The Steel-Hearted Pegasus

        The chirping of the morning birds set off a sense of calm to the town of slumbering ponies as the sun began to ascend above the land. For most, today would be considered a peaceful day, that all was right with the world. However, one pony in particular was going to find this morning to be anything but peaceful. The light from the glowing star made its way to a large home in the middle of the forest that seemed relatively silent. As it touched one of the windows, it beamed into the room causing a set of bed sheets to move in surprise. A soft groaning could be heard from the mattress as the lump seemed to decide whether to leave or stay hidden. Soon enough it made its choice and emerged slowly, its form being shaped by the light. It opened its eyes to reveal an incredibly exhausted Caster Forge. The stallion’s eyes were turning slightly red from the sudden contact with the sun’s rays and were showing bags underneath them. His hair was a complete mess, with several curls and some parts standing straight up and his head was throbbing like there were drums inside of his skull. He sat up with the sheets still covering his body as he tried to confirm his surroundings.

        “Ugh, how’d I get home? The last thing I remember was being at the bar, I was talking with my friends about my date and then they… Oh no,” the light brown Pegasus said, remembering an unpleasant memory.

        In a flash he threw off the bed sheets and began to inspect the possible damage. From the looks of it there were no traces of new scars on his body, nor any unwanted tattoos. He looked to his flank and what he saw on his cutie mark stunned him.

        “Oh my Celestia, what is that? I’ve never seen anything like it, this is just amazing and this is…… my lucky mark duh,” Caster said, giving himself a quick facehoof as he continued his inspection.

        Looking around the bed and the rest of his room, he saw no uninvited guests aside from Nina, much to his relief. The delirious Pegasus tried to remember what happened last night after that drink he had, but for some reason he found that he could not. Before he could go further into his thoughts an intoxicating smell began to assault his nostrils. The fear of unintended relations soon found its way back to the stallion’s mind as he slowly got out of bed. His knees nearly gave way as he found them still asleep, but he eventually regained control and made his way to the door.

        He slowly opened his bedroom door, trying not to alert whoever was in his home. A quick survey of the living room showed no signs of life, leaving him a bit confused. Then he remembered the smell and turned his attention toward the kitchen as he heard the faint sound of eggs cooking and someone humming a tune. Quietly, Caster went toward the kitchen and stopped just short of the doorway. He took a moment to prepare himself for what awaited him and after a few silent deep breaths, he turned his head around the side of the entrance and his eyes nearly bulged out from who he saw.

        There, standing in front of the stove, was none other than Twilight Sparkle. She was wearing a white apron and had her mane tied back in a bun to keep it out of her face. She used her magic to move some of the cooking ware around the kitchen. In one pan she cooked up some scrambled eggs while the other flipped some wheatgrass pancakes onto a plate. A loud whistling noise signaled the tea that was boiling on the stove as the lavender unicorn poured it into two small tea cups. After taking in all the information, Caster turned his head back as he began to sweat a little. Not only from the fact that there was a mare cooking breakfast in his kitchen, but also that it was Twilight, one of his close personal friends. The stallion knew there was no denying that this was happening and that there was no way out. So summoning up what little courage he had left he called out to the lavender mare with as low a voice as he could make.

        “T-Twilight?” he whispered, trying to get her attention.

        “Agh! Caster, h-how long have you been there?” she said, in surprise almost letting go of the teapot in her magical aura.

        “Only about a minute or so,” the Pegasus said, relaxing and moving more into Twilights’ line of sight. “So anyway, what’s all this about?”

        “Well I woke up a bit early, so I thought I’d make us some breakfast before you-”

        Caster rose one his hooves signaling her to stop. “What I meant was, why are you in my house?”

        A small blush began to creep on the unicorns’ face. “You mean you don’t remember what happened last night? Wow that bump to the head must have really did a number on you.”

        “Guess that would explain the enormous headache I have. Either that or this is what a hangover feels like,” the stallion said, trying to get a laugh out of the situation.

        “I’m sure you’re very confused by all this Caster, but I can assure you that you didn’t do anything too embarrassing last night,” Twilight said, trying to make him feel better. Ironically it did little help.

        “I’d still like to know what happened last night. Since you’re here, I can only assume you know most of what happened. So please, tell me everything you know,” the light brown Pegasus said, with a look of deep remorse in his eyes.

        The lavender mare looked back at him and thought back to what happened last night. It’s not that it was bad, just that she thought he would freak out over it. After a few minutes of consideration she let out a heavy sigh as she spoke.

        “All right then, go wait in the living room while I finish making breakfast,” Twilight said, as she picked up where she left off in the kitchen.

        Caster did as she asked and went toward the living room. He sat himself down onto one of his couches and tried to think about what he might’ve done. For a moment he thought he might have physically assaulted someone, but quickly buried the thought not wanting to live with the guilt. He soon pondered the possibility of revealing an embarrassing secret of his or someone else. But before he could think more on the subject he noticed in the corner of his eye, Twilight setting a large tray of food on the table with her magic as she sat on the couch opposite of him.

        “I hope you like it, I’m not much of a cook so I can’t promise it’ll be good,” she said, as she rubbed one of her forelegs nervously, trying to delay the conversation.

        The stallion used one of the forks to take a piece of pancake toward his muzzle. He gave it an experimental whiff before propping it into his mouth and finding it to his liking.

        “Mmm, this is delicious Twilight I’m surprised you don’t cook more often,” he said, as he began to politely devour the food.

        “Thanks Caster; compliments aside you still want to know what happened last night right?” Caster simply nodded as the lavender unicorn began to eat her food as well. “Where should I start then?”

===============================================================

It was the dead of night and the normally quiet library was roaring in celebration. Many of Hotpop’s newly acquainted and old friends came to celebrate her upcoming marriage with invitations sent by Pinkie Pie. Most of the mares hit the dance floor, partying until they couldn’t feel their legs anymore. Another group stood by the center of the library, enjoying the ‘special’ entertainment provided by the Wonderbolts and sharing a couple of drinks. In the kitchen were Hotpop and Pinkie Pie who decided to be the official witnesses of Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s shot glass contest, participating with an occasional glass themselves. Spike was unfortunately inclined in the bedroom for the night, not being of legal drinking age and it being a party for mare’s after all. The purple dragon didn’t let it get to him though as he held a small bottle of hard cider in his claw, secret courtesy of Rarity that she gave with an almost unnoticeable wink. The fashionista unicorn was later found at an isolated table with Fluttershy and Twilight, not being ones for heavy drinking and tired out from the partying which went late into the night.

        “I just cannot believe Pinkie Pie was able to get the Wonderbolts to perform for us,” Rarity said, shooting an occasional glance at the entertainment.

        “Well you know that mare, if it’s impossible she can pull it off,” Twilight said, amused by her own comment.

        “Yes, she certainly can,” Fluttershy mumbled, almost inaudible to her friends who looked at her concerned.

        “What’s wrong darling, you’ve been acting like this ever since Caster’s birthday yesterday,” the white unicorn said, as she placed a hoof on her friends shoulder.

        “Oh it’s nothing Rarity; I just, haven’t felt like partying lately that’s all,” she said, hoping her friends wouldn’t pry her further.

        “Come on Fluttershy, you know we can help you. Whatever’s bothering you, we’ll help you get through it,” the lavender unicorn said, in a caring tone.

        The shy mare just looked down, still unsure if she should tell them or not. She was so embarrassed by her thoughts and thought her friends would just laugh at her. But as she looked at her two friends she felt reassured by their expressions and settled down. She looked back at them but kept one of her eyes hidden behind her pink hair.

         “Um, okay, but please promise you won’t tell anypony else,” Fluttershy said, hoping no one else was listening.

        “We promise,” the two unicorns said, together and doing a pinkie promise along with it.

        “Well, it’s about somepony in town. Lately I’ve been feeling things toward him but I don’t know what to do,” the yellow Pegasus finished her sentence with a tint of red in her cheeks.

        “Oh my, our little Fluttershy has a crush! Do tell us, who’s the lucky stallion?” Rarity squealed, with delight as she was always ready for some gossip.

        “Settle down Rarity, she doesn’t have to tell who it is if she doesn’t want to,” Twilight said, trying not let her curiosity get the better of her.

        “No it’s all right Twilight, I had to tell somepony about this anyway. It’s um, well it-it’s… Do you girls hear that?” Fluttershy said, noticing a faint whistling sound from out of nowhere.

        Before the others could register what the sound was, it grew instantly louder and a sudden boom came from outside the library. Everybody in the room was alerted by the strange event, some shrieked in terror thinking it was an attack on Ponyville. Before anyone could jump to any further conclusions Twilight made the first move and cautiously approached the front door. The door was pushed slightly open as the lavender unicorn stepped outside to investigate. She looked around for a few moments before her eyes caught sight of a passed out Caster Forge in the middle of the street. Twilight carefully made her way to the unconscious stallion, where upon arriving she noticed something strange. The area where the Pegasus laid was surrounded by several cracks easily telling how hard he could’ve hit the ground, yet his body was barely damaged. Thinking it might have been a creature in disguise, she slowly reached a hoof towards him before he suddenly hopped up on all fours with a goofy grin plastered on his face. There was something off setting about him though; he seemed more, perky.

        “Hey Twilight, when did you get here? No wait, when did I get here? Aw who cares did you see that crash I made, so awesome!” Caster spoke out in a slightly slurred tone.

        “What are you talking about Caster, a crash like that could have killed you!” Twilight said, as she enveloped him in a pink aura to inspect his body.

        “Pretty colors, kinda tickles too,” he said, oddly giggling every often.

        While the unicorn did her best to examine the damage to the Pegasus, some of her friends came out of the library to see who it was.

        “Darling what happened to you? You’re almost as giddy as Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said, as the mare in question appeared next to her.

        “What’s wrong with that? If anything I say it’s an improvement,” the pink earth pony said, bouncing up and down, the sign of drunkenness evident in her slurred voice.

        “You got that right Pinks, woo!” the stallion said, releasing himself from Twilight’s magical grip and gliding toward the Founder’s Fountain.

        Soon the sound of trampling hooves was heard in the distance as all the mares looked to see Caster’s friends from the bar trying to catch up to him. They came to a halt in front of everyone, almost out of breath as they tried to get some words out.

        “Sorry for Caster’s inconvenience ladies, poor old fellow’s gotten himself in a tight spot it seems,” the Doctor said, regaining his breath.

        “W-What’s wrong with him Doctor?” Fluttershy said, from behind Rarity and Pinkie.

        “Yeah, what is he drunk or something?” Twilight said, in an infuriated tone for not finishing her checkup.

        “Yes,” Jack Reels said emerging from the group. “This is apparently what happens when my little brother drinks, he becomes more energetic and outgoing.”

        “How much has he had?” Rarity inquired.

        “Just one bottle of Apple Bourbon. As it turned out, he aint’ never drank before so we didn’t know what would happen to him. He’s more a lightweight than anypony ah know,” Big Mac said, with a calm expression.

        “Afterwards he stated acting weirder than normal and just flew all across the bar trying to be the center of attention. I will admit, he does know how to draw a crowd,” Caramel stated, watching the drunk stallion dance around the fountain and singing a foreign tune.

        “And you do not want to know what he tried to do to tonight’s entertainment. Let’s just say he’s got a lot of apologies to make tomorrow,” Bard said, shuddering a little remembering what happened earlier.

        “That still doesn’t explain how he fell from Celestia knows how high, cracked the ground, and managed to survive with barely a scratch,” the lavender unicorn said, calming down and focusing more on the situation at hoof.

        “Oh that, my brother’s just very ‘durable’ I guess you could say. Seriously, hit him on the head with a large textbook and he’ll just shake it off,” the orange Pegasus said, thinking how ridiculous it must’ve sounded to the others. “Anyway, I believe Caster’s had enough ‘fun’ to last him a week, so I think it’s about time he went to bed.”

        “So I take it you’ll be the ones to take him home then?” the white unicorn asked, hoping for a good response.

        “Negative, the bartender demanded that we help clean up his mess, seeing as how it was mostly our fault to begin with,” the time lord pony said, not proud for what had occurred. “So would one of you be willing to see him home?”

        They all stopped to ponder the situation for a moment. Most of the mares in the library were already drunk enough so that was a definite no. Rainbow and Applejack were too busy taking shots to care and were likely to pass out at any moment. Spike was still in the bedroom taking care of Pee Wee and Owlowicious. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were feeling a bit tipsy and didn’t seem to want to leave the party; and Fluttershy was still hiding behind the two of them, for what reason none of them knew. So it all eventually came down to one choice.

        “I’ll take him home,” Twilight spoke out. “I haven’t had much to drink tonight so I doubt anything will happen between us. Plus if he tries anything funny I’ll use my magic to keep him at bay.”

        “Well that sounds all right I suppose, anypony here have any objections?” Bard said, looking back at his friends who nodded in agreement. “That settles that then; Caster!”

        Before anyone realized it, the light brown Pegasus was in front of them in a heartbeat. “You called, *hic*? What can I do you for you?”

        “You’ve caused enough trouble for one night Cast, so I think I speak for everypony when I say it’s time for you to go home,” the orange unicorn said, bluntly.

        “Aw come on man, I’m having the time of my life here, *hic*. Why should I stop now when I am at the peak of awesomeness!?” Caster shouted, thinking there would be a sudden round of applause.

        “We’ll go over that list of problems in the morning, but for now just let Twilight take you back to your place.”

        “No way dude; I’m staying out here until I collapse from fun overload. I’m an adult now so I decide when I sleep and nothing that any of you say can make me-,” the inebriated blacksmith felt a hoof prod his shoulder and turned to see who it was.

        Before he knew what hit him, he was face to face with Fluttershy’s infamous ‘The Stare’. Through all his bravado, Caster started to shake unable to look away from the mare’s gaze. Among other things, her stare was one of the few things that frightened him the most.

        “Now you listen to me mister, you may be an adult but you need to take responsibility for your actions. You’re drunk and you need your rest if you still want to be able to work tomorrow,” Fluttershy said, in the most menacing voice she could muster.

        “But, I...,” he stuttered out.

        “Don’t you ‘but I’ me mister! Now you let Twilight take you home, put you to bed, and in the morning you are going to apologize to a lot of ponies for your thoughtless behavior; got it?” the yellow mare said, giving the stallion one final glare.

        A part of Caster’s mind was telling him to ignore her threat and just keep on partying. But it was being drowned out by a larger portion shouting at him to listen if he knew what was good for him. This was coupled with the thought of possibly losing his friends and moreover, the mare he had confused feelings for. So with a quick gulp of air the light brown Pegasus slowly nodded his head in agreement. At that moment Twilight appeared next to him and they both made their way toward his home for the night. Meanwhile, back outside the library, everyone went slack jawed at what they experienced.

        “Fluttershy, would you mind doing me a favor?” Jack asked, in an intimidated tone.

        “What’s that Mr. Reels?”

        “Remind me to never upset you ever again.”

        Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel ashamed at his response. “Well, I had to do something, and I doubt he’d actually listen to me. I just hope he doesn’t hate or becomes afraid of me for doing that.”

        “Doing what?” Hotpop said, suddenly joining in on the conversation.

        “Oh, hey there honey, you just missed a chance to see my little brother drunk for the first time. Flutters here had to use ‘The Stare’ to get him to cooperate,” the orange Pegasus said, briefing his fiancé.

        “Awww, I would have killed to see that. I’ve always wondered what he’d be like when he got drunk,” the blue unicorn said, giggling every chance she could get.

        “Maybe next time dear,” Jack said, giving her a quick kiss. “Now you go have fun, the guys and I will be busy cleaning up Caster’s mess that he left at the bar.”

        “See you tomorrow Jacky,” Hotpop said, returning to the party.

        As soon as the two ponies were out of range, Caster reverted to his drunken state and began talking like there was no tomorrow. Twilight just walked beside him, rolling her eyes at nearly everything he spoke about as she led him home. She was actually amazed that he didn’t try to make any attempts to fly off and create havoc again. It seemed Fluttershy did her job better than she thought. Deciding it would be rude to not talk back, Twilight decided to join in.

        “So Caster, how’s your search for a marefriend going?” the unicorn asked, a bit hesitant.

        “Oh it’s going just fine,” he said, sarcastically. “So far I’ve been rejected by nearly every mare in town and I never got a chance to kiss them at all. Did you know that Aloe tried to jump me on our date yesterday? I don’t know why I said no, I mean that flank just…damn.”

        Caster’s description of last night made Twilight blush furiously. “Wow, I’m uh, sorry to hear that?”

        “Ah don’t let it get to ya Twi. In a way I guess I’m glad I said no,” the light brown Pegasus said, as he swayed back forth ready to fall asleep soon.

        “Why do you say that?”

        “Well for one I’ve heard other ponies say that Aloe and her sister are a mischievous pair at times; and after last night, I’m starting to believe them. Plus I’m kind of saving myself for somepony I had in mind.”

        “Really, might I ask who it is?” the lavender mare asked, suddenly interested in where the subject was going.

        “Uh, well I, uh. Hey look we’re here already, how did that happen so fast ha ha? I suppose I should be getting to bed now,” Caster said, dropping the topic entirely and letting out a prolonged yawn.

        Twilight just stared at him perplexed. “O-Kay then.”

        The drunk stallion fumbled with his house key for a while before successfully opening the door to his home. Twilight helped lead him up the stairs to the living room as he seemed to have a hard time walking. The entire house seemed eerily silent as the two ponies made their way to Caster’s bedroom. Upon entering, the Pegasus was assaulted by a sudden red blur grabbing his face. He soon recognized it as Nina who had apparently waited up for him to return. He quickly took her into his hooves and began to tickle her belly.

        “Come here you. Did you miss your big bro, huh? Who’s a cute little squirrel? You are, yes you are,” Caster said, in the most adorable voice he could summon up.

        The lavender mare behind him was in a fit of giggles seeing this display. Before long the stallion withdrew from the moment as he put the pet squirrel back into her own bed for the night.

        “Well thanks again for bringing me home Twilight,” he said, more tired than before.

        “No problem Caster, just be glad you listened to reason before you did something you might’ve regretted,” Twilight said, not wanting to think what could’ve happened.

        “Yes I guess. So anyway *yawn* I’ll just be going to bed now and-,” Caster, not looking where he was going, felt his head connect with the thick maple wood of the bed post.

        He felt mildly delirious as everything in his mind became a boggle of confusion. The light brown Pegasus quickly shook his head and took in his surroundings. However he seemed confused for a moment before finally speaking up.

        “What the, how did I get here? I thought I was supposed to be at the bar, what’s going on?” the pony said, dumbfounded.

        Twilight simply facehooved herself. Not only was it difficult dealing with someone drunk, but now she had to handle a case of memory loss as well. Tonight was not being made easy for her it seemed.

        “All right Caster, let’s get you to bed before one of us has a migraine,” the unicorn said, as she walked over to him.

        “Who’re you, why are you in my house?” the confused stallion said, surprised to see someone there.

        As he tried to make out who it was, both his drowsiness, drunkenness, and delirium got the better of him. The room being dimly lit by only the moon was not helping either. When he looked at Twilight, her colors began to change from lavender and violet to a familiar butter yellow and pink shade. Soon Caster was the staring at the object of his inner affection, Fluttershy.

        “Oh, it’s only you Fluttershy. For a second there I thought you were a burglar or something,” the delirious Pegasus said as a goofy smile grew on his face.

        Twilight simply raised an eyebrow at his response. “What are you talking about Caster, it’s me Twilight remember?”

        Unfortunately for the both of them, the bump to his head deteriorated Caster’s senses. Making it almost impossible to tell what Twilight was saying.

        “Yeah that’s great and all, but could you tell me how I got here. The last thing I remember was sharing a drink with my brother and the others, the rest is just a blur,” the light brown Pegasus stopped for a moment before reaching a conclusion. “Oh, wait a minute I think I know what happened. I must have gotten plastered so they asked you to bring me home. Now wasn’t that sweet of you.”

        “Ugh, fine I’m Fluttershy and I brought you home. Now would you please go to bed so I can go home already?” the lavender mare said, more irritated than before.

        But for some reason Caster started to get uncomfortably closer to her. His eyes were drooped and his smile seemed sinister. Twilight backed away a little but he kept getting closer. Before she knew it, she was against the wall with the inebriated stallion only a few inches away from her.

        “You know Fluttershy, you’ve done a lot for me ever since I came to Ponyville,” he said, with a cocky attitude. “You gave me a place to stay for the night, you helped cheer me up when I was turned down by other mares, and you even brought me home while you and your friends were having your own party. I’ve never noticed before but you are really cute when you do things like this. So how about I repay you for everything you’ve done for me and for being such a cutie pie.”

        At these words, Caster closed his eyes and began to move his lips towards Twilight’s. The unicorn was silently freaking out from what was happening. Every second felt like a minute to her as she tried to get out of this situation. Suddenly an idea went off in her head as her horn began to glow in a pink aura. The same aura was wrapped around the stallions head and he came to a halt. In an instant he fell to the ground, lightly snoring as a sign of his slumbering state. Twilight stood there in shock for a few moments trying to comprehend what just happened. Not only did he try to kiss her, but he also revealed some feelings for one of her friends. Before she could continue on the subject, Twilight levitated Caster’s limp body over to his bed and tucked him in. After the librarian mare made sure he and Nina were sound asleep she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

        She began to pace the living room trying to figure out how to go about all this. Twilight knew she was never good at keeping secrets and thought she might let it slip out when she got back to her friends. Plus, given that her friends were drunk, Rainbow and Applejack would kick his flank into next week if they found out what had just happened; and even worse would be how Fluttershy would feel about the situation. But there could’ve been a chance that Caster was just too drunk to think straight and took his feelings out of context. All of this was confusing to Twilight, but after a few minutes of pondering she made her choice. Her horn glowed again and a scroll and quill appeared out of thin air. She brought the quill to the scroll and began to write her message.

’Dear Spike, I’m afraid I won’t be coming home tonight. Caster Forge is even more of a hoofful than I thought and I need to stay here to make sure he doesn’t try to sneak out. Please inform the others so they do not worry about me and I’ll see you in the morning.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle’

        After finishing her writing, she rolled the scroll up and used a spell to send it to Spike. This spell was always useful for situations like this. Twilight looked at one of the nearby clocks and saw it was getting late and decided to turn in. The lavender mare made her way to the guest room where she wondered what tomorrow would bring.

===============================================================

        The living room in Caster’s home was completely silent when Twilight finished her story. The unicorn still had her cheeks tinted pink after she explained everything in great detail. The same could not be said for Caster, as the light brown Pegasus’ face had turned crimson red. His eyes were nearly as wide as saucer plates and his mouth hung limp. The food had long since been eaten and all that remained were the cups of tea. The stallion just sat on the couch, unmoving, hoping this was all just a bad dream.

        “Caster, you still in there?” Twilight said, waving a hoof in his face to get his attention.

        The blacksmith pony shook his head slightly and tried to speak. “I-I’m alright Twilight. I’m just embarrassed beyond all belief.”

        “I’m sorry Caster, but it is the truth. You were drunk and tried to kiss me thinking I was Fluttershy,” she said, bluntly.

        “I don’t know which is worse. The fact that I tried to kiss you, or that I revealed how I feel about Fluttershy.”

        “And what exactly is wrong with kissing me?” Twilight said, still blushing but with a stern tone.

        “Oh I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted my first kiss to be with somepony special that I like. I mean, I’m not saying I don’t like you, as a friend of course,” Caster said, trying to fix the situation.

        The lavender unicorn let out a giggle. “Relax Caster, I’m just pushing your buttons. But all kidding aside, is that really how you feel about Fluttershy?”

        “I guess, to tell the truth even I don’t understand how I feel about her,” he said, the blush on his face beginning to fade.

        “What do you mean?”

        “Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had crushes easily on other mares. Usually if they’re pretty enough or if they are nice to me. Now that I’ve started dating mares again, I need to be careful so I don’t focus my attention on a single mare. But Fluttershy seems different somehow. I can’t explain it but I can just feel it. I’ve never asked her to do what she does for me, but she does them anyway. No mare has ever been this kind hearted to me before. That’s why I want to make sure for real this time that my feelings are true and not just my heart being desperate.”

        “I can see what you mean Caster, she is the element of kindness after all,” Twilight said, understanding his dilemma, then something from last night clicked inside her head. “But how are you so sure she doesn’t like you back?”

        “I doubt she likes me Twilight. As a friend sure, but I’m probably not her type. Even if she doesn’t like me back I would still be content with being her friend,” Caster said, trying to work up a smile.

        “You never know if you don’t try. At least try something and see where it leads, what you might find could be a surprise. Don’t be afraid to go after somepony. Don’t be like me,” the unicorn mare said, looking down.

        The last part in Twilight’s statement peeked the blacksmith’s curiosity. “Wait, you mean there’s somepony you like as well?”

        “What I can’t have a crush too?”

        “It’s not that, it’s just that you’ve never really shown an interest in romance before. If you don’t mind me asking, who is the lucky pony?”

        Twilight’s face began to blush once more as she mumbled something inaudible to Caster.

        “I’m sorry, I could not hear that.”

        She repeated her response slightly louder, but still unable to be heard.

        “One more time, I still can’t hear you,” he said, as he drank his cup of tea.

        “I said, it’s, P-Princess Luna,” Twilight said, in a shaky voice.

        Caster had nearly choked down his tea from what he just heard. He was truly not expecting it to be someone of royalty, let alone one of the co-rulers of Equestria.

        “Wow, that was *ahem* unexpected,” the stallion said, blushing, legitimately surprised. “Don’t get me wrong I’m happy there’s somepony you like. I just didn’t know you were into mares, especially since it is Princess Luna we’re talking about here.”

        “Hey I was just as surprised as you were. It kind of took me a while to realize my feelings too.”

        “I see, so what is it about our fair princess that brought you in?” the Pegasus asked, wanting to understand the situation better.

        “Well I guess it would have to be my fascination with the night sky,” the unicorn started out. “I’ve always loved the stars and constellations that decorated the sky every night, always admiring the knowledge and beauty that others don’t seem to appreciate. When I met Luna for the first time, it made me happy to know there was a pony who made the nights the way they were every time. I know Princess Celestia was the one making them at the time, but I didn’t seem to care. When Luna came to the Nightmare Night Festival a year later, I did not know why, but I was ecstatic to see her again. She had grown up so much since the last time I saw her and seemed even more beautiful than before. Everything about her just radiated the essence of the night; and even after her time as Nightmare Moon and getting used to todays culture, she still had such a gentle spirit. It was only a few years later that I realized how I felt about her. I like her because she showed me that even the darkness of the night can still have a sense of beauty to it.”

        Caster simply sat on the couch unmoving listening to Twilight’s feelings. “That certainly does explain a lot. So I take it you’ve never told your friends about this?”

        “Nope, not even Spike knows about this. I’m only telling ‘you’ this because I want you to see where not telling somepony how you feel can lead you,” Twilight told him.

        “That and you had to get it off your chest eventually it seems. Don’t worry Twilight, I won’t tell nopony about it, just like I hope you will do the same for me,” the stallion said, lecturing her back.

        “I can’t make any major promises, but I’ll try my best,” she said.

        “Do you Pinkie Promise?”

        “*sigh* Cross my heart, hope to fly,”

        “Stick a cupcake in my eye,” Caster said, promising back.

        After all was said and done, the two ponies took the dishes back to the kitchen and washed them in the sink. Once the dishes were clean, Caster decided to take a quick shower to remove the smell of booze and everything else from last night from him. When the Pegasus came out, Twilight was still in the living room, almost like she was waiting for something important.

        “So Caster, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?” Twilight asked him.

        “Well for starters, you and I have some work that needs to be done,” he said, walking down the stairs.

        “What would that be?” She said, following him.

        “First off, I need to apologize to several ponies for my behavior last night,” Caster said, as he opened the front door. “And secondly, we need to help plan out my brother’s wedding.”

===============================================================

        For the rest of that week Caster and his friends spent their time preparing for the upcoming wedding. During that time, Caster made his apologies with his friends for his drunken behavior as well as the entertainment from the bar that night. They forgave him for his rudeness, right after one of the dancers gave him a firm slap across the face before listening. After all was said and done, the stallion put all his spare time into helping out his brother.

        The streets of Ponyville were overcrowded as ponies made their way to town hall for the wedding. Pinkie Pie had done an excellent job passing out invitations and spreading the word around town to get others to come. Jack Reels may be a film critic now, but his deeds as a former soldier did not go unnoticed by most. That being said, Celestia herself decided to preside over the wedding as a way to thank him for his duties in the army. Back inside town hall, Jack and his friends and family were in one of the converted offices, getting ready for the ceremony. The orange Pegasus’ mother helped comb his mane and tail into a proper style while his father straightened out his suit. Being jewelry makers, Jack and Caster’s parents always wanted things to be perfect for their children, just like their work. Their older sister could not make it as she was overloaded with her own set of work back home. But she was still able to send the happy couple a wedding gift.

        Caster on the other hand was at the other end of the room busy dressing himself up. His mane and tail stayed the same as it always seemed the only style proper and comfortable to him. His suit was a simple black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a red bow tie, same as his brothers. The blacksmith didn’t like to admit it often to others, but Caster had always thought of himself to be a real stud when he wore a suit of any kind. Meanwhile, their friends were out helping set up the decorations for the banquet and the ceremony. As the family of Pegasus’s finished getting ready, an orange coated unicorn with a dark brown mane walked in.

        “Hey everypony, hate to interrupt but could I borrow Caster for a moment?” Bard asked, nonchalantly.

        “Go right ahead dear, he’s all done anyway,” Caster’s mother said.

        With that said, the light brown Pegasus walked out of the room with his friend into the hallway. They both walked a fair distance before Bard came to a halt and faced Caster.

        “So what did you need buddy?”

        Bard remained silent for a moment before giving his response. “I need you to colt up and go tell Hotpop how you feel about her already.”

        The Pegasus stallion was shocked by his sudden statement. “Whoa, whoa where did that came from just now? You know that I’m-”

        “Scared of her rejecting you, I know; and that’s why you have to tell her,” the unicorn said. “I’ve kept your secret for quite a long time now and I think enough is enough. I know you no longer have any major romantic feelings for her anymore, but you should still tell her.”

        “But what if she thinks I’m creepy for having those kinds of feelings, what if she never wants to speak to me again?” Caster said, slightly afraid.

        “Dude, come on, how long have you and I known Hotpop? You know she’s not the kind of mare to resent other ponies for something like that. Plus, even if she doesn’t like you anymore, it would be better than wondering whether or not she would,” Bard said, proving his point.

        The blacksmith pony just stood there thinking about what his friend had told him. He did have a point, Caster always wanted to know how Hotpop felt about him, even if it wasn’t for romantic reasons. But the thought of losing one of his best friends seemed to keep him from asking. But Bard was right; better to get it out of the way than to live in fear.

        “All right bard, I’ll go tell her. But only because I want to get it out of my system,” Caster told him in defeat.

        “Good, just know that I’m doing this for your own good. You’ll thank me one day for this. I’ll see you at the ceremony,” the unicorn said.

        “See you there,” the light brown Pegasus said, making his way toward Hotpop’s dressing room.

        The walk down the hallway felt like an eternity to Caster. He kept contemplating how he would break his feelings to Hotpop. Things like, ‘Hey Hotpop, just wanted to let you know that I’ve had a crush on you for years now.’ Or ‘Do you like me at all, or do I just seem creepy to you?’ No matter what he tried to think of to say it all ended badly in his imagination. Just as he was about to give up, he soon found himself outside of the room where the bride to be was getting ready. Cater stood there, his forehead lightly covered in sweat, trying to work up the courage to knock on the door. For a moment he considered backing out while he still had the chance, but he knew better. No this was something that he needed to do and he’s put it off for far too long now. So with whatever bravery he had left, he brought his hoof to the door and knocked on it three times.

        “Who is it?” the familiar voice rang out from behind the door.

        “It’s me, Caster,” he said.

        “What do you need Cast?” Hotpop said, in a cheerful tone.

        “I was wondering if I could talk to you in private for a moment. It’s something really important that I need to say,” the stallion said, quickly.

        He waited for a response from her, but nothing came. Then when he thought he’d be left standing out there he heard her speak.

        “Sure, come on in. I’m all dressed anyway,” she said, as she unlocked the door with her magic.

        Caster slowly opened the door and walked in. He closed it to make sure they would not be disturbed and then turned around to face Hotpop. But what he saw nearly took his breath away. She was wearing a pure white wedding dress that had an exceptionally long train in the back and had matching white shoes. Her shoulders were covered by two puffy boleros and her wedding veil rested on her head but pulled back. Her mane was styled into a ponytail which laid against her shoulder and was tied by what seemed to be a de-thorned rose. She had on ruby red lipstick which complimented the rose and light violet eyeliner that was almost unnoticeable. ‘Rarity’s really outdone herself this time,’ Caster thought to himself.

        “It seems my brother’s going to get the mare of his dreams,” he said, aloud with whatever confidence he could muster.

        “Oh stop, you’re making me blush,” Hotpop said, her face acting out her words.

        Unfortunately for Caster, her expression changed his almost instantly as he began to blush as well. They remained quiet for a few seconds before Hotpop broke the silence.

        “So what did you want to talk about Cast?” the unicorn asked.

        Here it was, now or never. “Hotpop, you and I have been friends for a long time now right?”

        “Of course, ever since our days in high school you’ve been a good friend to me. One of the best I might add,” she said, cheerfully.

        “And you really do love my brother with all your heart, correct?” Caster asked, the blush still burning on his face.

        “Without a doubt, I do. He’s such a sweetheart and I know that he loves me back.”

        Caster saw a moment of opportunity in her statement. “Well you know, he’s not the only pony who feels that way about you.”

        “Oh I know that, there were and still are a lot of stallions who wish they could be with me,” Hotpop said, unaware of where the conversation was heading.

        “Yes, there certainly were plenty of stallions who would do anything for you. Even I would’ve liked for you to be mine,” the Pegasus said, nonchalantly.

        “I know right, like this one time, there was this…colt…who… Wait, what was that you just said?”

        No going back now it seemed. “I like you Hotpop, I really do. I’ve liked you ever since the day I met you. Granted it was mostly out of jealousy against my brother, but I still like you all the same. You’re smart, pretty, and straight out funny at times. I may not feel the same way as I did a couple of years ago, but I just wanted to say how I felt about you so I could finally get it over with. I know you probably don’t feel the same way about me, I just hope we can stay friends.”

        The dressing room fell dead silent as neither of them said a word. Hotpop’s face nearly matched the shade of her lipstick as she tried to process what she had just heard. Caster’s was almost the same as he waited for a response from her. Seeing as how nothing was going to be said, the blacksmith made his way to the door before realizing the sound of it being locked. When he looked at the doorknob, he saw that it was incased in a light green aura and his heart nearly stopped. Caster whipped his head around to face Hotpop and saw her looking at him blankly.

        “Is- is that all you needed to say, Caster Pearlescent Forge?” she said.

        Now he was really scared. He as well as his old friends knew that when Hotpop used a pony’s full name, that was when she started getting serious; and very few ponies ever choose to use his middle name.

        “You came in here so you could admit your secret feelings to me?” the light blue unicorn mare said, in a near grim tone, walking closer to him.

        Caster was already backed up against the door, so all he could do was sit down and cower in fear. As Hotpop stood in front of him, the stallion closed his eyes, afraid to know what was about to come. Suddenly, without warning, he felt something warm and soft wrap around him. Slowly he reopened his eyes and to his complete surprise, found Hotpop embracing him in a hug.

        “It’s about time you big goof-ball,” Hotpop said, with a happy expression.

        Those words shook Caster at his core. “Wait a minute, you knew!?”

        “Of course I did silly.”

        “How’d you figure it out?”

        “Caster, you’re not very subtle when it comes to hiding your feelings,” she said, breaking the hug and looking at him directly.

        Caster mentally face hoofed himself. “Oh, right. So what was it that initially gave it away?”

        “Well for a while I always saw you were a bit nervous whenever I was around, I thought I saw you blushing but I could never really tell. Your brother always said you got excited whenever he told you I was coming over for a visit, at first I thought it was because I was a good friend to you. But what really made it clear was you going out of your way to make me happy. You made sure Jack would be on time and prepared for our dates, you gave random gifts simply because you had money to spend. But even more so, you would always keep me company whenever Jack went out on diplomatic missions across the borders of Equestria. I considered myself a fool for not realizing it sooner.”

        “But, why didn’t you say anything?” the stallion said, astonished by the facts.

        “To be honest, I kind of thought you were just being a good brother and friend. A part of me wanted to believe it wasn’t true because of my feelings for Jack,” Hotpop said, a bit remorse by her statement.

        “I guess that does explain it. But there’s still one last thing I want to know Hotpop. Did you ever actually like me back?” He said, bluntly.

        The unicorn was not sure how to answer his question and remained silent. After careful consideration, she found her answer.

        “For a time, yes, as a friend of course. After you stopped dating mares you became more mature and a true gentlecolt. I was truly surprised no mare had ever taken a liking to you, considering your charm, your position in Celestia’s school, and being considered ‘The Luckiest Pony in Equestria’,” she said, honestly.

        Caster happily rolled his eyes at that last part. His nickname, which shortly arrived after his lucky mark was not something he was entirely proud of. But nonetheless he was still happy to hear those words.

        “Hotpop, I can’t tell you how much that means to me. So we’re still friends right?”

        She merely shook her head side to side. “You’re more than just my friend Caster. You’re my little brother now.”

        Tears threatened to escape his eyes as Caster brought Hotpop in for another hug. They stayed like that for about a minute before separating.

        “Now Caster, I have a request for you. Do you think you can do it?”

        “Sure thing Hotpop, what is it?” the light brown Pegasus asked.

        “Dance with at least one mare at the reception. I know you want to save a dance like that for the mare you love, but just this once try to relax and have some fun. Please, for me?” Hotpop said, with the saddest eyes she could muster.

        Caster couldn’t resist when she gave that look. “Okay, if you insist. I’ll give it a try.”

        “That’s the spirit,” the light blue unicorn said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and unlocking the door. “Now go and get ready, the ceremony will be starting soon.”

        The two ponies shared a quick laugh before the blacksmith made his way out of the room and down the hallway. Hotpop went back to preparing her make up as she smiled at herself for her plan working.

        “Like I said Cast, you’re not very subtle when it comes to hiding your feelings,” she said, remembering his talk about a certain yellow Pegasus.

        The main hall was abundant with chatter as everyone waited for the ceremony to begin. On the right end of the platform at the end of the walkway stood Jack Reels, along with his brother as his best stallion and the rest of his and Caster’s friends. To the left stood the bearers of the elements of harmony, Fluttershy excluded as she was positioned on the upper balcony with her bird orchestra. At the center was Princess Celestia, standing behind a large podium with a crest of the sun and moon emblazed upon it.

        The singing of Fluttershy’s birds signaled the beginning of the ceremony as everyone looked down the hallway. The large doors opened as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, playing flower fillies once more made their way in. After them came the bride Hotpop, being walked down the aisle by her father with her wedding veil covering her face. As the unicorn made her way to the platform, Caster turned his gaze to the mare on the balcony. Fluttershy seemed more beautiful than he remembered as she worked with her woodland friends, her brides’ maid outfit flowing carelessly in the breeze. He then remembered what Twilight said about how she talked him into going home when he was drunk and how he had failed to thank her properly. With that in mind, the light brown Pegasus made a mental note for the reception as he brought his attention back to the matter at hoof.

        Hotpop had joined Jack on the platform as her father went to stand by his wife. At that moment, the bird orchestra quieted down as Celestia began her speech.

        “Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the bond of two ponies in holy matrimony. If there is anypony here who would object to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace”, Celestia said, in a loud voice.

        The entire crowd remained completely silent as a reply was being waited for. Caster was silently congratulating himself for admitting his feelings earlier. Had he not, the stallion might have created an incredibly awkward situation.

        “Very well then. Now before we begin, I understand that the two of you have written your own wedding vows. Jack Reels, you may begin.”

        The orange Pegasus cleared his throat. “Hotpop, what else can I say other than I love you. You’ve made me smile more times than I can count and kept my spirits up for all these years. Whenever I left home as a soldier I worried about whether or not I would ever see you again. Now the only base I want to be stationed at is right beside you, forever and ever.”

        “Oh Jacky, the time we’ve spent together has been like magic to me. You’ve always talked about wanting to make movies and you made one that will always be memorable to me. Now it’s time for the sequel and I don’t plan on letting it end anytime soon,” Hotpop said, on the verge of tears.

        “That was very beautiful you two, now I believe it’s time to get started,” the white alicorn said, lifting the wedding bands with her magic handed by Spike. “Jack Reels, do you take Hotpop to be your lawfully wedded wife? To honor and obey, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, till death do you part?”

        “I do,” Jack replied.

        “Hotpop, do you take Jack reels to be your lawfully wedded husband? To honor and obey, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, till death do you part?”

        “I do,” Hotpop also replied.

        The wedding bands were wrapped around each other’s hooves. Each had the others cutie mark emblazed upon them.

        “Then by the power vested in me by myself, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

        The light blue unicorn didn’t waste a second as she used her magic to lift her wedding veil and planted her lips right on the groom’s. The whole building erupted in cheer and applause as everyone congratulated the newlywed couple. Caster was the happiest out of all of them for his older brother. He may not have a special somepony yet, but like he told himself years ago, that doesn’t mean he can’t be happy for others. When all was said and done, the ponies adjourned to the main dining hall for the reception.

        The after party was truly something to behold. Tables with large bouquets and bundles of balloons decorated the floor. Streamers of various cloth and color were strung from the ceiling and confectionaries surrounded the entire hall. To say Pinkie Pie did a glorious job would’ve been an understatement. Many of the guests took their time giving praise to the couple and talking and eating amongst one another. Others attended the dance floor as Octavia’s orchestra played some fitting ballroom music. All the while the Forge family, along with its newest member, sat at a wide table in the back of the room eating their meal and celebrating in their own way.

        While they all shared in a few jokes and some wedding cake, Caster remembered what he promised Hotpop and got up from his seat. He surveyed the room looking for a decent dance partner, but none seemed to catch his eye. The he remembered his metal note from earlier and made his way to the Elements of Harmony. When he was a few feet away he saw them all. They were laughing amongst each other and sharing sweets. Pinkie on the other hand was eating an entire triple lair chocolate vanilla cake by herself. How she ate so much and stayed so thin was anybody’s guess, but that did not distract him from what he needed to do as he walked towards their table. Upon arrival, they all turned their attention to him.

        “Hey there everypony, is everything good over here?” Caster asked.

        “Yup, everything’s going great now that you’re here,” Pinkie Pie said, as she wolfed down a chunk of cake in one bite.

        “Glad to hear it,” the stallion said, chuckling from her antics. At that point he turned his attention towards the yellow Pegasus. “Fluttershy, may I ask you a favor?”

        “Um, sure Caster, what did you need?” she asked, a tad nervous.

        Caster gulped as his cheeks turned pink. “W-would you mind s-sharing a d-dance with…m-me?”

        Nobody said anything as the group remained still. Even Pinkie Pie stopped eating mid-cake when she heard his request. Fluttershy’s face had turned a whole new shade of crimson by what she had heard. The party kept on going as the light brown Pegasus waited for an answer but got nothing.

        “Very well then,” he said, realizing what her answer was and began to walk away.

        But just as he turned around, he felt a hoof placed on his shoulder and looked to see who it was. To his secret joy, it was Fluttershy, who was still blushing and had a timid smile on her face.

        “I, I’d like to, Caster,” the butterscotch Pegasus said, her voice barely above a whisper.

        The blacksmith could not express how happy he was at that moment, nor understand why he was so happy. All he could do was try to respond as best as he could.

        “Well then, shall we?” Caster said, nervously extending a hoof toward her.

        Fluttershy graciously accepted it and he led her to the dance floor. A few of the dancing couples moved to make room for them as they approached. When they arrived at the center, the two Pegasai looked at each other for a moment before beginning.

        “Listen Fluttershy, I’m not very good at this kind of dancing so if you want to stop now that’s fi-,” he was stopped by a yellow hoof being placed on his muzzle.

        “If you want, I-I could take the lead. I mean, if that’s okay with you,” she said, nervously.

        The stallion simply smiled. “That would be just fine Fluttershy.”

        At that moment they stood on their hind hooves and Caster grabbed Fluttershy’s right front hoof with his left. He gingerly put his right hoof on her waist and the two proceeded to dance. As the two slowly moved across the ballroom, they never took their eyes off of each other as they tried to think of something to say. Caster decided to break the tension first.

        “I must say, you really do know how to dance,” he said, admiring her talent.

        “Oh, um thank you Caster. My mother was actually the one who taught me,” Fluttershy said, blushing from the compliment.

        “Well I can certainly tell she did a wonderful job teaching you.”

        Those words made the yellow Pegasus blush even more. Halfway through their dancing, a question that Fluttershy had been holding back made its way to the surface.

        “Caster, why did you want to dance with me?” she said, looking away from him.

        “What do you mean by that?” Caster asked, curious about her doubt.

        “What I meant was, why me? After all I used ‘the stare’ on you, I forced you to do something against your will. You must hate me for doing something like that, so is this dance just pity on me, or is it because-,” it was her turn to be cut off by a hoof on her muzzle. She looked to see Caster smiling at her.

        “Listen carefully Fluttershy, okay?” she simply nodded in agreement. “I wanted to dance with you, because I wanted to thank you for what you did that night. Out of all my other friends, you were the one that convinced me to go home. Yes you used your stare on me, but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is you did what was needed without having to hurt anypony in the process. The reason I’m dancing with you now, is because I wanted to show you how much something like that means to me.”

        Fluttershy was left utterly speechless. Nobody has ever said those kind of words to her before. At that moment her shyness dissipated and her blushing ceased.

        “So then, you’re not mad at me?” Fluttershy asked, hopefully.

        “Fluttershy, after what you did and everything since I came to this town, I could never hate you. In fact, I consider you my closest of close friends,” Caster said, with a big grin.

        It was at that moment that Fluttershy did something no one had ever seen her do before; she nuzzled him. The whole act was new and surprising to the stallion, but that did not stop him from returning the favor. As they nuzzled each other’s cheeks they continued to dance, unaware of their surroundings. It was at that moment that they realized they had bumped into another couple and both parties were sent tumbling to the ground. As they tried to apologize to the couple, the mare seemed a bit awestruck by something, but they did know what.

        “Um, miss, is something wrong?” Caster asked her.

        The unicorn with blue eyes, curly red mane and tail and a pink coat pointed at his cutie mark. “What, is that?”

        “Oh this, it’s called a lucky mark,” he said, realizing what she was referring to. “You see I-”

        The mare said nothing as she led her and her date out of the ballroom. Caster and Fluttershy just stood, not knowing what they had done.

        “Well that was, odd,” Fluttershy said.

        “Indeed,” Caster agreed with her.

        With that out of the way, the guests resumed the party and the two Pegasai resumed their dancing as well. Later on, the music was stepped up as Vinyl took the stage with her DJ. Everyone soon took to the dance floor as they partied like they never had before. It was several hours later at night when it was time to bid the happy couple farewell. As Jack Reels and Hotpop got into the carriage, the unicorn threw the bouquet and mares began to fight over it. Surprisingly enough, it landed in Fluttershy’s hooves, which she nearly fainted over had it not been for a good friend of hers. As the carriage left for its honeymoon destination in Las Pegasus, Rainbow Dash executed a Sonic Rainboom that lighted up the night sky and made the stars shimmer.

===============================================================

        On the outskirts of Ponyville, the ponies stood at the edge of Ponyville Lake. They were the same couple that Caster and Fluttershy bumped into in the ballroom, the mare and her consort, a unicorn with green eyes, combed black mane and tail, and a yellow coat. The mare reached into her dress and pulled out a small brown satchel tied with string. She undid the knot and poured its contents, a strange ebony black powder into the water. It spread across the surface and took up a good portion of the lake. When it stopped, images of green flames were shown in the lake and soon, a set of large green eyes appeared before them.

        “My Queen, we bring you tremendous news,” the stallion said, with an eerie grin.

        “What could be so important that you would waste my time with!?” the eyes spoke, in an angry, echoing voice.

        “We have found the remnants of the mark of your mothers’ legacy,” the pink unicorn said, believing that answer to be enough.

        The eyes in the water looked shocked by her response, but they appeared to be pleased.

        “Well now, this is interesting. I thought that Celestia had done away with it years ago, but it seems fate has smiled on us. I commend you both for bringing this knowledge to my ears.”

        “So shall we take it now? The pony who bears the mark does not seem to realize what power it possesses as of yet, so now would be our best chance,” the yellow unicorn suggested.

        “No, not yet. Our army still needs to recuperate after the previous battle. Besides we need to know as much about this pony before we make our move. So you two, continue to serve as my spies in Equestria, when the time comes I shall call you home and we will plot our attack. Is that clear?”

        “Yes, your majesty!” they said, in unison.

        “Now, go!” the eyes gave out a maniacal cackling laugh as they disappeared and the water turned crystal clear.