Time Lord: The Story of North Star

by Thrawn1800

Rating: teen
Tags: Big Macintosh, Adventure, Crossover, Sex, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Doctor Whooves, Romance, Original Character, Braeburn, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Length: 81326

My name is North Star. I'm a Time Lord. I don't know how , but I'm know I'm not where I should be.

My name is North Star. I'm a Time Lord.

I don't know how , but I'm know I'm not where I should be.

I should be in Everfree. Instead, I'm in a little town I've never heard of, and there's a princess I've never met.

On top of all of that... I don't even recognize the pony I see in the mirror.

This story will not be continued. I don't feel any real connection to the character anymore, and have decided to start fresh. My appreciation goes out to all those who have read and commented on it.

Published 2013-12-10 04:20:08 UTC
Last updated 2016-10-17 18:11:20 UTC

Chapter 2: Friends and Wings

Chapter 2

When I woke in the morning, I felt well rested. I stretched and rolled off the couch. I looked around. It must have been early morning, because the sunlight was still faint, and the coals of last night’s fire still glowed softly in the fireplace. No one else seemed to be up yet. I wondered what I should do while I waited. It only took me a few seconds to figure that out, considering where I was. I walked straight over to the bookshelves and started browsing.

I found a lot of interesting books. I came across a series about someone called “Daring Do”. I took down the first one, and started reading. To my amazement, it only took me just over a minute to finish the book. I guess that was one of the more pleasant side effects of being a time lord. I’d enjoyed the book, but it had also hurt my head a little. Some of my missing human memories were trying to surface. I sat still, pushing hard on my mind, trying to force it. Nothing came of it, except for a light headache and a few more tears shed.

I continued to read the series, going through the books quickly. When I’d reached the twenty-third book, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I stopped turning the pages, and looked over my shoulder. Twilight was behind me.

“How long have you been up?” she asked.

She was staring down at the book in my hooves. I glanced down and saw the page number, 276. I looked over at the clock on the wall, then back at her. I smiled nervously.

“Um… thirty minutes?”

“Which one did you start with?”

I hesitated. “The- the first one.”

“But you can’t have! Nopony can read that fast!” She picked up one of the books at random. “What happened in… chapter three of Daring Do and the Jade Temple?”

I thought back for a second. “Daring Do just found out about the theft of the Jade Sphinx. The curator is asking her to retrieve it.”

“That’s-” I continued talking, interrupting her.

“She’ll later discover in chapter… nineteen that the curator is the one who arranged the theft. He’s hoping for a ‘nice, fat payoff from the black market’.” I quoted the last part word for word from the book.

She flipped through the pages. “But… but that’s exactly what he says… and right in chapter nineteen?”

She stared at me. “How are you doing this?”

“Um… when does Pinkie Pie get here?” I asked, trying to change the subject. The door burst open.

“Don’t be silly Northy!” said Pinkie, bouncing in. “You can just call me Pinkie!”

“Hi Pinkie.” I said, glad for the interruption. “How are you?”

“I’m great!” she said. “And I brought some friends!”

Surprise. “You did? Who?”

“Them!” she pointed behind her. Four more ponies walked in, among them Rainbow Dash. She raised a hoof in greeting. All the others were mares too, and they were all different colors.

“N-nice to meet you.” I said. “I’m North.”

“Nice to meet you North.” said one. “Ah’m Applejack.”

She was an earth pony, light orange coat and a blonde mane and tail. Her mane and tail were restrained by red ties. She spoke in a noticeable southern accent.

“Nice to meet you Applejack.” I said. She nodded.

“This is Fluttershy.” she said, indicating another mare. A cream pegasus, with a long pink mane and tail.

“Hi.” I said, trying to be friendly. She squeaked and hid behind Applejack. I looked back at Applejack, who just shook her head. I understood and dropped it. Shy was in the name.

“And this here is Rarity.” she said, finishing her introductions. The last mare stepped forward. A white unicorn, her purple mane and tail were fancily styled.

“Pleased to meet you.” she said. Her voice was refined, like the ‘high class’ ponies of Everfree. I modulated my voice, making it refined like hers. I’d learned to do this around the snootier inhabitants of the city.

“As am I to meet you.” I said. “I do apologize for my appearance. I had little warning of your arrival, so I was unable to make myself more presentable.”

“That’s alright.” she said calmly, though I saw her eyebrow raise slightly. “I understand that our arrival might have been abrupt. However, you need not worry. Your appearance is more than satisfactory.” I kept my face straight, but an ear twitched. Was she… flirting?

“Thank you. Pinkie, why did you need to be here so early?”

“We have to set up for the party!” she said.

She reached behind her and pulled out… a cannon? She pulled the string on the top, and a wave of pastel colors rocketed out. The colors resolved into party decorations and… food? It spread itself across the area in front of the cannon, all of it landing neatly in place.

“All set up! On to the pre-party party!”

“The what?”

“Just go with it.” said Rainbow Dash, who had made her way over to me.

Pinkie Pie streaked to a table, where a gramophone was sitting. She started up some funky dance music, then she streaked back over.

“Come on everypony, let’s par-TAY!”

Everyone else started socializing, but I was still frozen in place. How did that cannon work? Then I realized exactly how much like Starswirl Pinkie was. Unpredictable, unexplainable, absolutely no use trying. Thinking about Starswirl was painful, so I pushed the thoughts away. I walked quietly over to a table, and served myself some punch. The punch was fantastic, but it tasted familiar. Starswirl had thrown a party once, and his punch had tasted like this. I sat down, trying to force the memories away. I watched Twilight, who was dancing. She wasn’t a very good dancer. May Breeze hadn’t been either.

“Are you alright?” someone said. I turned to see Applejack standing next to me.

“Yeah,” I said, “just… just some painful memories.”

“Ya want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m not ready for that yet.”

“Okay. You enjoying the pre-party party?”

I thought about it. “I guess, but I don’t really dance. I’ve always preferred slower dances.”

“Really?”

She said it in a way that caught my attention. I turned to see her walk over to Pinkie. She said something to her, and Pinkie grinned. She ran over to the gramophone and messed with it. A slower piece of dance music started. Applejack walked back over.

“May ah have this dance?” she asked, grinning roguishly.

“Um… sure.” I said, nervously.

We walked over to the dance floor, which Twilight had vacated. We took up our positions, and danced. We started slowly at first, allowing the two of us to adjust to each other’s rhythm. Soon, the two of us were engaged in a passible waltz. I laughed, the sound and feeling of it pushing the memories away. When the music finished. I bowed to her, then walked back to where I’d been sitting. She followed me, and everyone else was watching us.

“Thank you.” I said.

“Yer welcome sugarcube.” she said, sitting next to me.

I looked up at the other five, who’d converged on us. I didn’t feel claustrophobic like I usually did.

“It was nice of you guys.” I said. “You helped me feel comfortable. Thank you.”

“Group hug!” shouted Pinkie.

“Oh Fine! Go ahead!” I said, opening my arms wide.

They converged on me. I restrained my minor panic attack, and we had a nice collective hug. They pulled away after a few seconds, smiling. They all told me it’d been their pleasure.

Naturally, at this point, something weird started to happen. Faint prismatic light began to surround the six of them. We all froze, watching as the shimmering colors converged on Twilight. From her, a brilliant white light extended towards me. It approached slowly, and when it was close, a golden light surrounded me. It wasn’t like regeneration energy; it was just light, not flames. The white light made contact with the golden light, and it flared brilliantly.

I felt a stabbing sensation in my shoulders, which caused me to arch my back painfully. The pain intensified, and I was forced to my knees. The golden light converged on my shoulders, and a few tears of pain escaped my tightly shut eyes. The light reached painful brightness, then it faded away. I sat down, then straightened up. After a minute, I regained enough energy to look up. The six of them, and Spike, who must have just come down, were staring at me.

Applejack was the first to speak. “Um, North… yer bleedin’.”

“I am?” I said quietly, my voice still recovering. “W-where?”

“Well…” She turned to Twilight. “Could ’ya…?”

Twilight nodded and cast a spell. A mirror, teleported from somewhere, appeared in front of me. I turned and looked at my shoulders. I was bleeding, but for a good reason. A pair of wings had appeared there. Judging by the blood and the pain, they’d grown, not appeared. I stared at them, my mind numb.

“Wings!” said Rainbow Dash, running over. “Cool! A new flying buddy!”

She tried to extend one of my wings, but it remained firmly locked in place. I could feel her hooves as they brushed my feathers. I twitched, they were very sensitive to touch. She stepped away from me.

“Can you move them?” she asked in a concerned tone.

I tried, but I couldn’t figure out how. I shook my head. “No.”

“Are you okay?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know.” I looked over at Twilight. “You can put the mirror back now.”

She teleported it away, probably back to where it’d come from. I turned my attention to Pinkie.

“When do the not pre-party party guests get here?” I asked.

“It should be any minute!” she said, pulling a giant pocket watch from somewhere. One of my ears twitched. Starswirl had always been pulling things from unknown places.

“Is there somewhere I can clean up?” I asked Twilight.

“There’s a bathroom upstairs.” she said.

“Thanks.”

I walked slowly upstairs, thinking. I could feel their eyes on me, so I ran up the last few stairs. I found the bathroom, and walked inside. I closed the door behind me, and turned to face the mirror. I stared at my reflection. The other night, I hadn’t taken in the full extent of the change. My senses had all been scrambled by the regeneration. But now, I noticed several things. For one, I was taller, though I seemed to be the same weight. Also, the shape of my eyes was slightly different, but not very noticeable. I turned slightly, staring at my wings. I still couldn’t move them. They seemed to be a bit longer than any other pegasi I’d ever met, but not nearly as large as an alicorn’s.

I washed the blood out of my coat, then I returned downstairs. I felt very uncomfortable, but I stood my ground.

“Pinkie, when will they be here?” I asked. She was bouncing around the library happily. She hopped over to the door.

“Right… Now!” she said, as someone knocked on the door. She opened the door, and the party began. Or, the ‘not pre-party party but actually the post-pre-party party’, as Pinkie put it.

___________________________________________

During the party, I managed to have a good time. Pinkie kept us all well supplied with games, food, and hilarious antics. The last one only reminded me of what had happened to me. Somehow, Pinkie seemed to pick up on this. She tried to calm it down, but she was mostly unsuccessful. It was just too much a part of her nature.

I met a lot of ponies that night. Pinkie introduced me to a friend of hers, named Pokey Pierce. They had a common energy about them, but Pinkie was definitely more hyperactive. I also met Big Macintosh, Applejack’s brother. He was quiet, and didn’t talk much, but I could tell he was listening carefully to everything that was being said. Clearly, he was a deep thinker.

I was engaged in conversation by several pegasi, including one named Thunderlane. At first, he seemed to be a lot like Rainbow Dash. But after a while, I could sense something else about him, though I wasn’t sure what. All the pegasi I talked to were interested in my wings, and questioned me about them. They all wanted to know what my top speed was, what my favorite time of day for flying was, how strong my wings were, etc. I managed to deflect these questions with a combination of feigned modesty and an inordinate amount of luck (its scientific name is Pinkius Pie-acus).

By the time the party ended, it was well after midnight. The last of the guests had left, and I was helping clean up. When we’d finished, only the six mares, Spike, Big Macintosh, and I remained. Now Twilight’s friends were saying their goodbyes. Applejack and Big Macintosh lingered, and they seemed to be having a whispered conversation. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had left, and I was talking with Fluttershy. I’d managed to get her to open up during the party, and she was a pretty interesting pony.

“Say, North?” called Applejack.

“Yes?” I said, turning to face her.

“Would ya like ta come stay the night at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Why?”

“I just thought you’d like a bed tonight.”

I glanced over at Twilight. I didn’t want to insult her. She jerked her head, which I took as an indication of her indifference.

“Sure, that’d be nice.” I said.

“Okay!” she said. “You should say your goodbye’s, we need to leave.” I did so.

When I reached Rarity, she said, “Oh, not just yet. We’re going the same way.”

“Then, might I escort you home?”

“You may.”

I took up a position beside her, and proffered my foreleg. She stared at me, and I lowered it, blushing. Another human slip-up. They were all watching me.

“Let’s go.” said Applejack. She must have seen how uncomfortable I was.

I turned to Twilight. “Bye.”

“Bye.” she said, watching me closely.

We walked out the door, and started on our way out of town. I talked to Rarity, and she told me all about what she did. She lived and worked somewhere called ‘Carousel Boutique’. She created outfits for clients, and her hope was to gain a contract from the wealthier clients. I listened politely, absorbing all the details I could.When we arrived at her place, she said goodbye, and walked in. We continued along the road, passing by a dark forest.

“What forest is this?” I asked, curious.

Applejack laughed. “Yer jokin’, right?”

“No.”

“That’s the Everfree North.”

“But it can’t be!” I exclaimed. “The Everfree is a lot bigger than that!”

“Well, it is the Everfree. And it’s not exactly small.”

“If you say so.”

We continued on our way, and soon the dark forest gave way to grassy hills. Then, the grassy hills were lined with rows of tall apple trees. The were bare right now, but I was sure they were loaded with red fruit in the fall. The path was now lined by a wooden fence. After a fairly long period, we reached an arched gate. We passed through, and started to ascend the hill on the other side. As we approached the crest of the hill, a large red house and barn came into view. Several smaller buildings were also present. We walked up to the front door, and Applejack knocked.

“Granny!” she said. “It’s us, we’re back!”

“Granny?” I asked.

“You’ll see.” she said.

The door was opened from the inside. But instead of an older pony, as I’d assumed, a little yellow filly with a red mane and tail stood before us. Her mane was tied in a large bow.

“Applebloom?” said Applejack. “What’re you doin’ up so late?”

“Ah wanted a bedtime story.” she said. Then she saw me. “Who’s that?”

“Applebloom?” said Applejack.

“Sorry. Who’re you?” she asked, this time addressing me.

“I’m North.” I said, leaning down to her leve. “And you’re Applebloom.”

“Yes.” She extended a hoof, which I shook.

“Come on in North.” said Applejack, passing Applebloom and walking in.

Big Macintosh followed her in, and I looked behind me. The stars were shining brightly above. I followed him inside, closing the door behind me. We were in a kitchen, and the walls were lined with counters. A large table sat to one side. We continued through to what appeared to be the living room. A couch and two chairs faced a low-lying table. Applebloom turned to face Applejack.

“Can ya tell me a bedtime story?” she asked.

“It’s a little late, don’t ya think?” Applejack said. Applebloom looked disappointed.

“Um… I’ll do it.” I said.

“North, you don’t…” Applejack started, but Big Macintosh interrupted.

“A.J., if he wants to, let him.” he said, then he turned to me. “Go on.”

Applebloom ran up the stairs, stopping halfway. “Come on!” she said.

I looked back over at the two older siblings. Big Macintosh waved me on, so I ran after her, grinning. I followed her up the stairs, and she led me to her room. It was lit by a small wick lamp. She jumped into her bed, and I pulled her covers over her. She rolled over to face me.

“What kind of story do you want?” I asked, sitting down next to her bed.

“Somethin’ adventurous.” she said. I thought for a moment, then I started talking.

__________________________________________

When I’d finished, she was almost asleep. I waited until she was fully asleep, then I extinguished her lamp. I stood and walked to the door, then I looked back at her sleeping form.

“Good Night.” I whispered.

I walked out of her room and closed the door softly. She didn’t strike me as a filly who was afraid of the dark, and the night sky illuminated her room anyway. I walked downstairs, to find Applejack and Big Macintosh in hushed conversation. They heard my hooves on the stairs, and turned to face me.

“She asleep?” Applejack asked. I nodded, restraining a yawn.

“I’ll show you to yer room now if ya like.” she said. I nodded again, and she started to stand.

Big Macintosh waved her back. She sat back down. He stood, and motioned for me to follow. We walked back upstairs. He led me to the last room on the right, opening the door for me. I walked in and looked around. The room was similar to Applebloom’s, but the colors were completely neutral.

“Thank you.” I said, turning around to face him. “Um… why did you stop Applejack?”

“Ah wanted to talk to you alone.” he said, closing the door. I flattened my ears nervously.

“Ah’m not going to hurt you.” he said, noticing. “Ah just wanted to ask you what’s wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Somethin’s botherin’ you. Ah thought maybe you’d like ta talk about it.”

“I…”

“Ah won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me to.”

I studied him. I was terrified of telling anyone, like it would be acknowledging what had happened. But I also knew that I could trust him. I sat down.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“Ah won’t.”

So I told him my story. I started slowly at first, but over time I gained confidence. He didn’t interrupt or question me, he just listened quietly. When I reached the more painful parts, I did my best to restrain my tears. However, when I reached the part about Luna, I couldn’t anymore. I finished the story, tears pouring down my muzzle. When I stopped talking, I broke down sobbing. I felt an arm wrap around me. I looked up to see Big Macintosh.

“I’m sorry.” he said. “That’s a lot for a pony ta go through.”

I nodded. He helped me stand, and guided me over to the bed. I climbed in, and he pulled the covers over me. He felt like an older brother at that moment. He said goodnight, then left, closing the door quietly behind him. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the day’s events.

__________________________________________

Later that night, Applejack was woken by strange noises. She rolled off her bed and got blearily to her feet. She walked over to the door, and stuck her head out. The sounds were coming from the room Big Macintosh had given North. She walked slowly down the hall and opened the door. Inside, North was convulsing on the bed, his face twisted in a grimace of pain. His eyes were shut tight, and he seemed to be crying. She ran over to him and tried to wake him. She got no response, so she grabbed his hoof, holding it tightly. A surge of energy like a static shock zapped her, but she didn’t release her hold.

He gasped loudly, stiffening. His eyes flew open, and his body relaxed against the bed. He laid panting, and his eyes found hers. He closed his eyes, still breathing hard. After a minute, his breathing had slowed, and he seemed to be asleep. She let go of his hoof, and sat down, watching him. He sighed, his mouth opening. She watched in shock as a glittering cloud of golden something drifted out. Blown by his breath, it floated through the air, slowly fading away. She watched it go, then she stood.

During the party, Twilight had told her what she’d seen. She left the room, lost in thought. She returned to her room, and climbed back into her bed. She pulled her covers over her. She stayed awake for a long time afterward, trying to figure out what to do. She finally decided it would be best just to wait and see what happened. After arriving at that conclusion, she fell asleep.

__________________________________________

In the castle at Canterlot, Celestia and Luna were in the throne room. A trail of smoke blew in from an open window. In a green flash of light, it resolved into a scroll. Celestia caught it with her magic, and removed the ribbon that bound it closed. Together, the two sisters read it:

Dear Princess Celestia,

Something strange happened today. Rainbow Dash found an earth pony stallion in the woods. She brought him to the library on Pinkie’s suggestion. When I checked him over, he seemed to have two hearts. Weird, right?

The two sisters exchanged a glance. The next line was even more surprising.

Later, when he woke up, he told us his name was Polaris.

Luna turned to her sister. “Could it be?” she said.

“I don’t know.” Celestia said. They returned to the letter.

But afterward, he started acting strange, and told us his name was North Star.

“Why would he do that?” said Luna quietly. “Why would he tell them his name was something different?”

He seemed very upset about something. Pinkie threw him a party today. The thing is, during her ‘pre-party’ party, it was like our Elements of Harmony were still with us. The magical energy caused him to grow a pair of wings.

They stared at the last line, both wondering the same thing. How could this have happened? The Elements of Harmony were back with the Tree of Harmony. They finished the letter.

He’s sleeping at Sweet Apple Acres tonight. Do you know what happened?

Twilight

P.S. Say hi to Luna for me.

“I don’t understand.” said Celestia.

“What is it?” said Luna

“When… when the Doctor took him, he said we’d never see him again.”

“But then… why is he here?”

“I don’t know. But I think it is best that we don’t respond. At least for now.”

“Why not?”

“I think that seeing you again so soon might be dangerous.”

“But it has been a thousand years!”

“Not for him, it hasn’t.”

Luna looked down at her hooves. “Very well.”

Celestia wrapped the scroll back up, and the two sisters sat in silence.

Chapter 3: An Accidental Beginning

Chapter 3

When I woke, the sunlight was shining through the room’s window. It must have been late in the morning, judging by the look of the sky outside. I sighed and stretched my limbs out. I tried to open my wings, but nothing happened. I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t move them, but I decided to figure it out later. I rolled off the bed and walked over to the door. I opened it, and proceeded downstairs. I made my way into the kitchen, where I found Applejack. She greeted me with a smile.

“Mornin’ North!” said Applejack happily. “Ya sleep alright?”

“Yes, thank you.” I said.

“If you'd like, ah can make ya somethin’ to eat.”

“That’d be nice.”

She got to work at the stove and I sat down at the table. After a while, we were joined by Applebloom. She tried to help Applejack, but after she burnt the apple juice (don’t ask, I don’t know how), she sat down at the table with me. She kept throwing glances my way.

“Applebloom?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”

“You don’t have a cutie mark.” she said.

I looked down. She was right. I didn’t have one anymore, which I guessed to be another effect of my regeneration. The more time passed, the more upset I was getting. Would I have to do everything again, including ‘finding my special talent’?

“Why?” I asked.

“If you don’t have one, and your as old as you are, how can I ever expect to get mine?! I’ll be a blank flank forever!” She face planted on the table.

“Applebloom, I’m sure you’ll get yours soon. I’m just… a special case.”

“Really? Are you sure?” she said, looking up.

“Yes, on both counts.” She sniffed.

“Thanks North.”

“If I’m not too busy later-” I said, glancing over at Applejack. She’d been paying attention, and she nodded, indicating her approval. “-we could do something fun.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Sure. If you like.”

“Cool!” she said, perking up. “Maybe I could introduce you to my friends!”

Applejack walked over, carrying four bowls of steaming oatmeal. She placed them around the table, then called for Big Macintosh. I had yet to see the Granny I heard tell of last night. Big Macintosh walked in and sat down next to me. I enjoyed the meal; the three siblings were all fairly talkative, even Big Macintosh. They shared conversation with me as well, and I felt welcome. When we finished, I assisted Applejack in washing our dishes.

“Well North, you do whatever you feel like.” said Applejack, drying her hooves off on an old towel. “Big Macintosh and I have some work to do.”

“I can help.” I said. “I want to help.”

“Are ya sure? Pegasi aren’t exactly the strongest.”

I looked back at my wings, then back at her. “I don’t mind.”

“Well, ah’m sure we can find ya somethin’ that isn’t too hard. And something that won’t take all day.”

I glanced over at Applebloom. “Right.”

The two of them led me outside, and Applebloom wandered off somewhere. Outside, I was surprised to see that the ground was covered in a thick blanket of snow. It must have snowed during the night. In front of the barn, a small group of ponies waited. They were primarily stallions, though there were a few mares, and the were all earth ponies. Next to them, a line of snow plows waited. I guessed we were going to clear the snow from the area around the house, as well as the path down to the road.

“You all know what we’re here to do!” called Applejack. “So get to it!”

The ponies started working. The two of them led me over to an unoccupied plow.

“Do ya think you can handle a plow?” Applejack asked.

“I can try.” I said. “Where would you like me to start?”

“Why don’t you try going downhill? It should be easier.”

“Thanks.”

The two of them walked into the barn. I stepped behind the plow’s bar. I stepped forward, pushing the plow forward. It went slowly at first, but I began to pick up speed. When I started down the hill, I tried to apply the brakes, but they didn’t work. The plow continued to gain speed, and I lost all control. I crashed into a tree, the impact sending me flying. I smashed into a neighboring tree, and cried out in pain. I slid to the ground, groaning. When I tried to stand, my vision flickered, and I fell back to the ground. I heard hooves on the ground, and looked up. Applejack and Big Macintosh must have heard me cry out.

“What happened?” she asked.

“The… the plow.” I said. “It lost control.”

Big Macintosh walked over to the plow. It was lying on its side, the front bent slightly from the impact with the tree. He checked it over, then turned back to us.

“Someone cut the brake-line.” he said.

Applejack walked over to the plow, and took a look at it. Her expression became one of anger. She straightened up and looked over at the other workers. They were all looking at us, some confused, while others were keeping their expressions neutral.

“Who did this?!” she shouted. For a moment, no one responded. Then, one of the larger stallions stepped forward.

“I did.” he said, looking proud of himself.

“Why?!” Applejack asked.

“Because this is no place for pegasi!” he shouted. “He should leave!”

“It’s not up to you who can help here!”

I stood shakily, my body protesting painfully. I started walking away, heading into the rows of apple trees. I ignored Applejack as she called after me. I needed to be alone, I felt like nobody wanted me around. I knew that wasn’t true, Applejack cared, but I kept going. Soon, I could no longer hear her. I walked through the trees, which were loaded with snow. Around me, I heard the quiet whispers of snow falling from the trees. It was accompanied by the sound of the gentle breeze brushing against the trees’ branches. After a long time walking through the orchard, I came across a large hill. I ascended slowly, looking down at my hooves. When I reached the top, I sat down, still staring at my hooves, thinking.

___________________________________________

When I looked up, the sun was on the western horizon. I was shocked, I’d been there for hours and hadn’t even noticed the time passing. Behind me, I heard the sound of laughter. I turned and saw the stallion for earlier. He and several others were climbing the hill towards me.

“What’re you doing, pegasus?” he said, getting right up in my face.

I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He laughed drunkenly when I didn’t respond, and knocked me over. Pain flared in my side as I hit the ground. I gasped, and the group of them laughed. He kicked me in the ribs, eliciting more pain from me and more laughs from his friends.

“Leave him alone!” someone said, a stallion’s voice.

“Or what?” said the stallion.

“Or,” another voice said, again a stallion’s, “ah’ll have to do somethin’ about it.”

The stallion backed off slightly. A light orange hoof appeared in my field of vision. I took it, and someone helped me stand upright. I didn’t have a chance to see the stallion's face before someone shoved me from behind. I stumbled forward, and my lips met the stallion’s. I froze in place, shocked. He didn’t move either. We stared at each other, his dark blue eyes locked onto mine.

“Oh, look!” shouted the ringleader. “He’s a coltcuddler!”

I unfroze, and pulled myself away. I whirled around to face him, breathing heavily.

“Oh!” said the ringleader in mock terror. “This coltcuddler’s got some fire in him! Help me!”

I advanced on him, anger and unbridled rage blazing through me, my teeth bared. I wanted to destroy him. He stepped back slightly, and now he really did look scared.

“W-what’re you going to do coltcuddler?" he spat. "Stare at me?”

I continued towards him, not thinking about anything except how much I wanted to obliterate this stallion. He took a step back, then he took a swing at me. To me, it looked slow, and I easily sidestepped the blow. Then I struck, hitting him in the jaw. He staggered back, then he took another swing at me. I dodged it as well, and the one that followed. Then I attacked him.

When my thoughts had regained clarity, I was standing over him. He was lying on his back on the ground, looking terrified. I leaned down, pressing my forehead into his.

“My name is not pegasus.” I said, my voice carrying farther than I'd anticipates. “My name is North Star. I am a time lord. I will not tolerate you. You will go now, and you will not come back!”

He nodded fervently, and I withdrew. As I turned away, he spoke again. “So, you are a coltcuddler.”

I whirled around, feeling ready to kill. He and his friends ran for it. I turned back to face the two stallions who’d come to my rescue. Then the horizon turned sideways, and I found myself lying on the ground. I heard someone walk over to me. I looked up to see the light orange stallion. He helped me upright, my legs failing to support me. Another stallion appeared at my side, this one palomino with a golden mane, and wearing a stetson and vest.

“Whoa there.” said the second one. “You okay?”

“I-I…” I couldn’t answer, I felt drained. I shivered, then went completely limp.

“Braeburn,” said the orange stallion, “help me get him on my back.”

I felt myself being lifted, and I found myself on the orange stallion’s back. My mind went blank, and I lost my awareness. When I regained my awareness, we were back in the orchard, walking slowly. I lifted my head slightly, looking up to see the palomino. Braeburn?

“W-what’re your names?” I asked. They started.

“You’re awake?” said the orange one, looking back at me.

“Y-yes.” I whispered.

“Well, my name’s Caramel, and that’s Braeburn.”

“What were you doing so far out on your own?” asked Braeburn.

“I-I needed to be alone.” I said.

“All day?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“How did you know?”

“Mah cousin Applejack sent us to look for ya. What’ve you been doin’ all day?”

“Just… thinking.”

I lost awareness a while, and when it returned, I found myself crying. Hot tears were streaming down my muzzle onto Caramel’s back, and my nose was buried in his mane. I brought myself under control, stopping my sobbing and removing my nose.

“What is it?” asked Caramel. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Y-you wouldn’t believe me.” I said quietly.

“We’ll listen anyway.” said Braeburn. “You go ahead.”

I hesitated. They seemed honest in their desire, and it had felt good when I’d confided in Big Macintosh. I took a slow, calming breath.

“Can you keep it secret?” I asked.

“If you want us to.” said Caramel.

I took another steadying breath, then I launched into the narrative. I felt pain during the retelling, but also some relief. I felt like I was letting more of the weight of my past go. The parts involving Luna were the most difficult to retell. Thinking about her made me feel like I was being stabbed in the heart again. When I finished, they were both silent. I was sure they didn’t believe me, most of what I said was outrageous.

“Well, I don’t know what Caramel thinks.” said Braeburn. “But I think you’re telling the truth.”

“I do too.” said Caramel. Their responses made me feel warm, in spite of the chilling breeze.

“Thank you for listening.” I whispered, thinking back on the day. “And for helping me out.”

“Well, from the looks of things,” said Braeburn, “you would’ve been fine.”

“Um… I was wondering.” said Caramel, looking a little embarrassed. “Are… are you?”

“Am I what?” I said, confused.

“Are you a coltcuddler?”

“What-?”

“Not that I care.” he added quickly.

“What does that even mean?” I said. I thought I knew, but it was best to make sure.

“It’s when two stallions like each other. As in like like.”

“Oh. I thought so, I was just being sure. And... no, not really."

“Sorry, I… I just wanted to know. You know… so I didn’t insult you or anything.”

“That’s fine. I understand… though it should’ve been apparent from the way I reacted to that guy.”

“Right. I'm not either, I was just checking”

“North?” said Braeburn suddenly. “How long has that cut been bleeding?”

I looked at my side, where Braeburn was looking. On my left side, where I’d hit the tree, a long bloody gash ran along my ribs. Part of the cut was under my wing, the feathers of which were now red instead of white.

“S-since…” I started to tell them, but my voice faltered. A wave of exhaustion rolled over me, and I went limp.

“North?” said Caramel, his voice faint in my ears. “What’s wrong?”

I tried to speak, but my breathing had grown erratic, and I couldn’t. My awareness closed in around me, until I was only aware of a patch of orange fur in front of my nose. After a few seconds, or maybe a few days, I numbly felt myself being lifted off of Caramel’s back. After a few years, or maybe just a second, I felt cold stone underneath me. Another decade later, someone was trying to lift my wings away from my body. Another century later, I saw Applejack in front of me. From miles away, I heard her distant voice.

“North!” she said. “I need you to let us move your wings!”

It took me a couple millennia to understand, and another decade to try and comply. I didn’t feel anything, and she shook her head.

“Nothing.” she said, now from the other side of town. She looked over at someone else, my vision fading further. Someone spoke, and she nodded. She leaned down in front of me.

“Sorry North.” she said.

She took my head in her hooves and pressed her lips against mine. Energy surged through my body, and the accompanying shock caused my wings to open. She pulled back, looking embarrassed, while I was frozen in place. I felt someone lifting me up slightly, and another pair of hooves wrapped my chest with something. When they’d finished, my wings were gently folded back into place. The energy from Applejack’s kiss faded away, and I went limp again. At some point, I was lifted off the ground, and carried upstairs. I don’t know when, because time had lost meaning. I faintly felt someone pull cool covers over me. My vision faded into darkness, taking me with it.

Chapter 4: Unexpected Occurances

Chapter 4

At some point, I regained awareness. I kept my eyes closed, not feeling any particular need to do otherwise. I laid still, enjoying the feeling of warm sunlight on my body. I felt a bit itchy on my sides, but I didn’t bother with it. After a while, I stretched out one of my hindlegs. It felt so good, that I did the other one. I proceeded to stretch my entire body, but when I extended my neck, my nose came into contact with something warm and fuzzy.

I opened my eyes, and found my nose was pressed against another pony’s. That pony just happened to be Caramel. He was fast asleep, or at least he was until I pushed myself back, exclaiming in surprise. I fell off the bed with a thud and he started awake. He must have figured out what happened, because he started apologizing. At the same time, I pushed myself upright and started babbling back. My head throbbed painfully, and I clutched it. Caramel ran around the bed to me, looking concerned.

“Sorry!” he said again. “I fell asleep! I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“Alright, fine!” I said, my head continuing to throb. “Why does it feel like my head’s being hammered on by a bunch of mad diamond dogs?”

“You’re suffering from minor blood loss. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”

“Blood loss?”

“That cut you got? It was bleeding the entire day.”

“Right, that one.”

“Here.” he said, extending a hoof.

Caramel attempted to help me stand, but the throbbing in my head was distracting. When he pulled me upright, I overbalanced and fell forward. He fell over backwards, and I ended up on top of him. I lost awareness for a moment, the pain in my head becoming temporarily overpowering. When the haze cleared, I found myself lying on top of him. I also discovered that our lips were… in close contact. We were staring at each other, and I attempted to move. The shock of the moment had caused me to freeze up. He felt warm, and soft. He looked the way I felt. Unsure, his eyes shifting between mine.

The door to the room opened, and Big Macintosh walked in. I forced my limbs to respond, which hurt slightly. I pushed myself off of Caramel, standing up. He unfroze too, and we simultaneously attempted to explain what had happened. Big Macintosh listened silently. I had no idea how he could listen to both of us and still understand, but somehow, he managed.

“Ah see.” he said. “Well, if ah help, ah think we can avoid that.”

He and Caramel helped me to climb back into the bed. I rolled onto my back, and the pain in my head subsided slightly. Big Macintosh recommended I try to go back to sleep, then he and Caramel left. I knew he was right. I’d heal faster if I slept more. I’d had my fair share of injuries, but blood loss was a new one. It seemed particularly nasty to me, and the headache came and went infrequently.

It took me a long time to fall asleep. I was still thinking about what had happened. My lips still tingled from contact with Caramel’s. Why did I have to freeze up? I could have removed myself, but instead, I was totally dependant on help from another. But… why hadn’t he done something? He had looked as frozen in place as me. I had seen it in his eyes, he’d been as confused and unsure as me. When the warm darkness of sleep took me, the memory of his soft body remained uncomfortably with me.

___________________________________________

Caramel and Big Macintosh left North’s room, going downstairs to the living room. Caramel hadn’t spoken the whole time, and Big Macintosh didn’t speak either. Applejack, who was seated on the old couch, was another story.

“What happened?” she asked. “What was all that racket?”

“Um…” Caramel said, feeling uncomfortable. “Well, you see…”

He explained what had happened. Applejack didn’t comment when he’d finished, which just made him feel worse.

“I-I didn’t mean to.” he mumbled.

“Ah’m sure you didn’t.” she said. “But you two seem to end up in that kind of situation a bit too often.”

“But it’s only happened twice.”

“Ah know, but ah would have thought that once was too much. Unless you enjoy it?”

“N-no.” he said, his cheeks now burning. He wasn’t actually sure if that was true or not. Though, of course, he wasn’t going to tell them that.

“My point exactly.” Big Macintosh joined Applejack on the couch, and Caramel took one of the chairs.

“Where’s Braeburn?” asked Big Macintosh.

“He’s tucking Applebloom in.”

“He is?”

“She asked for North. When she found out what happened, she insisted on seeing him.”

“And?”

“Ah told her he was fine, and ah asked her if Braeburn would be alright. She said it was alright.” The two of them continued to converse, and after a while, Braeburn came downstairs.

“What was all that noise?” he asked, taking the other chair. “Ah almost had her asleep, then there was this giant crash.”

“Ask Caramel.” said Applejack. Braeburn turned to face Caramel, whose cheeks heated up.

“Well?” asked Braeburn, expectantly.

“Well, I… I fell asleep.” he started, avoiding their eyes. “And… and North woke up.”

“So?”

“Well, I think my head was… a bit close to his.”

“Oh. And then what happened?”

“Well, he fell of the bed. That must’ve been the crash you heard.”

“Probably.”

“Then, when I tried to help him up, you know, so he could get back on the bed…”

“What?”

“Well, I must have pulled a bit too hard.”

“What?” Braeburn asked again, this time leaning forward slightly.

“He… he fell forward… on top of me. And… and…”

“And what?”

“We kissed!” shouted Caramel, the pressure too much for him. “We kissed, while he was lying on top of me!”

“Sorry I pushed.” said Braeburn, looking highly embarrassed.

The other three started a different conversation. They seemed to be carefully avoiding the subject of North. Caramel, however, couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. North had stared at him, looking shocked. But he didn’t understand. North had looked ready to kill that stallion yesterday, but he hadn’t done anything to him. He’d just looked… uncertain.

“Caramel?” he heard his name being called. He looked up, Braeburn was standing in front of him.

“Are you alright?” he asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine.” Caramel said. “Just tired. I think I’ll go home now.”

“Don’t you want to stay?” asked Applejack. “Help keep an eye on North?”

“I’ll be back in the morning.”

“Well okay. You travel safely.”

He nodded, and started for the door. Once outside, he began walking down the path to the road. When he’d reached town, he decided he’d stop in on a friend. He turned down a street, heading for Thunderlane’s house. When he’d reached it, he knocked on the door. After a minute, Thunderlane opened it.

“Hi.” he said, grinning. “Caramel, what’s up?”

“Can I come in?” Caramel asked.

“Sure.” He made way for Caramel, who walked inside. Thunderlane led him to the kitchen.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Not really. How’s Rumble doing?”

“He’s fine. He’s staying at a friend’s tonight.”

“Cool.”

Thunderlane nodded, and they sat at the table. “So, what’s on your mind?”

Caramel took a deep breath, then explained what had happened. Thunderlane listened closely, and once he’d finished, was silent.

“Well, I’d say you two are just friends.” he said after thinking for a while. “But it’s a bad idea to jump to conclusions. I’ll also think on it some more, okay?”

“That’d be great. Thanks.” said Caramel, grateful for the insight. He yawned. Outside, the sun had set, and his earlier… nap hadn’t been too restful. “I think I’d better go home now.”

“Sure.” They walked to the door, and Thunderlane opened it for him. Caramel thanked him, then walked back out into the snow.

It didn’t take him long to get home, since he didn’t live very far away. He went inside, and straight upstairs. He showered quickly, brushed his teeth, then went to bed. He stared up at the ceiling for a while, reliving the day’s events. While Thunderlane had been helpful, he still wasn’t sure about the situation. It felt stuffy, so he got up and opened the window slightly. The cold air made him shiver, but he felt better already. He sat down, looking outside. Ponyville was very quiet at night, and he could hear the faint sound of the streams in the distance. They’d probably be frozen over soon. He looked up at the clear sky, watching the twinkling stars. Near the horizon, the moon was shining brightly, a distant crescent of white light. He laid his head on the window-sill. The faint memory of North’s lips against his persisting.

___________________________________________

Caramel had a weird dream that night, involving Pinkie Pie and an extremely large marshmallow. He was woken when someone spoke loudly.

“Whoa! How about dinner and a movie first?”

His eyes flew open, and he found himself on his bed. Next to him, Thunderlane was wiping his mouth off with a hoof.

“Did I...?” Caramel asked, ears flattened and cheeks going red.

“Yes.” said Thunderlane. “Your technique’s not that bad, actually.”

“Sorry-! Wait… why’re you here anyway? And… did you just ask me on... a date?”

“I was coming by to see you, but you were asleep at the window. I put you in bed, and I guess I fell asleep too. I’ve had a long day. As for the second one… up to you, I guess.”

Caramel got out of the bed, looking away from Thunderlane. He was pretty sure Thunderlane was joking about the date... right? He decided to ask.

“You’re joking… right?” Thunderlane’s only response was to raise an eyebrow and grin.

“I-I'll think about it.” he said, flushing brightly. “What did you want to tell me?”

“Well, I was thinking about what you told me earlier. I’m thinking, maybe you should just follow along, see where it goes.”

“What does that mean?”

“Don’t fight it, but don’t force it either. Just… just go with the flow.” The way he said that made Caramel laugh.

“I guess that can’t hurt.”

“Nnope.”

“Your ‘Big Macintosh’ voice needs work.” The two stallions shared a laugh. Thunderlane got control of himself, then he stood, grinning.

“I’ll be going then.” he said. “That’s all I wanted to tell you.”

“Thanks. Fly safely.”

“I’ll try. And what’s your answer?”

“To what?” Thunderlane grinned wider. Oh.

“Well… we could… hang out sometime soon.”

“Great, so it’s a date then!”

“No, it’s n-”

“I’ll pick you up, day after tomorrow.”

Thunderlane winked roguishly. He stepped up onto the windowsill, then he launched himself into the air. He spread his wings and flew off towards home. Caramel closed the window, and climbed back into the bed. Thunderlane was impossible. What was weirder was the fact that neither of them was a coltcuddler, so why the sudden interest? Probably another one of Thunderlane’s jokes. Maybe he was trying to help Caramel feel better? If so, asking Caramel on a… date was a weird way of doing it. Especially when he'd suggested that he try luck with North. He fell asleep quickly, now thoroughly exhausted.

___________________________________________

The two alicorn princesses and Discord were in the castle gardens. They’d been enjoying a nighttime stroll, having just escaped from a four hour council meeting. Despite the change in the times, they were just as boring as ever. Discord seemed to be having a private joke, laughing at random moments. Finally, Luna had to ask.

“Discord,” she said, “what is the joke?”

“Oh, nothing much.” he said. “Just a little something I’ve got in the works.”

“What would that be?”

“Oh, just something in Ponyville.”

“Would you care to elaborate?”

“Must I?” She gave him a deadpan stare.

“Oh, fine, if I must.” He told them what he’d been up to.

“What?!” Luna yelled. “But... but…?”

“Discord.” said Celestia, joining the conversation. “Is there any way to undo this?”

“Oh, I’m afraid not.” he said, his voice full of laughter. “But never fear, the effects will wear off… eventually! Until then…”

He materialized a few feet away, wearing a suit. Next to him, a projector screen had also appeared.

“Roll film!” he shouted.

On the screen, an image of North and Caramel appeared. The two of them were on the floor, North on top of Caramel. They were kissing, frozen in place and staring at each other. Their expressions were a mixture of shock, confusion, and uncertainty.

“Discord!” said Luna, looking angry.

“I told you, there’s nothing I can do now.” he said. “You’ll just have to wait, and hope he’s good at choosing coltfriends!” Luna was furious, but Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Discord is telling the truth.” she said. “There’s nothing anypony can do. We’ll just have to wait.”

She smiled, then added. “And hope he’s good at choosing coltfriends.”

Chapter 5: A Kiss in the Snow

Chapter 5

I woke slowly. My head wasn’t throbbing anymore, but I felt sore and tired. When I finally had the energy to open my eyes, I found Applejack sitting next to my bed. Behind her, through the window, I could see it was snowing lightly. The light of the sun through the clouds made the white snow seem a bit blueish. She smiled when she saw I was awake.

“Morning North.” she said. “Sleep well?”

“I don’t know.” I said. “I don’t feel like I’ve been sleeping. I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

She laughed, and stood. “Well, maybe something to eat’ll help.” She started for the door.

“I can walk.” I said quickly. I didn’t want her to go to any trouble. She turned to look at me.

“You sure?” she said skeptically. “You’re not exactly at peak performance or anything.”

“I’ll manage.” I said, forcing myself to sit up. I got down from the bed, carefully controlling my legs. I shook slightly, but I stayed upright. “See?”

“Alright, but if you insist on going downstairs, ah insist ya lean on me.” She looked serious.

“Fine.”

She walked over next to me, and I carefully leaned against her. I tried to put as little of my weight on her as possible. We started walking, making our way out through the door and down the hall. Our progress was slowed by the stairs, which might as well have been a series of cliffs at this point. When we made it down them (I gained several new bruises), she took me over to the couch. I protested, telling her I could make it to the kitchen, but she forced me to sit down. She entered the kitchen, where I heard her start up the stove. I leaned back into the couch’s soft cushions, forcing myself to relax. After my incident with Sombra, I’d felt horrible every time someone had to help me. Except for the Doctor. From him, it’d felt… special. A new thought occurred to me. Had the Doctor told me his name because he l-?

“Well hello there.” someone said, making me jump and lose my train of thought.

I looked over at a corner, where an old rocker sat. On the rocker, an old green mare was seated. Her white mane and tail were both done up in tight buns. This must be the Granny I’d heard Applejack and Big Macintosh mention.

“H-Hi.” I said nervously.

“Ah’m Granny Smith,” said the old mare, “but you can just call me Granny. Everypony does.”

“Nice to meet you.” I said.

“Don’t you worry,” she said, “ah don’t bite!” Applejack walked in carrying a bowl. She saw Granny Smith, and set it down.

“Morning Granny!” she said cheerfully. “Ah’ll get you a bowl of oats too if ya like.”

“Give her mine.” I said. “I think I can wait a minute.” She gave me a questioning look, but I waved a hoof at her. She picked the bowl up, and gave it to Granny Smith. She returned to the kitchen.

“Thank you.” said Granny Smith.

“It’s no problem.” I said. “Like I said, I can wait.” Granny Smith started eating, and Applejack soon returned with another bowl.

“Would you join us?” I asked.

“Well… okay.” she said, hesitantly.

Soon, the three of us were seated in the living room, munching away. As I ate, I felt my energy return. When we’d finished, Applejack took the bowls back to the kitchen. We’d had an interesting conversation, but it’d degraded into a back-and-forth between me and Granny Smith. She’d been around when Ponyville was founded, and I listened raptly as she retold the early years of the town. She was talking about the first barn raising, when Applebloom walked in. She saw me, and rushed over.

“Are you okay?” she asked, looking up at me.

“I’m fine.” I said. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do anything… yesterday?”

“Day before yesterday, and that’s alright. It’s not your fault.”

“Thanks for understanding.” She nodded. In the kitchen, the door banged open, making us jump.

“Sorry!” Caramel’s voice came from the kitchen. “I tripped!”

Applejack went in to the kitchen, and returned shortly, accompanied by Caramel. He was covered in a dusting of snow.

“Hi.” he said, seeing me. “Feeling any better?”

“A bit.” I said. “Eating helped.”

“Yeah. Um… would you like to hang out?”

“What do you mean?” I said, now watching him closely, my curiosity aroused.

“We could take a w-walk through town… i-if you’re up to it, that is.” Caramel was stuttering nervously.

“I think I can manage.” I glanced over at Applebloom. I had promised to spend time with her. “Can Applebloom come?”

“Sure, if she wants to.” We both turned to Applebloom.

“Yes!” she said excitedly, bouncing up and down in a passable imitation of Pinkie Pie.

"North, are ya sure yer up to this?" asked Applejack.

“I think I can handle it.” I said. “After all, I’m not going to be alone.”

“Well, if yer sure.”

“Let’s go!” Applebloom shouted, bouncing towards the door.

“Wait a minute young filly!” Applejack called, stopping her in her tracks. “You need to at least wear a scarf.”

“Fine!” Applebloom zipped upstairs and returned shortly, wearing a green and white scarf. “Now can we go?”

“Just a minute.” Applejack said. She too ran upstairs, coming back down carrying a bright red scarf.

“If yer going to do this, you should at least stay warm.” she said, wrapping it around my neck.

That’s when I realized I wasn’t wearing my collar. I wanted to keep it close, but I decided it would be rude of me to insist on wearing it instead of the scarf. The scarf was soft and fuzzy, and I could feel myself warming up a bit already.

“Thank you.” I said. “It-”

“Can we go now!?” said Applebloom impatiently.

“Yes, you can go!” said Applejack. “Just try to be back in time for dinner.”

I nodded in acknowledgment, and we proceeded outside. We walked down the path to the road, Applebloom racing ahead.

“Stay close!” I shouted after her.

It was still snowing, the flakes gently floating down from the sky. Still keeping an eye on Applebloom, I looked upward, tracing their paths. The air smelled fresh and clean, the cold stinging my nose.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” said Caramel beside me. I nodded, bringing my focus back onto the filly running in front of us. She paused from time to time, waiting for us to get closer before running forward again.

“Every single one of them is different.” he continued. “Completely unique.”

“Yeah.” I said quietly. Soon, we’d reached the edge of town. Applebloom was waiting for us.

“Can we go meet my friends?” she asked. “Please?”

“Sure.” I said. “I’d like to meet them. Caramel?”

“Fine with me.” he said.

“Follow me!” she said, starting off into town.

We followed her for several minutes, until we came to a house on the edge of a large lake, which was frozen over. Applebloom knocked, and after a minute, another little filly answered. She was a white unicorn with pink and purple mane and tail.

“Hi Applebloom!” she said squeakily.

“Hi Sweetie Belle.” said Applebloom. “Wanna come ‘hang out’?”

“Just a minute. Mom?” she called over her shoulder. “Can I go ‘hang out’ with Applebloom?”

“Sure dear!” I heard a mare’s voice call. “Just be sure to take your scarf!”

“Okay Mom!” Sweetie Belle reached over to the wall next to the door, pulling down a scarf that matched her mane colors. Then she spotted us.

“Hi Caramel.” she said. “And, um…”

“North Star” I said, introducing myself. “But you can just call me North.”

“Okay.”

Soon, we’d also collected a little orange pegasus filly with a magenta mane and tail. Her name was Scootaloo, and the three fillies bounced along happily behind me and Caramel. We were walking aimlessly through Ponyville, while he pointed out features of the town. After a while, I started feeling hungry. I didn’t mention it, not wanting to be a bother. However, Caramel spoke first.

“You hungry?” he asked, while the fillies raced each other to a frozen fountain and back.

“A little.” I said.

“Girls?” he called, and the three of them raced over. “You want to go to Sugarcube Corner for something warm?”

“Yes!” they said in unison.

“Um… I don’t have-” I started, trying to explain my lack of bits. Caramel cut me off.

“I’m paying.” he said, turning to me. “I know you don’t.” He added, whispering.

“Let’s go!”

He started towards a large building we’d passed earlier. It looked like a gigantic life-sized gingerbread house, complete with frosting. The three girls led us inside. Several tables dotted the room, and one wall was lined with booths. We reached the counter, which was full of delicious looking confections, as well as one or two larger items. From behind the counter, Pinkie bounced up.

“Pinkie?” I said, surprised to see her. “You… work here?”

“Yes!” she said happily.

“Hi Pinkie.” said Caramel, who didn’t seem surprised to see her. “Girls, go ahead tell her what you’d like.”

While they did so, I tried to figure out what I’d like. There was so much to choose from, I was having a hard time deciding. When the three fillies and Caramel had finished, I still hadn’t decided.

“Um… I’d like a… muffin?” I said hesitantly.

“What kind?” said Pinkie excitedly. “We have blueberry banana orange strawberry snozberry hazelnut walnut-”

She rattled off a massive list, and by the end of it, I was even more unsure. Caramel, sensing my indecision, suggested I just get the walnut. I agreed, deciding to go with it. She rang up the price, and Caramel paid her. Then he led me over to one of the booths, where the girls were already sitting. He slid in, and patted the seat next to him. I hesitated, then I sat down next to him.

Soon, Pinkie brought our food, grinning widely. She bounced back over to the counter, and I struggled not to think about Starswirl. I looked down at the muffin, which was still steaming slightly. I blew on it, watching the steam swirling upward. The fillies and Caramel had already tucked in, so I took a bite out of it. The muffin was fantastic, and I finished it off quickly.

We stayed there for a while, chatting about unimportant things. Caramel told me that the girls had a club the called ‘The Cutie Mark Crusaders”. They apparently spent a lot of their time obsessing over finding their cutie marks. They whole time, the three fillies were talking quietly, throwing the occasional glance our way. When they heard us talking about them, they became even more interested in our conversation.

“Do you want to be a Crusader?” asked Applebloom suddenly.

“Why?” I asked, surprised.

“Well, you don’t have a cutie mark.”

I glanced down. “I know.”

“Well, maybe with your help, we can find our cutie marks faster!”

“Um… can I think about it?”

“Sure!” said Sweetie Belle. “Wait… how long are we talking here?”

That line right there hurt. I remembered when the Doctor had brought me back, after taking care of me in the Tardis. Starswirl had said something similar. I felt a hoof on my shoulder, and turned to see Caramel. He seemed to know what was going on. I shook my head, clearing away the memories.

“I don’t know.” I said, then smiled. “But probably not too long.”

“Okay!”

We got up and walked outside. The snow was still falling from the sky, and the streets were relatively empty. There was just the odd pony wandering by now and then. The girls ran ahead, giggling. Caramel and I watched them go, then started after them.

“Enjoy your muffin?” asked Caramel.

“It was good.” I said. “But she doesn’t make it easy, does she?”

“Not really.”

A snowball flew by, and we twitched out of the way. We turned to see the girls standing behind a hastily built snow fort. I pulled Caramel behind a snow bank as another volley missed us by inches.

“Commander Caramel!” I shouted. “Prepare to return fire!” He grinned.

“Yes sir!” he said, scooping up snow and compacting it.

When we had enough, we peeked over the snow bank, then ducked back as more snowballs flew past. We jumped up and threw a few of our own. The girls were giggling happily, dodging our snowy missiles.

“Prepare another volley!” I shouted. We laughed, scooping up more snow.

 We continued for a long time, and the sun must have passed its highest point. The snow bank collapsed, and we moved to a new one. We continued for another hour. We let the girls win, ending the game. It involved my theatrically staged ‘death’. They ran over, laughing happily. I sat up, grinning.

“That was fun!” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah!” said Applebloom.

“Well, now what?” I asked.

“Tag!” shouted Sweetie Belle, taping Applebloom on the shoulder, then running.

Applebloom ran after her, and Scootaloo ran in the other direction. Caramel and I exchanged glances. I grinned, and he nodded, grinning back. We joined in their game, being sure to let them catch us from time to time. They were all laughing, and I couldn’t help but join in. As we played, I felt a warm glow burning in my chest.

After a while, Caramel was ‘it’. He chased after the fillies, but he wasn’t able to catch any of them. He came after me, and trapped me against a large snow bank. We were bathed in the red light of the setting sun, which was now visible through the clouds. He pounced on me, and we went tumbling into the snow. He stood over me, pinning me down with his hooves, his head was above mine. We laughed, exhilarated and full of energy.

Then to my surprise, Caramel leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I didn’t fight him, instead I closed my eyes and leaned into it. I felt the warmth and softness of Caramel’s lips against mine, making the warm spot in my chest burn. He was trembling slightly, breathing slowly and deeply as he kissed me. When he withdrew, I opened my eyes. We stared at each other, unaware of anything around us. I hesitated a moment, full of uncertainty, then I leaned up and kissed him back... on the lips. He jerked in surprise, then he slowly leaned into it. When we separated, he looked as surprised as I felt. I pulled away slightly, shocked by what I’d done. He pushed himself upright, his cheeks flushed deep red.

“Um… I-I-I…” Caramel stuttered, looking embarrassed. He gave up the attempt and looked down at his hooves.

“Aww!”

I looked over at the three fillies. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were leaning against each other, practically swooning. Scootaloo had a hoof over her mouth, pretending to throw up. I sat up, now watching Caramel, who wouldn’t look at me.

“I’m s-sorry.” he mumbled. “I-I… um… uh…”

“Don’t worry about it.” I said quickly. “It wasn't... I didn't... well... let’s… let’s just take the girls somewhere warm.” He nodded, and helped me up.

“How about Carousel Boutique?” suggested Sweetie Belle. “We can visit Rarity!”

“Okay.” I said, my cheeks still burning.

We followed the girls, who were in deep conversation. Both of us were still red, and neither of us looked at the other. When we reached Rarity’s house/shop, Sweetie Belle knocked.

“Rarity!” she yelled. Soon, the door was opened by Rarity.

“Hello girls.” she said, looking down at the three of them.

“And accompanying stallions.” she added, spotting Caramel and I.

“Hi Rarity.” I said, desperately hoping my cheeks had returned to normal.

“Why don’t you come in? You must be freezing!”

“Thank you.”

She stood aside, and we walked in. She ran out of the room, and returned with some fluffy white towels. She handed them to us, and we dried ourselves off as best we could. When we’d finished, she took them in her magic and carried them back out of the room.

“North!” exclaimed Rarity, as if she was seeing me there for the first time. “What on earth happened to you?”

I looked down at my bandages. “What? This?” I asked.

“No, no, Applejack told me what happened. Those dreadful stallions. What happened to your mane?”

“I just towel dried it. Shouldn’t it-”

“I’ll fix you right up!”

She pulled me over to a chair, which was in front of a mirror. I protested, but she persisted. She made me sit, then she got to work. When she’d finished, she turned me back to the mirror. She’d trimmed and combed my mane. It looked better than even before I’d left Sweet Apple Acres.

“Thanks Rarity.” I said. “It’s nice.”

“Nice?” she asked.

“I can’t call it anything else, right? I can’t exactly say it’s ‘beautiful’, can I?”

“Oh. Right.”

I stood, and she started cleaning up after herself. I walked back over to the others. The three fillies were sitting next to each other. They were absorbed in their whispered conversation, and Caramel was sitting a few feet away. He gave me a nervous smile, which I returned. I didn't' know what to say after what had just happened, before either of us could speak, Applebloom did.

“Can we go get a few things?” she asked, eyeing me and Caramel.

“Like what?” I asked, curious.

“Just this and that. It won’t cost anything.” I looked over at Rarity, deferring to her.

“Go ahead girls.” said Rarity. “Just don’t be long.”

“Thanks Rarity!” said Sweetie Belle. The three fillies raced out the door before anything more could be said.

“What’re they up to?” I wondered aloud.

“Knowing them?” said Rarity, “I have no idea.”

“We’ll know soon enough.” said Caramel. "Um... North?"

"Yes?" I said, turning to face him.

"D-did you..."

"Did I what?"

"L-like it?" He didn't have to be more specific.

"Um... I... well..." He looked a bit scared as I stuttered. I took a deep breath, then I told the truth.

"Yes. Yes- at least, l think so."

"You did?" He looked both surprised and jubilant at the same time.

"I kissed you back, right?" He nodded.

"You two kissed?" asked Rarity, who looked confused.

"Um... yeah." I said. "But don't get any ideas Rarity."

"Oh, but..." I shook my head, and she sat down, pouting. "Fine."

"So... do you... like me?" asked Caramel.

"As a friend, definitely." I said. "In the other way... Don't know yet."

"Well... would you like to... spend the night?"

I thought about it for a minute. "We'll see. I'll decide once the girls are home, alright?"

"O-okay." He looked very nervous. Rarity growled in frustration, then she stood and walked upstairs.

I laughed quietly, then sidled over to sit next to Caramel.

"Cheer up!" I said ruffling his mane. "I haven't said no yet."

He pushed my hoof away, laughing. "Alright!" We were quiet for a moment, then he spoke again.

"You look nice."

"Thanks."

I wrapped an arm around him. He didn't protest, so I left it there. We sat in warm, companionable silence, waiting for the return of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Chapter 6: Mind your P's and Q's... and R's

Chapter 6

When the Crusaders returned, all three were carrying bulging saddlebags. When I tried to peek inside, Applebloom swatted my hoof back.

“No peekin’.” she said.

They walked into the kitchen, and closed the door behind them. I stared after them, confused. What were they so determined to hide?

“Are they back?” called Rarity, who was on the other side of the shop.

“Yes.” I called back.

I walked to join her and Caramel. Caramel was grinning nervously, and I guessed Rarity must have been interrogating him.

“There you are North!” she said, batting her eyelashes at me. “Caramel and I were just discussing how you two met!”

“You said you already knew.” I said. “You said Applejack told you.”

“Oh, she did. But it’s so wonderful to hear it from someone who was actually there.” She was using her most seductive voice, her very posture begging for more information.

“There’s not really much to tell.”

Rarity pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. “Oh, but I want to know every juicy detail!” she said, leaning forward. “Pleeeease?”

“Fine!” I sat down on the spot. “After the plow crashed, I went for a walk in the orchard. I sat on a hill all day bleeding to death. When the sun started going down, the stallion responsible showed up with a couple of his sycophants. He knocked me over, and kicked me a few times. Caramel and Braeburn showed up and told them to leave me alone, and the guy backed off. When Caramel helped me up, the stallion pushed me from behind, and we kissed, alright?”

“And then what?”

“I’m not sure what happened afterward. It’s all a big blur.”

“Um… I know.” said Caramel. Rarity shifted her attention onto him.

“Do tell.” she said.

“Well, North and I both froze up when… y-you know…”

“Yes, yes, and then?”

“Well, when the stallion called North a… a coltcuddler… he, that is, you… sort of… attacked him.”

“I remember now.” I said, my ears twitching. “But… go on.”

“Well, it was kind of amazing and scary. The guy couldn’t touch you, but you flattened him. And when you’d finished, you shouted some stuff at him.”

“But, that can’t be what you meant when you said you kissed.” said Rarity. “When else have you two been up to?”

“Well, um… we…” I stuttered.

“Ready!” shouted Applebloom from the kitchen.

“Let’s go see what they’ve been up to.” I said quickly, grateful for the interruption.

I walked quickly for the kitchen door, which Applebloom had cracked open. She stepped out quickly, closing the door behind her. She was grinning at us in a very suspicious way.

“Come on in.” she said, opening the door.

I froze when I saw what was inside. Rarity’s table was covered in a dark blue tablecloth. The electric lights were off, and the curtains were drawn. A single lit candle stood on one side of the table, with a vase of red flowers stood opposite. Two plates were set in front of the wooden chairs. I glanced to either side, to see that Rarity and Caramel were also frozen in place, both staring through the door into the room.

“Oh! What’s all this?” asked Rarity.

“It’s a romantic dinner!” squeaked Sweetie Belle. She and Scootaloo were standing next to Applebloom, and they all looked extremely pleased with themselves.

"Whoever for?"

I’d figured out what was going on. I started backing away, flattening my ears and trying to look small. I was almost away, when Scootaloo answered.

“Caramel... and North!”

Rarity stared at Caramel, then me. “What happened?”

“I kissed North.” said Caramel.

“You already told me-”

“No, not that time. Um… earlier-”

He told her about earlier. As he spoke, both he and I got redder and redder. When he’d finished, Rarity was smiling in a way that made me very uncomfortable.

“Well,” she said, “you two are cute together.”

“Rarity.” I said. “Would you please not use the word ‘cute’?”

“Why ever not? You are!”

“Because… because I’m not sure about this.”

“Aren’t ya going to sit down?” asked Applebloom.

I’d forgotten about the fillies, who’d been watching the three of us. I was going to say no, then I saw the looks on their and Caramel’s faces. He wanted to give this a try, and to be honest… I kind of wanted to too.

“I-I… fine.” I said, my face still a bit red. “Caramel, would you like to have dinner with me?”

“S-sure.” said Caramel.

The three fillies zipped over to the table. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle pulled the chairs out, and Applebloom stood in front of the table. She’d thrown on fancy black-and-white server’s uniform (where’d she get that?).

“Your seats, sirs.” she said.

Rarity growled, frustrated, and stormed off. What was her problem? I glanced at Caramel, who also looked embarrassed. I decided to go along with it, for now.

“After you?” I said.

He nodded, smiling nervously, and walked forward, and I followed him. I waved the fillies away, and they backed off. Caramel took his seat, and I pushed him up to the table. I walked around to the other side, and sat down. I felt my chair move forward, and looked back to see Applebloom. She was still grinning widely, and she walked around to the side of the table.

“Salad?” she asked.

“That would be fine.” I said. Obviously, they wouldn’t have anything but what they offered.

“Alright then.”

She clapped her hooves, and the other two walked over carrying a salad on their backs. Together, they carefully set it on the table, and Applebloom set down a pair of salad tongs.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” she said.

The three of them withdrew to the door, and they left, closing the door behind them. I switched my gaze to Caramel. He was smiling nervously, his eyes flicking between mine.

“Um… salad?” I asked, lifting the tongs.

“Alright.” he said.

I gestured with the tongs, and he pushed his plate forward. I served him, being careful not to spill anything. When I’d finished, he pulled his plate back, and I served myself. After a few false starts, we began eating. The Crusaders had done a pretty good job. The greens were fresh and crisp, and they hadn’t drowned it with the dressing.

Before long, we were exchanging leisurely conversation. Caramel told me about himself, and it turned out we were both into ancient history. He spent a great deal of his free time at the library, reading about all the earliest civilizations. He professed a particular interest in the Romane Empire, and we got caught up in a discussion about the Colosseum. I’d seen it while I’d travelled with the Doctor, so I was able to tell him a great deal about it.

After the salad, the CMC (as I now referred to them in my head) replaced it with a fantastic (vegetarian) fettuccine alfredo. We thanked them, and they bounced out. I dug in, enjoying the creamy texture. Our conversation moved on to the ancient ruins of Tenochtitlan. Neither of us had ever seen it, so we speculated about the ponies who’d built it.

The final course was a delicious apple pie. It was still hot, but when I asked Applebloom about it, she just winked and left. I cut Caramel a fairly large slice, and a smaller one for myself.

“Not hungry?” he asked, noticing the difference.

“It’s probably best if I don’t have too much.” I said.

“Okay.”

When we’d finished eating, the three fillies came in and took the dishes away. I thought they were done, but then they came in carrying… a wine bottle? They started trying to uncork it, but I stopped them.

“I don’t drink.” I said. “And besides, how on earth did you get a wine bottle? You’re not even close to old enough.”

“We had a little help.” said Scootaloo.

Behind her, the door burst open, and a pink hurricane whirled in. It resolved itself into Pinkie Pie, who was wearing a flamboyant party hat.

“So, are they besties yet?” she asked. She disappeared and popped up next to me.

“Or are they a bit more, huh?” she asked, elbowing me in the rib.

“Pinkie Pie.” I said. “I should have known.”

“If you’d know it wouldn’t have been a surprise!” she said, bouncing around the table. “Sorry about the wine, I didn’t know you don’t drink. But now I do!”

“Well, thank you.” I said. “You too girls. But now it’s time to take you all home.”

“I can do that!” said Pinkie. “You two got somewhere to go?”

“Well…” I looked over at Caramel, who was smiling hopefully. “It looks like I’m spending the night at Caramel’s.”

His smile turned into a happy grin, and Pinkie popped up next to him.

“Excellent.” she said, her voice changing. She sounded like she’d gained a century, her voice deep and mysterious. “Most excellent. Soon your doubts will be crushed and you two shall be adorable lovebirds.”

“Why does everyone have to use words like that?” I asked, talking to no one in particular. “Cute? Adorable?”

“Because that’s how it works!” said Pinkie, her voice now back to normal. “You two go on! I’ve got these three.”

“You sure you can handle them?” asked Caramel.

“I’m positive!” she said. “I Pinkie Promise!”

I didn’t understand this, but Caramel seemed satisfied. “Thanks. North?”

“I’m coming.” I said, getting down from my chair. Together, we exited the kitchen, going through the main shop towards the door. To my left, I heard something move. I took a stab in the semi-literal dark.

“Bye Rarity.” I said. She emerged from the darkness (which was a bit creepy).

“How’d you know it was me?” she asked. “It could’ve been Opalescence.”

“You’re bigger than a cat.” I said. “Even if you do have a wonderful figure.”

“Oh.” she said, blushing. “T-Thank you.”

“Bye.” I opened the door for Caramel, then followed him outside.

In the distance, the sun was almost below the horizon. The sky was a beautiful rainbow of twilight colors, the snow clouds having receded. I followed Caramel, who was smiling happily. He led me through the snow covered streets of Ponyville, going slowly, allowing me to look around properly. The architecture was very similar to that of Everfree, though it was a great deal more colorful. A few ponies still roamed the streets, finishing their late business or returning home. He took me down one of the side streets, and led me up to one of the houses that lined the street.

“Your place?” I asked.

“Yeah.” he said. He unlocked the door, waving me through. “Come in.”

I went in, and he closed the door behind us. We were in the living room, which contained a single couch and one chair, next to which stood a low-lying table. A bookcase stood against one wall, it shelves filled with books, as well as a few picture frames. The walls were painted a light pastel blue, and the furniture was green (also pastel).

“Um… you can use the shower if you want.” said Caramel.

This was when I realized I still didn’t have my collar and bowtie. Before I could say anything, though, a pink blur flew out of the chimney.

“This is yours!” said a soot-covered Pinkie Pie, who was holding the very items I’d been thinking of. Unlike the rest of her, they were completely spotless. “And this!” she added, handing me the sonic screwdriver.

“Thank y-” I started, but before I could say anything, she was gone, back up the chimney. “-ou.” I finished.

“Uh-huh.” said Caramel. “Um… like I said. Feel free to use the shower. It’s upstairs.”

“Thank you.” I started upstairs, but I stopped halfway. “Um… how do I take care of these?” I asked, pointing at my wings with my nose.

“Er… I could… help.” he mumbled. I felt my cheeks heat up.

“I… I’ll figure something out.”

I was soon proven wrong. I’d taken care of everything else, but I couldn’t get under my wings. I growled, frustrated. I made another fruitless attempt to move my wings, but only managing to give myself a splitting headache. I gave up, snorting out some water I’d gotten up my nose.

“Caramel?” I called. After a moment, I heard hooves outside the door.

“Yes?”

“You were right. Could you… help me?”

“Sure. Just a moment.”

He unlocked the door, and came in. I looked away from him, feeling embarrassed. In spite of the fact that I didn’t look any different than I had all day, it felt weird to have someone else in the bathroom with me. His face was a little red too, but he came over anyway.

“What should I do?” he asked.

I handed him the wash cloth I’d been using. “I don’t know either. I guess you should just… try to get underneath?”

He nodded. Carefully, he slipped the washcloth under my wings. I cringed slightly, and he stopped.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I said. “It’s just a bit… sensitive.”

“Feathers?”

“Feathers.”

He started again, going more slowly and gently. He stopped, sighing frustratedly.

“What?” I asked.

“I can’t bend my arm enough to do it from here.” he said, showing me.

“Well…” I said, an idea coming to me. “If you don’t mind getting wet, you could… get in the tub.”

His ear twitched. Then slowly, he stepped over the edge, sitting down behind me. Now that he was in the right position, we were able to finish quickly. We dried off, and left the bathroom.

“Thank you for trusting me.” said Caramel. He was looking very happy.

I nodded. “So… now what?”

He thought on it for a second. “Want to play a game?”

“Like what?”

“How about… checkers?”

“That sounds good.”

He went over to the bookcase, and reached upward. He wasn’t tall enough, so put a hoof on a shelf and tried again. The board game still eluded his reach.

“I could-” I started.

“I’ve got it!” he said, cutting me off.

He shifted the chair so it was next to the bookcase. Standing on top of it, he tried again. Even with the chair, he couldn’t lay hoof on it. He put one of his back hooves on the top of the chair, pushing himself higher.

“Almost… got it.” he said, his voice strained. The chair started to tilt over, but he didn’t notice until it was really moving. “Ah!”

“Gotcha!” I said, catching him as he fell. He laid shaking in my arms, breathing hard from the adrenaline rush he must have been experiencing.

“Thanks.” he said, once he’d steadied himself. He looked down at my arms, which were still holding him up. “Um…”

“Sorry.” I made to put him down.

“No, it’s fine.” he said, leaning his head on my chest. “I… I kind of like it.”

“Well,” I said, my cheeks hot, “I can’t hold you like this for long. How about that game, hmm?”

“Right.” he said, letting me put him down. “Could you please get it?”

I flipped the chair upright, then I balanced myself on a shelf and pulled the box down. He looked a little embarrassed, but he sat down opposite me at the table I’d noticed earlier. We set up the game, and played. As we played, I noticed that it was absurdly easy for me to win. I could actually think ahead in the game. More Time Lord stuff? Either way, I held back and let Caramel win a few games. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and I was too. As we played, we talked some more. This time, about my past. He wanted to know more about Everfree, which worried me. Didn’t it still exist?

“Caramel,” I said, wanting to find out, “How far away is Everfree?”

“Oh, um…” he said, flattening his ears. “It… it’s… gone.”

“It’s… gone?”

“For a thousand years.”

“A thousand?” I said, incredulous. “I’ve been gone a thousand years?!”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” he said, looking upset. “I forgot!”

“It’s not your fault. But where… where is he?” Where was the Doctor? Why had he left me here? A single tear traced down my cheek.

“It’s your move.” I said, changing the subject.

He glanced down at the board. “Really, I am sorry.”

“I know. But it isn’t going to do me any good to think about that right now.”

He nodded, though he still looked worried. He moved a piece, and we continued the game. When we’d both had enough, we put the pieces up. He let me return the box to it’s place.

“Do you need a toothbrush?” The question was so unexpected, I thought for a second I’d misheard.

“A what?” I asked.

“A toothbrush.”

“Oh. I guess I do.”

“Here.” He offered me one, still in its packaging.

“Thanks.” I said, taking it.

I went upstairs to the bathroom. After I’d brushed my teeth, I returned to the living room. Caramel was standing next to the bookcase, reading out of a small book. When he saw me, he put it back on its shelf.

“Um…” I looked up around for a clock. I found one; it said it was nearly eleven. “How long have we been playing checkers?”

He looked over at the clock, blinking in surprise. “Nearly four hours.” he said.

“Bedtime?” I asked, yawning.

“Looks like it.” he said. “And um… do we…?”

“Do you want to?” His eyes flicked between mine, then he nodded.

“Okay.” I said, smiling lopsidedly, feeling strangely excited at the prospect.

I followed him upstairs, into what must have been his bedroom. It was nice, the bed was carefully made and the room was clean. He walked over to the other side of the bed, and turned down the covers. I stayed near the door, looking around. Beside the bed was a small wooden table. The foot of the bed faced a small chest of drawers, and there was a closet to my immediate right. Caramel turned to face me.

“Coming?” he asked.

I glanced around the room, then nodded. I set my sonic screwdriver down on the table, and pulled the covers down on my side. I looked up at him, to find him smiling nervously.

“We don’t have to.” I said. “If you’re not sure.”

He watched my face for a moment, then he climbed into the bed.

“I’m fine.” he said. “It’s just… a new feeling.”

I nodded, also climbing into the bed. “It is.”

He turned his head to look at me, eyebrow raised. “You sound like you’ve done this before.”

“There’s a reason I don’t drink, or have salt-blocks.” I said, staring up at the ceiling. I explained what had happened, and when I finished, he nodded.

“I can see why.”

I turned my head. “Thanks for letting me stay the night.”

“You’re welcome.” I leaned over and kissed him, just briefly. When I pulled away, he had a happy smile on his face.

“Goodnight, Caramel.” I said, pulling the covers over myself.

He did the same, rolling himself to face me. “Goodnight North.”

I closed my eyes, letting the warm twilight of sleep take me.

___________________________________________

At Canterlot Castle

___________________________________________

Luna, Celestia, and of course, Discord, watched as North kissed Caramel goodnight. Luna’s eyes were filled with tears, and Celestia appeared emotionless. She looked over at Discord, who was eating popcorn at a simultaneously outrageous and unnecessary speed.

“Discord,” she said, “why must you torture my sister so?”

“It’s not for her.” he said, sitting up. He actually looked serious. “I’m protecting him.”

“How is this protection?” asked Luna, looking incensed.

“He has a future.” he said, ignoring her. “An important role to play. But I don’t know what that is.”

“You really expect us to believe you?”

“Believe what you wish.” he said, picking his popcorn back up. “Maybe my friend here can convince you.”

“What friend?” asked Celestia.

“Celestia!” said a voice, very similar to Discord’s. “Long time no see!”

The two princesses whirled around, to find a unicorn stallion had appeared behind them. He was light brown, with a short-cut, light charcoal, graying mane. His gray eyes sparkled merrily, with a dash of dangerous power behind them.

“R!” shouted Luna.

“Now now, Luna.” he said. “First of all, you’re a princess, not a pirate. Second, it’s Q. Q. You know, the letter before R?”

“Hello Q!” said Discord. “You doing well?”

“Oh, hi! Discord! Yes, I’m just fine.”

Celestia rarely had reason to worry, even with Discord around. But with Discord and Q…

Facehoof.

Youtube Video

Chapter 7: The Past Revealed

Youtube Video

Chapter 7

I had nightmares again, Sombra’s dark and terrible touch still lingering within me. For a terrible moment, the darkness seemed to overwhelm me. Then through the shadows, I heard a voice calling out a name. A name of subtle, terrible power. I latched onto the sound, following it through the shadows. I woke with a start, and above me was the one I wanted to see most. The Doctor lifted me, holding me against him. I cried into his shoulder, horrified by what had happened. Why did this haunt me still? Why couldn’t I have peace?

“Doctor.” I whispered.

I lifted my mouth to his ear. Using barely more than a breath, I whispered his name. He shuddered, bringing me closer. I could hear his breath, slow and ragged. I shivered, the memory of my dreams strong inside me. I remembered where I was, and looked up. Caramel was watching us, looking confused.

“C-Caramel.” I said, my voice shaking.

“Yes?” he said, glancing between me and the Doctor.

“This is the Doctor.” I said.

He nodded. “I know. He told me.”

I returned my gaze to the Doctor. “Where did you go?” I asked. “Why did you leave?”

“I can’t stay.” he said, shaking his head, a tear tracing down his cheek.

“Why?”

“I… can’t.”

He gave me a final squeeze, then let me go. He slipped off the bed and started for the door, his ears flattened and head hanging low.

“Doctor?” I said, making to follow. “Please… don’t leave me again.”

“I’m sorry.” he whispered. “But… I can’t stay. Not yet.”

“Please!” I said, feeling something inside of me breaking. “Please! Don’t go!”

The Doctor looked past me, at Caramel. “Take care of him for me.” he said. “Please.”

Caramel nodded, walking over to me, and putting a hoof on my shoulder. The Doctor continued, opening the door. Before he disappeared, I heard him whisper something. Then he left, closing the door behind him. I didn’t follow, knowing I could never catch him. Caramel took the Doctor’s place, holding me as I cried. Only this time, I felt an emptiness inside. I let him lower me back onto the bed, arms still around me.

___________________________________________

I did fall asleep again, if only from sheer exhaustion. And though no more nightmares came, I felt no better rested in the morning. Caramel’s arms were still around me, his head resting on my neck. Despite my spent state, his warmth did penetrate the cold somewhat. I didn’t move, not wanting to wake him, and not even feeling the need to rise. I closed my eyes again, trying to take comfort in his presence. After a while, I felt him stir. He realized how he was lying, and removed his head from my neck. He laid his head in front of mine, his brown mane hanging down over his forehead. His blue eyes were searching mine, and his concern was evident.

“Good morning.” I whispered.

“Yeah.” he said. “Um… last night…”

“What about it?”

“I-I’m sorry. Is… is there anything…?”

“Yes.” I said, closing my eyes.

“What?”

“I want another of those walnut muffins. Can we go back to Sugarcube Corner?”

“Sure.”

“But first…” I said, leaning forward. I kissed him lightly, brushing his cheek with a hoof. “That.”

He smiled slightly, then pushed the covers off of us. He climbed down from the bed, and I followed him. We showered, Caramel helping me clean under my wings. After we’d dried off, I draped the collar around my neck.

“Here.” said Caramel. He picked up the bowtie, and wrapped it around my neck, tying it perfectly.

“Thanks.” I said, straightening it slightly.

“You’re welcome.” he said, his cheeks a bit pink. “Bowties are cool.”

“I know, right?”

Downstairs, he picked up a green scarf. I smiled, stepping up from behind him. I gently removed it from his hooves, and wrapped it around his neck. He raised an eyebrow, but I just winked. Together, we left his house, and he closed the door behind him. We started down the street, heading for Sugarcube Corner.

Caramel walked right next to me. As we went, he leaned himself against me. I looked down at him, but he just smiled coyly. I figured the natural response would’ve been to drape a wing over him, but that was a bit beyond my… ability. I settled for nuzzling the top of his head. I noticed that he’d changed his mane-style slightly, leaving his bangs hanging down and over his forehead. It looked nice, and I told him so. His smile turned into a grin, and his gait gained some extra spring.

When we’d reached Sugarcube Corner, I opened the door for him. He entered, thanking me. The counter appeared to be unattended, but we went over anyway. Caramel rang the bell, but nothing happened. Then, slowly and dramatically, Pinkie Pie rose up between us.

“The dinner worked!” she shouted, reaching her arms out and pulling us into a tight hug. “I knew it!”

“I guess it did.” I choked out. “Pinkie, air?”

She let us go, then she whisked us off to one of the corner tables.

“So, what’ll it be?” she asked. “Something ummy-nummy I bet!”

“I’d like another of those walnut muffins.” I said, smiling happily. “With extra ummy-nummy-ness, please.”

Caramel laughed, but Pinkie seemed to take the request seriously. “Okay Northie!”

Caramel told her what he wanted. “Okie dokie lokie!” she said, bouncing off to the kitchen.

“Does she make everything fresh?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” he said. “I wonder where Mr. and Mrs. Cake are.”

“Who-?”

I heard hooves on stairs, and looked over towards the sound. Two ponies were coming down the stairs. One was a tallish yellow stallion, with an orange mane and tail. The other was a blue mare, whose magenta/pink mane and tail were done up in an interesting swirl. They spotted us, and walked over.

“Good morning, dears.” said the mare, with a very motherly tone.

“Good morning Mrs. Cake.” said Caramel cheerily. “Mr. Cake.”

“Who’s your friend?” asked Mr. Cake.

I let Caramel introduce me. “This is North.”

“A pleasure to meet you North.” said Mr. Cake, extending a hoof.

“Mr. Cake.” I said, shaking it. “Madam.”

Pinkie Pie returned, carrying our food. She set it down, then turned to the Cakes.

“Good morning!” she declared.

“Good morning Pinkie.” said Mr. Cake. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!” She returned her attention to me and Caramel. “Here you go, you two lovebirds!”

“Lovebirds?” asked Mrs. Cake. “Are you two…?”

I felt my face turn red, but we both nodded.

“Well,” said Mr. Cake, his expression now completely neutral, “that’s… interesting.”

He leaned down next to me. “So, North, how many stallions have you bedded before Caramel?” he asked, his tone angry.

“Excuse me?” I said, jerking back. “I don’t… we haven’t…”

“Dear, leave him alone.” said Mrs. Cake.

Before Mr. Cake could say anything more, I heard someone call, “Not Mom!”

“Um… do you have children?” I asked.

“Two little foals.” said Mrs. Cake. “Why?”

“I think one of them is calling you.”

“Not Mom!” came the call again.

“See?”

“Oh, that’s Pound Cake!” she said. “Would you like to meet them?”

“Dear,” said Mr. Cake, “I don’t want a… a coltcuddler near our children.”

“Honey, Caramel’s been your friend for years. And he trusts North.”

“Fine!” Mrs. Cake gestured for us to follow, so we stood.

Behind us, Pinkie said, “But what about the food?!”

She looked between us and the food, then she sighed exasperatedly. “I’m coming.”

They took us upstairs, where the calls of “Not Mom!” continued. They took us into a bedroom, which was decorated in a way that made it obvious it was a children’s room. The walls were painted in swirling blue patterns, and there were two cribs. Mrs. Cake led us over to them, smiling happily.

“This is Pound Cake.” she said, picking up a little foal.

He was pale cream, with a curly brown mane and tail. He had two tiny wings, which were beating furiously as he squirmed out of her grasp. He flew up to the ceiling, hovering over their heads.

“Now Pound Cake.” she said. “Come down.”

“I want NOT Mom!” wailed Pound Cake.

“Pound Cake, if you’re hungry, you need to come down.”

“NOT Mom! NOT Mom!”

“Oh!” I said, figuring it out. “He wants you, Mr. Cake.”

“What?” he said, surprised.

“Call him down.”

He looked skeptical, but he obliged. “Pound Cake? Would you please come down?”

To everyone’s surprise, Pound Cake immediately flew down. Mr. Cake caught him, looking astonished.

“How… how did you know?” he asked. “How could you possibly know?”

“He told me.” I said.

“Who? Pound Cake?”

“Of course. Weren’t you listening?”

“But… he’s just a foal.” said Caramel. “How could you possibly understand him?

“Timey Lord!” shouted Pound Cake, pointing at me. How did he know? Baby intuition, no doubt.

“He’s making himself pretty clear.” I said.

“Timey Lord!”

“May I?” I asked, holding out an arm.

“Certainly.” said Mrs. Cake, overruling Mr. Cake’s objections. She took Pound Cake and gave him to me. I took him, holding him carefully.

“You’re weird!” said Pound Cake.

“I am not!”

“Yes you are! You can’t fly!”

“I am not weird! And it’s not my fault!”

“What are you doing?” asked Caramel.

“Well, duh!” said Pinkie. “He’s obviously talking to Pound Cake.”

“But-but-but…” stuttered Mr. Cake.

“Mom!” said another voice.

Pinkie Pie zipped over to the other crib, and lifted a second foal out. A little filly, light yellow with an orange mane and tail, like her dad. She had a bow in her mane, and a little horn on her head.

“This is-” started Pinkie, but Mr. Cake cut her off.

“If you can really talk to him,” he said, “ask him what her name is!”

“Alright.” I said. “Pound Cake?”

“Pumpkin!” he said, reaching towards her.

“Is her name Pumpkin Cake?” I asked.

Everyone’s jaws dropped, except for Pinkie. “Told-ya!” she said happily.

“Timey Lord!” said Pound Cake. “Take Mighty Armageddon, Pounder of Cakes to his sister.”

“Mighty Armageddon?” I said, laughing. “Pounder of Cakes?”

“Silence, Timey Lord! Take us to our sister, The Great and Terrible Pumkin.”

“The Great and Terrible Pumpkin?” I handed him carefully to Pinkie, my expression neutral. Then I broke out laughing, collapsing to the floor and pounding it with a hoof. Tears of mirth poured down my face, and everyone stared at me. Pinkie, however, had handed the two foals to their mother, and joined me on the floor.

“T-That’s priceless!” she said. “W-What do they call me?”

“Silence Timey Lord! Oh Almighty Pink One, make the Timey Lord be silent!”

“They… they call you the Almighty Pink One.” I said, another wave of laughter coming over me.

“Sweet!” she said.

“It is?” I asked, looking up.

“Hmm?” She had a cupcake, part of which was missing, in her hoof.

“How- never mind.” I said, rolling back onto my front and standing. “Thank you for letting me meet them.”

“You’re welcome, dearie.” said Mrs. Cake. “You probably want to go eat your breakfast now.”

“Yes, thank you.” Caramel, Pinkie, and I followed the Cake family downstairs.

“You two go on ahead.” said Mrs. Cake.

Caramel and I returned to our table. We ate, our food having reached the perfect temperature. The muffin was even better than the one I’d had the previous day. It tasted a little different, but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. Caramel had already paid, so when we’d finished, we stood to leave.

“Was it good?” asked Caramel.

“Yes.” I said. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “You’re welcome. What now?”

Before I could speak, I heard Pound Cake call something out from the kitchen.

“Go now, Timey Lord.” he said. “May good fortune rule over you, peace live in your heart, and the stars watch over you. May you find solace in your friends when you meet your greatest challenges.”

“Um… sure thing!” I called back. “See you.”

“What did he say?” asked Caramel.

“I’ll tell you later.” I said. “When we’re… alone. Right, Pinkie?”

Pinkie popped up from behind a table. “Shoot!” she said. “How’d you know?”

“I have no idea.”

“Bye you two!” she said, holding the door open for us. “See ya round… Timey Lord.”

“What?” I said, shocked. I turned around, but she was already gone. “How…?”

“Don’t even try.” said Caramel. “Just… don’t.”

“Fine. Want to go for a walk?”

“Sounds nice.”

We walked around town together, just enjoying the day and each other’s company. He leaned on me again, but I didn’t mind. Around us, the snow was sparkling, despite the many hoofprints in it. After a while, we took a seat on a bench. He rested his head on my shoulder, and after a moment, I wrapped an arm around him. We stayed there for a while, then an idea came to me.

“Hey, Caramel?” I said, brushing the top of his head lightly with my chin.

“Yes?” he said, looking up.

“Feel like going to library?”

“Sure.” We got down from the bench, and set a course for the library.

___________________________________________

When we reached the library, I looked over at Caramel.

“Do we knock?” I asked. “It is Twilight’s house, too.”

“Only upstairs.” he said. “We could just go in, but if you want to knock…”

I raised a hoof, and tapped on the door. After a minute, the door opened, Spike holding the doorknob.

“Hi Caramel.” he said happily. But when he saw me, his expression changed into an angry one. “Goodbye.”

He slammed the door in my face, and I stepped backwards.

“What was that about?” I asked, confused.

“Let me.” he said, walking forward.

He opened the door, and walked in. When I tried to follow, I got a door to the face. I staggered back, clutching my nose.

“Ow!”

“Spike!” I heard Twilight’s voice inside. “Why did you do that?!”

“It was an accident!” he protested.

“Then why did you slam it? You never slam it!”

“Can we let him in?” asked Caramel.

“I’ll get it!” said Spike. “Whoa!”

“No, you’re not.” said Twilight. “I am.”

The door opened again. This time, Twilight was standing in the doorway.

“Sorry.” she said, “I don’t know why he’s acting like this.”

“Can ah comh ihn wifhout gehtfing ah dhoor sfmahfsed ih mah fhafce?” I asked, still holding my nose.

“Yes.”

I walked in slowly, keeping a close eye on the door. I made it past without being ‘sfmahfsed ih de fhafce’, and went over to Caramel. Spike was sitting on the stairs, his arms crossed.

“Spike,” said Twilight, closing the door, “tell North you’re sorry.”

“Fine!” he said angrily. “I’m sorry!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Close enough.”

“North?” said Caramel. “Is your nose bleeding?”

I looked down, removing my hoof from my nose. “No.”

“Okay. Just checking.”

“Thanks.” I said, pecking him on the cheek.

Spike gave a low growl, which only I seemed to notice. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“So, Pinkie was telling the truth.” she said, sitting down in front of us. “You two are… coltfriends?”

“Um… yeah, I guess so.” I said.

Pinkie Pie stuck her head in through an open window. “What he means is… YES!” She disappeared, all of us staring at the spot where she’d been.

“So… how long?” asked Twilight.

“Only since yesterday.” I said, giving Caramel a quick squeeze.

“Rarity was here earlier. She said the Cutie Mark Crusaders made a ‘romantic’ dinner, but she didn’t say who for. Was it you?” Behind her, Spike was glaring at me.

“Yes.” said Caramel. “But they had Pinkie’s help.”

“Interesting.”

For a brief moment. A brief, terrible moment, the world around me seemed to shift. I started breathing heavily, panicking. Ponies? Why were there talking ponies?! I started backing away from the others, stumbling. I looked down. I was a pony? The others looked over at me, their expressions confused.

“North?” said Twilight, her voice distant. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s faking it.” said Spike, his voice also faint.

The world returned to normal. I sat, taking great gasping breaths. Caramel and Twilight looked concerned, but Spike didn’t seem to care. Caramel approached slowly, reaching down a hoof to grasp one of mine.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Y-Yes.” I said, still breathing heavily. “I-I’m fine.”

Neither he nor Twilight seemed to believe me, but they dropped it. When I was adequately recovered, I sat up straight.

“So, why’d you decide to drop by?” asked Twilight.

“I wanted to look around.” I said. “I like libraries.”

“Well, it may not be as big as the Canterlot or Crystal Empire libraries, and it’s nowhere near the size of the one at the Everfree Castle, but it’s alright.”

“Everfree Castle? It’s still standing?”

“Yeah. It’s really interesting, all the things we’ve been finding.”

“I-I’m sure it is. Can we browse?”

“Go ahead. If you’re looking for anything in particular, I can help.”

“Thanks.”

Caramel and I spent hours at the library, happily sifting through the books. Another thing Caramel and I had in common, our respect for the powerful awesomeness of libraries. I finished reading all of the Daring Doo books, and even found an interesting history book. Using the section I’d found it in, I was able to get caught up on Equestrian history (A lot happens in a thousand years).

After a while, I gave in to the nagging urge, and went to the magic section. I looked around, seeing if anything caught my eye. A smaller book stood out. Its cover was red, and the words on the spine were golden. I walked over and took it off of the shelf. The cover was thus:

The Math in Magic

Polaris

I opened the book and gasped. Inside was all the work I’d done. All of my theories, my spells. Everything. I flipped to the front of the book. The foreword was written by… Starswirl? It said Starswirl… the Bearded? I dropped the book, letting it land with a soft thud. I sat heavily, staring forward, unseeing. Starswirl had been gone so long. So very, very long. I heard someone approaching, then felt a hoof on my shoulder. Caramel sat, and picked up the book.

“You wrote this?” he asked.

“Yes.” I whispered.

He closed the book softly, putting it down beside him. He hugged me, and I rested my head on his shoulder. I didn’t cry, I just sat there in a haze. After a moment, I felt words come to me.

“I amar prestar aen.” I whispered.

“What?” said Caramel, looking down at me.

“I… I think it means… the world is changed.”

“For you… I suppose it is.”

“What’re you two up to?” said Spike grumpily, who’d just walked in. “This is a library, not-”

Twilight appeared with a flash of light behind him, and covered his mouth with a violet aura.

“Seriously!” she said. “What is wrong with you?!”

“Hms-mhng-rhmty-umfmt!”

“Go to your room!” she said. She let him go, and with one final glare, he left. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

“That’s alright.” I said, carefully slipping the book back onto its shelf. “Listen, Twilight. I think we’d probably be going.”

“Alright.”

“Bye.” said Caramel.

We walked to the door, which Twilight opened for us. Together, we exited, and returned to his house. After we’d both showered, we decided to turn in early, the day’s events having been exhausting.

___________________________________________

At the Ponyville Library

___________________________________________

Twilight waited until North and Caramel had left. Then, she ran back to the shelf they’d been in front of. Which book had North been hiding? She found it, a small red one with golden writing. She pulled it out, and looked at the cover. It was an old favorite of hers, one she’d read quite a few times.

“Wait a minute,” she said to herself, “the author… Polaris?! Spike! I need you!”

“Coming!” he shouted back. He came running down the stairs, coming to a stop in front of her. “Yes?”

“Look at this!” she said, pushing the book forward. “The author’s name!”

“Po… Pa…”

“Polaris!”

“Polaris?” he said. “Okay… so?”

“Remember the night Rainbow Dash and Pinkie brought him here? Before he started acting all weird, he said his name was Polaris!”

“I remember that!” he said, looking surprised. “You don’t think…”

“He might be.” she said. “Spike, take a letter!”

“Yes ma’am!” He ran off to get the necessary supplies. He returned shortly, freshly inked quill poised over the parchment. “Ready!”

“Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna” said Twilight, “And if they’re there, Cadence and Shining Armor. I have reason to believe that the stallion I told you of is none other than Polaris, a historically significant magic theoretician and spell writer. Is this possible? I mean, the guy’s a pegasus, and he can’t even fly! Do you know how this could have happened? Your friend (and for some, sister), Twilight.”

Spike finished writing, then he sent the letter.

“What if it is him?” asked Spike. “Then what?”

“I don’t know, Spike.” she said, yawning. “But let’s not worry about that right now.”

The two of them went to bed, their dreams undisturbed.

___________________________________________

The Tardis

In the Time Vortex

___________________________________________

The Doctor was banging his head repeatedly on the Tardis’s control panel.

“Why why why why why why…?” he said. “Why?! Why can’t I tell him?!”

The Tardis twittered a response.

“What do you mean? Not time yet?”

Beep.

“Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?”

Beep.

He nodded, taking one of the seats surrounding the central consoles. After a minute, though, he stood and started pacing.

“How am I supposed to wait that long?”

No answer.

He stopped pacing, and curled up on the floor. Tears flooded his eyes, blurring his vision.

“I-I-I c-can’t…” he said. “I can’t…”

“But… I must.”

Chapter 8: Intermission

Chapter 8

For the next three months, I spent as much of my time with Caramel as possible. We learned and did a great deal from and for each other. I helped him around the house, and he helped me keep my immobile wings clean. When I was with him, I felt more able to smile, and he seemed to like being around me more and more. At night, my nightmares seemed to have decreased. Whenever I did have one, he would be there when I woke up.

When I wasn’t with Caramel, I was spending time with either the Crusaders, Applejack, or her brother. The girls were ecstatic about the success of their ‘Romantic’ dinner, and they told me they were planning to do it again for other couples. I was fairly certain that would end badly, but I didn’t bother trying to stop them since I knew I couldn’t. Applejack and I grew very close, closer than I’d ever expected. I occasionally felt the urge to ask her out, but I didn’t. I reminded myself that I was currently engaged in a relationship, and that would be… a very bad idea. Big Macintosh was always kind and reassuring, telling me to keep going even though it seemed impossible.

Once in a while, I’d drop in on Rarity or Twilight, both of whom seemed to enjoy my company. Twilight seemed to be obsessed with my past, but I made sure to never let anything slip. Spike continued to act with increasing venom around me. One time, when Twilight asked for a quill, he ‘accidentally’ pulled one of my feathers out. He seemed to take vindictive pleasure from it, and she sent him to his room for the rest of the day.

By the end of those weeks, I felt much better than I had when I’d first arrived. Though I still missed the Doctor, Luna, and all of my old friends, I took comfort in the new friends I’d made. I noticed, however, that Caramel seemed to grow more and more distracted…

___________________________________________

Luna - At Canterlot Castle

___________________________________________

Luna was alone on top of the tallest tower. She was looking out across Equestria, thinking. How long did she have to wait? She turned her head, looking northward, towards that one star. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze in her coat and mane. He’d always taken such a pleasure in the feeling, but she’d never understood why.

She missed him so much, her thousand year exile making it that much more painful. She remembered with all too much detail the look on his face when she’d done it. Pain, fear, and so much love in his eyes. She pressed her chin against her neck, her grief building. In spite of what she’d done to him, he’d still loved her. She remembered his smile, how much he’d cared when she’d asked for his help. She’d never revealed any of his secrets, valuing his trust too much.

From behind her, she heard someone approaching She opened her eyes and looked up, returning her gaze to the lands below. She took care to make her expression completely neutral, and waited for the pony to speak.

“Luna?” they said, walking up next to her. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” she said, keeping her eyes fixed outward.

“Why?”

“You and Cadence are going to visit Twilight in Ponyville, correct?”

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to seeing her again. We live so far away, I have to take every opportunity.”

“I see.”

“Um… why does that matter though?”

“There’s something I would ask of you… as a friend.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“While you’re there… if you meet a stallion named North Star, could you talk to him?”

“Sure, but why?”

She sighed. “Just… try to make friends with him?”

“Luna.” She turned her head. He was giving her a deadpan stare. “I can’t help you, not if you don’t explain why this is so important.”

“It’s… painful to talk about.” He just raised an eyebrow, and she sighed. “Fine.”

She told him everything. As she spoke, his eyes grew steadily wider, but that was his only response. When she’d finished, it hurt to much to even cry.

“I’ll do what I can.” he said, laying a hoof on her shoulder.

“Thank you.” He stood to leave, and approached the door. “Oh, and Shining Armor?”

“Yes?”

“He may not look the same anymore.”

“Alright.”

He left, and she returned her focus to watching over the night. She appreciated Shining Armor, both as a Captain of the Royal guard, and  even more as a friend. He’d made sure to get the necessary information, but he hadn’t pushed her further than was absolutely necessary. Since she couldn’t go herself, he could at least let her know how he was. Discord’s version of information was useless for the sort of things she wanted to find out.

“North.” she whispered, turning her gaze towards Ponyville. “An interesting choice.”

Chapter 9: Twelve Apple Pies + One Pinkie Pie = Trouble (or An End and A New Beginning)

Chapter 9

Caramel and I were in bed, about to go to sleep. For the past few days, I’d noticed that he’d become increasingly distracted. I had been wondering about how I felt about Applejack, and how she felt about me. I’d been trying to figure out what to do, and I’d reached a decision. I just hoped I wouldn’t be hurting Caramel too much.

“Caramel?” I said, turning my head to look at him.

“Yes?” he said, also turning his head.

“Remember the conversation we had? The one a few days after the dinner?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “I’m… I’m glad you brought that up. I… I found someone too.”

“Good for you.” I said, truthfully.

“So, who is she?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Um…”

“You don’t have to tell me.” He reached a hoof out and put it on my shoulder. “I just want you to know… I’m glad we did this.”

“Me too. One more night?”

“One more night.”

I leaned forward, kissing him one last time. Then he nuzzled up against me, laying his head on my shoulder. We fell asleep, taking this one last night together. It hurt a bit, but I was confident of my decision.

___________________________________________

The next morning, when we got up, we both did our best to keep a bit of distance. He did help me in the shower, but he was quiet. We ate, and got ready to go. Both of us were going to try with the mare we’d found (I still didn’t know who he was going to visit). I was planning to go visit Rarity first; she said had something for me. I opened the door, and Caramel followed me outside.

“Good luck.” I said, as he started off. He nodded, smiling.

I watched him go, then I began to make my way to Carousel Boutique. As I passed Sugarcube Corner, I was joined by Pinkie.

“Where are ya going Northy?” she asked, bouncing along beside me. “Where’s Caramel?”

“He and I…” I said. “We-”

“Oh! You two decided to use the escape clause, didn’t you?”

“The what?”

“You both found mares! Oh, and I almost forgot! The party’s tonight!”

“Um… yeah.”

I highly doubted she’d forgotten, but whatever. She was having another party, which she seemed to throw at least once a day. As usual, everyone was invited.

“Who’s the lucky mare?”

“That’s a secret.”

“I won’t tell!”

I looked her up and down. “Fine.” I said, and whispered the name in her ear.

She looked startled, and was no longer smiling. “Um… Northy?”

“What?”

“Uh… nothing.”

“Okay, well I have to go. Rarity has something for me.”

“See you later!”

I continued onward, walking slowly through the snow covered streets. I eventually arrived at the Boutique. Icicles hung from the eaves, making it look like something from a calendar. I knocked, and Rarity answered.

“Good morning North.” she said, waving me in.

“Good morning Rarity.” I said, stepping past her. “You said you have something for me?”

“I do indeed.”

She led me through the shop, to the back of the main room where she’d cut my mane a while ago. She had me sit in one of the chairs.

“You’re overdue for a mane-cut.” she said. “So, let’s get you ready for that mare.”

“How did you know?” I asked, surprised.

“You’ve got that purposeful air about you.” she said, turning me to face the mirror. “So, do you want me to do it a particular way?”

“What do you think?” I asked. I wasn’t obsessed with how I looked, but I still liked to look alright. “I don’t really have any experience with this sort of thing.”

“Well,” she said, wrapping the black apron around my neck, “if you’ll trust me, I think I have an idea.”

“Go ahead.”

So she got to work, trimming away carefully. I sat still, occasionally blowing some hair off of my nose. When she’d finished, she showed me what she’d done. She’d gotten it so my mane so it curled across my forehead. It was longer than I’d expected, but it looked good.

“Thank you.” I said. “It looks good.”

“Oh! Have I graduated from nice to good?”

I laughed, handing her the apron.. “If you say so.”

“Well, off you go.” she said. “And good luck with that mare!”

“Thanks.”

I left the store, and headed for Sweet Apple Acres. As I went, I looked over at the frozen stream that ran through Ponyville. It was still frozen over, but nopony was skating on it anymore. When I reached the small lake, it was the same. I sniffed the air, which seemed a warmer than it had for a while. I stored that information away for later, as I was approaching the orchards.

I kept an eye out for Applejack as I went, but I didn’t see her anywhere. I reached the gate, and turned up the dirt drive. I made it to the farmhouse, still not spotting her. I knocked on the door, which was soon answered by Big Macintosh. He came out, closing the door behind him.

“Morning, North.” he said. “How’re ya doin’?”

“I’m fine.” I said cheerily. “Do you know where Applejack is?”

“She’s down in the east orchard.” he said. “Um… North, if yer here to…”

“Thanks!” I said, setting off to find her, leaving Big Macintosh in hanging in mid-sentence.

I made my way through the orchard, searching for her. I found her, near the fence-line next to the Everfree forest. She was trying to pull a cartload of largish rocks, but the cart’s wheels were stuck in a muddy puddle. I hurried over, and started pushing from behind. With my help, she soon had it unstuck. I joined her in front as she walked towards the barn, going at a leisurely pace.

“Thanks North.” she said. “That cart sure was stuck.”

“You’re welcome.” I said. I decided to wait until she was a bit less busy.

When we’d reached the barn, I helped her unload the rocks onto a large pile she must have been stacking up. I didn’t mind helping her, and we soon had it done.

“Thank you again.” she said, wiping the sweat off of her brow.

“Yeah.” I said. “Um… Applejack?”

“Yes?”

“Would… would you like to…”

“What?”

“G-go to the party with me… tonight?”

“Oh…” She looked embarrassed. “Gee, North… Caramel already asked me, and ah said ah would.”

“Oh.”

“Ah’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” I said, though I did feel disappointed. “I’m just glad Caramel found such a lovely mare.”

“Thanks.”

“Well…” I said awkwardly, “I guess I have to figure out what I’m going to do tonight.”

“You can stay here.” she said. “If you want, that is.”

“I think I will. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Listen, why don’t you go spend the day with Pinkie? I’m sure she’d love it if you gave her a hoof.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“See ya.”

“Bye.”

I left, feeling disappointed. But I was glad that Caramel, at least, wouldn’t be alone. I took her advice, and went to Sugarcube Corner. When I got there, I was greeted by a hyper-enthusiastic Pinkie Pie and two megalomaniac foals.

“Hi Pinkie.” I said, walking over.

“How’d it go?” she asked.

“It didn’t.” I said, ignoring “Armageddon, Pounder of Cakes”’s constant chatter. “She’s coming to the party with Caramel.”

“I’m sorry North.” she said, pulling a balloon out of her mane and twisting it into something I didn’t recognize. “I tried to warn you.”

I thought back to earlier. “I guess you did. Next time, I’ll listen. To you, and Big Macintosh.”

“So, what brings you here?” she asked, blowing another balloon and twisting it.

“Would you like some help setting up for the party?” I asked. “I’m free today.”

“Nah, I already finished.” she said, putting the balloon on one of the tables. I looked around, startled to see the entire place was already decorated, and ready for Pinkie’s festivities.

“Oh.”

“But I have a better idea!” she said. “How about a pie-eating contest?”

“Now?”

“Sure!”

“Okay, why not?”  I said. Sugar… I was craving sugar.

Shortly, she had gotten ahold of a massive stack of pies. She set them on a table, a napkin having mysteriously tied itself around her neck. We sat down opposite each other, “The Great and Terrible Pumpkin” would be counting for us.

“Ready?” She asked, looking enthusiastically across the table.

“Ready.” I said, putting a napkin around my own neck.

“Go!” said “Armageddon”.

Both of us dug in at the same time. While she tore through them quickly, I took my time. After half an hour, she’d eaten nearly ten, but I was pulling up behind her. Her inexplicably insatiable appetite was becoming satiable. Soon, I’d somehow pulled ahead. Finally, she gave up, face planting into an twelfth half-eaten pie. I finished off my twelfth, and wiped off my mouth.

“Um… I win?” I said, smiling widely.

“Mm-hmm.” she said through her pie. “M-ghms-sm!”

“What?”

She lifted her head. “I guess so!”

I felt extremely energized. I stood up, bouncing over to the two foals.

“How’re ya doin ya little ponies?” I asked.

“Timey Lord has a sugar-high.” said “Armageddon”.

“I do indeed!” I said. “Hey, Pinkie! Let’s go do something fun!”

“Oh! Oh! I know!” she said excitedly. “Let’s go prank ponies!”

“Okay!”

We returned the foals to their parents, then the two of us ran out of the shop. Soon, we were hiding behind a bush.

“What should we do first?” I asked. “Sneeze powder? Disappearing ink?”

“How about a spinning bow tie?”

“What?” I looked down. Somehow, she’d replaced my bow tie with a polka-dotted one, which was spinning around. “Pinkie!”

She laughed it up, and after a moment, I joined in. It did look pretty funny. When we’d calmed down, she gave me back mine, and I replaced the polka-dots with the solid green.

“Thank you! Now what?”

“How about sneezing powder?” she asked.

“Sounds good. Who do we use it on?”

“How about Rainbow Dash?” she asked. “She loves a good prank!”

“Cool!”

We got a bottle of perfume, which we sprinkled with Pinkie’s sneezing powder. Then Pinkie used some crazy contraption to put it on Rainbow Dash’s front porch (she lives in a cloud house, about fifty feet off the ground). I didn’t see why Rainbow Dash would bother with perfume, but I went along with it.

“Here we go!” said Pinkie, ringing the doorbell with her thingamajig.

We sat back and watched. After a minute, Rainbow Dash answered the door.

“Hello?” she said, looking around. She looked down, and saw the bottle. “What’s this?”

She picked it up, turning it over in her hooves. Then she glanced around, looking to see if anypony was watching. Then, she sprayed a little out and sniffed.

“Ah-choo!” she sneezed. Pinkie and I started laughing, and she spotted us.

“Nice one Pinkie!” she said, flying down. “Sneeze powder in perfume? That’s a new one!”

She landed, her wings blasting us with wind as she did. “Hey, North.”

“Hi!” I said, snorting with laughter as I recalled the look on her face. “How’re ya doin!”

“Are you alright?” she asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine!” I said. “Really!”

Black.

___________________________________________

The two mares watched as North’s eyes rolled up and fell over sideways. Rainbow Dash caught him just before he hit the ground.

“Geez!” she said. “What have you two been up to?”

“We had a pie eating contest!” said Pinkie cheerfully, pulling out the spinning bowtie and putting it around her own neck.

“Who won?” she asked, though she had no doubt about the answer. She was wrong.

“North!”

“He did? How?”

“I have no idea!”

Rainbow Dash groaned as she lifted North. He was just as heavy as she remembered, and she was not going to enjoy this.

“Well, Pinkie.” she said grumpily. “Since we can’t take him to the hospital-”

“Because they’ll lock’im up!”

“-where do we go?”

“Hmm…” Pinkie sat, cross-legged. “I sense a disturbance in the Force.”

“Yeah, sure. So where-?”

“Rarity’s house!”

“Why- never mind. Just… never mind.”

She followed Pinkie, straining under the weight of the unconscious stallion.

___________________________________________

When I woke up, I felt woozy. I was looking up at a ceiling, but I couldn’t identify it. I groaned as my head throbbed painfully. I felt a hoof tap my shoulder, and I turned my head. Rarity was sitting next to  me, holding a glass of water.

“Drink this.” she ordered. I didn’t argue, taking the glass and downing it.

“Thanks.” I said. “Um… why am I here?”

“You had a bit too much pie.”

“Yeah.” I rubbed the side of my head, trying to dispel the fog.

“More water?”

“Yes please.”

She stood, and walked out of the room. I looked around. I must have been in the upper floor of Carousel Boutique. I was lying on a couch, which was incredibly comfortable. She returned with the glass and a pitcher, both held in her magical aura. I still missed having a horn, but I’d grown used to its absence. She helped me sit up, and gave me more water.

“I couldn’t find much in the way of pain medicine.” she said, holding up a white pill. “But I did have some aspirin.”

Before I could take it, Pinkie Pie whirled into the room. She grabbed the pill and threw it out a window.

“Bad idea!” she said. “Here!”

“Thanks?” I said, as she gave me two Ibuprofen.

“You’re welcome!” she said, leaving the room. I took the Ibuprofen, and drank several more glasses of water.

“I’ll be right back.” said Rarity. She soon returned, accompanied by a light blue stallion, with a darker blue mane.

“North,” she said, “this is Noteworthy.”

“Hi.” I said, raising a hoof.

“Hi.” he said, examining me.

“North, Noteworthy here’s going to let you come back to his place.”

“Why?”

“I think it’s best if you don’t go back to Sweet Apple Acres tonight.”

“I don’t understand. Why?”

“Well, Applejack… you know…”

I nodded. Maybe I wasn’t as okay as I’d thought.

“Fine.”

“Do you feel up to walking yet?” Noteworthy asked.

“I think I can.” I pushed myself off of the couch, steadying myself. “Yeah, I’ll be alright.”

“Let’s go.”

“Thanks Rarity.” I said, following him out of the room.

“You’re welcome.”

I followed Noteworthy downstairs, and then outside. He walked purposefully at first, then he sighed, relaxing.

“You alright?” I asked.

“I’m fine.” he said. “I… I kind of get nervous around mares.”

“I see. Well, thank you for letting me stay with you.”

“You’re welcome. Rarity’s a good friend, even if she does sometimes make me a bit uncomfortable.”

“She is pretty generous.”

We went on for a short while longer, then he stopped in front of a house. It was a bit smaller than Caramel’s. Noteworthy opened the door, walking inside. I followed, looking around. I was in an entrance hall. Several doors lined it, and a staircase was visible at the end of the hall on the left. Noteworthy took one of the doors on the right, and after I was finished looking, I followed. My jaw dropped when I entered. The entire room was filled with instruments of every size and type.

“You like it?” he asked, as a grin spread across my face.

“You play all of these?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m a composer.”

“You are? What’ve you written?”

“It’s mostly small things. I write for small-time musicians and singers.”

“May I?” I asked, pointing at the piano.

“You play?”

“I have no idea. Let’s find out.”

I walked over to the piano, and lifted up the cover. I sat down on the bench, examining the keys. I held still for a second, then I felt my hooves begin to move. As I played, I gave myself up to the music. When I did so, I let go fully, and I sang words I didn’t know I knew. The words reminded me of all the times I’d spent with Luna, and the pain returned in full force. As I played, I cried.

Youtube Video

(Piano)

Youtube Video

(Word)

When I finished playing, I looked over at Noteworthy. He was smiling, and his eyes were wet.

“That was amazing.” he said. “I’ve never heard that song before.”

I nodded, and closed the piano. I laid my head down, a wave of exhaustion coming over me. I let him help me stand, and he guided me over to the couch. I sat down, and he walked over to a brass saxophone, which was in a place of prominence.

“Would you like to hear me play?” he asked. I nodded, and he obliged. He played a beautiful song. It was so relaxing, it gently put me to sleep.

___________________________________________

When I woke, it was evening. The pain in my head was now completely gone. I sat up, looking around. I was still in the room with the instruments. I got off the couch, and walked into the hallway. I heard voices, so I walked quietly down the hall to the door. The room was the kitchen, and inside, Noteworthy and another stallion were at the table. Noteworthy’s back was to me, but the other spotted me.

“Hi!” he said. He was dark charcoal, with a bluish-white mane and tail. His mane was done up in a mohawk, and his tail was cut relatively short.

“Hi.” I said, walking into the kitchen. I was still staring at him. Something about him was familiar, then I remembered.

“Thunderlane!” I exclaimed. “Sorry, I have a hard time with faces and names.”

“That’s okay.”

“How’re you doing?” asked Noteworthy.

“Better.”

“Well, North, you have a decision to make.”

“I do?”

“Yes. I haven’t got another bed, but Thunderlane does. If you’d like, he’s willing to let you stay with him for a while.”

“He is?” I said, shifting my gaze to Thunderlane.

“Sure!” he said, standing up and walking over next to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and shook me slightly. “We can pal around, get to know each other.”

“I guess so.” I said, removing his arm.

“Awesome! You ready to go?”

“Sure.”

“Bye Noteworthy!” said Thunderlane, heading for the door.

“Thank you.” I said, following him.

“You’re welcome.” he called after me.

I followed Thunderlane outside, trying to figure out the day I’d been having. How on earth had I jumped around town this much? I dropped it, since it was giving me a worse headache than Pinkie’s most confusing and impossible stunts. I followed him through the streets of Ponyville.

“Noteworthy says you play the piano.” Thunderlane said, as we passed by the large fountain.

“I guess so.” I said, remembering the song I’d played. I wondered if this meant I’d played when I’d been human.

“He said you were good.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Do you like playing?”

“Yes.” I said, truthfully. As painful as the song had been, the act had felt amazing.

A few more minutes passed, then he spoke again.

“You can’t move your wings, can you?”

“No.” I said, surprised. “How did you know?”

“I haven’t seen you so much as twitch a feather this whole time. Do you know why you can’t?”

“No.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah.”

He stayed silent for the rest of the trip, and I didn’t speak either. We arrived at our destination, which was near the edge of town. He took me inside, and closed the door behind him. He led me into the kitchen.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I said. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”

“Well, then-”

He was interrupted when a little gray blur streaked in and knocked him over. It took me a moment to see what was going on, then I smiled. A little gray colt was standing on  Thunderlane’s chest, pinning him to the ground.

“Hi, buddy!” said Thunderlane, ruffling the colt’s mane. “How was your day?”

“It was great!” said the colt, jumping off of him and letting him stand. “Ms. Cheerilee let us have extra recess time!”

“Did she now?” said Thunderlane, getting up. “What did you do during recess?”

“I played with Featherweight. We built an enormous snow fort!” The colt stretched his front hooves as far apart as physically possible, demonstrating the size.

“That’s cool, Rumble. This is North.” He pointed at me, and Rumble seemed to notice me.

“Intruders in the castle!” he shouted, charging me. I just caught the look from Thunderlane. Go with it.

“Come and get me!” I said, doing my best villainous laugh. I only managed a few steps back before I was bowled over.

“Argh!” I shouted, going limp. “I am defeated.”

“Ha!” shouted Rumble. “I win!”

“Yes, you do.” said Thunderlane. “You can get off of him now. It’s time to eat.”

“Okay.” Rumble got off of me.

“Thanks.” I said, letting Thunderlane help me up.

“Thank you.” he whispered, as Rumble rushed over to the table. “He’s… very important to me.”

“Brother?” I guessed.

“Yeah.”

“Are your parents dead?”

His face darkened. “Not dead. Not our father, anyway.”

I didn’t pry, sensing it was a touchy subject. While I had my guesses, I didn’t dwell on them.

“Now, food!” said Thunderlane, brightening up. “What’re you hungry for?”

“I don’t care!” said Rumble. “Food!”

Thunderlane laughed. “Sure, buddy.”

“I can help.” I said, following him over to the counter.

“If you want.” he said. “Flour, furthest door left.”

I went to the specified cabinet door, and pulled out the flour. I put it on the counter, and he returned from the fridge with a couple eggs and some milk. After a few minutes, he’d mixed a bowl of pancake batter. He turned on the stove, and pulled a pan out of a one of the large doors below the counter. He put it on the stove, and started waiting for it to heat up.

“You can sit down now.” he said. “I’ve got it from here.”

“Okay.”

I joined Rumble at the table. He seemed very curious about me, so I started the conversation.

“So, what do you like to do?” I asked.

“I like reading.” he said. “And playing with Thunderlane.”

“Oh, really? What do you two do?”

“He pretends to be a big dragon, or a manticore! Then we…”

He told me all about what they did. While I listened, I glanced over at Thunderlane. He had tears in his eyes, and a happy smile on his face. I could tell he really loved his brother, more than anything. By the time Rumble had finished, the pancakes were ready. Thunderlane brought the plates over one at a time, the pancakes having been buttered and covered in syrup.

“Dig in!” he said, taking his own seat.

We did. The pancakes were fantastic, and I managed to eat second helpings. Rumble was a messy eater, and by the time we’d finished, he was sticky with syrup. Thunderlane took our empty plates, carrying them over to the sink. Then, he slowly crept up behind Rumble. His eyes flickered between me and Rumble. Keep him occupied.

“So, Rumble.” I said, catching his attention. “What do you like to read about?”

“I love adventure stories!” he said excitedly.

“Like what?” I asked, as Thunderlane came closer.

“Well, I-” The floor creaked under Thunderlane, who froze.

“Bathtime!” he shouted, pouncing. Rumble was out of the way before he got there.

“Catch him!” Thunderlane yelled, chasing after him.

I jumped down from my chair, chasing after him. We almost caught him several times, then he led me into Thunderlane’s room. He was under the bed, and I crouched down.

“Rumble, come on!” I said. “What’s wrong with getting a bath?”

I lunged under the bed, and hit my head against something warm.

“Ow!”

Both Thunderlane and I exclaimed in pain as our heads collided. We both pulled out from under the bed, clutching our heads.

“Sorry!” we both said, then we chased after Rumble

We finally managed to corner him, and Thunderlane picked him up, still struggling.

“Come on.” he said. “Bathtime.”

I followed after, making sure he didn’t escape. I kept him in the bathroom, while Thunderlane ran the water. Then, he put Rumble in the tub. He forced him to sit still, and started washing him off. I handed him the soap, then the shampoo. Rumble struggled the whole time. Near the end, he made a giant splash. Thunderlane and I both gasped as a monsoon of water rained down on us, soaking us through.

When we’d finished, Rumble was clean, but both of us were soaked through. Thunderlane handed me a towel, and I dried myself off as best I could. Thunderlane took Rumble to his room, where he was allowed to read until it was time to turn the lights out. Thunderlane closed the door, then turned to me.

“You want to shower first?” he asked.

“Um…” I glanced back at my wings. “I… I kind of need help. I can’t-”

“Reach under your wings?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll help.”

“You… you don’t…”

“It’s fine. I’ll help.”

He followed me back to the bathroom. And though I felt embarrassed, he felt… different. He let me turn on the water, finding a good temperature. I let him check it himself, so he didn’t burn or freeze. When we’d found a temperature that worked for both of us, he shifted the water flow so it came out through the shower head. He stepped into the water, shaking himself slightly.

I followed, enjoying the feeling of the water seeping through my coat. I let him start cleaning under my wings, and he did so with a gentle hoof. The fact that he was also a pegasus seemed to help him understand how to do it without hurting me.

“Thanks.” I said.

“You’re welcome.”

We finished up, giving each other as much privacy as was possible. We dried off, and left the bathroom. He went to tell Rumble good night, and I went back downstairs. I settled in the living room, looking around at the walls. There didn’t seem to be any family pictures, just a few of Rumble. There was only one picture that featured Thunderlane. He was smiling, sitting next to an older mare. Was that his mother?

“North?”

I turned around. Thunderlane was coming down the stairs. I stepped away from the picture, waiting as he walked over.

“You ready for bed?” he asked, and I yawned. “Looks like it.”

“Sounds good.”

“There’s a room upstairs. Come on.”

I followed him upstairs, and he took me to a room next to his. He opened the door.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” I said, walking in. “Good night.”

“Night.”

He left, closing the door behind him. I walked over to the bed, turning down the cool sheets. I climbed onto the bed, relaxing. A lot had happened that day, and I was ready to sleep. The nap I’d had earlier hadn’t done much. I closed my eyes, feeling… happy. In spite of the day’s complicated events, the transitions I’d gone through were… nice. I slept well that night.

___________________________________________

At the Ponyville Library

___________________________________________

“Coming!” said Twilight, running to the door. She opened it, and gasped.

“Cadence,” she said excitedly, “Shining Armor!”

“Hi sis!” said Shining Armor.

Twilight and Cadence went through their ritual greeting, then they all came into the library.

“How’re you doing?” asked Shining Armor.

“Great!” she said. “Spike, guess who’s here!”

“If it’s North,” came an angry voice from upstairs, “I don’t care.”

“It’s not North!” she said, half excited, half exasperated. “Come see!”

Spike appeared at the top of the stairs. When he saw who it was, his angry expression melted away.

“Shining Armor!” he said, running down the stairs. “Princess Cadence!”

“Hi there, little guy!” said Shining Armor, doing a hoof/claw bump with Spike. “How’ve you been?”

“I’m great!” he said. “I’ve been practicing that trick with the hoofball you showed me.”

“Cool.” He yawned loudly.

“Twilight, it’s great to see you.” said Cadence. “But it’s late.”

“We’ll have to pull out the spare bed.” said Twilight. “Shining, could you help me?”

“Of course.” he said, following her upstairs.

Together, they managed to pull out the extra bed. Shining Armor was happy to see his sister, but he hadn’t forgotten what Luna had asked. He’d been surprised when Celestia had shown him the letter Twilight had seen. And now, it seemed, Twilight and Spike knew the stallion personally. He decided to wait for tomorrow before asking her about it. They all turned in for the night, Twilight and Cadence upstairs, Spike in his little basket/bed, and Shining Armor on the couch.

Chapter 10: The Sound of Music and Ice

Chapter 10

The next morning I felt good, better than I had in about a month. I’d actually had pleasant dreams, and not a single nightmare had ‘graced’ me with its presence. I pushed the warm sheets off of myself and rolled over. I sat up, stretching my back and neck, sighing as some tension was relieved. I jumped down from the bed and shook myself, then I brushed my mane out of my eyes and walked over to the door. When I opened it, I could hear Thunderlane and Rumble talking downstairs. I went down, and found them in the kitchen. They were eating breakfast; another batch of pancakes. When I walked in, Thunderlane looked up and smiled.

“Sleep well?” he asked, swallowing his previous mouthful.

“Very.” I said, adding pancakes to a plate I’d found on the counter. “You?”

“Alright.”

“And you, Rumble?”

“Hmm?” said Rumble, looking up from his plate. “Oh, yeah.”

I joined them at the table, and began on my own pancakes. I listened to the brothers’s conversation; they were discussing something called… the Wonderbolts? I didn’t ask about it, not wanting to interrupt. I just carefully stored away what I heard, and soon figured out they were some sort of pegasus flying team. Rumble seemed very enthusiastic about it, describing each Wonderbolt in detail. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin, etc.

“Go brush your teeth.” said Thunderlane, after putting his and Rumble’s plates in the sink. “And I’ll walk you to school.”

“Okay.” said Rumble. He left the kitchen.

“Can I go with you?” I asked I’d finished eating.

“Well, if you want.” said Thunderlane, taking my plate. “I don’t see why you'd want to, though.”

“It sounds interesting. I’ve been here a month, and I still don’t know much about Ponyville.”

“Come on, then.” he said, as Rumble raced back into the kitchen with saddlebags. “We’re going.”

I straightened my mane, then followed them outside. We started off through town, and I sniffed in the fresh morning air. The snow seemed a bit wetter than yesterday, squishing under my hooves. When I asked Thunderlane about this, he laughed.

“It’s getting warmer.” he said. “That means it’s almost time for Winter Wrap-up.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“It’s when Ponyville works together to bring in spring.”

“You don’t use magic?”

“Ponyville was settled by Earth Ponies. It’s traditional.”

“I see.”

After a few more minutes of walking, and crossing a stream, we arrived at a large red schoolhouse. Colts and fillies were gathered around the front door, waiting for the teacher to let them in. Rumble raced ahead, meeting up with a few of the others. They appeared to be friends, talking and laughing together.

“Now what?” I asked. “Can we go?”

“We should wait until they’re inside.” he said. “Until the teacher’s got them.”

“Okay.”

We didn’t have to wait long. The door opened, and a purple mare appeared.

“Come on in!” she said, smiling happily at the little ponies in front of her.

Thunderlane waited until the students (and Rumble) were inside, then he turned and started walking. I followed him, still looking around.

“So, what happens during Winter Wrap-up?” I asked, as we crossed back over the stream.

To the north, train tracks were visible. As we walked, he started explained. The Earth and Unicorn ponies would be taking care of things on the ground. He and the rest of the Pegasi would help change the weather, bring the birds back from the south, and assist the other two groups in melting the snow.

“I wish I could help.” I said, looking back at my useless wings.

“Maybe I can help.” he said. “There’s something we could try.”

“What?”

“Well-”

Before he could explain, Pinkie popped up in front of us. It was so sudden, it drove the conversation right out of our minds.

“Hey, Thunderlane!” she said. “Rainbow Dash told me to tell you you can have the day off!”

“Thanks Pinkie.” he said, and she bounced off.

“Well.” he said, turning to me. “Since I have the day off, what would you like to do?”

“Not a clue.”

“Well…” he said, “Want to see a movie?”

“That’d be nice.” I said. “I don’t know what’s playing, though.”

“Let’s go see.”

I followed him to Ponyville’s movie theater, which I’d seen but never entered. We read through the list, seeing if anything caught our attention. One of them did catch my eye, with a title that pushed at a nonexistent memory. The Sound of Music.

“I’d like to see that one.” I said, pointing at it. He grinned.

“I thought you would.” he said. “It’s an old movie, but it’s a good one.”

It was then when I realized I didn’t have the means to pay for myself. And Thunderlane didn’t know about… me.

“Thunderlane.” I whispered nervously. “Um… there’s something you should know.”

“Yes?” he said, looking back at me.

“I’m… not a normal pony.”

“Well, everyone’s a little different.”

“No, you don’t get it.” I tried to think of how to explain this. “Um… come here.”

He walked up next to me. “Yes?”

“Listen here.” I said, pointing to the left side of my chest. He looked confused, but he did so.

“Everything seems fine.” I gently moved his head so his ear was over the right side of my chest.

“And now?” I asked.

He looked dumbfounded. “You have…”

“There’s a lot more than that.”

I glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping. Then I explained everything. By the end of my story (which was less painful to tell this time), he was staring at me. I expected him to get upset, or call me a freak, or at least look a little surprised. What I didn’t expect was for him to grin widely.

“That’s awesome!” he said excitedly. “I’m friends with an-”

“Shh!” I looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed his outburst. “And… where you going to call me an alien?”

“Well, I was going to say extraterrestrial. But you are, aren’t you?”

“No.” I said, even if that wasn’t strictly true. “At least, not the way I think of it.”

“Well,” he said more quietly, “shall we see The Sound of Music, my Time Lord friend?”

“Sounds good.”

I followed him into the theater, where he was kind enough to pay for two tickets, as well as a drink (he didn’t seem to mind sharing) and some popcorn. The movie was fantastic, but I had a nagging sensation in the back of my mind that I’d seen it before. During the scene where the telegraph-carrier and the Captain’s daughter were singing, Thunderlane and I went for the popcorn at the same time.

“Ow!” We were shushed by the occupants of the rows around us.

When Maria and Captain Von Trapp were singing together, we went for the drink at the same time. The effects this time were a bit more… dramatic. Our lips met for the briefest moment, and both of us turned as red as the stripes of the Austrian flag. We avoided each other’s eyes, embarrassed by what happened. When the movie finished, we exited, talking happily about the movie.

Afterward, he invited me to have lunch with him. We ate at a fairly nice restaurant, talking about the actors’ and actress’ performances. We agreed that the movie was excellent for such an old one. Thunderlane admitted that he could sing, which interested me. He didn’t reveal any more information (pouty face).

___________________________________________

After we’d finished eating, it was time to go get Rumble. As we were crossing the bridge, both of us twitched our ears towards the stream. I could hear somebody calling out. We looked in the direction of the sounds. Part of the stream had given way, and a mare was struggling to keep her head above the chilly water.

Without thinking, I turned and galloped straight towards her. When I reached the stream, I tested the ice. It was thin, but I would have to hope it could support my weight. I went over to the mare as quickly as possible, and laid down flat on the ice.

“Grab my hooves!” I shouted. “Come on!”

The panicky mare grabbed my hooves, and I tried to pull her out. I could feel the ice cracking underneath me. I lifted the mare up with all of my strength, pulling her over me, and using my hindlegs to launch her to safety. I had just enough time to see her land safely on the bank before the ice gave way beneath me.

The water was like white-hot fire, burning across my body. The pain stopped after a second, giving way to complete numbness. Time slowed as I sank through the water. My surroundings were made of white light and blue shadows, extending infinitely in all directions. I ran out of air, instinct forcing me to take in a lungful of the cold water. Without adequate oxygen, my surroundings began to grow black. Then dark hooves plunged into the water, grabbing my arm. I was lifted out of the water, and flown to the snowy bank.

The pain returned, this time inside and out. I took shivery breaths, the air turning to ice in my lungs. For once, I wished the darkness of unconsciousness would take me. But there was no solace from the pain, and it tore my nerves apart. But then I felt something soft and warm wrap itself around me.

“Go find someone!” shouted a stallion’s voice above me. “Quick!”

I heard hooves galloping away, and I looked up. Thunderlane had his arms and wings around me, trying to warm me up. I moved closer, trying to soak up his heat. The cold air stung like knives against my coat. He pulled me closer, tightening his soft feathers about me. My breathing was starting to even out, just barely.

“W-Where’s the mare?” I stuttered, my teeth chattering. “Is s-she alright?”

“Yeah.” he said, looking over his shoulder. “S-she’s fine.”

“You should t-take care of her. I’ll b-be f-fine.”

“She’s being taken care of. And you’re not fine.”

His arms tightened more, bringing me right up against his chest. I buried my nose in his fur, shivering violently. He smelled strangely good, and I found myself taking deep, long breaths. He was trembling too, though he hadn’t been in the water.

Then I felt his wings lift away. I looked up, wanting to know why. The snow reflected so much light, I was forced to squint to see better. There was a stallion and a mare, neither of whom I recognized. The stallion was of similar colors to me. But he was a unicorn, with a stronger and more muscular build. The mare was… an Alicorn. How many were there, and where were Celestia and Luna? This Alicorn had a light pink coat, and mane and tail were striped cream, pink, and purple. I looked up at Thunderlane, who had his head bowed respectfully.

“Your highnesses.” he said.

“Keep him warm.” said the mare, in a kind voice.

“Y-yes your highness.” His wings returned to their previous positions, though perhaps a bit less tightly.

I listened to the pair’s whispered conversation, attempting to make out what they were saying. I couldn’t, but I could detect the urgent tone in their voices.

“What is your name?” asked the mare.

“T-Thunderlane, your majesty.”

“Thunderlane, how far is your house?”

“It’s on the other side of town.”

There was a pause in the conversation, then the stallion spoke.

“The library is closer.” he said. “Would you help me carry him?”

“O-Of course.”

Again, Thunderlane’s wings removed themselves from me, accompanied by his arms. He held me steady, I was still shivering and wet. The stranger helped me stand, my legs completely unstable. Together, the three of us took a step forward. Beneath me, my legs gave way, and I fell face-first into the snow.

“This won’t work.” said the stallion. “Dearest?”

“Alright.” said the mare. “Thunderlane, your friend will be alright. He’ll be at the library, but you should probably go home, or wherever you were going.”

“Y-yes, your majesty.” said Thunderlane, backing away. He looked down at me. “S-see you later.” he said, his cheeks slightly red.

There was a flash of light, and the familiar feeling of teleportation magic. When our surroundings resolved themselves, we were inside the main room off the Ponyville library.

“North?” said Twilight, coming from around the statue of a horse’s head. She seemed didn’t seem surprised about the other two ponies. “What happened to you? Why do you have icicles in your feathers and mane?”

“We need to warm him up.” instructed the stallion. “Is the fire still lit?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

I felt myself being moved. I was laid down in front of the fireplace, which did indeed contain crackling red flames. The heat pouring off of it washed over me, defrosting my body and dulling the knives. I laid there for a while, until I felt I could move again. I sat up slowly, being careful so as to stay upright. A white hoof offered me a mug, which contained a steaming brown liquid. I accepted it, gratefully downing it after checking the temperature.

“You alright?” asked the stallion, taking the now-empty mug.

“I think so.”

“Can you move your wings?” I knew I couldn’t, but I tried again anyway. As expected, nothing.

“No. But I couldn’t move them anyway.”

“Why not?”

“Not a clue.” He nodded, taking the mug to the tree-house’s kitchen. While he was gone, Twilight came over. “Who is he?” I asked quietly.

“He’s my brother.” said Twilight. “Shining Armor.”

“And the other?”

“That’s Princess Cadence.” Princess? Where were Celestia and Luna? Shining Armor returned from the kitchen.

“Well,” he said, “who’s hungry?” I raised a hoof, and he laughed. “I’m on it.” He returned to the kitchen, and there soon came the sound of dishes and cupboards being moved and opened.

“Are you warm enough?” asked Princess Cadence. “Do you want a blanket?”

“No thank you.” I said. I didn’t bow, or even say ‘Your Majesty’. After knowing Celestia and Luna for over a year, I’d earned that right.

“Okay.” She didn’t object to my lack of reverence, but I was sure she’d noticed.

I stayed where I was, until Shining Armor called us. I stood, walking into the kitchen with the two alicorn mares. He’d set the table, so we all sat down. Shining Armor was directly in front of me, and the others sat down to my right and left. We began to eat. Twilight and Cadence both remarked on the good job he’d done. I remained silent, to busy thinking about the way Thunderlane had looked at me earlier.

“What do you think?” said Shining Armor, breaking my mental reverie. “Too much salt?”

“It’s fine.” I said simply.

“Do you like it?” he asked. Neither mare seemed to notice, but he was pouting… playfully?

“It’s good.” I said, taking another bite. He grinned, looking inexplicably happy with my comment.

Later on, I was listening to the mares talk about escapades Twilight had gotten into when she’d been younger. Cadence was her old foal-sitter, so they were laughing together about her antics. During one particularly hilarious story, I managed a grin. It was then, when I felt something brush against my hoof. I looked across the table at Shining Armor, whose expression was completely innocent. However, it happened again, and this time it was definitely a hoof.

He was playing hoofsie? With me?

I brushed back experimentally, trying to get a reaction out of him. So as to appear uninvolved, I returned my attention to the conversation. Our hooves brushed together for several minutes. I received another shock, when one time, his hoof didn’t pull away. Instead, it remained in prolonged contact with mine. I had to summon all of my willpower to avoid turning my head to face him. It was a close thing, and I was saved by a funny comment about Twilight and snakes.

After dinner, we returned to the living room. The conversation continued, this time about events in the Crystal Empire. Since when was that back? I didn’t ask, since my ignorance would definitely expose me.

“We’ll handle the dishes.” said Cadence, indicating herself and Twilight. “Why don’t you two get to know each other?” She and Twilight left, going into the kitchen.

“So,” said Shining Armor, “what do you get up to?”

“Not much.” I said. “I just… hang out.”

“Cool. Got a special somepony?”

“No.”

“Well… there’s something you should know.”

“What?”

He tilted his head up, his mouth next to my ear. “You’ve got a nice flank.”

I simultaneously turned red and jerked back. “W-What?” I said breathlessly.

“I said…” he whispered, putting a hoof on my leg. “You’ve got a nice flank.” His hoof started to travel upwards. I jumped off of the couch, backing away.

“Um… de… er…” I babbled incomprehensibly. “You…”

He followed me, backing me into a wall. He wasn’t any taller than me, but I felt really small. Faintly, I realized I’d slid down the wall.

“Why’re you doing this?” I asked.

“You’re really, really sexy.” he said, sticking his nose into my mane. He took a deep breath, and I tried to scoot sideways and escape. He caught me with his arms. I saw his face for a second, then he kissed me. I groaned, unwillingly enjoying the feeling. His ears were red, and his cheeks flushed. I pushed him off of me, slipping out from under his arms and backing away.

“You’re married!” I protested.

“This was her idea.” he said. “We thought you’d like it.”

“N-No… I-I don’t!”

“You sure?” he asked, getting so close I was forced to sit. “Because you certainly sounded like you did.”

“You kissed me! What was I supposed to do? Cough?!”

“Well.” he said, putting his hooves on my shoulders. He was really close, but I found myself… liking it. “You sure you don’t find me at all… attractive?”

I blushed even redder. “Well, I-I…”

“Your cheeks and ears are talking for you.” He kissed me again, just as passionately as the previous time. He drew away, his breath shaky.

“You want to take this upstairs?” he asked, rubbing my flank seductively.

“I-I want you to stop.” I said, removing his hoof. “I-It’s just…  wrong.”

“She’s okay with it.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s right! And I barely know you! We met three hours ago!”

“So?” he said, walking a hoof up my leg. I shivered, removing it.

“How can I do this if I don’t even trust you yet?” I asked. “And what reason have you given me too?”

He leaned forward and whispered something in my ear. Warmth flooded through my heart and mind, and I pounded on him. I pinned him to the ground with my hooves. He stared up at me, looking surprised by the sudden reversal of positions.

“Prove it.” I whispered. I had to be sure. He whispered a short, four word sentence in my ear.

And I kissed him.

___________________________________________

When the mares returned, Shining Armor and I were deep in conversation. He’d asked me about the old Royal Guard, so I was supplying him with all the details I could remember. He was fascinated with every bit of the information, occasionally asking questions about one aspect of life or another.  He thanked me for designing the armor, and especially for the identity-protection it provided.

“You two seem to be getting along.” said Twilight.

“Yeah.” said Shining Armor, ruffling my mane then wrapping an arm around me. “North’s a pretty cool guy.” My cheeks glowed faintly, as I remembered our make-out session.

“Well,” I said, removing his arm and standing, “it was nice meeting you two. But I should probably get back to Thunderlane’s house.”

“Must you?” asked Shining Armor, grinning suggestively.

“Yes.” I said, my cheeks growing warmer. “Bye.” He nodded, his wide smile making me uncomfortable. I walked to the door, which Cadence opened for me.

“Have a nice night?” she asked. It was definitely a question.

“Yes.” I said, not looking her in the eye. “The… conversation… was interesting.”

“Good night.” she said, closing the door to a crack. “Polaris.” The door closed, and I stared at it for a second. Then I started walking back to Thunderlane’s house.

___________________________________________

When I arrived, I knocked on the door. It was shortly answered by Rumble, who bowled me over. “You’re okay!” he shouted happily. “Thunderlane said you-”

“Rumble?” came Thunderlane’s voice. “Are you letting him in or attacking him?” He appeared in the doorway, and waved Rumble off of me. He helped me stand.

“You feeling better?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I said. I was happy to see him. “Loads.”

“Good!” He looked happy to see me too. “Let’s go inside.” I followed him in, Rumble running ahead of us.

“Come on Rumble!” he called after his brother. “You have to get a bath!”

“Need help?” I asked.

“If you’re up to it.”

I grinned, crouching down. “Let’s get ’im!”

We chased him all over the house, repeating the previous day’s events. He hid under Thunderlane’s bed again, and this time I checked to make sure Thunderlane wasn’t there. And yet, somehow, he turned up again.

“OWW!”

This time, our noses collided painfully. Both of us went limp against the floor, clutching our throbbing noses. In the dark twilight underneath the bed, his face seemed… different. He looked really nice. I pushed the thought aside, determined to catch that colt.

We finally cornered him, and went through the bathtime rituals. He again soaked us in a tidal wave, leaving both of us dripping. After we’d finished with him, Thunderlane and I got showered. He helped me with my wings again, but his touch seemed almost… hmm.

When we’d finished with that, he went to tuck Rumble in, and I went to my room.

___________________________________________

I laid awake for hours. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. But no matter what I did, I felt too full of energy. After one particularly exhausting and violent twist, I laid still, panting. I rubbed a hoof through my mane, trying to figure out why I couldn’t sleep. Behind me, the door opened.

“North?” said Thunderlane, walking quietly into the room. “You okay?”

“I can’t sleep.” I said wearily. “I just can’t get comfortable.”

There was a moment of silence, then the bed creaked behind me. I felt the bed sag slightly under a new source of weight. Then I felt something warm behind me. A careful hoof touched my back, moving up and down. I relaxed, letting Thunderlane rub my back. My eyelids grew heavy, his gentle massage relaxing my hyperactive mind.

“Good night, Thunderlane.” I whispered. Just before I drifted off, I heard his softly whispered reply.

“Good night, North.”

Chapter 11: A Kiss In The Rain (Part 1)

Chapter 11

When I woke the next morning, I could sense something warm on the bed behind me. I turned over carefully, so as to not disturb Thunderlane, who was still in the bed next to me. He was sleeping peacefully, one hoof curled against his chest, the other draped across his muzzle. I found myself thinking about how cute he looked like this, but I shoved that thought out of my mind.

I carefully got off of the bed, sneaking across the treacherously creaky floor. I opened the door slowly, and slipped out. Once I was downstairs, I glanced around, trying to figure out what to do with myself. I meandered into the living room, coming back to the picture of Thunderlane and the mare.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that the mare was a soft yellow color, reminiscent of Fluttershy. Her mane was auburn, draping over her shoulder. Behind the two of them, a cloudscape was visible, covered with cloud buildings of remarkable grace. Between some of the buildings, rainbow streams flowed out of the city. Was this Cloudsdale?

“That’s my mom.” said a quiet voice behind me. I turned to find Thunderlane, who was very much awake. His expression was carefully neutral, as his eyes flickered across his mother’s face. “She died three years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” I said, looking between him and the picture. “How…?”

“How did she die?” he finished for me, a flash of anger crossing his face. “My father, that’s how.” The anger faded, replaced by the neutral expression. “Her name was May Breeze.”

The name sent a shock through me. “C-come again?” I said, wanting to make sure I hadn’t misheard.

“May Breeze.” He repeated himself, looking lost in thought. “She was named after a distant ancestor.”

“Really?” I laughed nervously. “Did this ancestor live around the time of Nightmare Moon, by any chance?”

“Yes.” He regarded me, curiosity breaking through the emotionless mask. “Why?”

“Um…” I laughed again.

“Did you…” He raised an eyebrow. “Know her?

I nodded, recalling my friend. When I compared her face to Thunderlane’s mother’s, I could see the resemblance. They both had a similar sort of nose.

“You did?” He was now paying me rapt attention. “What was she like?”

“She was… fun.” I said quietly, running through my memories. “She was… a lot like you and Rainbow Dash, actually.”

“How?”

“She was cool. And she cared about others. She liked to help others out, even if she didn’t know them.”

“Like you?”

“Like me.” I whispered. “She was one of the first friends I made.”

We sat in silence for a minute, both lost in memory. Then Thunderlane cleared his throat loudly.

“If we shower now, we won’t have to worry about what Rumble’s doing. He’s still asleep.”

“Yeah.”

I followed him upstairs, still thinking about all the ponies I’d never see again. I let him start the shower, then I stepped into the stream of hot water. I sat down, and he followed immediately after me, flicking his wings slightly.

“Thunderlane?” I said, the previous day’s conversation coming back to me. “You said there was something we could try.” He snorted and coughed, having inhaled a large quantity of water through his nose.

“Well, um…” he said, looking a bit red. “There is… but… er…”

“What?” I glanced up at his ears, which were twitching between erect and flattened.

“I-I-I…” His ears were now pressed back. “Um… do you trust me?”

“I told you who I really am.” I said pointedly. “Of course I trust you.”

“Well…” He coughed again. “Then please, d-don’t take this the wrong way.”

He scooted closer, and started to lean over my shoulder. He was really close, and I could faintly smell the same scent as I’d detected the previous day, when he’d held me to warm me up. Then the door burst open, and Rumble walked in. Upon spotting us, he froze in place. Then, his ears flattened, he backed out slowly.

“We should finish up.” said Thunderlane blankly, sitting up straight. He didn’t say much the rest of the time we were in there, only speaking to ask me to pass him the soap.

When we’d finished, we dried off and went downstairs. Rumble didn’t say a word about what he’d seen, and Thunderlane seemed preoccupied.

___________________________________________

Over the next two days, the three of us hung out around Ponyville. It was the weekend, so all of the students were out of school. Thunderlane took us to a largish park, and we tossed the hoofball around. I’d never really been into sports, but I found myself enjoying the time spent with them. Rumble loved to talk about the Wonderbolts, telling me all about the different members. He’d never been to a show, but he was able to tell me all about the amazing tricks they did.

As time progressed, I kept wondering what Thunderlane had meant to do. He’d been really close to me. Whatever it was, he didn’t attempt it again. At night, Thunderlane would come in after Rumble was asleep, and rub my back. It helped me relax, and I had no problem sleeping.

___________________________________________

“Winter Wrap-up!” said Thunderlane happily, walking into the kitchen. “Let’s eat, so we can go help.”

“It’s today?” I asked, surprised. “I didn’t think it was so soon.”

“Well, it is.” He retrieved a bowl of oatmeal from the counter and sat across from me.

“I wish I could help the pegasus team.” I sighed, thinking of my useless wings.

“I know.” He took a bite out of his oatmeal, chewing slowly. “But there’s plenty to do down here on the ground.”

When we’d finished eating, we headed out. Rumble was at school again, as it was a Monday. School remained in session on Winter Wrap-Up, as a means of keeping the younger ponies out of the way. However, according to Thunderlane, Ms. Cheerilee probably wasn’t having them do much today.

We soon arrived at the town square (which is actually round), finding a large crowd was already present, waiting to begin. The sound of mixed conversations was incredibly loud, forcing me to take a step back.

“You alright?” asked Thunderlane, noticing my distress.

“I don’t like crowds.” I said, eyes flickering across the one before me. “But I’ll manage.”

He nodded, and we proceeded forward. After a few more minutes of waiting, the Mayor called for our attention.

“Thank you for coming!” she shouted over the crowd, bringing the few straggling conversations to an end. “With so many of us, and Twilight Sparkle’s help, I’m sure we can wrap up winter even faster than last year!”

The crowd cheered, and I covered my ears with my hooves to block out the noise. It was like having knives shoved down my ears. When I was sure they were quiet, I removed my hooves.

“You all know what you need to do!” said Twilight, stepping forward. “Same as last year! Your team captains are waiting for you. Applejack’s at Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie’s at the lake, Rainbow Dash-”

“Is right here!” said Rainbow Dash, landing next to Twilight with a dramatic thud.

“-and Fluttershy and Rarity are waiting next to Carousel Boutique!” Finished Twilight, pointing in the direction of the building. “So, let’s get to it!”

The crowd cheered again, and split up. The unicorns and earth ponies split into two groups, heading either for Sweet Apple Acres or Carousel Boutique. All of the pegasi followed Rainbow Dash upwards, except for me and Thunderlane.

“Come on.” he said, standing and walking towards Twilight. “We’ll find you something to do.”

I followed him over to Twilight, who was talking to the mayor. When she saw us approaching, she excused herself and came to meet us.

“Good morning.” she said, smiling brightly.

“Morning.” said Thunderlane. “Twilight, is there something North can do? He can’t exactly… you know…”

“Fly.” I finished for him.

“Sure.” she said. She thought for a second, then her face lit up. “He could go help out Fluttershy wake the animals. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”

“Thanks.” I said. “See you later Thunderlane.”

Before he could speak, however, Pinkie Pie popped up next to us. “Go with him!” she said, pointing at me.

“Why?” he said, staring at her.

“Pinkie Sense!” she shouted. I was acquainted with her ‘Pinkie Sense’ by now.

“Alright. Who am I to argue with that?”

Thunderlane and I made our way to Carousel Boutique, Pinkie watching us closely. I raised an eyebrow, and Thunderlane shook his head. Don’t even try.

When we arrived, the group of ponies that had been assigned to go here was mostly gone. A few remained, assisting Rarity with the making of nests for the birds. We walked up to her, just as she finished another masterpiece.

“Thunderlane.” she said cheerfully, not looking up from her project. “North. What’re you doing down here on the ground?”

“Um-” I started.

“Not you, North. I know why you aren’t. Thunderlane, I’m sure Rainbow Dash could use all the help she can get.”

“Pinkie Sense.” he said. This seemed to be enough explanation.

“Very well.” she said. “If you’re looking for Fluttershy, she and the others went that way.” She pointed to her left briefly, then returned that hoof to her latest construct.

“Thanks.”

Thunderlane and I found Fluttershy and her team in the woods, next to the path. They were waking up the animals, all speaking gently to their charges.

“Hello Thunderlane.” said Fluttershy as we approached. “North. Are you here to help us wake up the little sleepyheads?”

“Yes.” I said. “So… what do we do?”

“You just find a den.” She demonstrated. “And you let them know it’s time to get up.” She put her head a few inches into the largish hole she’d chosen. “Good morning little ones. It’s time to get up, spring is here.” She stepped back from the hole. A few seconds later, a couple bunnies hopped out, rubbing their little paws in their eyes.

“That’s all there is to it.” said Fluttershy, starting towards the next hole. “Let me know if you need something.”

“Will do.” said Thunderlane. “So… which hole, which hole?”

I approached another one of the dens. I leaned down in front of it, but my voice caught. I had absolutely no idea what to say.

“Er… Morning.” I said hesitantly. “Time to get up. Spring’s here.”

“Better get out of the way.” suggested Thunderlane. “So they can get out.”

I moved back, and a moment later, a few ferrets emerged from the den. I smiled happily, looking over at Thunderlane. He walked over to a den, leaning down.

“Hey, guys.” he said nervously. “Time to wake up.”

He yelped, jumping back. A snake was latched painfully onto his nose, and he was trying to push it off. I ran over, and helped him pry its jaws off of him. Thunderlane clutched at his nose, while I set the snake down.

“You slither along.” I said, shooing it with a hoof. It hissed, then began moving away. “You alright?” I asked, putting a hoof on Thunderlane’s shoulder.

“I’m fine.” he said, removing his hooves. There wasn’t any blood. “It didn’t bite hard, it just caught me by surprise.” He looked up, staring at me, and I stared back. I was fascinated by the golden irises. I jerked back, realizing how close we’d been.

“H-How about we don’t stick our noses in holes?”

“S-Sure.” he said, turning his head away from me. “Good idea.”

We continued to wake the “little sleepy heads”, proceeding slowly along the lines of dens. After a few minutes, I noticed that the others had started singing. I looked over at Thunderlane, who’d just woken a few foxes.

“What’re they singing?” I asked, glancing around at the singing mares and stallions.

“Oh,” he said, “it’s the Winter Wrap-Up song.” He grinned sheepishly. “Um… do… you want to sing along?”

“I don’t know the words.”

“You’ll figure it out.” He coughed a few times, then he started singing.

Three months of winter coolness, and awesome holidays

We've kept our hoofsies warm at home, time off from work to play~

But the food we've stored is running out, and we can't grow in this cold

A mare joined in.

And even though I love my boots, this fashion's getting old

I decided to give it a try.

The time has come to welcome Spring

And all things warm and green,

But it's also time to say goodbye:

It's Winter we must clean.

How can I help? I'm new, you see.

What does everypony do?

How do I fit in without wings?

I haven't got a clue!

Thunderlane joined in for the chorus.

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

Above us, a pegasus passed by.

Bringing home the southern birds,

A pegasus' job begins

In clearing all the gloomy skies

To let the sunshine in!

We move the clouds and we melt the white snow;

When the sun comes up, it's warmth and beauty will glow!

Chorus:

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

Winter Wrap-Up Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

I started singing again.

Little critters hibernate

Under the snow and ice.

We wake up all the sleepyheads

So quietly and nice!

We help them gather up their food,

Fix their homes below;

We welcome back the Southern birds

So their families can grow!

Chorus:

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

Me:

No easy task to clear the ground,

Plant our tiny seeds.

With proper care and sunshine,

Everyone it feeds.

Apples, carrots, celery stalks

Colorful flowers, too!

We must work so very hard,

It's just so much to do!

Chorus:

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

Me:

Now that I know what they all do,

I have to find my place

And help with all of my heart,

Tough task ahead I face.

How will I do without flight,

Help the earth pony way?

I wanna belong, so I must

Do my best today

Do my best today

Chorus:

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Let's finish our holiday cheer

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!

Thunderlane and I sang the last lines together.

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here

'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!

When we finished, Thunderlane was staring at me.

“You can definitely sing.” he said. He was blushing slightly.

“You too.” I said.

“Excuse me?” said a voice behind me. I turned, finding a cream mare with a pink and magenta mane. “Was that you singing?”

“Um… yeah?”

“You have a nice voice.” she said. “When we’re done… would you like to… go out with me?” She smiled hopefully.

“Um…” I glanced around, trying to find an escape. It came in an unexpected (and unwanted) form.

“Of course he doesn’t.” said an all too familiar voice. I turned around, and found the stallion who’d attacked me the day I’d met Caramel. “He’s a coltcuddler.”

“Are you?” she asked, looking back at me. I didn’t answer. I’d never really thought about it before, I hadn’t cared about it that much.

“Where’s your coltfriend?” said the stallion. “Did you break up?” He pouted for a second, then his smirk returned.

“Yeah.” I said defiantly. “But I’m okay with that.” I returned my attention to the mare. “What’s you’re name?”

“Roseluck.” she said.

“Well, Roseluck,” I said, using my most suave voice, “I’d love to spend an evening with such a lovely mare.”

“Great!” she said, grinning. “I’ll meet you by the fountain near Sugarcube Corner.”

“See you then.” I said, grinning back. She walked off, and I turned on the stallion. When I spoke, my voice was dangerously quiet “Go. Now.”

He walked off, still smirking. I growled, moving off to the next burrow.

___________________________________________

Thunderlane was helping North get ready for his date. He straightened North’s bow tie, eliciting a smile from the white stallion.

“Thanks.” he said, touching the bow tie lightly. “Are you sure you don’t mind-?”

“You earned it.” said Thunderlane. They were both referring to the bits Thunderlane had given North. Thunderlane escorted him to the front door, opening it for him.

“You smell nice.” Commented North randomly.

“Er… thanks.” said Thunderlane. “Um… you too.”

“See you later.” said North, stepping outside. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

North started off to meet his date, and Thunderlane closed the door. He sat down, staring at the wood like he hoped to find the secrets of life embedded in the dark whorls. He was experiencing a strange feeling, like his heart was being crushed.

___________________________________________

I returned to Thunderlane’s house, having concluded my date with Roseluck. She was a nice mare, and we’d enjoyed a dinner at one of the better restaurants. It had gone well, but in the end, we’d decided on ‘just friends’. Thunderlane took a strangely short amount of time to answer the door, only a few seconds after I’d knocked.

“How’d it go?” he asked, as I stepped inside.

“It was alright.” I said, loosening my bowtie slightly. “But we decided to just be friends.”

“Really?” He seemed strangely happy to hear this answer. He regained control over his expression quickly, returning it to neutrality. There came a small crash from upstairs. “Rumble’s home.” He explained.

“I have an idea.” I said, looking back at the door. “Why don’t we take him to the library? He likes to read, yes?”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” He turned to face the stairs. “Rumble!”

“Yeah?” said Rumble, who appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Want to go to the library, buddy?”

“Yes!” shouted Rumble, running down the stairs. “Let’s go!”

___________________________________________

We were walking back to the house, having just finished our visit the library. We’d browsed through the books, and Rumble had found several to check out, which were larger than I’d expected of him. Shining Armor and Cadence had still been there, visiting with Twilight and her friends. Shining Armor had taken me aside, and apologized for being so forceful and abrupt a few days earlier. I blushed bright red during the entire conversation, but I accepted the apology. He asked me if I wanted to hang out some time, and I agreed, on the condition that he didn't do anything like he had without my permission. Ahead of us, Rumble was splashing in the muddy puddles left from the day’s snowmelt. Above, the clouds were dark. According to Thunderlane, it would soon rain.

“Somepony’s going to need a bath.” I commented.

“Yes, he is.” said Thunderlane. “That’s going to be so much fun.” He added sarcastically.

I laughed. “Think you’ll need reinforcements?”

“Probably. You offering?”

“Maybe.”

When we’d reached the house, I helped Thunderlane get Rumble into his bath. He led us on another wild goose chase, but we managed to not smash our heads together under any beds.

“Thunderlane?” I said.

“Yes?” he said, spitting out some of the bubbles Rumble had sent up his nose.

“I’m going to go for a walk, okay?”

“Sure.” he said, forcing Rumble to sit still while he scrubbed his mane. “Try to be back soon, though.”

“Okay.”

I left the house, and started down the road. Above, the dark clouds loomed closer than before. I made my way to the now grassy park where we’d been playing hoofball. I took a deep breath, trying to relax. Although I hadn’t mentioned it, Sombra’s dark presence had been haunting me nearly all day. Now it was growing stronger, and every step I took was more difficult than the last. Finally, I came to a stop, unable to continue forward. I sat down, and above me, the clouds finally let their cold rain come pouring down. I stayed there for what seemed an eternity, waging a fierce war in my mind. The horrible shadows were pressing in around me, driving my thoughts to dark and lonely places.

“North!”

I heard the faint call through the dark haze. I looked up, and saw Thunderlane standing in front of me. He was soaked, and I was faintly aware that I must be as well.

“What?” I whispered, struggling to pierce the shadow.

“Why didn’t you come back?”

“I don’t know.” I said, looking back down at my hooves.

Thunderlane stepped closer. “North, what’s wrong?”

“I… I feel so alone…”

“Why?”

“I don’t know… I just… I just want to be…” It took me a minute to settle on the right word. “Loved…”

“Well…” I looked up again, to see him blushing.

“What?”

“Um… I-I… w-well…”

He growled, looking annoyed at his indecision. He used his hooves to lift my head so I was facing him. He wrapped one arm around my back, the other behind my neck. Then he pulled me forward and pressed his lips against mine. He was kissing me in a way I’d never experienced. He was leaning me back, his head tilted to the side. The rain fell around us, washing down through our manes, coats, and feathers. His eyes were closed, and after a moment, I did the same. I felt his tongue enter my mouth, and I probed back, our tongues wrestling against one another. He explored my mouth, and I did the same with him. The taste, the feeling, all of it overwhelmed me.

After what felt like an eternity, we drew apart. A trace of saliva hung between us, some of it also running down my jaw. I ignored it, just staring at him with a combination of disbelief and fascination. He was struggling to look at me, his cheeks still red. He forced himself to look up, his golden eyes focused directly on me, his gaze steady.

“Well…” he whispered, barely even audible. “Well… I… I love you.”

Chapter 12: A Kiss In The Rain (Part 2)

Chapter 12

North stared at him, unmoving in Thunderlane’s arms. He was silent so long, Thunderlane started to worry. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? Will he hate me? What then? What do I do? North was silent for a while longer. Then he spoke, looking down at his hooves.

“Why would you love me?” he asked quietly, ears flattened.

“There are so many reasons.” said Thunderlane.

North looked up, expression blank. “Like?”

Thunderlane took a deep breath. “Well… North… I love you because you were so kind to Rumble, even though you had every reason and opportunity to get mad at him.”

North said nothing, his blank gaze remaining fixed on Thunderlane.

Encouraged by North’s silent attentiveness, he continued. “I love you, because you understand how much he means to me. I love you, because you trusted me, and told me who you really are. I love you, because you were willing to accept my help, despite how embarrassing it was to have us both in the shower. I love you because helped that mare, even though you could’ve died in that water.” His voice broke on the word ‘died’, his chest filled with a sharp pain when he remembered how close he’d come to losing his friend.

He brushed his nose against North’s. “I love it when you sing. I love it when you smile. I love you because you played hoofball with me and Rumble, even though you hate the game with passion.”

Thunderlane hugged North tightly, wings and all, shielding him from the cold rain. “I love you, North, because of who you are.” he whispered into North’s wet mane, brushing the back of his head. And he knew it was true. His heart blazed with heat and light, warming up his entire body from his chest to the tips of his hooves and ears. It chased away the pain, and the hurt, and the soreness of the day’s work.

He heard North speaking faintly, feeling the whisper of air against his chest. He looked down, and now he could hear North singing softly and shakily. He listened intently, recognizing the song.

Perhaps I had a wicked childhood

Perhaps I had a miserable youth

But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past

There must have been a moment of truth

North hesitated a moment, before proceeding to the next lines.

For here you are, standing there, l-loving me

Whether or not you should

So somewhere in my youth or childhood

I must have done something good

A single crystal tear fell from North’s eyes.

N-Nothing comes from nothing

Nothing ever could

So somewhere in my youth or childhood

I must have done something good

Thunderlane recognized his cue, singing the lines softly. He understood what North was doing now.

For here you are, standing there, loving me

Whether or not you should

North picked up again.

So somewhere in my youth or childhood

I must have done something good

They joined their voices together.

Nothing comes from nothing

Nothing ever could

North had straightened up, his crystal blue eyes flickering between Thunderlane’s dusty gold irises.

So somewhere in my youth

Thunderlane felt himself slowly drawing closer to North.

Or childhood

North was so close.

I must have done something…

They finished together, barely more than a breath of air passing between their lips as they drew together.

Something… good.

North hesitated a brief moment. Then, his breath coming in short bursts, he pressed his lips gently against Thunderlane’s. Unlike the previous kiss, this one was gentle, full of meaning. His lips were soft, and his body warm. For a long, drawn-out moment, they remained in contact. Then, slowly, North removed his lips, and put a hoof on Thunderlane’s chest, which Thunderlane grasped with one of his own. North shivered as a chill wind struck up around them. Thunderlane adjusted his wings, deflecting the cold away from them. North rested his head on Thunderlane’s shoulder, who smiled, resting his chin on North’s head. There was a fire in his chest now, burning brightly like a shield against the wet, frigid air.

“How’re we going to explain to Rumble?” asked North, mumbling into Thunderlane’s coat, tickling his fur. Thunderlane’s eyes dilated slightly, and he laughed nervously.

“You have no idea.”

“None.” said Thunderlane. “I don’t know how he’ll take it.”

“Well.” North straightened up, looking him in the eyes. “No time like the present?”

“We’ll see. Depends on what kind of mood he’s in.”

“He’s got those books from the library, right? He’ll probably be reading happily when we get back.”

“Speaking of which-” said Thunderlane, letting go of North’s hoof and standing. “We’d better get going. You’re soaking wet.”

“Hark who’s talking.” said North, who stood as well. He ruffled Thunderlane’s mane playfully. “You’re not exactly the Sahara yourself.”

Thunderlane laughed. “Come on, then.”

Together, they began the journey back to Thunderlane’s house. After a minute, Thunderlane noticed that North, despite his attempts to conceal it, was still shivering violently. Thunderlane sidled closer, and extended his wing invitingly. North eyed him nervously, then shrugged, and let Thunderlane slip his dark wing over and around him. He pressed his side against Thunderlane’s, soaking up his warmth.

Their coats rubbed gently as they walked forward. Thunderlane could feel North’s strong muscles flexing under his smooth white coat. He was surprised when North leaned over and rubbed his head against his neck. Hesitantly, he brushed his chin against the top of North’s head. North pushed back gently, and the warm spot in Thunderlane’s chest hummed.

It was this point when Twilight showed up. She walked around the corner, umbrella suspended over her head by her pink magic. Everyone came to a stop, Alicorn mare on one side, two pegasi stallions on the other. Thunderlane removed his wing from North, who’d tensed at the sight of another pony.

“What’re you two doing?” asked Twilight, breaking the awkward silence.

“Well, er…” North mumbled.

“I can walk next to my Special Somepony if I want.” said Thunderlane defensively.

“Special Somepony?” said Twilight and North together. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but North was grinning happily.

Thunderlane put his wing back around North. “Yeah.”

“I’m certainly happy for you.” she said, smiling, alleviating any fears the two stallions had. “But how are you going to explain this to Rumble?”

“Not sure.” Thunderlane glanced over at North. “We need to see what kind of mood he’s in first.”

“Well, good luck.” She raised a hoof in farewell, then went on her way.

“Thanks.”

“Let’s go, ‘Lane.” said North, nuzzling Thunderlane’s neck affectionately.

Thunderlane returned the gesture, brushing North’s mane lightly. “Sure.”

It didn’t take long for them to return to the house. They hurried inside, grateful to be out of the cold rain. Both of them were dripping, so Thunderlane ran upstairs to get a towel. He returned, and tossed one to North, who caught it and started drying off.

“Wait a second.” he said. “Why’re we doing this… if we’re just going to shower anyway?”

Thunderlane laughed. “Good point. Come on.”

Once they were in the shower, Thunderlane gently lathered up North’s wings. North sighed, surrendering to Thunderlane’s capable hooves. After rinsing his feathers out, Thunderlane decided to try something. He picked up the washcloth, and started scrubbing North’s back. North jumped, looking back at him in surprise.

“What’re you doing?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“I’m washing your back.” Thunderlane said, rubbing away at his shoulders. “Why?”

“You know I can do that, right?”

“Yeah.”

Thunderlane didn’t relent, moving his washcloth up to North’s neck. North didn’t interfere, not until Thunderlane’s hooves began to drift downward.

“I’ll do that.” he said, cheeks glowing red. “Okay?”

Thunderlane grinned sheepishly, turning away and taking care of himself. When they’d finished, North turned the water off, and climbed out of the tub. They dried off, and exited.

“Rumble now?” North asked, looking down the hallway. The light in Rumble’s room was still on.

“I want to see how he is first.” said Thunderlane, edging down to the cracked door.

He peeked inside. Rumble was laying on his back, absorbed by the book in his hooves. Thunderlane pushed the door open, and stepped in. He could feel North’s eyes on him as he walked up to Rumble’s bed.

“Hey, buddy.” he said, sitting down next to the bed. “I’m back.”

Rumble jerked, head spinning to face Thunderlane. His attention diverted from the book, his expression regained it’ usual youthful happiness.

“Did you find North?” he asked. “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine, buddy.” Thunderlane glanced back at the door. “Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What?” said Rumble, sitting up.

“Well…” Thunderlane sighed. I have absolutely no idea how to say this. He decided to stall for time. “Do you like North?”

Rumble nodded vigorously. “He’s really cool.”

Thunderlane could practically feel the grin on North’s face from the other side of door. “That’s cool buddy. Because, well…” He looked over at the door. “North?”

“Yeah?” said North, poking his head into the room.

“Could you come here?”

North nodded, and walked in. He took a seat next to Thunderlane, who fought against the urge/need/desire to put his wing around him and hold him close. Not yet.

“Rumble.” said North. “How would you feel if… er… Thunderlane and I were…”

“Were what?” asked Rumble, tilting his head.

“T-Together.” said Thunderlane.

“What do you mean? Together how?”

Before Thunderlane could answer, North caught his lips with his own. And howwill this help?

“T-That kind of together.” said Thunderlane, staring at North, raising an eyebrow. How does that help?

North blinked, raising an eyebrow for a second and shrugging. He knows now.

Thunderlane returned his gaze to Rumble, who was staring open-mouthed. Then his expression morphed from one of shock to a giant grin.

“You two… like each other?” he asked, shivering with anticipation.

“Yeah.”

“Now I’ve got two brothers!” he shouted, jumping up and down on his bed.

“Something like that.” said Thunderlane, who was relieved that Rumble was taking it this way. “So… you don’t mind?”

“Mind? Why would I mind!” He jumped off of his bed, tackling North. He hugged him tightly around his neck.

“Rumble!” North choked out. “Air!”

Rumble let him go, beaming. North sat up, then picked Rumble up and set him on the bed.

“Well Rumble, it’s time for lights-out.” said Thunderlane.

“Okay.” said Rumble, who suddenly had an evil grin. “You two have fun.”

“Rumble!” Thunderlane scolded, glancing over at North, who’d turned a deep shade of red.

“Go on!” said Rumble, shooing them.

North stood, and walked out of the room. Thunderlane shot Rumble a final look, then turned off his lamp and left. He found North downstairs, staring into space.

“Are you alright?” he asked, sitting down next to him.

“Sure.” said North.

“North?” Thunderlane leaned down. “Is it what he said?”

“What do you mean?” said North. “The sexual allusion?”

“Um… yeah?”

“Yes. Well… sort of.”

“Sort of?”

North changed the subject. “How does he even know about that sort of thing?”

“That’s an excellent question.”

North sighed. “He probably read about it.”

“Hmm…” Thunderlane nuzzled North’s neck, and managed to get him to smile. “Well…”

He wrapped a wing around North’s back, kissing him lightly on the cheek. “How about you and I go to bed?”

North gave him a quizzical look. “Not like that.” he added, realizing how it had sounded. “Just to… wind down.”

“Sure.” North followed him upstairs.

“Your room or mine?” asked Thunderlane, looking between the two doors.

“Seeing as I’ve banged my head against yours under your bed,” said North, an amused grin now present on his face, “I think I deserve to see what the top of it looks like.”

Thunderlane laughed. “Alright then.”

He opened the door for North, allowing him to pass by. Thunderlane’s room wasn’t much, just the necessities. Bed, wooden dresser, and small table next to the bed with a lamp on it. The bed was neatly made, and everything seemed to have a place. Thunderlane didn’t spend much time in his room, so he’d never felt the need to decorate it.

“This is nice.” said North, brushing the top of the dresser.

“It’s alright.” said Thunderlane, turning down the covers of the bed. “I don’t do much in here, other than sleep.”

“Well…” North climbed onto the bed and sat. “You’re not alone tonight.”

Thunderlane took a seat next to him, examining his face. Now that they were by themselves, he looked very tired.

“Are you alright?” he asked, nudging a hoof against North’s.

“It’s been a really long day.” North closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

“Yeah.” Thunderlane rubbed his nose, where the snake had bitten him. It still hurt a bit.

“Thunderlane?”

“Hmm?”

“Did… did you mean what you said earlier?” North was watching him now, regarding him with a worried expression.

“Yes.” Thunderlane said, brushing his wing against North’s. “Every word.”

North nodded, and he seemed to relax. There was an awkward silence, extending for several seconds. Thunderlane broke it by turning off the light, and lying down, patting the bed next to him. North laid down, cuddling against his chest. Thunderlane was aware that, in his relationship with Caramel, North had been decidedly the more dominant of the two. However, he seemed to have no problem with letting Thunderlane take charge… right now, anyway. He didn’t expect North to be completely submissive to him, given his background. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

After pulling the blankets over them, he wrapped one of his wings over North, who was playing with the longer tuft of fur on Thunderlane’s chest.

“Good night, ‘Lane.” North whispered, his hoof coming to a stop.

“‘Night.” Thunderlane whispered, stroking a hoof through North’s mane.

They both slept better than they had in ages.

___________________________________________

The Tardis

___________________________________________

The Doctor wasn’t any better off than he’d been for the last month. He was sitting in front of the consoles, head resting on them. He sighed depressingly, staring at his sonic screwdriver.

“How much longer?” he asked, his voice unusually close to a whine.

The Tardis beeped out a reply, and he groaned.

“Really?”

The Tardis confirmed its answer, and the Doctor growled. He removed his head from the consoles, and rolled over onto the floor.

“You know what I need?” he said, sitting up quickly. “A vacation. I’m going on a vacation.”

He stood and ran around the consoles, pulling and pushing levers and pressing buttons, seemingly at random.

“Allons-y!” he shouted, flipping the last switch and propelling the Tardis onward.

Chapter 13: The First Day

Chapter 13

When Thunderlane woke, North was still asleep. His head lay on Thunderlane’s shoulder, the sound of his breathing soft in Thunderlane’s ear. He smiled, nuzzling into North’s dark blue mane. He closed his eyes, enjoying North’s warmth and closeness. Their fur brushed together gently, in a soothing way. He stayed that way for a while, reveling in the warmth blossoming in his chest like a miniature sun.

Then his clock beeped several times, signalling the change in hour with an impatient blare. He sighed, wishing he didn’t have to get up. But he needed to take Rumble to school, then help Rainbow Dash set up the day’s weather. Carefully, he disentangled himself from North’s embrace. North didn’t stir, probably exhausted from the previous day. After carefully tucking him back in, Thunderlane went to wake up Rumble. He opened the door to Rumble’s room, and walked in quietly.

“Time to wake up, buddy.” he said quietly, shaking Rumble’s shoulder. “You need to get ready for school.”

Rumble groaned, rolling over. “Five more minutes?” he asked, giving Thunderlane a pitiful look.

“Sorry, buddy.” Thunderlane pulled the covers off of Rumble. “Not today.”

Rumble sighed, stretching out his limbs. He rolled off the bed, yawning widely, before proceeding to the bathroom. Thunderlane helped him get ready, making a quick batch of oats for breakfast. While Rumble went to find his saddlebags, he scribbled down a note for North.

North,

Taking Rumble to school. Also going to help Rainbow Dash with today’s weather. I’ll be back by this afternoon.

Love,

Thunderlane

He pinned it to the refrigerator with a magnet, just as Rumble trotted back into the kitchen.

“Ready.” he said, putting his saddlebags on the ground. Thunderlane picked them up, and helped him put them on.

“There you go.” he said. “You’re sure you’ve got everything?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.” Thunderlane walked into the hallway, Rumble following behind him.

“What about North?” asked Rumble.

“I left him a note on the fridge.”

“Won’t he miss you?” Rumble persisted, as Thunderlane pushed open the front door. They stepped outside, and he shut the door behind them.

“He’ll be fine.” At least, that was what he hoped.

As they passed through town, Thunderlane spied Pinkie Pie and Twilight trotting together towards Carousel Boutique. There was nothing unusual about that, since they frequented Rarity's shop. As they crossed the stream, Thunderlane remembered how terrified he’d been when he’d seen North go under. He remembered plunging his hooves into the freezing water, and dragging North out, straining his wings as he carried him to the bank. Wrapping his wings around him in a desperate attempt to warm him up. Shivering, slightly, he tore his gaze away from the calmly flowing water.

When they’d reached the school, Thunderlane again waited until Miss Cheerilee took over the crowd of rowdy colts and fillies before leaving. He launched himself upward with one swift flap of his wings, taking to the air with practiced ease. He flew around Ponyville, destroying any extra clouds Cloudsdale had sent, and removing any rogues that may have floated in from the Everfree forest. Today was supposed to be sunny, so he was going to make sure it stayed that way.

He liked his job, especially because it gave him plenty of time to fly. He’d gone to the Wonderbolt Academy at the same time as Rainbow Dash, though his performance definitely hadn’t been as spectacular as hers. Taking out another cloud with a swift kick from his back hooves, he looked around for his next target. Spitfire had made him a lead pony, so that must’ve meant something, right? He spotted a cloud, drifting over the eastern part of Ponyville. He sped towards it, and blasted through it. The cloud broke apart, the smaller pieces losing coherence, and he moved on with the rest of the day’s work.

___________________________________________

When he’d finished, he flew back to his house. He opened the door, and walked in.

“North?” he called, looking around for his coltfriend. It felt strangely nice to be able to use that word. A sort of warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.

“Yes?” asked North, whose voice came from the living room.

“Sorry I had to leave so early.” he said. “You alright?” He walked into the living room. North was curled up on the couch, staring at the picture of Thunderlane and his mother.

“I’m fine.” North sat up, redirecting his gaze onto Thunderlane. He smiled genially. “Just thinking. How was work?”

“Easier than usual.” said Thunderlane, glancing over at the picture. “There weren’t that many clouds to take care of today.”

He sat down next to North, who was now regarding him with a serious expression. When Thunderlane tried to wrap a wing around him, North held up a hoof to stop him.

“Thunderlane.” he said, eyes locked onto Thunderlane’s. “Before we go any further… I need to know.”

“Know what?”

“What happened?” he asked, taking Thunderlane’s hoof up in his own, squeezing it slightly. “If your father is still alive… why isn’t he here?”

“I… I don’t want to talk about that.” Thunderlane avoided North’s eyes.

“Don’t you think it’s better if you tell me the truth now? Instead of me finding out on my own or jumping to the wrong conclusions?”

Thunderlane sighed. “You’re right.”

“So, will you tell me?”

Thunderlane nodded. “Yes. But make yourself comfortable. It’s a long story.”

__________________________________________

When I was little, about Rumble’s age, everything was fine. We were a happy family then. We lived in Cloudsdale. Mom had just had Rumble, and I was excited about having a new brother. When they came home from the hospital, he was so small. I loved him right from that moment, like a brother should. My dad was so proud. We were happy for a while, several years…

But then Mom started getting sick. She’d barely get over one thing, when she got hit by another. It went on for a long time, until… until she got really sick. The kind of sick that doesn’t get better.

___________________________________________

“Where’s mom?” asked Thunderlane, as his father walked in.

“She’s not coming home tonight.” his father snapped, stalking past him. Thunderlane jerked back, surprised. His father had never acted this way.

“When is she coming home?” he asked, trotting after his father.

“She’s not!” his father yelled. “She’s never coming back!”

Thunderlane drew away. His father never shouted like this.

“Why not?” he asked tentatively.

“She’s gone.” his father moaned, collapsing onto their couch. “Gone.”

“Where’s she gone?”

“She’s dead, colt!” his father roared, jumping down from the couch. He advanced on Thunderlane, his face contorted with rage “Dead!”

“D-Dead?” asked Thunderlane, who felt a terrible sensation in his chest. Like something was breaking.

“Can’t you hear me, colt?!” His father struck him across the head, knocking him to the floor. A piercing pain lanced through Thunderlane’s right ear. “D-E-A-D dead!”

Thunderlane whimpered, scrambling to his hooves and running upstairs. His father’s voice followed him up the stairs. He screaming at him for his stupidity, for the stupidity of the world, for the injustice of the universe. Thunderlane scrambled into his room, shutting the door behind him. He curled up on his bed, trying to hide from the pain in his heart and his head.

___________________________________________

I didn’t know at the time, but he was drunk. Dad still went to work, but he always came home drunk and angry. He took it out on me, always on me. I did everything I could to keep Rumble out of the way, so he never knew what was going on with Dad. I knew I had keep them away from each other.

When he found out about the games I’d play with Rumble, he was so angry. He yelled at me, telling me I was an idiot for giving Rumble something to believe in. He told me the world wasn’t fair. He beat me harder than usual that night. It took several weeks for all of the bruises to heal. When my friends asked about them, I told them I’d crashed into a cloud-house.

Finally, it was just too much. He got so unbearable, that I just had to leave. But I couldn’t abandon Rumble. I waited until I was old enough to get a job, then I took Rumble and left. I brought him here, to Ponyville. Caramel took us in, and he let us stay with him until I managed to get us our own house.

___________________________________________

After he’d finished his story, Thunderlane touched his right ear. He could barely hear out of it, and it still hurt sometimes, a lasting memory of his father’s abuse. He felt North’s hoof cover his, and looked up. North looked concerned, and there were a few tears in his eyes. Not the kind that fall, just the ones that stay there, making it hard to see.

“I can barely hear out of this ear.” he explained. “It still hurts once in a while.”

“But that’s not the worst of it, is it?” asked North.

“No.” Thunderlane slipped off the couch. He lifted his left wing, showing North a jagged scar underneath. “He threw a glass bottle at me.”

North pushed himself off the couch, sitting down next to Thunderlane. He touched Thunderlane’s side, his touch light, looking up at him.

“Does it hurt?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.” Thunderlane shivered, remembering the day it had happened. It had been really hard to explain it away when his friends had asked him about it.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Mm-hmm.” Thunderlane sat, looking over his shoulder at the picture. “I miss her.”

North wrapped his arm around him, and nuzzled his cheek. “I understand.”

Thunderlane put his wing around North. “You would.”

North stared into space, his ears laid back. “There are so many friends I’ll never see again.”

“If the Doctor brought you here, why can’t he take you back?”

“Because he’d be crossing back over my personal timeline, as well as his own. We’d be trapped there forever.” He kissed Thunderlane on the cheek. “And I don’t want that.”

He leaned into Thunderlane’s shoulder, letting him embrace him. North rubbed his head against Thunderlane’s neck, making the warm spot in his chest glow brighter. He pressed his muzzle into North’s mane, breathing in deeply. They remained thus, until Thunderlane loosened his grip.

“Time to pick Rumble up from school.” he said. “You coming with?”

“Of course.”

Thunderlane stood, then took North’s hoof and pulled him upright. Their chests brushed together for a moment, before they turned and walked to the door. North opened the door for Thunderlane, who smiled, and thanked him. They walked slowly, enjoying the fresh spring air. Rainbow Dash flew past overhead at high speed, rainbow trail following behind. Thunderlane looked over at North, whose eyes followed her across the sky.

“I wish I could fly.” he said sadly.

“I know.” said Thunderlane.

“What were you going to do?” asked North, now turning his attention to the path in front of them. “You said there was something you could try.”

“There is. But it’s not something I think you want me to do in public.”

North raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“I’ll try later, when we get home. Alright?”

“Sounds good.”

They crossed the bridge quickly, neither of them having any desire to stick around the place. When they reached the bright red schoolhouse, the students weren’t out yet, so they sat down on the grass outside the door to wait. North leaned over the flowerbeds, prodding around with a hoof.

“What’re you doing?” asked Thunderlane curiously, looking over North’s shoulder.

“Come here, you.” muttered North, who now had both hooves in the plants. “Gotcha!”

“Got what?”

North turned, lifting a hoof. Perched on it was a very grumpy looking bluebird. It’s wings weren’t that big yet, so it must have been a chick.

“What are you doing out of your nest?” asked North.

The bird twittered back, flapping its wings a few times.

“Well, you should’ve known better. And don’t look at me like that.”

“What are you doing?” asked Thunderlane.

“I’m talking to a bird.” said North. “Is that unusual?”

“A bit.”

“Hmm.” North returned his attention to the bird. “Where’s your nest?”

The bird twittered and chirped, and North looked over at a nearby tree.

“That one?”

He must have received an affirmative, because he stood and put the bird on his back. He walked over to the tree, and looked up the trunk. He sighed, and looked back at the bird.

“I can’t reach that high.”

The bird chirped questioningly.

“I can’t fly. My wings can’t move.”

The bird twittered.

“That’s nice of you. I just wish I could help you.”

The bird chirped, and both it and North looked over at Thunderlane.

“Thunderlane? Could you please return this bird to its nest?”

“Sure.”

Thunderlane walked over, and let the bird hop onto his back, its scratchy little talons gripping him slightly. He lifted his wings and took off, flying carefully upwards until he reached the nest. He landed on one of the stronger branches, and the bird hopped back into its nest. It turned and chirped at him.

“She says thank you.” said North.

“You’re welcome.” said Thunderlane, flying back down to the ground. As he touched down on the grass, the school bell rang, and the door opened, releasing a flood of colts and fillies. Rumble was among the last to exit. He looked around, and spotting them, ran over. “Hey, buddy. How was school?”

“Great!” said Rumble excitedly, hugging his brother. “I did really well on my math test!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” Rumble reached into his saddlebags, and pulled out sheet of paper. Written on the top, in bright red, was: ‘A+’.

“Good job!” Thunderlane ruffled his little brother’s dark mane playfully. “Keep it up!”

Rumble put the paper back into his saddlebags, then looked up at North, who’d been watching the ongoing conversation with a small smile.

“Hi.” said North, after Rumble had been staring at him for a full minute.

“Can I hug you?” asked Rumble, still staring at him.

“Um…” North looked confused. “Sure?”

Rumble wrapped his arms around North, who still looked utterly baffled. Then he put an arm around Rumble.

“Thanks?” said North, when Rumble had let go.

Rumble beamed. “You’re welcome!”

“Come on buddy.” said Thunderlane. “Let’s get you home.”

“Okay.”

Rumble and North took up positions on either side of Thunderlane, both following him down the dirt path. North looked lost in thought, but he still managed to duck a grinning Pinkie Pie, who leap-frogged over his head, and continued beyond them in the direction of the schoolhouse.

“Wonder what she’s up to.” said Thunderlane, watching her knock on the school’s door. It was answered by Cheerilee, who waved her in, then closed the door behind her.

“Whatever it is,” said North absentmindedly, “I have absolutely no doubt we’ll find out one way or another.”

“Yeah.” Thunderlane laid a wing over North, who snapped out of his dazed state.

“You don’t mind, do you?” asked Thunderlane. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t do it in public.”

“It’s fine.” said North, who snuggled closer to him. “It just surprised me.”

When they’d made it across the bridge, and were passing through town, Twilight caught up to them.

“Hey guys.” she said, falling into step next to them. “Where you headed?”

“Right now?” said Thunderlane “Home.”

“Do you have anything planned for later?”

“Not especially. Why?”

Before she could answer, the CMC ran up.

“Hey, Rumble!” said Scootaloo. “Can you come hang out?”

“Can I?” asked Rumble, looking up at Thunderlane and North.

“How much homework do you have?” asked Thunderlane.

“Not much.”

“We could work on it together.” suggested Applebloom. “That way, we’ll all be done sooner.”

“Like a study group.” said Twilight.

“Yeah.”

“Can I go?” asked Rumble, looking back at his brother.

“Sure.” said Thunderlane. “Just make sure you do your homework, okay?”

“Okay!” Rumble and the CMC ran off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

“So, are you guys free later?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t see why not.” said North. “You didn’t have anything planned, did you ‘Lane?”

“No.” said Thunderlane. “It looks like we’re free.”

“Great!” said Twilight. “Could you guys come to Sugarcube Corner in an hour?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks!” she said, heading away from them. “See you later.”

“Bye.” said North, watching her go. He looked over at Thunderlane. “So, what should we do while we wait?”

“Want to take a walk, now that it’s not freezing outside?”

North grinned. “I’d love to.”

They took a nice walk through the park. In the absence of snow, it was more about enjoying each other’s company then trying to plow through knee-high drifts. Thunderlane took full advantage of this, taking North to the small pond that lay within the borders of the park.

“This is beautiful.” said North happily, stepping up to the edge. A flotilla of ducks - or a raft of ducks, if you want to get all technical - swam past, quacking merrily. Lily pads adorned the edges of the pond, white flowers just beginning to blossom. Several bushes near the edge were covered in sweet smelling flowers. “Do you come here often?”

“Not as often as I’d like.” said Thunderlane.

Two of the aforementioned ducks changed course, heading towards them. They stepped onto the bank, shaking their webbed feet to rid them of water. One of them looked up at North, and quacked.

“I wouldn’t know.” said North. “I don’t really have much expertise on that subject.”

Quack quack.

“Well, I could go ask her, if you’d like.”

Quack.

“You’re welcome.”

“What was that about?” asked Thunderlane, as North rejoined him.

“Their looking for a place to build their nest, and they were asking my advice.”

“So that’s what you were talking about.”

“Yeah. But they suggested I go talk to Fluttershy. You don’t mind if we drop by her place, do you?”

“It’s alright.” said Thunderlane. “Do you actually know where her house is?”

“No. I guess I’ll have to ask around.”

“You don’t need to go anywhere. I know where she lives.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. She lives on the edge of town, near the clocktower.” North stared at him blankly. “And… you don’t know where that is either.”

“No.”

“Come on.” said Thunderlane. “Let’s go.”

___________________________________________

Fluttershy’s cottage was a nice place. It was overgrown with plants, and the roof was dotted with birdhouses of different shapes, sizes, and colors. The surrounding trees were also covered in birdhouses and nests. They crossed a small bridge, beneath which flowed a small, clear creek. A few patches of cattails dotted the edge, and there was a little wooden fence leading from the side of the bridge up to the house. The door of the house was half-open (the top half, that is).

“I hope she’s home.” said North, who knocked a few times.

From inside, Fluttershy’s quiet voice could be heard. “I’m coming!”

“She’s home.”

“Hello North, Thunderlane.” said Fluttershy, walking up to the door.

“Hi Fluttershy.” said North. “How are you?”

“I-I’m fine.” she said, eyes flickering between the two stallions. “Um… c-can I help you?”

“Yes, actually. There’s a pair of ducks at the pond. They’re looking for a place to build a nest, and they were hoping I could give them some suggestions for a good location. I don’t really know that much about that sort of thing, so they suggested I come ask you. Any ideas?”

“Well, there are plenty of nice spots near the pond. They could find a nice patch of reeds, or-” She stopped, looking surprised. “How did you know what they wanted?” she asked.

“They told me.” said North. “And I’m beginning to get the impression that’s not exactly common.”

“Not really.” said Thunderlane.

“Oh, North!” said Fluttershy excitedly. “Have you talked to any other animals?”

“There was a bluebird over by the schoolhouse.” he said. “It fell out of its nest.”

“Oh! Is it alright?” she asked, switching from excitement to concern.

“It didn’t look hurt, and Thunderlane put it back in its nest.”

“Could you come inside for a minute?” she asked. “I-If that’s not to much trouble, that is.”

“I think we’ve got a moment.” said North.

Thunderlane nodded. “We don’t need to be at Sugarcube Corner for another half hour.”

Fluttershy opened the bottom half of the door, letting them step inside. The inside of the little house was even more devoted to the care of animals than the outside, the walls and ceiling were lined with little staircases, leading to little mouse holes, and birdhouses hung on the walls. The wooden floor was painted a pleasant shade of green, with a single, light red rug in the middle of the room.

There was a cacophony of sounds, as several mice, a dozen birds, and an extremely grumpy looking bunny rabbit all flocked to Fluttershy.

“Yes, I love you all too.” she said. “This nice stallion is North.”

“Hi.” said North. “Um… Fluttershy? What exactly do you want me to do?”

The rabbit hopped over to him, glaring up at him. It squeaked at him in a way that could only be described as angry.

“Excuse me?” said North.

Squeak.

North raised an eyebrow. “That’s not very nice.”

Squeakity Squeaker Squeak.

“Is that so?”

Squeak. Squaker squeak.

“Yeah…”

Squeak. Squeakity squeaker squeaky squeaken squaker squeak.

“What’s he saying?” said Fluttershy excitedly.

“I’d prefer not to say.” said North. “Can I talk to a less… violent animal?”

“Angel’s not violent, he’s adorable and fluffy.”

“If you say so.”

“Well, you could talk to Mr. Mouse.” she said, putting a hoof on the floor. A mouse climbed onto it, and she lifted him up to about shoulder-level. It squeaked at him, and North grinned.

“Pleasure to meet you too.” he said, lifting a hoof. Delicately, he shook the mouse’s tiny paw. It squeaked at him, and he nodded.

“Yeah.”

Squeak.

“Well, I’d love too, but I’m a bit big.”

Squeak.

“I would if I could.”

“You can understand him?” asked Fluttershy, whose eyes were sparkling excitedly.

“Yes.”

“Oh! This is so wonderful!” she squealed. “There are so many animals I can’t understand. I understand beaver, and a few bird languages, and a couple others. But not rabbit, or mouse, or squirrel, or-”

“That’s great.” said North, cutting off what would’ve no doubt been an extensive list. “But, I need to go help those ducks now.”

“Oh, right.” she said, flushing pink. “But… could you come back tomorrow? There are so many animals I’d love to talk to. I-If it’s no trouble.”

“I’ll try to do that.” said North. “So, what should I tell them?”

“Well, there’s the reeds, and overhangs on the bank. There’s also usually a spot under an overhanging tree, by the roots.”

“Thanks Fluttershy.” said North. “I’ll go tell them.”

“You’re welcome.” They left her house, and began walking back to the pond.

“How much longer?” asked North.

“Twenty minutes, about.” said Thunderlane, looking up at the sun. “We should be fine.”

They made it back to the pond with plenty of time to spare. North helped the ducks find a nice spot, situated in a patch of reeds (not that it was the only choice, that was just their personal preference). The two stallions took a seat on a gently sloping hill, looking across the park. They were alone, no ponies, ducks, or violent bunnies in sight.

“This really is a nice spot.” said Thunderlane. “We should come here once in a while, just enjoy the quiet.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” North nudged his hoof against Thunderlane’s, who took it in his own. “I’m glad I got some time alone with you. It’s not that I don’t like being around other ponies… I just enjoyed having some time to spend with my special somepony.”

“It…” Thunderlane tried to contain his blush. He wasn’t sure how to propose his idea. He didn't know how North would take it, and he didn’t want to drive him away. “Well, it doesn’t just have to be right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you like to… do something tonight?”

“Something… like what?”

“A… er… special… something.”

“You want to…?”

Thunderlane nodded.

“With… me?”

“That’s… kinda the point.” He looked away from North, feeling embarrassed. “You don’t have to, if you’re not ready for that, or you just don’t want to. It won’t bother me at all.”

North was silent for a moment. “I think my answer is… yes.”

Thunderlane looked back at North. “You… do?”

“Yes.”

Thunderlane grinned. “That’s great! But do we need anything? I mean, I’ve never done this before, so I might need to get a few things. That might look weird though! What if someone sees us getting those things? They’ll just assume we’re-” North covered his mouth with a hoof, cutting him off.

“It’ll be fine.” he said. “We might need a few things, but who cares what anypony else thinks?”

“But what if-?”

“Then they’ll be wrong, won’t they?” Thunderlane nodded.

“Before we worry about that sort of thing, we need to go see what Twilight needs at Sugarcube Corner.”

“Right.”

“Come on.” North stood, helping Thunderlane up. He pecked him lightly on the lips, smiling. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making me feel so much happier.”

___________________________________________

When they arrived at Sugarcube Corner, the interior lights were all off. North pushed at the door, which swung open without any resistance.

“Huh.” said North. “Weird.”

They stepped inside, looking around. Then there was a blast of sound as the lights blazed to life. They were surrounded by a large group of ponies, Pinkie Pie in the forefront of the crowd.

“SURPRISE!!!”

North yelped, clutching at his ears. He slumped down against the floor, hooves holding his ears down against his skull. His teeth were clenched in a grimace of pain.

“You okay Northie?” asked Pinkie. North stood shakily, and Thunderlane could’ve sworn he saw his left eye twitch slightly.

“I-I’m fine.” he said unconvincingly. “Um… what’s the surprise party for?”

“Well, duh!” she said happily. “You found yourself a new special somepony, right?”

“Yes.” North looked over at Thunderlane, who felt the corner of his mouth lift in a half-smile. “Yes, I did.”

“Well then, come on everypony!” she shouted to the whole room. “Let’s par-TAY!”

As the multitude of ponies began to par-TAY, North looked a bit uncomfortable. Rainbow Dash walked by, wearing her usual self-important grin.

Thunderlane put a hoof on North’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“I am now.” North’s head shooked slightly. “It was just… loud.” He laughed softly. “It’s kind of funny.”

“What is?”

“You can’t hear very well out of one ear, and I feel like I’m having knives shoved down my ears if there’s any kind of loud noise. It’s like microphone feedback.

Thunderlane grinned. “I’d say ironic, but I don’t think that’s the right word.”

“What’s ironic?” asked Pinkie. “Irony is so much fun!”

“Never mind.” said North. “What is there to drink?”

“PUNCH!” shouted Pinkie, whipping two glasses out from behind her back. North flinched, but he still managed to take one of the glasses. Thunderlane took the other, looking down at the purple liquid it contained. “Enjoy!”

Pinkie bounced off into the crowd, giving a high-hoof to several ponies as she passed. Thunderlane took an experimental sip of the punch, knowing that Pinkie never used the same recipe every time. It wasn’t dangerous, so he drained the glass. North did as well, before setting his glass down on a nearby table.

“Hi.” said Twilight, walking up to them. “Thanks for coming.”

“Sure.” said North. “I definitely didn’t expect this.”

“Of course not!” shouted Pinkie from somewhere in the crowd. “It’s a surprise party, silly!”

“Where’d you guys go after we met?” asked Twilight.

Thunderlane told her about their afternoon, minus the more… personal bits. Twilight was fascinated by North’s apparent ability to speak with animals.

“I thought only Fluttershy could talk to them.” she said. “And even then, it took her a while to learn to communicate with them.”

“I don’t know how I do it.” said North. “I just… do it.”

“Hmm…”

They mingled for a while, talking to friends and getting to know strangers. That was often a point of Pinkie’s parties after all; get to know someone new. Thunderlane noticed that North still seemed a bit sound sensitive, but he was handling it well.

“You can be a bit more bold.” commented Thunderlane, during a lull between conversations.

“What do you mean?” asked North.

“I don’t expect you to be submissive to me. That’s not how I want this to work. Okay?”

“Bold, huh?” North grinned. “Be right back.”

He wandered off into the crowd. Thunderlane watched him go, eyebrow cocked. What’s he up to?

“Hey Pokey.” he said, as the powder-blue unicorn walked up. “How’s it going?”

“Great.” said Pokey. “Found yourself a coltfriend, then?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t know you swung that way.”

“I didn’t know either.”

Pokey smile turned into a mischievous smirk. “You two done anything… special yet?”

Thunderlane felt his cheeks burn. “None of your business.”

Pokey rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m gonna ask Pinkie to dance.”

“I’m sure she’d love to.”

“Okay.” Pokey took a steadying breath. “Here I go.”

He walked back into the crowd. After he’d gone, Thunderlane felt a tap on his shoulder. He didn’t have time to see who it was, before he was pretty much swept off of his hooves. He was spun around, and found himself leaning back, looking up at North. He was grinning deviously, and Thunderlane felt his a fluttering sensation in his stomach.

“Hi there.” said North.

“Hi.” said Thunderlane. “What’re you doing?”

“What’s it look like?” North jerked him a few inches lower to the ground. “I’m being bold.”

Thunderlane laughed nervously. “What did you have in mind?”

“Care to dance?”

Thunderlane struggled to find an answer, but the sudden transformation of North from a quiet and reclusive to daring and confident had rendered him speechless. So he just nodded. North pulled him upright, wrapping a hoof around his waist. Thunderlane held back a yelp as North brought pulled him closer.

“Pinkie?” North called. “Do whatever it is you do at this point!”

“On it!” she called.

She started up the music, and they started dancing. North led Thunderlane across the floor, who kept having to use his wings to maintain his balance. He didn’t dance that often, so he was a good bit less than graceful. North didn’t seem to mind though, and didn’t laugh at him when he stumbled.

“You’re really light on your hooves.” said Thunderlane, tripping over his one of his own hooves.

“Thanks.” said North, as he caught Thunderlane.

But instead of continuing to dance, as Thunderlane had expected, he found himself drawn into a kiss. As North fitted his lips over Thunderlane’s bottom lip, warmth flooded into his cheeks and ears. He was faintly aware of several ponies wolf-whistling, but that wasn’t important to him right now. When North pulled away, Thunderlane had a lopsided grin on his face.

“How was that?” asked North quietly.

“Great.” said Thunderlane breathily.

North pulled him upright. “Thanks.”

“You enjoyed that a lot, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” North kissed him on the nose. “I did.”

When the party was over, they thanked Pinkie and Twilight. Then they started off for home, accompanied by Rumble, who’d rejoined them half an hour before. This time, North needed no incentive to walk next to Thunderlane, and clearly felt more comfortable now.

When they got home, Thunderlane checked Rumble’s homework, then he and North managed to pin Rumble down without any severe injuries. By the time the got him bathed, both of them were dripping. As they dried off, North looked like he was lost in thought. When Thunderlane made to follow Rumble to his room, North stopped him.

“Can I put him to bed tonight?” he asked.

“Go ahead.” said Thunderlane, letting him by. He waited a moment, then snuck quietly over to listen at the partially cracked door.

“Hey Rumble.” he heard North say. “It’s time to turn the lights out.”

“But I’m not tired!” said Rumble.

“Fine.” said North. “Fine. What’re you reading?"

Thunderlane was going to go inside, but he decided to see what North was up to. He heard movement in the room, then the rustling of paper.

“Interesting.”

“I’m not tired.” said Rumble stubbornly.

“Alright.” North was quiet for a moment, then he started singing.

Stay awake, don't rest your head

Don't lie down upon your bed

While the moon drifts in the skies

Stay awake, don't close your eyes

Thunderlane heard Rumble yawn. He grinned. Reverse Psychology.

Though the world is fast asleep

Though your pillow's soft and deep

You're not sleepy as you seem

Stay awake, don't nod and dream

Stay awake, don't nod and dream

Thunderlane heard North stand up, then the covers being moved. A second later, the light clicked off. North came out, and closed the door quietly behind him. He had a small smile on his face.

“Is he…?” asked Thunderlane, following North to the top of the stairs.

“Yes.” said North. “Now what?”

“Um… do you still want to… you know…” Thunderlane’s heart fluttered.

“Yes.” His heart jumped into his throat.

“D-Do we need anything?”

North thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Not really.”

___________________________________________

Thunderlane felt North’s arms tighten around him. He nuzzled into the soft chest his head now laid on, tickling his nose as he breathed in deeply, taking in North’s warm scent. When he’d held North the previous night, he hadn’t realized exactly how soft his coat was. But now, with his body was pressed close up against North, and his wings stretched out behind him, he felt softer than anything he remembered touching. North was licking his cheek gently, soothing his deep blush. Both of them were covered in sweat, but neither of them cared at the moment.

“Did I hurt you?” asked North, brushing Thunderlane’s neck with his lips.

“I’m alright.” said Thunderlane, burying his nose into North’s fur. “That was… amazing.”

They were both quiet for a long while, enjoying the simple pleasure of being in each other’s arms. Then North sighed.

“We need to shower now, don’t we?”

“Probably a good idea.”

“And change the sheets.”

“Definitely a good idea.”

Chapter 14: Hearts and Hooves

“Han mathon ne nen.”

I can feel it in the water.

Chapter 14

Thunderlane woke to the first rays of sunlight, which were pouring in through the cracks in the window shades. He closed his eyes to shut out the unwanted incursion of day. He felt something brush against his outstretched wing, and smiled. It was wonderful, not waking up alone anymore. It was great being so near to someone he loved so much.

Just over a week ago, he’d woken a lot later than usual. He’d panicked, only to find that North had already taken Rumble to school, fed and everything. He hummed contentedly, nuzzling into North’s mane. It also turned out, that when he’d gone to see Fluttershy, he’d also stopped by Sweet Apple Acres. And while there, he’d gotten a part-time job.

Thunderlane smiled. North hadn’t needed to do that, and when he’d told him so, North had said:

“I know. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t.”

He laid there for a while longer, a sense of absolute contentment permeating through him. But slowly, something seemed to eat away at this pleasant feeling. It was like he’d forgotten something. Something really important, but what-?

“Gah!” he shouted, as the memory resurfaced with a mental bang. He jumped so hard he launched himself out of bed and landed on the floor with a crash. When his eyes refocused, he found himself on his back, head towards the bed, looking up at a confused North.

“Are you okay?” asked North, leaning down over the edge of the bed. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” said Thunderlane with a falsely calm voice.

“That didn’t sound like nothing.”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay.” said North, who was still looking down at him from the bed. “Well, good morning.”

“Good morning.” He gave North an upside-down kiss. North smiled.

“Hungry?” he asked, poking Thunderlane playfully on the nose.

“Yeah.”

Thunderlane rolled over to evade North’s hoof. North jumped off of the bed, and stretched his back out. He straightened up, then followed Thunderlane down to the kitchen, being as quiet as possible as the passed Rumble’s room. It was a weekend, so there was no reason to wake him up.

Somehow, the smell of food did not draw Rumble from his room. So the two of them ate a quiet, companionable breakfast. All the while, Thunderlane’s mind was racing, trying desperately to find a way out of this life-threatening situation. He had the package from Rarity, hoof-delivered by Noteworthy. But he still needed to figure out the rest of his plan.

“I need to drop by Sweet Apple Acres this morning.” said North. “Applejack asked me to take a look at the apple cellar’s support beams, and make sure they’re holding up well.”

“Okay.” said Thunderlane, who was grateful for the extra time this would give him to make plans.

When they’d finished eating, they washed their dishes. Then North left to go assist Applejack, while Thunderlane went upstairs to check on Rumble. As he’d suspected, he was awake. But he was already absorbed in a book he’d checked out the other day. That was expected though, since it was the latest in the Daring Do series. North had borrowed it from him last night, promising not to lose his place. He’d then proceeded to finish the book over the course of about a minute. When North had given it back to Rumble, both he and Thunderlane had been staring at him with looks of astonishment.

“Rumble?” he said, trying to get his brother’s attention. “Hey, buddy?”

“Hmm?” said Rumble, his eyes remaining fixed on the book.

“I’m going out for a while, okay?”

“Okay.”

“There’s some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry, okay?”

Rumble just nodded in answer.

“Bye.” said Thunderlane, turning to leave.

“Bye.”

Thunderlane left the house, and looked around the street. It was shaping up to be a beautiful spring day. The air was cool, just slightly damp from the recent rainfall. The ground was completely snow free, and the sky was a brilliant shade of cobalt blue. He turned his head to the left, looking down the street in the general direction of Caramel’s house. He nodded to himself. Caramel would be the right pony to ask about this. The flight to Caramel’s house was as quick as ever, and he landed at the front door. He knocked, and it wasn’t long before Caramel answered.

“Hi Thunderlane.” he said, smiling cheerfully. “How are you?”

“Hi Caramel.” said Thunderlane. “I’m fine. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure. Come on in”

“Thanks.”

Thunderlane brushed his hooves off, then stepped inside. Caramel’s house was as neat as usual, except for the recently used kitchen.

“How can I help you?” asked Caramel.

“It’s about North.”

“Oh?” Caramel didn’t seem particularly upset by the subject, but Thunderlane did notice a certain flickering of the eyes and sharpness of voice that might have suggested otherwise. He shrugged it off.

“I nearly forgot what today was.” said Thunderlane. “And I’m not sure what to do.”

“Well…” said Caramel, who sat down on the hall rug. “North really likes Sugarcube Corner.”

“Great!” said Thunderlane. “Does he have any favorites?”

“You mean besides the walnut muffins?”

Thunderlane laughed. “Yeah.”

“Hmm…” Caramel thought for a moment. “He really enjoys pies.”

“What kind?”

“He’s never really told me what his favorite was. I’m not so sure he even has one.”

“He works at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Doesn’t mean he likes apple pie.”

Thunderlane nodded. “Is there anything else you can remember?”

“Do you know how the Cutie Mark Crusaders did that dinner thing for a while?” asked Caramel. Thunderlane nodded, he remembered it very distinctly. “Well, the first pair they did it for was the two of us.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. He really seemed to enjoy that.”

“He did live in a castle, with royalty and everything.”

“You can hardly tell, though.” said Caramel. “He’s never snooty or pompous like a lot of Canterlot ponies.”

Thunderlane nodded in agreement. “It’s really subtle.”

They were silent for a moment, before he spoke again. “So he enjoys fancier foods. Thanks Caramel.”

“You’re welcome.”

After Caramel’s house, he wandered around Ponyville, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Fancy food didn’t really narrow it down much, since Ponyville had a wide range of restaurants to choose from. Who would know about that sort of thing? The most obvious answer came to him.

Rarity.

He started for her house, hoping desperately that she was still home. He knocked on the door to the shop, since it was more likely she’d be there than the house section of the Boutique. When there was no answer, he knocked again. He repeated the process several times, until he was sure that she was either out, or so engrossed in work that she wouldn’t be of any help to him anyway. Since he couldn’t find Rarity, what should he do? Who else did he know that could be of assistance? Twilight knew a good deal about the town, even though she’d only lived there for a few years.

So, he was off to the library. The sun was climbing steadily higher into the sky, and before long it would begin its descent towards the west. He walked by an outdoor cafe, where several couples were clearly enjoying themselves. What had North thought when he hadn’t said anything this morning? So far, he’d been counting on North’s generally relaxed nature. But as in any case of panic, his mind began to create insane scenarios. He shook his head to rid it of the distraction. It was stupid to think like that. North didn’t do that sort of thing. That was sort of a benefit of not dating a mare. Though, Thunderlane supposed, there must be some stallions who would act like that.

He knocked on the library door, hoping that unlike Rarity, Twilight would be available to help him solve his dilemma. When the door was answered, Spike was the one standing behind it.

“Hi Spike.” he said. “Is Twilight in? I need her help with something.”

“She’s here.” said Spike, letting Thunderlane by. “She’s over by the history section.”

“Thanks.”

He walked through the library, over to the shelves dedicated to history. As Spike had said, Twilight was perusing through the books of that section.

“Twilight?” he said, in an attempt to catch her attention. He was successful, and she looked away from the books.

“Hello Thunderlane.” she said brightly. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so.” He told her about his plan, then explained what he needed her help with.

“Well, there are quite a few of them, aren’t there?” She rubbed the side of her head, thinking. “Do you know the French place over by the east stream?”

“You mean the one between the plant shop and the furniture store?”

“Yes.”

“You think he’d like that one?”

She nodded. “They have a very good salad there, and the French onion soup is amazing.”

“Thanks for the help.” he said, turning to go. “Say, do you know where Rarity might be?”

“Last I saw her, she was hanging out with Rainbow Dash.”

“Do you know where?”

“They were having lunch at Sugarcube Corner. I don’t know if they’re still there, though.”

“Thanks. I’ll go see if I can find them.”

“You’re welcome.” As he was about to leave, Twilight called after him. “Oh, and Thunderlane?”

“Yeah?” he said, turning back around.

“I hope you two have a good time.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

He found Rarity and Rainbow Dash inside of Sugarcube Corner, and was lucky he’d arrived when did. Rarity had just paid for their lunches, and they had been in the process of leaving.

“Good afternoon, Thunderlane.” said Rarity. “How are you?”

“I’m alright.” he said. “Rarity, I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

“Of course. Is it to do with the ‘package’?”

“No, the ‘package’ was fine. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Your welcome. But if it is not the ‘package’, what is it?” He told her what he’d told Twilight, and she nodded. “I see. I quite agree with Twilight, though. North will definitely enjoy the French cuisine at the Lieu de Manger.”

“Is that what it’s called?”

“Indeed. I presume you know where it is?”

“Yes. I’ve never been inside before, though.”

“Don’t worry. It is an excellent restaurant, the prices are equally satisfactory.”

“Thanks for your help Rarity.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Hey, Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“I, uh… don’t know much about that sort of clothing. Could you stop by and help me with it?

“Of course. When would you like me to come?”

“Is five alright?”

“That will be fine. I’ll see you then.”

“Thanks. See you later.”

He walked off to go get ready, while the two mares giggled.

“He has no idea, does he?” said Rarity.

“Not a clue.” said Rainbow Dash. “He’s going to be so surprised when North gets back from ‘Sweet Apple Acres’.”

___________________________________________

When it was about three thirty, Thunderlane took a shower, scrubbing his slightly sweaty fur to glistening cleanliness. He made sure he got his charcoal feathers straightened out with a thorough preening. He didn’t do it very often, since he was fairly good at keeping his feathers in order without resorting to this method. But tonight, he felt it would probably improve his appearance. He checked on Rumble, and found him engrossed in another book. He walked over, and tapped Rumble on the shoulder.

“Huh?” said Rumble looking up from the pages.

“North and I’ll be out for a while tonight.” said Thunderlane. “Will you be alright on your own?”

“I was okay while you were out earlier.” he said pointedly.

“Okay. Thanks buddy.” Rumble nodded, and returned to his book.

At exactly five o’clock, Thunderlane heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by the ever punctual Rarity. He showed her in, then retrieved the brown package Noteworthy had delivered from its hiding place. This took a while, as he’d had to be extremely cautious when hiding it so as to prevent North from finding it by accident.

“Thank you for your help, Rarity.” he said, setting the package down on the couch and opening it. “I’m not used to this sort of thing.”

“It’s no trouble.” she said, pulling out the item from its paper wrappings. “Just take care of it.”

“Of course.” She helped him slip it on, being careful not to tug on his wings. He frowned self-consciously. “Do you think he’ll like what I’ve got planned?”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate anything that came from you. Stop worrying and try to have a good time!”

He nodded, taking a deep breath. She was right, of course. But that still didn’t stop him from worrying. Once they’d finished, she stepped back to check him over. She straightened out his collar, then nodded in satisfaction.

“There you go.” she said. “I must say, I had no idea you looked so good in a suit. This really is quite flattering on you.”

“Thanks again.” he said.

“You’re quite welcome. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, thank you.”

She walked over to the door, which he opened for her. “Well, goodbye for now.”

She left, and he closed the door behind her. He walked back into the living room and over to the couch to wait for North to get back.

___________________________________________

It wasn’t a long wait.

North opened the door, and walked in. Thunderlane had turned off the lights in the living room, in an attempt to surprise North.

“Thunderlane?” called North. Thunderlane didn’t answer him, wanting North to find him on his own. After hesitating for several seconds, North walked into the living room.

“Hello?” Thunderlane flicked on the lights, making North blink in surprise.

“Thunderlane?” North’s eyes flicked up and down. “What’re you wearing?”

“Do you like it?” asked Thunderlane. He was wearing a long white dress shirt with a collar similar to North’s, as well as a black vest. Instead of a bow tie, though, he was wearing a traditional red tie, which was tucked neatly into the vest.

North nodded. “You look really handsome.”

Thunderlane grinned, feeling some of the nervous anticipation draining away. “Thanks.”

“But there’s got to be more to this than just a new suit.” said North, circling around him. “Do you have something else to tell me?”

“You’re right. Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

North grinned. “Of course! Just let me go clean up a bit.”

North hurried upstairs, and returned shortly. He’d put on his own collar and bowtie, and his mane was freshly washed.

“Ready?” asked Thunderlane. North nodded, so they walked over to the door. Thunderlane opened it for him, and North stepped through.

“Thank you.” said North, taking up a position next to Thunderlane as they began to make their way through town. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

North pouted playfully. “You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?”

“No.”

Thunderlane wrapped a wing around him, giving him a gentle squeeze. North smiled, leaning against him. Their hooves fell in time with each other as they went, and North nuzzled his neck. They took a left turn around Town Hall, passing through where there were usually many stands and carts, all of which had closed earlier than usual. When they arrived at Lieu de Manger, North looked up at him.

“We’re going in there?” asked North, indicating the restaurant.

“Is that okay?” asked Thunderlane nervously.

“More than fine.” said North. “That’s great! But how did you…?”

“I had some help.” he admitted sheepishly. “I assume you’re happy?”

“Very!”

They walked up to the door, where Thunderlane again opened the door for him. North stepped through, and Thunderlane followed. They walked up to the maître d’hôtel, who smiled pleasantly.

“Table for two?” he asked.

“Yes please.” said Thunderlane. The stallion nodded, and called forward a waiter.

“Follow me.”

He escorted them through the tables, most of which were occupied. The floor was covered in carpet, which was soft, short, and dark red. The waiter took them up a flight of stairs, and had them sit down at one of the tables that overlooked the main restaurant floor.

“Would you like to start with something to drink?” asked the waiter.

“I’d like a glass of ‘79 Merlot, please.” said Thunderlane.

“I’ll just have water, please.” said North.

Neither the waiter nor Thunderlane challenged him, though it was obvious that the waiter was confused. Nevertheless, he nodded, and left to get them their requested beverages. They picked up their menus, and began perusing their options.

“North?” said Thunderlane cautiously. “Um… why…?”

“Why no wine?” said North, not looking up from his menu. “There are several reasons. One of them, is that there are lightweights, and then there’s me.”

“Oh.”

“Actually… I don’t really know whether or not this regeneration can take more than the last one.” He shrugged. “But honestly, I’d rather not find out. It isn’t really worth it.”

“Okay.” Thunderlane had understood about half of that, but enough to grasp what North had meant.

“Another reason,” North continued, “is that since you’ll at least be slightly intoxicated from your drink, you’ll probably need some assistance getting home.” Thunderlane nodded in agreement and thanks.

“I know what I’m having.” said North. “You?”

“Hmm… yes.”

When the waiter returned with their drinks, they placed their orders. They struck up a conversation about the latest escapades of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, which easily elicited laughter from the both of them. When the salad arrived, they thanked the waiter, and he left. They served themselves, and began crunching away at the freshy, crispy leaves.

After the salad, the waiter brought them their main courses. North blew the steam away from his bowl of soup, then he took a cautious sip. He smiled happily, and took another gulp out of it.

“Isn’t that hot?” asked Thunderlane.

“Not really.” said North unconcernedly.

Thunderlane let it go, and began eating his own food. The two of them took occasional pauses to take a few mouthfuls, while continuing their conversation. After his first two glasses of wine, Thunderlane felt a pleasant buzz settle over him. The waiter returned, and took their empty bowls.

“Would you care for dessert?” he asked.

“That would be nice.” said North.

“Two plates of fraise à savarin, please.” said Thunderlane. The waiter nodded and left.

“I thought you didn’t know much about french food.”

“I don’t. I saw that on the menu earlier, and I thought you’d enjoy it.”

North nodded. When the waiter returned, and placed the dishes in front of them, his face lit up.

“This looks good!” he said happily.

On his plate was a slice of a cake-like bread, which was dusted with powdered sugar, and was topped with plump, bright red strawberries. The two of them dug in with zest, savoring the sweet and tangy flavor of the desert. When they’d finished, Thunderlane prepared to pay the bill. Before the waiter got there, North leaned over and whispered in his ear. Thunderlane nodded in agreement.

“Will that be all?” asked the waiter, when he’d returned to their table.

“I’d like to get a small box of your macarons to go, please.” said Thunderlane.

“I’ll be right back with that. Here is the bill.” The waiter left, and Thunderlane picked up the piece of paper he’d left behind. He was pleasantly surprised.

“Huh. They really do have good prices here.”

After the waiter had returned with the box, and Thunderlane had paid the bill, they left the restaurant. As North had predicted, Thunderlane was light-headed from his drink, and was leaning a bit heavily on North. He apologized, but North didn’t seem to mind. When they arrived home, North let them in. Thunderlane sat down on the couch, while North took the box of desserts to the kitchen. When he returned, he undid his tie, sighing relaxedly.

“Thank you.” he said. “That was very nice.”

“You’re welcome.” said Thunderlane. “I’m glad you had a nice time.”

North sat down next to him. His hoof wandered from Thunderlane’s side, up and behind his neck. He pulled Thunderlane’s head down to be level with his. They kissed, gently at first, but then it became a fiercer embrace. When they broke apart, both had to take several deep gulps of air to regain to catch their breath. North grinned, nuzzling Thunderlane appreciatively. North let him go, and scooted back a few inches to give Thunderlane some breathing room.

“I have something for you.” said North. He held out a white envelope, which Thunderlane took.

“You didn’t have to.” said Thunderlane.

“Well, neither did you.” said North. “Go ahead and open it.”

“Okay.”

Thunderlane did, and pulled out two small white squares of paper, albeit stronger than the envelope they’d been inside of. He stared at them, dumbstruck.

“These aren’t…” he said. He looked up at North. “Are they?”

“They are. One for you, and one for Rumble.”

“Rumble?” Thunderlane’s eyes began to water. “I… he…”

The tears began to pour down his cheeks. The gift was so special, because he’d never been able to make the time and be able to afford to do something like this with Rumble. He sniffled.

“Have I ever mentioned what an amazing coltfriend you are?”

He hugged North, who seemed a bit surprised at the response he was getting. North didn’t move, clearly confused and unsure how to proceed. Thunderlane let him go, though still keeping  his hooves on North’s shoulders.

“How on earth did you get these?” asked Thunderlane. “The show’s in Cloudsdale, and it’s been booked for over three months!”

“Rainbow Dash pulled a few strings.”

“Is that where you’ve really been?”

“I did go to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack.” said North defensively. “It just didn’t take nearly as long as I let on it would.”

“You’re fantastic.”

Thunderlane hugged him again, and this time North was able to hug him back. North tucked his head next to Thunderlane’s jawbone, letting Thunderlane wrap him in a feathery embrace. It was nice to have this moment in the quiet. Though the evening had been enjoyable, there was something about the simplicity of the two of them being alone together that felt far more special.

“I love you.” he whispered into North’s ear, who nuzzled into his neck.

“I love you too.”

“Aww!” They broke apart, looking around for the source. Rumble was watching them with a diabolically cute grin.

“Rumble!” said Thunderlane.

“How’d it go?”

“Um… fine?”

North looked up at him, and raised and mouthed: Macrons?

Thunderlane shuddered, and shook his head. Tomorrow.

“What’re you two talking about?” asked Rumble.

“Come here, buddy.” said Thunderlane. “North has a surprise for us.”

“What is it?” asked Rumble, walking over.

“But you already know about it.” pointed out North. “So it’s a surprise for him, right?”

“What is it?” asked Rumble again, his face full of youthful earnestness.

“Take a look.” said Thunderlane, patting the couch between him and North. Rumble hopped up, and once he was settled Thunderlane showed him the tickets.

“Are those…?” said Rumble. Both of the stallions detected the building up of energy within the colt, and instinctively backed away slightly. “Tickets to a Wonderbolt Show?”

“Yep! You and I are going to a Wonderbolt Show!”

“Really?!” Rumble sprang to his hooves.

“Yes, really!” said Thunderlane, who braced himself, and saw North do the same.

“YES!” Rumble pounced on Thunderlane, who was grateful he’d taken the precaution to hold himself up with a hoof. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

“Don’t thank me. North’s the one who got the tickets for us.”

Rumble turned around, and redirected his hug onto North. He took a deep breath, then…

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you-!”

“I think he’s happy about it.” said North.

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you-!”

“Ya think?”

When they finally got Rumble to calm down to a less destructive hyperactiveness, they were able to get him to bathe without much difficulty. He was too fixated on exhilarated anticipation to put up much of a fight, and they even managed to avoid getting drenched at any point during his bath. Once Thunderlane had gotten him to sleep, he rejoined North, who’d developed a habit of picking one book out of the house’s collection, and reading it through.

“You ready to shower?” asked Thunderlane.

“Yeah.” North said. He put the book back on its shelf, then he followed Thunderlane upstairs.

After they’d showered, they went to bed. It having been a long day, neither of them felt up to anything besides sleep. North laid down with his back to Thunderlane, who scooched over so his chest and stomach were flush against North’s back. He wrapped his arms and wings around North. He sighed contentedly, relaxing himself fully into the bed and pillows. He buried his nose into North’s thick blue mane, taking a long breath through his nose.

“Today was a great day.” Thunderlane mumbled happily.

“It was.” North whispered. He yawned softly, wrapping a foreleg around one of Thunderlane’s own. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Thunderlane, who tucked a hind leg gently around one of North’s.

“And one more thing.” Thunderlane whispered, when the two of them were almost asleep.

“Hmm?”

“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.”

Chapter 15: Thunderstorm

Chapter 15

As Thunderlane flew home from work, he noticed some dark clouds gathering on the horizon to the south. Usually, large-scale weather didn’t occur without the pegasi arranging it. Sometimes, however, a rain shower and the occasional storm would occur spontaneously. Ponyville, thanks to its proximity to the Everfree Forest, was far more susceptible to this phenomenon than most other towns and cities. This one didn’t look very bad, probably just some rain and a bit of lightning.

When he landed in front of the house, he brushed his hooves off and entered. North hadn’t gotten back from Sweet Apple Acres yet, but Rumble was in the living room.

“Oh no!” shouted Rumble dramatically. “The horrible manticore has returned!”

“Grr!” Thunderlane crouched and pretend growled. The effect was slightly ruined by the smile he was fighting back.

“I’m gonna get you!”

Rumble leapt off the couch, running over at Thunderlane. He pounced on him, and pinned him to the floor. Thunderlane pretend roared, and pushed Rumble off. Rumble jumped onto his back, and wrapped his arms around his midsection.

“I’ve got... YOU!”

He shouted in triumph as Thunderlane gave a fake groan of defeat, and slumped to the ground. Thunderlane laid limp, and Rumble rolled off of him. Thunderlane laughed, and ruffled his mane.

“How was your day, buddy?” he asked.

“Alright.” said Rumble. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughed at me about my blank flank, but I don’t really care. I’ll get my cutie mark eventually”

Thunderlane smiled at his little brother. “That’s right, buddy. Now, you hungry?”

“Yes. But I can wait for North to get home.”

“Alright.”

North had been coming back from Sweet Apple Acres really late for the last week. Since it was early summer, they were having to pay more attention to the trees, to make sure everything was going right with them. This meant they had to take a long while to check over the entire orchard. And since Braeburn had returned to Appleoosa a couple of days after Winter Wrap-up, there were fewer of them to do it.

There was a knock at the door, and Rumble sprang to his hooves. He ran out of the living room and into the hallway, and Thunderlane heard him pull the door open. A few milliseconds later, he heard North’s voice.

“Hey Rumble!” he said cheerfully. The door was closed, and then they reappeared in the hallway. “How was school?”

“Fine.” said Rumble. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tried to tease me about my cutie mark, but I don’t care.”

“That’s great.” North looked up from the grinning Rumble, and over at Thunderlane. “Hey ‘Lane.”

“Hi.” said Thunderlane. Once North was close enough, Thunderlane bumped his nose gently against North’s. “Did you have a good day?”

“It was fine.” said North, bumping Thunderlane back. “It was mostly just walking in endless circles today.”

“I can tell you two want to be alone.” said Rumble matter-of-factly. “I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

They watched him trot off, Thunderlane with a raised eyebrow and North with a slight smile. Once he was gone, they looked back at each other. North was the one who took the initiative. He kissed Thunderlane, who reciprocated happily, his wings wrapping around North.

“How was your day?” asked North, when Thunderlane had lifted his wings.

“Dull.” said Thunderlane. “Rainbow Dash had me flying all over the place today to clear out all of the clouds.”

“Then… where’d those clouds on the horizon come from?”

“That’s a rainstorm coming in from the Everfree Forest.”

“Really? Huh. I would’ve thought Celestia had figured out a solution to that little problem by now.”

“Problem?”

“That’s been going on for ages. We never could figure out how to isolate Everfree from that particular effect, so we kept getting random weather. Drove your great-times-a-million-grandmother crazy.”

“Oh.”

“Actually… its more like great-times-two-hundred-and-fifty-something-grandmother, since you’ve got an average of three or four generations per century.”

“North.”

“And you have no idea how weird that is, realizing your friend has, like, a gazillion relatives by now.”

“North.”

“And then you realize, you don’t even know who she married! Was it someone you knew? Or-”

“North!” Thunderlane shouted.

“Huh?” said North, looking back at him.

“You’re kind of over-thinking it, yeah?”

North blushed slightly, and nodded. “Sorry.”

“Come on.” Thunderlane pushed North gently towards the kitchen. “Let’s get dinner ready before Rumble starts demolishing the kitchen.”

As they walked towards the kitchen, Thunderlane chuckled.

“What?” asked North.

“You have no idea how weird it is, having a coltfriend who knows more about weather than me or Rainbow Dash, and more about magic than Twilight. And neither of them even knows you know more.”

___________________________________________

As they went about their evening rituals, rain started to patter gently down onto the roof of the house. Whenever Thunderlane and North were in the same place, he noticed that North seemed a bit jumpier than usual. When it came time to shower, North seemed a bit reluctant to follow him into the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” asked Thunderlane, as he shut the door behind North.

“Sure.” said North. “Let’s just not be too long, okay?”

They showered faster than they usually did. Once they were done, Thunderlane went to put Rumble to bed, while North brushed his teeth. After Rumble was asleep, Thunderlane went to his room. By this time, thunder was faintly audible in the distance. North was sitting on the bed, but he didn’t look happy. His ear was twitching, and he looked even more nervous than earlier.

“North?” he said, closing the door behind him. “What is it?”

North mumbled something he couldn’t hear. Thunderlane hopped onto the bed, spreading his wings instinctively for balance.

"What?" he said, tucking his wings down and sitting next to North.

“I don’t like thunderstorms.” said North, whose ear was still twitching every time there was a distant thunderclap.

“You didn’t seem to mind the rain after Winter Wrap Up.” Thunderlane had hoped this memory would cheer North up, but it didn’t seem to help.

“That was just rain. I don’t mind rain. It’s the thunder I don’t like.”

“Oh.”

Thunderlane pulled the covers down, and scooted under them, then extended a wing invitingly. North obliged gratefully, getting under the covers and pressing himself against Thunderlane, who draped his wing across North’s. North laid his head on Thunderlane’s chest, who smiled. His hoof found North’s, and he squeezed it. North jumped slightly, before he realized what had touched him.

___________________________________________

“GAAH!”

Thunderlane jumped up at the yell. The first thing he noticed, was that North was not lying next to him anymore. He was sitting bolt upright, and he had pinned his ears against his head with his hooves.. The reason for this was made immediately obvious by the thunder, whose rumble was so loud even Thunderlane felt a bit nervous. Then he realized that to North this must be deafening. He sat up, and immediately wrapped North in his wings.

When the thunder’s roaring had ceased, he loosened his grip. North was panting, still holding his ears down.

“It’s done.” he said, touching one of North’s arms with a hoof. North shakily lifted his hooves off his ears, which while not flattened, were pointing in different directions.

“Are you okay? he asked, then he shook his head at the obviousness of the answer. “Of course you’re not.”

North gave a half-hearted laugh.

“No, I-I’m not.” he said hoarsely.

He slumped against Thunderlane, groaning. Thunderlane glanced around at the clock, and saw that it was nearly three in the morning. Then he looked back down at North, who looked exhausted.

“Did you even sleep?” he asked. North just grunted tiredly.

Thunderlane sighed. “Are you going to be able to?”

North shrugged. Thunderlane paused, casting around for a solution. Not finding any, he decided to at least make the situation a bit more comfortable for both of them. He lifted North up slightly, and scooted the two of them closer to the wall. He leaned back against it. After a while, North scooted down the bed a bit and laid his head on Thunderlane’s lap. Thunderlane stroked his mane, listening to the rain pour down on the roof. North laid in nervous anticipation, twitching every time there was a louder than usual sound.

“Hi Rumble.” North mumbled randomly.

“What?” said Thunderlane, staring down at him. Then the door swung quietly open, showing Rumble behind it.

“How did you know?” he asked, walking over to the bed.

“Squeaky floor.” said North, covering his muzzle with a foreleg.

“What’s the matter buddy?” asked Thunderlane, as Rumble hopped up. “Can’t sleep?”

“I did for a little while.” he said. “But that big one woke me up.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Rumble settled down next to North, who was too busy paying attention to the thunderstorm to notice. That is, until Rumble cuddled up against him. North looked down at him, surprised to find the little colt there. Thunderlane saw him crack a smile when Rumble wormed his way under his arm. North relaxed, and Thunderlane scooted down to lay behind them. He spread his wing over the two of them, enclosing them in his warm feathers. Soon, he drifted back to sleep.

Chapter 17: Nightmare Night

Chapter 17

Thunderlane rummaged through Rumble’s drawers, searching. The colt had misplaced his costume for the third time, after wearing it around the house on and off for the past week. He smiled slightly at the enthusiasm that he showed for the holiday.

“Are you sure it was in here?” he called, going through the drawers again.

“Yes!” Rumble shouted back.

Thunderlane sighed. He stood up and walked out into the hallway, looking down the stairs at his little brother. “I can’t see it here!”

“Are you sure?”

“That’s where I put it after you told me to take it off.”

“Is this it?”

Thunderlane turned around, and saw North holding Rumble’s costume.

“Where did you find it?!” he demanded incredulously. “I looked everywhere!”

“It was in his drawers.”

Thunderlane face-hoofed, growling. “That’s the first place I looked!”

“Told you!” Rumble shouted from downstairs. “I told you that’s where I left it!”

“Here.” said North, tossing it down to him. “Go ahead and get ready.”

“Thanks!” He scampered out of view.

“Was it really in his drawers?” asked Thunderlane.

“Yeah.” said North. “But it was way in the back, under a pile of other random clothes.”

They went to their room, where Thunderlane started to pull his own costume on. He was dressing up as one of Luna’s night guards. He reached to pick up the helmet, but his hooves only met empty mattress. He looked over at North who was holding the helmet. He was looking down at it, his brow furrowed as he examined it.

“What did you say you were dressing up as again?” he asked.

“A night guard.” said Thunderlane. “Why?”

“Hmm.” North walked over, and put the helmet on his head. “It just looks familiar, that’s all.”

“What about you?”

“My costume’s still at Carousel Boutique.” said North. “Rarity insisted on adding a few final touches to it.”

“I see.” Thunderlane nuzzled him, then nibbled a bit on his neck. North’s cheeks reddened, the blush also spreading to his ears.

“Thunderlane, are you sure now’s a good-?”

He pressed his lips up against North’s, silencing the white stallion. Flaring his wings slightly, he wrapped his armored hoof around North’s neck. Humming happily, he ran his other hoof down North’s back. After a moment, he felt North pull back slightly, deflecting another kiss with his nose.

“What?” Thunderlane mumbled, seeing the way North was looking at him.

“Rumble’s watching.” he whispered.

Thunderlane looked over at the door, where Rumble was staring at them. Rumble was dressed up in his Wonderbolts costume. North had protested slightly at the overly generic selection, but gave in after seeing how happy Rumble looked. Thunderlane was glad to see that he didn’t look upset, just impatient.

“Aren’t we going to go?” he asked. “Don’t you guys want candy?”

“Coming.” said Thunderlane, letting North go. Then he saw the grin on North’s face. “What?”

“We can finish this later.” North whispered. Thunderlane felt his tail brush against his flank. Then he followed Rumble out, leaving Thunderlane to blush, then run to follow them.

Once they were outside, North headed for Carousel Boutique. Meanwhile the brothers decided to head into the town square. The town had been decorated with hanging white lights, with pretend skulls laced along at near-even intervals. Haybales laid around in piles, with pale gourds lying on and near them. The sky was overcast, courtesy of the pegasi weather team, including Thunderlane himself. In the center of Ponyville, the games for the festival had been set up. Across the square was the podium where the mayor would officially start the festivities. A crowd had gathered here, and soon she came onto the stage.

“Greetings, everypony!” she shouted, standing on the podium. “And welcome to the Nightmare Night festival!”

The ponies in the crowd cheered, and the mayor waved her hoof for them to calm down.

“We’re ready to begin, so go out to have fun!”

With another cheer, the assembled ponies spread out in all directions. Thunderlane heard his name from behind him, and saw North, Twilight, and Rarity walking towards them. Rarity was dressed in a witch outfit, which she’d obviously made herself (evidenced by the perfect styling of the entire ensemble). North and Twilight both wore similar costumes. Twilight’s was composed of a tan tunic covered by a looser layer of midnight blue cloth. North’s also had a tan tunic, but the outer layer was dark brown. Both costumes had sleeves that went down to just above the ankle of their forehooves.

“Hey.” said North.

“Hi.” said Thunderlane. “Um… what exactly are you guys dressed as?”

“Well, I’m a witch.” said Rarity.

“And a very stylish one too.” interjected North. Rarity blushed, while Twilight and North suppressed chuckles.

“Yes. Anyway, these two tell me they’re dressed up as sorcerers from Equestria’s B.N.M. period.”

“They why…?”

“I can explain that.” said Twilight. “We look different because we’re different types of spellcasters. I’m an alicorn, but my magic still needs some work to reach Celestia’s or Luna’s level. Blue was the color traditionally used by unicorns who’d reached a higher level of magical learning. Brown was a more general color, though North says that some masters opted for it, since it was less showy than the blue or dark green robes usually worn during formal occasions.”

"Oh."

“C’mon.” said North, walking to stand next to him. “Rumble looks like he’s getting impatient, and we wouldn’t want to deny him his candy.”

Thunderlane smiled, and turned to follow him.

___________________________________________

As the evening progressed and the sky darkened, the lights hanging from the lampposts flickered on. The air was cool, but I didn’t mind very much. The soft fabric of my tunic and my feathers keeping most of the chill out. While Rarity went to find Sweetie Belle, and Twilight went in pursuit of Spike, Thunderlane and I followed Rumble at a distance. He caught up with some friends, including a little pinto colt called Pipsqueak.

Eventually, Thunderlane and I got some warm apple cider from Applejack, who was watching over the more apple-themed section of the festival. Her costume was, as I was informed, once again that of a scarecrow.

“How’s it going?” asked Thunderlane.

“It’s alright.” said Applejack. “Everypony seems ta be havin’ a good time.”

“That’s good.”

“Good?”

Everypony turned their heads, to see Pinkie Pie standing a few feet away. She was dressed as a giant roadrunner.

“That’s not goooood.” she said. “That’s GREAT! If everypony wasn’t having a good time, then they’d all have sad frowny faces instead of happy smiley faces! And if everypony wasn’t happy, then I wouldn’t be doing my job! And if I wasn’t doing my job then I’D be sad, and if I was sad then I’d try to do my job even harder, and when that didn’t work and everypony was sad and frowny and I got upset and the balance of the universe is DESTROYED and the entire universe would EXPLODE into a fiery cataclysm of death!!!”

She finished standing on her back hooves, forelegs thrown wide to indicate an explosion. Everyone stared at her for a moment, then Pinkie bounced off smiling like nothing had happened.

“Okay…” said Applejack. “Well, ah guess we’re all safe from a fiery cataclysm then.”

Thunderlane and I nodded in silent agreement, then walked back into the midst of things. He asked if I wanted to do any of the games, but I shook my head. I prefered watching the goings-on to participating.

“Hey, North!”

I turned my head, and saw Roseluck trotting up to us. She and I chatted on occasion, usually when I was passing by in the morning or evening, or if she came up to me while I was tending the apple cart in the market.

“Hi.” I said. “Nice costume.”

“Thanks!” she said, looking down at herself. She was wearing a grey frock over a tighter fitting hunter green dress. The sleeves of the frock were had a near-floral embroidery, done in a lighter shade of silver-grey. “I’m an elf from The Lord of the Rings.”

“What?”

“You’ve never heard of it?” Both she and Thunderlane looked a bit surprised. “It’s a fantastic story.”

“If you say so.” She and Thunderlane shook their heads.

“Hey, Roseluck?” said Thunderlane. “Do you want to play a game of Toss the Spider?”

“Sure.” she said. “What about you North?”

I looked between them for a second, then sighed. “I’ll play if you play.”

We walked over to the fake spiders and spider webs. Roseluck, possibly in an attempt to make me feel more comfortable, asked if I wanted to go first. I shook my head, gesturing for her to proceed. She shrugged, then tossed the spider she’d offered to me. It landed on the bottom half of the web. Then I took my turn, picking up one of the fuzzy arachnids and tossed it at the web/net. It landed just above the center, causing the entire thing to shake up and down as it flexed from the impact.

By the end of the game, Thunderlane had managed to land more of his spiders near the center than either Roseluck or myself. I was about to congratulate him, when there was a brief flash of lightning, followed shortly by a rumble of thunder.

“What’s that?” I asked. “There wasn’t supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight, right?”

“Oh, that.” said Thunderlane. “Don’t worry about that.”

I looked up at the sky, where the clouds had begun to swirl around, the full moon shining from the eye of the miniature storm. My ears twitched back, as I felt a twinge of familiarity rise from the back of my mind. From above the clouds, a dark chariot descended to the ground. Because the moon was behind it, all that was visible was a dark silhouette. It flew over our heads, landing in the middle of the square. The chariot was pulled by two stallions, who wore armor similar in composition to the set Thunderlane was wearing. The occupant of the chariot itself was dressed in a dark cloak, which hid all but the tip of their dark muzzle from sight. I watched as they disembarked via the open back, walking in a regal manner.

Thunderlane grinned, then trotted up to one of the guards.

“Hey!” he said, reaching out a hoof. Surprisingly, the guard reached out and returned the hoof-bump. “Starstreak! How’s it going?”

“It’s going great.” said Starstreak. “We’ve even got permission to enjoy the festivities this year, ‘stead of just standing here.”

“Cool, dude. Thanks for helping me with the costume, by the way.”

“It’s nothing. You look great.”

While they chatted, the normal questions (like how these two knew each other, and why Starstreak had bat wings instead of the usual feathers) faded from me. Unnoticed, I slipped into a mental battle between my normal self and the irrational fear that was building up like a stormfront in my mind, consuming most of my physical awareness.

___________________________________________

Thunderlane had known Starstreak for ages, since they’d been teens going to the same high school in Cloudsdale. He’d been the only friend Thunderlane had trusted with the truth about what happened at home. His loyalty and kindness had been one of the few things that had kept him going. Thunderlane turned to face North, intending to introduce him. He wanted Starstreak to meet his coltfriend.

But something was wrong.

North’s face was oddly blank, though his eye twitched on occasion. What really concerned him, though, was North’s eyes. Though they remained icy blue, he was almost certain he’d seen a flicker of red dance across the edge of his iris.

“North?” he said, walking the few steps between him and his friend. “Are you okay?”

North shook his head, not as a negative response, but as though clearing it.

“Huh?” he said. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

At this moment, the figure from the chariot approached. From under the hood, glowing white eyes were all that was visible. North started trembling, watching the figure come. A grin split the figure’s muzzle, exposing brilliant white teeth. A hoof reached up from under the dark cloak, and threw it aside. It fell away, revealing dark blue fur, a sweeping blue starlit mane and tail , long wings, and a gleaming horn.

“Polaris!” said Luna, grinning happily, reaching a hoof out as if to embrace him.

There was a long, tension-laid moment of silence, during which North stared at her, his ears forcing themselves down further, and Luna kept her hoof extended. North panicked. He let out a small but high-pitched squeak of terror. Then he turned and ran, his hooves hitting the ground heavily.

Thunderlane and Luna remained frozen in place, and though Twilight reached out and tried to stop him, she didn’t manage to catch hold of him.

“Polari- I mean, NORTH!” shouted Luna. She looked upset, staring in shock after him. She looked over at Twilight.

“What did I do wrong?” she asked. “I didn’t yell, did I?”

“No.” said Twilight. “I… I don’t know what happened.”

“Come on!” shouted Thunderlane. “We’ve got to find him!”

He started running after North, and almost immediately heard hooves following him. He turned his head, and saw Princess Luna following him at full tilt. Further behind, Twilight had taken off, and was trying to catch up.

“What’s going on?” demanded Thunderlane, leaping into the air. Luna took off as well, and Twilight managed to catch up. “Why did he react like that?”

“Didn’t he tell you?” asked Luna. “About what happened?”

“He told me what he is, but that doesn’t explain him running away.”

“Thunderlane.”

He came to a stop, hovering and looking at Luna. Her eyes were shimmering.

“Did he tell you how he died?”

“Died? He’s not dead.”

“No. But that’s because he regenerated. Did he at least mention that he can do that?”

“He mentioned it, but… he didn’t say he’d done it before.”

“He has, just once.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “The night… the night Nightmare Moon killed him. One thousand and four years ago.”

Thunderlane and Twilight stared at the princess, whose tears had spilled out and were trailing down her cheeks. She descended to the ground, and they followed. The two listened in silence as she told them everything, everything that had happened before, and the little she knew of since. As Thunderlane listened, he gained a new understanding of his coltfriend. Knowing this now explained a great deal, possibly including North’s flight.

“I need to find him.” said Luna. “I have to tell him I’m sorry.”

“Where is he, though?” said Twilight. “He could be anywhere.”

“I think I know.” said a voice behind them. “Where your friend would go.”

They turned, and saw Zecora walking up to them.

“North would go where he feels safe and assured.” she continued. “A place where to power, Luna was allured.”

“The Castle of Two Sisters?” said Twilight. “Why would he go- oh.”

“I don’t know how to get there.” said Thunderlane. “Twilight, could you…?”

“Come on.”

She took off again, and he and Luna followed. Zecora waved as they left, then walked back to Ponyville. They flew up and over Ponyville, then directed their flight towards the large dark mass of the Everfree Forest. Twilight did not land at the edge, but continued to fly forward. Soon, Ponyville had dropped out of sight, and the ground below was all canopy. After a couple minutes of flying, Twilight pointed slightly to their left, and Thunderlane looked. A great spire of stone peeked out from the fog, just visible through the swirling opaquicity. The two alicorns immediately directed their flight paths towards it, and Thunderlane followed afterward.

They landed with a crunch in the courtyard of the ancient castle. The mist wasn’t quite as bad as before, but it still obscured their vision. There were arches to the left and right, and the largest tower stood a ways before them.

“North!” Thunderlane called. “NOR-phmt!”

Twilight covered his mouth with a hoof.

“Shh!” she hissed. “Don’t forget where we are!”

“Sorry.”

They spread out, searching for him. Twilight went up, Luna went left, and Thunderlane went right. Inside the castle, the mist didn’t penetrate at all. He wandered the dark corridors, calling out quietly for North. He slowly made his way across the ground floor, then flew out a window and landed in the more heavily damaged second floor. Here, he hovered over the floor instead of walking on it, because it looked far less safe than the other below had.

He heard a whoosh, and jerked around to see what had made the sound. He saw nothing, so he kept going. The entire place was creeping him out, deathly silence occasionally interrupted by the sudden sound of a rock dropping from it’s precarious thousand-year-old perch. His ears instinctively folding back, he flew lower to the ground than before.

Again, something disturbed the air, and he felt it’s wake wash over him like a cold front. He shivered, then blasted out of the nearest window. He called out as quietly as he could, hoping that alicorn hearing was strong enough. Disappointed when neither princess came, he flew cautiously back to the ground. When he was just about to land, he saw flashes of light from an upper level, accompanied by a mare’s panicked yell.

He took off in a blast, flying up to the window and perching on the sill. Inside, Twilight and Luna were lying on the ground, laughing hysterically.

“What happened?” he asked.

“W-we…” said Twilight breathlessly. “We ran into each other.”

She sat up, and looked up at him.

“Did you find anything?” she asked.

“No.” he said, looking up and down the hallway. “I can’t find him.”

He lowered his head, and jumped down from the windowsill. “Did… did either of you feel something… cold… fly past you?”

“Well, now that you mention it…” said Luna. “Something seems a bit off. It’s a lot colder in here than it should be, even for a stone castle. And I kept thinking I could hear something flying around.”

“Me too.” said Twilight. “Hey, guys? How about we stay together now?”

Thunderlane and Luna nodded, and followed the rather braver Twilight through the corridors.

“Does North have anywhere specific he’d hide?” asked Thunderlane.

“His room has fallen from the castle since it was abandoned.” said Luna. “And I’ve already checked the library and all the secret rooms.”

Swish!

“What was that?!” said Twilight, whirling around. She directed a beam of light with her horn, washing the entire corridor behind them. There was nothing there, except for their shadows. “I could’ve sworn I heard something.” she said, looking a bit more afraid than before.

“I heard it too.” said Thunderlane. He and Luna closed in next to Twilight, huddling against her.

“Twilight.” whispered Luna.

“Just a moment Luna.” said Twilight. “I’m going to try an equum revelare spell.”

“Twilight.” said Luna again, staring down at their shadows. “Look!”

“What?” said Twilight, looking at their shadows as well. “It’s just our-”

She stopped, as the three of them looked behind themselves. Their shadows stretched behind them, caused by Twilight’s lit horn. Slowly, they looked back at the shadow in front of them. That shadow had lost their form, and was rising up from the floor in a great wave.

“RUN!” Twilight shouted, and they spun around. They dashed away, but they could feel the cold following them.

Somehow, Thunderlane got separated from the others. He found himself trapped in the library, stuck between the shadow and a bookshelf. The darkness rose up from the stone it had glided over, and made to strike like a huge black snake. Great yellow eyes glowed from where it’s head should’ve been.

“AH!”

As he screamed, and the ebony snake struck, North came running in. He put himself between them, and flung his hoof out. He held the sonic screwdriver, which pulsed a brilliant blue light against the encroaching blackness. It fell back, writhing and unleashing a terrible sound. It resolved itself into a tall, dark shadow of a mare. The only defining feature was its glistening eyes.

North stalked forward, the pulsing sounds of the screwdriver growing louder and more frequent. The mare staggered back, screeching angrily. The shadowy mane of the creature lashed out, and knocked the sonic out of North’s hoof. North rolled out of the way as it struck again, then dived for the screwdriver. The shadow managed a glancing strike with its whip-like tail, leaving a bloody stripe down North’s flank. North staggered, but he managed to grab the silver cylinder and redirect its light back onto the angry shade.

This time, he kept his distance, pushing it back with blue light. He ran over to Thunderlane, and grabbed his arm.

“Run!” he instructed, pulling Thunderlane towards the door out. He followed without any protest. They galloped out at full speed, and North directed the sonic at the doors to the library. They slammed shut behind them, the heavy lock falling into place, then they fled.

Outside, they met up with Luna and Twilight, who, like Thunderlane, looked terrified.

“Luna, I’m sorry I panicked!” said North. “But right now, we need to get out of here.”

He turned to Twilight.

“Get us out of here!”

She obeyed immediately without any compunction. In a flash of purple and white light, they teleported to the edge of Ponyville. She and North fell onto their knees, panting from their exertions.

“What was that?” asked Twilight.

“The pony of shadows.” said North. “But Pinkie’s got it wrong. That was just a really mad ghost, not part of Nightmare Moon.”

“I shall inform my sister of this.” said Luna. “Now that we know about this, it should be easy to remove it from the castle.”

She turned to North, who was looking guiltily down at his hooves. She reached forward, and touched his cheek. He looked up.

“I’m sorry.” he said. “You just looked so much like…”

“I know.” she said. “I should’ve been a bit more careful.”

He nodded, then extended a hoof. She ran forward and hugged him tightly. He embraced her, and she rocked him back and forward. He gave a dry sob, and she sniffled too.

“I’ve missed you.” he whispered. “A-and… and I miss them too.”

“I’ve missed you too.” she whispered. “And I miss them as well. I have seen some of your dreams, but I haven’t been able to talk to you.”

“I think I might have been blocking you.”

She nodded, rubbing his back. Thunderlane watched, not sure how to respond.

“Luna.” said North, straightening up. “Um… this is Thunderlane. He’s my…” He swallowed. “My coltfriend.”

“I know. Twilight’s been writing Celestia and I letters.”

He looked over at Twilight, who shrugged. “I didn’t know you and Luna had a history until an hour ago.”

Thunderlane walked up to Luna, and proffered a hoof. She shook it.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” she said. She leaned forward, looking him straight in the eyes. “You take care of him, go it? Or I’ll banish you to the moon.”

He nodded, drawing back fearfully. She nodded, satisfied.

“Let’s go back to Ponyville.” said Twilight. Nopony challenged this, so they went ahead and started walking back.

“Twilight.” said North quietly. “Can we… tell the others?”

“What?” she said, looking surprised. “I thought you wanted to keep it a secret?”

“I do.” he said. “But… it’s time the girls knew, at least.”

She nodded, and North turned to Thunderlane.

“I need to tell them by myself.” He looked over at Luna. “Why… why don’t you two go ahead and hang out? Get to know each other?”

Thunderlane nodded, though he longed to protest. He followed Luna away, while North and Twilight went to gather the other five mares.

___________________________________________

Once we’d gathered them, we took Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie to the empty Ponyville Library.

“What’d ya get so riled up about, North?” asked Applejack. “It was just Princess Luna.”

“That’s why you’re here.” said Twilight. “North… North’s decided to tell the rest of you something.”

I nodded, feeling scared. I still had my doubts, but I felt these six deserved to be told. If nothing else, it would help explain why I’d acted the way I had. I opened my mouth, but I struggled with the words. There were so many of them, I was scared to talk anyway. This was only redoubled by the difficulty of what I needed to explain. Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder, gripping it reassuringly.

“Do you want me to start?” she asked. I nodded.

So she told them. While she spoke, the mares occasionally made an sound of shock. Fluttershy said “Oh my.” when she told them about how I’d died before. When she’d finished telling them everything, the five mares were staring at me. Well, actually, Pinkie seemed to know all of this already, so she was just smiling dreamily (probably lost in a frosting fantasy).

“Wow, North.” said Rainbow Dash. “That’s… I didn’t expect that.”

“It certainly explains a lot.” said Rarity. “But dear, why not just tell us before? We would’ve been happy to help you.”

“Yeah, sugarcube.” said Applejack.

“I have told some ponies.” I said quietly. “Big Mac, Caramel, Braeburn. Thunderlane knows now.”

“Wait a second. Big Mac? Ya told him?”

“Yeah. He was the first.”

“That great big lovable dope.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah guess it makes sense.”

I nodded absently.

“Anyway, I just wanted you guys to know. You kind of deserved an explanation for some of the weirder stuff that’s happened.”

“Like the fact you speak foal?” suggested Pinkie Pie. “Or the pie eating contest!”

“Sure.” I stood. “How about we go back to the festival now, huh?”

Back outside, the festival had resumed full force. Luna’s arrival had been expected, and I was bit upset no one had informed me beforehoof. We could’ve avoided this whole mess if ponies would just tell me what was going on. I found Thunderlane and Luna engrossed in a vicious contest. They were desperately attempting to get more spiders on their web than the other, but it was currently a tie. I snuck up behind Thunderlane, then planted a surprise kiss on his cheek.

“Hey there.” I said, when he yelped. “How’s it going?”

“Great.” he said. “Luna’s the first real challenge I’ve had in ages.”

“I am pleased I could provide one.” said Luna. “I’ve been practicing in my spare time.”

“Really?” I asked. “You practice for a game that you’re only likely to play once a year?”

“Well, I’ve also been improving my spellwork.” She turned one of her spiders into a real one, and I jumped back. She grinned, but I scowled at her.

“You know I hate spiders.” I growled. “Change it back.”

“No.” she said, as the creepy little thing nuzzled her. “I think he’s cute.”

“ME TOO!” said Pinkie, popping up out of the spider bowl and raising her hoof as high as she could. Then she sank slowly out of sight.

“You’ve got an interesting choice in girlfriends.” said Thunderlane, who didn’t look at all afraid of the spider.

“You’re one to talk.” I said. “Especially considering what you get up to in your free time.”

He blushed bright red, while I laughed.

“C’mon North!” he said. “Not in front of the princess!”

“Why not?” I asked, kissing him on the lips. “Luna has no problem with this.”

It was true, as Luna looked completely unfazed by my teasing my coltfriend. They finished their game, which ended with Luna victorious. Thunderlane shook her hoof.

“Thanks.” he said. “Great game.”

“Thank you as well.” said Luna. “I enjoyed this. But now the children wish for me to scare them.”

“Say what now?” said North. “They want you to scare them… on purpose?”

“Apparently, it’s fun.” she said, shrugging. “And in a way, I suppose it can be.” She walked away, looking overly pleased with herself. I watched her go, then turned to Thunderlane.

“My turn.”

“Actually, there’s somepony I want you to meet.” said Thunderlane. “Remember that stallion from earlier?”

“Yeah?”

“C’mon.”

We found Starstreak and his friend over by the Cakes, enjoying the delicious goodies they and Pinkie Pie had put together.

“Hey, Streak!” shouted Thunderlane.

The dark blue stallion looked up from his cupcake, and gave them a frosting-covered smile.

“Hey! ‘Lane!”

He waved them over, licking his lips off.

“How’s it going?”

“Great! I see you found the sweets quickly enough.”

Starstreak laughed. “And I see you finally found somepony.”

Thunderlane blushed, and Starstreak snorted with laughter.

“I’m North.” I said, extending a hoof. He shook it, still smiling.

“Nice to meet you. Thunderlane, where’d you find such a looker?”

___________________________________________

Twilight watched as the three stallions talked to each other. Thunderlane slipped a wing over North’s shoulder, and their tails swished against each other. She knew she wasn’t the only one who noticed, because she saw the stallion they were talking to snigger, and a warm blush spreading on the charcoal stallion’s cheeks. She felt somepony standing next to her, and looked up at Luna.

“Don’t you need to go scare the kids?” she asked. “They’re waiting for you.”

“I know.” said Luna. “I just wanted to ask… do you think Thunderlane loves him?”

Twilight looked back at the chatting trio, where North had snuggled up against Thunderlane.

“Yes. I think he does.”

Luna smiled. “Good. That’s all I needed.”

She turned to go.

“Wait.” said Twilight. “Luna… were you two ever… involved?”

Luna looked back at her, then shrugged.

“Not especially. If I think about it, I suppose we were only ever friends. Even if he did kiss me once.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Luna took off, then Twilight understood the last part of that.

“Wait! Luna!”

___________________________________________

I saw Luna flying off to the statue where the fillies and colts waited for her, and smiled. Having her back was like a salve for the pain of the losses I had sustained. Even if I couldn’t have my other friends, at least I would have her to talk to.

“North, I’m taking Rumble home.” said Thunderlane. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah.” I said. Then I smiled deviously. “‘sides. You and I have some unfinished business.”

Thunderlane gave little laugh, and started for home. As we went, I managed to catch his tail up with mine. He nuzzled my cheek, and kept walking.

___________________________________________

Thunderlane laid down next to North, who was reading from a book. He wrapped an arm around him, stroking North's soft fur.

"Are you okay?" he asked, nuzzling North's shoulder.

"I'm tired." North whispered.

"That's not what I meant."

North sighed. "It was nice having her here again, but I'm not ready to get too close to her. Not yet."

"Okay." said Thunderlane. "But you two had a good time tonight, didn't you?"

North nodded, turning a page.

Deciding he wouldn't get more than that out of North, he spread his wing out, and wrapped North in a feathery embrace. North put his book on the nightstand, and shut of the lamp.

"Of course," said North suddenly, "not as good a time as we did."

North snickered, while Thunderlane could feel his cheeks heat up.

___________________________________________

Deep below the Everfree castle was a damp cavern, full of dripping stalactites. Inside, there was a growing of whispers.

"The time is coming." they hissed to themselves. "The new host is located... we shall take this pitiful creature for our own, then spread across this world."

Chapter 18: The Return

Chapter 18

Above Equestria, the stars turned slowly. Unlike the sun or the moon, these celestial bodies had remained uncontrolled for eons, since the alicorns of the First Age had left Equus, or died. Neither of the remaining alicorns had tried to impose their will upon them, not even Luna, who had greater claim to them than her sister.

Down in Ponyville, the hour of night was such that nothing was awake. Not even the animals who called the night-realm home stirred. Slowly, the horizon to the east lightened, as the first rays of the sun stretched forth in a new dawn.

___________________________________________

The darkness of light fading, grey light started to penetrate his eyelids. Thunderlane protested numbly through his sleep-induced daze, wanting to stay right where he was. The warmth of his bed begged him desperately to stay. Next to him, cuddled against his chest, was North. His soft breathing was gentle and soothing. Thunderlane sighed happily, tightening his grip around his sleeping coltfriend. North nuzzled against him. Cracking an eye open, he saw North smile.

Just as the sun broke over the horizon, and bathed the room in a golden-red light, North stirred. He shifted against Thunderlane, nuzzling deeper into his charcoal fur. Thunderlane smiled happily, and kissed North’s forehead.

North hummed, hugging him. He opened his eyes and looked up at Thunderlane, who leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to North’s. He kissed him softly. They laid together, snuggled under the warm bedclothes.

Until the alarm clock began blaring angrily.

Clearly, it didn’t want to get up either.

Thunderlane sighed, clumsily shoving the sheets off of himself. North followed suit, rolling off of the bed and landing on his hooves with a soft clack. Moving in quiet harmony, they pulled the blankets neatly over the bed. North nuzzled him, smiling, then walked out. Thunderlane followed groggily, to get showered. Afterwards, he went to wake Rumble, and North went downstairs to make them breakfast.

After they’d all eaten, they went their separate ways. North took Rumble to school on his way to work, while Thunderlane got an early start on the weather. If he finished early enough, he and North would have time to eat lunch together in the orchards. The first wave of apple-bucking had begun, so North had more to do than usual. The way things worked, the entire orchard would be ready, with the exception of the Fuji minority. Because of a lower demand for those apples, they’d engineered the process so they were ripe first, and thus harvested first.

Thunderlane soared over Ponyville and the surrounding countryside, working with other members of Ponyville’s weather team. Together, they worked to prepare a sunny day. Soon, they’d need to begin bringing in the winter weather, so Thunderlane enjoyed being warm while he could.

When noon finally came, he turned his flight towards the vast acres of apple trees. He soared over them, searching. When he spotted North, he was waving from a clearing near the farmhouse. Thunderlane adjusted his course, coming to a landing on the soft grass.

“Hey there.” he said, pulling North into a hug.

“Hi.” said North, nudging Thunderlane playfully. “C’mon, let’s eat.”

___________________________________________

Roseluck searched through her flowers, examining them before adding them to a bouquet she was assembling. She heard hooves come to a halt in front of her booth, and looked up.

“Hello.” she said, greeting the stranger with a smile. “Can I help you?”

“Perhaps.” said the grey stallion. “Do you know a stallion, who goes by the name of Thunderlane?”

“Well, yes.” she said. “He’s a good friend of mine.”

Now, for you guys, someone looking like this guy, and looking for your friend… that would probably set off some alarm bells. But remember, in Equestria, in this age, it the crime rate was nonexistent, so Roseluck had never needed to worry about that sort of thing. Even when somepony got drunk, they had the decency to head home.

“Do you know him?”

But I never said she wasn’t smart. She knew she should make sure this guy wasn’t going to do something. She knew that North had had some trouble with some nasty ponies, and she wasn’t about to send another one in his or Thunderlane’s direction.

“We… we’ve met. Do you know where he is?”

Roseluck, who wasn’t getting any bad vibes of this guy, looked up at the sky.

“He’s probably eating lunch at Sweet Apple Acres. He and-”

“Thank you!” the stallion said. He trotted away. He looked around, then spread his wings and took off towards the Apple Orchards.

That was strange. Roseluck thought to herself. I hope he manages to find them.

Another pony came up, and she turned her attention to her work.

___________________________________________

Thunderlane and I were chewing on our sandwiches, when Applejack came in.

“Hey y’all.” she said, brushing her dirty blonde mane out of her eyes.”Sorry ta interrupt, but ah need ta talk to ya North.”

“Sure.” I said, getting up. She waved for me to sit back down.

“It’s fine, ya can stay here. Ah just wanted to know if ya’ve taken care’ve the wagon yet.”

“I did that this morning. Oiled up the axles and everything.”

“Good.” she said, turning to go. “Ah just needed ta make sure. It’s been actin’ up of late.”

I nodded, and she left. Thunderlane swallowed his mouthful, then spoke.

“She seems a bit tense.”

“I know she is.” I said. “She’s asked me the same thing twice already.”

Thunderlane nodded.

“It’s mostly because we’re not sure if Braeburn can help this year, with the Appleoosa orchards getting larger. Problem is, these orchards are growing as well.” I waved at the trees surrounding the house. “That, and even with my help, there might be trouble.”

“Wish I could help, but this time of year’s busy for me too.”

“I know.”

Just then, we heard the frantic flapping of wings, and a grey pegasus  came down out of the sky. For a second, I thought it was Ditzy Hooves. That mare had always been flying around weirdly. But then the pegasus raised their head, and Thunderlane stiffened. This stallion was older than either of us, his face lined with a testament to years lived.

Thunderlane pushed himself to his hooves, still staring at the pegasus, who was panting. He walked down the steps slowly, and I got down from the bench as well. I stood back, not sure what was going on. (Although an idea was forming in my head.)

Thunderlane stopped a couple yards away from the grey stallion, who’d recovered enough to look up at him. The older pony gasped. When he took a few steps forward, however, Thunderlane stepped back, and he stopped.

“Thunderlane…” the pony whispered. “I-I…”

“Dad.” Thunderlane ground out through bared teeth. My suspicions confirmed, I walked forward. Thunderlane stuck a wing out, stopping me in my tracks. “Been a while.”

His father seemed to struggle with speech for a second, then managed:

“I-I found you.”

He keeled over. I tried to get to him, but Thunderlane just about shoved me back.

“Leave him.” he spat. I stared at him. “He doesn’t deserve any help.”

I stood still, then pushed past him. He didn’t follow, watching as I checked his father’s pulse, then extracted the sonic screwdriver from my ever-present collar and double-checked my results.

“He’s alright” I said. “He’s exhausted, though.”

“What’s goin’ on here?”

I looked around, and saw Applejack come running down the porch stairs.

“What happened?” she asked, doing her own check. I put the sonic back in its hiding place.

“He fainted.” I explained. “Exhaustion.”

“Who is’e?”

“Help me get him inside, and I’ll explain.” I bent down, lifting one of his forelegs over my shoulders. She did the same, glancing over at Thunderlane. He was watching, with an expression that gave me no doubts he wasn’t going to help.

I sighed. I’d hoped, that if this day ever came, Thunderlane would be able to try and look past his father’s old misdeeds and try to make up. Clearly, though, he wasn’t interested. Inside, we laid him down on the couch. After propping his head up with a pillow, I turned to Thunderlane. He’d followed silently; watching, but not helping.

“I know he hurt you.” I said. “But he’s still your father.”

Thunderlane continued to glare at his unconscious father. I walked up to him, catching his eyes. I held his gaze, and he sighed.

“Give him a chance.”

He looked down at his hooves, then nodded silently.

“Hey.” I said, tapping his forehead. He looked up.

“I know.” I said. “But he came. He’s here, looking for you and Rumble.”

Thunderlane stared at me, then sighed.

“Okay.”

“Thank you.” I said. “When he wakes up, we’ll find out what’s going on, okay?”

I could see the conflict going on behind his eyes. But he nodded again.

“Do I have to wait here, though?” he asked. “I didn’t finish up my work.”

I narrowed my eyes, looking outside. The sky was cloudless and sunny.”

“Applejack…” I said conversationally. “Did Rainbow Dash happen to tell you what today’s weather was going to be?”

“Sunny.” she said, quietly getting on the other side of him, blocking his escape route. “Sunny and clear.”

“Sorry, Thunderlane.” I said. “Looks like you’re staying here.”

Thunderlane snorted, then walked over to a chair and sat down.

___________________________________________

When his father woke up, it was with a groan.

“My head…”

“Here.” I offered him a glass of water. “Drink this.”

“Thank you.” he said, accepting it. He gulped it all down.

“Better?” I took the glass back from him.

“Yeah.” he looked at his surroundings, his gaze coming to rest on Thunderlane.

“Thunderlane.” he said, struggling to stand. I put a hoof on his chest, making him stay down.

“Easy there.” I said. “You need to stay down.”

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t struggle.

“I’m so sorry.” he said, a hoof reaching out to Thunderlane beseechingly. “I’m so, so sorry. For everything.”

“Are you?” said Thunderlane spitefully. If I’d been close enough, I would’ve flicked his ear with a hoof.

“Yes, I am.” his father said, several tears trailing down his face. “What I did was unforgivable, I know…”

“It was.”

“But… I had to find you…” He swallowed. “I c-can’t abandon you again…”

“Why? So you can hit me some more?”

I nearly lost my cool for a moment, but I took a deep breath.

“Thunderlane.” I said. “What did I tell you?”

I turned my gaze back to his father.

“I’ve never actually found out your name.” I said.

“It’s Stratus Glider.” he said.

With further gentle provocation, I was able to get him to tell me a bit more about what had happened, and learned more about the situations that had lead to his estrangement from Thunderlane and Rumble. His wife, May Breeze, had died from a disease that affected the immune system. She’d caught the Feather Flu, but her vastly devastated immune system had been unable to handle it. She’d died in his arms.

I had nothing but sympathy for this, but then, I asked:

“But why? Why did you turn to drinking? Surely you knew what it would do to you?”

“I…” he sniffed. “I was stupid, I know. I-I didn’t c-care… didn’t care what happened to me, or anyone else. I just wanted to stop the pain...”

“You had reasons to go on. Two sons, who needed you more than ever.”

“I-I know.”

I examined him, looking deep into his brown eyes. I examined all the information I had. I went through all of it, leaving nothing out. He blinked, eyes switching focus between either of mine.

“Hmm…”

“What?” he said. “What is it?”

“Thunderlane.” I said. “I think we need to take him home with us.”

“WHAT?!” he shouted. “Take him home, to RUMBLE?! Are you crazy?!”

Normally, I would’ve given him a lopsided grin, and said “Yep!” But now was a really bad time.

“No.” I said. “Thunderlane, please trust me.”

“But-!” He stared at me, mouthing wordlessly. Meanwhile, Stratus looked between us.

“Are… are you his… coltfriend?” I looked back at him, and nodded. He looked surprised. “Oh. Okay.”

“What?” said Thunderlane, deflating slightly. “You’re… okay with that?”

“Well… why wouldn’t I be?” Stratus asked.

Again, Thunderlane stared, but this time at his father. After a minute, I could see that he’d calmed down.

“So.” I said, addressing Stratus. “You need to stay still for a while. Once you’re feeling up to it, we’ll go back to the house.”

“I can go now.” he said, but I shook my head.

“Not quite yet.” I said. “You should eat first.”

Stratus seemed surprised by how friendly I was being. And so did Thunderlane. He must’ve expected my support, in hating his father. But instead, here I was, offering to feed him, and to give him somewhere to sleep.

___________________________________________

Once he’d eaten, I helped him up. Thunderlane, who hadn’t said anything for a while, got up too. And though I still had to support Stratus without him, he didn’t seem as outraged as before.

Applejack came with us, helping me keep Stratus upright. It was slow going, but we made it alright. A few ponies stared at us, and I saw Thunderlane’s ears go back.

“Thank you.” I said to Applejack, once we’d reached the front door of the house.

“Yer welcome.” she said. “Pleasure meetin’ you, Mr. Glider.”

“And you.” he said.

“Bye, y’all.”

She left, and I looked over at Thunderlane. He sighed, and opened the door. Stratus and I entered, where I had him sit down on the couch.

“Rumble isn’t home yet.” I said. “You can wait here, if you want.”

“Where are you going?!” said Thunderlane indignantly. “Don’t-!”

“I have to go back to work. Besides, you two need some quality time.”

Without giving either of them time to argue, I walked back outside. Before Thunderlane could get to the door, I used the sonic screwdriver to seal it closed, as well as all of the other entrances of the house. I heard him pound on the door.

“North!” he shouted. “North, this isn’t funny!”

“You two need to learn to get along! And by you two, I mean you!”

“C’mon, let me out!” he said. “Don’t make me stay here with him!”

“Be nice to him!” I said. “I’ll be back soon.”

___________________________________________

It was quiet for a long period, before Stratus spoke up.

“You’re coltfriend is a bit… strange.”

Thunderlane nodded.

“How… how long have you two…?”

“Eight months.” said Thunderlane. “Since last Winter Wrap-up.”

“That’s quite a stretch.”

“Yeah.”

After another silent spell, Stratus spoke again.

“How have you been?”

Thunderlane shrugged. It was painful, having his father here. This stallion, who’d hurt him so badly. And now, he expected forgiveness? Thunderlane felt a brief resurgence of anger. Then North’s words came back to him. Give him a chance. And his expression, after he’d offered for Stratus to come here… North had never looked at him like that. He hadn’t been able to refuse.

So now he was here, trapped with his worst memories. And their cause.

“What do you do? For a living, I mean?”

He looked back at Stratus. His expression showed genuine curiosity.

“I’m part of the weather team.”

“Really? Good job.”

A warm spot flared briefly in his chest. “Thanks.”

They sat together in silence, Thunderlane avoiding his father’s eyes. Those brown eyes had glared down at him so often, he still felt his body tense in fear. He tried to relax.

He can’t hurt me. I’m just as big as he is now, and stronger too.

___________________________________________

When I got back from work, with Rumble in tow, I unsealed the house. Inside, I found that the two of them were where I’d left them. Thunderlane didn’t seem quite as tense as earlier, which was a start.

When Rumble saw his father, he gasped. “Daddy?”

“Rumble!”

Stratus’s face lit up, and briefly, I saw the stallion he must’ve been before May had died. With a strength he hadn’t possessed a moment before, he jumped off the couch, and ran over to Rumble. He embraced him in a hug, laughing and crying all at the same time. Rumble was grinning, pushing his muzzle into his father’s chest.

“Oh, Rumble.”

Thunderlane looked on, expressionless. I walked over to him, and nudged him.

“C’mon.” I said. “Look at that.”

Rumble had tackled Stratus, and both were laughing on the floor. The older pegasus wrapped his wings around them, rocking back and forth.

“I’ll go make dinner.” he said. He stood, and went to the kitchen.

I sighed.

It’ll take a while. I thought. But at least he’s here now. I just hope I’m wrong about what I saw...

Chapter 19: Tenebrous

Chapter 19

How did this happen? How could I have let it happen?

I leaned my head against the closet door. I was stuck in here, and I couldn’t get out.

What am I supposed to do?

I’d had my suspicions. But I’d been fooled. Fooled, to believe what I’d wanted to believe. To see what I wanted to see.

How could I have been so stupid?

___________________________________________

It was nighttime. Thunderlane, Stratus, and I sat around the kitchen table. I eyed my hand carefully, assessing what could happen. Three kings, three sevens, and an ace. I looked up at my opponents, trying to decide how to proceed.

“Do you have any kings?” Thunderlane asked me abruptly.

“Thunderlane.” said Stratus. “It’s not your turn.”

“Darn.”

“Anyway.” I said, grinning evilly. “Thunderlane, do you have any kings?”

“DARN!” Thunderlane exclaimed, handing over the last king. “Daaaaaad!”

“Sorry.” said Stratus, though he was smiling.

“Aaaand… that’s another set for me!” I put the four kings on the table.

“That’s nice.” said Stratus. “However…”

He gave me a grin to equal my own diabolical smile.

“Do you have any sevens?” he asked. I sighed, and handed over the cards. Stratus put the cards on the ground, and put his arms behind his head. “I win.”

Thunderlane and I groaned, and put the rest of our cards down. It was too bad we’d been playing first to three sets, since I now saw that Thunderlane had an ace in his hand.

“Best 23 out of 45?” said Thunderlane.

Stratus smiled. “Sure…”

I groaned, and threw my hooves up in surrender. “I quit.”

“Can I play?” asked Rumble. “Please?”

“Sure.” said Thunderlane, pushing a chair out with a hindleg.

I yawned, then got down from the table.

“I’m going to bed now.” I said, kissing Thunderlane on the cheek.

“Good night.” said Thunderlane, kissing me back. “Be up soon.”

Upstairs, I went to our bedroom, and laid down on the bed. I sighed into my pillow, then closed my eyes.

It was such an improvement, to see them getting along with one another.

___________________________________________

I slammed into the closet door again, trying my hardest to break the door open. I reached for my neck, before remembering that my sonic screwdriver and collar had been taken.

“What do I do?” I whispered. I leaned my head on the door, quivering.

I need to get out of here. But how?

______________________________________________________________________________

I was upstairs, reading from a Griffon history book. I'd finished catching up on Equestrian history, so I'd turned to other countries's accounts of the past thousand years. In addition, it'd been a long week, and this was going to be my only break from now until the end of the harvest.

I felt something cold in my chest. I started, and my ears came to full attention. I looked around, then whipped my sonic screwdriver out. I walked slowly down to the living room. I looked around carefully. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, and I knew, somehow, there was something wrong.

Then something knocked me on the back of the head, and I blacked out.

___________________________________________

I opened my eyes blearily. I jerked upright, whacking my head on a shelf.

“Ow!” I looked around me, and discovered I was in a closet, in the guest room. “How did I get in here?”

“I might have had something to do with that…” That voice. I was terrified, because what I’d heard confirmed all of my worse fears.

“Stratus?”

“Yes… and no…”

“What?”

“You know exactly… what.” he hissed. “You know our name…”

The strangeness of his voice. The cold I’d felt. All of this reminded me of one of my adventures with the Doctor.

“Tenebrous.”

Tenebrous was a non-corporeal alien species that took over and inhabited the bodies of physical beings who had experienced great emotional trauma. Which explained much of what had happened.

But how were they here on Equus? I needed to find out, and fast. If Tenebrous managed to spread to other hosts…

“Yes, we are Tenebrous.”

I put my hoof on the door, trying to open it. It held firm. I reached for my sonic screwdriver, but my collar was gone.

“So, Tenebrous…” I said, trying to stall for time. “Exactly how long have you been using Stratus as a puppet?”

“You know…”

Classic Tenebrous. As enigmatic and strange as ever.

“Since his wife died.”

“Indeed… he was easy to take over, and has served us well.”

I looked around for anything that could help me get out, but I didn’t see anything. No resources whatsoever. The closet had been stripped of everything except for the shelves that should have held what ever a guest brought.

“And why do you need me?”

“We do not… we know what you are, and you will not serve us.”

“Got that right. But why…?”

“We need you out of the way. You would interfere with us…”

“I suppose that’s true. But you know I have to stop you, right?”

“You would fail.”

“Then why am I in here?”

There was no response. Then I heard Stratus shift.

“Soon, we will be rulers of this world.”

“Have fun.”

“And your love will be taken by us.”

I froze.

“What?”

“He is vulnerable. He will be ours, and he will serve Tenebrous.”

I slammed on the door, trying desperately to get it open.

“Leave him alone!” I shouted. “Leave him alone!”

“Farewell, Time Lord.”

I heard hooves, then the door to the room closed.

And I sobbed quietly.

___________________________________________

Now here I was.

And I didn’t know where Thunderlane was. And I knew Tenebrous was after him.

I had to get out!

I looked around again. There had to be something, anything. I lifted the shelves off of their holders, and leaned them against the walls. I stood up, glaring at the doors.

“You shall not stand in my way.” I whispered, addressing the doors.

Override. All self-protection systems deactivated.

I braced myself. Then I launched myself at the doors. I had held myself back for a long time, restraining my strength. I unleashed my full fury on them, and they exploded outwards. Splinters.

I fell to the floor, my shoulders and sides scratched by the wood of the doors. Blood trickled from cuts on my face and side.

I groaned, making myself stand. Tenebrous had left my collar, but he’d taken the sonic with him. I ran downstairs quickly, and looked around. He was gone. I ran to the doors, and threw it open. I looked around, and panicked. How on earth was I supposed to find Tenebrous, or Thunderlane? I shuddered with frustration.

___________________________________________

After a long search, I found him. He was in the library, directly in the center of Ponyville. He had gathered many ponies to him. He had surrounded himself with Tenebrous to protect himself. If I could just get to him, I would be able to release Stratus from its hold. Because he was the origin of the infection, removing it from him would free the others.

Then I gave a silent cry.

Thunderlane was bound by his hooves, leaned against the wall. His eyes were wide and confused. His expression wasn’t blank, so I knew he hadn’t been changed yet. Tenebrous didn’t understand emotions.

How am I supposed to fix this?

“Help.” I whispered.

Obviously, no help came. I looked in through the window. I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know what to do.

I had no choice.

Exterminate.

___________________________________________

Inside, Thunderlane was petrified. He stared wide-eyed at the ponies around him. All of them had blank expressions. His father had come to him, and asked him to come help him in the library. He’d been confused, but he’d gone with him. But when they’d gotten here, he’d been jumped from behind by two ponies, and tied up.

“Now.” Stratus came to a stop in front of him. “You will become one with us.”

Thunderlane stared at him, voiceless behind the gag. Stratus reached a hoof out, his shadow stretching out towards him…

Then the door exploded off of its hinges.

North came hurtling in, knocking one of the expressionless ponies off of their hooves. His eyes were cold as ice, piercing the darkness. The lights in the room flickered, and North spoke in a voice more terrible than Thunderlane had ever imagined him to be capable of.

“Release him, and I will have mercy…”

“Why would we do that?” asked Stratus.

“Because…” said North. “I will not have any if you do not.”

“Deal with him.” said Stratus, turning back to Thunderlane. Several of the ponies standing around them advanced.

North made them pay, sending them flying off of their hooves. Thunderlane watched as he sent another of them tumbling backwards, where their head hit the wooden floor with a loud crack.

North turned to face Stratus, whose hoof was mere inches from Thunderlane’s forehead. He shouted, and tackled him. The two of them went tumbling across the floor. Stratus delivered a heavy punch to North’s already bleeding shoulder, making him give a pained shout.

North pinned Stratus to the floor by his throat, choking the older stallion with his elbow. Thunderlane yelled through the gag, terrified by what he was seeing.

___________________________________________

Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!!!!!

I heard Thunderlane’s terrified scream, and froze. My vision cleared, and I saw what I was doing. I threw myself back from Tenebrous.

What am I doing…?

I looked over at Thunderlane, and saw the shock and fear in his eyes. A tear was falling down his cheek.

I looked back down at Tenebrous, who was coughing and hacking. I pinned him again, but this time with by his chest. I put a hoof on either side of his head, and peered into his eyes. He stared back, then started to shudder. I picked up the sonic screwdriver, which had fallen from the shelf where it had been put. I put the tip straight against his forehead, and turned it on.

Stratus began to shake violently. His eyes went dark, and he let out an unearthly howl. Thunderlane yelled again, but I forced myself to ignore him. Tenebrous howled again, and darkness streamed out of his mouth.

You may have beaten us… but you will pay…

The darkness swallowed me, and everything went black.

___________________________________________

Thunderlane watched as the dark cloud enveloped North. When it dissipated, he fell over. Thunderlane felt the ropes loosen, and pushed them off of himself. He pulled the gag off, then ran over to North.

“North?” He shook North’s shoulder, but he didn’t respond. “North!”

At the broken door to the library, Thunderlane heard a gasp. He looked around, and saw Twilight Sparkle staring in at the carnage. She walked forward a few steps, then stopped, looking around.

“What… happened… here…?” she said, her eye twitching.

Twilight listened to his frantic explanation, her eyes flitting from Stratus, to the ropes, to the unconscious strangers, and to North. She kept surprisingly calm during the whole thing. When he had satisfied her information-wise, she helped him get North and Stratus upstairs. Then she made sure all the strangers were taken to the hospital. They cleaned the library, then went back up to the beds. Stratus was stirring, but North hadn’t moved.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Thunderlane.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t kn-”

She froze, then looked back at Thunderlane.

“What was the last thing that the… the thing said?”

“You may have beaten us-” Then Thunderlane got it too, and looked down at North’s still face. “But you will… pay.”

“Is he…?” he whispered. “Is he going to wake up?”

“I… I think so.” said Twilight. “But I’m not sure.”

___________________________________________

Thankfully, I did wake up. When I did, it was dark outside. The stars were shining in through the window, the moon being out of view. I groaned, sitting upright.

The sheets of Twilights guest bed fell off of me, and I looked around. It took me a moment to recall my last memories. I looked around, and saw Thunderlane leaning against the bed.

“Thunderlane.” I said, touching his forehead with my nose.

“Huh?” He started awake, then looked up at me. “North? You… you’re okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.” he whispered. “I… Twilight thought you might not wake up.”

I nuzzled him, wrapping my arms around him protectively. We sat together silently, and I thought about all that happened.

___________________________________________

Youtube Video

___________________________________________

After saying goodbye to Twilight, who insisted on giving me a check up, we walked home. Stratus came by later, having woken up. We made our nightly preparations in silence. No one spoke, which was fine with me. I needed to think about all that had happened today. I knew that Tenebrous could never be destroyed, as it did not exist in a physical form. It was an ancient natural force. I'd dispersed it, but it would reform eventually. I'd removed it from Stratus, and I was determined to make sure it never came back to this family. And I knew of only one way to protect them.

Once Rumble was asleep, I took Thunderlane aside. It took all my strength, all my will to make it through our conversation.

“I… I have to go.”

“Go where?” he asked.

“Away. Away from here.”

Thunderlane frowned. “Why?”

“You have a lot on your hooves.” I looked down at my own. “You don’t need to worry about me, too.”

“But…”

“I… I’m sorry.” I sniffed. “It has to end.”

“We’ll still be friends?” asked Thunderlane.

“Of course.”

He sat still, then hugged me one more time. I hugged him back, feeling my insides twist and break.

“I’ll still love you.” I whispered.

“I know…”

I gathered my things, and left quietly. I didn’t want to deal with Rumble. I walked down to the corner of the street. I looked longingly back at the house. I felt myself tearing up, and rubbed at my muzzle, sniffing.

“Good bye.”

Thunderlane looked out the window, where North had gone around the corner. He covered his head with his hooves, and started crying. He felt a wing over him, and leaned against his father. Thunderlane sobbed into his shoulder.

___________________________________________

Big Macintosh heard somepony knock on the door. He went to the door, and opened it. North was standing there, looking depressed. His shoulder was bandaged, and there was a scrape on his cheek. His saddlebags hung haphazardly from his shoulders.

“North?”

North looked up at him, then shook his head. Then he just leaned his head against Big Mac’s chest and started crying silently. Big Mac was surprised. He didn’t understand, but he put an arm around him. North sobbed harder, and collapsed against him.

Big Mac picked North up, still sobbing, and carried him inside. He waved Applejack off, and helped him upstairs. He took him to the bed he’d used before, and put him in it. He didn’t ask any questions, he just stayed there, watching over North until he fell asleep.

A sleep of full of nightmares.

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Chapter 20: Intermission II

Chapter 20

North laid curled up on his bed. Big Macintosh had left once he’d fallen asleep, but he was awake now. His sleep had been full of all his most terrible memories, all torturesome to him. He didn’t move at all, just staring into the fur of his chest and stomach. A terrible sadness washed over him, untempered and raging in its intensity. He felt so alone, and so tired. Only one small argument was keeping him from losing control.

It had to be done, he said to himself. I had to go, to keep them safe. Tenebrous and others cannot track them anymore.

He grabbed one of his pillows, and pulled it against his chest. He pushed his nose deep into it’s fluffiness. Restraining a sob, he curled his tail around one of his legs. For a long time, he laid there alone, wrapped in the cool sheets.

“North?”

He lifted his head. Over in the doorway, Applebloom was looking in at him.

“Applejacks says breakfast’s ready, ‘n you should come down.”

North ignored her, tucking his head back between his forelegs and the pillow. She hesitated for a moment, then walked up to the bed.

“North, are you okay?” When he gave no answer, she poked his back gently. “North?”

When he didn’t even seem to notice, she went back into the hallway, then downstairs. Applejack looked in from the kitchen.

“Where’s North?” she asked.

“Still in bed.” said Applebloom. “He wouldn’t answer me.”

Applejack sighed. “Ah’ll go’n get ‘im. You set the table.”

“Okay.”

Applebloom went into the kitchen, and Applejack went upstairs. She found North exactly as Applebloom had left him. She shook his shoulder, perhaps a bit rougher than was necessary. North flinched away from her touch.

“Rise’n shine.” she said. “We ain’t gonna wait fer ya.”

North shrugged. Applejack was about to flip out, but she didn’t get the chance.

“Leave ’im be, AJ.” said Mac, looking in through the door.

“But he’s-”

“C’mon.” Applejack grumbled, but she left. Mac came over to the bed, and touched his shoulder. “Come down when yer ready, ‘kay?”

North nodded, and Mac left.

When North came down, it was time for lunch. He sat quietly, and didn’t talk to anyone. Mac glanced over at him from his own seat. He was expressionless, which made it harder for Mac to figure out what was going on with him.

After they’d eaten, North followed Mac and Applejack outside. The harvest season was in full swing now, and they were in a race against time. They had to finish quickly enough that the apples didn’t get overripe. North and Applejack began going from tree to tree, giving them a solid thwack with their hind legs, and then gathering the apples that didn’t make it into the baskets below the trees.

They worked steadily for several hours. Above them, and to the west, they could see a rain cloud under construction. Eventually, Applejack went to do some of the other chores, leaving the two stallions to continue alone. They didn’t talk, which was probably best. Mac didn’t usually talk much, but words seemed to spill out around North. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing, and upset North further.

Meanwhile, North didn’t want to talk to anyone. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he was just glad that applebucking was an ingrained process. As he was collecting the baskets around one of the trees, he heard Mac clear his throat behind him.

“Er, North?”

North looked over at him. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, which made Mac feel a little awkward.

“Ah… Ah know yer not feelin’ too good right now.” he said. “Ah just want ya ta know, ya can always talk t’me.”

North nodded silently, then turned back to the baskets he was picking up. Taking one on his back, he walked over to the wagon they’d brought out with them. Mac watched for a few seconds, then looked away. He felt a little embarrassed by his short speech, so he went back to bucking the trees.

Once it was full, they took the wagon back to the storage barn, and started unloading the baskets into the cellar. They they’d started in the back, so the distance was less than it had been a few days earlier. Applejack rejoined them halfway through, so they were done with that wagonload and back in the orchard sooner.

They followed their normal routine, until it was time for dinner. They put all the equipment they’d used that day back where it belonged, and went inside. Granny Smith had managed to improve Applebloom’s cookings skills, and together they’d prepared a delicious dinner for the family. While it began to rain outside, they set the table.

When they sat down, Mac was glad to see that North seemed to have perked up a little. It was only just noticeable, but he was sitting a little straighter than before. As the rest of them ate and talked, North stayed quiet. Nopony but Applejack and Big Macintosh seemed to notice, and neither of them made an attempt to draw him out of his shell at the present. Both were aware of what had occurred, having been told by an exhausted Twilight. She’d spent half of the night cleaning up the mess that had been caused by Tenebrous. They knew he needed time.

North went to bed, after having spent a long time in the shower trying his best to clean his useless wings. He’d gotten so frustrated, he’d almost snapped the faucet off the wall when he turned off the water. He was afraid to fall asleep again, after the previous night. But of course he did anyway.

___________________________________________

Big Macintosh was woken by a shout. He pushed himself upright, blinking blearily. He heard it again, and pushed himself off the bed. In the hallway, he wasn’t entirely surprised to find that the panicked sounds were coming from North’s room.

He walked down to it, and pushed the door open. North was shaking, panting wildly.

“No!” he moaned, raw throated. “No! No, please!”

Mac touched North’s shoulder hesitantly, and when there were no dire consequences, he tried to hold the shivering North still. North continued to fight against him, before he gasped loudly, and his eyes opened.

“M-Mac?” he said, staring at Mac in surprise. “I-I…”

“Nightmares?” asked Mac, letting North lean against him. He felt North nod into his red shoulder. For a minute, they listened to the sound of to the rain quietly pattering on the roof and window.

“T-They…” North gave a choking sob. “They were horrible.”

“Ah’m here now.” whispered Mac. “Yer fine, ah promise.”

North nodded again, and Mac felt him nuzzle into his shoulder. He rubbed North’s back as he began to cry silently. Mac sat quietly, willing to be there as long as he needed to be. When he thought North had fallen back asleep, he laid him down. But as he made to leave, North spoke quietly.

“Please…” he said. “Don’t… don’t go. I don’t want to be alone…”

Mac hesitated. If his sister found him in here, with North, in bed, she’d flip out. But he knew that North considered him a brother, and he felt the same way. So he laid down next to North, who curled up against his chest. He hugged North and whispered into his ear:

“I’ll stay.”

___________________________________________

When I woke up in the morning, Mac was still with me. He’d kept his promise, and stayed all night. I’d slept, if just barely. I let myself enjoy the warmth coming off of the larger stallion for a while. When I determined that it was time to get up, I tapped his side with a hoof. Mac sighed, and rubbed his closed eyes.

“Time already?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Mac heaved himself off of my bed, standing up and stretching out his legs. I got up too, wishing I could relieve some of the tension in my back. With my wings stuck in one place, and unresponsive for so long, the muscles responsible for their control were starting to protest their imprisonment. I was surprised they hadn’t started complaining before now, considering how long I’d had them.

“Thank you for staying.” I said, stepping out into the hallway after Mac.

“Yer welcome North.” he said. Unexpectedly, he wrapped me in a hug. When he let me go, I saw he was smiling. “Just try ta be a bit friendlier ta AJ, okay? She’s freakin’ out over the whole thing.”

“Okay.”

I followed him downstairs, where we joined the others for breakfast. I tried to be more aware than I had been for the past couple days, when I’d been avoiding or ignoring almost everyone.

“Are ya feelin’ better?” asked Applebloom, looking up at me with those big eyes of hers.

“A bit.” I said.

“That’s good.” said Applejack, coming in from the living room. “We need ya more’n ever right now.”

I nodded, and went over to the stove. I ladled some porridge into a bowl, and handed it to Applebloom. She ran over to the table, and put it down. After we’d served everyone, we sat down.

___________________________________________

Dear Braeburn,

How are you? How’re your orchards doing? Is Bloomburg settling in fine?

Anyway, I’m writing to ask, could you come and help out this year? I know that you have responsibilities in Appleoosa, but there’ll be trouble if we can’t get all of the apples harvested this year. Even with North’s help, we don’t have enough help.

Speaking of North, I think you would do him some good. He’s been very depressed lately, since he and Thunderlane have split up. He didn’t talk for two days, and even after that, he’s barely speaking.

Your cousin,

Applejack

Chapter 21: Day and Night

Chapter 21

Dear Applejack,

Thanks for the letter. I don’t get much mail.

The orchards are doing just fine. Bloomburg’s as well off as an apple tree can be. He’s the pride of the West Orchard.

As to coming to Ponyville, I’d love to come. We’ve gotten some new arrivals since you and your friends came last. This, of course, means I’m free to come and help you and your folks. Your trees must be doing really well if you still need help with North around. He’s a very hard worker as I recall.

I’m sorry to hear about them breaking up. From what you wrote, they made an excellent pair. I’ll do what I can when I get there.

Braeburn

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

The Elements of Harmony sat around a table, each with a different meal in front of them. They were in Ponyville’s Haybale, which was named after both the seating and their specialty.

“Ah just don’t know what ta do.” said Applejack. “He seemed fine, but now he’s stopped talking completely.”

“Did something happen?” asked Rarity.

“Ah don’t know.” said Applejack. “Ah asked Big Mac if he knows anythin’, but he says he doesn’t.”

“Maybe he was just tired?” suggested Fluttershy. “He doesn’t talk much when he’s tired.”

“It’s been several days. And he’s still helpin’ outside’n everything.”

“I think I might know.” said Twilight, swirling her lemonade thoughtfully.

“Ya do?”

Twilight nodded. After several seconds of silence, Applejack cleared her throat.

“Care to expand on that?”

“Huh?” she snapped back into focus. “Oh, yes. Well, do you know how ponies are always talking about how painful a broken heart is?”

“Um… yeah?”

“Well, I’ve never really believed that. Don’t you think a broken heart would, you know… not work?”

The other five stared at her for a moment. They they collectively vocalized their comprehension.

“Huh?”

Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes. “If his heart is really broken, he wouldn’t feel anything. His mind is shielding itself from the heart, since it isn’t doing what it should. Hence his silence; he just doesn’t care anymore.”

“But… Twilight, darling, how can we fix it?” asked Rarity. “I mean, it isn’t exactly as if Applejack could tighten a few screws, or I could sew a patch on. This is somepony’s heart we’re talking about. And North of all ponies.”

“As to that…” said Twilight, looking downcast. “I don’t know.”

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Big Mac was with North, out in the orchards. There had been no conversation between them, which was normal. They were both so in tune with the other, they never needed to ask the other for anything. What wasn’t normal, though, was the silence.

Normally, one of them might be humming a quiet song. They might even sing once in a while. But North was quieter than he himself had ever been, and Mac didn’t know what to do about that. Every time he’d tried to start conversing with the white pegasus, he’d gotten nary a word out of him. He’d given up, just because it made him so uncomfortable to be the only one talking.

When they went back to the house that night, North immediately went to shower. And after they’d eaten, he was halfway to the stairs before Mac was even aware he’d left the table. He got up himself, following. He’d decided to try something.

“Ya need ta get out of the house.” he said. “Ya can’t just stay here all the time.”

North gave him a glance, then shook his head. He went into his room, and shut the door behind him.

Big Mac wasn’t a quitter though, and he resolved to try again the next day. While he and North were doing dishes (it was their turn), he gave it another try.

“Come on, North.” he said. “Please?”

North shrugged. Upon further cajoling, he sighed, then gave a jerk of his head. A nod.

“Good.” said Mac, grinning.

When they’d finished, they dried their hooves and went outside. Big Mac gave North a gentle nudge in the direction of the road. North looked up at him, eyebrows knitted.

“Yes, you’ve got to.” said Mac. North’s ears drooped, but he plodded along after the red stallion.

About halfway to Ponyville, Big Mac looked back at his morose companion. He looked very depressed, but at least he wasn’t moping around the farmhouse. Once in Ponyville, Mac came to a halt. He stuck a hoof out, forcing North to stop and look up.

“What d’ya want ta do?” he asked. “Go to the library? Visit a shop ‘r two?”

After getting only a shrug in return, Mac sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he’d anticipated.

“Well, er… are ya hungry?” It was a reasonable question, since the dishes they’d been doing were several hours old.

This time, a nod. Progress.

Big Mac looked around. Sugarcube Corner was out of the question. Pinkie could only make North worse right now. And… he couldn’t actually think of anywhere else. His knowledge of Ponyville’s restaurants was incredibly limited.

“Er…” Big Mac cleared his throat. “Ah… ah don’t… where do you want to go?”

North looked around, seemed to come to a decision, and set off through town. Big Mac followed, noting that North was giving everypony but him a decent-sized berth.

When they did reach North’s intended destination, it was fairly obvious. It was a hayburger joint, just around the corner from the library. It was one of those restaurants where you’re half convinced they pay secret advertising agents to pump the smell of their food out of the small aeration vents on the side of the building. Big Mac’s mouth had started watering, and he swallowed so he wouldn’t start drooling.

“Here?” he asked. North nodded, and walked towards the front door.

North held the door for him, looking in at the assembled patrons. More than half the tables were taken, it being lunchtime. They went up to the counter, where a mare with a baseball cap was taking orders; currently from a middle-aged stallion wearing a vest. They waited patiently, until he got his order. Then they approached the counter.

Big Mac had been wondering how North was going to order. After all, he’d been refusing to talk to anypony all this time. He got his answer when the mare with the baseball cap looked up from the cash register, and smiled.

“Hey.” she said. “Nice to see you again. The usual?”

North nodded, and she directed her attention to Mac.

“And you, sir?”

“Oh, uh…” he looked up at the menu. “Er… a quarter-pounder, please.”

“Anything to drink?”

“Jus’ water.”

“Okay.” she repeated their order to the stallion in the kitchen, who acknowledged it, and got to work.

“Your food’ll be ready in just a minute.” the mare said. “That’ll be seven bits, please.”

North handed over the money, which surprised Mac more. He’d been perfectly willing to pay for his own meal. When the mare gave the their trays, they went to some seats near the window.

“The usual?” asked Mac. North nodded, and took a bite out of his hayburger.

As they ate, Mac watched North. His bearing was still tired and downtrodden, and he’d let his mane grow out longer than he ever had. It fell down over his eyebrows, nearly covering his eyes.

After they’d eaten, they visited a few shops. Nothing was bought, but Mac was glad that North was out of the house, and hopefully enjoying himself a little. Even if he couldn’t actually tell.

Their final visit was to a greenhouse, in which there were many exotic specimens. Mac was glad to see that North’s lethargy briefly disappeared, replaced with an alert interest. But their time was growing short, so when Mac concluded it would be best to return to the farm, he nudged North, who was examining a strange-looking orchid.

“It’s time ta go, sugarcube.” he said. “We need ta head home.”

North looked disappointed, but he nodded. He followed Mac out, and followed him down the path that would take them home. They passed the schoolhouse, which was dark and empty for the weekend. The flag fluttered in a small breeze, and the shiny bronze bell gyrated slowly from side to side. They wind picked up a little, and North shivered.

“You okay?” Mac asked. “You c’n walk closer ta me if ya want.”

North nodded, but the continuing onslaught of cold air finally drove him to huddle against the red steed for warmth. Mac didn’t mind. North was like a brother to him, after all. He could feel how cold North was now, and tried his best to block as much of the chilly air as he could.

“Y’know,” he said, as they were walking past the edge of the Everfree Forest’s border with the farm, “AJ sent a letter, askin’ Braeburn ta come up here’n help us with the harvest.”

North’s ears pricked up. Response.

“Ah reckon y’all ‘re gonna have a great time together.”

Once home, North went upstairs, and Big Mac went to make sure all the tools were put away. After ensuring this, he took his turn in the bathroom, then went to his bedroom.

Big Mac’s room was fairly simple. His bed was placed against a side wall, next to a dresser with a small lamp. A raggedy old doll was laid back against his pillows. He picked the doll up, brushing its grey yarn mane out of its blue and red button eyes. Then he straightened its polka-dotted pants, and smiled.

“Hello, Smarty Pants.”

The doll gazed back up at him. He nuzzled it, and climbed into his bed.

“Today’s been weird.” he whispered to the ever-attendant Smarty Pants. “North won’ talk ta anypony, ‘n he’s been so tired-lookin’.”

He sighed, and relaxed.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Later that night, Big Mac was in a peaceful half-asleep state. His mind wandered freely among different trains of thought, which were disjointed and unrelated. He was musing on the incredibly random subject of different kinds of jellyfish, when his door creaked slightly.

He looked over at the door, to see a guilty-looking North peering in at him. North blinked, his eyebrows knitted in a frown. Mac caught the silent question.

Can I come in?

Big Mac nodded, and North crept quietly across the room to his bed. He pawed at the worn covers with a hoof, a questioning look directed at Mac. Mac nodded again, and pulled the covers back part of the way.

North climbed up next to him, and curled up on the bed. Mac pulled the covers back over them, and settled himself back down.

“Nightmares?” he whispered.

North nodded, as he snuggled up against the red steed’s chest. Mac wrapped North in his arms, letting him relax into the embrace. North burried his face in the thick fur of Mac’s chest. He heard North sniffle, and tightened his hug.

“Yer safe.” he said, nuzzling North’s mane. “Ah ain’t gonna leave ya, ah promise.”

North nodded. After a long time, his breathing evened out. Mac kept the smaller stallion against his chest. While North slept, he drifted off. Soothed by the gentle breathing of one who was like a brother.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Applejack was awake too. She’d heard creaks coming from out in the hall, and assumed Applebloom or Big Mac had gone to the bathroom. This annoyed her, since she’d been woken up. It was a well known fact that Applejack was highly irritable if her sleep cycle was interrupted. But she knew that it was inevitable that one of them would end up going at some point during the night. But when there was no second squeak, but only silence, she grew suspicious.

She got up, and sneaked out into the hall. She was light on her hooves, and easily avoided the loose floorboard. She checked on Applebloom first, but she was sleeping like a rock. Minus the half-snores and the wide open mouth. Granny Smith was in a similar state, so she moved on to the stallions’ rooms.

She went to Mac’s door, and discovered it was already partially open. In her half-awake state, she stared at that for a few minutes. Then she pushed the door open a few more inches, and peered in.

Big Mac was there, like he should be. But what she hadn’t expected to see, was North, curled up next to him. Wrapped in his embrace, even.

She very nearly lost it then. Anger rose up inside of her like a fiery viper. She was about to throw the door open with a bang, and give North a full-out tirade over sleeping with her brother. But some measure of self-control took over, and she took a closer look. North looked flat-out exhausted. He didn’t normally look this peaceful when he slept. She’d gone on enough nighttime prowls to know this. But right now, held by her brother, he seemed to be more relaxed.

So she left them be. She’d ask Mac about it in the morning. But right now, she just wanted to go back to bed.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

When Big Macintosh woke in the morning, he could still feel North pressed up against his chest. They’d shifted a little during the night, so now North was using his chest as a pillow. He closed his eyes again, and relaxed. He knew that he should be getting up right now. The apples wouldn’t harvest themselves, after all.

But he felt so comfortable. It was… nice, not being alone. Not that he minded being alone. He took comfort in the moments of peace and solitude, when he was alone with his thoughts.

But this… he liked it.

He opened his eyes again, gazing down at North. He leaned over, and nuzzled into his messy blue mane.

Soon, though, he really did need to get up. He bent over North’s ear.

“Sugarcube…” he said, quietly enough so as to not be heard outside. “‘s time ta get up.”

North stirred, stretching his back. He rubbed his eyes, then pushed himself upright. Big Mac made himself do the same, and sighed. He looked down at North, and smiled.

“Sleep okay?”

North nodded a bit, then looked up at him. He seemed to hesitate for a second, then he wrapped his arms around Mac’s midsection. Mac returned the embrace, giving him a good squeeze.

“We need to go’n help AJ now, or she’ll be on the warpath.”

North nodded, and got off the bed. They walked out of the room, and Big Mac briefly recalled the previous time this had happened.

North needs somepony. He told himself.

Chapter 22: Turning Around

Chapter 22

I was walking out in the orchards. We were getting farther and farther behind, and despite the assistance of Applejack’s friends, it wasn’t certain we’d finish the harvest in time. This was making all of us on the farm anxious, since a good deal of Ponyville’s population needed the apples we grew to eat during the winter. And it was starting to get cold out, and that meant the apples would start going bad soon.

I was in the Golden Delicious section of the orchard, when I heard Applejack call my name I turned from my work, and went to find her. She’d been very irritable lately, so I didn’t stop anywhere. I really didn’t want to face her wrath. When I found her, she was brief and to the point.

“Hey, North.” she said. “Ah need a favor.”

I nodded, and she went on.

“Braeburn’s train’ll be comin’ in soon, but ah’m to busy to go’n greet ‘im.” I would’ve pointed out that I was just as busy as she was, but she wasn’t in the mood to be questioned. So I nodded again. “He’ll be here ‘bout noon, so go ahead’n finish up what yer doin’, then go. ‘kay?”

One last nod, and I went back to where I’d been I resumed my work, letting my mind wander. When the time came, I took the small cart I’d been using back to the barn. Then I started for town. The train station was on the far side of Ponyville, so I was grateful I’d left as soon as I had.

Overhead, the sun beat down with its burning rays. The day was unusually hot for fall, and the heat was being soaked up by my skin. I was grateful for my white coat, since it deflected some of the heat away. As I went along, I closed my eyes for a brief second, and enjoyed the warmth. Soon it would be freezing outside. And though I liked the cold, I knew I’d miss this weather in a few month’s time. I wondered briefly what it would feel like to spread my wings to catch the glowing rays. I imagined it must feel really nice. I sighed to myself, then went on my way.

In Ponyville, the market was in full swing. Vendors lined the streets with their carts and stalls, with foods and things grown or made on surrounding farms. I waved to Granny Smith, who was manning - or rather ponying - the Apple’s apple cart. Normally, one of the Apple siblings would be doing this, but right now we needed every able-bodied pony working on the trees.

After several minutes navigating the maze of eager-to-sell ponies, and avoiding getting trapped in the crowd, I made it to the clear streets on the north side of Ponyville. Now free of the crowds, I was able to make it to the train station with time to spare. It’s brown roof gleamed in the full sunlight, partially shaded by the nearby tree. The maple’s leaves had turned gold in preparation for the coming Falling of the Leaves.

I walked up the creaking wooden steps to the platform, looking around at the assembled group. There was a mare with a bright green mane, the shade of mint candy. Next to her was another mare, whose pale yellow coat and blue-and-pink mane contrasted heavily with her companion’s. Nearby, a family of ponies was sitting on or playing near the seats that were against the station wall. I knew they were a family, since the older pair were sitting together, and the little filly and colt were playing in front of them. I saw the mare nuzzle the stallion, then she called their two children.

“Flower Patch.” she said. “Red Brush.”

As they ran to their mother, I heard the train whistle coming from down the tracks. I looked over my shoulder, and saw it chugging its way towards us. The family of ponies got up, and walked over to wait. I stayed back, letting them by.

As the train came to a stop, the conductor hopped off of the platform. When the train came to stop, the engine pumped out a cloud of steam. The conductor opened up the doors. A small crowd of ponies disembarked, while the ponies waiting on the platform got on. I looked around for Braeburn, but I didn’t couldn’t see him through the steam. I was getting worried that I’d missed him, then I heard my name being called from near the end of the train.

“North!”

I turned, looking for the source of the call. I finally saw Braeburn, waving from near the caboose. He wore his usual wide grin, as well as his brown vest and stetson. I walked over, where I found myself immediately wrapped in a tight hug. All I could see was tan fur.

“Hey there!” said Braeburn ecstatically, ruffling up my mane. “Long time no see!”

I nodded, and he let me go.

“Ain’t ya gonna say anythin?”

I frowned, and looked down at my hooves. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t. Somehow… I just couldn’t.

“Are ya okay?” I looked up, and nodded.

He seemed satisfied, though still confused. I looked down at his luggage. There wasn’t too much. We’d be able to get it back to the farm easily enough. I picked up a pair of saddlebags, and slung them over my back. Then I picked up a suitcase with my mouth, and looked at Braeburn. He grabbed the rest, then nodded to me.

“C’mon now.”

The entire walk to the farm, Braeburn kept up a nonstop chatter about.. well, everything. He stopped to talk to Granny Smith so long, I ended up dragging him away by the tail.

When we got to the farm, he whistled in appreciation.

“Doesn’ matter how many times ah see it, it’s still a mighty fine sight to behold.”

I nodded in agreement. It was an impressive view. Trees extended as far as you could see in every direction. I carried his stuff inside, Braeburn following shortly after. I took his stuff up to the guest room, while I went to find Applejack. He was eager to start after so long cooped up on the train.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

With Braeburn on the farm, things were noticeably different.

First off, breakfast became a more social event. Braeburn insisted on chatting away with each member of the family, of which I seemed to be considered an honorary member. He’d go on and on, but somehow the other members of the conversation managed to get their own bit in.

After breakfast, work was much smoother. Because we now had four workers, we were able to implement a sort of assembly line. Mac and I would get the apples off of the trees, and put them in the baskets. Braeburn would gather them, and take them to the barn. Then Applejack would work on storing them in the cellar, with occasional assistance from Applebloom.

Even during the work hours, Braeburn kept up a running dissertation of stories and events from Appleoosa, from the frontier, and on pretty much anything. It occurred to me that the ponies in Appleoosa might not be as chatty as him, leaving him with a need to spill everything on his mind at every possible opportunity. I just hoped that this wouldn’t continue perpetually.

After several days, things were looking up. We were starting to catch up to the weather, which was rapidly growing worse. While the weather was controlled by the pegasi, it still had some autonomy. Especially near the Everfree Forest.

At the end of the fourth day, Braeburn and I were pulling in the last carts of apples for that day’s harvest. Big Mac had sent me to help him, since there were no more trees left for the moment. We planned to be finished within another few days, so everypony had relaxed a bit.

“So, North.” said Braeburn. “How’s yer day been?”

I shrugged. I didn’t really have an opinion on the day. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“C’mon.” he said. “Give me more than that!”

I didn’t, and he sighed.

“Why, North?” he asked. “Why won’t ya talk ta me?”

I looked downwards, watching as my hooves passed over dirt and sparse grass. I heard Braeburn say something else, but I tuned him out. I wasn’t going to do this right now. Besides, Mac had already explained as best he could. Wasn’t that enough?

At the barn, we unloaded the apples from our carts, and Applejack took over. Then I started to walk back to the house.

“Hey, North?” I looked over my shoulder. Braeburn was standing a foot or so away. “Would ya like to go fer a walk? The stars’ll be out soon, and Mac told me how much ya like’m an’ all.”

He was smiling at me hopefully. I glanced up at the sky. It was true, the sun was about to set. But why did he want me too? He surely knew I wasn’t going to say anything. But it had been a while since I’d gazed up at the constellations.

I nodded, and he grinned.

“Great!” he said. “C’mon. I know just the spot!”

“Don’t y’all be out too long!” said Applejack. “We ain’ out of the woods yet, so ta speak.”

“Got it!” said Braeburn, nudging me. “Let’s go!”

I followed him out into the orchards. He led me down one of the winding dirt paths, in a generally north-western direction. Towards the hill. Why was he taking me there? It was a great view, sure. But there were others. The stargazing hill to the east in particular, as it didn’t have any trees on it.

When we reached the hill, he started climbing immediately. I hesitated at the bottom, and he paused in his ascent.

“Stars’re coming out.” he said. “Ya comin’?”

I glanced upward, at the hilltop, then nodded. I followed him to the top, where he proceeded to sit down. I sat down too, gazing outward and upward. Overhead, the stars were indeed beginning to appear. One by one, their light started to stream down from the sky, until great swaths of stars were gathered across the sky. Constellations stood out, identifiable because their stars were the brightest of them all. We could see the Milky Way, stretching across the sky in a band of dark and misty streaks.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” said Braeburn. I nodded in agreement. “Say, North?”

I looked over at him, to see him smiling happily.

“Ah’m glad ya came out here with me.”

I blinked, then nodded. I laid down, tucking my front legs under my head. Continuing to look skyward, Braeburn did the same. In a move most unlike him, he stayed quiet. We watched the heavens, just enjoying the natural wonders above us.

I thought back to all of my time with the Doctor, flying amongst the stars. Journeying through time and space. It had been wonderful. But there was something special about standing on a world, and looking up at all the wonders. It really made you appreciate the grand scale of the cosmos.

“North?” I didn’t look at him, but I turned an ear his way. “Ah… ah am yer friend, ain’ ah?”

I nodded, and I could sense him relaxing. I didn’t understand why he’d needed to ask, but I didn’t feel the need to find out. After a few minutes, I could feel myself starting to drift off. I forced myself to stand, yawning. Braeburn looked up, and smiled.

“Tired?” I nodded, and he got up. “Alright.”

We walked slowly back to the house. In the darkness, most might’ve found the walk creepy, with the leaves rustling overhead. But with Braeburn next to me, and the starlight above, it was soothing.

At the house, Braeburn gave me one of his surprise hugs, and mussed up my mane.

“Goodnight.” He said. I smiled, then went upstairs.

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Braeburn went into the kitchen, where Mac was perusing the Ponyville Gazette. Mac looked up from his paper, and frowned. Braeburn looked conflicted, which was unusual. This stallion was always straightforward, and never had any doubts.

“What is it?” he asked. Braeburn frowned.

“Ah don’t rightly know.” he said. “Ah just…” He shook his head, and smiled. “It’s nothin. Ah’m jus’ tired.”

“Goodnight, then.” said Mac. “Ah’m gonna be up a bit longer, so go ahead an’ head up.”

“‘kay then. G’night.”

Braeburn left, and Mac watched him go. He straightened his paper, and started reading.

Chapter 23: Leaves and Stars

Chapter 23

It was the day of The Running of Leaves. Crowds had gathered at the Lavender Tree Plains, east of Ponyville. Excited chatter floated over the Starting Line, in a disjointed and discordant chorus. Throughout Ponyville, and at points along the route, ponies were celebrating the end of the season. And though the harvest itself wouldn’t finish until the week after, Fall was drawing to a close.

Among the runners, Twilight Sparkle and North Star were waiting for the race to begin. It had been difficult for Twilight to convince him to participate, but with some help from Big Mac, she’d gotten him to come. North was only here because the harvest was coming along so well. Both were wearing their racing numbers, but while Twilight wore her 14 on her cutie mark, North had refused, putting his 26 on his chest.

“Are you ready?” she asked, turning to look at him. She was concerned about him, since he still hadn’t talked to anyone. He nodded, and she felt a slight reassurance.

“The race will start in three minutes!”

The call came clearly through the surrounding crowds. The racers began to line up, and Twilight nudged North’s shoulder.

“Let’s get to our starting places.” she said.

North nodded, then went to the back of the racers. Twilight went to her place near the middle, and stretched out her hind legs. Their plan was to do the race together, pacing themselves so they would last longer. It was a beautiful day, and Twilight intended to enjoy it as much as possible. The shining sun was offset by the cool air.

“Heeeeeeello!” A familiar voice resonated from the speakers. It Pinkie Pie. She’d offered to commentate, and no one had had the heart to refuse her. “AAAAAAnd welcome to The Running of the Leaves!”

“Here we go.” said a pony a few over from Twilight.

“Get ready for the race!” shouted Pinkie. “I’m sure this is gonna be a fantastic one!”

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I heard Pinkie Pie, and got ready for what came next.

“All racers to their marks!” she shouted.

Everypony who hadn’t already, did so. This included Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were apparently trying to settle a disagreement. They’d run this race before, and intended to prove who was a better athlete with it. I’d heard all about it, and expected this to be interesting.

“Get ready!”

I watched all the ponies in front of me crouch down, then braced myself.

“GOOOOOOOOOO!”

In a cloud of dust, everypony in front of me set off. All of them, except Twilight and I, started at their full speed. I trotted forward to run beside her, and we set off. We ran through the sparse trees, laden with their pink leaves.

When we turned northward, we passed Rainbow Dash’s house, and the Diamond Dog fields. Ahead of us, the White Tail Woods spread out in a green mass. Far to the north, Canterlot was visible on the side of the a mountain. The waterfalls glistened faintly as they fell downwards.

As we entered the woods, I sniffed the air. It was fresh, and smelled like dry leaves. Those same leaves crunched under my hooves, crackling as they got thrown back in my passage. The leaves had fallen from their branches, leaving them bare.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” I glanced over at Twilight. She was smiling happily. “It’s really beautiful out here.”

I nodded. At the first branch, we turned right. We passed a few ponies, who’d spent all their energy during the beginning of the race.

“What did I tell you?” she said. “Slow and steady wins the race.”

We curved southward, going past the tall red cliffs to the east. Three more ponies fell behind us, panting from their exertions.

In the southern woods, we came upon multiple streams, which fell from cliffs above us in brilliant cascades. The waterfalls refracted the light of the sun into a conflagration of colors. We  had to slow down a good bit here, and cross the streams on a series of flat stones. In the water below, small pebbles and stones had been eroded smooth by the flowing water. And to our right, the streams fell again, and flowed west towards Ponyville. The town stretched out below us, up and over the distant West Cliffs.

After a long while, we reached the southernmost part of the woods, where the trees turned dark and twisted, and the undergrowth became tangled and thorny. This was where White Tail became Everfree. The trail split here, continuing forward into Everfree, and west towards the Orchards. While the Everfree path was narrow and tangled, the west path was as clear as the one behind us.

We turned west, obviously.

We came to a hill, which we slowed to climb. When we crested the top, we could see the clock tower, rising above the leaves. Ahead of us, we could see some of the other racers. They too had slowed down. Twilight had been right. Not that I hadn’t known.

The trees began to grow thinner, and we emerged from the forest. Fluttershy’s house was to the left of us, and the clock tower ahead was showing three minutes until two.

“We’re making good time.” said Twilight. “Halfway there, and its only two o’clock.”

To our right, the ground sloped down into a shallow valley full of apple trees, through which the streams we’d crossed earlier flowed towards Ponyville. The beaver dam crossed the further one, then the streams flowed down to Ponyville, and circled southward. As we trotted past the clock tower, it struck two.

We turned left, and looped around a giant pile of rocks. Somehow, the peak of the rocks had a miniature snow storm. After travelling a short stretch through the East Orchards, we turned towards the farmhouse.

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Braeburn was working in the orchards. He bucked a tree, and the apples fell into the barrels around its base. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead, and looked up at the tree. All the apples had fallen, so he started picking up the barrels and loading them onto the wagon he’d brought out with him.

He heard a thundering of hooves from the road, and looked up. A group of ponies from the race galloped past. He glanced at the tree, then trotted down to the road. He looked left and right. To his left, the group of ponies was turning around a corner, heading towards the schoolhouse.

To his right, North and Twilight were trotting towards him at a leisurely pace. He grinned. He whooped, and North locked onto him.

“Great job y’all!” said Braeburn. “Keep it up!”

North’s pace started to increase. After a moment, he blasted forward. Twilight gawked after him, then sped up a little.

“North!” she called. Then she sighed, and applied herself more fully.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

I blasted past the schoolhouse, where Cheerilee and her class were watching the racers go by. I was past in a few seconds, and I could see the train station ahead. The same tree I’d seen when I’d gone to meet Braeburn had shed its leaves, and the ground was covered in its golden foliage.

I paused at the tracks, making sure no trains were coming. Then I crossed, and ran north-northwest towards the hospital. The patients were watching, and I felt a little embarrassed. It was here I passed a group of ponies who’d slowed down.

When I reached the fields north of Ponyville, I turned eastward, and then south. When I crossed the tracks again, I passed another group. My pace continued to grow, until the steady pounding of my hooves resonated in my ears.

One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four.

I was going past the water tower, when I caught up with two mares. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were neck-and-neck, going flat out. And I passed them. That must’ve been a big surprise to them. I heard their gasps of surprise, and smiled to myself.

When I crossed the finish line, there was cheering. I slowed down, then I heard someone start cheering my name. I looked around, confused. Then I saw Pinkie Pie and Rarity running up to me.

“Congratulations, North!” said Rarity.

I knit my eyebrows, confused.

“You won!!!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “You’re the first one back!”

Just then, Rainbow Dash and Applejack got there.

“That was amazing!’ said Rainbow Dash. “How?”

I shrugged, then Twilight caught up to us.

“What happened to slowing down?” she asked. I lowered my head, blushing slightly.

“It’s fine.” she said. “I just… didn’t expect that.”

“It was quite impressive.” said Rarity, stepping up next to me.

I felt uncomfortable. I hadn’t meant to win, and I wasn’t enjoying the attention. Somepony handed out the place-medals, and I ended up with a golden one around my neck.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Somehow, I managed to escape the crowds. When I got back to the farm, I retreated upstairs to my room. I was trying to avoid contact, because I really didn’t like everyone making a big deal out of what had happened.

I sat down on my bed, and took the medal off of my neck. I examined it. It was engraved with a large 1, and gleamed softly. The fading light that came through my curtains stained everything red. Somepony knocked on the door, and I looked up from the medal.

“North, are you here?”

I got off of my bed, and went to the door. I opened it, and looked out at Braeburn. He was wearing his hat and vest, saddlebags, and a big smile.

“You okay?” he asked. “You disappeared.”

I nodded.

“Good. I have a surprise for you.” I raised an eyebrow, and he smiled wider. “Come with me.”

I followed him outside, where the stars were coming out. He pointed to a folded up telescope, and I perked up.

“Twilight let me borrow this. Thought you might enjoy takin’ a look through it.”

I nodded, picking up the telescope.

“To the hill?” he asked. I nodded, and we trotted into the trees.

Once we got to the hill, I set the telescope up. I looked up at the night sky, picking my target.

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Braeburn was happy that he’d brought North up here. He’d disappeared after the race, and he'd wanted to be sure he was feeling okay. After getting the telescope from Twilight, he’d brought it to the farm. North was aiming the telescope, one eye closed as he adjusted the focus.

North smiled, then looked over at him.

“What is it?”

North stepped aside, and Braeburn walked over to the telescope. He looked through it, and saw the planet Venus, hanging in black. He studied it for a second, then looked back at North.

“That real interestin’.” he said. “What else is there?”

He stepped aside, and North changed the direction and focus of the telescope. When he stepped back, Braeburn looked through eagerly. This time, an entire galaxy was in view.

“What’s that one?” he asked. North blinked, and looked down at his hooves.

Braeburn smiled, and pulled a book from the saddlebags he’d brought.

“Here you go.”

North looked up, and frowned. He took it from Braeburn, and examined it. It was an astronomy book, full of constellations and star charts. Twilight had told him to take it. North scanned through the book, then handed it back. Braeburn examined the page. The Andromeda Galaxy. He looked back into the telescope, then at North.

“Is it Andromeda?” he asked. North nodded, smiling.

After that, they ended up playing a game. North would pick something, and Braeburn would try to find it in the book Twilight had lent him. They found Alpha Centauri, the Orion Nebula, the Crab Nebula, and something called the Whirlpool Galaxy.

By the end of that, Braeburn was looking up random stars in the astronomy book. When he looked up, North was resting on the ground, using Braeburn’s saddlebag as a pillow. Braeburn decided they should go inside now, before he couldn’t get North to move. He nudged him. North opened his eyes, and looked up at Braeburn.

“Time ta go inside.” he said. “It’s time fer bed.”

North got groggily to his hooves, and picked up the bags he’d been using as a pillow. He slung them over his back, Then helped Braeburn take down the telescope. They walked slowly back to the farmhouse, enjoying the cool night air. It ruffled their manes and tails, like a playful foal.

Braeburn left the telescope in the kitchen, then went upstairs. North had disappeared back into his room, so he went ahead and showered. Then he went to bed.

He fell asleep almost immediately.

Chapter 24: A New Direction

Chapter 24

It was the last day of Autumn. All the leaves had fallen, and been blown or swept away. The harvest was in, and the air had a distinct chill to it. The next day, the Ponyville weather team was going to bring in the winter’s first snowstorm. It was a nice time of year, where it seems there is nothing to do and everything to do all at once. The harvest was in, but there were still preparations to be made for the new season.

Applejack was working with Big Macintosh and Pinkie Pie to prepare for that night. Every year, at the end of the harvest, Sweet Apple Acres threw a giant party. Though it was technically for the ponies who’d helped on the farm, everyone in Ponyville was welcome. And almost everyone came.

Braeburn Apple was in the farmhouse, eating a warm bean soup for lunch. North had helped Granny Smith prepare it, and it was delicious. He had another two bowls before he was finished.  After thanking the old mare -- North had already left -- he went to help his cousins in the barn.

“Hey there.” said Applejack. She was balanced on a stepping stool, trying to hang a banner. The banner was obviously Pinkie’s handiwork, as it was bright and cheerful. Almost painfully so. “Would you give me a hoof with this?”

“Sure, cous’.” he said. He was taller than her, so he took it from her, and hung it from an old nail.

“Thanks.” she said. “Would ya mind doin’ the rest?”

“Sure thing.”

While he did this, Applejack started dragging in hay bales, to be used as seats, tables, and whatever else was needed. No doubt, Pinkie Pie would stack it up with a wild assortment of food and drink. In addition, other families who were coming would bring a dish of their own, to share.

Then they started on the exterior of the barn. Applejack had the CMC wash the doors and front wall of the barn, then she repainted the white stripes on the borders and crossbeams. Applebloom went with her friends to Sweetie Belle’s house.

“Ah’m gonna gonna go help Granny in the kitchen.” said Applejack. “Y’all finish up, then come’n join us if ya want.”

Braeburn nodded, and Big Mac acknowledged with a ‘Eeyup’. The cowpony started collecting the random tools that had been used over the course of the day. Big Mac went to feed the chickens, and then collect Applebloom from Sweetie Belle’s house.

Braeburn found himself alone, save for Winona. She’d wandered in at some point, and been napping in the corner since. He walked over to the fluffy sheepdog.

“Hey girl.” he said. Winona gave him an affectionate nuzzle, and he pet her soft brown fur. “Been a wild week, hasn’ it?”

Winona didn’t answer, but she did get up, and run towards the doors. Why she’d done became apparent when North got tackled by the bounding canine.

North grinned, and pushed her off. Then he started running his hooves through her fur, and she panted happily.

“Hey North.” said Braeburn. North nodded, fighting of the ecstatic dog. “Ya doin’ okay?”

He shrugged, and got up. He pulled one of the hammers out of the tool cabinet, and walked out. Braeburn followed, having nothing better to do.

They went to the wagon shed, where North opened the doors.

“Are ya fixin’ that busted wheel?” North nodded, walking in. Braeburn followed. “Want some help?”

North looked back at him, then nodded. He’d used a jack to lift up one side, and pinned the other wheels in place with bricks. He’d gotten the pin out of the axle, but it seemed he was having trouble getting the old wheel off.

“Is it stuck?” he asked. North’s only answer was to give a strained pull on the wheel. It didn’t budge. “I’ll help, if ya want.”

Together, they pulled on the wheel. It gave a loud, grating screech. Very slowly, it slid off of it’s axle. Braeburn groaned, when he saw the problem. The wheel itself wasn’t broken. The axle itself had rusted over, which was why it had been so hard to get it off. North looked at the corroded piece of metal for a moment, then slumped to the ground, covering his head with his hooves.

“Well…” said Braeburn. “Well. It… it could be worse?”

North replied with a derisive snort. Braeburn sighed, and examined the axle. It was going to be really hard to fix this. They might have to completely remove the offending part, and that would take a long time. North being upset was understandable. It was his job to fix this wagon, and do it before it started snowing. And that was tomorrow.

Braeburn looked back at North, trying to figure out what to do. Applejack wasn’t usually unreasonable, but lately, she’d been really stressed out. The harvest had come really close to being late, and she’d had to work extra hard to compensate for this. North had been in the line of fire a lot, and if she saw this, an explosive overreaction was inevitable. And North would bear the brunt of her displeasure.

He glanced at the axle, then walked over to the distressed pegasus. He touched North’s shoulder.

“Its gonna be fine.” he said. “We can do this. It’ll take a while, but ah’ll help you.”

North sniffed a little, then looked up at him. Braeburn smiled a little.

“C’mon.”

North’s jaw quivered a little, but he nodded. Braeburn pulled him onto his hooves, then turned to regard the wagon.

“Now…” he said. “What to do about this mess…”

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4 Hours later…

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

Braeburn hammered at the replacement axle, which they’d been lucky enough to dig out of the back of the attic of the barn. Both he and North had acquire some new scratches and bruises in the process. North had also gotten cut by a piece of broken glass. It wasn’t too serious, so he’d just cleaned it out and wrapped in a bandage.

It had taken them three hours to remove the other wheel, as well as the old axle. It had taken another hour for them to find a way to hold the wagon up safely, so they could install the new one. Now Braeburn was hammering it into place, and North was retrieving a new pair of wheels from the main barn. He brought the first one in, and regarded Braeburn.

“Everything alright?” Braeburn asked. North looked over his shoulder.

It was only then that Braeburn realized how late it was getting. The sky was starting to grow dark, though the sun still remained a ways over the horizon. The party was supposed to start soon, and they weren’t finished yet. And if they weren’t done in time, Applejack would be on the warpath.

“Don’t worry.” Braeburn reassured him. “We’ll get it done.”

North nodded, and trotted off to get the other wheel. While he was gone, Braeburn worked on putting the new wheel on. After he finished putting his on, Braeburn gave it an experimental spin. The wheel rolled smoothly, so when North brought the second one back, and started putting it on, he went to help.

After they’d put the new pin in, they lowered the wagon back to the ground. Braeburn pushed the wagon, and it rolled back a few inches before its own weight stopped it. Then North sat down where he stood, looking relieved.

“There we go.” said Braeburn. “Fixed.”

He glanced outside, then smiled a little.

“Only took us half the day.” he added.

The corner of North’s mouth lifted in a smile, then he stood up.

“Guess we should go get ready.” said Braeburn. “Ya were plannin’ on goin’, weren’t you?”

North nodded, and they left the wagon shed, closing the doors behind them. Then they started trekking back to the farmhouse.

When they got there though, they were disturbed to hear shouts from inside. They glanced at each other, then snuck up to the door.

“Ah’ve tried mah hardest!” They heard Applejack snarl. “Why can’ ya just appreciate that?”

“Because that hasn’t stopped you from treating me like dirt!”

Braeburn stared at the door. Caramel? How could that soft spoken little stallion manage to sound that angry. He’d never heard him lose his temper like this.

“What do you mean by that?!”

“I mean the way you act around me! You don’t even pretend to not be! You step on my achievements, and you treat me like… like some sort of pet!”

The two eavesdroppers were so enraptured, they barely had time to scramble out of the way when they heard the heavy stomping coming their way. The front door flew open, and Caramel stalked out. Applejack followed, and looked prepared to retort, when she saw them.

“Er…”

“Is… everything okay?” asked Braeburn.

“Sure.” said Applejack, ignoring Caramel’s look of contempt. “Just fine.”

“Okay.” said Braeburn. “Um… yeah.”

He and North left the two of them there, and went inside. North gave Braeburn a look, and he sighed.

“Ah heard all of that.” he said. “I just never expected to hear Caramel yell at, well, anyone.”

North nodded in agreement, then trotted upstairs. After a moment, Braeburn followed. He complemented his usual outfit with a white dress shirt, then he walked down to the barn.

When he got there, lights were shining from inside, and loud music was blaring from inside. At the front doors, Applejack had reappeared to greet the latest arrivals. She, rather than looking happy, looked as close to miserable as he’d seen her in a long time.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, walking up to her.

“Nothin’.” she said. “Ah’m fine.”

He gave her a once over. She looked and sounded the opposite of fine.

“Really. What happened?” Not that he didn’t know. But he’d rather not tell her that, since he valued his existence.

“Well...” She sniffed. “If ya have ta know, Caramel broke up with me earlier.”

“Oh.” He hoped he sounded surprised. “Well… did he say why?”

“He said ah wasn’t treatin’ him like a pony, let alone a coltfriend.” she looked distraught. “Ah don’t understand how, though. Ah thought ah was bein’ real nice to him.”

“Maybe its for the best.” said Braeburn, in an attempting to cheer her up. “There are other stallions out there. I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

She nodded, then smiled weakly.

“Guess so. Ah’m awful sorry fer bein’ so glum. Why dont ya head inside’n enjoy yerself?”

He nodded, and walked in. It was fairly dark inside, predominantly lit by partially shuttered lanterns. There were crowds of ponies milling about inside, talking, eating, or dancing to the music being provided by a unicorn DJ. Vinyl Scratch had set up her booth in the corner earlier that afternoon, while he and North had been repairing the wagon. Now she was maintaining a soundtrack of alternating musical types; first heavy metal pounded from the speakers, later, a smooth classical waltz glided through the air.

He wandered towards the food, watching the dance floor. It wasn’t very busy yet, but he knew from experience that as the night progressed, that would change. Later, once the party really got going, it would be flooded with ponies who either could dance, were convinced they could, or didn’t care. Sometimes both of the last two.

When he got to the haybales Applejack had brought in, he was met with a perfect example of Pinkie Pie’s extravagance. Almost none of the food was healthy, and it was most likely that those items that were had been brought in by other ponies. He stacked up a plate with food, hungry from the day’s work. He added a cupcake to his plate, then sat with his back against the wall.

As he ate, he watched the crowd. He caught bits and pieces of conversations, disjointed and convoluted by his lack of their entirety. He smiled when he saw a nervous-looking colt ask a filly to dance, then grin happily when she said yes.

As the two went to dance, he felt someone sit down next to him. He looked to his side, and saw a dejected-looking Caramel.

“Hey.” he said.

“Hey yerself.” said Braeburn. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I broke up with Applejack.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Caramel looked confused.

“You have?”

Braeburn nodded. “Applejack told me.”

“Oh. Did she tell you why?”

“Yeah.”

Caramel nodded. “She just… I don’t know. She didn’t act like I mattered.”

He sighed, then got up.

“I’m gonna just… go home, or something.”

“Have a good night.” said Braeburn.

Caramel nodded, and walked away. Braeburn watched him go, then returned his attention to the crowd.

Braeburn finished his food, then decided to take a chance at the dance floor. As he’d predicted, more ponies were on it now than earlier, though it was still fairly sparse. He enjoyed several dances, each with a different partner. None of the mares struck him in particular, but that was fine. He still enjoyed himself immensely, and he thought he might have made some new friends.

After a while, he retreated back to the wall, and watched the proceedings for a while. When he spotted North, he was surprised to see that the pegasus had exchanged his bowtie for a soft flannel shirt. The dark red looked nice, and it seemed that Applejack’s friend Rarity must have had something to do with it. The real mystery was how he’d gotten his wings through the shoulder-holes. While he wondered why North was so late, he was more interested by the change in style.

“Hey there.” he said, walking up North. “Yer lookin’ sharp.”

North smiled a little, and walked towards the food. Braeburn made to follow him, but he was blocked by a towering wall of red fur.

He looked up at Big Mac, who stared him straight in the eyes. Mac held his gaze for so long, he started feeling uncomfortable. Then Mac walked away slowly, still watching him with narrowed eyes. Braeburn stayed frozen in place, trying to figure out what had just happened.

He shook his head, then hurried after North.

As the night progressed, the party got bigger and louder. Braeburn hung out with North, but he sometimes caught Mac watching him from across the room. He did his best to ignore it, even though it was both uncomfortable and confusing.

The two of them took a seat on one of the benches by the wall. The party was almost over, and most of the families with foals had already left. In spite of this, there were still plenty ponies still present, and the dance floor had nearly doubled in size. Perhaps the hard cider (which had been carefully guarded and regulated throughout the night) had lowered some inhibitions. Braeburn had only had a small amount, and North hadn’t had any. But some others had taken enough to get a bit raucous. Only one pony had to be removed, and many were relieved to see him go.

“T’ain’ fair!” shouted the stallion. The stallion. The rude, snowplow breaking, pegasus hating stallion. “I’m jus’ a li’l bit drunk! Why do I hafta go?”

“‘cause yer makin’ a right fool of yerself.” said Applejack. “Now get!”

He grumbled, but with everyone watching, he didn’t make a fight of it. He walked out, and North’s shoulders relaxed from the tense state Braeburn hadn’t previously been aware for.

That stallion’s nothing but trouble. Braeburn thought. He hurt North.

He looked over at his friend. North was watching the goings on with rapt attention. Braeburn examined his face, wondering what to think. He felt anger at the churlish stallion, and a protectiveness for his friend that transcended the norm.

I like him. he thought. I really do. He’s a good friend.

North must’ve sensed his stare, because he looked over at Braeburn. Braeburn looked away quickly, embarrassed.

“I’m gonna get somethin’ ta drink.” he said, standing up.

He walked away quickly, conflicted. His feelings didn’t make sense to him.

What do I do? he asked himself. I like him. But in what way?

He got some soft cider from a wooden cooler, and sat down next to it.

“What’re ya doin?”

Braeburn looked up at Big Mac, who was glowering down at him. His cousin looked a lot scarier in the semi-darkness, looming over him with a dark glare.

“Pardon?” he asked, trying and failing not to be intimidated. “What do ya mean?”

“Get back over there!”

“What?” Braeburn was confused. “Why-?”

“Ah saw the way you were lookin’ at him.” said Big Mac, pulling Braeburn onto his hooves. “And ah know how ya feel about ‘im.”

“H-how?” asked Braeburn.

“That first night, it was pretty plain ya were feelin’ conflicted ‘bout something. You’n North’d just gotten back from the hill’n all, so I put the pieces together.”

“Alright.” Braeburn sighed. His cousin was just as attentive as always. “Ya got me. Ah was worried ‘bout how he’d react if he found out.”

“Well, one way ta find out.” said Big Mac, taking his cousin’s cup and nudging him towards North. “Ask’im fer a dance.”

Braeburn stared at his cousin like he was insane, but Big Mac’s inflexible insistence ended with him walking slowly across the room, back to North. His irrational self was trying to persuade him to flee, but his rational side was telling him how ridiculous that self was being. It was all really confusing, and it didn’t help the situation at all.

When he was standing in front of North, he had to fight the flight instinct. He kept glancing down at his hooves, and had to force himself to make eye contact with North. He felt just like the colt he’d seen earlier must have when he asked the filly to dance. It was hilarious that a stallion as confidant as himself, one willing to show any random stranger around his town, was this terrified by the simple idea of asking the object of his affections to have a dance with him.

That thought didn’t exactly boost his confidence.

“Do… do you?” he stuttered. “Would you- that is-”

Inwardly, he cursed himself, then made himself look North in the eyes.

“Would you like to… to dance? With me, that is?”

North’s eyes widened, then he nodded, grinning widely. He sprang to his hooves, and Braeburn felt himself relaxing.

Was that so bad? he asked himself.

It was terrifying… but worth it.

His confidence restored, he led North onto the dance floor. Unknown to them, Vinyl Scratch had received a request from a certain red steed, and had a specific track ready. She put a new record onto the turntable, and started the song he’d asked her to play. It was the last song of the night, and the lyrics fit perfectly with the whole situation.

“This one's going out to all the lovers out there.” The lead for the song spoke from Vinyl’s speakers, as if addressing the assemblage. “Hold each other tight, and keep each other warm.”

And dance…

Your final dance

Braeburn smiled at North, and took his hoof with his own. Putting the other on North’s shoulder, they started to dance slowly, matching the flow of the music.

This is…

Your final chance

To hold…

The one you love

You know you've waited long enough…

The music crescendoed, but the undertone of the music let them keep their slow pace. Braeburn was exhilarated; joyful with the feeling of North’s presence. He had waited long enough, and it felt wonderful.

So, believe…

That magic works!

Don't be afraid…

Of being hurt!

Don't let…

This magic die!

The answer's there…

Oh, just look in his eyes

So Braeburn did. He looked into North’s deep blue eyes, and pondered the past few weeks. He’d enjoyed them so much. He’d never been happier than when he was with North.

And make…

Your final move

Don't be scared…

He wants you to

Yeah, it's hard…

You must be brave

Don't let this moment…

Slip away…

He let himself stand a little closer to North, so that their chests were mere inches apart.

“You look nice.” he whispered. North’s eyes sparkled happily, and his smile grew a little wider as the music grew again.

Now, believe…

That magic works…

Don't be afraid…

Afraid of being hurt!

Don't let...

This magic die!

The answer's there

Yeah, just look in his eyes

And don't believe that magic can die!

No, no, no!

This magic can't die!

As the music slowed, Braeburn felt a warm glow inside, as he held the hoof, and rested on the shoulder of someone… someone he loved. That was how he felt. He loved North.

So dance your final dance…

‘Cause this is your final… chance.

When the song ended, North and Braeburn stood together. Not caring about everyone around them, Braeburn kissed his cheek. North made no protest, and simply put a hoof on the back of his neck. Braeburn held him for a few more seconds, then retreated a little.

“North?” he said. “Ah’ve liked ya since I first met you, and I’ve wanted to ask fer a while. I just wish ah’d had the nerve ‘fore now. But that doesn’ matter. North, will you be mah… mah coltfriend?”

North’s reply was immense, stupendous, and wonderful. North looked the happiest Braeburn had seen for a long time.

“Yes!”

()--------------------()--------------------((( )))--------------------()--------------------()

When the party was over, Braeburn took North outside. They stood under the star-strewn sky, leaning against each other. The air was freezing, but the warmth coming off of the two stallions was sufficient for them.

After a while, Braeburn asked the question he’d been burning to for a while.

“Why’d you stop talking?”

“It… it wasn’t a conscious decision.” North shrugged. “I wasn’t not talking. I just… couldn’t.”

“Oh.” Braeburn nuzzled him. “Okay.”

They stayed there for a long time, enjoying the night. Then Applejack walked out onto the porch of the farmhouse.

“Are you two plannin’ ta stand out there all night?” she demanded. “You do know its gonna start snowin’ in a few hours, dontcha?”

“We’re comin’ cous’.” said Braeburn. He nudged North.

“C’mon.” he whispered. “Ya look tuckered out.”

North let him lead him inside. Applejack had already gone up to bed, but Big Mac was waiting for them.

“Cousin Mac.” said Braeburn. The red stallion nodded, then glanced between the two of them.

“Glad ya finally stopped messin’ about.” he said. And before either could ask what he meant, he trotted off to bed.

“Ah get the feelin’ we’ve been manipulated.” said Braeburn wryly.

“Really?” said North returned. “What gave you that impression?”

It wasn’t really a question, so Braeburn didn’t answer. He just chuckled at the implication. They climbed up the stairs, and paused in the hallway. Braeburn glanced at North.

“Well… I’m goin’ ta bed.” he said. “Ah guess I’ll see ya tomorrow mornin’.”

“Good night.”

North hugged him, and Braeburn returned the embrace. Braeburn nuzzled his coltfriend, then let go.

North turned to go to his room, but Braeburn touched his shoulder, making him pause.

“Listen, North?” North turned back to face him. “Big Mac… he told me about yer… sleepin’... issues.”

North blinked, but didn’t respond. Braeburn hoped he wasn’t making him uncomfortable, since there were less innocent ways to look at the situation than the truth.

“I just want you to know… if… if ya ever feel the need… ya can come’n bunk with me. If ya want.”

“Thank you” North said, looking relieved.

“G’night sugarcube.”

“Good night.”

North and Braeburn went to their own rooms. Braeburn took off his clothes, and got in bed. He fell slowly asleep, thinking happy thoughts about the stallion sleeping across the hall.

Outside, clouds placed by the pegasi in the late evening felt their time come. They committed themselves to the task that nature had given them.

It started to snow.

Chapter 25: Good Morning

Chapter 25

Gentle light bathed my eyelids as I reached wakefulness. I laid still, enjoying the soft, cool covers. I clutched my pillow a little closer, rubbing my cheek against it. I rested there for a long time, enjoying the peaceful quiet. When I did open my eyes, I gazed up at my window. The sky was overcast, but with the brightness of winter clouds. And it was indeed winter, for snowflakes drifted downwards in lazy spirals, and I smiled a little.

I closed my eyes again, and drifted back into a light doze.

After an indeterminate amount of time, I stirred again. I sighed, rubbing my eyes with my hooves. Then I rolled over, sprawling halfway off of the bed. Eventually, I forced myself to slide off the bed, and stand up.

Quietly, I left my room. After listening for a second, I guessed no one else was up yet. I walked downstairs, and into the kitchen. I walked over to the refrigerator, and pulled the door open. As I gazed in at the contents, the crystal on the back of the unit started humming gently as the spell it held worked to cool the interior. I pulled out an egg carton and a package of hay bacon, then closed the door.

I set these down on the counter, and looked out of the window. Everything I could see had accumulated at least a foot of snow, and more was still falling. Turning away, I got out two pans and put them on the stove. I lit it, then started mixing the eggs with some spices stored in the cupboard.

Once the pans had gotten hot enough, I poured the eggs into one, and placed the hay bacon into another. While I was cooking, I could hear the sound of hooves above. I listened as the other pony came down, and heard the door creak open behind me.

“Good morning.” I said, not turning away from the bacon, which was reaching a critical stage of brownness.

“‘Morning.” said Braeburn, who took a seat at the kitchen’s island counter. “You’re up early.”

“It’s not that early.” I said. I heard Braeburn shift a little in his chair.

“North?” His tone of voice concerned me, and I looked back at him.

“Yes?”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

The real question was obvious, and I looked away.

“Maybe?”

“North.” he sighed, shaking his head a little. “I want to help you. Don’t keep this stuff from me, please?”

I flipped the bacon, and nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” he said. “I guess I know where I’m sleeping tonight.”

“I blinked, pushing the eggs around the pan. “But… I thought you weren’t ready.”

He smiled toothily. “Somepony’s gotta keep you company, since yer too stubborn to admit you need help.”

“I’m not stubborn.” I said. “I just don’t like making others take care of me.”

Braeburn chuckled. “It’s really jus’ the same thing.”

I rolled my eyes, and returned my attention to the food.

“Get some plates out, would you?”

He got them out, then I distributed even portions of egg to all of them. Everyone here was a ravenous eater, so there was no point in divvying up according to need. As I was putting the egg pan in the sink, Applejack and Big Mac came in, followed immediately by the half-asleep Applebloom and Granny Smith.

“Go ahead and sit down.” I said. “I’ll be there in just a second.”

Once I’d set the pans I’d used to soak, I picked up the plate of hay bacon and brought it over to the table. I set it in the middle of the table so everyone could reach it.

“Thanks Sugarcube.” said Braeburn, when I sat down next to him. “It looks mighty fine.”

“Thanks.” I said, blushing a little at his smile. My stomach felt a little fluttery, so I looked away.

I distracted myself by taking a bite of my food, and was pleased to find it palatable. I knew how to cook, sure. But a habit of experimentation had led to some… incidents. There was a light conversation, maintained throughout the meal. Once in a while, Braeburn would glance at me, and smile a little. My cheeks would heat up, and I’d smile back.

Once we’d finished eating, Applejack volunteered to do the dishes, so I found myself listening as Big Mac and Granny Smith discussed the current weather. He thought it’d be best to start clearing the snow off of the path now, since it would only get worse. And she thought that, for the same reason, it would be best to wait until the snow lightened up.

“It t’ain’t snowing that much.” pointed out Braeburn. “Maybe we should start before it gets any deeper?”

After another minute, Granny Smith agreed.

“What do you think, sugarcube?” asked Braeburn, touching my shoulder.

“Me?” I asked.

“Yes, you.”

“But… it isn’t really up to me. I just work here.”

“Nonsense.” he said. “Your opinion matters.”

The other two nodded in agreement, and Applebloom spoke up.

“Yer part of the family, ain’t ya?”

I blinked. “I… am?”

“A’course you are.” said Braeburn. “Yer my coltfriend, after all.”

“An’ our best help.” added Big Mac. “‘cept maybe Caramel. That stallion doesn’ know when to quit, fer his own health.”

Across the room, Applejack flinched a little, but she didn’t say anything. Remembering the conversation Braeburn and I had heard last night, I could see why she’d be a little uncomfortable.

“Oh. Well…” I looked outside, where the snow was falling perhaps a little lighter than earlier. “It’s probably better to do it now. It doesn’t really look like it’s going to let up anytime soon, does it?”

“Let’s get to it then.” said Braeburn, standing up. He put his dishes next to Applejack, who nodded.

“I’ll be out as soon as I finish.” she said. “Y’all go ahead’n get started, ‘kay?”

By the time she joined us, Big Mac, Braeburn, and I had gotten the snowplows out of the large equipment shed. Braeburn had made me put on a scarf, even though I liked the weather. Even so, he’d forced me to sit still while he’d tied it around my neck. He’d wanted me to put on a jacket too, but the threatening glare I’d given him had convinced him to leave it be.

It was slow going. The snow wasn’t heavy but it was deep. At least two feet in some places, and the light wind that was playing amongst the bare trees had made some drift into even deeper piles. It turned out I was more tolerant of the cold than the others, though not by much. And though Applejack shivered when she saw me, I pushed through the snow happily enough.

Braeburn worried me though. He lived in a desert after all, and even though he hadn’t been born there, he wasn’t used to this much cold.

“Are you okay?” I asked, while briefly resting my hooves.

“I’ll manage.” he said. “I’m not gonna let a little snow stop me.”

“Go in if it gets too much for you.”

He nodded, but I could tell he wouldn’t do any such thing. I might be a little stubborn (according to him, anyway), but he was immoveable in this.

An hour or so later, we’d cleared a strip to the road, which we were widening to accommodate the wagon’s girth. Once we’d gotten it wide enough, Applejack brought the wagon out, and we spent a few minutes loading barrels onto it.

“Ah’ll see y’all later.” she said. Then she left for the market. We finished clearing up the area around the house and barn, then put the plows back in the shed.

Before I even go to the porch, a gently thrown snowball hit my side. I jumped at the shock of sudden cold, then fixed my eyes on the culprit.

Braeburn smiled slyly, holding a second ball of snow.

I grinned menacingly, and his smile faltered a little. In a flash, I’d scooped up the snow and compacted it into a ball. Braeburn dodged that one, but not the second one I’d had ready. It exploded into a white cloud of flakes, covering him in a light dusting.

While he was distracted, I jumped behind a tree, and quickly made another pair of snowballs. I stuck my leg out as if about to break cover, and several white missiles flew past. Then I leapt clear of the tree, and threw mine. The first tricked Braeburn into dodging left, straight into the path of the second.

I ran back into the cover of the trees, listening as Braeburn crunched his way after me. Quietly, stepping only on the shallowest snow under the trees, I made my way so I was directly behind him.

“North?” he called looking around.

When I was just behind him, I tapped his back.

“What!” Braeburn whirled around, and I grinned.

“Hi!” I said. Then I promptly took his hat off of his head, and put it neatly on my own.

“Hey!”

“Not quite time to eat.” I teased. “Though if you’re hungry-”

“Give me m’hat!” said Braeburn, blushing and trying to get it away from me. I ducked, then trotted back a few steps.

“Come’n get it!” Braeburn laughed, and he did. He tackled me, and we both fell into the snow. White powder flew everywhere while Braeburn and I wrestled.

By the time we stopped, both of us were panting, and giggling like a pair of colts. I was first on my hooves. I leaned over Braeburn, smiling.

“You okay there?” I asked.

“Fine.” he said.

Abruptly, the sky and ground reversed, and Braeburn had me pinned to the snowy ground.

“Gotcha.” he said triumphantly. “Now for my prize.”

I assumed he meant the hat, which had fallen of when we’d been wrestling. Instead, he kissed my nose.

“You have fun?” he asked, helping me up.

“Yeah.” I said, pushing my nose deep into his golden mane.

Braeburn nuzzled my cheek, then went to get his hat.

_______________

Inside, we sat down on the couch. There wasn’t much of anything to do, and no one felt like going anywhere. For a while, we sat quietly, content in our own thoughts.

Then after a while, I drifted off.

It wasn’t until I actually woke back up that I realized that I had. Because instead of sitting next to Braeburn, I was lying with my head on his lap. Braeburn, still awake, was gently running a hoof through my mane. I sighed, and Braeburn looked down.

“Hey there.” he said quietly, his hoof pausing. “You… you don’t mind, do you? You fell asleep, and I thought you’d be more comfortable lying down.”

In response, I simply smiled, and closed my eyes. Taking this as an invitation to continue, he started playing with my mane again.

“You didn’t sleep much last night, did you?” he asked. I didn’t answer, but I didn’t need to. “It wouldn’t have bothered me if you’d came and slept with me.”

I felt rather than saw him smile. He stroked my ear, and I hummed at the soothing sensation.

“I’m not leaving you alone tonight.” he whispered. “Okay?”

I nodded a little. After a while, I fell asleep again.

_______________

When Applejack got back from the market, she put the wagon back in the barn. Then she walked to the farmhouse, kicked the snow off of her hooves, and walked in. After grabbing a bite to eat from the kitchen, she walked into the living room.

On the couch, Braeburn and North were both asleep. Braeburn laying on his back, and North with his head resting on his chest. There was no sure way to know how they’d ended up like that, but judging from what she could see, it was apparent they’d been out for a while.

Shaking her head, she went to find Applebloom. She’d promised to take her ice-skating with her friends, and she herself thought it’d be fun to get out her old skates.

Chapter 26: Past

Chapter 26

Braeburn and I were walking down a snow-covered path. The trees beside the path were bare of leaves, but had acquired layers of snow to replace them.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked. Braeburn had learned from Applejack that she had taken the CMC ice-skating, and upon finding out I never had, decided it was high time I learn. And that he would teach me himself.

“You’ll be fine.” he said, nudging me on the shoulder. “Ah reckon you’ll pick it up real fast.”

He was leading me to the small lake east of Ponyville. I knew it was a popular place to skate, and had seen others do it. But I’d never wanted to go out on the ice myself.

Although, my deep seated fear/hate of deep water could have something to do with that.

But he seemed so excited to share this with me, and I hadn’t been able to say no to that shining, eager smile he’d had when he’d asked to take me.

“Who taught you how to skate?”

“My pa taught me when ah was ‘bout nine years old.” he said, teeth flashing white as he smiled. “Back then, my family lived Dodge Junction. He’d take me to this pond near our house, help me put on my skates, then strap his own on and take me out on the ice.”

He tilted his head back slightly, eyes focused on the past. “Took me a good while to learn how to keep my balance, but then I was just a li’l colt.”

“Your dad sounds nice.”

“He’s a nice stallion, and a great pa. Can’ wait ‘til you can meet’im.”

I dipped my head slightly. “I’d like that.”

“You would?”

I nodded. “I’d like to meet your parents.”

Braeburn thought for a moment, then said, “We could go visit them after Hearth’s Warming. Ah haven’t visited in some time. It’d be real nice to see them again.”

I grinned. “I’d like that.”

Braeburn was very pleased at the thought of visiting his parents, I could tell by the way his tail swished back and forth. I liked it, it was one of his cute little quirks.

When we reached the lake, he took off his saddlebags, then opened them and pulled out two sets of skates.

“Here you go.” he said, handing me the ones he’d brought for me. “Make sure’n put the back pair on first.”

I did as he instructed, tightening the straps that held them onto my hooves. After so long not wearing shoes of any kind, it was strange, and uncomfortable having something like this.

When I tried to put on the front pair, I became increasingly frustrated. I couldn’t get the straps tightened and keep the skates on my hooves at the same time. I growled, frustrated, as I again dropped one of the offending skates.

Braeburn, who had noticed my foalish outburst, came over. “Need some help?”

“Yes.”

“It's okay.” he said, picking up the skate and sliding it onto my hoof. He took hold of the skate and pulled the strap tight enough to hold it on, but not so tight it hurt. “Ah couldn’t do it at first, either.”

“Thanks.” I said, once he’d helped me with my other skate.

“Yer welcome.” he said, gently tapping my nose with his hoof.

He put on his own skates, then balancing on them, walked onto the ice. I pushed myself shakily to a standing position, then tried to mimic him.

I stayed upright for about 1.6 seconds.

I slipped sideways, yelping as I fell. Braeburn, who’d probably anticipated this, caught me.

“Lean on me.” he said, pushing me upright. “Now, keep your skates spaced apart.”

Patiently, Braeburn tutored me in the proper way to stand, then showed me how to move forward across the ice. After the better part of two hours, my sides hurt from falling, but I was reasonably steady. Although speed would have to wait.

“There you go.” he said, once I’d managed to make it to him without falling over. “Ah knew you could do it.”

Then he motioned with his head for me to follow, and then set out across the frozen waters of the lake. I followed, but with far less grace than the golden stallion who lead me. Braeburn turned slowly, carving a gentle path right. I mirrored him, passing him as he came out of his own turn.

“You’ve got the hang of it sugarcube.” he said, pulling around and coming to my side.

For a time, we just skated casually around the lake. But when the sun started to get close to the horizon, and the sky turned red and gold and purple, we returned to the bank where we’d left the saddlebags.

“That was fun.” I said, looking up at the brilliantly colored sky. I took my skates off, which was infinitely easier than putting them on had been. I loosened the straps with my teeth, then they just fell off my hooves. “Thanks for this.”

“Of course, North.” Braeburn nuzzled my cheek. “I loved sharing this with you.”

After packing the skates up, we began the walk home. The chilly air was still, and a sense of peacefulness settled over me. I looked to my left, at Braeburn. Not examining, just appreciating that he was here. He noticed, and smiled at me. He sidestepped to walk closer to me. We continued in this manner the rest of the way home.

_____

When we got back to the farm, Braeburn held the door open for me. Inside, we were greeted by Applejack.

“Y’all have a good time?” she asked.

“Yep.” said Braeburn. “Only came back now because it’s gettin’ dark.”

I nodded in agreement, then asked “When’s dinner?”

“Yer just in time.” she said. “Go ‘head’n wash up.”

“After doing so, we went to the dining room and sat down. Big Macintosh was on my left at one head of the table, Braeburn on my right. Granny Smith was on his right, and Applebloom was across from him. Applejack was across from me.

“So Braeburn…” said Applejack once we’d started eating. “How’d he do?”

“Just fine, AJ.” he answered. “North go the knack of it real quick.”

“Good.” She turned to me. “Maybe now you’ll take the girls skatin’?”

After the first time she’d taken them, the CMC had gotten it into their heads that it was their destiny to become figure skaters. And while the were good, and certainly faster than me, it was extremely difficult for Applejack to keep them under control.

I swallowed my mouthful of food. “I couldn’t keep up with them. How would I look after them if I can’t catch them?”

She sighed. “Ah suppose that’s a fair point.”

“Sorry, Applejack.” I said, grinning slightly. “Looks like you’re stuck with them for now.”

“Hey!” said Applebloom, sounding offended. “We’re not that bad!”

She and Applejack argued for a while, but it was more playful bickering than genuine anger.

_____

After dinner, Braeburn helped me shower. After we brushed our teeth, Braeburn gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Good night.” he said. I kissed him back.

“Good night.” I said. He went to his room, and I went to mine. I readily crawled under the covers, enjoying the coolness of the fresh sheets.

After a while, my thoughts turned to my life here. I liked it. The Apples had been so kind to me. I felt like I belonged, which was the greatest gift they’d given me.

But even as I laid there, wrapped in the soft covers, my thoughts turned to the thing that I did miss. A lot.

The Doctor.

Where was he? Was he coming back?

For a moment, these thoughts opened the floodgates to other painful memories.

Sombra

The CMC suggesting I was the “mare” in my relationship with…

Thunderlane.

I missed him so much. My heart felt like it was being torn. We’d been so much to each other. The loss of a connection, so deep, and… intimate. He’d been my best friend, and now I couldn’t go near him. I couldn’t be the beacon that drew Tenebrous back.

Sorrow, guilt, and regret welled up inside me. I couldn’t stand it! Tears fell down my cheeks. I tried to drive these thoughts from me, but they only loomed more darkly over me.

Unbidden, my body reacted. I got out of bed, shaking from contained grief. I went out into the hallway, then looked right. Big Macintosh’s room was next to mine. Then I looked left. Braeburn’s room was at the end of the hall, by the stairs.

Walking softly on the worn wooden floor, I went left. I paused in front of his door, then gently tapped the wood with my hoof. When there was no discernable response, I pushed the door slightly open.

“Braeburn?” I called softly.

There was a soft sigh, and a rustle of his bedclothes, then: “Yes?”

“Can…” I swallowed, hesitant to voice my question. “Can I…?”

“‘course. I said so, didn’t ah?”

I walked over to the bed. Braeburn scooted over, pulling back the covers for me. I pulled myself in, and settled down next to him. Braeburn draped the covers over me.

“What’s wrong, sugarcube?” he asked. “Nightmares?”

“Sort of.” After a pause, I continued. “I was just… thinking. About…”

I was worried he’d be hurt or even mad if I told him I was missing Thunderlane. But I continued nonetheless.

“About Thunderlane.”

“Oh?” He didn’t sound mad or upset, just curious.”

“I… I miss him. A lot.”

After a few seconds, Braeburned answered. “That’s normal, North. You spent a lot of time with him, then you-”

“Left.” I sniffed. “Left him, with hardly a goodbye.”

I rolled over to face him.

“I feel so guilty. But I shouldn’t, should I? I had no choice, not really. Not if I wanted him safe.”

I felt Braeburn’s hoof touch my shoulder.

“And on top of that,” I said, feeling hot tears falling down my cheeks, “you probably think I’m a horrible coltfriend, still pining after my last relationship.”

“No, ah don’t.” Braeburn squeezed my shoulder slightly. “I understand. This isn’t about breaking up, either. I think, maybe you feel guilty for wanting to put your feelings ahead of his safety. And that’s such an amazing thing about you, North. You’re willin’ to put him first, even if it means losin’ him.”

I pressed my face into his shoulder. “I do love you, you know.”

Braeburn wrapped me in a hug. “I know. I love you too.”

Laying there, I let myself surrender into his warm embrace. Talking had made me feel better, like it had when I talked to Big Macintosh.

I fell asleep, and knew no more.

Chapter 27 - Present

Chapter 27

The sun shone down on the Canterlot Mountains, making the snow-covered peaks sparkle. The fresh powder was blown about as the Friendship Express steamed its way up the mountain passes.

“It was very nice of Twilight to invite us.” I said, looking out the window at the stands of tall evergreen trees that grew close to the rails.

“Sure was.” said Applejack. “Canterlot’s really somethin’ durin’ Heart’s Warming time.”

“I’m sure it is.” I nudged the quiet pony next to me. “You okay, Brae?”

“Hmm?” He looked up from the book he’d been reading. “Oh! Yeah! I’ve never been to Canterlot. There must be a lot to see there, huh?”

“There sure is.” said Applejack.

When the train entered a tunnel, and the interior lights were the only source of illumination, I stood.

“I’m gonna to stretch my legs.” I said. “Brae, you wanna come with?”

“Sure.” He got up too, and followed me towards the tail end of the train.

We meandered along, occasionally bumping against each other when the train shifted slightly on the rails. We passed a number of ponies, all almost certainly headed for the capitol to spend the season with friends and/or family. We stopped in the observation carriage, which was the last car in the train, as the train reemerged from the tunnel. I sat down by a window, and Brae sat across from me. After a long silence, I spoke.

“I haven’t been to Canterlot for a long time.” I said it so quietly, Braeburn leaned forward to hear me better. “Not for a millenia, Brae.”

I gazed out at the glistening snowscape. The sun had started its evening descent, and the western faces of the mountains looked as though the snow had caught fire. It was beautiful, and glorious. But I couldn’t really appreciate it under the weight of my thoughts. And the entire time, Brae waited patiently for me to speak again.

“I worry, sometimes.” I continued after a while. “That I can’t fit in. I’m… an anachronism. I’m from a different time, Brae. I’m not ‘out of date,’ but I just… I don’t know…”

Braeburn got up and sat down next to me. He put an arm around my shoulders, and nuzzled my cheek with his soft nose. That made me smile, at least a little.

“It’ll be okay.” he said, giving me a gentle squeeze. “In a way, Ah am too. Ah’m from a little backwater town that’s  nowhere near as advanced or as… sophisticated as most of Equestria.”

He gave me one of his toothy grins, and that got me to smile a bit more. “Ah guess we’ll both be out of place, won’ we?”

“Yeah.” I hugged him. “Guess so.”

_____

When we came out of the last tunnel, I was dumbstruck. Canterlot was huge! The little town I’d known had been barely one tenth this size, and that in itself had been miraculous. The conditions up here had been so severe, and the route upward before the tunnels had been made had been hazardous at best. At worst, during the winter, it had been almost deadly. The city I saw now blanketed the mountainside, peaking with a magnificent edifice I assumed must be the Royal Palace.

“Sure is something.” Braeburn said quietly. I could only nod in agreement.

When the train pulled up to the station, the sun was nearly at the horizon. The city’s lights had been lit, bathing the mountainside in a soft yellow-orange glow. The two of us disembarked, and looked around for Twilight, Spike, and the other Apples. The platform was very crowded, so it was difficult to see more than a few feet in any direction. The press of ponies was making me feel panicky, and my breathing was getting shorter and sharper. Braeburn must have sensed this, because he gently took my hoof and led me to some benches off to the side.

“See them?” he asked.

“Not yet.” Then I spotted something that I felt was almost as good. “However…”

Giving the crowd on the platform as wide a berth as was possible, I led Braeburn over to the pony whom I’d spotted. When that stallion saw me, he grinned.

“North!” exclaimed Shining Armor, grabbing me in a tight hug. “It’s so great to see you!”

“It’s great to see you too.” I said, after he’d let me go and I’d gotten my breath back. “Shining, this’s Braeburn, my… um…”

I faltered slightly, feeling somehow embarrassed. “He’s my coltfriend.”

“Nice to meet you, your majesty.” said Braeburn. They shook hooves. “‘T’ain’t every day you meet the Prince of the Crystal Empire.”

Shining waved his hoof. “While you’re here for the holidays, I’m not a Prince, okay?”

“Oh… okay?” I bumped Braeburn’s shoulder gently with mine. His smile relaxed, and became a little more genuine.

“Have you seen?” I asked Shining.

“Not yet.” he said, using his greater height to look out over the now diminishing crowd.

“There they are.” said Braeburn, pointing towards the front of the train.

The five of them were carrying an assortment of luggage, including mine and Braeburn’s. We hurried over to relieve them of our things.

“Sorry we took so long.” said Applejack, while Twilight enthusiastically greeted her brother. “We almost forgot some stuff on the train.”

We assured her it was fine, then the group walked through the station to the road.

“Are you guys hungry?” asked Shining.

“Famished!” said Granny Smith. “Trains these days don’ hardly carry enough food fer one pony!”

Shining laughed. “They don’t, do they? Not to worry, dinner should be ready by the time we reach the castle. Or breakfast I suppose, if you’re Luna.”

“Isn’ it a little late for breakfast?” asked Applebloom.

“It would be.” he told her. “But Luna doesn’t normally get up until at least seven in the evening. So she has breakfast.”

“Oh. Ah guess that makes sense.”

We got some taxis, which took us up through the streets towards the castle. Braeburn and I, who’d never been here before, both stared out at the lights that lined the streets, and the new buildings that were mixed with the old. At the castle, Shining took us in through a small side gate, and had us give our luggage to some servant ponies. After asking them to take our things up to our rooms, he led us through the halls to a private dining room.

Behind the golden double doors, we found the Princesses of the Sun, Moon, and Love seated together at the head of an ovaline table, with Cadence to the side of the Sisters. Upon seeing us enter, they smiled. Cadence walked over to Twilight, and Luna lept up and ran over to hug me.

“North!” she shouted happily. “It’s so great to see you!”

“It’s great to see you too, Luna!” After a long embrace, we separated. Then Celestia came up to me, and smiled.

“It’s been a long time, Polaris.” she said. “But, I suppose it’s North now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” I said. “I guess I just felt that ‘Polaris’ felt a bit too… one thousand years ago.”

She laughed at that. “I suppose it is.”

She hugged me too, though with less ecstatic enthusiasm than her younger sister.

“Please, join us.” said Celestia after she’d released me, gesturing to the unoccupied seats that surrounded the table. “It’s so wonderful to have you all here.”

“I’m so glad you got here when you did.” Luna said to us all. “Celestia said we should wait for you to arrive, but I’m starving!”

“You said it, Princess!” said Granny. “Let’s eat already!”

We took our seats, and Celestia called for the food to be brought in. Two servants, unicorns as they had to be in order to safely transport trays of food, brought in platters of the stuff. After asking if we needed anything else, and kindly humoring Applebloom’s request for chocolate milk, they left us to ourselves. The Ponyville Apples and Luna ate ravenously, while the rest of us caught up on each other’s lives.

There was a brief moment of worry when Luna, upon finding out that Thunderlane and I were broken up and that Braeburn was my coltfriend, gave him the same threatening glare, and ordered him to treat me well or face banishment to the moon. But it passed quickly, thanks to Cadence’s intervention.

After dinner, Luna and Celestia excused themselves, needing to go raise and lower the moon and sun, respectively. Applebloom shyly asked if she could watch, and giggled happily when they told her she could. Applejack accompanied her, while Shining Armor showed the rest of us to our rooms. They were along an narrower hallway in a more discreet corner of the castle. Small paintings hung from the walls here and there, including one I found particularly interesting. A portrait of a sloop, tackling a wave at an angle. The prow was pointed towards the viewer, and a spray of water flew away from the hull to the right. Our bags were stacked neatly by a bare wall.

After everyone else had gone to their room, Shining Armor turned to Braeburn and I.

“I gave you separate suites.” he said, indicating a pair of doors. “But feel free to share one, if you want.”

I blushed slightly, and I could tell that Braeburn felt a little embarrassed too.

“G’night, guys.” Shining hugged me good night, then left us alone in the corridor. I looked at the two doors, then picked the one I knew would have a balcony with a secluded view of the city.

“C’mon Brae.” I said, picking up my bags and nudging the door open. “It’s been a long day. Let’s go to bed.”

“‘Kay.”

He followed me inside. The rooms were simple, but very comfortable. We were in the main room, which had a pair of doors leading out onto the balcony. To our right, a door led to what I assumed was the bedroom. I walked over to it and looked inside. A large bed, made up with deep blue comforters sat against one wall. To the left, there were a set of dressers. To the right, a final door concealed what had to be the bathroom.

“That’s a really big bed!” said Braeburn, He dropped his saddlebags by the dressers and walked over to it. He tested the mattress with a hoof. “Feels really comfortable too.”

I put my bags by the dressers as sell, and joined him by the bed. I put a hoof on it too.

“Sure does.” I looked over at the bathroom. “So, shall we bathe?”

He smiled, then adopted a purposefully terrible accent. “Indeed, we shall!”

After we’d cleaned ourselves, we climbed into the bed. The mattress was really comfortable, and the sheets were soft and cool against my fur. I sighed, settling into the bed’s embrace.

“North?” Braeburn spoke softly.

“Hmm?”

Braeburn leaned over. He kissed my cheek, long and soft. Then I stretched up and kissed his cheek.

“G’night, North.” I smiled.

“‘Night, Brae.”

He snuggled against me, and I felt his warm breath on my neck as he wrapped his arms around me.

“I love you.” he whispered.

“I love you, too.” I whispered back.

Prologue

Prologue

Rainbow Dash was walking alongside the Everfree Forest, listening to the quiet nighttime sounds. She’d just been to visit her friend, Fluttershy. She was walking because her wings were too sore to fly far, so she was waiting until she was closer to home. The stars shone above and there was a faint breeze gently ruffling the treetops. It was peaceful, and she was feeling good. In the distance, the faint lights of Ponyville were visible.

From inside the forest, she heard a faint whooshing sound, and saw a white light flashing through the trees. She froze, listening. She snuck quietly in the direction of the disturbance. She hid behind a bush, and peeked out into the clearing beyond. The light and sound had stopped, but there was faint golden glow. In the clearing, a brown unicorn stallion was standing, unmoving. He wore a white collar and green bowtie around his neck. He was breathing heavily, and there were tears glistening in his eyes.

He breathed in sharply, and the faint golden aura blazed. Rainbow Dash gasped as intense golden flames surrounded the stallion. She watched as the fire continued to grow brighter, the roaring sounds cutting through the previously quiet night. When the light was almost blinding, she heard a raw-throated yell of agony.

The light died away, and in the absence of the golden illumination it had provided the night was even darker. She hesitated, then slowly moved out into the open. The stallion had collapsed to the ground. She checked to make sure he was breathing, putting an ear in front of his muzzle. She heard and felt a faint whisper of air. He didn’t seemed burned, but there must be something wrong. Nopony could just stand in the middle of a fire like that without sustaining some sort of injury.

She searched the surrounding area for anyone else, and found no one else nearby. On the ground, she found a silver cylinder, which she prodded with a hoof. Without thinking, she picked it up and tucked it into the stallion’s collar. Then she used her wings to lift him onto her back. Stumbling slightly under the weight, she started towards town. She needed to get him to the hospital. She didn’t know if she could make it all the way. She may have been extremely athletic, but she wasn’t used to carrying this much weight. And certainly not for such a long distance.

___________________________________________

By the time she’d reached Ponyville, she was exhausted. As she’d predicted, she‘d been having a hard time with the weight, and was struggling to stay upright. She continued to stagger towards the hospital, which just happened to be all the way on the other side of town. She heard a strange sound approaching, and looked up to see a pink blur zooming towards her. The blur came to a stop and resolved into a pink mare, who was smiling broadly. She wasn’t even panting.

“Pinkie Pie?” said Rainbow Dash. “What’re you doing out this late?”

“My Pinkie Sense told me there was somepony new in town!” said the pink mare excitedly. “I wanted to meet them, and set up their Welcome to Ponyville party!”

“Ooookay? Well, he’s not exactly in the best condition for a party right now. Can you help me get him to the hospital?”

Pinkie paused, then ran over to Rainbow Dash. But instead of doing anything helpful, she pressed an ear to the stallion’s chest. She pulled back after a second.

“Mm… no.” she said.

“What? Why not?” said Rainbow Dash.

“Because they’ll lock’im up!”

“Why?”

“Because he’s got two hearts!”

“He what?!”

“If we take him there, they’ll lock him up! And if they lock him up, then I can’t have a Welcome to Ponyville Party! And if I don’t have the party-!””

“Okay, fine! Where should we take him then?”

“Let’s take him to the library!” Pinkie Pie suggested enthusiastically.

“Why-?”

“Let’s go!” Pinkie Pie started bouncing away.

“Fine!” Rainbow Dash started following Pinkie Pie.

___________________________________________

Once they’d reached the library, Rainbow Dash was ready to collapse. Pinkie Pie hadn’t been much help, bouncing alongside her, happily planning the welcome party. She rang the doorbell, while Pinkie Pie continued to hop up and down beside her. After a moment, the lights inside blinked on, and the door opened. A purple pony was framed in the doorway.

“Pinkie? Rainbow?” she said, surprised. “Why’re-?”

She finally seemed to take in the scope of the situation. Her eyes flicked from Pinkie Pie to Rainbow Dash to the stallion on her back.

“What-?” she started.

“Can we come in?” asked Rainbow Dash, her voice strained. “Please?”

“Oh! Of course!”

She stood aside and let them pass by. Rainbow Dash set the stallion down in front of the fireplace, in which a warm fire was softly crackling. She then sat down next to him, exhausted. Pinkie Pie bounced over to a couch and cannonballed onto it. Twilight closed the door, and walked over to them.

“What-?” Twilight started, but Rainbow Dash raised a hoof, panting slightly.

After she’d caught her breath, she explained what she’d seen. While Pinkie Pie seemed unsurprised, Twilight’s eyes continued to widen. By the time she’d finished explaining, Twilight’s mouth was open slightly.

“But, what was that fire stuff?” Twilight asked. “Why isn’t he burned?”

“I don’t know what happened.” She said, just as confused.

“One more thing,” Twilight added. “He doesn’t look like you described.”

“What?”

Rainbow turned to the stallion. Twilight was right, he didn’t look like the stallion she’d seen. While he wore the same collar and bowtie, this one had a white coat and a dark blue mane. And most importantly, he did not have a horn. He was just a regular earth pony.

“Who’s this?!” she said. “This isn’t the stallion I saw!”

“I know.” Twilight replied. “Isn’t that what I said?”

“But how-?!” she started, but Twilight interrupted.

“That can wait. I’ll take him upstairs.”

“Why?”

“We can’t very well leave him on the floor, can we?”

“I guess not.”

“Be right back. I’ll put him in my bed.”

Twilight gently picked the stallion up, wrapping him in her violet-colored magic. She took him upstairs, and into her room. She pulled back the covers of her bed, then set him down. As she removed the bowtie and collar, something silver fell to the ground, clanking loudly. She picked it up. It was a small silver cylinder, one end of which had a blue lens of some sort. Shrugging, she put the things on the bedside table.

After pulling the covers back over him, she did a quick physical examination. She checked his breathing, which was normal. Then, she listened to his heart. Weird. It sounded like- no. She started to leave, then she heard something strange behind her. She turned, and saw the stallion shifting in the bed. He was still a moment, then he breathed out slowly. A cloud of golden dust drifted out, sparkling. It slowly faded away.

She dashed back over, and checked him again. This time, she threw in a magical scan. Nothing seemed to have changed. She ran back downstairs, and started pulling books towards her. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and a baby dragon all dived for the ground, avoiding the hurricane of books.

“What’re you doing Twilight?” said the baby dragon.

“Well, you see Spike-” She told them what she’d seen upstairs, simultaneously skimming through the books flying around her. When she’d finished, they were all staring at her.

“Are you sure that’s what happened?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, Twilight,” said Spike, “That seems a little weird.”

“I’m sure!” she said, still blazing through the books at high speeds. Then she stopped abruptly, whirling around to face Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie!” she said. “Why’d you bring him here?”

“Because they’d of locked’im up!” she said.

“Why?”

“Because he’s got two hearts!”

“He what?!”

“He’s got two hearts!”

“Are you sure?”

She paused, then nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”

“And, why would they lock him up?”

“For the same reason you’d keep a bird with two hearts.”

“Why-? Oh.” She understood now. She’d want to keep it around, so she could try to figure out why it was the way it was.

“So… what exactly is going on?” asked Spike. Rainbow Dash began to tell him what she’d seen. After a moment, Twilight resumed searching the books.

Soon, Rainbow Dash had finished retelling the story for Spike, and Twilight had exhausted the library’s supply of books. She hadn’t found anything. Then, from upstairs, there came a groan. Everyone except for Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing around the library, froze in place. Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged a glance, then they hurried upstairs. In Twilight’s room, the stallion was waking up.

Chapter 1: Two Hearts and a New Face

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Chapter 1

I groaned as my body stretched. I heard the sound of approaching hooves, then the sound of an opening door. I turned my head and opened my eyes. Three mares and a baby dragon had entered the room. One was purple, an alicorn, which surprised me. I’d thought there were only two, Celestia and Luna. Another was cyan, and had a rainbow colored mane. There was also a pink mare, who was smiling widely. And there was the baby dragon. He couldn’t have been older than five, maybe six. I’d met a baby dragon before, but we hadn’t really talked much… or at all. They were all staring at me.

“Who… who are you?” I said, confused. “And… where am I?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle.” said the purple alicorn, stepping forward. “This is Pinkie Pie.”

She pointed to the pink mare, who was now humming happily to herself. “And this is Rainbow Dash.”

She indicated the cyan and rainbow combo. The mare raised a hoof in greeting.

“And I’m Spike.” The baby dragon, Spike declared. “And… who’re you?”

“I’m Polaris.” I said.

“That’s, ah… an interesting name.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Thanks.”

“As for where you are,” said Twilight, “You’re in Ponyville.

“Where?” I’d never heard that name before. It hadn’t been in any book I’d ever read.

“You don’t know where that is?”

“Um… no.”

“Okay. Well, can you tell us what happened to you? Rainbow Dash here says you were… on fire? What happened? Why aren’t you burnt?”

“What-?”

I stopped. My memories flooded back, and I froze. I remembered what had happened. Then I figured out what must have happened to me. The possibility was absolutely terrifying.

“Can- can I have a mirror?” I asked, desperate to know the truth.

“Why?” asked Twilight.

“Just- please?”

She hesitated, then walked over to a dresser. She opened a drawer, and pulled out a mirror. She came back over, and dropped it into my waiting hooves. An unfamiliar face greeted me. This stallion had a white coat, and a dark blue mane, which was shot through with streaks of a lighter shade. I also didn’t have a horn, I was just a regular earth pony. But what really caught my attention were the eyes. His… no, my eyes, they were a brilliant blue, like ice. Very different from the dark green I had grown used to seeing. They were cold, and they scared me. Tears filled those glacial eyes, fogging my vision.

What I saw before me made it apparent and undeniable what had happened to me. I must have regenerated. But how? I slowly raised my right hoof, and brought it to the left side of my chest. My heart was beating normally. Then, hesitantly, I lowered my hoof and raised the other, bringing it up to the right side of my chest. After a moment, I felt the vibrations of another heart. I had two hearts? But that had to mean-

“Polaris?” Twilight said. “Are you alright?”

“No,” I said, “not Polaris.”

“What? But you said-”

“Polaris is dead.” I said, my voice full of pain, the words tearing through my heart. “My name…”

I thought, trying to find a new name. My old one was too painful. I came up with one, one that wasn’t too different. But it was enough of a change.

“My name,” I said again, this time with conviction, “is North Star.”

“What do you mean? How-?”

I ignored her questions, and pushed myself off the bed. I steadied myself, then picked up my collar and bowtie from the bedside table, putting them on. After I’d put the sonic screwdriver away, I started for the stairs. Twilight got between me and the door. I fixed her with my eyes, telling her to move. She shuddered, then moved out of the way, fear in her eyes. That only broke my heart more. I walked down the stairs, and started my way across the room. A towering pile of books dominated the center. The walls were lined with shelves, so I figured I was in a library. The pink mare, Pinkie Pie, ran in front of me. She didn’t seem at all scared of me.

“But wait!” she said, waving her forelegs up and down. “What about your Welcome to Ponyville party?!”

“What?” I said, stopping. This mare reminded me painfully of Starswirl.

“You’re Welcome to Ponyville party! You’re new to town and that means you must not have any friends and if you don’t have any friends you must be lonely and if you’re lonely you’ll be so sad and if you’re sad-”

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth, while Pinkie continued to talk through her hoof, gesturing wildly with her hooves.

“Please, humor her.” Rainbow Dash said, looking at me pleadingly. “She’ll be unbearable!”

I didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so I took it into consideration. I didn’t know where I was. And since the Doctor had taken me in the Tardis, I couldn’t be sure when I was either. It couldn’t hurt to get to know the local ponies better. It might help me figure things out somehow.

“Fine!” I said, exasperated. “When do you plan on having it?” Rainbow removed her hoof from Pinkie’s mouth, wiping the slobber off of her hoof.

“Tomorrow!” Pinkie said, bouncing up and down happily. Starswirl was definitely no comparison. “I’ve got to go get ready!”

“Wait a minute Pinkie!” said Twilight. “You can just have it here.”

“Thanks Twilight! See ya tomorrow!” She bounced out the library door.

“I’d better go too.” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m bushed. See you guys tomorrow.” She followed Pinkie Pie out the door.

I turned to Twilight, who backed away slightly.

“Please, don’t do that.” I said. It made me feel horrible, seeing somepony cringe like that at my presence.

“Sorry.” she relaxed slightly, though she still seemed wary of me.

“Why’d you tell her she could have the party here?” Her offer made no sense to me.

“Well,” she said, “I was going to let you sleep here. Unless you had other plans?”

I blushed. “Um… no, I don’t.”

“Plus, she’s my friend. I wanted to help her out.”

“That’s nice of you.”

“Thank you. Now, you know where the bed is. You go ahead and...” She waved a hoof in the direction of the stairs.

I glanced at them, then back at her. I had other plans.

“It’s your bed. I’m fine, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Well… if you insist-”

“Which I do.” I persisted.

“Okay. I’ll just clean this up real quick.”

She and Spike started clearing away the books, placing them back on the shelves. I hesitated, then walked over and started helping. It didn’t take me long to figure out the way the library was organized. My lack of a horn frustrated me, but I decided that was the least of my problems. Once we’d finished, she turned to me, smiling.

“Thanks North.” she said. “Um… can I call you North?”

“Sure.” I said. It sounded pretty cool.

“You didn’t have to help.”

“It was a way for me to say thank you- for letting me stay here.”

“Well, thank you for helping.” She and Spike started towards the stairs.

Halfway up, she called over her shoulder. “Good night.”

“’Night.” I called back.

I walked over to the couch and climbed onto it. I laid on my side, staring into the fire. As the flames crackled, I thought back. So much had happened, and I tried not to think about my friends. But they persisted. Blue, May Breeze, Starswirl, Celestia… Luna. They all kept coming to the fore of my mind. I cried quietly, the memories were painful. Eventually, I managed to fall asleep.

___________________________________________

Later that night, Twilight was woken by Spike. He was shouting something, but her tired ears weren’t putting the words together right. Finally she was able to make it out.

“Twilight!” Spike exclaimed. “That stallion downstairs, he’s having some sort of fit!”

“What?” she said, restraining a yawn.

“Come on!”

He started dragging her towards the stairs. She got up, and rolled off of the bed onto the ground. She walked over to the landing, from which she heard strange sounds coming from the floor below. She ran downstairs, and into the main room. North was made visible by the light of the dying fire. He was thrashing violently on the couch, his eyes screwed shut. He was mumbling incoherently, and his face was contorted in a grimace of pain. He seemed to be crying. She ran over to him, and tried to wake him up. When she didn’t succeed, she stepped back, watching in panic, unsure of how to proceed.

The library door flew open. She turned, and saw a brown stallion framed in the doorway. He walked towards them, and she tried to stop him.

“Let me by.” he said softly. “I can help him.”

She looked him over, then hesitantly stepped aside. He walked over to North. He reached down and lifted him. The stranger held him upright, and whispered in his ear. North started, and his eyes flew open. He looked up at the stranger, breathing heavily. They were both silent, icy blue eyes meeting darker ones. North closed his eyes, leaning into other. Eventually, North’s breathing slowed, and the stranger laid him down gently. Twilight could see tears glistening on the stallion’s face.

“I’m sorry.” he whispered. Then he stood, and made for the door.

“Who are you?” she asked. “What did you do?”

“I’m a friend.” he said quietly. “But I can’t be there for him all the time. Please, will you keep an eye on him?”

“But-”

“Please?”

“Fine, but-”

“I have to go now. He won’t remember any of this, and it would be best if you didn’t tell him.”

“Why?”

“Because it will only cause him more pain.”

The stranger walked out the door and closed it behind him. He had a look of self-loathing on his face. Twilight stared after him, then turned to North. He was still sleeping quietly, now expressionless and still. She looked over at Spike, who had watched the whole thing from the stairs.

“What just happened?” he asked. “Who was that?”

“I don’t know Spike.” she said. “But I get the feeling there’s more to North than we know.”

“So… now what do we do?”

“Now…” She yawned. “I guess we go back to bed.”

The two of them climbed back up the stairs, then got into their beds. While Spike fell asleep quickly, Twilight lay awake for a long time. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened today. Who was North? And who was that strange stallion? What had he done, and why had he needed to do whatever he’d done? She fell asleep, still pondering these and other questions.

Chapter 16: Cutie Mark Crusader Sleepover at Rumble's House Yay!

Chapter 16

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, smiling as I looked up at my work. I’d taken care of seven trees so far, and felt like I could do another four or five before the workday was over. Apple laden barrels were stacked on the wagon that I'd parked nearby. I swept my midnight blue mane back with a hoof, then went on to the next tree. I put barrels around the base of the trunk, except where I saw the apples were thinnest. This is where I turned my back to the tree, then bracing my front legs against the ground, bucked it. Apples rained down from the branches, landing in the barrels with a clamour of satisfying thuds.

After checking that all of the apples had been removed from the tree, I started loading the now full barrels onto the wagon. Determining that I wouldn’t be able to move it if I added any more fruit, I hitched myself to the front, and started pulling it back to the barn. When I’d first started working there, I hadn’t quite been able to move it on my own, needing Applejack’s help to get it moving. But now, I could move a full wagon with ease.

Coming to a stop in front of the red double doors of the storage barn, I unhitched and started unloading. When I was about halfway done, I heard hooves on the dirt track, coming from my left. I looked up from my work, and saw Applejack trotting towards me from the direction of the front gate.

“Hey A.J.” I said, once she was close enough to hear. “What’s up?”

“The girls have a sleepover tonight.” she said. “But ya see, ah forgot that ah’d already arranged fer me’n some friends ta do the same.”

“I see. But why’re you telling me this?”

“Could ya take the girls tonight? Ah’d really appreciate it.”

“What about Pinkie, or maybe Fluttershy?”

“Pinkie’s watching the Cake twins, and Fluttershy’s taking care of Harry the Bear. He’s sick.”

I nodded. “I’m fine with it, but I’ll need to ask Thunderlane.”

I turned back to the barrels, reaching for the next one. “I’ll ask when I get home.”

“Ya can go’n ask now if ya want. Ah’ll finish up here.”

“I can finish unloading.”

I carried the barrel into the barn, and set it down next to the others I’d already unloaded. She shrugged, and left. After I’d finished up the work I’d already started, I put the wagon back in its place next to the barn, picked up the plain saddlebags Big Mac had given me, then started for Thunderlane’s house. Being late summer, the sun’s harsh rays beat down on my back. Even with my white fur, I could feel my skin heating up. But thankfully, the dirt path was dappled with shade from trees that were planted irregularly along the edge.

After I’d passed the school, which was closed for the summer, I turned right and crossed over Ponyville’s west stream. The clear water flowed along, the grassy banks kept far greener than the neighboring fields by its presence. Cattails waved in a light breeze that had begun to move among them, and also caught up my tail and tossed it playfully. The rustling of plants and gentle rippling of the water was very relaxing.

When I got to Ponyville, the market was still in full swing. Merchants and shoppers were haggling over the price of goods; which ranged from the apples on the Apple Family’s cart, to the zucchinis sold by a neighboring farm. All of this formed into a mildly loud babble of mixed voices. I nodded to Big Mac, who was standing next to the apple cart. He nodded back, and I continued onward.

When I got home, I reached into my saddlebags and pulled out my key. But before I had the opportunity to use it, the door was opened from inside. I quickly put the key back, knowing what to expect next. Rumble came streaking out of the living room, blasted by Thunderlane, and tackled me to the ground.

“Hey buddy!” I said, wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Hey!” he said excitedly. “You’re back early!”

“Sure am!” I stood, picking him up with one foreleg and plopping him down onto my back. He stood there, beaming at me.

“Hi.” said Thunderlane, coming outside and closing the door behind him.

“Hi.” I said, giving him a quick one-legged hug. “Listen, the reason I’m back so early-”

I explained the situation with the girls to him, and he nodded.

“Sure, it’ll be fun.”

Rumble hopped down from my back, and Thunderlane looked down at him.

“You okay with that, buddy?”

Rumble nodded, still smiling happily.

“In that case, you need to go and clean up your toys, okay?”

“Okay.”

Rumble trotted inside, closing the door after himself. Thunderlane watched him go, then turned back to me.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked. “They’re going to get a bit rowdy.”

“I’ll be fine.” I kissed him softly on the cheek, then smiled. “I’ll be back soon.”

He smiled “Bye.”

I left, and he went inside. I trekked back through Ponyville, across the bridge, down the dirt path past the school, and turned right at the gates to Sweet Apple Acres. I found Applejack in the orchards, bucking a tree. I stood back until she’d unleashed her hooves upon it, then approached.

“So?” she asked.

“It’s fine.” I said, and she looked relieved.

“Thanks sugarcube. Ah’d really hate ta have ta disappoint them.” She started loading the barrels. “Ya c’n even take’m now if ya want to.”

I nodded “So, where are they?”

“They’re in their clubhouse, over yonder.” she pointed through the trees. “If ya just turn right once ya reach Clarabella, then go between Jonathan and Maybelle-"

“I know how to get there.” I said quickly, cutting her off. I still thought it was weird that she named the trees like this. “Thanks though.”

“Yer welcome.”

I went the way she’d started to describe. I arrived in a clearing, nestled near the middle of the section of the farm that wasn’t made up of apple trees. A wooden clubhouse with a reddish colored roof sat in the branches of the tree that stood on the far end. From inside, which I could hear the voices of Ponyville's resident Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Girls?” I called up, and they stopped talking. They poked their heads out through an open window, looking down at me.

“Yeah?” called Scootaloo.

“Can I come up?”

“Sure.” said Sweetie Belle.

I climbed up the ramp, and opened the door. Stepping inside, I smiled at the girls.

“Hey guys.” I said. “How’s it going?”

“Alright.” said Applebloom. “Ah just wish we could still have our sleepover.”

“Who says you can’t?”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” I said, the corner of my mouth lifting slightly. “You could have it at Rumble’s house.”

“Now there’s an idea!” said Applebloom excitedly. “Let’s go’n ask Applejack if we can!”

“No need. She’s already given it the okay, and I’ve talked to Thunderlane about it.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders squealed in delight, jumping up and down.

“Now, do you guys want to go now? You’ll have more time outside if we do.”

They gave their enthusiastic assent, and ran over to the saddlebags that were stacked against the clubhouse wall. I offered to carry their stuff, but they politely refused.

Back at Thunderlane’s house, the girls and Rumble made their enthusiastic greetings, while Thunderlane and I looked on bemusedly. Rumble proposed the idea of going to the park, and the trio of fillies agreed. All four of them turned to look at us, all wearing wide grins.

“Come on.” I said, bumping my shoulder against Thunderlane’s. “It’ll be fun.”

We walked through Ponyville, past Hay and Clover, to the park I’d visited with Thunderlane ages ago. The girls and Rumble ran forward, headed straight for the play-area. I watched them go at it for a moment, then smiled and ran after them. It felt great to be able to relax after a long day. And even if they had a lot of energy to burn, I still had enough myself to keep up with them.

“Hey, guys?” I said, when we’d reached the swinging phase. “Do you want to play a game I came up with?”

“What is it?” asked Scootaloo.

“I’ll need you all to get off the swings.”

They looked at me questioningly, but complied. I walked to the other end, then as I came back I set the empty swings going on their own.

“You have to get through to the other end without letting any of them touching you.” I explained on the way.

“Awesome!” said Scootaloo. “It’s just like the trap Daring Do has to get past in… in…”

“Book 6.”

“Exactly!”

“Who wants to go first?” I asked. Rumble hopped up and down, his foreleg raised high in the air.

“Me!” he shouted. He ran to the close end of the swings, watching them go back and forth for a moment before running forward. He made it to the first set of supports, then repeated the process. He made it to the end, narrowly avoiding the second to last swing.

“Me next!” said Sweetie Belle, after I’d gotten the swings going again. She took more time than Rumble, but she successfully avoided the swings.

Applebloom’s attempt was a close call, as she narrowly avoided several swings. She wasn’t as agile as Rumble, or as careful as Sweetie Belle, but she made to do a clean run.

Scootaloo just about zipped right through, using her small wings to give herself some extra speed at the last segment.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo whooped. “That’s an awesome game North!”

“Your turn!” said Rumble, racing down the swingset and preparing them.

I went to the starting place, and observed the line of rapidly moving swings. I hesitated a moment, then stepped forward. I didn’t pause once, moving fluidly past every swing without stopping. And it was only when I reached the end that I realized I’d had my eyes closed. I opened them, and saw the four of them all staring at me with their mouths open.

“That was-” started Applebloom.

“Amazing!” Scootaloo shouted. “How’d you do that?!”

I shrugged, then waved at the swingset.

“You go ahead and play, okay?”

With innocence born of their age, they shrugged off the strangeness of what I’d just done and started playing the game by themselves. I sat down on a bench next to Thunderlane. He was watching me, with an eyebrow raised.

How did you do that?” he asked.

“I really don’t know.” I said. “Luck?”

He shrugged, and extended a wing across my shoulders. We talked about unimportant things for a while, also keeping an eye on the playing fillies and colt. I felt happy and comfortable, even if I still felt a bit confused by what had happened with the swings. At one point, I pulled out the sonic and did a silent scan of the area. Nothing unusual was picked up, so I stowed it back into my collar.

“You think we should take them back home?” asked Thunderlane, looking up at the sky. “It’s getting a bit late.”

“Yeah.”

We slid off of the bench, and called them over. When Thunderlane announced it was time to go, there was a bit of disappointment. But with the stipulation that there was fun and cutie mark crusading to be found indoors, they came happily enough.

At home, Thunderlane went to the kitchen, while I watched them. They asked if they could play a game, so I fetched one from the hall closet. When I got back, the CMC were whispering among themselves, while Rumble watched them curiously.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Oh, nothin’.” said Applebloom. “Just chattin’.”

“Sure.” I put the game on the table, then went to find Thunderlane.

“What should we make?” he asked, looking around the kitchen.

“I have an idea.” I said, after thinking for a moment.

He and I got to work, occasionally peeking into the living room to make sure everything was okay. The CMC were pretty self-sufficient, and Rumble’s semi-destructive tendencies were suppressed by the exercise he’d gotten at the park.

“Dinner!” Thunderlane called, after we’d finished. They came racing in, sitting down promptly at the table.

After dinner, baths were taken care of. Rumble went quietly, which was surprising. But neither Thunderlane nor I complained. After the young ponies were done, Thunderlane and I took our turn. I still felt a little embarrassed about needing help in the shower, but I felt more comfortable with Thunderlane than I would’ve anypony else.

When we came down, I reflexively forced Thunderlane to duck. Something white and rectangular flew over our heads, hitting the hallway wall with a soft thud.

“What the?” he said, looking over at the projectile. A pillow lay against the wall, looking completely innocent. So where was the launcher of the weapon?

I peeked around the corner, then drew back as another flew past.

“We need ammunition.” I whispered to Thunderlane.

“Who’re the teams!” I said loudly, this time directing my words at the occupants of the living room.

“Us versus you!” Applebloom yelled back.

“Thanks!” I ran quickly over to the two pillows that had hit the wall, then back to the base of the stairs. Another pillow came my way, but I managed to dodge it.

“Now what?” asked Thunderlane, frowning as I handed him a pillow.

“What’re you asking me for? Get’em!” We charged around the corner, throwing our pillows and taking cover from the incoming projectiles.

By the end of the pillow fight, everyone laid on the ground, panting but smiling. It’d been fun, and remarkably similar to the snowball fight with Caramel the previous winter. I rolled onto my front, grinning over at Thunderlane. He grinned back, and I made myself stand. I walked over to him, stepping over the pillows strewn across the floor. I leaned down and nuzzled his forehead, looking him in the eye.

“Do you two want us ta leave you alone?”

I looked over at Applebloom, who was giving us an exaggerated smile. Rumble and Sweetie Belle wore similar expressions, and Scootaloo seemed completely uninterested in the whole thing. I straightened up, and helped Thunderlane stand.

“Now what?” asked Rumble.

“Now,” said Scootaloo, “We have a question for North.”

I raised my eyebrow, and Sweetie Belle cleared her throat.

“We asked you if you wanted to be a Cutie Mark Crusader months and months ago, but you still haven’t given us an answer.”

“Oh.” I faintly remembered them putting the question to me in Sugarcube Corner, on the same day as the snowball fight. “Well, sure, I guess.”

“Great.” said Applebloom. “Then we’ll take care of the induction ceremony tomorrow, at the clubhouse.”

“What about me?” asked Rumble. “I wanna be a Cutie Mark Crusader too!”

“Sorry Rumble.” said Scootaloo. “But the Cutie Mark Crusaders is really just for girls.”

“No it’s not.” I said. “I’ve read the charter-”

“Only part of it.” said Sweetie Belle. “The induction section is classified, so we couldn’t let you see it.”

“But North’s a stallion!” said Rumble, pointing out the flaw in this arguement. “He’s a guy!”

“Yeah.” said Applebloom. “But he’s technically the mare in his relationship with Thunderlane.”

“What?!” said Thunderlane and I together.

“Well, you are!” said Applebloom defensively. “Rumble told us you are!”

I looked over at Rumble, feeling a little hurt and very confused.

“Aren’t you?” said Rumble. “I mean… I-I just thought…”

His sentence faded into silence, and everypony was quiet. My thoughts were confused and conflicted, and I was upset that any of them thought that way about me. My partnership with Thunderlane was equal, wasn’t it? That was what we’d agreed, he and I. I forced myself to break the silence, speaking softly and without looking at anypony.

“Maybe… maybe we should go to bed now. It’s late.”

Everypony nodded. Rumble went upstairs, and Thunderlane took the girls to the spare bedroom. Alone, I went to the bedroom I shared with Thunderlane. I sat down on the bed, then slid down onto my front. I covered my nose with a foreleg, tucking the other against my chest. I nuzzled into the soft top blanket, squeezing my eyes shut.

When Thunderlane came back, he quietly laid down next to me. He nuzzled my shoulder, but I just burrowed my muzzle deeper into the blanket. He laid his head next to mine, snuggling up against me. He pressed his nose into my neck, taking a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered. “I know they must have hurt you when they said… that. But remember North, they’re just little fillies. They don’t really understand what they said.”

I sniffled. “I know.”

“You’re my stallion.” Thunderlane said, hugged me. “The only stallion for me. And I could never think of you in any other way.”

I uncovered my nose, and returned the hug. I felt better, but doubt lingered in the back of my mind. We fell asleep there, heads towards the footboard of the bed, uncovered save for our entangled limbs and Thunderlanes dark feathery wings.

___________________________________________

The next morning, I took the girls back to Sweet Apple Acres. The trip was silent, none of us talking. When we got there, though, Applebloom looked up at me, the other two standing behind her.

“Ah’m sorry if we said somethin’ that hurt yer feelings.” she said.

“Really.” added Scootaloo.

“It’s okay.” I said. I managed a small smile. “Just try not to say stuff if you’re not sure what it really means.”

They nodded, then Sweetie Belle motioned for the three of them to huddle. I watched them talking quietly, and was about to go and start my work, when they separated and looked back at me.

“We’ve agreed,” said Applebloom, sounding more official than usual, “that our club could use a few rule changes.”

“Do you still want to be a Crusader?” asked Scootaloo.

I looked between them, then nodded. “But you’ve got to let Rumble join too.”

After another, if shorter, huddle, they agreed to my condition.

“Then let’s go make it official!” said Sweetie Belle. “To the clubhouse!”

They led me through the orchards to the clubhouse. Once there, Scootaloo had me take a modified version of the Cutie Mark Crusader oath. Once she’d finished the extremely long list, much to the other two’s displeasure, they handed me a red cape which Sweetie Belle had embroidered with the club’s symbol.

They wanted to celebrate, but I insisted that I needed to go and start on my day’s work. I left them, planning another escapade. I promised that if I had the time, I’d join them later.When I got back to the barn, I found out Big Mac had gotten started before I’d arrived, and Applejack was taking her turn in town, selling apples in the marketplace.

I picked up where I’d left off the previous afternoon. Putting the barrels under trees, bucking them, and stacking full barrels onto the wagon. Bringing the full wagon back to the barn, unloading, then starting the whole process over again.