The Steel-Hearted Pegasus

        Aside from the squeaking sounds Nina made, Caster’s bedroom was utterly silent as Fluttershy stared at the mind journal that stood on the nightstand. The fact that it was unlocked came as a surprise to her. It was true that the mare did want to know more about Caster’s personal experience of his lonely past and now was the perfect chance to see. But it also felt wrong, she’d be intruding on his personal thoughts and emotions. Fluttershy was so conflicted by this her mind was starting to run around in circles.

        She thought about how he would feel if he knew that she read his personal journal. Caster would probably resent her for that and may never forgive her. A part of her still thought that reading the journal would help in knowing Caster better. If anything it would help the Pegasus mare comfort him, knowing what he has gone through most of his life. No matter what Fluttershy kept going back and forth on reasons for why she should and shouldn’t do this.

        “Oh Nina, what should I do?” she asked the squirrel, needing another opinion.

        Nina began make a speech of incoherent squeaks, chirps, and other noises that couldn’t be understood by most ponies. Yet Fluttershy knew exactly what she was saying and listened intently. The pony made a few remarks here and there, trying to get a word in. In the end, the red coated squirrel was able to give her the proper words of encouragement she needed.

        “You’re right Nina, this is a way to help Caster,” Fluttershy said, looking slightly more cheerful. “With this knowledge I may be able to lift his past suffering. And if possible repair those shattered dreams of his.”

        With that knowledge in mind, the yellow Pegasus went over to the nightstand and grabbed the mind journal from the book stand it rested upon. She sat down on the bed and stared at the book in front of her for a moment, still feeling nervous about this. But after taking a quick breath in, Fluttershy grabbed the book and opened it up. With a certain event in mind, she flipped through the first few pages till she found what she was looking for. The pink maned pony began to read the text.

“As I walked down the hallway of Canterlot Castle, I became more nervous with each passing step. After all today was the day that my life would change forever. For today, I am to become the Royal blacksmith.”

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        Caster Forge walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle, visibly nervous for what was to come. It’s not every day that you are called to take the role of blacksmith for the Royal Army. For him it was truly an honor, not only would he be able to make his artwork on a daily basis, but it would also serve to protect so many ponies in the line of duty. The light brown Pegasus thought that this was where he was truly meant to be. He took a moment to look at his cutie mark, remembering the day when his path for the future was set. If he didn’t know any better, Caster could say that maybe Princess Celestia chose him as the winner of that contest for this exact purpose.

        Deciding not to dwell on those thoughts, the stallion kept on walking to his destination. Eventually he came to a stop in front of a large set of wooden double doors. In a flash, the doors were covered in a magic aura as they opened slowly. Caster was then greeted by the throne room that was inside, with two rows of guards leading up to the throne itself. As the Pegasus stallion walked into the room he saw Princess Celestia sitting upon the throne as well as Princess Luna standing beside her. When he got close enough Caster stopped near them and gave a bow to the Princesses before they spoke.

        “Glad you could make it Mr. Forge,” Celestia said, gracefully nodding as the stallion stood up.

        “I wouldn’t miss this for the world your highness,” Caster said, putting up a smile.

        “Are you ready to be inducted?” the tall white Alicorn asked.

        “Ready as I’ll ever be,” the stallion responded.

        “Very well then,” she said, pulling up a scroll and unrolling it before she spoke. “Caster Forge, it has come to our attention that your work has excelled that of your class mates. Your skills of armor and weapon forgery are nearly unmatched by your peers. Therefore, after careful consideration between myself, Luna, and my other council members, we have decided to deem you with a position we believe befits you. As of today, I hereby appoint you as blacksmith to the Royal Equestrian Army. Do you accept this position and acknowledge your duties and responsibilities from this day forth?”

        “I do, your grace,” Caster said, more than prepared for this moment.

        “Then congratulations Caster, I hope to hear and see great things from you in the future,” Princess Celestia said, knowing that we would do well.

        “You most certainly will Princess Celestia,” the Pegasus said, assuring her thoughts.

        “That is all for now. You may head home and we will notify you for when you may start working,” she said.

        “All right then, have a good day your majesty. You as well Princess Luna,” he said, smiling as he turned toward the door.

        “To you as well Caster,” Luna said, bidding him farewell.

        Nothing more to be present for, Princess Luna excused herself to return to her other duties. Before she left, the dark blue Alicorn turned her attention to the stallion who was leaving and something caught her eye. Just as Caster was about to leave the throne room Luna noticed a saddened expression on his face. He looked as if he was in pain, one that felt familiar to her.

        Caster Forge made his way through the halls of the castle, thinking of how his new job would be. Although as he continued his walk his thoughts turned south. The stallion started thinking of how this would affect his personal life. Truly nothing would be the same for him again. Soon he leaned against a wall, not feeling any motivation to keep moving.

        “Where do I go from here?” Caster asked himself, frowning from his thoughts.

        “You could start by talking to me,” a voice said, echoing slightly through the hallway.

        The light brown pony jumped in surprise and turned around to see who it was. To his surprise he saw none other than Princess Luna, who had appeared from a hallway to the side. Not taking any time to wonder why she was here, Caster simply bowed to her in respect.

        “Princess Luna, what are you doing here?” he said, raising himself up to look at her directly.

        “Please Caster, there is no need for formalities right now. Just call me Luna,” the Princess said, her voice laced with a comforting tone. “As for why I am here, I came to see if you were feeling all right.”

        The stallion looked away from her. “Yes, I’m fine Luna. It’s just something a little personal, nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

        “From that expression you’re giving I wouldn’t say it’s just ‘a little’ personal,” Luna said. “Remember that it is my self-sworn duty to help the ponies of Equestria, even outside of their dreams.”

        “I know, but this is something that I have to figure out for myself,” Caster said, trying not to have her pry too much.

        “This does not sound like something you can do by yourself. You need guidance from those around you,” the Alicorn said, ready to hit the nail to convince him. “Besides, don’t forget that I can simply enter your dreams. I can find out what is wrong even if you don’t tell me.”

        That seemed to do the trick, as he bit his lip slightly. The Princess of the night always had her way of seeing other ponies’ hopes and fears. No matter what the Pegasus said to her, she would find out eventually. So not wanting to prolong this any further, Caster decided to come clean.

        “All right then,” he said, walking past her toward one of the nearby glass windows gazing out of it. “The problem is, that I’m always alone. I’m sure you know the vow I made a few years ago.”

        “Yes, I do. But I thought you said you were glad to be single,” Luna said, wondering where this was going.

        “I did, back then of course. But now I’m starting to feel that it wasn’t the best choice,” the blacksmith stallion said. “I thought that cutting off my romantic ties would end my chances of being hurt. Yet I only seem to be hurting worse. I’ve thought of going back, but part of me doesn’t want to relive the pain of rejection. And even if I did decide to go back, I’ve met nearly every mare in Canterlot and I’ve never once seemed good for any of them. Or on rare occasion some have only tried to sway me because of my fame for my lucky mark or my position in the school. I feel like no matter what I do, no mare will ever truly love me for who I am.”

        Luna could not see his face directly, but she noticed a small tear moving down Caster’s cheek. She saw how melancholic his personality was becoming. The mare went over to him and wrapped a wing around him, trying ease the stallion’s state of mind.

        “Do not fret my friend, I am sure there will come a fine mare who sees you for who you are one day,” Luna said, doing her best to comfort him. “And even if you she does not come along, I’m sure your friends will be there for you.”

        “That is, if they even have time to be there for me,” Caster said, somewhat relaxing with Luna’s presence.

        “What do you mean by that?” the dark blue Alicorn asked.

        “This is the other part that I have been dealing with. Yes I am lucky to have made at least a few friends, but lately we seem to have grown apart. We’re still close mind you, it’s just that we never seem to spend time with each other anymore. They’ve all gotten jobs in the past few years and our hang out times are rare and few. And now that I’ve gotten a job here, I’m afraid we may never see each other anymore,” the downhearted Pegasus said, feeling more sad than before. “Can you keep a secret for me Luna?”

        “Of course Caster, you can trust me,” the Princess said, reassuring him.

        “The truth is, I’m scared of being alone,” he said. “I’m scared that one day everyone I know will leave me in some way. The fact that I may have nopony to comfort me, or keep me company, or just be there at all just terrifies me. Can you imagine what it must feel like, to be in your own little world where nopony is there for you?”

        All went silent after that, as Caster waited for the Princess to say something in return. Her response, however, came in the form of her holding him close. Luna knew exactly what he was going through. Before her banishment to the moon, she was always left out of the eyes of society. No one aside from her sister ever tried to talk to her, thinking her role was never important. In the end, the Alicorn Princess lost control and soon found herself in a place worse than she had suffered before. It was a dark time for her, one of grief, misery, and isolation, and she didn’t wish for that life to befall someone else as well.

        “Anyway, thank you for listening Luna,” Caster said, moving out of the hug. “It makes me feel a little better getting this stuff off of my chest.”

        “You’re welcome Caster, I enjoy helping other ponies’ with their dilemmas,” the dark blue Alicorn said. “And always remember that I’m here if you need somepony to talk to.”

        “I’ll keep that in mind, but really as I long as I remain here in Canterlot I don’t anything will change,” the stallion said, walking away and toward home.

        Princess Luna watched as he left, wondering if there was anything she could do to help him. Then she remembered the last thing he said and inspiration struck her. So the Princess went off to find her sister, hoping she would help in her plan.

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        The night sky began to brighten as the sun traveled over the horizon. It was only early in the morning and the sky was already bright enough to illuminate the city of Canterlot below. In a certain bedroom, a stallion was tossing and turning in bed, clearly having a bad dream of some variety. Suddenly the pony woke up, startled from the nightmare he was having. The little bit of light that shined through his window showed that it was Caster Forge, who had a cold sweat that matted his fur.

        He had been having the same dream over and over for the past few nights now. The light brown pony would end up in a dark room where all his friends could be seen in the distance. Caster tried to reach them but they always kept getting further away, no matter how much he ran. That was when, it, started to appear. Darkness, pure and simple, a giant veil of dark shadows that would slowly gain on him. That was the gist of the dream: his friends would distance themselves from him while the darkness would move in and eventually devour him. And when it did catch him, Caster would wake up. The blacksmith stallion never saw what lied in there, and he hoped to Celestia he never will.

        However, Princess Luna’s words rang through his mind. It was all the stallion needed to find a faint glimmer of hope in that void, as well as in real life. With that in mind, Caster put on a smile, ready to face the day with a new found confidence. He took a moment to look at his room to remember his surroundings. Despite his family being moderately wealthy, he preferred a simple room which consisted of a bed, a nightstand with a lamp on top, a bookshelf, a desk for making his miniature statues, and a small bed for his pet squirrel Nina. Said squirrel woke up once Caster got out of bed. He gave her a quick scratch behind the ears before she hopped onto his shoulder and they both exited the room.

        Traveling downstairs Caster and Nina were met by a room full of familiar faces. At the living room table was most of Caster’s family, consisting of Jack Reels and his marefriend, Hotpop. Also there was of course his mother and father, who had set up a lovely looking breakfast as they waited for the light brown Pegasus to join them.

        “Morning Cast, what took you so long,” Hotpop asked, taking a bite of some scrambled eggs.

        “Morning Hotpop, sorry I kind of slept in,” Caster said, filling his plate with food from the table.

        “Again?” Jack said, smirking as he took a sip of orange juice.

        “Hey it happens to everypony, even me,” the stallion said, digging into his meal.

        “For the fourth time this week?” Caster’s mom asked, teasing him.

        “Lay off Mother,” the blacksmith pony said, trying to ignore her truthful statement.

        It did little good as the table erupted with laughter from almost everyone there. Though they were laughing at his expense, Caster didn’t seem to mind. Seeing everyone’s smiling faces was enough to ease his mood and lead him away from his previous nightmare. Once it all died down the group of ponies went back to eating their meals, making idle chit-chat here and there. Then the doorbell rang, alerting the ponies just as they were finishing off breakfast. Caster decided to go and see who it was.

        Opening the door he saw that it was royal guard, clad in the standard golden armor set. The Pegasus stallion was confused as to why a guard would be here at his this early in the morning. But he was sure that question would be answered soon.

        “I presume you are Mr. Caster Forge?” the guard pony asked.

        “Indeed I am, what can I do for you sir?” Caster replied.

        “I’m here to deliver a message from her highness, Princess Celestia,” he said, bringing out a scroll. “We hope to receive your reply as soon as possible.”

        “Okay, well um, have a nice day sir,” the light brown pony said, taking the scroll as he closed the door behind him.

        “Who was that, son?” Caster’s father asked.

        “It was a royal guard Dad,” Caster said, walking into the living room where everyone else was. “He came to give this message from Princess Celestia.”

        “Ooohh, you got a letter from the Princess, that’s so cool,” Hotpop said, excited to hear some news. “Quick open it up.”

        “All right then,” the blacksmith pony said, unraveling the scroll and reading it aloud.

‘Dear Caster Forge, I have sent you this message to let you that there has been a slight change in plans about your duties. It has come to my knowledge that there is no room in the castle for you to set up your work station. In the past, we had our armor come from a shop within the city, but it closed down a few decades ago, which is why we’ve had the same armor all this time. I’ve run checks on the city but there doesn’t seem to be any available property left. And so after careful consideration, I have decided to make arrangements for you to move and set up work in Ponyville. I’m terribly sorry if this might inconvenience you in any way, but there is simply no other alternative. I hope you will be able to accept these conditions and continue to work for us.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

        As those last words left Caster’s mouth, no one in the room knew what to say. The only thing that the Pegasus stallion could think about, was whether or not this was the new direction he was looking for.

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

        The sun shone brightly over the city of Canterlot, making it shine in its rich glory. Although for one family, shining was not word to describe how they felt right now. Outside of the Forge home was a set of royal Pegasus guards waiting by a large cart filled with newly bought furniture and other nick-knacks. Coming out of the house in front of them was Caster Forge, wearing a set of saddle bags, along with the rest of his family.

        “Are you sure you have everything you need Cast?” his father asked, making sure he was all set.

        “Yes Dad, I believe so,” Caster said, running the list of items through his mind.

        “Well, be sure to take care of yourself son,” Caster’s mother said, trying her best not to cry.

        “Hey come on mom, I’m not going that far away,” he said, doing his best to comfort her. “I’ll be sure to visit when I can.”

        It had been two days since Caster had gotten the message to move to Ponyville. Since then his family had a bit of a hard time dealing with this new turn of events. His father knew that he was a strong and self-reliant pony and could take care of himself. Besides he knew that he was going to have to move out eventually. Caster’s mother, however, did not fare any better seeing her youngest son having to live on his own. The light brown Pegasus had usually clung to her in the past, but now it was like she was no longer needed to take care of him anymore. Jack Reels and Hotpop, surprisingly had no problems with him moving out. In fact they were kind of proud of him, becoming a blacksmith for an army and to move on to get a new start. The two of them knew what he was going through lately and thought this would be a nice change of pace for him.

        During that time they all went ahead and got Caster some new furniture for his new home. He assured them that he would pay them back one day, but they told him it would not be necessary. They told the stallion it would be their parting gift. Speaking of which Caster also remembered the other ‘parting gift’ he got from Princess Celestia. Which of course was the mind journal resting in his saddle bags. He had asked her why she would give him something like this, to which she replied that it would be to look on the old days. For the day will come when things will become better and he can see all the ways it came to be this way. Caster’s attention was brought back to the present as he looked back at his family.

        “I hope everything goes well for you Cast,” Hotpop said, offering up a smile.

        “Same here, this’ll be a whole new experience for you,” Jack said, doing the same as his marefriend.

        “You’ve got that right. Who knows, maybe I’ll make some new friends down there,” the blacksmith pony said.

        “Let’s certainly hope so,” the orange Pegasus said.

        “I uh, guess I should be going now,” the light brown pony said. “So I’ll see you all when I-”

        Caster was then tackled to the ground by a mysterious pony. When he looked up he realized the pony wasn’t so mysterious at all.

        “Alesha, what are you doing here?” he asked, confused by her presence.

        “We came to see you off of course, silly,” Alesha said, grinning widely.

        “We?” the stallion pondered.

        “I believe she’s referring to us,” a voice said, from behind the unicorn mare.

        Caster looked behind her to see it was his other two friends, Bard and Ratchet wrench.

        “Wouldn’t have been right if you left without us seeing you off would it?” Ratchet said, helping the Pegasus back up.

        “How’d you all know I was leaving though?” the blacksmith pony asked.

        “Your brother was the one that let us know,” Bard said. “But I’m surprised as to why you didn’t let know in the first place.”

        “Well I kind of didn’t think you would be able to make it,” Caster said, somewhat ashamed of his excuse. “We rarely ever see each other anymore that I didn’t think you’d come.”

        “Actually, that’s the reason we did show up,” the white unicorn said. “We all soon realized how little we’re together these days. And when the news about your departure came to us, we knew that this was the last straw.”

        “Yeah, we’re really sorry about ignoring you and each other for so long. And we promise we’ll make it up to you,” the dark orange unicorn said.

        “We’ll try to make some time to hang out again,” the blue earth pony said. “It may take a while for it to work out, but we can find a way.”

        Caster didn’t know what to say, seeing how things were changing so suddenly. First, he became a blacksmith for the Royal Army, he was told that he had to move to start work, and now after all this time his friends were finally starting to see how much their friendship was dwindling. It was all just so much to handle that at this point there was one thing the stallion could think of doing. Caster went up to all three of his friends and wrapped them in a big group hug. They returned the hug as well and stayed like that for a while. Then the blacksmith pony felt more ponies surrounding him and saw that it was his family, happy to see how well his life was improving. The Pegasus guards standing by the cart said nothing as they let the group enjoy their moment.

        As soon as they all finished their group hug, they all watched as Caster went over to his cart and strapped himself in. He checked with the guards to make sure they were all ready to help transport the cart. The light brown Pegasus gave all his friends and family one last wave and farewell to each of them. When it was all said and done he took off into the air, with his cart, with the help of the guards. They kept moving forward until they could no longer be seen by the group of ponies below.

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

        As Fluttershy kept sweeping her eyes through the mind journal, she grew more and more disheartened. It was almost heartbreaking to see how much Caster had suffered through in the past. It was actually amazing that he got through all of this in one piece. She had begun to grow a new found respect for the stallion, even when times get tough he just bared with it and hoped something would come his way. It was another reason she had come to love him for.

        Her thoughts were interrupted when Fluttershy heard voices coming from the living room. The mare listened closer and recognized one of the voices as Caster’s. Realizing she was about to get caught, she quickly closed the journal, put it back on the book stand, went back to the bed, and picked the toy she was using to play with Nina earlier. At that moment, the familiar stallion walked through the door, looking tired and worn out.

        “Phew, that was a tough day’s work if I do say so myself,” Caster said, stretching his legs to relieve some tension.

        “Hope you didn’t tire yourself out too much,” Fluttershy said, letting out a small giggle.

        “Nah, it was all right. Just a bit laboring was all,” he said.

        “I see, so are ready to go now?” the mare asked, hoping she could’ve read more of the book.

        “Actually I still have one more thing to do,” the blacksmith pony said. “I’m a little bit filthy from all that work so I’ll need to take a quick shower. You don’t mind do you?”

        “Not at all, I can wait a little longer,” Fluttershy said, knowing what to do to pass the time.

        “Cool, it won’t take long. About fifteen minutes at most,” Caster said, moving toward the bathroom.

        “See you then,” the yellow Pegasus said, watching the stallion close the bathroom door behind him.

        As soon as the coast was clear Fluttershy grabbed the mind journal and tried to find where she left off. While searching through the pages she wondered what it was going to be like, readin about his first day in Ponyville. Even more so how he felt when Caster first met her. The only way to know was by looking through the book, as she made it to her original spot.

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

        Caster and the guards kept flying for a while, soon reaching their destination. They landed on a road a few ways away from Ponyville. Once they had come to a complete stop the guards unhooked themselves from the sides of the cart and walked in front of the stallion in the front.

        “Thank you all for helping me get here, I doubt I could’ve done it myself,” Caster said, holding out a hoof to shake.

        “It was no trouble at all Mr. Forge,” one guard said, returning the hoof shake. “I hope to see some improvement in our armory very soon.”

        “Seriously, I feel like this armor’s starting to get rusted,” another guard said, speaking freely.

        “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure you guys have the best quality armor in the foreseeable future,” the blacksmith stallion said, giving them an assuring smile.

        “Well then, until that time,” the first guard said, saluting along with the other guards. “We wish you good luck.”

        “You all as well,” Caster said, saluting back.

        With their duty over the guards flew into the sky, heading back towards Canterlot. The light brown pony watched as the guards left, wondering if they would like his work. Either way the first order of business was actually setting up his place to work. Realizing that, he turned his attention toward the town not too far from him.

        “Well Nina, shall we begin?” he asked.

        The squirrel responded from her little pet house in the cart, confirming his question. Not wanting to wait any longer, Caster began his walk to Ponyville. That was also when he noticed a swarm of butterflies flying over him, following the same direction he went.

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

        It was a beautiful spring morning, not a cloud in the sky, a small swarm of butterflies was flying over the town of Ponyville. Their appearance caused a few of the ponies below to gaze up and look in awe, most of them little fillies and colts. The crowd was held in such a state of wonderment, no one noticed the light squeaking sound off in the distance, coming from a lone cart down the road. At last someone noticed the noise and turned to see who it was.

        Caster Forge walked into town, watching as some of the other ponies took notice of him. He felt a little uneasy as they looked upon him. He still wondered what this town was like, whether the ponies would be somewhat nicer than other he knew before. To the stallion’s relief he saw that most of them had a cheery mood about them. Some would wave from nearby, which Caster kindly waved back in turn. Others would give him a friendly ‘hello’ or ‘nice to meet you’. All in all it gave the town a pleasant feel to it, making the light brown Pegasus relax more. He felt that this was where he needed to be, to start out fresh.

        His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something strike and fell to the ground. The stallion rubbed his head to relieve the small pain growing in it. Caster then noticed what he bumped into, a small pink mare. He went over to help her up.

        “I’m so sorry about I wasn’t looking where I was going,” he said, helping the mare onto her hooves. “Are you all right?”

        “Absolutely tootly lootly,” the pink pony said, bouncing up and down, flashing a wide grin.

        “Um okay then, I’ll just be on my-”

        “Wait a minute, you’re new here aren’t you?” she said, noticing the stallion’s cart full of stuff.

        “Yes, I am,” Caster responded, not knowing where this was going.

        “Oh my gosh, that’s so exciting!” the hyperactive mare said, jumping around Caster in circles and talking insanely fast. “And if you’re new here you probably must not have any friends, which means you’re really lonely. I can be your friend if you want and I can introduce you to all of my other friends which is helpful since I’m friends with everypony in town. I can even throw a welcome to Ponyville party cause that always helps cheer anypony up. My name’s Pinkie Pie by the way what’s yours?”

        The blacksmith pony had a hard time comprehending what Pinkie Pie was saying, but still managed to hear a few pieces. So he decided to at least answer her question.

        “My name is Caster Forge,” he said, politely. “I’m here because I’ve been sent by her majesty, Princess Celestia, to work for her in new services.”

        “Wowie zowie, that’s even more exciting!” Pinkie Pie said, more ecstatic than before. “You just have to let me throw you a party now. It can be a welcome to Ponyville and congratulations on your new job party.”

        “As fun as that sounds, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline,” Caster said, letting her down gently. “I have to start working on my new home and it’s best to get it done sooner rather than later. But still, thank you for offering.”

        “Aww come on, please? A party is always a good way to make some new friends,” she said, trying to encourage him. “Besides the way I see it you look like you could really use a friend.”

        “I’m sorry Pinkie, but I must get my job done soon,” the stallion said, saddened by his own decision.

        “Please, just try it. I promise you it will be super-duper fun. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, pleeeeeaaaassseeee will you come?” Pinkie asked, looking at him with the saddest puppy dog eyes she could muster.

        Caster watched as the mare made one of the saddest faces he had ever seen. But it was not enough to make him abandon his duties. The light brown Pegasus was about to let her down and move on, when he remembered something important. The reason his friends never had time to spend with him and each other was because they were so focused on their own work. And now here he was, doing the same thing to a mare who only wanted to make friends with him. Caster felt ashamed, letting himself go down the path of duty over friendship. This time, however, was going to be different.

        “Okay, I guess I can make some time,” he said, before suddenly being nearly crushed to death in a big hug.

        “Ooohh thank you, thank, you, thank you! I promise this will be the best party you’ve ever had,” the overjoyed pony said, releasing him from her grip.

        “Good to know,” Caster said, trying to catch his breath. “So when will this party be held?”

        “It’ll be at eleven o’clock at Sugarcube Corner, the place is right over there,” Pinkie Pie said, pointing to the large gingerbread building.

        “All right then, so I’ll see you there then,” the stallion said, flashing a smile.

        “Okie dokie lokie, bye bye Caster,” she said, bouncing away.

        While the pink mare went off to who knows where, Caster thought about what lay ahead for him. This upcoming party may just be the thing he needed to get himself back into good spirits once more. And so the blacksmith pony went off to where his new home would be built, thinking of all the fun he was going to have soon.

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

        Caster walked through the forest outside of Ponyville, reading the map he was given as he went. He was still having a bit of difficulty pulling the cart behind him but he got used to it. Following the directions on the map, the light brown Pegasus eventually saw a beam of sunlight glowing in his direction. Making his way toward it he was rewarded by the sight of a large open area in the middle of the forest. Looking at the map one last time, Caster confirmed that was the spot where he was supposed to build his home and forge. For a moment he took this chance to enjoy the scenery around him. It was all so calming and peaceful, the perfect place for him to work in peace. The sound of birds chirping created a beautiful melody that surrounded the area.

        Not wanting to waste any more time, Caster parked his cart and began to set up a work table. He laid out a set of blueprints that went into great detail about his new home. Since the supplies will arrive tomorrow afternoon, the stallion figured he could at least set up the foundation measurements. He brought out a roll of measuring tape and some small stakes and set to work. While Caster measured the distance between the walls, he thought he would sing a little melody to himself. It was one that his mother used to sing for him when he was still a foal.

        It was always relaxing to him and gave him a sense of joy in life. Seeing as no one else was around, the stallion wasn’t afraid of singing it out loud. As Caster sang and worked a few critters came out of the forest, hearing his deep singing voice. The day went on normally for the blacksmith as he kept working on the measurements and everything else. He back over to the work desk to check on the blueprints, when he heard something snap in the distance. Caster turned around to see what it was.

        "Hello, hello, is there somepony there? ... Must have been my imagination," he said, as he turned back toward his blueprints.

        Looking at the piece of blue paper in front of him, the light brown Pegasus thought of his new home. It would a place he could actually call his, especially since he would build it himself. Though at one point he realized he would have this place all to himself, no one else would be there with him. But Caster quickly snapped out of that train of thought, knowing he could invite some new friends over in the future. Then he heard a loud ringing sound coming from nearby and saw that it was the alarm clock on the table, its hands showing it was already eleven am.

        "Oh no, I'm late!! I hope they haven't started the party without me!" Caster said, dropping what he was doing.

        The stallion went over to his cart to grab Nina, not wanting to leave her alone, and then took off into the sky. For a moment he could’ve sworn he heard somebody else nearby, but was too preoccupied trying to get to the party on time. He kept flying until he saw the small bridge that led into Ponyville. Also there was Pinkie Pie, heading across the bridge at a fast pace. Wanting to see what was up, Caster descended to the ground in front of her.

        “Hey Pinkie Pie, what’re you doing here? I thought you’d be at the party,” he said, wondering what she was doing.

        “Don’t worry about it, I just need to go get my friend Fluttershy,” the pink mare said. “I was so busy planning your party that I forgot to invite her.”

        “I see, all right then you go do that and I’ll head to the party,” the stallion said.

        “Awesome, we’ll see you there soon, later,” she said, running past him

        As Pinkie went off to this ‘Fluttershy’s’ house, Caster resumed what he was doing before and continued toward Sugarcube Corner. When he made it to his destination, the Pegasus took a moment to prepare himself for what was to come. It had been a while since he had been to an actual party like this and wondered how he should act. Then he realized that parties weren’t places to be someone you’re not. Caster just needed to relax and be himself if he wanted to make some honest friends. He took a quick breath to ready himself and opened the doors to what lay beyond.

        Looking around, the stallion saw many unfamiliar ponies talking and hanging out with one another. He also saw the decorations that surrounded the interior of the building, such as streamers, balloons, confetti, and enough sweets to make your teeth ache. Nina, now sitting on his shoulder, looked excited by all the festivities that took place in here. While the two of them were distracted by the scenery, two mares walked up to them and introduced themselves.

        “Hello there, you must be the one that Pinkie’s told us about. My name is Bon-Bon and this is my friend Lyra,” the cream colored mare said, extending a hoof toward him.

        “Caster Forge, nice to meet you both,” Caster said, shaking her hoof with a smile.

        “So Cast, what did you come here to Ponyville for anyway?” Lyra asked, wanting to make conversation.

        “Well actually, Princess Celestia sent me here to start work as her royal blacksmith,” he informed her.

        “That’s awesome, I can’t remember ever hearing about the army having its own blacksmith before,” the blue mare said.

        “So, who’s your little friend there?” Bon-Bon asked, pointing to the red squirrel on his shoulder.

        “Oh this here is Nina, she’s my pet squirrel,” the stallion said, petting her on the head.

        “Aww, she’s so cute. Can I pet her?” she asked.

        “Sure thing, she doesn’t bite,” Caster said.

        Bon-Bon went over and gave Nina a scratch behind the ears, which she seemed to enjoy. The squirrel then climbed onto the mare and sat on her own shoulder. She didn’t seem to mind as she cuddled the critter.

        “I guess she likes you,” the light brown Pegasus said, amused by the scene.

        “Looks like it. You don’t mind if I play with her do you?” the cream colored pony asked.

        “Not at all,” he said.

        With his approval, Bon-Bon went ahead and started playing some little games with Nina. Then the stallion suddenly heard a voice ring out through the room. He turned to see white furred mare with a wild blue mane and a set of purple sunglasses. She was standing behind a DJ system and looked like she was about ready to play some music.

        “Okay I hope everypony’s having a great time here at Sugarcube Corner! And I couldn’t help but notice that our guest of honor has already arrived,” Vinyl Scratch said, causing everyone to see the aforementioned stallion. “So to celebrate, I say we kick this party up a notch and get down on the dance floor. As requested by Pinkie Pie herself, Caster Forge, this beat is for you.”

        At that moment, the white unicorn mare began playing one of latest hits on her DJ system. The tunes echoed through the loud speakers as several ponies started dancing. One of the ponies, however, was trying to get the guest of honor to join in.

        “Come on Caster, you should to dance a little. It’ll be fun,” Lyra said, egging him on.

        “No thanks, I’m not really that good at dancing in public,” Caster said, trying to avoid this situation.

        “Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud. Live a little for once,” she said, giving him a push onto the dance floor.

        As soon as he got to the dance floor, the stallion felt the time slow down. It was not often that he danced in public and feared he might make a fool of himself. But seeing how everyone else was enjoying themselves, the light brown Pegasus thought it would be okay, just this once, to cut loose a little. So Caster took a deep breath to steady himself which allowed the world to speed up again in his mind. With nothing left to fear, he immediately started dancing as best he could. Although his dancing got more attention than he thought it would as he noticed the other ponies observing him. They all appeared to be cheering him on and really liked his moves.

        While Caster continued to dance, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of calmness and relaxation. Not from the dancing of course, but from seeing the approval of everyone around him. None of them were mocking him and they seemed to have taken a liking to him as a new friend. And the stallion didn’t have to do anything special other than being himself. Right then and there, he felt that this was where he was meant to be. With ponies that did not criticize others for how they acted. No reason to hold back, Caster went ahead and upped his dancing, moving to the beat of the music. The crowd around him cheered in amazement, seeing how well he was doing.

        When it all settled down, the Pegasus stallion was rewarded with the sound of applause. He was never happier than he was right now to hear how much they liked his moves. Even more so that they like him. As he tried to catch his breath from all that exertion, the blacksmith saw four mares and a small dragon approaching him with smiles on their faces.

        “Hey there, I have to say those were some pretty sweet moves back there,” the rainbow maned pony said, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

        “Thanks, I don’t usually get myself too into it, but I have my moments I guess,” Caster said, lightly rubbing his shoulder.

        “Nice to meet you Caster Forge, Pinkie has told us quite a few things about you,” a white unicorn said.

        “Nice to meet you as well. I see you ladies are friends with Pinkie Pie?” he asked.

        “Well considerin’ it’s her, Ah reckon everypony around here is her friend,” a pony with a southern accent said.

        “Sure seems like it,” the light brown pony said, lightly chuckling. “Do you mind if we find someplace to sit down? I’m a bit worn out from all that dancing.”

        “Of course. I think I saw an open table over there,” a purple unicorn said, pointing to a table in the back of the room.

        For the next couple of minutes, Caster spent his time talking with his new friends. Mostly they just kept telling jokes here and there, but occasionally they talked about their lives in general. After a while, the stallion saw Pinkie Pie heading toward their table.

        “Hey Pinkie Pie, where’ve ya’ll been at?” the orange mare asked.

        “I was just grabbing Fluttershy so she wouldn’t miss the party. Speaking of which, where did she go?” she said, looking back into the crowd.

        The group of ponies watched where the pink mare was looking to see where their friend was. Then, out of nowhere, Fluttershy popped out of the crowd meeting Caster’s gaze before falling out of his sight. It was only for a second but the blacksmith pony saw the most beautiful teal eyes possible.

        "There you are silly willy, what took you so long?" Pinkie said, while the pony in the back was wondering who this friend of hers was. "Fluttershy, I'd like you to meet our new friend, Caster Forge."

        Wanting to sake his curiosity, Caster stuck his head over the table to see this mystery mare. When he did however there was only one thing he could think of: cute. That was thing he could use to describe Fluttershy, she was cuter than most other mares he had seen before. Snapping at of his stupor, he realized that she was trying to say something to him

        "O-oh, u-um, h-h-hello there," Fluttershy said, trying to stand up.

        "Hello to you too, why don't you have a seat, it's definitely more comfortable than the floor," Caster said, doing his best not to sound mean or anything.

        The stallion was a bit surprised when the yellow Pegasus took the seat next to him, but didn’t mind at all. The group conversation continued on from there, as the light brown Pegasus got to know his new friends better. There were a few awkward moments every now and then but it all went well. Caster even got the chance to tell them about his life, career, and even his lucky mark. Soon, however, the day gave way to night and everyone had to adjourn for the night.

        But Caster remembered that since his house was not built yet, he had no place to sleep tonight. So he decided to ask his friends if he could stay with one of them for the night. But sadly none of them had the time or space to take him in right now. That was when Twilight suggested that he stay over at Fluttershy’s place, since she has more room. Caster Forge blushed slightly, for reasons unknown to him, thinking of staying with her for the night. Flutershy was hesitant at first but she agreed none the less. And as the party came to an end, all guests began to leave and the blacksmith stallion went with the yellow Pegasus mare to her home.

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

        As the two ponies walked to cottage at the end of the Everfree forest, Caster thought of the mare that stood next to him. He was practically a complete stranger in Fluttershy’s eyes and yet she still took him in for the night. Not many mares, or even ponies in general, were known to be this kind in Canterlot. This pink maned pony was different from the rest though and showed more kindness than the stallion thought possible, even for his pet squirrel. Caster was about to thank her for generosity when he saw her looking at him for a moment before quickly turning away. Curious, he asked her to see what was wrong.

       “Fluttershy, is everything all right?" Caster asked, in a slightly worried tone.

        "Huh, oh yes everything's fine, why do you ask?" Fluttershy said, trying to reassure him.

        "Well I’m only asking because you keep looking at me like there's something on my face, is there?" the Pegasus said.

        "Oh, it's nothing don't worry about it," she said, looking on ahead.

        Not wanting to pry any further, Caster decided to just move on and forget about it. After getting his supplies from his soon to be built home, the two of them made their way back onto the path to Fluttershy’s home. Once there, he parked his cart by the side of cottage and went to the door. Before they went in, Caster told Fluttershy that he was going to take Nina on a quick fly around before coming in. She said that was fine and that she would make a quick dinner for all of them. With that, the stallion took off into the air, taking the red squirrel with him. Like Nina, the light brown Pegasus enjoyed his occasional flights. It let him feel free and gave him time the think of what was currently on his mind. Which at this point was Fluttershy.

        “So, Fluttershy, she seems pretty nice don’t you think Nina?” Caster asked, as he kept flying.

        The small creature replied with little squeaks.

        “I agree, she’s not most other ponies back home,” he said.

        Nina made some more gestures and squeaks.

        “Yeah, she really is something isn’t she?” the stallion said, giving a dreamy look.

        The squirrel gave a know it all grin, making a quick squeak.

        “Hey it’s not like that at all,” Caster said, blushing profusely. “I’m just happy to meet somepony like her is all.”

        Nina simply started laughing while she held onto him, careful not to fall off.

        The pony said nothing as he continued flying, hoping this talk would be put behind them soon. As the sun began to set over the horizon, he went back to the cottage hoping Fluttershy would be done with dinner by now. Caster landed outside of the home and opened the front door. He felt more at ease as entered the living room and was able to relax a little. The blacksmith pony saw the yellow mare in the kitchen preparing dinner and decided to comment on her home. Fluttershy thanked him for the compliment and ushered him into the dining room where she called in Angel.

        Caster took a moment to introduce the little rabbit to Nina, where the two of them quickly started chasing each other. After a while of that, the Pegasus mare broke them up when she told them all dinner was ready. The two ponies enjoyed their meal of daisy sandwiches and lemon tea, while their pets munched on either carrots or acorns. They made some idle chit-chat here and there, but they mostly remained quiet. Once their meal ended, Fluttershy gathered up the dishes and took them to the sink before showing Caster and Nina to their room for the night.

       "Here you go, I know it isn’t much but, I hope you like it," the shy mare said, opening the door to the guest room.

       "Well it's not like my room at home, but it's all right none the less. Thank you very much for letting me stay here tonight Fluttershy," the stallion said, glad that he got to stay with such a kind mare.

        "It's my pleasure," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

        Caster didn’t know what to say. The mare had gave so much to him and he did almost nothing to repay the favor. He noticed Fluttershy was about to leave before he could think of something to say. Not know what else to say he simply went to her and gave the yellow Pegasus a warm hug.

       "This is just my way of saying thanks," Caster said, thinking this would be enough for now.

        Fluttershy gently returned the hug and they stood like that for a while. Feeling a familiar heat rise in his cheeks, the light brown Pegasus withdrew from the hug and tucked himself and Nina into bed before the mare could see his blush.

        "Well good night you two, sleep tight," she said, closing the door.

        “Good night to you as well Fluttershy,” he said, as Nina snuggled a little closer to him.

        When the door closed all the way, Caster rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Not only was his face blushing wildly, but he felt his heart beating a bit faster. The stallion had an idea of what this might be, but hoped that it wasn’t.

        “Please don’t let this be another crush,” he said, solemnly.

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

        When Fluttershy finished another section of the mind journal, she felt herself starting to blush as well. That last part showed her Caster may have possibly had feelings for her at the time, but she couldn’t be certain. The yellow Pegasus wanted to do one last check in the journal, particularly a most recent entry. That was when she noticed a little bookmark in between the pages. Figuring that would be just what she wanted to see, Fluttershy opened the book to the bookmarked page. However, what she saw was a bit different than what she expected. The text on this page looked different from that of previous pages. The pink maned pony could only assume that Caster wrote this part himself. Curiosity getting the better of her, she went ahead and read it.

‘Finally, after all this time I’ve completed my objective. It’s taken me a lot of work and effort but it will all be worth it. I’ll finally be able to pay my friends back for all the kindness they’ve shown me since I’ve been here. But more importantly, I can show Fluttershy just how much I feel about her. After all, I’m going to make sure that this will be their best…no. This will be their perfect night ever.’

       This took Fluttershy completely by surprise. What could he have meant by their perfect night ever? She didn’t have time to dwell on the matter though, as she heard the shower in the bathroom turn off. The mare quickly closed up the book again and put it back where it was, deciding to save those thoughts for later. A few minutes later Caster came out of the bathroom, his mane still slightly wet.

        “All righty, I believe I’m ready to go now. You all set Fluttershy?” the stallion asked.

        “Yes, I’m ready,” she said, happy to finally go on their picnic.

        “Great, just let me get one last thing before we leave,” Caster said, heading toward the closet.

         Opening it up, he took out the green wool scarf that Fluttershy made for him.

        “You really like that scarf don’t you?” the yellow Pegasus said, gigging.

        “Indeed I do,” he said, tying it around his neck.

        With neither one of them wanting to wait any longer, the two ponies exited the room and grabbed the picnic basket that was left in the living room. Jack and Hotpop bid them farewell and to have fun before Fluttershy and Caster left the house, heading for the destination.

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

        Outside of Ponyville, on a grassy field, Caster and Fluttershy had set up their picnic for just the two of them. They had laid out a large red and white checkered blanket and spread out a large lunch. Which consisted of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, assorted fruits and vegetables, some fruit juice, and many other foods. The two of them enjoyed being in each other’s company, eating and talking like friends should. However, most of time, Fluttershy was lost in her thoughts, thinking of what Caster’s note meant in his mind journal meant. Perhaps this was the reason Fluttershy rarely saw him after Hearth’s Warming Eve. She also thought of what he had planned for her and her friends.

        It was all a little much for the mare to handle. So she decided to just ask him directly about what it all meant. He might be mad for a little while, but the yellow Pegasus had to know. Before Fluttershy could say anything however, the stallion spoke up.

        “Hey Fluttershy, can I ask you something?” Caster said, looking at her nervously/

        “Um, sure what is it?” she asked, surprised by him speaking first.

        “Well, you know the Grand Galloping Gala is next week,” he said.

        “Mhmm, I’m sure we’ll all have fun together,” Fluttershy said, already thinking of how it would be this year.

        “Yes, I’m sure it will,” the blacksmith pony said, starting to blush. “So, I was wondering, if it’s not too much trouble. Would you mind, going with me to the Gala?”

        The yellow Pegasus was a bit confused by his question. “But, aren’t we all already going to the Gala together?”

        “I know, but that wasn’t what I meant,” he said, more nervous than before. “What I meant was, would you like to be my date to the Gala?”

        It was then and there that Fluttershy nearly froze up. It was almost impossible for her to believe, that any stallion would want to go on a date with. And yet Caster Forge, her closest friend, was asking permission to take her on one, and to the Grand Galloping Gala no less. All of it almost seemed impossible for pink maned pony to believe. But deep in her heart and mind, she knew it was true. When her brain finally started working again, she did her best to form a reply.

        “Y-yes Caster, I w-would love to go on a date with you,” Fluttershy said, doing her best to smile.

        When he got her answer, the stallion was overjoyed. “That’s great! I promise you won’t regret, it will truly be a night to remember,” he said, giving the mare a light nuzzle.

        She returned the nuzzle and scooted next to him. The two ponies spent the rest of their time sitting next to each other, enjoying the other’s presence. It was all so perfect right now that Fluttershy didn’t want to take the chance of ruining the moment. So she decided to keep her confession a secret a little while longer. When the time was really right, she would tell him. For now, all she wanted to think about was spending time with her ‘date’ at the Gala.