letting out a loud hiss as plumes of steam burst from the sides of the locomotive's boiler. And once it came to a stop, the doors at the sides of the train cars opened before at least two dozen ponies began to emerge while wearing varying degrees of attire. I recognized a few as Ponyville natives I had seen time and again over the last year, but most were ponies I had never seen before. They seemed to mostly be dressed in attire not unlike what I would likely see Applejack's family dress up in, but a few seemed to be more exotic in design. Probably from far south in Saddle Arabia.

"Hmm... I reckon this train just came from Appleloosa." Applejack spoke softly while she observed the departing passengers.

"Sure did! Fancy seein' you here, cousin!" A voice spoke from behind us. It carried a noticeable southern accent much like Applejack's and was filled with a very friendly tone, but was clearly male as well. When we turned around, we were greeted with the sight of an earth pony stallion clad in a brown leather vest and a western style hat with a wide brim, but with the brim turned upwards at the sides. His coat was light yellow and his eyes an almost identical shade of green to Applejack's. His mane sported a golden blond color with darker highlights while his cutie mark consisted of a single large red apple. Overall, he seemed like a very friendly and likeable guy.

Just as I was wondering what his name was, Applejack happily spoke up. "Well, if it ain't Braeburn! You're a sight for sore eyes!"

The two ponies quickly reached out for a friendly embrace while we just watched. Although Twilight soon spoke up. "Wow, it's really been a long time, hasn't it? How long ago did we last see you?"

"Oh, it's been a while. I'd reckon at least two years!" Braeburn replied while he released his grasp on his cousin. "Things have been just fine though. The buffalo are gettin' along with... Huh?"

Braeburn then turned his gaze up at me before taking a sudden step backwards. "Whoa, hey! Didn't see ya there for a second! But...uh... What are ya, exactly?"

Before I could say anything, Applejack quickly stepped up alongside her cousin and draped her arm across his shoulder. "No need ta get yer knickers in a twist, Braeburn. Y'all remember that James fella I wrote to ya about a couple times? Well, that's him."

All I did was wave with a small smile. Braeburn, apparently from having his memory jogged, promptly returned my smile. "Oh, right! The human guy! So... That's what a human looks like?"

"The male ones, anyway!" Rainbow Dash called out while I rolled my eyes at her. Does she even know what female humans even generally look like?

Regardless, the friendly stallion trotted over to me and held out his hoof for a shake. "Well, howdy there, James! Name's Braeburn!"

Feeling a bit more at ease around this new face, I reached out and grasped his hoof before giving it a brief shake. "It's a pleasure, Braeburn."

"You should swing by Appleloosa sometime! I'll give ya the grand tour. Town's been around for just the past few years, so there's always somethin' new goin' up!" Braeburn said rather enthusiastically while I let go of his hoof.

Chances are Braeburn would have just kept on talking if Applejack had not placed her hoof over his mouth. While she shut him up, Applejack looked up at me with a slightly uneasy grin. "Sorry 'bout that, James. Once he gets on about Appleloosa, I reckon he'll talk yer ears off. Braeburn, save all the enthusiasm for when the poor fella actually gets down there."

Once Applejack lowered her hoof, Braeburn grinned rather sheepishly at me. "Uh.. Yeah, I reckon I should. Can't really give a proper introduction if yer not even there yet."

Pinkie Pie then pushed her way past our friends and said, "Oh, and I've got just the song for it!"

For whatever reason, the mention of a song from Pinkie Pie caused Braeburn to look like he was about to panic with him waving his hooves at her. "A song?! Oh, no no no no no! I ain't havin' any of that again!"

This reaction got quite a laugh out of most of her friends while I just rolled my eyes and snorted with a suppressed laugh. Pinkie Pie did not seem too pleased though and asked, "Awww, why not?!"

"Probably because your songs are always hit or miss." I replied with a smirk. While Pinkie Pie is a decent songwriter, even though I have no idea why she comes up with songs on the fly like that, her songs are either really good or just annoying.

That got a weird look from Braeburn. "Hit or miss, huh? Well, if that's how 'er singin' usually is, then that last one missed hard enough ta miss that mountain over yonder!" Pinkie Pie did not even offer a reply. She just grinned broadly in a very embarrassed way before ducking behind the rest of her friends.

"Yeah... Tell me about it... Anyway, how's Bloomberg doin'? He produced his first batch of apples since the move?" Applejack then asked while turning her gaze to her cousin. Although... Something about that did not sound right.

"Bloomberg? Produce apples?" I muttered to myself before I felt Rarity tap me on the leg.

Seeing that she wanted to tell me something while staying quiet, I kneeled beside my friend and brought my ear to her lips. "That Bloomberg she mentioned was an apple tree we all transported on our first trip to Appleloosa. Just don't ask Applejack why. She had the thing tucked up in a bed the whole way..."

There was nothing I could really say to that. I mean... There really was not anything I could say. All I did was give Applejack a cockeyed stare while she was locked in conversation with Braeburn. Just... I understand she has a passion for all things apple, but still... What really goes on in her head?

Finally, Applejack got around to asking the big question. "So, what brings ya back ta Ponyville? It's a bit early for the Apple family's reunion, ain't it? And I don't reckon y'all get outta Appleloosa that often."

It seemed that the distraction of meeting a new face along with some old ones had caused Braeburn to temporarily forget about what he was even doing in Ponyville in the first place. "Oh, right! Well, I got word from Big Macintosh that he had a bundle of gala apple seeds that we could plant in our orchards. We've got a good number of red delicious, golden delicious, McIntosh, and granny smith apple trees, but no gala ones yet. I was gonna bring 'em back home and plant them ta increase our apple varieties. That, and it's been a while since I last saw Ponyville. Probably do a stallion good ta just take it easy for a day."

"Sounds like a plan, Braeburn. Before ya get goin' though, where's this train headin' once it pulls out?" Applejack then asked while turning her gaze towards the locomotive at the far left end of the platform. It seemed the engineer and conductor were restocking the train's fuel supply among other things.

Braeburn glanced towards the mountain in the distance. "Oh, this? It's gonna head on up ta Canterlot next, but I ain't goin' that far. I'm just gonna swing by Sweet Apple Acres and take a look 'round town while I wait for the next southbound train ta show up. Might be a while. Anyway, I better not keep ya waitin'. The trains probably gonna head out in another ten minutes or so."

"Much obliged, Braeburn. Y'all give Granny Smith a hug and make sure ya say howdy ta lil' Apple Bloom while yer there, ya hear?" Applejack said while she and Braeburn shared one last hug.

"Will do, AJ. Anyway, I'll see ya around! Later, girls! See ya, James! Lemme know when y'all plan on stoppin' by Appleloosa sometime!" Braeburn then said his goodbyes before galloping off as a few new passengers began to board the train.

"Nice guy. And he's your cousin?" I asked while I turned to Applejack.

"Yup. Sure is. They don't get much more hospitable than Braeburn there. Just be careful that ya don't let 'im talk yer ear off when ya show up in Appleloosa for the first time. That's the one thing he has a hard time keepin' his yap shut about." Applejack explained before also letting out a chuckle along with a few of our friends. Once the conductor showed up to collect tickets, Twilight showed him Celestia's message to give us clearance to board. Once that was done, we all piled into the rearmost train car.

The train car was more crowded than it usually is. Normally, it was empty whenever we went to and from Canterlot. I suppose aside from tourists, which is what the rest of the passengers seemed to mostly consist of, not a whole lot of people seem to go in or out of Equestria's capital. Seeing as how most of its citizens seem to keep to themselves, it is not too surprising.

The seven of us piled into the back seats, which gave us a bit of distance from everyone else in the car. While I lounged on the seat and looked out the window, I felt Fluttershy let out a sigh while she slumped against me. "Kind of crowded this time, isn't it? I'm used to it always being so quiet."

"Yeah, this is about as crowded as trains between Ponyville and Canterlot get. The place is a hotspot for tourists and that's exactly what a lot of these ponies seem to be." Twilight replied while she sat on the seat opposite from me. Rarity joined her while our three other friends took their seats across the aisle from us.

For the next several minutes, I just sat there in the corner of the seat while Fluttershy in turn also lied upon me. Rarity could not help but snicker at one point. "The two of you together are simply darling."

"Thanks, Rarity." I said softly while Fluttershy quietly giggled as my hand stroked her mane. Minutes later, I heard the conductor call out from somewhere out on the train platform. No more than a minute after that, the doors to the train car closed while the train lurched forward. The scenery outside the window began to slowly roll by while the clattering of the car's wheels against the rails rumbled up through the floor. And soon we were on our way towards Canterlot.

The train car was fairly quiet with only the sound of the other passengers speaking amongst themselves reaching my ears along with the voices of my dearest friends. Although before long, I decided to start looking around. However, watching the scenery rolling by as the train started to climb the mountain Canterlot is built upon was starting to make me feel drowsy. I guess that bowling session left me feeling more tired than usual. Although I soon noticed that the voice of one of my friends was absent. "Uh... AJ?"

When I looked across the aisle towards the other seats, I found that Applejack was leaning against the seat's corner with her hooves behind her head, a leg crossed over the other, and her head pulled down over her face. She was clearly asleep. "Is she napping?"

Pinkie Pie then spoke out softly while Rainbow Dash seemed to be curling up for a nap too on the seat opposite from Applejack. "Uh huh. Sundays are usually the days when Applejack takes a day off. She's been busy during Applebuck Season, so she's pooped out."

"Huh... Better let her sleep then... I think I might take a nap until we get to the station too. Is that all right with you girls?" I asked in return while feeling far too relaxed already. I must have been tired.

Rarity nodded with a smile while Fluttershy started to climb down from the seat. "Absolutely, darling. We'll keep our voices down so as to not disturb you."

Pinkie Pie then handed me a soft square pillow. I am not entirely certain of where she even got it, but I was in no mood to ask. I slid myself down until I was lying on my back with my body taking up the entire seat as I stuffed the pillow under my head. I then felt Fluttershy place a kiss on my cheek. "Sweet dreams, dear. We'll wake you up when we arrive, all right?"

"Thanks, honey." I muttered while I then tried to just relax enough to fall asleep.

I am not even entirely certain if I truly fell asleep at all during the train ride. All I know is that I soon found myself being tickled around the nose with something soft. I then heard a familiar voice speak out, "Wakey wakey, big guy!"

I sat up with a start while rubbing my nose with the back of my hand. I found Rainbow Dash snickering while seeing that her right wing was extended in my direction she must have been using the feathers on her wing to tickle my nose enough to wake me up. "Uh... Hey there, Rainbow. Something up?"

I then found the rest of my friends still spread out on the seats around me. Applejack, who was in the process of letting out a yawn, looked my way and smiled groggily. "Yup. We're just about ta Canterlot, so ya better make sure yer ready ta head out when the train pulls into the station."

I took the time to stretch while passing the pillow back to Pinkie Pie and also let out a yawn. "Thanks, girls... Ugh, I need to stand up."

Feeling a bit stiff, I brought myself to a standing position in the middle of the aisle and began to stretch and flex my back. However, I then felt myself lose balance as the train began to apply its brakes. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were quick to flap up to me and push against me to keep myself from falling backwards.

I propped myself up against the train car's back wall while watching the telltale colors of indigos and pale hues that line the train station. Once the train finally lurched upon coming to a stop, the doors on the right side of the train car at the front and rear of the car opened before the passengers ahead of us began to shuffle out.

"Finally! Let's go! We've got a party to get to!" Pinkie Pie squealed with excite before she hurried out of the rear door. We promptly followed, finding ourselves on the fairly busy outdoor train platform of the Canterlot station.

Rarity glanced around momentarily while turning her gaze towards the rooftops. Perhaps she was searching for an outdoor clock? Fortunately, she did find one right on the outside of the train station beside us. "Hmmm... Almost half past 1? Do any of you suppose we have enough time to do some window shopping before we head on over to the palace?"

"I don't know, Rarity. It'll take us a while to walk over there... Huh?" Twilight began to speak only to apparently be interrupted by something. She seemed to catch a glimpse of someone at the far end of the train platform who had been waving at us. While difficult for my friends to see through the crowd of tourists who were still milling about on the platform, I was able to see over them due to being taller than everyone else around me. It seemed to be one of the royal guard. He was a unicorn, but his coat was black.

"I think that might be Estoc. And I think he's calling us." I said before beginning to push my way through the crowd. My companions stayed close behind me and followed in a line. Before much longer, we reached the end of the platform. And it was indeed Estoc who had been trying to flag us down.

"There you are! I only just got here and then you all show up ahead of schedule! I guess you must all be in a hurry to get to the party, hm?" Estoc greeted us with a smile once we were finally out of the crowd.

Pinkie Pie beat us all to the punch. "You bet! If there's a party going on, we're there! So, where's the party?!"

Estoc got a good chuckle out of our friend's exuberance. "Well, I was assigned to escort all of you to the palace. Seems one of the ballrooms is being reserved for it." However, he then turned his gaze up towards me and showed a more solemn and sincere smile before going so far as to give me a salute. "It's a pleasure to see you back, James. The captain sends his regards."

The salute caught me by surprise. Even a few of my companions seemed a bit surprised as well. Unsure of how to react to this unexpected display of respect, I gingerly waved my hand at him. "Thanks, Estoc. And let Shining Armor know it's appreciated."

For the next ten minutes or so, we followed Shining Armor's second in command through the streets of Canterlot. Most of my friends took the time to gawk and admire the sights along the way as if they were on a sightseeing tour, as did I. Twilight hardly paid it much mind though, probably as a result of having spent most of her life up there in the first place.

It did not take much longer before we reached the palace's front gate. It still amazes me how beautiful and complex the entire structure's appearance is. Just before we could actually enter the front door, Twilight spoke up. "Estoc... We'll be meeting up with Princess Celestia, won't we? She knows we're coming, right?"

He turned to face us and nodded. "Of course. The captain informed me that I was to escort you all to the main hall where you will be received by her royal highness herself. Right this way, please."

With the use of his magic, Estoc opened the door for us. "This is as far as I go. Just continue down this corridor and you will arrive in the main hall. I trust you will all enjoy yourselves."

"All righty then. Thanks again for the escort." Applejack then said before the door closed behind us. Since Twilight knows her way around the palace quite well, she lead on while we followed. And sure enough, we soon came to the main hall. As I expected, there she was. Celestia was standing at the bottom of the stairwell at the far end while flanked on both sides by a pair of guards armed with spears.

Twilight's response was predictable. She rushed forward and called out to her mentor. "Princess Celestia! I hope we didn't keep you waiting!"

The Princess of the Dawn smiled warmly while lowering her neck to share an equine embrace with her student. "Oh, Twilight, of course you didn't. You're actually a bit early!" She then lifted her head and looked towards us while we all drew near. "Welcome to all of you. Once again, I thank you all for your valiant efforts against Discord. I'm only sorry that we had to wait until now to properly thank you."

For whatever reason, the response of my companions was more...somber than I expected it to be. They hardly smiled at all and their moods were generally subdued. Fluttershy then spoke softly, "It's all right, your highness... We couldn't possibly attend without all of us being here anyway."

"Yes, I know. And I would not have had it any other way, Fluttershy." Celestia replied before I saw her focus her gaze upon me while showing a more somber and relieved smile. "It's so good to see you alive and well, James. It's been a harrowing few weeks since we last met. Have you been recovering well?"

"Well... I wouldn't say I'm back up to 100% yet, but I'm getting there. Things have been pretty good lately." I replied while trying to smile for her. However, I found it a bit odd to find her there without seeing either of her sisters present. "Say... Is Luna and Nightmare Moon here too?"

"Funny you mention that. I was just about to take you to them." Celestia replied before directing her gaze towards my companions. "I know you only just got here and that the preparations have been completed, but I must ask you to be patient. I wish to speak with James in private for a short while."

"Aw, more waiting?! And I was ready for a good time!" Pinkie Pie said with a groan while rubbing her forehead in irritation.

Rarity, on the other hand, mildly scolded her friend. "And we will get there, Pinkie! But obviously Princess Celestia has something important to discuss with our friend. Surely you can wait another ten minutes? I'd rather not attend our little party with him with us."

That got Pinkie Pie to shut up. Celestia chuckled a bit at Pinkie's impatience and said, "I will try to keep our absence as brief as possible. I don't want to keep you from enjoying your much deserved victory party." She then turned to climbed the stairs while looking back at me. "Shall we be off?"

I nodded before looking back at my friends. "I'll try to make sure I don't stall her with too many questions." Some smiled while others chuckled. I then turned and began to follow the Princess of the Dawn up the stairs. However, I was also quick to notice that the two guards had begun to follow us as well.

I soon found the four of us walking through the halls while Celestia always stayed ahead of me. The halls were quiet and the atmosphere was actually a bit tense. I had no idea why. I knew I had nothing to fear from Celestia, being the beautiful and kind sweetheart she is. But there was indeed a faint tension on the silence around me. Celestia was silent as well, not saying a thing as we walked along.

While we walked along, we passed by a door into one of the palace's chambers that was somewhat ajar. A few seconds later, it occurred to me that I had seen a light shade of pink in there with a touch of purple. A smile came to my face while I paused and looked back towards the doorway. "Cadence?"

Temporarily forgetting that my friends were waiting for me and feeling the need to pop in and say hello to a friend, I turned and began to make my way towards the edge of the hall. But before I could reach the door, the two guards that had been behind me stepped forward and blocked my progress with spears crossed. "Halt."

"Whoa, hey..." I muttered while being mildly startled by this sudden show of defiance. As I backed away for a few steps, I heard the sound of Celestia's hooves behind me. When I turned around, I found her standing right before me. And the expression she showed was not quite as...friendly as it had been before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm0sWo7UAZw

"Something wrong, James?" She asked while her expression remained neutral and...even a bit stern.

I saw no harm in being honest. "Sorry. I just thought I saw Cadence one room back and was about to stick my head in and say hello."

Her tone was still uncomfortably stern and direct. "There is no time for that, James. We must be going now."

Something did not feel right. The Celestia I know would never mind me saying hello to her niece. Or to anypony, for that matter. "You sure? I'll just be a... Hey!"

Next thing I knew, something hand grabbed my wrists in its teeth and yanked my arms backwards before...clamping something around them. Try as I might, I could not pull my wrists apart. Had I just been handcuffed?! When I turned to see if the two guards had something to do with it, I found both of them silently pointing their spears at me. As a small sense of fear began to set in, I heard Celestia speak from behind me in that stern tone of voice again. "I'm sorry, James. We can't have you wandering off this time."

What was going on? I strained against the locks placed on my wrists and found that I had indeed been handcuffed. But I had not committed a crime! Had I? I turned to Celestia and asked, "Wait... Am I being arrested? What did I do?!"

Celestia merely eyed me in silence briefly before turning away from me. "We will discuss it when we arrive. Come along now."

While she began to walk, I felt a light prodding against my lower back. I knew what it was. The tip of a spear. Feeling extremely tense knowing the guards could run me through with their spears at any time, I did exactly as I was supposed to do and followed closely behind Celestia without a word. I merely turned my gaze to the floor without even glancing at the rooms we passed by. I clearly had been captured. And I could not even begin to fathom what I had done to deserve it.

Minutes later, we stood before the great doors that led into the throne room. As Celestia began to cast her magic to open it, I asked, "Are Luna and Nightmare Moon inside?"

"They are. They know they need to be present for this." Celestia replied with the driest tone of voice I had ever heard from her. The doors soon swung open to reveal the throne room. And to my delight, I saw the Princesses of the Night and Dreams standing on opposite sides of the throne. However, they both remained silent and showed no significant reaction to my presence. I expected them to call out to me in greeting or perhaps even show something disdain for seeing me in handcuffs. Or are they called hoofcuffs? Regardless, they remained silent and stoic.

As I was led into the throne room, I began to realize that something was not quite right. I felt more like I was being lured into a trap than actually being arrested for a crime. Once we were just past the door, Celestia stopped and turned to face me. Or rather the guards behind me. "Guards. Remove his shackles."

Seconds later, I felt something pull my hands down as a few clicks were heard. I felt my wrists become free once more and brought them forward instinctively to examine them for damage. Celestia then commanded, "Guard the door until we emerge. Nopony is to be admitted until then."

The guards bowed their heads in silence before leaving the door while closing the door behind them. Celestia then turned away from me and walked towards her sisters. I remained where I stood, not certain if I should speak. Once she had ascended to her throne and turned to face me with her sisters on each side, Celestia then spoke out with a very commanding tone of voice. "Step forward, James."

My nerves were completely on fire. Here I was, trapped in the throne room in the royal palace with only the three most powerful ponies on the planet standing before me. And none of them were happy to see me. For all I knew, they were plotting to destroy me on the spot. And with the power they possess, they were certainly capable of that. My pace was slowly and even a bit jittery. Luna seemed to notice this and spoke with a hoof raise. And even then, her tone felt cool. "Calm yourself, James. You will not be harmed."

That filled me with a faint sense of relief. At least I was not in any danger. I know Luna would not lie to me about my safety. I took a deep breath in the hopes of calming myself and walked until I was standing just before the incline that leads up to the throne. The three royal sisters eyed me with stern gazes, although I did see Nightmare Moon very briefly cast a somewhat fearful gaze towards her sisters for just an instant before she regained her stern disposition. What were they thinking while they looked at me?

Finally, Celestia spoke once more. "I'm sure you are wondering why you are here. Why you were placed in binds. And why you are now locked in here with us."

"Yeah... Pretty much" I replied quietly with my voice in a very deep tone. I felt as if I was standing before my father after having thrown one of his temper tantrums. My nerves were constantly tense and I was completely on guard to do everything I could to avoid making the situation worse. No sudden moves. Only speaking in short brief sentences as long as necessary.

Nightmare Moon was quick to see how tense I was and spoke up in a more comforting tone of voice. "Calm yourself, my friend. You are not in any sort of trouble. We hold no ill will towards you. We merely need to speak to you regarding...some troubling recent events."

At her words, Celestia and Luna's expressions softened slightly. They must have come to understand that I was too uncomfortable to speak freely at that time. Celestia then said, "Yes, I must apologize for deceiving you back there. I did not mean to frighten you. But we must discuss this now and not any other time, James. It cannot wait."

"OK... So...what's wrong?" I asked while feeling myself relax somewhat, although the tension in the air was still present.

Celestia's expression hardened once more as she began to speak. "I know you are very much aware of why you are here in our world, James. And you have been here for some time now. More than a year, to be precise. Now, I must ask you. If you could describe our world in three words, what would they be?"

Three words. Just three. I cast my gaze towards the floor and tried to think. She was right. By now, I have been in Equestria for a rather sizeable amount of time. And my personal attachment to this world has only grown since the day I first arrived. What words could I use to describe this wonderful that I now call home? I did not wait very long before I looked towards Equestria's three sovereign rulers. "Peaceful... Beautiful... Innocent. That's the best I can think of."

"Well said." Celestia replied while her expression remained remarkably stern. "That third word of yours especially interests me. Innocent. But you do know what that means, don't you?"

I felt a nameless chill flow through my heart. The way she was speaking was extremely accusatory. As if I was being condemned. I remained silent. I almost knew exactly what she was going to say. "A world of innocence is a world that is all too easily tainted."

"I know... But...why are you telling me this?" I asked while feeling a new fear filling my heart. My skin was beginning to crawl in sweat. I cannot begin to describe how quiet, yet tense the atmosphere was becoming.

Celestia began to speak very frankly while her sisters continued to look on with stern gazes as well. "Innocent is a term I can also use to describe this world. And innocent is something I could never use to describe the world you come from. The only question I have is this. Will your presence taint this world?"

I felt my eyes open wide. She continued to speak very dryly, "You have been here for quite some time and do have a firm grasp of our way of life. However... Recent events have brought to our attention a need to show caution. This world may be innocent, but we know that you are not. And while you are vital to the reintroduction of the human race to this world, should you become a threat to Equestria's way of life... We will have to put you right back where we found you."

"No!" I suddenly shrieked at the very mention of such a thought. I had already been sent back to Earth once before a year ago. And after my return to Equestria... My love for this world has only deepened. I cannot imagine going back now. I have friends... I even have a family now... But now... Was I on the verge of being banished back to Earth forever? Without even saying goodbye to the friends who were waiting for me back in the main hall?

Luna and Nightmare Moon seemed to even show a brief display of alarm as they glanced at their sister briefly before turning their gazes back towards me. They remained eerily silent, though their expressions did seem pained. And Celestia... Her gaze remained as unchanged as stone. What had I done?! I then all but yelled, "You... You're not really going to do this, are you?! What did I do?!"

Celestia then replied promptly, "James, I hold no ill will towards in the slightest. However, despite our feelings towards you, we must do what is best for this world. Now, I must ask you. And please... Answer this question as sincerely as you can. Can you see yourself doing anything that may influence our people in any sort of a macabre way? Any way that may prove detrimental to our people's way of life?"

I knew exactly what it was she was speaking of. And I understood her fears well. Fears that I too share in the back of my mind. The last thing I ever want to see is for Equestria to become another Earth. This world is itself. It does not, nor should it ever, need to become like any other world out there. This world is unique...wonderful... And I love it for that. I looked directly at the Princess of the Dawn and spoke while trying to keep myself from breaking down in a panic, "No... I don't want to see this world change... It's perfect the way it is... And I don't want to see that change... But...if you really think I'm a threat to this world's way of life..."

I was torn. I love Equestria. The thought of it becoming more like Earth terrified me. But I could not bring myself to even try to suggest that they send me back to preserve this world's purity. The thought of leaving again, and for the final time, was too painful to consider. Unable to bring myself to speak, I finally felt myself drop to my knees as the tears flowed. I was frightened. I did not want to leave. "Please... I don't want to go... Don't send me back now..."

A mere moment later, I heard the sound of hooves rapidly approaching me. I clenched my teeth. Was I about to be struck by a spell that would send me away forever? Instead of feeling myself being exposed to a burst of magic, I felt something rest gently upon my shoulder. And when I lifted my head, I saw her looking down at me with a remorseful stare as her gilded shoe was perched to the side of my head. Celestia was standing before me.

No words came. I was entirely uncertain of what to say. It was Celestia who broke the silence as she shook her head while a sigh escaped her lips. "This was a bad idea... I'm so sorry that we put you through this, James. I just... I had my doubts and... I'm sorry. We just needed to be sure of where your heart truly lies."

"You mean...?" I said while a sniffle snorted through my nostrils. My vision was still blurred by tears as they streamed down my cheeks. In the meantime, Luna and Nightmare Moon began to draw near.

Celestia nodded while showing a forlorn and even shameful smile. "Yes... On your feet, my friend. You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here in Equestria. As you wish it to be."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Thank goodness. But once I was on my feet, Nightmare Moon stepped forward before wrapping me in one wing for an embrace as she gave her eldest sister a smirk. "See? I told you this was a waste of time. You underestimate him, sister."

"Yes, yes... Perhaps I did..." Celestia said quietly while I noticed her blush slightly in clear embarrassment. "I just had to be sure. A lot could go wrong with this project, after all."

Luna then stepped forward and also wrapped a wing around me while reaching as high as she could with it. She then spoke while looking at me out of the corner of her eye, "That is certainly understandable, although a full year has gone by. Complications aside, he has been doing fine."

Celestia quietly nodded before looking at me with such a guilty frown. "James... I must apologize for putting you through such a scare. Can you ever forgive me?"

I hardly felt upset with her, if at all. I definitely understand why she would be so concerned about her people being influenced in ways that could become irreversible if it had become too integrated into the minds of Equestria's population. I reached out and gently rested my hand upon her shoulder. "It's OK... I don't blame you... Although this sort of thing did kind of come out of nowhere. Did I...do something wrong?"

After a moment of silence, Celestia solemnly shook her head. "No... You have done nothing worth punishing. Do not worry yourself over this, James. And besides..." With a smile that seemed all too forced, Celestia pointed towards the door behind me. "Don't we have a party to attend?"

"Oh, yeah! You think we should hurry back now?" I replied while thinking of my friends. Surely they were starting to become impatient by then. Especially Pinkie Pie.

Luna rolled her eyes. "I suppose we should. Lest Pinkie Pie decides to consume a pint of scotch to help pass the time again. How long did it take to fix up the ballroom after the Grand Galloping Gala this year?"

As we all started to make our way towards the door, Celestia chuckled in response. "Oh, that? It took roughly a week. Remind me to bar her from the refreshments counter next year."

The guards left their post just outside the throne room once we emerged. They were likely there to prevent anyone from interrupting that little discussion we just had. Along the way back to the main hall, Luna and Nightmare Moon inquired into my recovery while never leaving my side. It felt good to be back with them after all that time. Although Celestia was oddly quiet while she led us through the halls.

Once we began to descend the stairwell into the main hall, we found my six companions just milling about or locked in conversation. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, though... They seemed to be locked in a game of rock paper scissors to hold off the boredom. Pinkie Pie then grinned in glee as both she and Rainbow Dash held out a hoof in another draw. "Wow, Dashy! You're really good at keeping me from winning!"

Rainbow Dash seemed far less than pleased and looked incredibly annoyed more than bored. "That's because we can only choose 'rock'! Why'd I even let you talk me into this?! Huh? Oh, finally! They're back! Can we stop now?"

Oh, we got a good laugh out of that. Once we were back down at the bottom of the stairwell, Celestia stepped forward. "I apologize if we kept you waiting. Since you're all very eager to get started, please follow me."

With hardly a word, we all began to follow Celestia down a side hall. It seemed to be leading us towards the same ballroom where Pinkie Pie went on a drunken tirade during the previous Grand Galloping Gala. Upon passing through the doorway, we were greeted by two ballrooms that were connected by a second doorway. The first room had a few tables for seating as well as a few more lined with buffet trays filled with a wide variety of gourmet foods. There was even a refreshment counter much like the one I had seen during the Grand Galloping Gala with a very refined gentleman of a stallion polishing glasses behind it. He certainly looked a great deal like the waiter who works at Ponyville's café. Relatives, perhaps? The room beyond seemed to be reserved for entertainment as I could hear soft classical music coming from beyond. However, Pinkie Pie did not seem too enthralled with the setup. "Aww... No party this time?"

"I think this is more of a time for relaxation than partying... I could really use some rest instead of cutting loose." Fluttershy explained while Applejack could not tear her gaze away from the buffet line. Cannot say I blame her. The smell was getting me hungry too.

Nightmare Moon turned her gaze towards our disappointed pink friend and spoke, "That is exactly what this is for, Pinkie Pie. Rather than wear yourself out further, take the time to just relax and recuperate. I am sure you need it."

"Well, when you put it that way... Yeah, I guess I could just chill for a while." Pinkie said while letting out a big yawn. "Maybe I'll just get some really strong cider to help me relax."

However, Luna then raised her voice a bit while standing before Pinkie. "Oh no, not again! After what you pulled during the previous Gala, you are hereby barred from all strong drinks. And do not try to convince the bartender otherwise. He knows who you are." Why could I not help laughing at that?

The event kicked off without a hitch. Although I have to say with how big the two rooms were, it felt very awkward having the place to just the ten of us. Or fifteen if you count the bartender and band. While my friends lined up at the buffet to line their trays, I decided to peek into the next room where the music was coming from. As I expected, the band was the exact same quartet who performed during the Grand Galloping Gala. Unfortunately, the only one whose name I can remember off of the top of my head is the cellist. Octavia. And that is only because I have seen her around Ponyville. It turns out that she is a Ponyville native and not from Canterlot like I initially believed. Yet despite having seen her around at times, I never really figured out where she lives. Although rumor has it she is housemates with the local disc jockey... Quite an odd couple. They must get on each other's nerves very often with their clashing tastes in music. Still, it was pleasant to see the four of them up on the stage livening up the atmosphere with such charming music. I even took a seat at one of the tables in there to just watch them momentarily until they finished their song.

Something I noticed is that Octavia tends to play her cello with her eyes closed, almost as if in a trance. She probably has so much experience with using her instrument that she does not actually need to watch the movement of her bow to produce the proper sound. The only time she actually did open her eyes was at the end of the song when she seemed to quietly discuss what song to play next with her band mates. It was only then that she seemed to notice my presence. When she looked my way, I instinctively waved at her. She cast me a serene smile while returning the favor before resuming her discussion with the other musicians. It was at that time that I decided to go grab a bite to eat. If Applejack was as hungry as I thought she was, there would probably not be many leftovers by the time we departed for home.

Everyone was already seated around the tables that were set up near the refreshment counter. Twilight and Celestia were locked in conversation while Fluttershy was seated at their table. Luna was seated at a table with Applejack and Rainbow Dash while Nightmare Moon was seated with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. I then made my way to the buffet line to stock up on my tray. There was just so much to choose from. Roasted Brussels sprouts, baked macaroni and cheese lined with a crispy bread crumb topping, roasted carrots in three colors, pasta in a cream sauce with peas and mushrooms... There was quite a bit more to list, but I had better stop here. I do not want to make myself hungry remembering them.

There was so much to choose from, I could only fit a bit of half of the list of food onto my tray before heading over and taking a seat beside Fluttershy. She too had lined her tray full of food and seemed to be taking her time with it. I leaned closer to her while caressing my hand over her back. "Got a lot to choose from, huh?"

My lover glanced at me and nodded with showing a cute smile. "Mmhm. I'll probably go back for seconds to make sure I get to try everything."

"That, and you're eating for two now. Remember?" I whispered while my hand rubbed the side of her belly. Fluttershy giggled as she fidgeted in her seat, apparently being a little ticklish.

While we engaged in simple chitchat, we also listened in on Twilight's conversation with Celestia. It was mostly about her studies and new magic she had been thinking in as well as catching up on any special events with her friends. It seems Twilight takes her studies in the art of friendship very seriously. I cannot fault her for that. There was a time where I had no interest in friends myself and came to see what I had been missing out on. But that is probably something to save for another day.

Eventually, Celestia stood up from her seat and turned her gaze to us. I think she was noticing that neither of the three of us had anything to drink. She seemed to glance over at the refreshment counter before looking back to the three of us. "Are any of you thirsty? Would you like me to get you anything from the bar?"

It was pretty unusual to be waited on by a princess, but Twilight still replied with a smile. "Sure! I'll take a glass of apple cider."

I then decided to speak my choice. "I'll take a glass of your sweetest sparkling wine, please."

When Fluttershy did not offer a reply, Celestia looked at her directly. "What about you, dear? Anything I can get you?"

Fluttershy glanced over at the bar...refreshment counter... What do you call one of those little bar counters on wheels anyway? Anyway, Fluttershy then looked back at the Princess of the Dawn and meekly replied, "Um... Any kind of juice would be fine. I can't really drink right now."

I smirked and snickered slightly, knowing where this was going. Even Twilight seemed delightfully anxious about the big surprise that was about to be revealed. Sure enough, Celestia seemed puzzled. "You CAN'T drink right now? Don't you mean you simply aren't in the mood for strong drink?"

"Well, I do... I mean... Um... I wouldn't mind having some sweet white wine, but it wouldn't be a good idea right now." Fluttershy shyly explained while apparently trying to avoid saying too much. I am not sure if she was deliberately hinting at her pregnancy to tease Celestia or if she just did not know how to reply without dropping some hints here and there. But it was all too clear that Celestia was starting to catch on by that awkward stare she was giving my beloved.

"And why is that?" Celestia asked again while starting to tilt her head to one side.

A few seconds later, Applejack, who was seated at the table right next to us, leaned in Fluttershy's direction while showing that smug smirk I often catch her with. "Are you gonna tell 'er, or should I?"

When Fluttershy hesitated for a few seconds more with a truly uneasy expression on her face, Applejack then looked at Celestia and said, "She can't drink because she's got a bun bakin' in the oven. And y'all know alcohol don't mix well with 'em."

That look on Celestia's face... And the look on the faces of Luna and Nightmare Moon. Just...wow. Wide-eyed stares with expressions that really showed they were not expecting such a revelation. It was Nightmare Moon who spoke first as she rose from her seat and stepped towards us. "I beg your pardon?!"

"I concur! Did I just hear that right?" Luna then asked while all eyes fell upon us. Our friends looked like they were trying hard to not laugh.

As amusing as this was becoming, we still had to make clear the current situation. So I decided to break the news. "Well...yeah. Only thing is we're not entirely sure if we're going to keep it. It wasn't planned."

"Oh... I see. Well, do you think you may decide to keep the child when it comes?" Celestia asked while looking somewhat disheartened by the news. I know it is never pleasant to announce that you are giving up a child for adoption, but... Well, I think I already covered that in a previous entry.

Fluttershy looked at me while I looked at her. That gaze told me all she wanted to say. I then turned back to the princesses and explained, "It really depends. We need to make certain we're actually capable of handling it before the baby comes. If we're not ready by the time it gets here... Well, I'm sure there's someone out there who's ready to adopt. I mean... I do hope we can prepare ourselves, but we've got to play this smart. Having a kid long before you're ready can mess up both you and the kid's life."

"Mm... Quite true. It's good to see you are taking this so seriously." Luna said while showing a rather concerned gaze. "Although this also begs the question.... Or rather the question is whether or not you have popped the question by now."

This prompted a number of chuckles and snickering from most of our friends. Even Fluttershy seemed to be showing a slightly excited smirk while also noticeably blushing. Very slowly, she lifted her hoof. And there it was. That simple golden band I had purchased for her a week ago. "I think this answers your question..."

It was Nightmare Moon who spoke first and with a stone-faced expression. "You are...engaged?"

I nodded and said, "Mmhm. In early April. Enough time to go on our honeymoon and be back in time for the next Grand Galloping Gala."

This prompted a surprisingly excited smile from Celestia, of all people. "Well, then we have a lot of work to do! We need to start sending out invitations, deciding on the designs..."

"Whoa, whoa, you don't need to worry about all that! It's not like this is gonna be another royal wedding." Rainbow Dash spoke up in response to Celestia's unexpected enthusiasm. And she was right. We were going to have the wedding take place locally in Ponyville, not in Canterlot.

This did nothing to stifle Celestia's interest as she beamed at us excitedly. "True, but this will still be a grand occasion! This is the wedding of two of the seven bearers of the Elements! Definitely a day that will make the history books."

"Well, when you put it like that..." I said softly while thinking over Celestia's words. I had not taken that into account. Fluttershy is the bearer of the Element of Kindness while I am the bearer of the Element of Humanity. I suppose this event really will be a big deal.

Finally, Luna spoke up while rolling her eyes as she rested her hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "I apologize for my sister's outburst. She just loves weddings." Celestia could only grin while showing a noticeable blush in her cheeks. However, the clink of a glass caught our attention. When we all turned to face the refreshment counter, we saw Nightmare Moon chugging down a pint glass full of a clear colorless liquid. And I strongly doubt it was water.

Pinkie Pie then asked, "Wow, is that all vodka?!"

Judging by how Nightmare Moon gagged and coughed once the whole glass was empty, it must have been. "Ugh! That... That was a bad idea..."

"Um... Sister, are you well? You really shouldn't consume such strong drink that quickly." Luna asked while looking on in bewilderment. It certainly was unexpected. I doubt even Rainbow Dash would have tried that.

After rubbing her forehead for a moment, probably due to the rush that comes from rapidly consuming alcohol, Nightmare Moon looked our way with a smile. "Oh, I'm fine. It's just... It's a lot to take in on such short notice. First this talk of a future child and then a wedding... I just need to...take a walk to collect my thoughts. I'll be back in a little while. Don't mind me." While she walked towards the door that led back into the rest of the palace, Nightmare Moon stumbled just slightly once. The vodka was probably starting to take effect.

"Wow... Who knew Nightmare Moon could chug vodka like that? I'd hate to get stuck in a drinking contest with her!" Rainbow Dash muttered rather loudly as we all watched silently as the Princess of Dreams departed.

"I certainly didn't... Anyway, why don't I go ahead and get you your drinks?" Celestia replied with a smile. "Oh, and does lemonade sound fine for you, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, yes. I'd like that." Fluttershy said quietly in return.

The wine I received certainly tasted and smelled...well...like wine, but it was still quite sweet. I could see myself drinking it casually. As for the food, I certainly had to go back for seconds to try more of what I could not fit onto my tray. It was just all so good. Once I had refilled my tray and went back to the table, I grabbed my wine glass and went back to the refreshment counter for a refill. When I did, I found Fluttershy standing before it. "Um... Yes, uh... Some of that... And that..."

The bartender seemed to be giving her a bit of a suspicious glare. And...why was she asking for a type of cocktail when she just explained that she was pregnant? While I felt it was rude to interrupt, my eyes started to notice something odd about her mane. I know it is pink, but...why was that shade of pink so much bolder than the last time I saw it? And her cutie mark... I then tapped on her shoulder and asked, "Hey... Honey? Why does your cutie mark look like Pinkie Pie's?"

She jumped a bit and turned around before looking at me. "My cutie mark?! Well...um... Wait... Why are you looking at me like that?"

I almost snorted in suppressed laughter while I looked down at her. "Fluttershy doesn't have blue eyes..." I then all but laughed while I cracked a smirk. "Pinkie Pie... I know you do a really good Fluttershy impersonation, but you're not fooling anyone. Stop trying to sneak booze."

Right as I said that, the demure and meek look in her eyes disappeared and her mane and tail suddenly popped back into a much more familiar poofy state. "Awwww, why am I the only one beside Fluttershy who can't get a stiff drink?!"

"Do you remember anything about the second half of the Grand Galloping Gala this year? No? Well, there's your answer." Twilight remarked snidely from nearby, apparently having watched Pinkie Pie's attempt to go incognito to get access to some of the booze. Although imitating a pregnant mare was probably not the better choice.

By the time I had finished my drink and stuffed myself full, I then noticed that it seemed Celestia had slipped out without anyone noticing. Luna was still around, but both Celestia and Nightmare Moon were nowhere to be seen. I did not pay much mind to it. She likely had a bit of royal business to deal with for a moment. And Nightmare Moon was likely just trying to walk off the intoxication brought on by all that vodka.

With most of my friends' appetites having been sated for the moment, I decided to head back into the next room to watch and listen to the band. Most of my friends were already there while seated at a couple more tables not far from the stage. The music that filled the air was somewhat livelier than before. Where it had been much slower and quieter earlier, the song that the band was currently playing at the moment was actually more on the peppy side.

I took a seat at the table where Luna, Rarity, and Applejack were seated and just listened in on their conversation. Although Luna still shot me a quick greeting. "Hello there, James. I hope the accommodations have been to your liking so far."

I nodded while taking a sip from my glass of wine. "Oh, it has. Fantastic food, good music, and a relaxing atmosphere. It's definitely what I needed."

"Yeah, I reckon we all could use somethin' a bit slower lately. I ain't up for one of Pinkie Pie's jumpy kinda parties right now." Applejack added while gulping down a mouthful of spiced apple wine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKmtIHgGzLM

For the next moment, I listened into the music while turning my gaze towards the band. I overheard a bit of a discussion between Rarity and Luna where they seemed to be discussing the progress Rarity was making on a custom order. Funnily enough, even though I was not looking at either of them, they sounded like they were being careful to not speak of very many details such as who it was for and what the deadline is. Did they know I was listening in? Or did they merely not want to take any chances? Applejack did not say anything at all. Maybe she was also listening in for some juicy gossip.

Finally, the current song finished and the musicians began to whisper to each other. Probably while trying to decide on the next song. But just as they seemed to be preparing themselves to play, I felt something upon my hand. A quick glance to my right revealed Rarity with her hoof resting upon my hand. She then gave me a slight smirk and asked, "May I have this dance?"

I actually snickered a bit at her request. "Sorry. I've never been a good dancer."

This did nothing to deter my beautiful friend as she began to walk towards the floor before the stage while casting her magic upon my hand to pull me along. "Nonsense, darling. It's just a slow dance. Any old fool can do that."

A quick glance behind me revealed that all of my friends were watching me with interest. I felt my face become warm as I am sure I began to blush. "Rarity, I'm serious. I can't dance..."

"Then I will just have to teach you, won't I?" I heard Rarity say with a giggle as she looked back at me. Once we were in the middle of the dance floor, Rarity released her magical grasp on my hand before turning to face me. Never once did that alluring gaze of hers ever change. "Just follow my lead."

The band began to play another slow and relaxing song while Rarity rose up on just her hind legs. Using her hooves, she guided my hands. She placed her right hoof on my left hip before making me rest my hand over it. She then lifted her left hoof higher while placing it in my right hand's palm. I closed my fingers over her hoof while keeping it raised. I am all but certain we were not quite positioning ourselves correctly, but since Rarity barely stands at four feet tall when taking a bipedal stance while I stand 5' 9, she was clearly improvising the best she could.

Without a word, Rarity began to lead me into the song. I am still not entirely if we were even really dancing more than just shuffling our feet. All we really did was step from side to side while lightly swaying. Is that really all there is to a slow dance? No wonder I was having such an easy time of it. The entire time we danced, Rarity never once took her eyes off of me. And I could not look away either.

After roughly a minute, Rarity performed a new move. She began to rotate and step away from me while keeping her hoof in my grasp. I responded accordingly, taking my left hand off her hoof to allow her to perform a full spin while lifting my right hand much higher above her head until she completed her rotation. Once she was facing me again, her right hoof gravitated back to my hip. My left hand once more rested upon it as we began to step and sway again.

This continued on for a few more minutes. We stepped and swayed while I would occasionally assist Rarity in performing a slow spin. When the song finally ended and our movements came to a stop, we both turned to glance at our friends as they began to shower us with applause. "Not bad, y'all! Kinda dull, but it's a start."

Rarity merely smirked at Applejack before gazing back up at me. She then whispered, "Don't mind her. You did just fine, my prince."

"It was a pleasure, m'lady." I replied just as quietly before releasing her hooves from my grasp. I have to say... For being my first real dance, that was quite enjoyable.

The two of us walked back over to the nearby seating and returned to our seats. Rainbow Dash then asked, "Pretty good for a first time, but lets see you really cut loose next time DJ-PON3 hosts another night dance!"

"I don't do raves, Rainbow! Besides, I don't like coming home with my ears ringing." I retorted while rolling my eyes. I really do not care much for those really noisy dance parties. Way too loud and just not my style.

After a good while longer with my friends and I returning to the refreshment counter and buffet line to sate our thirsts and peck at the leftover food, I finally decided I just needed to get up and take a walk. I needed to keep my body moving to help build up my strength after all that time in the hospital. Once I finished another glass of wine, I stood up from my seat and looked towards my friends. "Hey, I'm just gonna take a walk for a little while, all right? Just need to walk off some of this food and clear my head."

My friends did not seem to mind my request at all and nodded or waved in agreement. Fluttershy then said, "All right, honey. We'll be here."

Luna then added, "Should you get lost, just ask one of the guards to escort you back to the main hall. This chamber is past the doorway to the left of the stairway."

I headed on my way and began to just wander all along the palace's ground level. While I did just want to explore a bit, I steered away from any stairs I found. I just was not in the mood to climb anymore steps for a while. I was especially glad none of my friends requested to tag along. As much as I adore them, I do appreciate the occasional stint of solitude... Speaking of them, what has been the deal with all of them spending a good chunk of time with me every single day this week? I mean I do tend to see them all over the course of a full day more often than not, but...it almost felt as if they were going out of their way to find something to do with me as a group. Almost seems obsessive of them in hindsight. Hmm...

Perhaps I was just overthinking things at the time. I can bet they missed me while I was stuck in that coma. They were probably just making up for lost time. Regardless, I walked along the empty quiet halls as my feet stepped lightly without making much of a sound. It was almost a bit unsettling to bi in such large halls without really hearing my own footsteps. I have long been a light stepper. And while I do tend to have a good memory in recalling locations by appearance, some of the areas I explored were still new to me. I did occasionally pass by a member of the royal guard, but they barely reacted to my presence. I decided I should leave them be unless I really needed them.

I eventually came to a large arched doorway not unlike most of those that led outside the palace. Thinking it led into another part of the royal garden, I decided to push it open and step outside for some fresh air. It was only after I surveyed what was beyond the door that I remembered I had passed through this door once before. The labyrinth and the courtyard before it lay spread out before me. Even though I knew it would be a bad idea exploring it today, I decided to at least take a walk around the perimeter. I did not exactly have time to really take a look around the place last time.

---

I could not describe the feeling of seeing them all back and being genuinely happy together. So much drama and angst over these past weeks have eaten away at our nerves and senses. At last, true catharsis has flown into our lives for the moment. The six bearers of the Elements of Harmony seemed truly relaxed as they partook in the fairly modest festivities. Surely it had been some time since they last had the chance to completely unwind together.

Of course, the greatest relief came from seeing him back on his feet. I last saw him in a wheelchair when he was finally discharged from the hospital. To see him alive and well once again brought me no end of relief. At last, my friend has been freed from Discord's foul clutches. And thankfully, he still shows no signs of remembering what occurred. It is for the best... I dread to see what would happen if he remembered the horrid events that transpired so recently.

However, the air was not entirely without tension, even in this time of relaxation. With my sisters having stepped out for a moment and with James having gone for a walk, I found myself alone with the six bearers as we listened to the hired musicians play. I was seated at the table Rarity was using. However, while I observed the musicians playing, I happened to see Rarity staring at her right hoof. It puzzled me. There was no sign of anything wrong with it, so what about her hoof was drawing so much attention from her? "Is all well with you, Rarity? You seem troubled."

She glanced at me in mild surprise, clearly surprised that I had noticed her distress. I almost expected her to fluster and innocently deny anything was amiss, but her response was instead quite solemn. "Oh... Forgive me. You weren't meant to see that. It's just... The memories. Nothing more."

I took a moment to observe her hoof while she returned her gaze to it. That hoof was the one she used to hold onto James' waist while she performed a simple dance with him. "What memories? And what does that hoof have to do with it?"

She bowed her head. Rarity indeed seemed quite troubled. "It's just... I knew what lied under his shirt when I touched him as we danced... It was such a struggle to hide my horror when I remembered it was there."

Under his shirt... James was bandaged there when I last saw him. Perhaps... "A scar? Something that Discord left behind?"

Rarity did not show any sort of a response aside from a most sorrowful frown. However, Applejack then approached our table and spoke, "Yeah... And it's a mighty nasty one too. Almost like it's tryin' ta remind us of what we did..."

She too seemed quite troubled as well. But why? The darkest hour had passed. Our friend was alive and well and does not even remind what happened to him. Surely this day should have been one of relief and joy! And if so... Why so melancholy?

I tried to comprehend what it was they were speaking of. And then it occurred to me. My sister, Nightmare Moon, revealed to me that she had witnessed the six of them make a solemn promise just before they departed to deal with Discord a second time. A promise to not succumb to his temptations again. Not just for each other...but for him.

It was then that I understood what was going through their minds. And only because I too carry that shame as well. Still, how much longer were they going to carry this unwarranted guilt? I could see just by looking at them that this guilt was tearing them apart. I had to free them somehow as I know their pain too well.

A moment later, I got my opportunity. The song the band was currently playing came to an end. A smirk spread across my lips. Perfect. I turned towards the band and called out. "Thank you for another fine performance! Although I am current you must all be quite famished. Why don't you partake in the buffet and quench your thirsts for a short while?"

The cellist in the band... Octavia, was it? She cast me a smile while she set her instrument down. "Many thanks, your highness. We shall return to the stage in a half hour, if that is all right."

Once the four of them were out of the room and out of earshot, I took the opportunity that I had been waiting for. I turned to the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony and spoke out to them. "All of you... I must ask that you gather before. We have something of grave importance to discuss."

They did not refuse. Those who were not already seated at the table I was resting at promptly approached me. Fluttershy then asked, "Yes, your highness? What's wrong?"

"I believe that is my line. You all seem to be vaguely troubled. What is it that has your hearts heavy with grief? This is supposed to be a time of relaxation, is it not?" I asked while trying to not pry too hard just yet.

They all displayed the same mournful expressions, although it was Twilight Sparkle who offered a retort. "Sorry... It's just... We're still trying to cope. It takes a long time to recover from this kind of guilt."

Indeed, my suspicions were correct. But guilty over what? I had to know, although I was already certain I knew the answer. "What guilt? Perhaps you could enlighten me. Discord has been vanquished. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Yeah... We know, but..." Pinkie Pie muttered while she seemed to be holding back tears. "We Pinkie Promised... James almost..."

So that was why. Indeed, they failed to follow through with that promise they made together. And as a result, our friend very nearly perished after a grueling ordeal. And yet, I knew they were not truly to blame. I had to allay their fears any way I could. "All of you... Listen to me. I know what it is you are suffering because...your guilt is my own."

"Huh? You didn't have anything to do with what happened to him... Why're you blaming yourself?" Rainbow Dash asked while looking noticeably confused.

I was not surprised that she had misinterpreted my words. "No, you misunderstand. What I meant was that I understand this guilt you are all experiencing. The guilt that comes from failing to be there for someone during events you had no control over."

They were on the verge of speaking up in frustration. I could see the look of mid hostility in their eyes. They were all being very hard on themselves and would not let anypony tell them otherwise. I raised my hoof to keep them quiet. "I know, you think I do not understand the pain you are going through. The guilt of a grave mistake. Well, allow me to reveal that I know exactly the agony you are experiencing."

Such conflicted gazes in those eyes. They wanted to speak up. To deny my claims, And yet, they remained silent so long as my hoof was raised. And so I spoke. "Ask yourselves this. Did you not find it odd that after my first public appearance following Nightmare Moon's defeat I was not seen for months? Not until the following Nightmare Night holiday? Why do you suppose that is? Where was I during that time?"

"Now that you mention it..." Fluttershy muttered quietly before lifting her head to look directly at me. "Where were you? It almost felt like a full year went by before we saw you again. Was something wrong?"

I sighed while I turned my gaze to the table. "Very. I did not reveal myself to the public again until months later. And that was due to powerful feelings of guilt and regret. After what happened a millennium ago, I was all but certain the people of the world still hated me. I fell into a deep depression and never left the palace. If it was not for Celestia and regular visits from therapists, I dread to know where I would be right now."

They did not speak at all. I had their undivided attention as I spoke of my troubled first days back home. "I was certain that I alone was to blame for becoming the villain reviled as the Mare in the Moon. I feared that I was wrong to have been envious of my sister and resentful of my people showing no love or praise for my night. But as the months went by and my sister spoke to me, I came to understand the truth. My envy of my sister and my disappointment in my people were, in fact, perfectly reasonable. I had every right to be upset. But the creation of Nightmare Moon... I could not have possibly had a hoof in that. An outside force... An unseen third party must have surely been responsible for that. A party that, to this day, we still have not identified."

I once more turned my gaze towards the six bearers before me. Their expressions were thoughtful and attentive. They were listening. And so I continued to speak. "I came to know this to be true, and yet... Even now, a glimmer of that guilt still remains. There are times when I wonder to myself the same questions. Was I truly not at fault? Could my transformation into Nightmare Moon have been avoided? What if I did something differently back then? That wretched glimmer of guilt still flares up in my mind from time to time, but I just have to know that it is merely the remnant of memories from a time before I learned the truth. A time that has little bearing on today."

What were those gazes they were showing me? Sympathy? Uncertainty? Even so, I could not stop there. I still had more to say. "This brings us to the present. You think you may know Discord, but I knew him better. You efforts to shield your friend from his madness was certainly valiant, but you overestimated yourselves. His magic was among the strongest in the world, as I am sure you discovered. He could alter reality at will, even if it meant altering all of you. This was beyond your power to resist. Therefore, you should feel little to no blame for what happened once he sank his hooks into each of you."

"But... We Pinkie Promised... We..." Pinkie Pie stuttered while each of them still showed gazes of intense guilt and self loathing. As if they felt they did not have the right to stop blaming themselves. A process I too went through not very long ago at all.

Still, I knew I was making progress. I knew they were beginning to listen and not just hear me. "Listen to me. True, you promised and failed to protect your friend. But it was never by your will that theses horrors occurred. You did all you could in the face of impossible opposition, so you should still feel some pride in knowing that you did indeed do your best. And do not forget the following days. While you may have been unable to prevent such a travesty, you were all unfailingly by his side during his time of need. You did everything you could for him. And that is what truly matters."

Their expressions softened somewhat. I knew they were remembering the past weeks. They never once gave up on him. They wee by his side whenever they could be. And in the end...they even saved him. "I understand that the guilt is difficult to let go of. It may take months, if not years, and may never truly fade at all. But remember this, all of you. You were never at fault for what happened to your friend. The one who was truly pulling the strings has paid the price for his actions and will never harm us again. Discord is no more and will never return. Take comfort in knowing that you all survived this ordeal and that everyone has made a full recovery. Your friend is alive and well, your friendship with each other remains intact, and that is all you truly wanted. Is it not?"

As I expected, neither of them smiled. That dreadful guilt still had a grip on them, but I could tell that it was beginning to loosen. Finally, Twilight Sparkle spoke quietly. "I guess... I think you might be right. It's just so hard to stop blaming yourself when you feel like you let someone you love down that hard..."

"I know... Still, I am not expecting you to find peace with yourselves overnight. Just remember my words and go from day to day knowing that the fact that things are improving and that everything is back to how it once was is a clear sign that you did not fail." I replied in the hopes of allaying their lingering fears.

"Yes... And thank you, your highness... The guilt you speak of... It truly isn't easy to let go of." Rarity then spoke while wiping a noticeable tear from her eye.

However, Applejack then spoke up while starting to walk away from the table towards the doorway that led away from us. "Yeah, I guess we just needed a nudge in the right direction... Hey, girls? If it's all right with ya, I'm gonna go find James. Just wanna keep an eye on 'im for today."

Of course. They concern for his well-being has been constant since his release from the hospital. And so I spoke a reply. "Actually, why don't we all go?"

Pinkie Pie seemed to instantly regain her vigor as she hopped out of her seat. "Sure! The more, the merrier!" And so we left the two chambers, leaving the band and bartender to rest until our return with our friend. Although I was left wondering. Where had he gone?

---

As I walked away from the doors leading into the palace, I could tell almost immediately that something was not quite right with the courtyard. It seemed that there was a significant amount of restoration going around the place. Piles of dirt, recently planted trees, bushes, and grass that was noticeably growing out of sync with the rest of the flora around me and... It just seemed so odd. There were shovels and even a few earthmoving machines like a backhoe. Surprising when considering that Equestria prioritizes magic over technology. But why all this work? What happened to this place to require so much restoration?

To be fair, there did not seem to be a whole lot left to do in that regard. Most of the courtyard looked much like it did when I last saw it, although the earthmoving equipment was still conspicuous in its presence. Even so, I followed the path before me that led towards the labyrinth ahead. I had no intention of going inside. I merely wanted to examine the exterior while getting a closer look at the statues around it. There seemed to be a particularly tall one at the front that I did not quite recognize from my current distance.

I looked directly ahead at the labyrinth before me, not paying much mind to anything. However, I then noticed something at the very bottom edge of my field of vision and promptly glanced down. I came to a stop, worrying that I was about to trip over something. What I saw next initially left me baffled as I clearly did not remember seeing that there the last time I passed by. "Whoa... Who drew this?"

It seemed to be a type of finger painting left on the ground. It consisted of seven crude designs with six set in a type of hexagon formation with the seventh in the middle. It did not take me long to recognize the designs. A balloon, a star with six points, an apple, a butterfly, a lightning bolt with a cloud above it, and a diamond. And in the middle was what seemed to be a type of handprint. Or at least a few finger marks. But...those other six were clearly the symbols that make up my six dearest friends' cutie marks. Why were they there? And there was something odd about the overall design of a few of them. While roughly half of them seemed...relatively neatly drawn by finger painting standards, the others were noticeably crooked and uneven as if the painter's hand had become progressively unsteady as it painted. And there was something not right about the appearance of the material used in making the drawings. It was a very dark shade of red to the point of almost being a type of black. And the way it looked... It was not paint. "Is that...blood?"

Before I could even really think about it, a familiar voice spoke up from behind me. "Something caught your eye, James?"

I turned around promptly upon hearing my name. I knew that voice. When I came to a stop, I found Celestia standing behind me while casting a fairly neutral gaze towards me. "Oh, hey... Sorry, I just wanted to take a walk to relax and clear my head while getting some fresh air. Sorry if you were looking for me and I wasn't back at the party."

Celestia merely shook her head. "No, it's fine. I too needed to take a walk to get a few minutes to myself. I just was not expecting to find you out here. Now then... What's wrong? You saw something?"

"Uh... Yeah. These markings on the ground weren't here last time." I said before and stepped aside to allow her to see the symbols that had been drawn on the ground behind me. I then pointed to them and asked, "How long have those been there? And... Is that stuff...dried blood? And who drew it?"

Upon seeing the symbols before her, Celestia sighed deeply while a profound frown spread across her face. She did not take long to provide an answer and turned to me. "It's nothing, James... Don't worry about it. Whoever made that is probably doing just fine. Truly, don't worry yourself over it."

"Um... All right. If you say so. Anyway, don't mind me. I was just going to get a closer look at those statues over there." I replied while turning around and stepping past the markings on the ground. However, before I could get far, I felt something upon my shoulder. A glance at my shoulder revealed Celestia's gilded shoe resting on it. "Something wrong?"

I turned back to face the Princess of the Dawn. She was staring at me with a pleading gaze. "If you don't mind... May I follow?"

"Sure... I don't mind." I replied quietly, noticing a somber weakness in her eyes. I had seen that look in her eyes before and did not feel it would be right to deny her my company for the time being.

Celestia then smiled and said quietly, "Thank you... Lead on, friend."

The two of us proceeded forward while paying no mind to the blood painting on the ground below. Our route was direct as we soon found ourselves standing before the tallest statue outside the labyrinth. It was all too clearly a statue of Discord himself. Or rather, Discord trapped in stone again. It seemed he had decided to take a fairly flashy or proud stance upon being sealed again. His chin was tilted upward while he hand his upturned hands raised a bit above his shoulders with the left being held a bit lower than the right. "Not a bad pose he chose."

"Hm?" Celestia muttered before she looked at me from my left. "Pose? What do you mean?"

I was a bit surprised that she did not understand. I then turned to her and tapped Discord on his leg. "This pose he's in. He was turned back into stone after the Elements of Harmony were used on him again, right? Too bad I missed it, what with me being out cold at the time."

"Oh... Right... His defeat." Celestia muttered once more with a slight chuckle. Although that face... It looked so conflicted and uneasy. She then turned to look up at Discord again and said quietly, "They did put him back in his place, didn't they?"

"Well... I never saw him get exposed to the Elements of Harmony the previous times, so I don't know what it's like to see it happen." I replied before looking up at Discord's petrified form. I then patted him on the knee, which was roughly parallel with my shoulders. Despite Discord being clearly at odds with everyone I know, I personally held no ill will towards the guy. "I hope you don't have an itch you need to scratch right now. You comfortable in there?"

As expected, I did not get a response. However, I soon noticed Celestia gazing at me with a remarkably pained expression. As if there was something she wanted to say, but could not. I turned to her and asked, "Hey... Are you all right?"

For the next five seconds, she did not say a thing. Finally, Celestia let out a long sigh before speaking. "James... I'm sorry... I know this may be a grave mistake, but... There is something I must tell you. Something that you must know." She then turned her gaze up at Discord and said, "This...is not Discord at all. It is merely a stone statue erected in his memory."

At first, I took a few seconds to comprehend what she just told me. The statue beside me...was nothing more than just that? A statue without anything inside it? And there was something grim about that term she had just used... In his memory. "So... He's not around here anymore? Did you banish him from the world? Or did you have him locked up in... What's that place called again? Tartarus?"

I had only read about the latter from time to time in books about various types of Equestrian lore while visiting the library, although any information I found on the location was a bit vague. Almost as if its exact location is kept hidden from the public. All I know is that it is probably a type of maximum security prison complex. However, I did not expect Celestia response. Her expression remained sorrowful while she spoke softly. "No, James. Discord is...dead."

As if those words were not enough to leave me speechless. She then pointed her hoof at me with a most serious and solemn expression set into her face. "And it was you who ended his eternal life."

I brought my hand to my mouth as I suddenly felt the need to laugh. Me? Kill something as...immortal as Discord? After the displays of power he showed during our first meeting, I could not fathom being able to kill something that...well...could not be killed. "Good one, Celestia. I don't think you can really kill something as detached from the laws of reality as..."

I felt the need to speak quickly die when I looked at Celestia once more. Her gaze remained the same. Serious, and even a bit sad. She did not laugh or say a word. It was then I began to see just how seriously she was taking herself. "You're... You're not kidding, are you?"

"Why would I joke about something like that? Discord is dead, James. And you are the one who killed him." Celestia spoke once more while still staying as serious as possible. She clearly wanted me to know she was not jesting with me in the slightest. And it was working too.

I turned my gaze back up at the stone statue beside me, coming to understand that Discord was not trapped inside. And still... Me? Kill...him? Even though I knew that Celestia would never lie about such a grim topic... I could not fathom it. Discord seemed invincible. Someone who was beyond death. Even if I were to try to kill him with all the power my weapons and armor bestowed upon me at the time we partook in that search of the Elements of Harmony, I truly could not see myself succeeding. If anything, his power likely surpassed my own. But there was still one question I still needed to ask. "Well... If I really did do that... Why can't I remember it? And how did I actually do... Wait! Everyone has been telling me that I was found unconscious and bleeding just past the entry point of the maze right there! So... Has everyone been lying to me?!"

The Princess of the Dawn sighed while she looked away from me. "Would you want to know what happened, as horrid as the truth may be? We know you well by now, James. What happened here went against everything you ever stood for. I doubt you would even want to remember the events that transpired here. However..." She then turned to gaze at me once more. "If you truly wish to know what it is that happened here, I will tell you all I know."

I was unsure of what to think or feel. My own friends...and everyone else who I had spoken to since awakening...had been claiming something different from what Celestia had just told me. But why? It was clearly never out of malicious intentions. They did not mean me any harm. So then...

The truth was right in front of me and all I had to do was ask. But still... I was unsure if I should. Was the truth being withheld from me for my own sake? Still... And knowing I may have killed someone I held no ill intentions towards... I felt a nameless anxiety in my heart. I have never killed anyone before... Well, no one alive, that is. Finally, after much internal debating, I sighed and nodded my head. "OK... Tell me."

Celestia merely nodded as well. She did not smile once. "Very well. Take a look around you. Do you see all the restoration that is happening?"

I looked around the courtyard. I did indeed see all of the earthmoving equipment and recently planted trees and bushes that would be present after such environmental damage had been inflicted upon the area. I did not say a word, allowing Celestia to continue. "All the restoration that is happening here... While I did not witness it, you and Discord waged a mighty battle here in this courtyard. I even seem to understand that you attempted to utilize the elemental magic in your gauntlets that you had not yet mastered. The spectacle must have been horrifying, yet awe-inspiring. Once you had finally slain Discord, the courtyard was in ruins. And when your friends found you, you were lying in a pool of your own blood with your hand in the center of those markings on the ground back there." She showed a most sympathetic frown as she added, "I could not have them wiped away. While I never knew why you drew those symbols out, I knew that spot is sacred ground. I made clear to those involved in the courtyard's restoration that they were to be left untouched."

My left hand instinctively reached for my waist. That scar on my side... Had Discord wounded me? Did he nearly kill me? And...those paintings of my friends' cutie marks... Was that indeed my blood?

I could tell that Celestia was not joking in the slightest. And yet, I still could not believe her. Why did I fight him? I never held a grudge against him. Was it he who began the hostilities? Still hard to imagine... Discord never once gave off a violent vibe. It made no sense... Simply did not add up, even if there was physical evidence to support it. I turned to Celestia after spending a moment in silent thought. "Well... I admit that claim is...unsettling, but I still can't quite wrap my head around it."

Celestia's expression brightened just slightly while she shook her head. "And I don't blame you. I wish I did not believe it myself. Whether or not you want to believe what I just told you is entirely up to you."

I said nothing. I felt so conflicted... I could not imagine myself actually killing anyone. Especially an immortal like Discord. But even so... Whether or not I actually killed him... "Well... Even if I don't buy it... Discord's really...gone now?"

The Princess of the Dawn remained silent momentarily as a look of longing filled her eyes. Slowly, she turned to face the statue beside us before turning her eyes up to it. "He is, James... Discord is truly no more. He is finally...at peace."

At peace... I too gazed up at the stone replica of Discord. Dead... The Spirit of Chaos, dead and gone. If he was such a threat to Equestria to the point where he had to be imprisoned in stone... Why was I not the least bit happy at the sound of it? I felt a twinge of sadness as I gazed up at the statue before me. To know that he was gone... Was he truly that vile?

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Celestia. She too seemed to be mourning in some way. Such a forlorn look in those lovely pink eyes. I could still remember how hostile she was when Discord revealed himself to us. It was a far cry to how she was while she stood beside me. After such a display of aggression, I would have expected her to appear relieved, not so genuinely unhappy. But why? Was there something she knew that I did not?

She did not look at me once. If she was aware that I was looking at her, she did not show it. Finally, I felt the need to speak. "He wasn't always like this, was he?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP1V9jDDQt0

This got the response I expected. Celestia turned her head to gaze at me. "No... Not at all. There was a time where he was not consumed with an obsession for turmoil and chaos. But that was ages ago."

This revelation instantly captured my attention. I glanced up at Discord's statue once more before looking back at her. "Do you...feel comfortable talking about it?"

While her eyes still remained filled with a deep sorrow, Celestia still managed to display a genuine smile. "It would be a pleasure... Thank you for being here for me, James. I mean it."

I began to lean against the statue's pedestal while listening to Celestia speak. "First of all, are you familiar with the origins of Hearths Warming Eve?"

"A bit. I only experienced it for the first time last winter. And even then, I was just taking things as they came, so I didn't take in as much information as I could at the time. I'll be able to absorb information better this winter." I replied while thinking back to my first winter in Equestria. While I probably should have done more to document my experiences back then, I was more interested in taking things easy at the time while becoming accustomed to Equestria's way of life and customs over writing journals. But I digress.

Celestia actually let out a faint chuckle, apparently not surprised that I was lax in my writings for a while after all the drama that happened at the time I decided to put down the quill for a breather. "Well, there is one thing the historical recordings do not mention. Very shortly after Equestria's founding, the people began to fear that without proper guidance, tensions would rise again and they would be right back where they started. To remedy this possible threat, they sought out the former rulers of this world. My mother and father, Queen Sunflare and King Orbash."

I became ever more curious at the mention of those two names again, but held my tongue to allow Celestia to speak. It seemed that her expression was beginning to brighten as she spoke, probably serving as a good form of stress relief. "While they still retained their royal titles, their previous reign had been relatively brief before passing power down to the people. It was due to their already very long lives and leadership skills that the people sought them out to once more take up the throne. However, my parents were hesitant to resume their reign over this world and feared that their guidance would be insufficient to keep relations between all races warm and beneficial after witnessing the literal chilling of their ties to each other."

I nodded in silence to show my understanding of the situation, listening as closely as I could. Celestia then continued, "Luna and I were present at the summit with our parents. During a discussion with the leaders of the three pony factions at the time, Princess Platinum as well as her father who stepped down as king shortly afterward, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead, it was... Um... What's so funny?"

That last name she mentioned... Why does that make me smirk and feel hungry at the same time? Even so, I found myself chuckling and snickering loudly at the mention of such a delicious name. "Sorry... Sorry, it's just that last one. Puddinghead, was it? How'd the chancellor get stuck with a name like that? Who seriously names their kid that?"

Celestia cast me a rather amused stare and crooked smile before saying, "Now that you mention it... It never occurred to me to ask him! But that is beside the point." She then cleared her throat with a wrist held to her lips before she began to speak once more. "As I was saying... During the summit, it was decided that after the global blizzard that threatened this world was brought on by the entities known as Windigos feeding off of the spite and hatred that festered between the three races, the world did indeed require a wise leader to insure that relations between all races remained strong. Thus, it was decided that we should seek out an old friend who was ideal for the job."

I raised an eyebrow at that line. "You mean... You and your folks put Discord in charge? That's how he rose to power in the first place?"

The princess before me smiled very warmly. "You must understand, James. Discord may be the Spirit of Chaos, but he was also known by another title that barely anypony even remembers anymore. He was also the Spirit of Diversity, as I am sure you could tell just by looking at his body. He understood how everyone thought. He understood everypony's needs. Thus, he was the perfect mediator. And so we sought him out. And we found him."

"And he went along with the idea to make him the ruler of this world?" I asked, having absolutely no input on the matter as I had very little of a grasp on how Discord actually thought.

A chuckle rumbled in Celestia throat momentarily. "Not at all. He thought being king was as boring a job could be. That, and he thought someone as free-spirited as him would be far from ideal for the role. But we persisted, especially me and Luna, for him to take up the throne. And after much pressuring for thirty days, he agreed to become king under one very specific condition."

"And that condition was...?" I retorted while feeling slightly excited at what ridiculous demand that goofball could have made.

Celestia's expression remained warm while she closed her eyes for a moment. "He refused to become king unless Luna and I became his royal advisors. We had no desire to refuse. And so Discord's reign began."

"Huh... That's a pretty happy story. But how did his reign go?" I asked in return, all too curious what kind of ruler Discord could have been.

"You have no idea..." Celestia said softly before she smiled somberly up at the statue beside us. "He was a beloved king. The world thrived, the people loved him, and he used his vast power wisely to insure balance in the world. But naturally, that loveable goof would very frequently make trips into the settlements to spice things up with a healthy dose of random controlled chaos. Making pigs fly, turning the rivers into syrup... You never knew what he would do next and the people always got a laugh out of it. At times, he would even throw grand feasts in the palace with chocolate flowing from the walls and tables made of pretzels. They would eat just the tables after tearing them apart and dousing them in the chocolate instead of the actual food!"

I was laughing at these recollections, as was Celestia. It sounded like Discord was a genuinely loveable guy! Celestia then sighed as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Those were some of the best days of my life... Good times..."

Noticing Celestia's tone darkening, I felt the need to ask. "Were you and Luna good friends with the guy?"

"Oh, James... We were more than just close. Discord was my best friend for many centuries. Even since the days Luna and I were fillies, he was always an important part of our lives..." Celestia said with a truly mournful smile. And as she said those words, I felt myself becoming hot and anxious. Her best friend... And now he was dead. And according to Celestia, the one who killed him was...

I could not even speak. I almost felt as if I was on the verge of a panic attack. As I felt my legs becoming weak, I saw Celestia look at me with a shocked glance before rushing to my side and holding me in her wings. "James, no! No... Don't blame yourself... Please, believe me. I am not angry with you at all. Stay calm... Trust me when I say that your actions were for the best. You did Equestria a great favor by ending Discord's reign for good. So please, relax yourself..."

By that point, there was very little doubt in my mind that I had killed Discord. Even if I could not understand how. But even though the burning tingling sensation in my chest was beginning to fade, I still looked at Celestia and asked, "But... He was your best friend... And he was such an awesome guy, from the sound of it!"

Celestia sighed while she frowned sadly at me. "He was, James. And 'was' is the golden word here." She released me from her wing while I regained my footing and took a few steps back. "His reign lasted for roughly two millennia. And those were indeed good times. But after the first several hundred years, something began to change in him. At first, it was subtle. A barely noticeable lingering sorrow. I would occasionally find him on the balcony just outside his private chambers just after nightfall while gazing at the stars. I would always ask him if something was wrong, but he would just smile and insist that he was fine. This pattern remained for many centuries to come. And this faint sorrow turned into a deep depression. Luna and I did everything we could to lift his spirits, but..."

For a moment, Celestia fell silent. She seemed genuinely distraught. Eventually, she began to speak again. "For the final ten years of his reign, he refused to leave the castle at all. The castle became noisy and...exceptionally surreal as he changed the entire layout daily with random use of his chaotic magic. It became so hectic and unpredictable that Luna and I had to essentially move out, as did many of the servants. We would still return daily to tend to our duties, but... Discord had become a mad king. He showed very little interest in the workings of the world and hardly paid the two of us any mind. For some time, my sister and I practically did his work for him. And he refused to speak to us about why he had become so obsessed with constant chaos and had grown to show so little interest in guiding his people. We tried to reason with him, but... Well, to say he was a lost cause would be an understatement. But every once in a while, I would still see the underlying sorrow that I had seen before. As if it was being drowned out."

She seemed so exhausted as she spoke those words. Ten years of having to deal with such mayhem... It almost sounded like having to live in the same house with a severely mentally ill idiot with a penchant for property destruction. It must have been ungodly stressful for her and Luna... "How long did this go on?"

Celestia cast her gaze downward. The memories that she had been forced to recall must have been very emotionally draining. "Five years... It felt much longer than that, somehow... On the final day before the world was thrown into disarray, I found him once again on his balcony after a surprisingly quiet day. I thought that he had finally come out of his madness. But instead..."

I remained silent. The situation had gone from nostalgic to tense. I felt it would be a bad idea to interrupt her at all. "When I approached him, Discord turned to face me with not a look of despair or even madness, but a gaze of cool clarity. Just before he departed by leaping off his balcony, he claimed that there is no point in friendship when chaos is eternal..."

Once more, Celestia fell silent while she glanced up at Discord's statue. Those words Discord had spoken to her... Chaos over friendship? From someone as likeable as that? What caused him to snap? Even though I was wary of putting Celestia under even more emotional duress, I still felt the need to ask. "But...why? What would cause him to abandon his kingdom like that?"

With another sigh, Celestia lowered her gaze back towards me. "It was far too obvious to us. Discord simply opened his heart too wide. He loved chaos, but he loved partaking in chaos with friends even more. Why laugh alone when you can laugh with others? He made...countless friends during the course of his reign. And with every several decade, those friends...would fade away. For a time, he simply tried to ease his pain by making more and more friends to fill that hole in his heart. But that ultimately failed when the hole became too great to fill. Even Luna and I were powerless to ease his suffering. For a time, we even attempted to urge him to limit his emotional attachment to his people so as to not become too devastated by loss. But the light of friendship was too alluring for him to resist. His people loved him...and he loved them. A king whose gift of immortality to guide and watch over his world forever had become a curse. And thus, no longer able to find security and happiness in friendship, he turned to the one other thing that gave his life meaning and drowned himself in it to smother the pain. Pure chaos."

There was nothing I could say. I have known for a very long time that immortality is not something one should strive for as it is simply not worth it. But for even someone like Discord to be broken by it... My thoughts were interrupted as Celestia continued to speak. "For five years, the world was an utter mess. It was no longer the occasional dose of enjoyable chaos that his people had grown to love. It was complete random chaos at all times. There was no respite, no time to go about their normal lives. Happiness became impossible in this world as Discord drowned it in chaos. Almost as if he could not bear to see others happy while he lived in misery. Luna and I did not speak to Discord again throughout those five years, hoping that he would come to his senses and seek us out. For even in his madness, we were still his friends... It was not until those five years passed that we could no longer ignore Equestria's cries for salvation. I knew then that the Discord I knew and cherished was gone forever. For the first time in millennia, the two of us gathered the Elements of Harmony, confronted Discord and... You know the rest."

I bowed my head, wondering if she had anymore words to speak. It was such an interesting, yet depressing topic to discuss. After letting out another long sigh, Celestia continued to speak to me. "I was not entirely certain as to what sort of effect the Elements would have on him. When he became encased in stone, I took it as a sign. Perhaps there still was a glimmer of good in his heart. However, Luna insisted that we take the opportunity to destroy him in his vulnerable state and rid Equestria of his madness forever. Deep down inside, I knew her words to be true. He would never return to being the same loveable oaf we had always loved. I knew this to be true, yet..."

Tears began to flow down her muzzle as I am sure she was recalling those moments in her head at that very second. I felt the urge to reach out and comfort her in some way, but I could not bring myself to step forward. A feeling in my gut told me to leave Celestia be unless she asked for me. She began to speak through quiet sobs, "I could not... He had been a fixture in my life for centuries upon centuries... I could not destroy my best friend... I pleaded with Luna... Told her that surely the hole in his heart could be mended someday in time... But it was all a lie I told myself... I could not let go, even though he so desperately wanted to be free..."

I felt myself feel genuinely sad and even a bit depressed as I listened to Celestia cry. All that guilt... Just... It is impossible for a mere mortal like me to comprehend. Before long, Celestia managed to cease her weeping and dried her tears. Her gaze then became one of sorrow and even a bit of relief as she looked directly at me. "But now... He truly is free. Thanks to you."

Those words were completely unexpected to me. Suddenly being quietly praised for killing someone? Let alone someone who was once a friend to the person I was talking to? I felt so conflicted... I gazed down at my hand. The hand that had likely been used to take Discord's life. It was at that moment Celestia began to walk towards me. "James... Don't. Please believe me when I say this. You did not commit a grave misgiving against Discord. By ending his life, you did him the greatest favor he could have ever asked for. You did not murder him. You set him free."

"Then...why does it still feel like I did something wrong?" I asked while almost being able to smell blood in the air. However, I froze as I felt something upon my forehead. My eyes glanced up, seeing Celestia's neck. She had placed her lips upon my forehead. "Celestia...?"

When she lowered her gaze to me, her eyes still showed a profound sorrow in them. But at the same time, they also showed a look of deep gratitude. "Thank you... Thank you for finally doing what I did not have the heart to do. Even if your methods were not ideal, Discord has finally been given the freedom to move on. I am certain that he is much happier where he is right now."

"But... But..." I stuttered and stammered briefly, still finding it hard to believe that anyone could thank me for killing their best friend. By then, any doubts I had over my past actions that I could not recall were all but gone.

Celestia shook her head. "Have you forgotten, James? What we discussed at that party a month or so ago? My friend ceased to exist centuries ago. I cannot be angry over Discord's death, even if I tried. I pity the man, but... It had to be done. He needed to be put out of his misery. And he wanted to be put out of his misery, no matter how badly he tried to hide it. I'm just grateful that you saved me the guilt of having to do it myself. James... Truly. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

I was speechless. Even if Discord had to die for Equestria's and his own sake, I... I could not see what I had done as being a good thing. With how nice a guy he had once been, it sounded more like I had slain a hero instead of a villain. I waited a moment longer to see if there was anything else Celestia wanted to share with me. When she remained silent, I turned my head away and asked, "If it's not too much trouble... Could I be left alone for a while?"

The Princess of the Dawn did not argue. I think she could tell how I was feeling. I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye while she began to turn away from the statue beside us. "I understand... I will return to the party for now. Take your time."

Celestia walked away in silence while I aimlessly gazed down at the statue's pedestal. So many thoughts were running through my head. Why did I try to kill Discord? Was it really the right thing to do? Was he truly beyond help? Do my friends know? My gaze turned upward until I was gazing at the stone replica of the fallen draconequus.

No words came. There was nothing I could say. I could not remember anything that Celestia described. And yet, I somehow knew by then that it was true. Discord was dead. Slain by my hand, even if it made no sense on exactly how I could have killed him. But still, I felt no satisfaction in the knowledge. None at all. I felt a single tear flow down my cheek while I looked up at the stone statue before me. Why did such a genuinely awesome person have to die? And why was I the one who did it?

"Sorry..." I muttered quietly at the statue's feet. I could not bring myself to say anything else. I turned and began to slowly shuffle away from the statue and back towards the palace with my eyes gazing at the ground. But before I got too far, I thought I heard a type of grinding sound. Almost like stone rubbing against stone.

I turned around, wondering if the statue was about to fall over. But when I did, it was still there without any signs of damage or being off balance. Although just as I was about to turn away, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Resting upon the statue's upturned right hand was something that had not been there before. A stone duck. Or rather, a rubber duck made out of stone.

Had that been there before and I just did not notice it from up close? Did the royal sisters decide to have that be put there as a tribute to Discord's wacky sense of humor? With my gloomy mood slightly lifted due to the rise in curiosity in me, I turned away and began to walk again. Once more, I swear I heard that same grinding sound again.

This time, I spun around abruptly as I began to suspect someone was messing with me. And I really was not in the mood for that at the time. Once more, it seemed that the statue was just as it was a second ago. However, I was quick to notice something different about its other hand. It was no longer turned upward. It was clutching something in it. A stone replica of a bath brush.

I slowly squinted my eyes in suspicion. Something definitely was not right even though there was nothing else odd about the statue. But how could the hand close into a fist to hold something without breaking? Regardless, I decided to turn away and take a few more steps. The instant I heard that grinding sound again, I spun around to look. "Hey!"

Too slow. The statue was still in the same pose as before, but there was a painfully conspicuous difference in its design this time. There was a stone hairnet on the statue's head while it also seemed to have a pig themed inner tube around its waist. Complete with a cartoonish pig head sticking out of the front. Why a pig and not a duck? I have no clue.

The very sight of the statue's new look actually got a bit of a snicker out of me while I shook my head in disbelief. With my mood lifted by this odd event, I decided to try playing along. "OK, I see what this is..."

I turned around, but did not take a step forward. I then decided to speak. "Back to normal with no accessories."

I heard the grinding sound again and spun around to take a look. The statue was back in its original form and pose. I then turned away again. "Hmmm... Flower vase."

I turned around. And resting upon its upturned right hand was indeed a stone vase filled with stone flowers. Starting to understand what was going on, I turned away again. "Duck shoes."

The grinding sound reached my ears and I turned around. While still holding the vase, the statue now seemed to have stone duck slippers on its mismatched feet. Smirking, I turned around and spoke out again while deciding to really start having some fun with that thing. "Lightsaber."

The next sound I heard actually startled me a bit. It was not a grinding sound, but a high-pitched hiss of sorts. When I spun around, I saw the statue's previously empty hand grasping something slender in it while a red bar of light was sticking straight up from it. To top it off, the statue's head seemed to have changed into a familiar mask and helmet design that I promptly recognized. And then... A raspy breath followed by four words in a deep and almost robotic voice. "I...am your father."

"No, you're not!" I almost busted a gut right there. I was actually having fun! I then turned around and said, "OK then... Head of Medusa." But when I turned around, I had to almost immediately turn away due to a rather...ghastly sight being held in the statue's other hand. "OK, bad idea! Um... Head of cabbage!"

Thank goodness that worked. When I turned around, the statue was holding a large head of purple cabbage in its right hand instead of what it was holding a second ago. "Phew... All right then. Back to normal."

Once I said that after turning away, I glanced behind me to see the statue free of stone accessories and returned to its original pose. It was then I decided to pull a fast one on it. "OK then... A pair of house slippers...Steve Urkel's glasses...a leopard skin bra... playing the bagpipes...while wearing a top..." I then spun around and pointed up at the statue while grinning widely. "Knot!"

Upon turning and shouting at the statue, I froze upon finding it appearing to be in a very startled pose while it even seemed to be looking right at me with a look that seemed to say 'Crap, you got me'. Indeed, it was wearing house slippers on its feet, was wearing large nerdy glasses over its eyes, was wearing a rather large bra across the chest with a leopard's fur pattern on it that could be seen through the stone texturing, and was holding bagpipes in its hands while the mouthpiece was in its mouth. And as I expected, I had properly psyched it out as it was not wearing a topknot wig and instead was wearing a more obvious choice of a top hat. Seeing that I had outsmarted the statue at it's own game, I let out a laugh. "Ha, gotcha that time!"

However, after a moment of laughing, I paused while I looked up at the obviously startled stone statue. "Hey... Wait a minute..." The two of us shared one long stare in silence. It was then that I suddenly realized what this meant and jumped back. "This statue is alive!"

It was then that the statue actually started laughing heartily at me. And that voice... Where had I heard it before? And just when I thought I was really starting to go nuts, the statue actually spoke to me! "Ohohoho, good one! A topknot instead of the usual top hat. Why didn't I see that coming?"

"Your voice... OK, did I drink too much wine or what? Or... Pinkie Pie! Or was it Rainbow Dash?! Someone must've spiked my drink with something weird!" I began to speak rather loudly as I started to find myself flustering in mild shock. The statue was alive and moving and was even speaking in Discord's voice. Granted, it was already carved in Discord's likeness, but still!

Finally, the statue raised its hand. "Oh, calm down. No need to make a fuss. What, you'd prefer me to be softer and more cuddly like this?" And with a snap of the statue's fingers, the stone accessories vanished. And much to my shock, the statue had become flesh, fur, scales, and feathers. It was Discord in the flesh!

At first, I was just confused and filled with wonderment as I saw the recently deceased Discord alive and well. Until I remembered that I had apparently killed the guy. I felt myself become overwhelmed with dread and unbearable heat as I began to slowly back away from him. "Oh man... Uh... Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Discord hopped down from the pedestal and began to casually approach me while showing a rather whimsical smirk. "Mmhm, dead as a doornail! And last I checked, it was you who brought my life to an end!" He then smirked more cruelly and snapped his fingers. "I believe some turnabout is called for."

"Wha... Hey!" I suddenly found myself being restrained as I was quite literally grabbed by a chair before it pulled me back onto itself with my arms and legs fastened to it. This went from whimsical to creepy in just a matter of seconds! "Wait! I don't even remember what I did! I don't even know why I did it! Where's Celestia?!"

"Looks like she went back inside, Jimmy boy. So it's just you and me." Discord said with a cruel grin as he lowered his flexible upper body down until his face was almost right in front of me. "Oh, but don't worry. Violence just isn't my style. I prefer a more...psychological form of revenge."

I said nothing and merely cringed as he got up in my face while still smirking as he snapped his fingers again. Just to his right, a television seemed to pop out of nowhere in a flash of gray light. Discord's expression then became a more jolly expression as he seemed to dangle hooks on strings from his fingers as well as some eye drops. "We're just going to watch some good old cartoons. And it's your favorite! Can you remember the title? I'll give you a hint. The title is two words and starts with 'draw' and ends with 'ther'. Can you remember?"

"Huh? Draw...ther?" I muttered while trying to think of a cartoon show I used to watch and really like. What is a cartoon that starts with... It was then that I realized the title of the show he was referring to and yelled, "Oh, hell no! You wouldn't dare! Anything but that one!"

As I began to struggle and wobble back and forth in the chair against my restraints, Discord was floating in the air while howling with laughter. I do not care how hilarious my reaction was. There was no way I was ever going to give that abomination of a cartoon any of my attention! Finally, Discord stopped laughing and said, "OK, that's enough. You can stop... Hey! I said you can stop!"

I froze when I saw his yellow and red eyes glaring at me rather annoyingly. I had to remember that I was his prisoner and was powerless to resist. It would be a bad idea to anger him. Fortunately, Discord then snapped his fingers and caused the television and hooks to disappear. "Oh, come now. Don't look at me like that! Of course I wasn't going to make you watch that show! Nothing but garbage anyway."

"Then why... You were just messing with me?! Not cool." I grumbled while looking away from him. Once more, Discord began to laugh. "It's not funny!"

"Of course that was funny! Did you see the look on your face?! And the way you kept rocking back and forth in your chair! Priceless!" Discord roared before literally doing reverse somersaults in the air while clutching his sides. I merely sat there growling to myself in irritation. But I then suddenly felt the chair suddenly vanish out from under me, causing me to fall right down. "But anyway, enough of that. I just needed to get in a good laugh. Too much drama and not enough comedy lately, you know?"

I merely scowled at him while feeling myself calm down. However, Discord then reached out with his left hand. The one that looked like it belonged to a griffon. His expression seemed warm and friendly, surprisingly. Certainly friendlier than when we last met. "Come on, let me help you up."

After that reintroduction, I was naturally a bit wary. Maybe there was a hand buzzer on his palm. After carefully scanning his hand for a few seconds to look for the strap that would secure such a device, I deemed it safe to grab and reached out to him. Our hands grasped each other firmly before Discord pulled me up to my feet. While I gazed up at the draconequus before me, I did not see any hostility in his eyes at all. "I just want to confirm... You're dead, right?"

He nodded while his calm smile became a bit more somber. "I am. That I truly am." But he then smiled more brightly before casually floating in the air as if he was just reclining on something. "But as one might say... One does not simply leave without saying goodbye. That's why I'm still sticking around a bit longer. You and I still have unsettled business to tend to."

"Well... If you're dead, then why are you...well..." I began to ask while I lost my train of thought in trying to describe what was going on in front of me. Was he alive? Was he still just made of stone? I had no idea.

Discord chuckled while stretching as he reclined on the invisible sofa in the air. "What? Wondering how I'm right here when I'm dead? Well, true. My body's dead and gone and my spirit has been set free. I just needed something to use as a medium to interact with the physical plane. And yes, my magic is still intact with my spirit as well. The spirit of the Spirit of Chaos! That's a tongue twister, isn't it?"

So... Just a playful ghost lingering around before moving on to the afterlife. Although the mention of his title brought to mind what Celestia told me. "Are you sure it's not Spirit of Diversity?"

He merely stared at me with a fairly indifferent gaze before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "It's been a really long time since somepony last called me that. Not a bad title, although not quite an official one either. Those were good times..."

While Discord floated there as he was likely reminiscing of the distant past, I felt that guilt starting to gnaw at me again. Even if I was not entirely certain if Celestia was being serious, I knew for a fact that Discord held the answers. After gulping hard to steel my nerves, I looked up at the floating draconequus. "Discord..."

My words got his attention right away. Discord opened his eyes and looked down at me without a word. It was then that I asked, "Were you being serious a minute ago? Did I... Was I the one who killed you"

Discord's expression instantly darkened into a rather guilty frown. He then lowered his feet to the ground as his ears began to droop as well. His yellow and red eyes fell upon me while he quietly spoke, "Yes... You killed me as you pinned me to the ground and plunged your sword into my face."

I felt my flesh burn as I could almost picture such a thought in my head. But at the same time, I could not truly recall such a moment. Slowly, I began to raise my voice as I spoke. "Then... Why can't I remember? Everyone keeps telling me that the Elements of Harmony defeated you! So... Why can't I remember what I did?!"

His eyes... They showed such a profound sadness in them. Possibly even guilt as well. Finally, while I felt almost on the verge of panic, he reached out and placed both hands upon my shoulder. "Because I could not let you live with such a burden... I wounded you in a way I never should have and... I wanted to spare you from that pain. Think of it as a way of thanking you for finally setting me free."

His voice was soft and serious. Much more serious than I had ever heard from him before. I gazed up at him, still feeling anxious and confused. "Celestia said that too... That I set you free... Why? What...happened to you so long ago?"

Discord displayed a sorrowful smile at my words. "Well, that is quite a tale to tell. Pull up a seat, friend. And grab some popcorn! It's a tale of glee and woe!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRtuuxsJAkE

He gingerly pushed me backwards as something swept me off my feet. I soon found myself in a soft and cushy armchair as a large bowl of warm popcorn dropped into my hands. That faintly sweet scent... It was kettle corn. My favorite. All the while, Discord became slouched on a sofa while he kept his eyes on me. "I hope I got that popcorn right. Let me top you off with some chocolate milk. Don't worry, it's not the explosive kind."

With a snap of his fingers, I found a glass of brown fluid in my left hand. While not one for chocolate milk, I was not going to turn it down. A snack and cold drink would help calm my nerves. "Thanks, Discord. So... What's the story?"

"Well, I was listening in when you and Celestia were having that chat, so I won't be too redundant. Yes, the people wanted a true leader who had been around the block several thousand times. And I did genuinely think I wasn't cut out for the role." Discord explained while his demeanor settled into that aloof personality I remembered seeing in him when we first met.

"Unless Luna and Celestia became your advisors, right?" I asked while recalling Celestia's words. I was especially curious to hear Discord's side of the story.

He nodded and promptly said, "Oh, absolutely. The three of us go waaaaaay back. I've known those two since they were just out of diapers. You could almost say I foalsat them a couple of times. But as they went from being a couple of little cuties into a pair of real beauties, we became good pals. Even after the king and queen abdicated their power to the people, we still stayed in touch from time to time."

I just loved how casual and playful Discord made himself sound as he spoke. Such a laidback and fun guy. He sounded every bit like Celestia described him. "Well, I can see why. You seem like a pretty loveable dude right now."

Discord looked at me with a rather shocked expression, probably since it had been so long since anyone had praised him in such a way. But he still waved his fingers at me and grinned sheepishly. "Ohoho, you're too kind. But where was I? Oh, yes. Well, it's as Celestia said. She and Luna became my royal advisors and I took the throne. I mean it's not like I could've taken over the world with the likes of her parents breathing down my neck! That Sunflare always had such a temper... And I'll never forget that time when she thought I was dating her daughters. At least Orbash was always on good terms with me."

I snickered at the mention of Celestia's mother. Judging by that name, she must be a real hothead. Of course, I still had more questions. "Well, what was the real reason of why you wanted Celestia and Luna acting as your advisors?"

The Spirit of Chaos smiled calmly while he placed his hands behind his head as I snacked on some more popcorn. "Why? Well, along with being my best friends, I just wanted them with me to insure that should I screw up, they would help me sort things out. I wasn't exactly all that confident at the time of my leadership skills. But wouldn't you know it? It was actually kind of fun! The people loved me and I had more friends and parties that I could count! Equestria thrived under my reign. And what a glorious reign it was. Ah, those were the days..."

Just as I finished my glass of chocolate milk, I was about to ask another question. But before I could, Discord seemed to take note of my empty glass. "Oh, finished already? Lemme top you off there."

With a snap of his fingers, Discord conjured up a glass pitcher with little white feathered wings that flapped over to me and tipped itself forward before filling my glass to the brim with the light brown fluid that its glass body contained. "Huh... Thanks. Anyway, if that was such a good time... What went wrong?"

For the moment, Discord continued to smile while he kept his eyes closed. "Well... As I said, I loved my job. Not a day went by without me making someone laugh or smile. And if there was one thing I loved most about being king, it was all the friends I gained. I loved making friends and making my friends smile more than anything else. The years went by and the fun never stopped. Decade after decade..."

As he spoke, I saw his relaxed smile slowly turn downwards until it was a very clear frown. And then... Streaming down his face. Tears. I leaned forward in my chair while I saw his lips quiver. "Hey... You don't have to tell me anymore if it's too hard for you. You can..."

"No... No, friend. You need to know this. I have to get this out..." Discord said with his voice sounding noticeably shaky. He opened his eyes as the tears still continued to flow. "As I said, those were some of the best years of my very long life. Decades of fun and laughter with all my friends... So many years...until they all met their ends..."

I quickly lost my appetite and could not finish my snack. The atmosphere had become so miserable... Discord slowly sat up on the sofa and leaned forward as he held his legs in some sort of fetal position. He did not even look at me. "It was my first taste of loss... Celestia and Luna were there to comfort me and in time, the pain became more bearable. Once I had recovered, I quickly found myself making even more friends. I was eager to counter the pain that came with the loss of my old friends by just making more. And then, decades later, the cycle repeated..."

As he spoke, I noticed Discord beginning to look and sound angrier and angrier. Or perhaps just frustrated and more pained. "Decades passed. My friends faded. The pain grew. I made new friends. Decades passed. My friends faded. The pain grew. I made new friends. Decades passed. My friends faded. The pain grew. I made new friends. Decades passed. Generation after generation, the cycle repeated... I could not resist the allure of friendship, but all it did was bring me more pain!"

The instant he turned to look at me, I actually jumped back in my chair a bit. The tears were cascading down his face while he looked at me with a glare of anger and possibly even madness. But mere seconds later, I suspect he realized what he had just done as that glare turned into an expression of sorrow and shame. He then looked away from me once more and buried his face in his hands without a word.

I could not believe what I was seeing... He looked so...broken. Defeated. The carefree loveable aloofness I had seen earlier was gone. I felt compelled to approach him and at least try to comfort him in some way. I set aside the bowl of popcorn and glass of chocolate milk and walked towards the weeping draconequus. I was at a loss of what to say. What could I say? It was difficult to comprehend the kind of pain he was describing. Although I am sure that was entirely because that I am not immortal. I have not been around nearly long enough to experience what he had gone through. Even so, I gently rested my hand upon his shoulder and waited for him to respond. Eventually, he did. Discord slowly turned his face away from his hands and looked at me. What came next was a complete surprise. He reached out and held me in a very firm, if not awkward, embrace. "I couldn't do it anymore... I couldn't keep subjecting myself to the same torment time after time... I longed for death... I tried so many times to end myself so I may be reunited with those I lost, but... Nothing worked. I was simply too immortal to be destroyed. Even by my own hands..."

While I initially found it very strange to be hugged by what I could only describe as a goofy yet broken old man, I did not resist his embrace and soon found myself returning the favor. I wrapped my arms around his slender torso and gently patted one hand on his shoulder. "So... You drowned yourself in chaos to numb the pain?"

I felt Discord nod his head. "I did... It was the only other thing in my life that I had any passion for. And when I found that chaos still had its luster no matter how many times I saw it, it was then I knew what would keep me happy. I forsook my friendship with Celestia and Luna and... The world went mad. And... Morbid as this may sound, I found some...comfort in seeing my people trapped in misery. As if I felt better knowing that I was not the only one who was crying inside. It's as they say... Misery loves company. And then... Well, my two old friends used the Elements of Harmony on me and... I suppose you know everything else by now."

"And then we met and I...killed you? And...how? I thought you're completely immortal." I asked quietly, feeling genuinely bad for Discord and feeling guilty that it was I who ended his life while also still being baffled by how I actually did it. Did he truly not hold a grudge against me at all?

I felt Discord pull himself away from me until we were looking at each other once more with his hands resting squarely on my shoulders. While he was still clearly shedding tears, he still managed to smile. "How? It was actually quite brilliant, really. You suggested that I remove my own immortality from my body. I never even considered doing it, let alone thinking it was possible... Hey, don't worry yourself about that. I mean, sure. If I had to go through that again or live for another thousand years of the same song and dance over and over... I think I'd go another hundred years and then go through what you put me through again. But still... Don't guilt yourself over this anymore, James."

He then lowered his head and looked me right in the eye. "You did not kill me. You saved me. Thanks to you, I'm free."

There was something about those words that just caused me to choke up right there in a nameless feeling of grief. Why? I could feel the tears building in my eyelids. "Then... You're going soon?"

Discord nodded quietly before drying his tears. "Yes, James. I've been withheld from my friends for far too long. And now I can finally see them again. The only reason I'm still here was to give you some closure and give you a proper farewell to tie up loose ends. I mean... I know we didn't part ways on the best terms, but..."

He then held out his left hand. "Friends?"

I looked down at his yellow scaled hand before looking at Discord's yellow and red eyes. He seemed to be feeling genuinely guilty, yet also grateful. I saw no reason to deny him such a simple request as I found myself liking him. I smiled just slightly and grasped his hand with my own. "Yeah... Friends."

However, as I said that word, I remembered those two names. The only two friends he still had from so long ago. "Hey, wait! What about Luna and Celestia? Aren't you gonna say goodbye to them too?"

This question brought a remorseful frown to Discord's face. After a moment of silence, he solemnly shook his head and bowed it. "No... I can't show myself to them now. There's too much bad blood between us."

"You... You're sure?" I asked while never looking away from him. I mean... It had been a very long time since they had last been real friends, but...

Discord sighed before he lifted his head to look at me. "You must understand, James. I ended our friendship ages ago. We're...not really friends anymore." However, he did crack a very small smile. "I'm just a relic from a bygone era. And it does my heart good to see that those two have been doing such a fine job guiding this world in my place. Luna has already gotten over our falling out and I can tell that Celestia has finally started to move on as well. Knowing that they're not dwelling on me is enough, James. They're better off just forgetting about me and focusing on the here and now... It's just... Looking back on all I did..."

He grasped my hand between both of his and gave me such a pleading gaze. "Can you ever forgive an old fool who only wished to die?"

Perhaps it was because I could not remember a thing he did to me, but I felt no real hostility towards Discord at all. I just could not be mad at him for anything. So I nodded and held him in a friendly embrace. "Yeah... I forgive you... It's...time for you to go now, right?"

I felt Discord pat me on the back while he too hugged me tight. "It is, James. Please... Don't tell them that you ever saw me. And thanks for being such a good sport."

Once Discord released his grip on me and stood up, he snapped his fingers as the furniture and food around us vanished in a flash of gray light. He then seemed to flap his wings while flying backwards until he was standing back on the empty pedestal. I do not know why, but... Seeing him up there awoke a new fear in me. I truly did not want to see him leave. I rushed forward until he was right before me. "Hang on! Uh..."

He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking and smiled somberly at me while kneeling and placing his hand on my head. "I know, I know... But this is how it needs to be, my friend. I can't stay here any longer. I know where I need to be and there are a LOT of old faces waiting to see me."

"Yeah, but... Come to think of it, what's going to happen while you're gone? Will there be no more chaos in the world?" I asked while remembering his title. I had to wonder what kind of influence his mere presence has on the world. With him gone... Would all forms of chaos vanish too?

Upon hearing this, Discord let out a loud laugh. "Are you serious?! You're worried about that?!" He then took a seat on the pedestal while gently patting my head. "My friend, even with me gone, this world will never be free of chaos. And who would even want it to be?! Chaos is EVERYWHERE in the entire cosmos. From a thunderstorm to a surprise party to an earthquake to an everyday argument, chaos is everywhere. I mean if there was no chaos, life would just be one boring uneventful routine path from the cradle to the grave. Chaos is what gives life its zest. At least in controlled doses. Don't worry about this world. I may be on my way out, but chaos... You'll never get rid of that, no matter how hard you try. Because as long as there's harmony, there will always be a healthy dose of chaos ready to jump in and mix things up from time to time. Remember that well, James."

"Huh... I guess I never thought of it like that. Makes a lot of sense. But still... I... It's just... I just don't know why, but... I don't want to see you go." I then replied while gingerly removing his hand from my head and not releasing it from my grasp. I know that we had only just become friends, but...it just hurt seeing such a nice and likeable guy leave like that.

Despite my protests, Discord merely smiled at me while he stood up and crossed his arms. "Why so glum, chum? You do know now that I'm free, this isn't going to be our final meeting. Just give us several decades. We'll be meeting again someday. And next time, there won't be a goodbye."

He was right... Everyone eventually gets there someday. Or rather...most do. And I knew that I would see Discord up there someday. "Yeah... Good point. I guess I shouldn't keep you then. They're waiting for you."

"It's appreciated, James. And you make sure to enjoy your years here in Equestria. Take it from someone who's been here since the start, you're gonna love this world if you don't already. But I suppose I do have one serious piece of advice to offer before I head on my way." He replied before clearing his throat. "If you are ever offered great power and immortality, turn it down like the AC on a summer day! Seriously not worth it!"

That actually got a chuckle out of me. "Point taken!"

Discord proceeded to get back in position, but seemed to hesitate while he held a hand to his chin. "Hmmm... Hey, James. Got any suggestions on any special poses or looks I should leave this vessel in once I head out? Something to really dazzle any visitors this place might get?"

"That? Um..." I crossed my arms while I began to pace back and forth in front of him. While I thought back to our first meeting in the palace, I remembered that mariachi band he showed up with. "Hey! What about that stuff you had when we first met? You know. The bugle, the sombrero, and the quilt?"

That brought a grin to his face while he snapped his fingers. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?!"

In a flash of gray light, Discord looked exactly like how I first saw him. A sombrero hanging off his back, a wool quilt draped over his uplifted left arm that bore white, red, green, and blue horizontal stripes, and a brass bugle in his right hand. I smirked before pointing at him with both hands. "Yep! Looking good, Discord!"

"Heheh, can't wait to see the look on their faces when they notice something isn't quite the same with the statue next time they stop by." Discord said with a snicker. However, he then cast his gaze back down at me while his smile became more somber while I too felt myself frown. He then said softly, "So... I guess this is goodbye, hm?"

"Yeah... But not forever, right?" I asked in return while I felt a slowly budding feeling of sadness building up in my heart.

"Indeed, my friend." Discord said while hey waved at me with his left hand. "Do not weep for me. I'm just finally going home."

I managed to smile, knowing just how happy Discord was to finally see his old friends again. I waved goodbye as well and said, "I won't... Take care, all right? And you make sure you show me around when I finally get up there. Got it?"

"Of course, of course! I'm sure you'll get along just fine. Well, enough stalling! Time for me to bring a healthy dose of jolly old chaos to the next world! Take care, my friend! We'll meet again one day!" Discord joyously called out while he assumed a similar pose to what the statue he inhabited was originally in. All I could do was smile with him. He then seemed to call out to the sky, "Heads up, amigos! Discord's finally coming home!"

Finally, Discord brought the bugle in his right hand to his lips while his left hand was raised upward as the quilt was draped over its arm. He closed his eyes and blew through it, causing the bugle to let out a loud toot. And then... He was engulfed in a great flash of gray light. Once it faded, Discord's body was once more nothing but stone. His final visage forever left in the form he chose for the statue.

I gazed up at the statue, wondering if Discord was still in there somewhere. I stepped forward and patted the statue on its left leg. "Discord...? Are you still there?"

Nothing... The statue did not move. I did not hear a voice. There was no reaction at all. Even though I should have been happy for him, I still felt it. My tears could not hold themselves back. I leaned heavily against the statue as a quiet sob escaped my throat while my hand clasped over my face. He was gone... Even though it was what he wanted, he was truly gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ny5k-tZxgc

Why was I crying? Was this how it felt to lose a friend? To see someone die? No, he was already dead. But still... He was gone. I could not help feeling some sting of loss in my heart. Discord was not truly evil... He was just a broken soul. A man shackled by his immortality. But now... He was finally free. And even through my tears, I managed to smile. I knew then that he was finally on his way to where he wanted to be. I wiped my tears away before casting one last glance up at Discord's stone replica. There was only one thing I could say. "Goodbye, my friend..."

I turned away reluctantly and took one last look back at the statue in Discord's image before I began to slowly walk away. My gait was slow while I still reeled from Discord's final departure. I killed him... I sent my sword directly through his face, he said... What had I done? Even if the end result was something Discord so desperately desired... Why did I feel so dirty and guilty? What really happened that I could not recall?

As I walked along, my eyes surveyed the courtyard. Most of it looked fine aside from the upturned earth and piles of dirt that would be used to fill what seemed to be small craters. I could not remember a thing... But I could almost smell something. Almost as if my body could still remember something that my mind could not. I could smell rain... Burned hair or fur... Burnt...flesh... The smell of blood...

I felt my skin crawl as I could almost imagine vague images in my mind. The scents were barely detectable, but they were there. I could almost hear faint laughter... Was that my voice? Such mad cackling... What happened here? What did I do?

Almost on reflex, I turned around after a few minutes went by. It was then that I saw it again. On the ground, the blood markings I had seen before. I felt myself drawn to them, my left hand gravitating to my waist where my scar lay hidden beneath my shirt. I dropped to my knees once I was standing before it. The seven bloodied markings on the ground. Drawn in my blood.

What were these feelings I was experiencing? As if on instinct, my left hand came forward. My finger extended and was placed upon the dark crimson line that made up the outline of one of the markings. A diamond. Slowly, I slid my finger over it until I had completely traced over the entire shape. I then moved my hand to the next shape. An apple. One by one, I traced my finger over them in an unusually specific order. Why was I even doing this? What was compelling me to do this? Was I retracing the movements of my own hand?

As the markings became more jagged and uneven, I felt it. A profound growing sense of sorrow and loss. I did not even remember what happened, and yet the tears began to pour down my face. After tracing over the form of a butterfly, my hand rested upon the bloodied handprint in the center. I was shuddering. Sobbing hard as I felt myself being overwhelmed with forgotten emotions. Just... Why? What happened here?

As my vision became increasingly blurred, tears streaming down my face, I failed to notice that the space before me became darker as something cast its shadow over the blood markings. And then, from just ahead of me, six hooves of six familiar colors gently lowered into my view and all rested upon my hand. I froze, not even letting out a breath as I slowly turned my head upwards. And there they were. All six of them.

I could not speak. And neither did they. We all shared a long silent stare, their gazes showing such deep concern and possibly even guilt while they looked back at me. I felt as if those eyes were trying to tell me something, but I could not decipher their wordless message. Finally, I began to see a change. At the edges of their eyes, I saw movement. A slow buildup of tears. And then, it was Fluttershy who finally showed any sort of reaction. Her eyes began to squint as her teeth began to grit. Just as the tears overflowed, she stepped forward and held me as tightly as she could in her arms.

The flow of my own tears began to slow as I felt my beloved grasp me in her embrace. And then, one by one, they joined in. I was surrounded on all sides, my friends holding me in a vice of many colors. But as they too began to quietly shed tears, they never once blinked. Never once directly looked at me. Those gazes... What were they seeing? What were they remembering?

As I felt their touch... Their warmth... I felt my own teeth grind against each other as the tears flowed even harder. But not of sorrow. They were tears of sincere relief and joy. And I showed it by wrapping my arms around all of them the best I could manage. They were here with me. Our friendship has gone so far over just this past year. Whatever it is that happened there in the labyrinth... Whatever it is that really happened after I collapsed from my wounds... It no longer matters. Whether or not I can remember matters little so long as they are still with me. I love them...and they love me. And for once, we did not need to say it to know it was true.

Moments later as I stayed there on my knees with my friends all around me as our tears began to dry, I felt something upon my head. A light tap. My friends must have felt it too as they slowly began to turn their faces upward and scanned the sky. Fluttershy then softly asked, "Is it...raining?"

I felt it again. Numerous little taps on me mere seconds apart. Applejack then adjusted the brim of her hat and nodded. "Yeah... I reckon it is."

"It's OK. I've got it." Pinkie Pie said unusually softly while she released me from her grasp and seemed to pull a large beach parasol out of nowhere. She then stuck the umbrella's shaft into the ground and opened it wide, shielding all of us from the slowly growing downpour. In mere moments, the light drizzle began to pour more heavily as the entire courtyard was drenched.

Strangely enough, even though rain tends to bring a rather somber atmosphere with it, this did not feel quite like that. The area was unusually brightly lit. And the rain... It seemed unusually dark in color as it fell all around us. What was more, I could detect something in the air. "Something smells really sweet..."

Rainbow Dash also sniffed the air while she released me from her grasp. One by one, all my friends let go while staying sheltered under the umbrella. "Huh... Yeah, something smells really good. What is it?"

"And why is this rain so dark? Almost like it's...brown?" Rarity asked as she seemed to closely observe the rain that was landing upon the ground near us.

"Brown rain... Wait!" Pinkie Pie suddenly yelped before she stuck out her surprisingly long tongue. After several seconds of collecting raindrops, she pulled it back in and licked her lips. "Mm! It's chocolate milk!"

"Chocolate milk?! But that means..." Twilight gasped before she moved to the edge of our cover and looked up. I too moved to the edge and looked along with the rest of my friends. And I saw exactly what I was expecting to see. While not a terribly broad cloud cover, there was a cluster of pink clouds looming overhead. "Cotton candy clouds?! But how?! Discord's..."

"Who cares?! We've got all the chocolate milk we could ever want!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed while she tossed four little rubber wading pools out into the open to collect the falling rain. As for where she got them, I have no clue.

"Heh, you and your sweet stuff. How about I head on up there and pull those clouds down for us to snack on once the rain stops?" Rainbow Dash asked while shaking her head with a smirk. It was good to see the mood slowly lifting thanks to this surreal weather we were having.

"Sounds good ta me, Rainbow. I've always wondered what cotton candy stuffed with chocolate milk tastes like." Applejack replied while she also stuck her tongue out to catch some rain, albeit not as far as Pinkie's tongue could stretch.

"Still... I hope Discord isn't free again. I don't want to have to go through all that a third time..." Fluttershy muttered while she watched the clouds slowly drifting by.

I said nothing while I turned my gaze back towards the palace. Even from that distance, I could see them. Standing in the doorway were the three royal sisters. Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon merely stood there, waiting for us. They did not approach us, but they also did not leave. They likely knew how sensitive the situation with us was and were merely respecting our time together.

While I began to watch the clouds pouring chocolate milk, I felt something tap me on the shoulder. Rarity stood beside me while casting a most worrisome gaze towards me. She then spoke in a whisper, "Darling... You know, don't you?"

I nodded quietly while also whispering back to her, "Yeah... Discord's gone. He's not coming back, right?"

My beautiful friend nodded before she gently leaned against me. "Yes... Thank goodness this madness will never repeat... But what do you make of this weather? I thought only Discord could do this... What could it possibly mean?"

As I beheld this strange weather, I took note of how controlled it was. All that was happening was that chocolate milk was raining down from pink cotton candy clouds all over Canterlot. The wildlife was not changing and the flora was not growing out of control. It was much more controlled than the first time I saw it. Once more, I felt a tear trickle down my face. I knew what it was Discord was trying to say. "I think this is his way of saying goodbye..."

Rarity merely glanced at me for a moment before she looked back towards the sky in silence as our friends quietly chatted around us. While I tenderly draped an arm across her shoulders, a faint breeze blew through the air. And I swear... On the whispers of the wind, I swear I heard him laughing. Pure joyous laughter...

The rest of our time in Canterlot was fairly uneventful and hardly worth mentioning. Pinkie Pie dragged the pools of chocolate milk right back into the ballroom without spilling their contents somehow while Rainbow Dash tore up the cotton candy clouds and stuffed them in one of those pools. The rest of our time there was spent in quiet fun while the three royal sisters partook in the fun. Although... Nightmare Moon seemed strangely distant throughout the course of the party. She seemed to have a lot on her mind and even drank heavily. She must have had a stressful weekend, but she did get to be pretty funny to talk to once she started to slur her speech.

Right now, it is very late. We are all on our way home to Ponyville by train and the nighttime view while rolling down the mountain is just beautiful. There is hardly a soul on the train aside from me and my friends and that is how I want it to be right now. They are all staying near me while I write this. Just... There are so many unanswered questions. So many memories I should remember, but cannot. However, it hardly matters to me now. Today felt like a day where I felt as if a chapter had truly come to a close and that our bonds have only been made stronger as a result.

Still... Even though I feel relaxed and very relieved... A dark thought does cross my mind. The damage I inflicted upon the labyrinth's courtyard. The exact manner of which I killed Discord... I know that what I did may have been the best for everyone, but... Somehow, I just know...

It is there. I cannot remember anything, but I know. I have done something...horrible. Possibly something evil. I know my friends are still staying by my side. I know they have forgiven me and I am still me. I am still myself, but... The knowledge is there. I went into the darkness and somehow came back to the light. And in that darkness, there was blood on my hands.

Fluttershy is leaning against me. Comforting me. The knowledge of knowing that I did something vile will probably never truly go away. All I can do is just move on, trying to not think about it. I will not go back. I know who I am. What I love and what I cherish. I am not a monster... I am still me.

Ponyville station is just minutes away. Perfect timing. I am too tired to continue writing anyway. I just want to go home, wash up, and fall asleep with my fiancée by my side. A dark time has finally passed and I just want to move on with my eyes on the brighter horizon. And I know I will not be alone. I know what gives my life purpose now. And Discord... I hope you are finally happy now. Farewell, friend. We will meet again.