Gateway of the Eyes (Part One)

Chapters

Chapter 2: Seeking Aid in the Strangest of Places
Chapter 3: Stranger Among Ponies
Chapter 4: Recovering Information
Chapter 6: A Wild Pony Appears...Twice
Chapter 7: A Helping Hoof
Chapter 8: The Eyes Tell All
Chapter 9: PARTY...Time?
Chapter 10: Old Answers to New Questions
Chapter 11: Finally Getting Settled In
Chapter 12: First "Normal" Day Part One: Morning
Chapter 13: First "Normal" Day Part Two: Morning-Noon
Chapter 14: First "Normal" Day Part Three: Noon-Afternoon
Chapter 15: First "Normal" Day Part Four: Afternoon
Chapter 16: Embers of the Past
Chapter 17: A Hint in the Eyes
Chapter 18: Learning Curves
Chapter 19: Clues in the Past
Chapter 20: How to "Save" a Pony
Chapter 21: A New Mare?
Chapter 23: Fashion Advice Part 2
Chapter 24: Reading the Lines
Chapter 25: The Nights of Canterlot
Chapter 26: Studies of the Mind
Chapter 27: Old Love
Chapter 28: The Final Curtain
Chapter 29: Moving Onwards
Chapter 30: A Winter Inferno
Capter 31: Sleepover!
Chapter 32: A Date?
Chapter 33: Soul/Job Searching
Chapter 34: Fillysitting
Chapter 35: Schooling
Chapter 36: A New Type of Crusading
Chapter 1: The Beginning...Cliche, I Know
Chapter 5: Clothing For a Po-Human
Chapter 22: Fashion Advice Part 1

Chapter 2: Seeking Aid in the Strangest of Places

(Human’s POV)

It has been about five minutes since our run in with the large snake like creature, or Basilisk, as Trixie called it. She stayed silent for the most part, her head leaning against my chest, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. I was a bit curious as to what made her change her mind about believing me to be a human, but she said nothing on the matter, either remaining silent or asking me a little about myself. I answered as best as I could, which wasn’t much considering I couldn’t remember much myself. I decided to do the same thing with her, just to have her stay awake as we continued walking to this Ponyville.

To my surprise, she had been to Ponyville before, as a traveling magician. When she was there, she did all sorts of magic tricks to amaze the crowd, telling all sorts of stories about her accomplishments. After a minute though, she suddenly became quiet, a look of deep thought on her face. I was once again curious, but when I asked what happened afterwards, she said nothing; just shaking her head and saying that she had to go somewhere else once she left. I was about to ask her what she meant by that, but I suddenly felt…well, nothing. One second there was this burning pain in my shoulder and left arm that seemed like it was being roasted alive; the next second I felt a slight cooling sensation followed by numbing.

“Um, Trixie…We almost there yet?” I asked, slight panic in my voice.

She gave me a curious look as I asked her. “Well, about another minute and we should reach the outskirts of the town, why?”

“Well…my arm just went numb.” I stated.

She was silent for a second, staring at me with wide eyes, a shocked and frightened look on her face. “Oh no…we need to hurry, now!”

“Um, why? I mean, it’s not like it’s poison or anything, right?” I said, giving a small chuckle to lighten the mood. The azure pony just gave me a blank stare as I continued to walk, and when I noticed that she wasn’t laughing with me, I could feel my face pale a bit. “Oh…uh, is it?”

“Yes, now hurry! I don’t know what Basilisk poison can do to a…human, but to a pony it can be fatal.” She said, the worry starting to show in her voice.

“Um…h-how fatal are we talking about here?” I asked, increasing my pace.

“About twenty minutes I think, but they can get paralyzed within four.” She replied.

I was silent once I heard this, and then looking down at her, I said “Well, time to book it then. Hold on tight” Before she could respond, I quickly broke into a run, streaking through the trees as fast as I could while I made sure to hold onto the unicorn.

I could already feel the paralyzing effect getting stronger, and by now my right hand was starting to feel sore from carrying the pony. I could feel the numbness spreading, and I was worried what would happen when it reached my chest. At the moment my chest gave off a small sharp pain with every intake that I took, indicating that I was right that I broke at least one rib. Hopefully it wouldn’t stop my heart right away to give me more time to get us a cure, or it might just happen in the next second.

I really hope that it was the former.

Thankfully, about ten seconds later, we seemed to reach the edge of the forest. As I broke through the foliage, I was faced with a rather sizable town that I assumed was this Ponyville that Trixie told me about. It didn’t seem to be that far, which was a small relief to me, since the numbness just reached my chest.

“Ok, I think we’re almost the-” I said before the words were suddenly stuck in my throat. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t say anything. I then coughed and felt something come out of my mouth, splattering on Trixie a bit.

“The buck? Why did you spit on me, you…you…” She started to say, before she fell silent. Curious, I looked down to see what the problem was, and I saw the pony was staring up at me wide eyed. I was a bit confused for a second before I noticed an important detail. I saw that she had a few specks of red liquid on her face.

Before I could say anything, I coughed some more, causing some more liquid to flow out of my mouth. This time I felt it splatter on my chest, but I knew what it was this time.

It was my blood. The rib that I broke earlier punctured my lung.

I started to panic, which was the last thing that I should have done, but I was in too much shock and pain to keep a leveled head on my shoulders. I slowly fell to my knees, just staring at Trixie’s blood speckled face as she stared back at me, her eyes still wide with surprise. When I tried to breathe, it felt like I was breathing underwater.

As I tried to breathe again, I tried to place Trixie back onto the ground carefully, but I instead dropped her onto the snow, causing her to give a small cry of pain. The fall shocked her out of her trance, causing her to quickly get up, wincing as she did so.

“Oh no…oh no oh no oh no this isn’t good. Come on get up. Please, just…just get up.” Trixie said, a tone of what seemed to be worry in her voice. I was a bit surprised that she was worried for me, since I am a completely unknown species to her, and I did try to use her as a mount.

Whatever the case, I tried to respond, but instead I just ended up coughing up some more blood, hacking it onto the snow, melting a small pool right under my head. I placed a hand on the ground as I leaned forward, trying to speak…trying to breathe, but it was hopeless. Slowly, I fell face first onto the snow again, my vision dimming and the sounds getting muddier. It sounded like the pony was shouting through a thick fog.

I felt the last of my senses leave me as I finally fell unconscious.

My last thoughts before I was completely out were: ‘Well…this sucks.’

(Trixie’s POV)

I stared in horror as the supposed human fell unconscious before me, a small pool of his blood right in front of his head. I could feel myself starting to panic as I continued to try and wake him up.

“Come on, damn it wake up! Don’t fall asleep on me now; we’re almost there! Come on, you…you…” After a few moments I just ran out of things to say. I gave a sigh of frustration, which wasn’t a smart move on my part, as I felt the pain in my chest skyrocket, causing me to give a yelp in pain. I held a hoof to my chest as I stared at the…human, unsure what I should do.

“Ok, think Trixie, think. We’re right outside of the Everfree Forest, near Ponyville. The hospital should be close by…I think. I never went there in the first place. AGH, why must I feel so damn useless! All I’m good for is getting others hurt, and now I have this…human just laying there, bleeding to death, and all I’m doing is just talking to myself. I just don’t know what else-”

“Trixie? Is that you?” My ears perked up at the familiar voice, and turning around, I see a purple unicorn pony that I know all too well.

“Oh…you.” I give out a defeated sigh, lowering my head to the ground. “Can this day get any worse!” I shouted to myself, before the last of my strength left me, making me fall down to the snow face first.

I heard some shuffling nearby, and the next thing that I know; I was being lifted a little by the unicorn’s magic. “Trixie, what in Equestria happened to you? And who…or, what is that lying on the ground? ”I slowly raised my head and came face to face with the last pony that I wanted to see.

“How…how did you find me?” I asked.

“Well, I was about to do some more studying before I went to bed, but I heard a commotion coming from outside.” She said, pointing to the large tree that I didn’t even notice was next to us. “Now, what exactly happened to injure you like this?”

"I…we were attacked by a…a Basilisk.” I said in a low tone, not making eye contact with her.

Twilight’s eyes went wide with shock from hearing this. “A Basilisk, this close to the edge of the forest? But…but there haven’t been any this close to Ponyville in decades.” She exclaimed.

“Well one of them decided to move closer, most likely looking for new territory.”

The purple unicorn’s breathing began to speed up a little, trying to think of a solution to the problem. “Oh, this isn’t good. If there is a Basilisk this close, then we are going to need to message Celestia about it, and then she will have to bring out a platoon of troops to deal with it, and then that will leave Canterlot defenseless for another invasion, and then maybe one of the nearby nations would invade, maybe even with some help from the Changelings, and then-”

I quickly shoved my hoof into her mouth, feeling a small bit of satisfaction in doing so. “First, that would never happen, and second, it’s already dead.”

Twilight’s eyes once again went wide, and I carefully removed my hoof once I deemed that it was safe to do so. “Dead? You…you killed it?”

I felt a sudden urge to tell her that I did. To tell her how bravely I fought off the reptilian beast that was going to kill the defenseless new creature, saving it’s life and having it in my debt, but flashes of what happened the first time I came here appeared in my head, and I quickly got rid of the offending idea, deciding that it would be better to tell her the truth. I looked over to where the human was lying down, not seeing any change from him. “No I didn’t kill it. This…well, he did.”

Twilight followed my gaze to the prone figure, and then she gave a gasp almost as large as Pinkie’s. She gently placed me back to the ground before running up to the human, looking all over his body in curiosity and worry. “What…what in Equestria is this? I’ve never seen anything like it. Is it some sort of new species? Or a deformed one of an already known race? Maybe a Minotaur or a diamond-” She then froze in mid speech once she noticed the rather large pool of blood he was laying in, causing her eyes to go even wider. “It’s hurt! Trixie, why didn’t you bring it to the hospital?”

I simply stared at the purple pony as I struggled to get back to my hooves. “Well, w-we were, but…well, he was carrying me before he began to cough some blood. I…I don’t know where it is, and…and I…” I then took a deep breath to help prepare myself for what I was about to say. “Twilight Sparkle…I need your help.”

To my surprise and disappointment, she simply nodded her head, still staring at the human. “Of course, of course, just that…well, you’re going to have to help me carry it.”

“What? Do you have any idea what kind of day Trixie is having? She just survived an attack from a Basilisk along with an encounter with a new species and now you’re expecting me to help carry-” I began to rant before a simple stare from Twilight stopped me.

“In case you forgot, you did ask me for help, and I can’t really carry it in my magic alone, or I might risk damaging it some more. And since I can’t carry it by myself, you are going to need to help.” She remained silent after that, waiting for me to respond. All I did was cast my eyes downward, a bit ashamed that I didn’t think that. After a few moments of silence, I feel the purple unicorn gently place her hoof on my shoulder, causing me to look back at her. “Hey, you won’t have to do much, just keep it stable with your magic, and I-”

“He.” I interrupted, getting a bit annoyed with her calling him it. “It’s…it’s a male. At least…that’s as much as I can tell, and as much as he knows.”

Twilight stared at me for a few seconds, and then with a shrug, she continued. “Alright, well just make sure he stays stabilized, and I’ll let you lean on me as we walk to the hospital, ok?”

Too tired to argue, and just wanting to rest, I simply nod my head. With the planning taken care of, Twilight and I carefully lifted the human onto the purple pony’s back, and once he was on, I kept him stable with my own magic, making sure that he wouldn’t fall off. Satisfied, I give a small nod, and then lean onto Twilight, wanting to get out of the cold soon. “Let’s…let’s just get out of the cold, ok?”

“Of…course Trixie. Celestia, he’s a bit…heavy.” She said, already panting as we started walking.

I roll my eyes at my past adversary. “You just need to work out more. Now please, Tri…I mean, I…I just want to stay quiet for now.” I said, trying to hide the yawn that escapes my lips. Twilight gave a small nod and we continued our way to the Ponyville Hospital.

(Human POV)

Darkness. All I saw was darkness, like the infinite void had swallowed me up. I couldn’t feel anything, see anything…do anything. The only thing that I could even do was to think and that wasn’t much, since I didn’t even know what to think of. The only thing that I could even remember was the struggle to survive that large snake like Basilisk. I remembered that I was struggling to bring a unicorn and then I to this town called Ponyville before everything started to black out. Not having anything else to go by, I started to think about anything else that I could remember about myself, but nothing came to me…I didn’t even get a headache for my troubles.

I continued to try and remember about myself when I noticed a sound. It sounded familiar to me, for some reason, but when I tried to focus on it, it seemed to start to fade away. When it disappeared, I gave a mental groan and went back to thinking, only to have it come back. This time I quickly focused on it, and I was able to get some sort of name from the sound before it disappeared from me again, making me even more frustrated. I was about to go back to my thinking when I heard it for a third time. Determined to hear what it was saying, I strained as much as I could on the voice, imagining that I was right next to the source, that I was hearing it as clearly as if it was shouting at me. A few seconds later, I was able to get a clear name from the voice, and to my surprise, it indeed was shouting at me…rather loudly as well.

It was the voice that I heard in the forest, that much I was certain. It was definitely a female, that much was certain, and I had the strangest feeling that…that I knew who it was. The word that I heard, however, confused me and as I heard it call out, I saw this strange bright light appear in front of me. As I was looking, I noticed that I could move again, though I still couldn’t feel my limbs. Not having much of a choice, I started to drift into the light, that one name still echoing in my head.

“Drakalian!”

Chapter 3: Stranger Among Ponies

I slowly started to wake up to the sounds of chattering and beeping, the light seeping through my eyelids. I gave a small groan as I felt my body starting to wake up as well, the pain from the fight somehow numbed. As I groaned, I heard the talking suddenly stop and I felt as if everyone in the room was now looking at me in surprise.

When I first opened my eyes, the light just blinded me, making me give a small groan in pain, shutting my eyes as quick as I opened them. My eyes closed, I started to rise to a sitting position, but a sudden searing pain shot through my left shoulder. That and the feeling of something hard being gently placed on my good shoulder and forcing me back to the bed.

“Easy there, the doctor says that you need to rest for the next few days, otherwise you might reopen your wounds.” Said someone. By the sound of it, it sounded like a female, though it was different from Trixie’s voice.

I gave another small groan as I turned my head to the voice, my eyes just opened a crack as I got used to the light. “How…h-how bad is it?”

This time, it was a male voice that responded. “Well, we were able to remove the Basilisk poison from your system, though you were supposed to be unconscious for a few days at least.”

“How…long?” I asked, my eyes opening a little bit more. I was starting to see some shapes now, and two of them stood out. The first one was a large white blob, while the second one was an orange like color with some white in the middle.

“Well, let’s see…you came in around 8:40 PM, so…about fifteen hours.” Said the male voice in a casual tone.

Now my eyes snapped open at this, adjusted enough to the light to be able to see properly, and while I was shocked by what I saw, I couldn’t say that I was surprised with everything that has happened to me.

I was indeed in a hospital room, complete with…medical things. I wasn’t sure what the names of these things were; all I knew was that the large beeping one was a bit annoying. In the room with me were two…ponies, I think, though they were a lot different from Trixie. The first one was a female, and she was white with a pink mane. She had her mane done up in a bun and a nurse hat on. She was currently sitting next to me, most likely making sure I was staying in my bed. The other pony was an orange male with a brown mane, and he also had a horn on his head. He was also wearing a white coat and he was standing in front of my bed, currently keeping a close eye on me, though rather in mistrust or concern, I was unsure.

I tried to get up into a sitting position once again, but the pony that was sitting next to me placed her hoof back on my uninjured shoulder and gently but firmly forced me to lay back down on the bed. “Please refrain from getting up or moving too much sir, otherwise you may reopen your wounds” She said in a concerned tone.

I looked back at her for bit, and the moment I made eye contact with her, I had the sudden urge to look away and not really having the energy to do otherwise, I did just that, focusing my eyes back to the male pony ahead of me, though not making eye contact with him either.

I began to slow my breathing down as I realized that my heart was beating really fast, and after a few moments, I was able to calm myself down a bit, though I still felt anxious about the whole situation.

“Fifteen…hours? “ I asked rather stupidly, to which the orange unicorn nodded.

“Yes, fifteen hours, and you where in critical condition for about nine of those as well. Like I said, you were suppose to be out for another few days, but to be honest, you weren’t supposed to wake up at all. I’ve never had anypony survive with the amount of Basilisk venom that was in your system, let alone for how long it was in there.”

I blinked a few times as if to clear my thoughts, and then I felt a sudden aching in my head as I remembered what happened while I was unconscious. I gritted my teeth as I placed a hand on my forehead, clenching my eyes shut.

The nurse…at least I assumed she was a nurse…was quick to react to my sudden pain, quickly standing up from where she was sitting. “Are you ok? What’s hurting?”

“My…my head. It just…it just started aching out of nowhere.” I replied.

“Nurse Redheart, go get some of the painkillers in the top shelf. Judging on how he reacted to the previous medicine, I think this would be able to help-” The pony that I assumed was the doctor began to reply before I waved a hand to him.

“No…no it’s fine. It’s starting to go away now.” I said. The pain was indeed subsiding, almost as suddenly as it came and I was able to think a bit more clearly once the pain was gone. Once it was gone and I was thinking easier, I then remember the other pony that was with me, causing me to once again sit up in worry.

However, the white pony, Nurse Redheart, was quick to react once again, placing her hoof back on my right shoulder and forcing me down. “Please, just stay still sir. We don’t want you to lose any more blood as it is.” She said, her look of concern deepening.

“W-where…where’s Trixie? I…all I remember was carrying her from the forest, and then I started to cough up blood. The next thing I know, I…I was here.” I asked, still trying to get up from the bed, though I couldn’t put much effort into it due to my injuries.

The doctor gave a small smile at this before pointing with his hoof to the left of me. “Don’t worry, she’s fine and sleeping over there for now. The worse that happened to her was a cracked rib and broken foreleg. Overall, she got lucky to even get away with just broken bones from a Basilisk attack.” He replied. I turned to look where he was pointing and sure enough, there was Trixie, sound asleep in another hospital bed just a few feet away from me, her right foreleg in a cast and her chest wound up in a few bandages. Seeing the bandages on the azure mare made me remember my own wounds, and curious, I carefully moved the blanket off of me to see the damage.

When I saw it, my breath was nearly taken away from me from shear surprise. My entire upper left chest and shoulder was completely bandaged, along with some more bandages along my chest. There was also a bandage around the cut on my stomach as well, and I could see a bit of dried blood on the white cloth.

“Don’t worry, like Doctor Stables said, you should be fine. Of course, the wounds will still leave some scars. Our magic can’t fix everything yet.” I turned to face the white pony who said that. She was smiling at me a bit, and I could sense a faint, caring aura around her. I also felt rather surprised about them fixing me up, and with no worry about my different species or anything.

“Um…t-thank…thank you very much. I…I don’t know what to say.” I said, rubbing the back of my head with my good hand, a sheepish smile on my face.

The nurse continued to smile. “Oh, think nothing of it, we were just doing our job. And please, call me Redheart.” She said.

“Ok then…Redheart it is.” I said, still giving her a small smile. I then remembered an important detail and turning to face the doctor, I asked, “Wait, how did we get here? Like I said, I fell unconscious outside in the snow.”

“Well, luckily for you, you guys were right outside of the library, and Twilight was able to help the both of you get over here. She has actually been coming over periodically to check in on you two, though mostly you, most likely wanting to talk to you when she got the chance.” Said the doctor.

I was quiet as I absorbed the information for a few seconds, and then I finally gave a small nod. “Well, tell her thank you for saving me and Trixie.” I said.

“Well, you can tell her yourself if you want to. She’s waiting outside at the moment.” Said Redheart, causing both her and Dr. Stables to chuckle a little. I raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, but other then that, I said nothing.

“Anyways, would you like to see her now? If not, then I can tell her to come at another time.” Asked Stables.

I was quiet for a while as I thought it over. “Well…I guess it’s ok for now. Yea, you can let her see me.” Stables nodded and then motioning to the nurse, they both exited the room, leaving me alone with only the sleeping Trixie as company.

I looked around a bit as I waited for this Twilight to come in, and as I was looking around, I saw that there was a glass of water sitting next to me on the counter, and feeling rather thirsty, I quickly picked it up and downed it in a few gulps, quite a bit of it splashing across my face.

I took a few deep breaths once I finished drinking, and I could feel myself already starting to feel a bit stronger from the water. It was then that I heard the door slowly open, and looking at it, I saw another pony enter the room, closing the door behind her.

When she turned to face me, I took a quick look at her, examining as much detail as I could. She was a unicorn, purple coat and a darker purple mane with some purple and pink highlights in it. I took a quick glance at her eyes, but once again I felt that strange uncomforting feeling from it, causing me to look away from them.

She simply stared at me for a little while, as if unsure what to do at the moment. After a few seconds, she seemed to remember where she was and clearing her throat, she approached the end of the bed, a somewhat nervous smile on her face.

“Um…hi. So…you’re feeling better, I’m assuming?” She asked. I just simply nodded, not sure what to really say at this point. Once again, silence fell across the room, only broken by the soft snoring of Trixie.

Finally, clearing my throat, I decided to say something to break the silence. “So…you’re Twilight I’m assuming?”

She nods. “Yes, my name is Twilight Sparkle, star student of Princess Celestia who is the co-ruler of the country Equestria, which happens to be where we are right now. Well, Ponyville, to be exact.” She said, seeming to lose a bit of her nervousness.

“Well, I guess I should thank you then, for if you didn’t bring me to the hospital, I would most likely be dead, along with my…uh, companion here.” I thanked, motioning to Trixie when I mentioned her.

“Oh, it was no big deal, I mean, anypony would have done it really. I’m just more surprised that there was a Basilisk this close to the town.”

“Yea, well I was surprised just to wake up and find myself in a place where this all exists when it shouldn’t…at least, I don’t think it should.”

Twilight cocked her head at this. “What do you mean, you don’t think? Don’t you have ponies and Basilisks where you come from?”

I paused for a moment as I thought. “Well…yes…no…maybe? I…I actually don’t know. Hell, I could belong in this world, yet I have no memory of…of anything.” I said, a slightly sad look on my face. I lowered my gaze at this, still trying to cope with my sudden amnesia. A few moments later, I felt someone place a gentle hoof on my good shoulder, and looking up, I saw that Twilight was giving me a small, comforting smile.

“Hey, listen. I’m no Fluttershy, but…well, I can still try my best to make you feel better. I bet that I could find a spell somewhere in my library to help you out with your memory problem. We just got to look for it.” She said, her smile never wavering.

I blinked in slight surprise at her unexpected kindness, not sure what to say. “I…y-you don’t have to do that, honestly. I…I’m sure it will just come back eventually…I…I hope.” I said, trying to put on a strong face and failing at it.

We were both silent for a moment, neither of us saying anything, when suddenly Twilight wraps me up in a gentle hug, her hooves wrapped around my shoulders, making sure to keep pressure off of the bad one. I froze up at this, not expecting this kind of affection so soon from a nearly complete stranger…or ever, honestly, yet here I was, getting a hug from my savior. Very slowly, I felt my right arm slowly lift up from my bed and drape itself around the purple unicorn’s back, hugging her back. We stayed there for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything for the whole time. As we hugged each other, I started to repeat the word that I heard in my dream over and over in my head before I started to whisper it to myself.

“Drakalian…Drakalian…Drakalian…” I whispered in a very low voice, trying to figure out what it could mean. Even though I whispered it, Twilight was still able to hear me.

“Drakalian? What’s…what’s that?” She asked, parting from the hug and getting herself a seat to sit next to me.

“I…I’m not really sure. I just…I heard that called out when I was sleeping. I…I’m not sure what it is exactly though…” I sighed, rubbing my temple to try and remember what that word meant to me.

“Maybe a name?” The unicorn pondered, tapping her chin with a hoof in thought.

I nod in agreement. “Yea…that was my first guess, but…whose name?”

“I think it’s yours.” Said a familiar voice, and turning to face the other side of me, I noticed that Trixie had woken up a while ago and was now leaning on her side facing me, a small, tired look on her face. When she looked at Twilight, she seemed to gain an annoyed look, but it vanished as soon as it appeared.

“Hey Trixie. You feeling any better?” I asked.

The azure mare took a breath, wincing from the pain. “I’m fine…somewhat, though my pride is severely hurt.”

I raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. “Why is your pride hurt?”

Before Trixie could answer, Twilight interrupted. “That would be my fault, I think.”

I was about to ask her why, but then I was interrupted again, this time by Trixie. “Can we just change the topic please? Trixie doesn’t want to explain things to something that thinks he’s from a myth.”

I let out a small sigh of disappointment. “Look, I am a human, I know I’m a human. It’s one of the few things that I actually know. And what happened to before we came here? You said that you believed me after the fight with that serpent, yet now you don’t?” I said, starting to get irritated.

“Look, let’s not argue please. I just came here to check on him and make sure he’s ok.” Said the purple pony before she turned to face me, an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry about that, I hope she didn’t upset you when you met her.”

I was quiet for a few seconds before I shook my head. “Actually, quite the opposite. She was…well, she was rather nice to me…in a sense.” I said. This caused Twilight to give me a slightly confused look, and Trixie gave me a slight surprised look, but she didn’t seem that disappointed.

“She was? Oh…w-well, ok then.” Twilight then fell silent, a slightly embarrassed look on her face. We were all silent after that, then the purple unicorn turned to face Trixie and asked, “Wait, why do you think it’s his name?”

Trixie gave a somewhat smug look, seeming to be happy that she knew something of importance. “Well, when somepony gains amnesia, one of the first things that they remember is their name, especially if the memory loss is magically induced.” She said.

Twilight thought about this for a moment before replying. “Well...that’s only a majority for the cases. In reality, it could mean anything, or even somepony else’s name, so I don’t think we should-”

“Actually, I…I would like it as my name. At least for now, if that’s ok?” I asked, causing both of the ponies to face me.

Twilight gave me a somewhat surprised look. “Really? I mean, you can if you want to, but don’t you want to make sure that it’s your name before you decide?”

“Honestly…not really.” I replied before I lowered my gaze to my hands that were on my lap. “The thought of not knowing who I was…it just made me feel…empty, like I was nothing. Now that I have a name, even if it isn’t my own, I feel…a bit more complete, like a piece of me was just found.” I then fell silent for a few seconds before I looked back up, a small smile on my face. “And hey, if it isn’t my real name, then we can always change it.”

Twilight was quiet as she listened to me, a look of thoughtfulness on her face. “Oh…well, I guess that works. So, Drakalian is what we will call you.” She said, returning the smile. I continued to smile, glad to have at least some part of me back, even if it might not be real. “Well anyways, I do have to go now, got to send a letter to the Princess about your health. I’ll come back later to talk to you some more. You ok with that?”

I was quiet for a few moments, and then I gave a small shrug, making sure not to move my bad shoulder too much. “Yea sounds good to me. Not like I’m going anywhere any time soon.” I said, giving a small chuckle and wincing from the effort.

Twilight gave a smile. “Great! Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” With that, she turned around and began to leave the room. Just as she was going to close the door, she turned her head and said, “By the way, I think you should get some sleep. You know, get some strength and such. Nurse Redheart will bring you some food later.”

I nod, and as soon as she closed the door, I turned to face Trixie, wanting to talk to her a bit before I went to sleep. “So Trixie, what can you tell me about…um…” The words just died in my mouth as I noticed she was facing away from me, and judging by the motions of her breathing, she seemed to be asleep. I gave a small sigh, kind of wanting to know what this place was about and then I shuffled myself around a bit to get myself comfortable, pulling the sheets over my shoulders. Once I was comfortable, I slowly closed my eyes, hoping to have a peaceful sleep.

(Dream World)

Everything was dark, a void of nothingness in the land. The only source of light was the small dots in the sky, each one flickering on and off, some going out while others were turned on. This was the Dream World, the place where all dreams gather, and where the Princess of the Night was currently finishing her watch.

Luna looked all around her, admiring the Dream World that she looked over. She was happy that she and her sister were reunited and even though the majority of the ponies didn’t admire her night’s work, she was a little happy to at least be able to see her subject’s dreams, making sure that they all slept happy through out the night.

The dark Alicorn squinted her eyes a little, noticing something strange. There seemed to be a new spark in the veil and judging by the position of it, the dreamer was in Ponyville. Curious, Luna spread her wings and with a few flaps, she was soon flying towards this strange light. As she got closer, a strange sense of déjà vu wafted over her, like she did this before…or that she been here before.

Shaking her head to clear it, she focused on the new dreamer’s dream and, once she was close enough, she closed her eyes and lit up her horn. When she opened her eyes again, she was in a dark void, similar to the dream world that she looked over, except this one was more…empty then her dream realm.

Luna, even more curious now, started to look all over the place, searching for some clue as to who the dreamer was, but after a few minutes of searching, she ended up finding nothing. The place was too dark, and for some reason it didn’t react to her own magic, as if whoever was dreaming had nothing to dream about…like they were a blank canvas, waiting for an artist, yet preventing said artist from panting on it as well.

Letting out a sigh, Luna spread her wings and prepared to leave, but just as she lit her horn, she caught the faintest sound. Surprised but glad to have found something to focus on, she used her magic to amplify the sound, but what she got in return was something that she would have never expected.

“Drakalian!”

It was a name, but not just any name. This name was…familiar to her. It brought her back to a time when there was no Equestria, no harmony, no Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. It was a time that only the two royal sisters remembered…one that they wish they could forget.

All of these thoughts went through her mind the instant she heard that name, causing her to open her eyes and sit up. She was a bit confused as to why she was sitting up before she realized the shock of what happened awoke her from her dreaming, bringing her back to her bed chambers.

“No…it can’t be.” Luna murmured to herself, her eyes still wide with surprise. “It…it can’t be him.” She then quickly got out of her bed and approached her balcony, looking out into the landscape. She could see far off in the distance of Ponyville, the place where the dreamer was.

‘He’s supposed to be dead; nothing could have survived that blast. But that dream…that name…if it is him…’

“I must tell my sister.” She, said, spreading her wings and then leaping off of the balcony, flying towards the chambers of her sister, the Princess of the Day: Princess Celestia.

Chapter 4: Recovering Information

(Drakalian’s POV)

It has been four days since I was admitted into the hospital. I’ll admit, it was pretty boring, just lying there with nothing to do. Redheart would bring in some food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which was fruits, vegetables and some strange mixture of…something, I wasn’t sure what it was…nor did I want to know.

Thankfully, I wasn’t alone during my time here, though Trixie didn’t really talk much. Occasionally I was able to get a small conversation going with her, but as soon as we started talking about anything related to Ponyville or even about herself, she would become silent and turn around, saying that she was getting tired and needed to sleep.

Twilight came over for all of those days, and she was there for almost the entire visiting hours. She would have a quill and notebook with her and then ask me all sorts of questions such as what I am, what I did before, how I came here, and so on. Of course, the majority of those I wasn’t able to answer due to my memory loss, and even then I still doubt I would have been able to answer all of them anyways. There were still a few of them that I was able to answer, such as my new found name, species, gender and so on, but that was really the extant of my knowledge.

When she asked me about the weapons that I had, all I could do was give a small shrug and a smaller explanation to them. I only knew about the names and what one was supposed to do, thanks to some minor self-mind probing when I had some down time to myself, which was most of the time. The Sais were laying on my desk next to where I placed my water and I learned that the large stick that I had was a Bo staff, which was currently leaning against the wall next to the desk. That was all I was able to tell her about the weapons, much to her disappointment.

During the time, I also learned a bit about her as well as the place that I was at. Apparently she lived in the capitol of the country, Canterlot, for a while, studying under the Princess of the land, Princess Celestia. She then came here to Ponyville when the princess noticed that she was into her studies too much for her own good, neglecting her social life. During her time, she made friends, saved the country on several occasions, and became the town librarian, as well as the chief organizer of the town. It was quite the interesting story, I had to admit, though some of it was a bit confusing, especially when she talked about trying to figure what this certain pony’s twitches really meant…Pinkie Pie, I think she said her name was…before she gave up after…several incidences, one of them including a piano, which caused me to wince slightly.

There were some…interesting moments during our talks as well. I remember on the third day of Twilight’s visit, it was currently in the afternoon and I just finished my lunch when the purple unicorn entered my room, her quill and notebook in hand…er, magic, I guess. I was surprisingly calm for seeing the so called magic the first time she used it, however when I thought about it to myself, I remembered that if there was magic or not where I came from it wouldn’t have effected me as much since I didn’t remember anything about it. We were currently in the middle of talking about where I might have been before I appeared here when the topic of my clothing came in.

“So, I noticed that you were wearing clothing when we brought you in. Maybe you were at some sort of formal party or gathering? Though compared to the clothing that I see Rarity make, as well as the ones that they wear in Canterlot, it might not have been that formal.” She said, seeming to be talking to herself near the end.

I gave a small chuckle at this, realizing what she was thinking about. Twilight cocked her head in slight confusion, causing me to reply to my mirth. “Sorry, I’m just a bit happy to have something that I actually know the answer to. We humans always wear clothing in public, formal party to simply going out to eat or socialize. We don’t really have the natural feathers, scales or fur coats like you to keep us warm, so we rely on clothing to keep us warm. It’s also considered…indecent for us to walk around in the nude like you guys do.” I said, watching her write what I said down.

After a few seconds, she looked up with a curious look. “Indecent? But…but what makes walking around naked indecent? We ponies do it all the time, as well as other races in Equestria. Well, unless you’re going to a formal party like I said, or you live in one of the higher social centers of the country, like Canterlot, then they usually wear some sort of fancy clothing almost all the time.”

“Well, like I said, you guys have natural covering, while we humans don’t so…we’re kind of…exposed without our clothing, and it can be quite embarrassing to reveal ourselves like that in a public area the way you guys do.” I replied, hoping that she understood what I was implying, not wanting to be blunt with my answer.

Twilight stared at me for a few moments and then she slowly got up and walked to my side, a curious look still on her face. “So, what would happen if you were…say, suddenly exposed in a public setting?”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering where she was going with this. “Well, many things, though I can’t say for myself what I would do in a situation like that since I don’t even remember being in such a situation.” I said, being as honest as I could.

“Well, how about we find out?” She said, and then with a quick glow from her horn, my blanket was thrown off of me and onto the floor.

I stared at her in slight confusion for a few seconds, wondering what she meant by that. I mean, I was still wearing the shorts and boxers that I had, the only thing that the doctors and nurses took off was my hoodie, which was a complete wreck the last time I saw it and in serious need of some repairs. As I was thinking of this, however, I felt a sudden cool breeze go across my nether regions, causing me to look down. Once I did, my eyes widened in a mixture of shock, surprise and slight horror.

It turns out that they did take my shorts off…and my boxers, my entire body now bared to the room…and to the purple mare in front of me. Why I never noticed it in the few days that I was here, I would never know.

Twilight was simply staring at me for a few seconds, curious, waiting for some sort of reaction from me. When she saw me look down, she did too, and upon seeing my exposed member, her eyes widened and she blushed a very rosy red, her mouth slightly open in surprise. “Uh…i-is…is that…”

“The hell, Twilight!” I shouted, immediately covering myself up with whatever I could, which in this case was the pillow. I then took a quick glance at Trixie, hoping she didn’t see any of this. Thankfully, she seemed like she was still asleep and facing the other way, so I was safe in that regard at least. Of course, I was wondering if she saw me whenever I got up to get something or to go to the bathroom, but that wasn’t on my priority list right now. As I covered myself, I accidently moved my left shoulder too much, aggravating the wounds and stitching, causing me to give a small gasp of pain. I began to take small, ragged breaths as Twilight simply stood there, shocked with what she just saw.

Thankfully she snapped out of her stupor a second later and placed the blanket back over me. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I…I had no idea that’s what you meant when you said indecent. I…I just…I thought you just meant it as some sort of cultural thing, not…not like actual covering for…that kind of stuff. I…I’ll get Redheart to help you.” As she started to turn to get the nurse, I was able to finally get some breath back into my lungs and speak.

“T-Twilight, wait!” I shouted, wheezing a bit. She stopped and slowly turned to face me again, worry and shame easily seen in her eyes. “I…I’m fine, really.”

“But you might have reopened your wounds again, or caused new ones, or-” She began to panic, something that she told me she sometimes did and was confirmed by a few of the doctors and nurses who knew her, but thankfully I was able to interrupt her before she really got into it.

“Twilight.” I said somewhat sternly, causing her to close her mouth and become silent. “Look, I know…I know you were just curious, just…don’t worry about it, ok.”

She remained silent for a few moments before she gave a small nod, a worried frown still on her face as she carefully walked back to the side of the bed. “But…but I just took the blanket off, thinking that it would be useful to know how you would react, without thinking about you current state. I…I should have been paying attention, but my…my curiosity got the best of me. I…I’m sorry, really.” She said, looking a bit depressed.

I was silent for a moment, trying to think of something to say, but after a while nothing came to mind, so with a shrug I just went with my gut. “Well…no real damage was done, right? So…so think of this as something that we could laugh at in the future.”

She looked at me with a single eyebrow raised in slight disbelief and annoyance, causing me to give a small, painful chuckle. “Hey, I said future, that doesn’t mean now.”

She continued to stare at me for a while before she gave a small sigh and nod. “W-well…I guess that’s one way to think about it.” She then gave a small chuckle as well as a smile before it quickly disappeared as she looked back at me with slight concern. “But still, I am sorry about doing that. I was just…curious, is all.”

I gave a small nod. “Yea, I can understand that. I would most likely be curious as well with a new species to talk to, though next time, please warn me before you do something like that.” I said, getting a small nod from her. “Thanks.”

We then fell silent for a while, neither of us talking as the scene still played in both of our minds, no matter how many times I tried to get ride of it. After a while, Twilight cleared her throat to break the awkward silence. “So…that’s why…well, like you said, that’s why you wear clothing, to cover your…genitals?” I gave a nod. “Well, it’s…it’s different to a stallion’s, that’s for sure. At least from the books that I’ve read.”

The comment caught me by complete surprise, causing me to stare at the unicorn who was giving a sheepish smile. A few seconds later, I gave myself a small chuckle, and soon it became full on laughter, with Twilight soon following suit.

We kept on laughing for a few minutes before we finally calmed down, smiles on both of our faces. It was at this point that the door opened and Nurse Redheart poked her head in.

“Sorry Twilight, but visiting hours are over and the patient needs his rest.” She said.

“Ok, just give me a sec.” She said, smiling at the white pony before turning to face me. “So…I’ll see you later then?”

I gave a nod and a small smile. “Of course, I’m not going anywhere anyways.”

Twilight gave a nod herself before she turned to leave, but then she paused for a second. Before I could ask her what was the matter, she turned around and gave me a quick hug before she left, leaving me flabbergasted by what just happened. That was the second time anyone…or anypony, as I learned how they say it, has hugged me. I know we had been talking for a few days and gotten to know each other, but to suddenly hug me…it was not unwelcoming, but it still surprised me. It left a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, a strange sensation that took me a while to put a name to it. It just…made me feel…wanted. Like I…I just made a friend.

Once the door closed, I gave myself a small smile before laying myself onto the bed, fixing my pillow and blanket back up before closing my eyes, thoughts about what might be next going through my mind.

It is now the fifth day being in the hospital, and I have to say, the wounds recovered surprisingly fast. However, like Redheart stated before, there were still scars there, and I gave a small mental cringe every time they changed the bandages and I saw them, the thick red lines running vertically on my shoulder, back and chest, as well as a few spots where the teeth simply punctured the skin.

The worst hole was the one where the tooth broke off in me, about an inch in diameter, maybe 1.25 inches. You could see the damage that the scars did easily, even from a small distance, and I was hoping that I would be able to fix my hoodie soon or at least get another shirt, not wanting to walk around town topless with these wounds showing. I would most likely scare the locals with my looks; a two-legged creature with scars on his body didn’t exactly radiate friendliness.

As I was once again trying to talk to Trixie, who was awake and eating her breakfast, me finishing mine a few minutes ago, the door opened and when I turned to look I saw that it was not only Twilight that entered, but also Dr. Stables and Nurse Redheart as well. I gave a small smile and a wave to greet them, while Trixie just gave then a small nod before going back to her food, not looking up even once as she kept her eyes on her plate. I noticed that Twilight had some sort of bags on her back, but I was unsure as to why she brought them.

“So Drakalian, how do you feel?” Asked Dr. Stables, holding a clipboard with his magic, giving me a glance every once in a while.

I gave another smile as I moved my upper body a bit, though there was still pain coming from my injured shoulder whenever I moved it too much. “Well, besides my shoulder, everything is going well so far. I feel much more awake and aware now…as well as a bit bored.” I said, adding the last part as a partial joke.

The doctor gave a small chuckle as he flipped a page on his clipboard. “Well, that’s good to hear. Thankfully you reacted well to the normal medicines that we use and they have shown no ill side effects as well so far. The healing spells have worked as planned, though those scars are going to be stuck on you for a long time to come. I think with everything going well, it’s safe to assume that you’re free to be discharged from the hospital.”

I smiled a bit; glad that I was able to finally get out of the hospital and was about to ask him something when suddenly Trixie spoke up. “What?! He gets to be discharged while Trixie has to remain stuck here in this prison that you call a hospital? I have been feeling well enough to leave before, yet all you would say was that I needed to stay here ‘just in case’. Well, Trixie has waited long enough, and she demands to be set free!” Stated the azure unicorn, crossing her forelegs in front of her as she sat up, her plate being placed on her side desk, only a few bits of the food actually touched, the majority still on her plate.

It was true, for she did seem to have been feeling better almost two days ago. Her cast was already off of her leg, and she only had some small coloring around the area that she cracked her rib. All in all, she seemed more then ready to be discharged then me, which was saying a lot, considering I was still wearing my bandages not only around my upper left chest but also around my stomach where I had the mysterious wound from when I woke up. I just assumed that they were making her stay here for a bit to keep an eye on her just in case something else came up.

The stallion opened his mouth to respond, a slightly crossed look on his face before Twilight beat him to it. “Well Trixie, it’s just that…um…well, a lot of the ponies here aren’t glad that you came back after what happened before, so we just wanted you to be safe from them, just in case.” Twilight said, though the lie was obvious even to me.

Trixie gave a small humph of displeasure. “As if! Trixie preformed here not two weeks ago, and the majority of Ponyville came to watch the Great and Powerful Trixie preform for their entertainment. Trixie even saw you and your friends there, Twilight Sparkle, so don’t try to deny it.”

The purple unicorn was silent for a few moments before she responded, a serious and intense look coming from her as she looked at the show pony. “Ok, I’ll admit, most of Ponyville actually forgave you for the…misdemeanors that you caused to the town, including the Princess, but there are still ponies here that haven’t let it go yet, and we just want to make sure that you don’t get hurt by somepony who’s still upset with you. Also, it was more like a third of Ponyville, not the majority that came to watch you preform. I should know, I counted and Pinkie confirmed it as well.”

Trixie was staring at Twilight with a huge glare in her eyes, looking like she was going to blast her with a wave of magic. The whole time they were talking, I was just sitting in bed, my eyes flicking back and forth between the two ponies talking. Dr. Stables sent Redheart to go and check on the other patients that were here as he waited for the two mares to finish.

After a good minute of glaring at each other, Trixie finally leaned back, still glaring at the other unicorn. “Trixie thinks you’re not telling the full truth either. If there was somepony here that wanted to hurt me, then they would have done so by now.” She stated, a smug look on her face as if she knew what she said was true.

This time, it was Twilight’s turn to become silent, her stare turning from one of slight anger to that of sadness, slowly lowering her gaze to her hooves. “Um…w-well…it already did, Trixie.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at this, unsure what the librarian meant. When there was no response, she simply shrugged; most likely thinking the Twilight was lying again, turning her head away to purposefully not look at her. “Well, until Trixie has proof, then Trixie demands that she gets discharged as well and allowed to return to her wagon so she can move on to her next-”

“It’s gone.” Those two words that the purple unicorn spoke caused Trixie to stop in mid speech, turning her head to face her in slight confusion.

“Gone? W-what do you mean gone? It’s a huge wagon that’s right next to that building near the edge of town but still in viewing distance from the town center. How can it just be ‘gone’?” She asked. I could see her eyes starting to tear up.

Twilight was silent for a few minutes, and then, with a small sigh, she looked up at the distressed pony. “Trixie…y-your wagon…well, it’s been…it’s been vandalized.” She finally said, an apologetic look on her face.

At first, Trixie just simply stared at the librarian dumbly, not wanting to believe what she just said before she gave her an angry look, crossing her forelegs in front of her. “Oh? Well, maybe you have some proof to show Trixie these so called claims of yours, hmm?”

Twilight gave a small nod and then lighting up her horn, she opened one of the bags that she had and pulled out a small bag. In the bag were some photos, and as she gave them to the azure mare, she softly whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Trixie simply raised an eyebrow before taking the bag with her hooves and looking at the pictures inside of it. As she stared, her eyes slowly grew wide, and I could have sworn I saw her lower lip trembling in horror by the contents of the bag.

“N-No…it’s…it’s still there, m-my home…it’s…it’s still ok. These…t-these are fake, y-you…you just made it up, I…I just left it there for a few days. T-There was a locking spell on it and everything. I…I doubled checked it. I…I…” She soon fell silent, unable to say anything else

“Trixie, I know it’s hard right now, but we have deputies that are already looking for the vandals. If you want, you are more then welcome to stay with me. I promise that-” Twilight offered before Trixie interrupted her.

“No! Trixie doesn’t want your pity offerings, she just…she wants her wagon back…her home back…” She said, getting quieter the further she got, dropping the bag onto the floor. It fell facing up, so I was able to get a look at what where on the pictures.

The pictures were photos of a large pile of rubble, wood cloth and other things scattered everywhere. I could see a wheel sticking out of the pile, though it looked to be bent out of shape, making it more of an oval then a proper circle.

“Trixie, please listen. I know you’re upset, and I know that you need a place to live. I really do want to help you and-” Twilight tried again, but was again silenced with a wave of a hoof.

“Trixie said she doesn’t want to hear you speak, Twilight Sparkle! Just…j-just leave her alone!” She shouted before turning around and lying on her bed, facing away from all of us.

We were all silent for a good few minutes, not sure what to say or do to make her feel better. Twilight was about to speak again before I gave a small wave of my hand, getting her to close her mouth and look at me curiously. Slowly, I carefully got up, keeping the blanket wrapped around my lower body since I still didn’t have my clothes back and walked up to Trixie’s bed. As I got closer, I could hear soft sobbing coming from her, her small frame shaking as she silently cried. I raised my hand and placed it gently on her shoulder to get her attention, causing her to stop sobbing for a while, only giving the smallest of sniffles.

“Trixie, I know it must be hard, losing everything that you have, believe me, I know. But…well, Twilight wants to help you, and truthfully, so do I. I…well, you were the first one that I met here in this new world, and I…well, I just don’t want to see you cry, and I would like to help in any way that I can.” I spoke, surprising not only the ponies in the room, but myself included. I had no idea where that all came from, I just said what I thought I should say, speaking from my heart and gut.

I was about to say more when Trixie slowly turned over and looked up into my eyes, her own violet ones shimmering from her tears. Once our eyes made contact, I could feel every single thing that she was going through at that moment, the pain of her physical and mental injuries, the loss of something you cared for and so much more, it was almost overwhelming for me, but I held on, somehow knowing that I needed to keep my eye contact with her. I could also see that she was seeing through my own eyes as well, seeing my care and worry for her situation and for a moment, I had the feeling that she was going to hug me and accept Twilight’s offer, but instead, she just turned around, shaking her shoulder to remove my hand off of her coat.

“Trixie...Trixie says that…she…I just want to be alone. Please…j-just leave me.” She said, giving a small sniffle every few moments. I looked at the sad unicorn, trying to think of something else to say, hoping that I would get lucky with my intuition again. When nothing came to mind, I just let out a sigh and carefully walked back to my bed, sitting down and looking at the sad form of the magician, trying to think of something as she stared at the wall in front of her.

I don’t know how long it lasted, me staring at her as she stared away from me, but it felt like forever, the entire time I was hoping that she would turn around to say something, anything really, but she did no such thing, remaining as still as the dead, only a soft sob or two escaping from her muzzle. All I know was that after a while I felt someone place a hoof on my shoulder, causing me to pause in my thinking and turn to face the owner of the hoof. Turns out it was Twilight, giving me a small look of concern…or maybe it was annoyance, I wasn’t really sure.

“Listen, Drak. I think that we should just let her be for now.” She said with a solemn tone.

My eyes widen slightly upon this. “But she needs our help and-”

The purple unicorn placed a hoof on my mouth, prompting me to shut up. “I know, and I want to help as well, but when Trixie gets like this, it’s usually best to just let her be. I’ve tried to help her before, along with a few others when she was like this, and the results were…not promising, so to speak.”

She removed her hoof from my mouth as I thought her words over. Not knowing what to say to that, I gave her a small nod. “Ok, I guess…I still don’t like it though…”

“Neither do I and if I could, I would.” We all then fell silent, neither of us willing to make eye contact with each other, though it was more of me not making the eye contact then her, when we heard Dr. Stables clear his throat to get our attention.

“Now then, with that out of the way, Twilight did tell me that you humans need your clothing to go around, the reason behind it is…interesting, to be certain.” He said before his horn glowed, and in floated my shorts and boxers.

I gave a smile and a nod of thanks as I took my clothing from the magical grasp. “Thanks doctor, though I think I’m going to need some new clothing sooner or later, preferably sooner.”

“Well, Rarity can probably help you with that.” Stated the purple unicorn. “Though I don’t know how well she is making clothing for a bipedal.”

I gave a small shrug. “Well, I don’t think I have much of a choice, so maybe after I get settled down we can go there.” Twilight nodded before pulling out her notebook and writing what I assumed was a reminder to go see this Rarity.

A few seconds later, she finished writing the note and then placed it back into her bag. “Well, Doctor Stable and I need to discuss a few things, so we’ll leave you to get changed. I’m assuming you will want some…privacy.” She said, a small blush on her cheeks.

I gave a nod and blushed a little as well. “Uh, y-yea, that would be a good idea, thank you.” I said, giving myself a mental slap for stuttering. With that, both unicorns left the building, leaving Trixie and I alone once again. With a small sigh I started to get up, making sure to keep the blanket on me so as to not expose myself to Trixie, though when I glanced her way, she was still facing the other way. I went to the curtain that separated the two beds and pulled it across to separate Trixie and I. Once that was done, I placed the blanket down on my bed and put my boxers and shorts back on. It was a bit hard, since I had to do it with only one arm, my bad arm just hurting too much to be used properly. Once my clothes were back on, which took about five minutes, I moved the curtain back and to my surprise, the azure unicorn was facing me, a slightly far away look on her face that focused on me once the curtain was pushed to the side. She seemed to have calmed down a bit from her small breakdown, though her eyes were a little puffy from her silent crying. I raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, but otherwise I just looked back at her, a bit unsure what to say.

After a few minutes of silence, it was Trixie that first spoke. “So…you always wear clothing to cover yourself?” I gave a cautious nod, wondering where she was going with this. “Must not have a lot of confidence then.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly at this, a bit offended. “First of all, I feel rather confident in my body, thank you very much, and second, I just don’t feel comfortable walking in the nude like you guys.

Trixie gave a small snort at this. “Well, that sounds a bit contradictory.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it when nothing came to mind. After a few seconds of thinking, I simply crossed my good arm over my chest. “Well, it’s my choice, and I choose to wear clothing, ok?” I asked, causing the unicorn to shrug, indifferent to my choice. “Good, glad we came to an understanding with that.”

We then both fell into silence again, Trixie staring at me for a few more minutes before she spoke again. “Well…I guess this is goodbye then, huh?”

I raised an eyebrow for a few seconds before I gave a small nod. “Yea, I guess so. We might see each other though, since I will most likely be living close to here for a bit.”

The show pony gave a sigh and then turned around to face away from me. “Well, don’t let me hold you up, ‘human’.”

I gave a sigh, only slightly frustrated that she still didn’t believe me to be a human, but I couldn’t make her believe something that she doesn’t want to believe in. “Well…ok then. Uh…bye, I guess.” With that, I grabbed my weapons and I went to the door and opened it, but before I could take a step out, I heard Trixie call out to me.

“Hey Drakalian!” She said, causing me to turn around to face her. She was now sitting in her bed, her blanket pulled over her front as if to cover something, her gaze facing to her lap. “I…I just…w-well…I g-guess I should say…thank you. For saving me and all.” She said, turning her head to the side a bit.

For some reason, this caused me to give a small smile. “Hey, anytime. I’m just glad I was there to save you.” For a second it seemed like she was about to say something else, but instead she turned around again and placed her head on the pillow, looking like she was going to try and sleep again. With a shrug, I stepped out of the room and closed the door. I began to walk down the halls, getting a few stares from some of the ponies working here, but the majority just continued with their duties, most likely already used to seeing me while I was a patient here.

After a bit of searching, I found the waiting room where Twilight was waiting for me. To my surprise, there was this small purple reptilian thing with her, seeming to be talking with her as well. As I got closer, I was able to get the last bits of their conversation.

“I don’t know, Twilight. I mean, what if he isn’t clean or…or house trained. I already have enough things to do around the library and such, I don’t want to help clean up another mess.” Said the purple reptile.

“Spike, for the last time, Drakalian isn’t some sort of pet. He’s a sentient being who has just lost their memory, so you won’t have to clean up after him, he can take care of himself.” Said Twilight, giving a small groan of frustration.

“Well, how do you know that? All you know is what he told you, and from your notes, he said nothing about being house trained.”

Twilight was about to speak, but before she could say anything, I was already behind the young lizard like creature and I interrupted her, wanting to correct him on a few things. “Trust me, I am completely capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. And even though I have amnesia, I am still house trained.” This caused the purple biped to jump in surprise before turning around to face me. His eyes went wide with surprise and slight fright, his head bending up to look at my face. Now that I was closer, I could see that he only came up to my waist, making him rather smaller then the other ponies around here, who most of them came up to at least my chest.

“Oh, hi Drakalian. I would like to introduce you to Spike, my number one assistant.” Said Twilight, a smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow at the strange reptile as he continued to stare at me. Twilight nudged Spike to snap him out of his trance, and with a start and a shake of his head, he looked up at me before he spoke.

“Um…h-hi.” He said, giving a small wave of his claw. This caused me to give a small smirk, waving my hand back at him. “You’re…taller then I thought you would be.”

I gave a small chuckle. “Yea, so I noticed.” I was silent for a second before I decided to ask one of my own questions. “If I may ask, what exactly are you?”

Spike seemed to puff up at the question, a proud look on his face. “I happen to be a very powerful and dangerous dragon, as well as-” Before he could continue, Twilight silenced him with a small nudge of her hoof.

“He’s just a baby dragon that I hatched during my exam to enter the School of Gifted Unicorns, though he is more like a little brother to me, and I would never trade him for the world.” She said, giving the young dragon a small nuzzle, causing him to blush.

I gave a light chuckle. “Well, glad I could make your acquaintance, oh almighty Spike.” I said in a partially joking manner, causing Spike to puff his chest out some more, a smile on his face.

Twilight simply rolled her eyes at me before facing me again. “Well, introductions taken care of, how about we show you where you shall be staying for now.” With that, she turned and began to walk out of the hospital, Spike following close by.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I walked with them. “Where I’ll be staying? But I…I was just going to camp out in the forest for a bit before I-”

Twilight turned to face me with surprise. “What? You were going to camp in the forest? I’m sorry, but I just can’t allow that, especially with your wounds.”

I was about to protest against her, but I felt a nudge to my leg and looking down, I saw Spike was looking up at me, shaking his head slightly. “Trust me, Drakalian, when she has her mind set on something, she can be almost as determined as Applejack.”

I raised an eyebrow, wondering who this Applejack was, but getting the message, I gave a small sigh and turned my attention back to the purple unicorn. “Ok, I guess I’ll go with you for now, since I don’t really have much of a choice.”

Twilight gave a small smile and a nod, and with that, all three of us started our walk out of the hospital and into Ponyville.

(Canterlot: Celestia’s POV)

I gave a small sigh as the Ambassador of Germarey finally left the room, a little upset with how the conference went. I know they were in need of help, but the offer he made was just ridicules: give them troops to help them with the war that they had going in Zebrica and they would give us one of the lands as a provenance state. I told him that Equestria has no business in the land of the zebras, nor did we want to anger them, but he was persistent, so after an hour of talking, I finally said I would ‘consider’ his offer with my sister, which he reluctantly agreed, but only, and I quote, “Because I don’t want to take too much of your time.” I nearly rolled my eyes at the comment, but I knew better then that and was able to keep myself in check as he left the throne room.

I allowed myself to relax as the doors closed, looking at the list of dignitaries that were left. Thankfully there was only one left, the Ambassador from the Griffin Republic. The Griffin Ambassador (Theolone, I believe his name is) and I are good friends, so I was hoping that it would be a quick meeting.

A few minutes later, during which time I made sure everything was still in order, the doors opened and one of the guards said the Ambassador of the Griffin Republic has arrived. I gave him a nod to let him in, and a few seconds later, the griffin enters the throne room, wearing what I would assume was the fashion of the nobles in the Republic: a long purple robe with a split tail end on the back as well as holes for his wings and a golden lining along the edges.

He smiled as he stopped a few meters away from the throne, giving a deep bow. “Princess Celestia, it is an honor to once again have a meeting with you.”

I would have rolled my eyes from the formalities, but instead I simply gave a nod and motioned for him to stand back up. “Please Theolone, call me Celestia. We have known each other for such a long time as it is that I think we can skip the formalities of titles.”

Theolone raised his head from the bow, a small grin on his beak. “If you insist, Celestia.”

“But I do.” I stated, a small smile forming on my own muzzle. “And please, have a seat. You must have been on such a long journey to get here.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad. I’ve had worse trips during my time in the army. If anything, this was like a…walk in the park, I believe is how you say it.” The griffin said, giving a small chuckle as he sat down.

I chuckled as well. “Well, in any case, may I ask what graces us with your presence here today?” I asked.

At this, Theolone gave a nod, the grin becoming replaced with a small frown. “Of course, though I must say it isn’t good news, as much as I wish it was.”

I too gained a more serious look, worried for my ally’s plight. “Yes?”

“Well, a few weeks ago, Emperor Hadilos went on a treasure hunt with a few of our best archeologists to the Mountains of the Vander. It was thought to have taken only a few days, maybe a week at most, but…well, so far we have received no word from him or anyone else that was with him. Of course this has caused quite a bit of worry for the griffins, and there is even some talk of electing a new Emperor, though this is most likely assumed to be coming from the Emperors rivals. They have been much more active these last few days as well, which worries me even more. Right now, Hadilos’s wife, Obura, has taken his place until his return, but…”

I continued to listen through his plight, and I must admit, it was a bit worrying to hear about Theolone’s problem. Emperor Hadilos is a strong ally of Equestria, as well as friends of both Luna and I, though like he said, there have been talks about a possible rebellion from a rival party. With his disappearance, it will surely cause some problems to his rule, and therefore, to our continued alliance.

Thankfully, all Theolone asked from us was to help send a rescue party to the mountains, since they were busy dealing with their problems at home. I gave a nod once the Ambassador finished his request. “Of course, I shall send a small unit to the mountains in a few days time, and I hope that-” Before I could finish, however, some smoke poured into the room and with a small flash of light, a scroll appeared in front of me. Theolone raised an eyebrow at the unexpected interruption. I caught the scroll with my magic and it took only a glance to see that it was sent from Twilight. “A letter? From Twilight?” This confused me slightly, for it was much too early for it to be a friendship report, the last one she sent was only two days ago.

“I apologize if I have interrupted one of your previous engagements, Celestia. If you want to, we may finish with this to-”

I quickly place the letter down, giving the griffin my full attention once again. “Oh, I’m sure it can wait for a few minutes.” I said, wanting for us to continue with the meeting. I knew it wasn’t anything urgent, for if it were then there would have been a red ribbon around the end of it. It was our way of telling when there was something urgent that needed to be tended to ASAP. “So, you were saying?”

Theolone cleared his throat. “Oh, of course. Anyways, if you can send maybe four troops, then we could at least-”

Suddenly, we were once again interrupted with the doors bursting open, my younger sister rushing through, panting hard like she was running for a while. “Tia! We wilt talk to thou betimes! ‘Tis of greatest Importance!” She shouted, slipping into her old accent, though thankfully she didn’t use the Royal Canterlot voice.

I gave a small sigh as I turned to face Luna. “Sister, please. Can’t you see I’m still in a meeting?”

Luna simply shook her head. “But we wilt talk to thou anon. It cannot wait any longer.”

Seeing as I was not going to get anything else done for today, I let out another sigh before turning to face the Griffin Ambassador with an apologetic look. "My apologies, Theolone, but it seems that I have some family matters to attend to. Perhaps we can discuss the finer details tomorrow morning?”

Theolone gave a polite bow as he got up. “Of course, Princess. One should always help a family member in need. I shall see you tomorrow.” With that, the griffin turned and left the throne room, closing the doors behind him, leaving me alone with Luna.

With just us left in the room, I turned to my younger sister with what I hoped was a calming look. “So, Luna. May I ask what troubles you so?”

“Tia, we hast been-” She began to reply before I paused her with a wave of my hoof.

“Luna, remember to try and continue talking in present Equestrian, not old Equestrian.” I reminded her, making sure that my tone was still a friendly one.

The dark purple Alicorn gave a small blush as she shuffled her hooves a little in slight embarrassment. “Oh, I…I apologize, sister, It’s just that…well…”

I let out another sigh before I got up from my throne and walked to my stumbling younger sibling, draping a hoof around her neck and bringing her into a hug. “Relax, Lulu, it’s ok. Now, just take a deep breath and tell me what’s happened, ok?”

Luna gave a small nod and started to calm herself, and soon she was breathing at a more relaxed pace before she looked back up to me, a small smile on her face. “T-Thank you, Celestia.”

“Anytime sister. Now, care to tell what ails you.” I asked, a small smile of comfort on my face.

The smile on her face soon vanished upon my question, a small frown taking its place. “Well, I was taking watch over my Dream Realm, like normal. Everything was rather quiet, even more so than normal. The young fillies and colts were all having pleasant dreams, not a nightmare to be seen from any of them. Honestly, it was a bit boring.”

I gave a small nod of understanding, knowing that looking over the ponies that you were responsible for protecting was a tedious one, if not rewarding in its own way. “That doesn’t sound like anything to be worried about, Lulu.”

“Wait, for I wasn’t finished.” Stated my sister. She took a deep breath before she continued. “So, as I was about to leave, I once again saw…well, I saw that dream.”

I gave a small frown at this as well, knowing where she was going with this. Luna had already told me about the dream where she heard the name of Drakalian and I have to admit that she wasn’t the only one that was surprised and shocked to hear that name as well. To hear that name after all of these years…it was, well, startling.

Of course, I was still a bit skeptical about the entire thing, even if Luna thinks that it is he and that he has come back. “Luna, listen. There is no possible way that it could be him. He was in the center of the blast that we made during our times with the Crusaders. No one could have survived it, not even him.”

At this, the dark purple Alicorn looked up and gave me a slightly stern look. “Celestia, I am certain that it is him. It can’t be any other. This is the fifth time that I have seen this dream.”

“Well, like I said, it is more likely one of those random dream bubbles that occasionally appear every so often.”

“Tia, I can tell the difference between a dream bubble and a dreamer easily. I’m not a little filly anymore.”

I raised an eyebrow at this. “Oh? Well in that case, maybe you would like to help me with some of the paperwork instead of working on whatever it is in your room?”

I gave a small chuckle as my younger sister gave me a small, playful push. “Stop it, Tia. You know that I can’t stand sitting all day writing the same thing over and over. How you can even stand it still boggles my mind.”

“Lots of dedication.” I said, giving a solemn nod.

“And cakes, if the number of times I’ve seen you eating them is any indication.” Retorted Luna, causing me to widen my eyes slightly in surprise.

Fortunately, I was able to quickly cover my blunder. “I’ll have you know that I have only been eating a couple of slices once a week now, instead of my usual ten slices.” I said, raising my muzzle into the air as if I didn’t care what she thought.

Instead, Luna smirked at my response. “Well, it could have fooled me.” She said, giving a small giggle. I was quiet for a few seconds before I too giggled as well and soon we were both laughing softly, the mood seeming to have lightened considerably. However, once the laughter died down, Luna gained her small frown again. “However, this is he, sister. It can’t be any other.”

I gave a small sigh of slight defeat before I got up and started to head out of the throne room, Twilight’s letter floating next to me in my magic. “Well, I’m sorry to say, but until you have more proof, I can’t look into it as much as you want me to. We have too many important things to do besides looking for a possible living human.” I paused at the entrance and looked back, only to see Luna in deep thought. I know it was rude of me, but I had a country to look over, as did my sister, and prancing around to look for something that may or may not be there was just a waste of time, time that could be used for more practical purposes. I gave a sad nod to myself, as I was about to exit the throne room when suddenly my sister spoke up.

“There was more.” She whispered, causing me to stop mid step and turn around.

I raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. “What do you mean, more?”

Luna was quiet for a few moments before she continued. “Well…t-there was…images this time. Images of…of us.”

“That still doesn’t prove anything. Many ponies have seen us before, and there are likely a lot of ponies that dream of us in many ways.” I responded, trying to keep it appropriate. However, I knew that there were quite a few of those that had those…lewd thoughts about us doing…particular things.

“Yes, but this was different.” She said, seeming like she still didn’t believe what she saw. I waited patiently for her to continue as she gathered her thoughts. “Well, like I said…w-we were there, but…but not as Alicorns.”

Now my eyes truly went wide with surprise. As far as I knew, the only one that knew of our old forms was Discord, and even then he would never dream of such things. “W-what…what were we in the dream, Luna?” I asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

“I…I was a unicorn, and you…a Pegasus.”

This time everything was silent. I saw one of Luna’s feathers fall out and I actually heard it hit the ground it was that quiet. Neither of us spoke for the next few minutes as I wrapped my head around this new information. After a few minutes I was finally able to shake the shock of it out of my head to give a clear response. “I…if what you said is true, then…then it is possible that it might be real. That he…that he might be alive.”

Luna’s eyes went wide with slight hope as she took a few steps to me. “You see? He is alive somehow and we need to go and find him before-”

I quickly cut her off, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. “Now Luna, even though this changes…quite a bit of things, we still have our own job to do here, as well as more pressing matters to attend to.”

Luna’s ears splayed out upon hearing this. “But…but sister…”

“I’m sorry Luna, but it’s final. I promise to set some time when I can for us to go to Ponyville to check this out a bit more thorough, but until then, we must continue with our responsibilities.”

Luna opened her mouth to say something, maybe to try and get her point across, but instead she closed her mouth and gave a small nod. “I…yes Tia. I just…”

I walked up to her and gave her a small hug to comfort her. “I know you are as worried as I am, but until we have solid evidence that he is out there…really out there…then we can do nothing but listen. When he does come back…if he does come back…then we shall take action, but for now, it’s time to continue with our own lives.” I nuzzled her muzzle gently before I got up. “Now, I will be in my bedchambers if you need anything. Twilight has given me a letter when I was with the Griffin Ambassador and I am rather curious as to what it contains.”

Luna gave a small nod before she got up and slowly walked out of the throne room, her wings, head and even her tail drooping slightly. I walked out as well and watched her leave as I closed the doors behind us. I gave a small sigh to myself as I saw her turn the bend, her tail disappearing from view. I really wanted to go, to listen to her and search for proof that he is still alive somehow, but I had a responsibility to my little ponies here, as does she and we couldn’t just drop everything and go on a wild goose chase. With a heavy heart, I turned around and went to my own bedchambers, Twilight’s letter floating in my magic next to me as I walked.

Once I entered my chambers, I closed the door behind me and settled on a few of the cushions, unfurling the note in front of me. Once I was comfortable, I began to read the letter sent from my prize student.

Dear Princess-

I paused for a moment when I heard a slight rumble from my stomach, causing me to blush slightly. Not wanting to go to the dinning hall just yet for supper, I used my magic to quickly open one of the cupboards and take out one of the slices of cake that I hide there from Luna. I know I already had my two pieces this week, but I didn’t feel like going all the way to the dinning hall just to eat at the moment. Besides, a small slice of cake wouldn’t hurt me. I took a fork and the slice of cake, placing it next to me as I took a small piece from it and took a bite, giving a pleasant sigh as the taste of chocolate frosting hit my taste buds. I always preferred the classics for some reason. Chewing on the bit of cake in my mouth, I looked back at the letter, taking a bite of my cake every once in a while.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have learned that one should always help somepony in need, for not only will you make a new friend, but you also may make a friend from a rival. I learned this when Trixie came to the front door of the library, all bruised and even bleeding. When I asked her what could have done such a thing, she said it was a Basilisk. Of course, my first thought of action was to contact you, but when Trixie told me it wasn’t needed, I grew curious and asked her why that was so. To my surprise, a strange bipedal creature seemed to show up and save Trixie from the serpent, even killing it by himself. Well, I’m not sure if it is a ‘he’, but Trixie is certain that it is. Anyways, the creature was badly hurt, even more so then Trixie, making it obvious that he was recently in a big fight with some creature. His wounds are as stated:
• Large teeth marks along his left chest and shoulder either jagged or puncture wounds.
• A large gash, about three inches long on the left side of his stomach.
• Lacerated knuckles, most likely from hitting something hard one too many times.
• Multiple bruises and other cuts, most of them minor.

So, upon seeing this, I took it upon myself to help bring both Trixie and this new species to the Ponyville hospital. Thankfully Doctor Stable was able to stabilize both Trixie and the being, though how long he is going to be out I am not sure. I promise to update you as soon as he wakes up.

You Prized Student,
Twilight Sparkle

I had stopped eating my cake about halfway through the letter, though it was almost done anyways, placing it down carefully as I continued to read, my eyes growing slightly wider the farther I went on. Soon I finished it, but I had to reread it just to make sure I read it right. Once I finished reading it again, I slowly lowered the piece of paper down, a far away look in my eyes.

‘Could it be…no, it can’t be. It has to be a coincidence. Just calm down, Tia, just calm down.’ I quickly shook my head to clear it before I started to curl the letter up. I wanted to go check on my prize student, but like I said to Luna, we had responsibilities of our own, so unless it was something urgent, it would have to wait, no matter how much I wanted to go myself. ‘Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait for Twilight’s next…hold on.’

As I was rolling the letter up, I noticed that there was some more writing on the back of it. Curious, I unwrapped the paper a bit to read what it said.

PS: This is Spike. I would like to apologize for the late sending of this letter. I kind of…forgot to send it with the chores that I have been doing around the library and with Rarity that it kind of slipped my mind. Anyways, Twilight and I are on our way to the hospital to check on…hold on, Twilight’s calling me, but she said she would send you a letter after the hospital visit.

I blinked in slight confusion, wondering what he meant by sending this letter late. However, when I looked at the date, I saw that it was written about five days ago. I gave a slight chuckle and shake of my head; glad that Twilight’s number one assistant at least did send it.

“Better late then never.” I chuckled. “Now, I guess I should make sure I don’t have anything else for today. Don’t want another incident like the one we just had with Theolone.” I got up and started to put the rest of the cake slice with the others, making sure to wrap it up to keep it good before a streak of smoke suddenly came through the window. I looked at it with a raised eyebrow, surprised that it was sent so soon, even with the PS Spike wrote on the back. Catching it with my magic, I unwrapped the letter and began to read about our mysterious being.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It has been five days since my last letter to you, and I do apologize to not sending you one periodically like I planed to do before, but I was just so distracted by chance of talking to a new being that it kind of slipped my mind. Once again, I do apologize and I promise that it won’t happen again. Anyways, the being is doing quite well…surprisingly well, actually. His wounds thankfully react positively to our own natural medicine and magic with no negative side effects and he is actually being discharged from the hospital as I write this. During the few days that he has been here, we have talked about where he came from, what he is and other related subjects like that. Unfortunately, he seems to have suffered a case of amnesia. Either that or he doesn’t want to tell us where he came from; on this I’m not really sure. Anyways I did manage to glean some information from him on the few things that he does remember, such as his species is a human, and he also has these two weapons that he calls a Bo staff and Sais. Knowing that they are weapons does make me worried, but he says that he doesn’t even remember how to use them, if he could use them in the first place. With all that aside, I am going to offer him a place to stay at my library until we find out his actual home to send him back. Honestly, I hope he does take my offer and then maybe we can learn some more from him, or even cure his amnesia. I can hear him starting to come out of his room, so I’m going to send this to you now, and I hope it finds you in good spirits. Oh, before I forget, one thing he did remember when he first woke up was a single name: Drakalian. We’re not sure whose name it is, but we both agreed to use it as his name for now. Who knows, maybe it is his name.

Your Prized-

I stopped reading the letter as soon as I read the name on the paper. Drakalian…how did she know about that name? How did a human even get here, let alone know that name. And most importantly…if that is his name…

I quickly got up and trotted to the door with a sense of urgency, opening the door and calling for one of my guards. Two unicorn guards walked in and bowed before me, the left one speaking, “What do you need, your Highness?”

“Gather Luna and a chariot as soon as you can. We are going to Ponyville at once.”

Chapter 6: A Wild Pony Appears...Twice

As we walked along the snow-covered road, we started to talk a bit more about Equestria and its natives, namely the ponies that lived here and what they did to help the community. Along the way I was still seeing ponies look at me and give me strange looks, though it was somehow more comfortable thanks to my hoodie being back on, the hood being pulled over my head. As I continued to look around, I started to wonder how late it was and looking up at the sky, I noticed a rainbow streak flying around, threading through the clouds. Twilight must have noticed me staring at it as well, for I heard her speak up a moment later.

“Rainbow Dash must be practicing some new moves.” She said, the both of us stopping to watch the streak zoom across the sky.

I cocked my head to the side at the name. “Rainbow Dash? Huh, seems to suit her. What is she practicing for though?”

“Why, for the super duper Wonderbolts, the fastest and most daring ponies in all of Equestria!” I winced slightly at the sudden shout before rubbing my head a bit. I looked down at Twilight, wondering why her voice suddenly changed when I noticed that there was another pony standing next to us, looking up at the sky as well.

The first thing that I noticed about this pony, besides obviously being a mare, was that she was pink…very pink. Her coat was a light pink color while her mane and tail were a darker shade of pink. Her mane was also very…puffy, the look on her face was one of excitement and joy and even I could see that she was very happy. As she continued to look up at the colorful streak, Twilight and I just stared at her, both of us with surprised looks on our faces.

“Pinkie Pie, where did you…you know what, never mind that.” Said the purple unicorn, shaking her head a bit to clear it. “So, what are you up to now?”

“Oh nothing much, just watching Dashie practice her moves while I think of a new kind of party to make.” Said the pink mare, keeping her gaze on the flying streak in the sky for a few seconds before looking at the librarian, a huge smile on her face. “It has honestly been a bit boring as of recent since there hasn’t been that many new ponies coming here. I really miss…” Suddenly, she stopped in mid speech, her mouth open as if about to say something. It took me a few seconds before I realized she was staring at me, her eyes not even blinking as I started to feel even more uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat before I carefully raised my hand to waved at her. “Uh, hi…Pinkie Pie? I’m Drakalian, a new…well, I guess a new resident here now.” I was about to say some more, but before I could, the pony whom I assume was Pinkie jumped up high into the air with a huge gasp before, in a sudden burst of snow, she galloped off, leaving a snow cloud shaped like her in her wake for a few seconds before a small breeze blew it away.

I blinked a few times before I turned towards Twilight with a confused look still on my face. “Um…what just happened?”

Twilight gave a small giggle before turning to face me, a sheepish smile on her face. “Oh, that? That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. She…does stuff like that daily. You get used to it after a while, though.”

I was quiet for a few seconds before I gave a small nod. “Well, she is an…interesting per…um, pony.”

Twilight nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to say some more, but before she did, her eyes went wide as she seemed to stare in the far off distance.

I scratched my head slightly, a bit confused with the sudden change in her expression. The last time I saw that was on Trixie when there was a Basilisk be-

“LOOK OUT!” With a sudden *Omph!* I was launched into the air a few inches off of the ground by something hitting me in the back very fast, knocking the wind out of me, my staff flying out of my grasp. Twilight was able to jump out of the way before she hit me, but I was taken along for the ride, flying through the air from the force of the impact. The moment I realized that I was hit from behind, however, I was already hitting the ground, face first into the snow.

I gave a strangled gurgle as I was plowed into the snow, struggling to get some air back into my lungs. I struggled a bit to try and get up, but there was something heavy lying on my back preventing me from doing so. After what felt like an eternity, I felt the object stir and then get lifted off of me before I felt something else carefully pick me up, turning me around and placing me on my back against the ground face up, still gasping for air.

A few moments later, two ponies appeared in my view, the first one was Twilight, a very worried look on her face. The second pony was a cyan Pegasus mare; her mane and tail were a rainbow color, wild and unkempt like she rarely combs it. To be honest, I would say it was an opposite of the mane style I saw from Rarity. The Pegasus also had a worried look on her face, her eyes wide with shock and worry.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t see you there. I was just working on my latest trick when a small gust of wind knocked me slightly off course. I was flying too low to the ground to correct myself and-” She started to say, looking all over me to make sure that I was ok. However, in the middle of looking over me, she was suddenly lifted up into the air and moved a few feet away before being placed back down onto the snow.

“Rainbow Dash, do you have any idea what you might have done?! He was just released from the hospital and your little stunt that you just pulled most likely placed him back in there.” She said, sounding rather angry at the cyan pony.

At this the mare called Rainbow Dash gave an even bigger shocked look, glancing at me before looking back at the unicorn. “I had no idea…Oh my gosh, I just…I didn’t know, honest. It was a mistake, I-”

I gave a small cough, getting both of their attention as I slowly got back to my feet. After a few more seconds I was able to get standing once again, finally breathing properly. As I looked at the two, I noticed that they were staring at me with surprise.

I raised an eyebrow, a bit confused with what was so surprising. “What?”

“I…You’re not hurt at all from that?” Asked Twilight, her notebook and quill already being held in her magic, ready to take notes from whatever I was about to say.

“Oh don’t worry, it hurt…quite a bit, I might add, but compared to what I felt from the Basilisk, that was much lower on the pain scale. I still got the wind knocked out, but besides that, I think I’m fine right now.” I said, giving myself a once over to check myself.

Twilight opened then closed her mouth, before repeating it a few more times. Once that was done, she started to write in her notebook rather quickly, the quill just a blur of motion as she wrote. While she was doing this, Rainbow Dash walked carefully up to me before giving me a small poke to my side with her hoof.

I winced a bit from the poke, still feeling a bit tender from the cyan pony’s crash landing before I looked down at her, a single eyebrow raised. “Yes, is there something I can do for you?”

The pony shook her head. “Um, not really, I was just wondering…well, I’ve actually never seen you here before.” She paused as she gave me a once over. “In fact, I’ve never seen anything like you from…well, anywhere. Just who…and what, are you?” She asked, giving me a curious but suspicious stare.

I gave a small smile as I extended my hand to shake her hoof. “The name is Drakalian, and I happen to be a human.” I replied.

Dash hesitated for a few moments before shaking her head to clear it. She then took my hand with her own hoof and shook it before we released each other’s hand/hoof. “You’re a human? Wow, that’s awesome. I’ve thought that they were just myths.”

I let out a small sigh as I looked at my feet. “Yea…myths.” When she mentioned that we were only myths here, I started to feel a bit…alone again. However, that feeling soon vanished when I heard Rainbow speak to herself.

“Wait, that means I owe Lyra 25 bits…damn it.” She said to herself, giving a small stomp of her hoof. I raised an eyebrow at her in slight confusion and when she noticed my look, she just waved her hoof at me. “Uh, I’ll tell you later, ok? Anyways, I’m once again sorry for flying into you like that.”

I gave a small nod of understanding. “It’s fine, I just hope that stuff won’t be happening too much. I can only take so many hits at the moment.”

Dash nodded before flapping her wings as she began to hover in place. “Great, well, I’ll see you later.” With that, she turned around and began to fly back into the sky, but just before she got very far, Twilight caught the mare with her magic, seemingly having finished writing her notes on my physical resilience.

“Not so fast, Rainbow. Even though Drakalian here says he is fine, I’m still worried about his health from the crash. However, I have some studying that I need to catch up on, so since you were the one that crashed into him, I think that you should be the one to bring him back to the hospital to have him checked on just in case he reopens any of his wounds.” Said the unicorn librarian, giving herself a small nod of self-agreement.

“But Twilight, it was an accident. I had no idea that he was recently released from the hospital, nor did I even have time to avoid him when I noticed him there. Please, I have my own practicing that I need to do, as well as promising to help Fluttershy with a few things around the house.” Dash said, hovering close to Twilight as she stated her case.

Twilight simply shook her head, not seeming to be moved by her responses. “I’m sorry Rainbow, but he’s injured and I don’t want anything bad happening to him as he stays here, especially so soon. After all, he will be living at the library for the moment, therefore as a good hostess he is my responsibility.” She reasoned.

This continued along for a good few seconds before I decided to try and stop it, clearing my throat to get their attention. “Girls…er, mares…um…whatever, anyways I’m fine, really I am. I would rather not go to the hospital at such a small thing, especially since I just came from there today.” They were silent as both Dash and I looked at Twilight, awaiting her response.

After a few minutes of thinking, the purple pony gave a small sigh and nod. “Ok, but I would like it if you can bring him with you when you go to Fluttershy. Check up or not, I would still like Drakalian to get a quick look at so we know he didn’t reopen any of his wounds.”

Dash quickly nodded in agreement. “Sure Twi, I can handle that.” She then turned to me with a somewhat questioning look. “So, you ok with this…Drakalian, was it?”

I give a nod to both my name and with being ok with this. “Sure I guess. It would be much better then sitting at the hospital again. I was starting to get a bit tired being in a place like that for a long time.”

Rainbow gave a small chuckle at my comment. “Yea, I know what you mean. That place can drive anypony crazy.” She said, still floating in the air in front of us.

Twilight cleared her throat a bit to get our attention back, causing the both of us to turn to face her. “Now then, with that all cleared out, I’ll be seeing you later Drakalian, ok?” She said, a smile on her face. I gave my own smile and nodded as well. “Remember Rainbow, bring him to Fluttershy’s place now please, then if you want…and if he wants to…you can show him around the place, ok?”

Rainbow gave a quick nod before turning to me. “Don’t worry Twilight, Drakalian and I are going to see her right now. You ready, Drakalian?”

I gave a nod and started to follow behind her, but my glowing purple staff floating in front of me stopped me. With a sheepish smile, I took my staff back in hand and turned to face the purple unicorn, giving her a nod of thanks before turning back to walk with Rainbow, the Pegasus flying close to the ground as she led us to our next destination.

Chapter 7: A Helping Hoof

As we continued to walk along the snowy path, Rainbow and I started to talk a bit more about Ponyville, which soon led to her talking about the Wonderbolts. From what I could gather from her talking, they seemed to be a group of stunt Pegasai that would do all sorts of these amazing tricks and races that would wow the fans. From the way Rainbow talked about them, I could easily tell that she just adored them. She kept on talking about them for a good while, and when she did stop talking to get a response from me, I almost missed it.

“So, what do you think about the Wonderbolts now, huh?” she asked, turning on the spot and surprising me a little with her sudden stop in front of me.

I blinked a few times before I remembered what she was talking about. “Oh, well…they sound…pretty cool. I wouldn't mind seeing them at some point,” I replied.

Rainbow let out a small sigh before giving me a deadpan look, still hovering in the air. “You didn't hear anything I said, did you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

“What? No, I listened to everything that you said, Rainbow,” I said, a bit worried that I might have offended her.

“Yea, well then which Wonderbolt is my favorite?” she practically demanded.

I opened my mouth to speak before hesitating for a few seconds. Afterwards, I gave a small sheepish smile as I scratched the back of my head. “Um… the co leader… what was his name… Soarin?”

Rainbow made a small shake of her head before turning around, slowly hovering forward again. “No, it’s Spitfire.”

Worried that I might have hurt her feelings, I quickly caught up to her, walking alongside her. “Hey, maybe I didn’t hear everything that you said, but I did get the gist of it. I didn’t mean to make you mad or anything.”

Rainbow turned her head to face me, a single eyebrow raised. “Mad? I’m not mad. A little disappointed, maybe, but not mad.”

I blinked as I heard her say that. “Um…oh.”

“Yeah, not many other ponies in Ponyville are as interested in the Wonderbolts as me. Honestly, I’m surprised that you even remembered that much from what I told you.”

This time I raised an eyebrow at her comment. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah, most other ponies would have told me to stop talking about them already. I mean, they’re nice about it and all, but sometimes I wish I could talk to somepony who understood them like me, you know?” she said, smiling a little.

I gave a small nod of understanding. “Yeah, I can see what you mean.” We were then quiet for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. During this time I saw that we had reached the outskirts of town, getting a bit closer to the forest that I awoken from on my first day here…or, at least as far as I can remember.

After a while, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “We should be at Fluttershy’s soon.”

I gave a nod of acknowledgment. “So, what should I expect from this Fluttershy?” I asked, wanting to make sure that I make a better first impression then with what I did at Rarity’s place.

Rainbow paused for a moment, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought. “Well, like her name says, she’s very shy and doesn’t do good meeting new ponies…though I’m not sure how she will react to you. When Twilight first came to Ponyville, Fluttershy only opened up to her after seeing Spike.”

I gave a nod of understanding. “Yea, Twilight told me about that at the hospital. Anything else I should know?”

“Well, she loves animals of all kinds. She takes care of all sorts of animals that she meets, regardless of what they are. In fact, I don’t think she has ever hated or even been afraid of an animal before…well, besides dragons.”

I raised an eyebrow at that. “But what about Spike? I thought she opened up right away upon seeing him.”

The cyan mare gave a nod. “Yea she did, but she’s more afraid of the grown up dragons, and like I said, I’m not sure how she will react to seeing somepony that is supposed to be a myth.”

“Well, it should be interesting, that’s for sure.” I said, giving a small chuckle.

To my surprise, Rainbow gave a small chuckle as well. “Yea that it will be.” Suddenly she gave me a more serious look. “Just whatever you do, be nice to her. She has been my closest friend since Flight School, and I have had her back since we were both just fillies, so whatever you do, don’t scare her in any way. You got it?”

I gave a smile and a nod. “Of course. It never even crossed my mind to be mean to her…or to anyone, in fact.” I said.

Rainbow was quiet for a few minutes, simply staring at me as if checking to see if I was telling the truth. Just when it was starting to get a bit unnerving, she gave a small nod of agreement before turning around and continuing to lead us to her filly friend’s house.

After about another few minutes, we finally reached what seemed to be a simple house. It was a small yellow house with a red door; the roof was covered in snow. Outside on what I assume was the front lawn; there were all sorts of birdhouses, from big ones and small ones as well.

Once we reached the door, Dash knocked on the door and waited. As we waited, I decided to lean against the fence that was a little off to the side, wanting to rest my legs a bit as I tugged some more on my hood, trying to keep myself warm. There was the sound of shuffling hooves from behind before the door slowly opened. On the other side appeared a yellow Pegasus mare, her mane and tail were very long and a light pink color. However, what got my attention the most were her eyes. They were an extremely bright baby blue and as soon as I looked into them, I suddenly felt a sense of calming and relaxation that I hadn’t felt since I first awoken up here. It took me a lot of willpower to just tear myself away from those beautiful eyes.

The Pegasus was quiet at first as she looked at Rainbow, but soon it turned into a small smile. “Oh, Rainbow Dash, I’m so glad that you could make it. I already started on a few of the things that I had to do, but there is still some stuff that I could use some help with…uh, if that’s ok with you, that is?” She said, her voice like silky softness…if that even makes any sense.

Rainbow gave a small nod and a nervous smile, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “Yea, about that Fluttershy…I was kind of in the middle of practicing some moves when I kind of…sort of…well…crashed into somepony…again.”

The pony whom I assume is Fluttershy was surprised by this information; her eyes going wide with shock and worry. “Oh dear, are they ok? Did you help them afterwards?”

The cyan mare gave a nod. “Yea, they’re fine, but he was actually on his way to the library with Twilight, since he doesn’t have a place to stay, and…well…he kind of just came out of the hospital.” Fluttershy just gave a small gasp as Rainbow continued. “Don’t worry, like I said he’s fine, but Twilight did get upset with me and she told me to bring him to you so you could check him over, since he didn’t want to go to the hospital right after he got out.”

Fluttershy nodded without hesitation. “Of course I would love to make sure he is doing ok, but…well, why me? You know I’m not that good with ponies.”

“Yea…about that…he’s not…exactly a pony…well, he’s not a pony at all.”

Now the yellow mare seemed to be a bit confused upon hearing this, tilting her head slightly to the side. “Oh, he’s not a pony? Is he a Minotaur then, or maybe a griffin? Oh, I hope he’s nicer then Gilda.”

Rainbow quickly shook her head, placing a comforting hoof on her Pegasus friend. “Don’t worry, he’s a lot nicer then that buc…I mean, feather brain meanie. And no, he’s not a griffin or a Minotaur.”

“Well, what is he then?”

I decided that I might as well introduce myself at this point, seeing that there was no need to continue the guessing games. I carefully got up from my position of leaning against the fence and taking a step forward, getting the shy mare’s attention right away. As soon as she looked at me, her eyes went wide with fright and she froze right were she stood. The look in her eyes was one of complete shock and fright, so much so that I almost shook from the gaze alone.

We were all quiet for a second, neither of us saying anything, simply waiting for one or the other to do or say something first. After a few moments more of silence, Fluttershy slowly turned her head to face Rainbow Dash, a questioning look on her face. “Um…is this him?”

Rainbow gives a single nod. “Yea, that’s him alright.”

“What is he, exactly? I’ve never seen anything like him before.” As she spoke, she took a few steps to me, her eyes roaming over my body for a moment like she was examining a new species…which I technically am, I guess. I decided to remain still as she examined me, taking Dash’s advice to heart and not wanting to scare the shy mare, I waited patiently for her to finish. After a few minutes of looking all around me, as well as circling me a few times, she finally stopped in front of me and looked up.

As soon as our eyes locked, I felt that calming sensation again, only this time it was a lot more powerful. It was like I was sitting on a couch wrapped in soft blankets while near a blazing fire, sipping on some hot coco as I just melted into the soothing sounds of the fire crackling. I almost fell asleep even as we held eye contact, neither of us saying anything. As Fluttershy continued to stare at me, her eyes suddenly got wide and a rosy tint appeared on her cheeks. Before I could say anything, she let out a soft squeak before she took a few steps back, seeming to be partially hiding in her mane in the process.

I was quiet for a second before Rainbow gave her friend a tap on her shoulder. “So, can we come in, Flutters?”

This appeared to get the yellow mare to snap out of her spell, shaking her head and looking back at the rainbow mare. “Oh, um, of course. Sorry about that.” With that, she quickly turned around and walked us into the house, Rainbow and I following right behind her.

As soon as we entered and closed the door behind me, I noticed that the inside was just as much of a natural scene as the outsides. There were branches poking out of a few of the walls, some of them had birdhouses hanging from them, while others had small bird feeders instead. There were lots of small holes around the place that looked like the homes of some of the smaller creatures that she must take care of. Fluttershy motioned for the both of us to sit down while she went into her kitchen to get us some soup that she had cooking. I sat down on the couch while Rainbow, for some reason, sat on the floor nearby. I was about to ask her why she was sitting on the floor instead of the couch, but before I could, the yellow pony walked back into the room with three bowls of what looked to be steaming hot vegetable soup. Giving the mare a nod of thanks, I took the bowl carefully as to avoid burning my fingers while the other two somehow used their hooves to pick up the spoons, scooping up a bit before blowing on it to cool down and then eating it.

We all remained silent as we ate our meal, only the sound of soft munching could be heard from any of us as we are. I was rather enjoying the meal myself; it was much tastier then what they had in the hospital. Not that I’m saying that food was bad, I just…ok, it was kind of bad. After we had finished, I placed the bowl on the nearby table and leaned back while Rainbow and Fluttershy continued to talk about some stuff. I was able to hear some of what they were talking about, but it was still a bit confusing to me.

“Really Flutters? I know you really want to go see another butterfly migration, but do I really have to join? I mean, you didn’t exactly go to the dragon migration when we asked you to, so you still kind of owe me.” Said Rainbow, stirring her spoon in the bowl nonchalantly as she spoke. Even though it sounded a bit blunt, there was no venom in Rainbow’s voice, rather like she was just stating the facts.

“Oh…uh, I understand if you don’t want to come with me, I guess I just shouldn’t have asked you to join me then. I’m sorry for being such a bother.” Fluttershy apologized, lowering her head in slight embarrassment.

Dash was quick to respond, however, not wanting to hurt her filly friend’s feelings. “Wait, Fluttershy, I didn’t mean it like that. I would love to join you for another butterfly migration, I was just wondering if there were any other ones that might a bit more…well, exciting.”

“Oh, well there is a place we could go to see a lightening bug migration instead. They look so pretty when they all light up during the night.” Fluttershy stated, getting a slightly dreamy look in her eyes while Rainbow just gave a soft sigh of defeat, lowering her head in the process.

“Yea…sure. Anyways, can you give a quick check to Drakalian over here please?“ the cyan mare asked, glancing over at me and noticing that I was finished with my meal.

Fluttershy turned to look at me as well, giving Dash a nod as she got up from her spot and carefully walked over to me, still seeming to be a bit cautious, but determined at the same time. “Ok, uh…D-Drakalian. If you could, please take your clothing off and lay on the couch…um, if you don’t mind that is?” She asked, giving a soft blush.

I gave a comforting smile and a nod as I started to carefully take my hoodie off, not wanting to make any of my wounds worse. I was thinking that she was blushing because she asked me to take my clothes off, but then I remembered that the only pony who knows about the reason why I wear clothing was Twilight, so I just chalked it up to her being nervous about simply talking to someone new. Once I had my hoodie removed, I turned around and carefully lowered myself onto the couch, squirming a bit to get myself comfortable. Once I was done, I turned my head to Fluttershy and waited for her to continue.

The yellow Pegasus was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke up again, although silently, I was still able to hear her speak. “Um, if you can, remove all of your clothing please? I mean, if you don’t mind, that is?”

I kind of knew this was going to happen, so I just shook my head. “Sorry, but I would prefer to keep my shorts on for now please.”

Fluttershy gave a quick nod in response before replying softly. “Oh, that’s alright, I guess it won’t be that much of a-”

Before she could continue, Rainbow was suddenly next to her, staring at me rather seriously. “Hold on, she asked you to take off all of your clothing, so she can make sure you are ok, so…take it off.”

I gave a small sigh as once again I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I really would rather not. Besides, I don’t have any wounds on my lower body that need any treatment.”

“Oh, well I guess that’s ok then. You don’t need to-” Fluttershy started before being interrupted again.

“Damn it, Fluttershy, you need to be more assertive. Remember, you’re trying to make him feel better, and what happens if he does have a wound on his leg or something?” Rainbow proclaimed, turning to face the shy mare who responds with a slight squeak.

Fluttershy was quiet for a few seconds before nodding. “Ok Rainbow, I’ll try.” She said before turning back to face me, a determined look in her eyes as she spoke again. “Drakalian, can you pretty please take the rest of your clothing off so I can make sure that you are ok? If you don’t you…you might get sick from something.”

I let out another small sigh as I shook my head for the third time. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but I just can’t do it. I promise I don’t have any wounds under these clothing.”

Fluttershy was quiet for a few seconds, still staring at me for a while, and I could have sworn that I saw her eyes getting a bit more…scary? However, before I could say anything else, her entire expression suddenly changed back to her nervous self as she lowered her head in shyness.

“Oh, that’s ok then, I guess if you really don’t feel like doing-”

Rainbow rolled her eyes before pushing into the conversation again, placing her hooves over me as she stared right into my eyes. “Now listen here, mister. Fluttershy needs you to take your clothing off right now to make sure you are 100% ok, so do what she asks of you…or else…” I could sense the anger that was flowing from Rainbow’s eyes as she waited for my response, but I simply rolled my eyes back at her for my answer before responding.

“I already told you, I don’t want to do it, ok?”

“Why the buck don’t you?” She exclaimed, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Let’s just say that I feel uncomfortable doing so in front of others and leave it at that.” I said, my own eyes starting to narrow.

We were all silent for a few seconds, neither of us saying or doing anything. Both Rainbow and I were just staring at each other while Fluttershy sat at the sidelines, a very nervous look upon her face.

Suddenly, I feel a swish of air as the cyan Pegasus moves down, gripping my waistband with her hooves as she tried to pull my shorts and boxers down. However, I did anticipate for something like that to happen, and not wanting another incident like the one with Twilight at the hospital, I quickly grabbed my shorts and held them to me, preventing the mare from taking my clothing off.

“Grr…let…go!” She said, pulling harder as she braced her rear hooves on the floor.

“I…said…no!” I stated, grabbing more of my shorts closer to me as I did my best to prevent her from taking them off of me. We stayed locked in this duel for who knows how long, neither of us gaining an upper hand…or hoof…in this battle. After a while, however, Fluttershy suddenly pulled Rainbow off of me, causing the rainbow mare to release her grip on my shorts, tumbling a little into Fluttershy’s hold.

“The buck, Fluttershy?” Rainbow exclaimed, staring at the other Pegasus with confusion and slight betrayal.

“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash, but I just didn’t want you to hurt him.” She stated, with a surprising amount of force in her voice as well.

“But what if he-”

“I don’t care, Rainbow. He says that he doesn’t have any injuries there, so we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, when somepony says no, then you should respect their decision.” She stated, not batting an eye from the cyan Pegasus.

Rainbow was quiet for a while as she stared at her friend, seeming to be thinking over what she just said. After a while, she let out a small sigh of defeat as she sat back down. “Ok, fine.” She then turned around to face me, an apologetic expression on her face. “Sorry about that, Drakalian. I hope I didn’t hurt you during the…scuffle.”

I gave a shook of my head. “Nah, I’m ok, though I really do mean it when I do feel uncomfortable being without my clothing…well, at least my lower clothing.”

“Why is that, though? I mean, us ponies don’t wear clothing 24/7, so what’s the difference for you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then decided against it, not really wanting to go through explaining it to her all over again. “I just…I would rather not say it right now. I just don’t feel like explaining it again after telling Twilight about it.”

Rainbow was silent for a while, eyeing me with curiosity as I waited for her response. “Ok…but I will find out, you hear me?” She stated, giving what I assume was an ‘I’m watching you’ look, causing me to give a small chuckle.

With that all out of the way, Fluttershy started inspecting me for any injuries or reopened wounds, taking off the dirty bandages in the process and replacing them with clean ones. During this time, she would ask a few questions as to how I got so many injuries and how I was even able to survive them all. I told her what happened with me waking up to the forest and then walking around before finding Trixie, going over the Basilisk attack quickly, not wanting to go through with those memories again. Not only that, but I noticed Fluttershy start to tear up when I got to the part of me killing it, so I decided to just skip the rest of that. During my story telling, Rainbow was listening closely, leaning against a wall as her ears flicked from time to time, a small smile on her face as she heard about the fight I had with the snake. After a few more minutes, I was able to finish my tale, though Fluttershy was still busy on the last parts of the bandaging.

I remained quiet as she finished the last parts of it up, giving a slight grunt as she put some pressure on the right side of my stomach by accident. The butter colored mare noticed this and began to put some gentle pressure on that area, trying to find the spot again. After the fourth try, she found it, making me wince and causing her to flinch slightly. “Oh, well it looks like…um, your rib is broken I think. Was it like that before?”

I stayed quiet as I thought over the question, trying to remember if it was broken before or not before shaking my head. “No, I think it was fine after I left the hospital.”

Fluttershy gave a small nod before inspecting the area a bit more. “Well, by the looks of things, it doesn’t seem to be that bad, most likely cracked. Unfortunately, I can’t really do anything about it. All I can suggest is to not put too much pressure on that area for the next week or two. I think Twilight might have a spell to speed the healing up a bit, and if not then the doctors at the hospital certainly do.” She said, the nervousness leaving her voice with each passing second.

I gave a small nod as I carefully sat up, grabbing my hoodie and putting it back on, standing up in the process. “Well, thanks for the check up anyways, Fluttershy. I really didn’t want to go back to the hospital so soon after leaving it, you know?”

It seemed that my compliment made her anxious again, for she blushed and looked at the ground a bit, kicking the ground lightly with her hoof. “Oh, um…i-it was n-n-nothing…honest.”

I gave a small smile. “Well to me it wasn’t, so once again, thank you.”

During this time Rainbow was sitting on a nearby chair, drinking some water as she waited for us, though she got up as soon as I did. “Ok Drakalian, let’s get going before you give Fluttershy here a heart attack.” Said the cyan mare, walking up to us. Fluttershy blushed even harder at the comment, and even I scratched the back of my head nervously from it as well. We started to head out of the door before Dash turned to face Fluttershy. “Oh Fluttershy, don’t forget about 6 PM.”

“Oh don’t worry, I won’t miss it, I just hope that-” the yellow Pegasus was about to say before Rainbow made a zipping motion across her mouth, making her quiet down rather quickly. “Oh…right. Anyways, uh, I hope you feel better soon Drakalian, and it was nice meeting you.”

I smiled and waved at her. “Same here Fluttershy, and I hope we meet again soon.”

“Seya Flutters, and I promise that I will come to the lightening bug migration when it happens.” Stated Rainbow, waving a hoof at her filly friend before turning around and zooming into the air, only to stop a few feet in front of me as she waited for me to follow. With our goodbyes said, we all started our trip back to the main area of the town, the shy but kind mare watching us leave for a few seconds before turning around and entering her home, shutting her door behind her.

Chapter 8: The Eyes Tell All

It took us a few minutes to get back to the center of town, but once there, I realized that there seemed to be a lot less ponies around for some reason. Either that, or they were just more spread out. Either way, Rainbow began our tour at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner, telling me about the place as well as the ponies (Mr. and Mrs. Cake) that run the place and live there.

I gave a small nod as I listened to her talk about the place before hearing her mention Pinkie Pie. “Wait, you mean Pinkie lives here?”

Rainbow gave a nod, still hovering in front of me as we traveled through the town. It seemed like she was always flying around, even when she could just simply walk. “Yea, she does. Wait, how do you know her?” She asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

I gave a nervous chuckle at the memory of first meeting the pink mare. “Well, Twilight and I kind of met her on our way back from the…what’s the name of it…Carousal Boutique when we ran into her. She was actually watching you before she saw us, then she suddenly gasped and ran off.”

The cyan mare gave a small chuckle at my explanation before nodding. “Yup, that sounds like Pinkie Pie to me.”

“Well, is she ok?”

Rainbow turned her head around as she looked at me curiously. “Huh?”

“I mean, she looked rather scared when she gasped, and I thought that, well…seeing me might have frightened her. I was kind of hoping I could go apologize to her about me scaring her like that. Honestly, I-”

I was suddenly interrupted by laughter, and looking at my flying friend, I saw that she was not flying anymore, but simply laying on the ground laughing. I raised an eyebrow at her as she held herself as she laughed, waiting for her to calm down so she could explain what she found so funny.

After another minute of her laughing, she finally calmed down enough to catch her breath and lifted herself off of the ground, giving her wings a good few flaps to shake off some of the snow before she was hovering in the air once again. “S-sorry Drakalian…heh heh...but I doubt she was afraid of you.”

I gave her a small look of disbelief as I heard this. “But she was clearly terrified of me, I mean, the look on her face was of fear and-”

“Listen, Drakalian. I know you think that she was scared, but trust me, if anything, she was more likely surprised to have seen somepony like you.”

“But…I could have sworn…” I said, feeling a bit confused with how I could mistake a facial expression that easily.

“Listen, maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t, though I’m betting that it was the latter. You said that both you and Twilight were watching me when you saw Pinkie, so maybe we can ask her later tonight when we all gather up here. Sound good to you?” She asked.

I was quiet as I thought it over for a few seconds before giving her a slight nod. “Yea, I guess that can work. Thanks Rainbow.”

Rainbow gave a smile and a small nod of her head. “Hey, no problem. Now how about we go and get a quick snack, my treat.”

I smiled at the sound of some food, even though we did have Fluttershy’s veggie soup an hour ago, it wasn’t really that filling for me. “Sure, sounds good to me.” With that, I started to walk towards Sugarcube Corner, but was stopped when Dash flew right past me and stopped right in front of me, hovering in place.

I once again raised an eyebrow in slight confusion as she stopped me. “I thought we were going to get a snack here.”

“Well yea, but…um, not here.” She stated, causing my curiosity to go a bit higher.

“Can I ask why?”

“Well, they’re closed at the moment, so-”

“But the lights are on.”

“They’re busy renovating.” She quickly spoke before giving me what I assumed was a sheepish smile. I just stared at her for a few seconds, shifting my gaze between her and the bakery as I thought over what she said. I had a high suspicion that the bakery wasn’t closed and that she was just pulling a fast one over me, but then again I had no idea how things worked here, so she could be telling the truth. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I gave a small sigh and a nod before turning around to look around the place. “Ok then, so where shall we go instead?”

As I turned around, Rainbow gave a small sigh of relief that went unnoticed by me before gaining her normal demeanor as she flew past me. “Just follow me, I know a great place to get some apples.” I gave a nod as I started to follow her away from Sugarcube Corner and into what seemed to be the town center.

I was a bit worried that the place would be just as crowded as this afternoon, but thankfully it seemed to be a lot emptier then before. As I looked around, I noticed that most of the stalls seemed to be closing down for the day, and it was at one of these stalls that Rainbow flew to, with me close behind her.

As we got closer, I was able to tell that it was indeed an apple stall, just like Rainbow said. Manning (Or would it be stallionning? Maring, maybe?) the stall was an orange Earth pony with a blonde mane and tail. Upon closer inspection, I was able to tell that it was indeed a mare, her mane and tail tied with red bands in what was ironically a ponytail. She also seemed to be wearing some sort of cowboy hat, and combined with the freckles on her cheeks it gave her a rather distinct country look, though not in a bad way, of course.

It seemed like the mare was busy packing some things onto a wagon, which was full of a few leftover apples that most likely didn’t get sold as well as a decent sized bag that seemed to be decently filled. As she was packing them, I was able to get a good look at her cutie mark, which was a picture of three apples. The sound of my footsteps seemed to alert her of my presence, for I noticed that her ear twitched before she turned around to face us, a smile on her face as soon as she saw Rainbow.

“Why howdy there Rainbow. How’s th’ practice comin’ along?” She said in a distinct accent of some sort (I’m assuming it was a country accent, given her look). As Dash flew up to greet her, I noticed that I was seemingly unnoticed by the new pony. I found it hard to believe that a new species would be as easy to miss as this, but apparently it seems to be much easier then it sounds.

“Eh, it goes well, though I did kind of crash into a new pony…well, a new thing, but everything worked out ok, so no harm done.” Said the cyan pony, rubbing the back of her head with a foreleg as she landed next to the orange pony.

The stall pony gave a slightly disappointed look at her before slowly shaking her head. “Tarnation Rainbow. ah swear tha’ one o’ these days when ya do hit somepony, you’ll send them righ’ to the hospital.”

“Heh, well…that kind of almost happened this time.” Rainbow stated, tracing the snow with a foreleg.

The orange mare looked up in surprise back at Dash. “What?! Ya mean tha-” However, before she could finish, her eyes went wide with surprise at what she saw behind her, which was of course me (though it did take me a few seconds to figure out what she was staring at). Upon noticing that I had been…well, noticed, I carefully approached the new pony and extended my hand in greeting. “Um…hello there. I’m assuming you and Dash know each other well?” I said, doing my best to try and break the ice, if somewhat awkwardly.

The new mare stared at me for a few seconds, her wide-eyed expression vanishing, only to be replaced with a raised eyebrow one of suspicion. After a few moments of staring at me some more, she slowly raised her own hoof and placed it in my hand, shaking it with a rather strong grip (I didn’t even know ponies could grip onto things). Once our hand/hoof shake was done, she turned to face Rainbow with a deadpanned look before saying, “Let me guess, this is the guy that you flew into?”

“Um…maybe?” She replied, giving another sheepish smile like the one before.

There was silence for a few moments as the orange pony stared at her for a few more seconds before replying. “What in Tartarus did ya do ta the poor thang? He looks like he tried ta grapple a bull by the horns…and the bull won! And what do ya mean he almost went ta th’ hospital? By th’ looks o’ things he should still be there resting.”

I decided to stop the blonde mane pony from continuing, not wanting her to blame it entirely on Rainbow. “Now hold on here, Miss…um…”

Rainbow let out a small sigh, glad that the scolding from her was over, even if she wasn’t completely out of the clear just yet. “AJ, this is Drakalian, a supposedly not so mythical human that has a really bad case of amnesia. Drakalian, this is Applejack, one of my best friends here and the owner of Sweet Apple Acres. If you ever want a good apple to eat, or just about any apple made product, then just come to her, she has the best apples in Equestria.”

“Now hold on there, missy. Don’t ya think that buttering me up with them compliments is going ta get ya out o’ this. Plus, ah don’t own Sweet Apple Acres, Granny Smith still does.” Applejack said, causing Dash to wince slightly at the intensity of her voice.

“Well, she actually didn’t do this. I kind of brought this upon myself, so no one is really at fault here.”

Applejack looked up at me suddenly, and the first thing that I noticed was that she was trying to look right into my eyes, as if she was searching for something. Out of instinct, I quickly averted my gaze somewhere else, causing the orange mare to give me a surprised look before shaking her head to clear it and then to look back at me again. “What ya mean, ya brought this upon yourself?

I rubbed the back of my head with my good hand as I recalled the events that took place in the Everfree Forest, explaining my fight with the Basilisk creature, along with me meeting and saving Trixie in the process. Applejack listened carefully, a neutral expression on her face the entire time. I was a bit worried that she wasn’t really listening to me, but every so often she would give a small nod of understanding, seeming to let me know that she was indeed listening.

By the time I finished my story, the three of us were all sitting in the snow…well, I was leaning against my staff, while the two mares were sitting down in the snow, not wanting to get my only clothing wet. They were both quiet once I was done telling my story, Rainbow simply listening with wide eyes like the last time, like she just couldn’t hear it enough, while Applejack still had a neutral expression the entire time, not giving me a hint of what she was thinking.

After a few minutes of silence, the orange mare finally spoke. “So, this amnesia thang…ya sure that ya can’t remember anything at all? Nothing comes ta mind after what has happened today?” As she spoke, she tried to once again look into my eyes, and I once again averted my gaze, feeling even more uncomfortable about it. Why was she trying to look into my eyes in the first place? It’s not like I need to keep eye contact when I talk to someone.

I gave a nod as I pulled my hood down a bit more over my head, somehow feeling a bit more comfortable when I did so. “I’m sure. The only thing that I did remember was my own name, and even then I don’t know if it is my name or not.”

Once again there was silence for a few moments before Applejack gave a small nod, getting up on her hooves, Dash doing the same thing. “Well, tha’ was an…interesting tale that ya told there, Drakalian sir, but ah can’t really stay and chat anymore right now. Gotta bring mah stuff back to the farm and such.” She said, stiffly turning around to put the final stuff back onto the wagon before she started to hook it onto herself.

I gave a nod of understanding as I was about to turn and leave, but Rainbow stopped us from doing so. “Hey, hold on a sec. We came here to see if you would sell us some of your apples for a quick snack before we went to the…well, you know.”

I raised an eyebrow upon hearing her say the ‘you know’ part, still not sure what it was they knew. However, Applejack did seem to brighten up slightly upon hearing that. “Oh, well tha’s fine by me. Let me just get some out o’ th’ wagon for ya.” Rainbow nodded and as the orange pony went to grab some apples from her wagon, the cyan Pegasus reached out behind her and took out a bag of what I assumed to be some sort of money from under her wing that I didn’t see before.

When the Earth pony turned back around holding a couple of apples in her hoof, she noticed the small bag and gave a small chuckle and a shake of her head. “Rainbow, ya don’t have ta pay for this one, it’s on the house, as it were.” She said, giving a small smile.

Rainbow only rolled her eyes as she kept her hoof holding the money out for Applejack. “Maybe, but it just doesn’t sit right with me taking your apples without paying you.”

“Ya don’t seem to have a problem just picking a few off of mah trees when ya nap in them every so often.” Said the farmer, giving her another deadpanned look.

Dash simply shrugged. “Yea, but this is different. I only take those because they’re still on the tree and you haven’t picked them yet. Besides, flying is a lot of work. Also, by seeing how many apples that you still have, I’m guessing that it was a bit of a slow day today, huh?”

Applejack was silent for a moment, staring at the rainbow maned Pegasus for a few more minutes. Finally, she reached out and took half of the bits from Rainbow before giving her the apples. “Alright fine. But ah’m only taking half price for it, ya hear me?”

Rainbow gave a nod, quickly biting into her apple before she tossed my apple to me making me react quickly to reach out and catch it. As I began to eat my sweet tasting snack, I noticed that the orange pony whispered something to Dash, but before I could ask what they were talking about, the cyan pony turned her head to face me.

“Hey, AJ needs my help with some things, just give me a moment, ok?” She asked.

I gave a nod before taking another bite from my apple, my mouth too full to make a proper acknowledgment. Satisfied that I would wait for her, both of the mares turned and walked to the wagon, leaving me alone with my apple and my thoughts.

(POV: Rainbow Dash)

As AJ and I walked to her wagon, I gave a quick look behind me to make sure that Drakalian was still waiting for me, but so far it seemed like he was just enjoying his apple, his eyes seeming to be staring off into space. Satisfied, I turned and faced my friend again, wanting to get to the bottom of what she really wanted me for.

“Ok AJ, what’s up? I know you don’t really need my help with packing up; you normally do this on your own in the first place anyways. What gives?” I asked, deciding to just get straight to the point.

AJ looked at me, a single eyebrow raised as we stopped next to the wagon. “Rainbow Dash, are ya suggesting that ah lied ta ya?”

My eyes went wide as I quickly shook my head, putting my hooves up in my defense. “What, oh no, not at all. I would never think that you would lie to me. I’m just curious, that’s all.”

AJ stared at me for a few more seconds, making me even more worried that I might have went too far, but before I could try to say something, she gave a small chuckle and a nudge to my shoulder. “Ah’m just messing with ya, Dash. Ah know ah could do all o’ this by mahself, but it goes a lot quicker when somepony helps me ta put on the harness. So, care ta lend a hoof?” With that said, she walked up to the front of the wagon and picked up the harness in her hooves, holding it out to me.

I gave a small sigh of relief as I nodded in agreement. “Oh, yea, of course.” I took the harness from her hooves and into mine before hovering over her slightly as I helped to put them on her properly. “I just thought that you were upset with me or something, you know?”

There was a bit of silence for a moment before I heard a small sigh. “No sugarcube, ah’m not upset with ya, I just…well…”

I was halfway with tightening one of the straps when she said that, causing me to stop for a moment and making me raise an eyebrow. “Well what? Come on, AJ, we’re friends here. You can tell me.” I responded as I continued at my task at hoof.

“Well, it’s just…I don’t trust that Drakalian fella.”

Now this caught me by complete surprise, causing me to accidentally tighten up one of the straps around her chest, making her give a surprised gasp. Upon noticing this, I quickly undid the mishap and tightened it properly. “Oh crap, sorry AJ!” I exclaimed, worried that I might have hurt her.

AJ took a few moments to catch her breath before responding. “It’s alright, just surprised me is all.”

“Surprised you? I’m surprised that you don’t trust Drakalian. I mean, he may be a new…well, everything, but he hasn’t done anything wrong. Hell, he was even nicer to Fluttershy then Gilda was, and that is a good mark in my book.” At this point, I finished strapping on the harness to Applejack and landed in front of her, giving her a questioning look. “But seriously, why don’t you trust him? I mean, he doesn’t seem that threatening to me.”

“Well, ya know how ah can tell if somepony is lying ta me and such?”

I gave a nod, still not sure where this was going.

“Well, th’ easiest way ta know if somepony is lying is by looking inta their eyes. Ya can tell a lot by looking inta somepony’s eyes, such as what they are really thinking.”

I gave a nod, wondering where this was going. “Yea, so…”

“So ah’m saying tha’ when ah went ta make eye contact with him, he just looked away. Now, ah learned tha’ nopony looks away from ya when ya asking em a question unless they have something ta hide.”

Now it was my turn to be surprised with what she said, while at the same time doing my best to try and not look back at Drakalian, in case it made me look suspicious. “So, you mean he lied about it? I mean those scars don’t exactly look fake.” I asked, still finding it a bit hard to believe her…but at the same time, what she said did make sense.

AJ shook her head. “Not necessarily. Ah think tha’ he’s telling the truth regarding the fight and saving Trixie, but as for the amnesia…well…” She then fell silent after that, leaving me just as confused as before. I waited for a few moments for AJ to continue but when she still said nothing, I decided to respond.

“Well, he seems like a nice kind of…human. I mean, I do understand what you mean, but I just…I don’t know if I agree with you, AJ.”

AJ was silent, staring off into the distance. I was worried that I might have hurt her feelings, but before I could do anything, my country friend shook her head and gave me a small smile. “It don’t matter to me tha’ much, Rainbow. All ah ask is for ya ta just stay a bit more alert with him. Besides, ah could be just over thinking all o’ this, but ah prefer ta play this safe, just in case. Now if ya would excuse me, ah do have ta bring these here apples back ta th’ farm. I’ll see ya later at Sugar-”

I quickly covered her mouth with my hoof before looking behind me to see if Drakalian heard her, but to my relief, the human seemed to be busy mulling in his own thoughts. With that little mishap taken care of, I turned to face AJ again as I took my hoof away from her mouth. “Careful, AJ. You know how Pinkie doesn’t like it when her surprise gets ruined.”

AJ gave a sheepish smile at the mistake that she nearly made. “Oops, mah bad sugarcube.”

I gave a nod of understanding before flapping my wings, lifting me back into the air. “Well, seya later AJ.” I said before turning around and flying towards Drakalian.

Applejack gave a wave of farewell before she turned and started walking towards the farm with her wagon in tow. However, as she did so, she gave a quick glance to the human, still feeling like something was off with him. Even if she did say she might have been mistaken, she still wasn’t going to trust this human just yet. And while she didn’t know for sure if he was telling the truth or not, there was one things that she did know.

One way or another, she was going to figure out why he avoided making eye contact with her and get to the bottom of the entire situation.

Chapter 9: PARTY...Time?

(POV: Drakaian)

We continued to walk around the place for the next hour or so, Rainbow showing me where everything is and where to go to get something that you need. Soon though, it started to get rather late, the sun having already past the horizon and the moon was now fully out in the sky. With the majority of the tour done, Rainbow decided that it was a good time to show me where Twilight’s place was.

After a few more minutes of walking, I was starting to feel really tired and fatigued, my legs shaking slightly as I softly panted, leaning against my staff for support. Rainbow, on the other hand, seemed like she was completely fine, stared at me with a confused look.

“Hey, you ok? You’re looking a bit worn out.”

I took a few more deep breaths before I felt well enough to respond to her. “Yea, I’m ok, I just…feel…feel tired.” I answered, straightening myself out a bit when I recovered enough to do so.

Dash gave a nod of understanding. “Yea, that makes sense. I remember when I had to stay in bed for a few days. When I was finally allowed to fly again, I felt really out of it, getting tired a lot quicker then normal. You’re most likely going through the same thing, though I’m not sure how severe it is with you. However, the sooner you start working those muscles out, the sooner you will return back to your old self…whatever that is.”

I raised an eyebrow at her a bit upon all the info the Pegasus just gave me. “So, that’s it, huh? I just exercise a bit and I’ll be all better.”

“Yup, that’s all there is to it. It’s not genius science or anything fancy like that. If it were, then I would have no idea what to do. If anything, then Twilight would be the one who tells you what to do.” She said, giving a small, nod.

I was about to respond to her comment about Twilight telling me what to do for exercising when some other pony speaking beat me to it. “Really? Well, Rainbow Dash, your interpretation of muscle weakening is rather lacking, to say the least. Why, I could have added a few more things to the topic if you so desire.” Upon hearing the voice, we both turned around and saw that it was indeed Twilight who had spoken up, seeming to be closing a door that led inside a tree before-

I stopped for a few moments as I looked up at the tree, for the first time noticing that it was there. The tree was huge, and not only that, but I could see a porch on one of the higher branches as well as some windows and such. Getting a quick glimpse inside showed that it was indeed hollow, though I was unable to see much with the lights all off inside. The front door was red and currently open, showing Twilight Sparkle standing at the entrance, looking at Rainbow as she continued to talk about muscle weakening.

“-and furthermore, just exercising isn’t the only way of fixing muscle weakening, and it can be caused by a lot of other medical problems, such as-“

Thankfully, Rainbow was able to stop her rambling before it got more carried away. “Ok, ok Twilight, I get it, but I’m pretty sure that he just needs some exercise, that’s all.” She said, giving the unicorn a deadpanned look.

Twilight, realizing that she was rambling, closed her mouth with a snap before giving a slight blush in embarrassment. “Oh, of course. Sorry about that.” She then walked towards us, closing the door behind her. “So, you ready for tonight Rainbow?”

The Pegasus gave a quick nod, a grin on her face. “Hell yea I am!”

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking at both ponies. “Tonight? What’s happening tonight, if I may ask?”

Rainbow was about to respond, but Twilight beat her to it. “Oh, nothing important. We were just going to meet with the rest of our friends at Sugarcube Corner, and we were hoping you could come as well.”

“But I thought the place was closed for renovations.”

This time it was Dash that spoke. “Well, Pinkie wants us to…uh…check and see how things are going with the renovation, and since you need to exercise some more, then you might as well come with us.” She said, giving a bit of a sheepish smile.

I looked at both of them in disbelief, still not quite believing them. First it was Rainbow telling Fluttershy about something happening around 6 PM, then the fact that we were unable to go into Sugarcube Corner. Now Twilight and Rainbow apparently have something that they need to be going to, and judging the position of the sun and the fact with how late it was now, guessed it was only a few minutes away from 6. Deciding that enough was enough, I crossed my arms across my chest as I faced them, wanting to know just what was going on.

“Ok, that’s not what is going on. If that were true, then we would have just walked into Sugarcube corner in the first place. I may have amnesia, but I’m pretty certain I wasn’t born yesterday. Now, can you please tell me what in the world it is that you two are talking about?” I said, keeping my voice calm and low, not wanting to scare them by shouting or raising my voice in any way.

They both remained quiet as they glanced at each other, neither of them saying anything. After a few minutes, Twilight was the one who finally spoke. “I…we can’t really tell you, Drakalian, sorry. All I can say is that you do need to come with us to Sugarcube Corner. I promise that it’s nothing bad, ok?” She said, giving me a trusting smile.

I was quiet for a few seconds as I thought it over, both of them waiting in anticipation. Finally, I let out a small sigh and a nod before speaking. “Ok, I’ll trust you. I mean, you did kind of save my life, so I do owe you for that.” I said, chuckling a little.

Twilight gave a small wave of her hoof before responding. “Nonsense, I just did what any other pony would have done upon seeing an injured po...er, being.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” Rainbow whispered to herself, causing both of us to stare at her in slight surprise. “What, I didn’t mean me, I would have totally tried to save you.”

I gave a nod of thanks and a small smile. “Yea, I know you would have. So, shall we go to this…whatever this thing is?”

They both gave a nod before they started to walk, taking the lead as I followed them, since I didn’t know where things were around here that well. During our walk there, we simply talked about how things were going. Well, they talked; I mostly listened, just responding when they asked me something or when I thought I should say something. Twilight seemed a bit peeved when Rainbow mentioned that Fluttershy did find a bruised rib on me, but Rainbow was quick to calm her down before she got really angry. It was only about three minutes before we reached the bakery, this time there were no lights on inside that I could see, which puzzled me a bit. However, since I did say I would go with them, I decided I would figure out what was going on once I got in there.

Before we entered the bakery, Rainbow stopped and turned to face me as Twilight entered the building. “Ok, just wait here for a minute or so, then just come on in, you got it?” Before I could ask her any questions or even answer her question, she quickly turned and flew into the building, leaving me alone outside.

I gave a small sigh as I stood there, simply looking around the place as I waited for the time to go by. My feet started to get a bit numb after a while of standing in the snow, and I tugged in my hoodie to try and keep myself a bit warmer. Finally, I decided that I stayed out here long enough, so with that, I walked up and opened the door.

Just as I saw from outside, all of the lights were off, making me squint to try and focus on anything. After a few seconds of looking around, I gave up and just stepped on in, closing the door behind me.

As soon as the door closed, all hell broke loose.

I turned around and was about to look for a light switch, but suddenly the lights were all turned on, and from what seemed like out of nowhere, ponies popped out from behind the counter, tables, chairs…everywhere, throwing their hooves in the air before they all shouted in unison.

“SURPRISE!”

At first I was well…shocked with what was happening, but as time went on, I could feel the place start to…tighten, like the room was getting smaller. My breathing became a bit more ragged, the air started to feel colder. I wrapped my arms around myself to make me warmer…make me safer…but it just kept getting worse. I lowered my hood even more over my face, but that barely changed anything. I was freezing up…m-my chest…I…it’s getting….s-so hard…c-can’t breathe…I…memories of…something…shouting…jeering…I…I just…

Please…just…no…l-leave me…JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!

(POV: Twilight)

So…we ran into a slight problem.

Everything was going great, all the ponies in town were in their places (I still have no idea how Pinkie manages to fit everypony in here, but I just leave it at Pinkie being Pinkie), the decorations were ready, the food was set on the table, Vinyl had her records ready to play, and now all we had to do was simply jump out and give Drakalian his surprise party. And for the next few moments, it did work out just like that.

But then, instead of just jumping in shock/surprise before laughing it off, like I thought he would, he just…froze up.

The second we all jumped and shouted surprise, Drakalian rather quickly wrapped his arms around himself, pulling his hood down until it covered the majority of his face, and then just…stood there. I was rather confused as to what he was doing, and I could tell that I wasn’t the only one.

“Wow, that is the best reaction we got yet Pinkie!” Exclaimed Rainbow, nudging the pink mare a little as she quietly laughed.

Pinkie nodded in agreement. “I know, Dashie. It’s like we turned him to stone like Discord.” She said before walking up to the human and tapping him. Strangely enough, it sounded just like if she was tapping on stone.

“Are you sure he’s ok darling? He doesn’t seem to be looking well.” Stated Rarity, walking up as well as she examined the human a bit closer.

I gave a nod as I too walked up to the human, ignoring the other ponies in the room that were silently chatting away to each other, trying to figure out what was going on as well. “I have to agree with Rarity. I’ve never seen anypony react like this to one of Pinkie’s surprise parties before. Then again, humans might react differently to situations like this.” I said, getting a closer look on the frozen human.

“Ah have ta agree, sugarcube. Normally, they would just be shocked for a few seconds before laughing it off, but ah never seen this before.” Said Applejack, who was also walking to us. At this point, all six of us were now around the human, trying to figure out what was going on.

“M-maybe we scared him too much?” Asked Fluttershy, a worried look on her face.

“Oh please, if he was really that scared, then he would have at least said something by now.” Rainbow said, leaning against the human. As she did so, she accidentally caused Drakalian to tip over, but thankfully AJ was able to quickly catch him.

“Whoa, careful there partner.” She said to the human, only to realize that Drakalian barely moved a muscle to save him. In fact, he only shuffled a bit forward so as to not fall down completely, like he wasn’t even paying attention to his surroundings.

“Hey, you alright there buddy?” Dash said, looking up at him as she tried to look up his hood and at his face. After a few moments, she looked back at me, a rather worried look on her face. “Hey Twi, I think you should come look at this.”

I gave her a curious look as I walked up to the two, looking up at the human’s face as well. “Look at what Da-” I stopped I mid sentence as soon as I saw his face…or more accurately, his eyes.

Instead of his emerald color irises and his rather smaller than normal pupils (well, smaller compared to a pony, that is) that he had, they had…changed. His pupils were much larger then before, maybe about 2.5 times larger. What was left of his irises was a very thin halo, and instead of the normal emerald color, it was a deep bloodshot red.

As I stared in shock at his eyes, I felt Fluttershy urgently tap on my shoulder to get my attention. Pulling my gaze away from Drakalian and bringing it to the yellow mare, a rather worried look on her face. “What’s wrong Fluttershy?”

After a few seconds of deep breathing, the shy mare was finally able to respond. “D-Drakalian’s not breathing.” She said in a low whisper.

Everypony was quiet for a few seconds, stunned with what they just heard. Soon, I was able to shake the shock off and I quickly placed my ear onto his chest, hoping that she was wrong. Everypony else in the room was quiet as they watched me intently, waiting for the results.

I could hear the low thumping of his heart beating in his chest, which was rather loud, but I just assumed that it was loud because of his larger stature. However, as I continued to listen, I grew more and more worried as I finally came to the same conclusion.

For whatever reason, Drakalian wasn’t breathing.

I quickly backed up and lit my horn, tugging the frozen human with my magic as I started to give my friends directions for what to do.

“Ok girls, we need to get him to the hospital right away. Fluttershy, I need you to help me keep Drakalian stable as Rainbow and Applejack help carry him back to the hospital. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, I need you two to take care of the party guests here and to make sure that they are all calm before meeting us back at the hospital. Everypony got it?” I finished, looking around to make sure they all understood what they were going to do.

They all nodded, and with that settled, I carefully pulled Drakalian a bit towards me before holding him in place as Applejack and Dash stood on either side of him, making sure he was steady. Once that was taken care of, the four of us began to move the human back outside of the building while Pinkie and Rarity began to gather up the rest of the ponies in the building, making sure that they were all calm. Thankfully, Drakalian was still responsive to small nudges, allowing us to gently move him along and to the direction we needed him to go. Along with Rarity and Pinkie, Spike also began to help with clearing out the guests, but by the looks of things, he seemed to be falling asleep already, and I wasn't sure how much longer he was going to keep himself awake. After all, he's only a baby dragon.

It took a while for us to lead Drakalian back to the hospital; Dash or Applejack giving him a small nudge or tug on his arm or side when he started to stray a bit too far away, but for the most part he would stay within hoof distance of us. During this time, Fluttershy was hovering right next to him, placing her hoof on his shoulder every so often and saying some soothing words to try and help him. Thankfully it did seem to work, for he did relax a little, though he still didn’t seem to be breathing. After a few minutes of nudging him around, we finally made it back to the hospital.

I quickly ran inside, my friends close behind with the human in tow. I could see that Redheart was stationed at the front counter at the moment, making this a lot easier to explain the situation to then if it was somepony else. Currently, she was reading one of those fashion magazines that Rarity loves to read, so she didn’t see us enter the building.

“Redheart, we need your help!” I exclaimed, coming to a stop right in front of the counter.

The white mare gave a small start upon our sudden appearance, placing the magazine down as she looked up at us. “Twilight, what a surprise. Why are you here…is that Drakalian? Has something gone wrong?” She said, noticing my friends and the human behind me.

I gave a nod. “We were going to throw a party for Drakalian for coming to Ponyville, you know, the traditional Pinkie Pie Party, but as soon as we shouted surprise, he just… froze up like this. I…I don’t know what to do, he’s not responding to anything besides nudges and pulls and he’s not even breathing and-” I started to say before the nurse quickly shushed me.

“Calm down Twilight, calm down. Now, let me take a look at him, ok?” She said, giving us a comforting smile.

With that, she walked up to the frozen being and started to examine him, looking at his eyes and listening to his chest for his heart and breathing. During her short examination, both Rarity and Pinkie entered the hospital, walking to us with worried looks as well.

"We were able to get the guests to leave, as well as cleaning up the place." Rarity said, Pinkie nodding in agreement.

"That's good to hear. Wait, where's Spike? I thought he was with you girls?" I asked, wondering where my number one assistant went to.

Before they could say anything, the door opened once again, letting in a rather tired looking baby dragon as he came to a stop right next to us. "D-don't worry, I...I'm here." He said, panting slightly.

I gave a smile as I nuzzled my number one assistant. "Oh Spike, you must be tired after all that running around, let alone with how late it's starting to get." I said.

"It's ok Twi, really. I just need a breather, then I can enjoy my bed when we get home." He stated, a small smile on his face. It was at this point that I noticed that he was holding something behind his back, but before I could say anything about it, the party mare interrupted me.

"So, is he ok? He's not sick, or dying, or trapped in some sort of crystal, or-" Pinkie started to say before I shushed her with a wave of my hoof.

"We don't know yet. Redheart is just checking him out now." I said before turning my attention to the nurse and human.

After a few minutes, the white Earth pony stopped and gave us a calming look. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that he’s fine, and he is still breathing, if a bit shallowly.”

“What’s the bad news?” Asked Dash, her wings giving a nervous flutter every so often as we all stood there. Fluttershy seemed just as nervous, staying by Drakalian’s side as we all waited. Strange enough, I noticed that she didn’t leave the human’s side even when Redheart was examining him. Applejack was nervous as well, but she didn’t seem as nervous as the rest of us, which I found a bit strange, but I was brought back to attention when the nurse began to speak again.

“Well, the bad news is that he…um…he’s having a panic attack.”

My eyes went wide with shock as I looked at the human before back at Redheart. “A panic attack? But this is nothing like it says in the books.”

She gave a small nod before continuing. “I know, this is a very strange case of a panic attack, at least in my time being here. However, it’s not unlikely for a panic attack to look like this, it’s just not that common. I can’t really explain why this happened, or how it happened, or even why he just locked up like this. All I do know is that the best way to help him is to calm him down from whatever he is worried about.”

“B-But…but what is making him worried?” Fluttershy asked, looking up at the panic stricken human.

“I believe we can help with that.” Said a rather familiar voice from behind us. Surprised and curious, we all turned around to see whom it was, only to be met with something that I never thought I would see.

It was both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna…along with a dozen of the best Day Guards alongside both of them. We all simply stood there for a few seconds before any of us said or did anything. I was the first one to react, quickly shaking my head to clear it before running over to my mentor, a smile on my face.

Once I reached the white Alicorn, I gave her a quick hug. "Princess Celestia! It's good to see you again." I exclaimed, before realizing the rather large number of guards that were with her. Confused, I looked at both princesses. "Wait, why do you have guards with you? Has something happened to Canterlot?" At this I grew worried, but it was thankfully calmed down by my mentor.

"Rest assured, Twilight, everything is fine back at Canterlot. I am, however, more worried with this new guest that we have." Said the Sun Princess, giving me a hug in return before looking at Drakalian with a curious look.

I gave my mentor a confused look, not sure what she meant by that. However, before I could ask her what she meant by that , Celestia spoke up once again.

"Fret not, my faithful student, you have done nothing wrong, and thankfully nothing bad has happened as of yet. In fact I should thank you girls for finding him and making sure that all stayed safe during his stay here." She said, giving a quick smile on her muzzle before it went back to her more serious expression. She then turned her attention to Redheart. "If we may, Nurse Redheart , could we borrow one of your patient rooms for a few minutes?"

"Of course, your Highness. It's no trouble at all." The nurse stated, giving a small bow to both of the royal sisters before gently tugging the human with her mouth and leading us to an empty room. As the white mare brought Drakalian into the room, Celestia looked at the rest of us, still with her serious look.

"I'm sorry to say this, but I think it is best if it was just Luna and I here." She said, getting a surprised reaction from the six of us, and even more so from her guards.

"Princess, are you sure that's such a good idea? Even in its current condition, we're not sure if-" one of the guards started to say before being interrupted by the Solar Princess.

"I'm quite sure, Hammerhoof, though your caution is noted. Now, if you will please excuse us..."

We were all hesitant for a few seconds, my friends and I mostly because we were worried for Drakalian, while the guards were more worried for the princess's safety. After a few moments, however, we each gave a nod before turning to wait in the waiting room. As I turned to join my friends, I was stopped by the white Alicorn's voice.

"Twilight, I would like it if you could stay with us please." Stated Celestia with a calming expression on her face.

I blinked in surprise as I turned to face the two princesses, confusion evident on my own face. "Me? I-I mean, of course Princess, but may I ask why?"

"Of course you may ask Twilight, I'm just worried with what his reaction will be once he sees us." Said the white mare, and before I could ask her anything else, they turned and walked into the room. After a few seconds of hesitating, I followed them in soon afterwards.

Once the three of us were in, I closed the door behind me before looking back at Drakalian to see what his condition was. Thankfully, or maybe not thankfully, very little seemed to have changed from his appearance. Not really sure what I should do at this time, I simply sat down at a nearby table as I watch both princesses look Drakalian over.

After a few moments of silence, it was Luna who first spoke. "You see sister. Tis he."

It was the first time I heard the dark Alicorn speak since she arrived here, and even though I could tell she was speaking old Equestrian again, instead of it being its normal light hearted tone, her voice seemed to have a more...neutral tone to it than before.

Before I could ask anything, the Solar Princess spoke up. "I must agree, Luna. It appears your intuition was right. However, I'm still worried about his reaction to seeing us, especially since we didn't part on the most...positive of terms."

"Do you think he would be able to forgive us, sister?" Luna asked. Celestia was about to respond, but before she could, she was interrupted by a rather large gasp, causing us to quickly shift our attention to the source of the sound.

As we watched, Drakalian seemed to be slowly relaxing from his stance, his good shoulder sagging slightly as he started to slowly move, almost like he was waking up from some sort of trance.

"Well, it looks like we shall have our answer soon." Said Celestia before she fell silent, waiting.

Author's Note

So, as you guys may have noticed, this chapter may seem a bit...blocky to you, as well as having a few more grammar errors then normal. That's because I'm now having to resort to typing this with my phone. So...while I was able to put up the majority on here with my computer, I finished the rest with my phone, starting where Twilight runs and hugs Celestia. I will be editing it to try and make it better to read, but until then, you guys will have to deal with this until I get to fixing all of it. So, with that said, I'll see you guys later.
PS: can anyone tell me how to indent the paragraphs with a mobile phone?

Chapter 10: Old Answers to New Questions

Author's Note

So...once again I'm feeling so bored that I'm going to be writing this with my phone. I apologies ahead for all the mistakes that I will most likely make.

Chapter 10: Old Answers to New Questions

(Celestia's POV)

We were all quiet as Drakalian started to move, starting with a twitch of his muscles here and there as he slowly started to wake up. Slowly at first, starting with his arms and back, the human began to uncurl from his temporary shell, his body relaxing as he got over the shock of what I assume was one of Pinkie's surprise parties. During all of this, the three of us remained quiet, wanting to wait for the human to be fully back in control of his body before we started talking.

Taking a quick look around, I noticed that Twilight still had a worried look on her face, her eyes not leaving the human's form for a second as he began to calm down. Luna looked just as worried as my student, if not more so, but she was hiding it behind a seemingly calm expression.

As for me, I too was worried about how this would play out. I had no idea how the human would react upon seeing the both of us. Granted he might not even recognize us at first, since we have changed quite a lot since we last saw each other. Thankfully centuries of dealing with all sorts of nobles helped me to keep my stoic look, my eyes not betraying what I was feeling at this time...or so I hope.

After what I believe was five minutes of silence, Drakalian finally moved his head up, slowly raising it until his eyes landed on the three of us. I did my best to look into his eyes, but as I did, he lowered his gaze, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with any of us.

'Still not comfortable with looking others in the eyes I see.' I thought to myself, giving a mental smile at the familiar action.

After a few more seconds of silence, I opened my mouth to speak, but was beaten to it by Twilight, who quickly ran to the human's side to get a better look at him.

"Drakalian, can you hear me? Are you ok? Do you feel dizzy or hurt, or-" my student started to say, the worry easily seen on her face. However, before my sister or I could intervene, the human slowly raised a shaky hand, stopping Twilight's barrage of questions.

"Stop."

It was just one word, spoken in a barely bearable tone, yet it was somehow enough to get my student to calm down. We all remained quiet for another minute as we waited for Drakalian to speak. Just when I thought he was going to remain silent, he finally spoke.

"I...I t-think...I'm good now." He said rather calmly, though I could still see the ocasional shaky hand every so often.

"Are you sure? I mean, you just froze up like that as soon as we all came out and surprised you. Do you even know what happened to yourself?" The purple unicorn asked, still not leaving his side even for a second.

The human shook his head, slowly leaning against the wall as he started to visibly relax some more. "That's the problem. I...I have no clue what caused me to act like that. All I remember is just walking in all relaxed, then when all of you guys jumped up and shouted surprise, I just...I froze. It was like my body was frozen yet I...I could still hear...and somewhat see...what was going on around me. It was...it was terrifying." Upon finishing his explanation, I saw another shiver going up his spine. Apparently I wasn't the only one to have noticed this, for Twilight seemed to notice as well and quickly but gently placed a hoof on his side to comfort him. He gave a sudden look of surprise before he relaxed again, reaching his opposite hand across his body and holding onto her hoof.

"Well, I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to help you figure all of this out; the amnesia, the sudden panic attack, I'm sure I can find something even closely related to-" Twilight started to say before being interrupted by my younger sister.

"Actually, Twilight Sparkle, we believe that we have the answers to some of the questions that you are looking for." Stated Luna, once again falling back on saying the royal "we" like before, though she at least remained in current Equestrian speech.

Upon hearing my sister's offer, both my student and the human gave her a surprised look, more so on Drakalian, who also seemed to be a bit curious and maybe...hopeful? It was hard to tell when he rarely glanced at our faces, not letting us get an accurate gauge on his internal emotions. "What do you mean, answers about me? I don't even know you two." The human stated, though his tone held no malice, simply stating a fact and no more.

"If I may, sister, I think I should take this part over for now." I suggested, turning my head to face the dark blue Alicorn. Luna looked at me with shock and slight distress, once again hiding it well from the others. The only reason why I was able to notice was because of us being siblings. As she was about to protest, I gave her a comforting look as I simply said, "Trust me on this."

My younger sister was silent for a few seconds before giving me a hesitant nod, taking a few steps to the side before waiting. Turning to face the human once again, I took a few steps closer to him, but stopped when I saw him visibly tense up, his hand tightening slightly on Twilight's hoof.

Giving a small frown, I took another cautious step forward before speaking. "Please, Drak, I don't mean to frighten you."

Drakalian was quiet for a moment before responding. "I...I know, I just...I just need some more time to...to calm down." He said, taking a few more deep breaths as he relaxed himself, his grip loosening on the purple unicorn's hoof as he did so. "So...what do you exactly know about me?" He asked, this time looking up at me more directly, yet still avoiding eye contact for the moment.

I took a deep breath before slowly exhaling it out, closing my eyes for a few seconds before opening them. This was it, the moment of truth, as it were. "Well...to start with...you should be dead." I stated, keeping my tone calm and neutral.

The human's eyes widened with surprise, yet besides that he seemed to be unfazed by this. My student, on the other hoof, looked shocked, her eyes wide and her mouth open slightly with a very surprised expression. "Dead? But...but why Princess? He's right here and alive, how could he be dead?" Twilight asked, removing her hoof from the human's grasp, yet still remaining next to him.

"I mean that both Luna and I know of him from a long time ago...a very long time ago, when we weren't Alicorns." I continued, causing more expressions of shock from the two, but I continued before they could say anything. "A long time ago, way before we even became princesses, both my sister and I were just normal ponies...well, normal ponies is a stretch, but that can be told later. I was a simple white Pegasus, while my sister here was a unicorn, doing what we had to do to survive during pre-Equestria times...and when I say survive, my little pony, I mean it in the literal term." I paused right then, allowing them to absorb the information before continuing. "During this time, there was a lot more violence going on, and the largest war was being taken place as well. It was during this time that we met, Drak...along with a few others, of course." I gave an internal smile at this, remembering all the others that I first met when introduced to the group by Indicus, and taking a glance to my sister, I could tell that she was thinking the same as well. Before I could continue, however, I was interrupted by the human.

"How long?" He asked, his face gaining a calm demeanor once again as he looked at me, his eyes this time glancing at my own for a few seconds before looking away. "How...how long ago was this?"

I was quiet for a moment as I thought of the answer, but it was Luna that spoke up before me, gaining the rest of our attention to her. "We believe it was...at least two and a half thousand years ago, if not more." She said, looking at the rest of us.

Twilight and Drakalian looked at me in disbelief, but I simply nodded my head in agreement, letting them know that my sister was right. "That sounds about right. It was around twenty five hundred years when we first met the group that you were with." I replied before falling silent to allow that information to sink in, while also checking to see how they would react to the news.

Twilight was, for a lack of a better term, stunned. Her eyes were wide with complete shock and her mouth was open and slack. I could already guess the hundreds of questions that she was most likely thinking over, making me give an internal smile. Drak, however, seemed to be...blank. His expression hardly changed after what I said about him being two and a half thousand years in the future.

Suddenly, he grabbed his head and winced, much like if he suddenly bumped his head on a doorframe. Before I could do anything, Luna was already taking a few steps forward, the worry easily seen on her face this time.

"Drak, art thou ok? what is wrong with thy mazzard?" She asked, this time slipping into Old Equestrian. At this point she was suddenly standing right next to him, leaning her head down a bit to get a better look at him to see what was wrong. After a few moments of silence, my sister was about to ask the human again when he slowly pulled his hand away from his head, squinting his eyes for a few seconds before looking up at the dark blue Alicorn.

"I...I'm fine. I just...just got a headache, that's...that's all." He simply stated, giving her a small, comforting smile. I could still see the tension in his body due to the way he was standing, but like always, he somehow kept it in for the moment. Even then, I could see him visibly relax slightly as he looked at my sister, who gave a relieved smile in return.

Upon noticing how close she was to Drak, however, she quickly took a few steps back, her smile turning to a more nervous and sheepish look. "Oh...um, we art...I mean...that's...that's good." She stated, clearing her throat a bit as she gained a more calm expression. "My apologies for overreacting, Drakalian."

The human still smiled, giving a light shake of his head. "No need to apologize. You were worried, I understand that. I most likely would be as well. I guess...I just need to rest for a bit." He said, covering his mouth in a sudden yawn.

"Oh no, I forgot! It's most likely really late right now, and you are still recovering from your injuries. You need to get some sleep now." Exclaimed Twilight, giving a worried look to the human before looking over to my sister and I. "My apologies, Celestia, but Drakalian should be resting right now. I hope you don't mind if we continue this another time?" She asked me politely, slight worry in her eyes.

This caused Luna to raise an eyebrow in surprise, staring at both the unicorn and human in mild confusion. "Really? And pray tell what these 'injuries' of his are?" She asked.

"I can help tell you that, sister, but my student is right. He does need his rest after the day that he has been through." I said, causing my sister to frown a bit. Not wanting to upset my sister from having to leave the human alone after such a long time of seeing him, I quickly thought of another idea. "If you would like to hear it now, however, I'm sure they would be more then happy to tell you what happened during his first meeting here." I offered, glancing at the other two to see if they were indeed ok with this. Upon hearing no objections, I gave a smile and turned to see what Luna's response would be.

The dark Alicorn was quiet for a few moments as she thought it over. After a few moments of pondering it over, she gave a small smile and a nod of agreement. "That sounds well enough. We accept." Stated Luna, moving over to the door and opening it for us to leave.

I smiled and nodded my thanks as I walked on through, followed by Twilight and Drakalian, the dark blue Alicorn leaving the door open behind her so the doctors and nurses would know that it was now unoccupied. Once out of the room, we began to walk back to the waiting room to meet the others, who were no doubt curious as to what happened in there.

(Drakalian's POV)

I walked slowly as I followed Princess Celestia, Twilight on one side of me while Princess Luna was on the other, the latter staring at me rather uncomfortably.

Clearing my throat a bit, I turned my attention to the younger Alicorn as I addressed her. "Uh, is there something you need, Princess?" I asked, still not giving any eye contact.

Luna blinked a couple of times before giving a slightly sheepish look as she stopped her staring, her wings giving what seemed to be a nervous shuffle. "My apologies, Drak. I just...I have quite a lot of questions that are floating around my mind, yet I can't figure the answer to any of them. It just...it's just so confusing." She sighed, looking down at her hooves.

I looked at her for a few seconds before turning my attention forward again. "Well, I wish I could help you, Princess, but I-"

"Luna. Please, just Luna will do." She interrupted, raising her head to look back at me.

I paused for a moment before giving her a nod, still keeping my gaze mostly forward with only a few glances to the Princess. "Ok then, like I said Luna, I would like to help you, but I'm having my own memory problems that I need to figure out. Maybe once my memory returns I might be able to give you some answers...if it ever returns..." I said, whispering the last part mostly to myself. However, both Luna and Twilight seemed to have heard it, the latter giving my side a surprising nuzzle to help calm me down.

"Hey, don't start thinking like that. I said that I'll find a way to fix your amnesia, no matter how long it takes, and I intend to do so." She promised, looking up at my face with a comforting smile.

Looking down at the purple unicorn, I gave her my own thankful smile, a small bit of hope coming from her words. "And I'm certain that you will find a way to do so, Twilight. I'm lucky to have a friend like you." I stated, giving her a nod of thanks.

As we smiled at each other, I found my eyes slowly drawn to her own, and when I finally made eye contact, I felt...well, something. It was hard to be certain, but I suddenly felt a wave of determination and confidence flow through my body, along with happiness and care, causing me to feel happy as well. As I continued to look in the unicorn mare's eyes, for whatever reason, I was able to tell that she felt my own happiness, causing her smile to grow slightly. Our eyes remained locked like this for another few moments before...

"Well Drak, if you and my student are done staring into each other's souls like two lovebirds, I believe that my sister would like an explanation as to how you got your wounds." Celestia suddenly spoke, causing the three of us to give a slight jump of surprise before Twilight and I blushed with embarrassment.

"What?! But I...we weren't...and I was...and he just..." Began the purple pony, stuttering as she tried to correct her teacher of her comment. Meanwhile, I was just too shocked to even say anything, not trusting myself to do anything better than how Twilight was already trying. I mean, I do like her, but not...not like that. I'm sure she is an attractive mare in her own right, but at the moment I just didn't see it myself. I'm not saying I think she's ugly, far from it, but we only just met less then a week ago, and besides that, I thought her more as a close friend then anything...maybe even a sibling, despite having known her for such a short time, but nothing more then that. Before I could gather my thoughts and think anymore on the situation, I heard Luna clear her throat to gain our attention, causing the both of us to turn and face her.

"If you would please, we would like it if you would be so kind as to recall how you came to obtain those injuries..." She started to say before falling silent as she waited for my response.

Taking a few deep breaths to help calm myself down and clear my blushing face, I decided to put those more romantic thoughts to the back of my mind for now, not wanting to worry about such things at this time. Right now, I had more important things to figure out, and sexual attractions was not on the high priority list. "I'm sorry, Luna, I forgot that I was going to tell you about my wounds. I guess the best place to start is when I woke up in the forest..."

Chapter 11: Finally Getting Settled In

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 12: First "Normal" Day Part One: Morning

(Drakalian POV)

The birds were chirping as I slowly felt my body awaken from its slumber. I could feel the warm rays of the sun gently beam on my bare arm, which happened to be lazily laying outside of the bed...as well as my feet, which were sticking above and out of the foot of the bed. While the bed may have been small, at least it was still comfortable.

I remained laying there for a good few minutes, simply hearing the birds outside singing and my own breathing and heartbeat. It was an interesting feeling, just laying there and observing one's surroundings, barely moving a muscle, especially considering the past few days when I didn't really give myself a chance to do so at the hospital. However, the silence was soon broken by the sounds of wood creaking and a door slowly opening. I remained silent, not really finding a need to say or do anything to let them know I was awake, and after a few moments of silence, I finally heard someone speak, and it was easy to recognize the purple unicorn's voice as she did her best to keep her volume down.

"You see, he's still asleep. Now let's just leave him be, he's had a rough night last night, he can use the extra rest." She whispered, doing her best not to wake me up I'm assuming.

"But Twilight, he's been doing nothing but sleeping for the past five days. I think he would prefer it if he got up early to do something else besides sleep." Said a younger voice, whom I quickly recognized as Spike's. It seemed that the young dragon had no problem talking in a normal voice and not a whisper, despite what the purple unicorn thought.

"Sshh! He is still recovering from his injuries, he needs as much sleep as possible." Stated Twilight softly, doing her best to get her assistant to lower his tone down. "Besides, breakfast isn't even ready yet, and I don't want him trying to try out the spell with an empty stomach."

"You do that all the time though..."

"Yes, but that was...cause it was...well...that doesn't matter. The point is that I don't want him getting stressed out so early, and-"

"I thank you guys for the thought, but I AM awake now." I finally spoke, deciding to intervene on the drake's half, turning myself around in my bed as I opened my eyes. After blinking them for a few moments to clear the morning fuzziness, I was finally able to see both unicorn and dragon looking at me in surprise, the latter more so then the former. "Besides, it was rather boring laying in bed doing nothing for the past...however many days it was."

"Five days." Replied Spike, getting a small chuckle from the dragon and an annoyed stare from Twilight.

The purple mare was silent for a few moments before she gave a quick shake of her head, looking back at me. "I know, but it's for your own health. You need to rest as much as possible, otherwise complications may happen, you may get stressed out again, maybe reopen one of your wounds, get another-"

I quickly stopped her with a lazy wave of my hand, slowly getting up on an elbow, thankfully it was my good one, propping myself up to look at them better. "Like I said, I appreciate the thought, but I assure you, I'm fine...really, I am." I said, doing my best to reassure her.

They were silent for a few moments, none of us bothering to say anything, the tension in the air making it feel slightly...awkward, for some reason. After a good few seconds though, Spike gave a small sigh as he turned around to leave. "Well, I'm going to get breakfast ready, I hope you like pancakes, cause that's what's on the menu today." Before I could even say another thing, the purple dragon left the room, leaving Twilight and I alone.

We were both quiet for a while, neither of us saying anything. Before it could get really awkward, I recalled what she said and asked, "So, what's this about a spell Twilight?"

She perked up upon hearing this, smiling as she said, "Well, it's not really anything concrete yet, but I was able to find a book on mind spells, namely ones that help with memory problems."

This got me wide eyed really fast, the fatigue of waking up completely gone from my body as I sat up quickly. "Really? You found something to help get my memory back already?" I said, a little excitedly.

The purple unicorn's smile quickly turned into a slight frown as she heard my response. "Well, I wouldn't say that exactly. Like I said, it's just the book I found, and since I only just found it this morning, I didn't get a chance to read it just yet." She replied before going into deep thought. "Also, from what I can tell, I'm not sure if it will work on a human. In fact, I'm not sure if it would work on anything but a pony."

As I listened, I could feel my shoulders sag slightly as I looked at my hands on my lap, which was thankfully still covered by my blanket, though I didn't really take my shorts off from last night, so that was a moot point. "O-oh..." was all I said for the time being before falling silent. After a good while, I realized that I was getting sad all over again and quickly shook my head, looking up as I did my best to give a small smile. "Well, at least it's something, right? I mean, there might be a chance that one of those spells could work, correct?"

At this, Twilight gave a quick nod and a smile. "Of course, there's always a chance." She said, walking up and giving my good shoulder a gentle pat. "I just wanted to let you know in case it doesn't work or it turns out to be unable to help you. All I ask is to try and not get your hopes too high, but don't give up hope just yet." She said, doing her best to comfort me.

Nodding, I pat the hoof that was on my shoulder before getting up and giving myself a small stretch. "Well, that's all I can ask for I guess. Shall we go and get ourselves some breakfast?" I asked, grabbing my hoodie and putting it on.

"Sure, the pancakes should be done by now anyways." She said, opening the door with her magic to let us through.

Smiling, and feeling a bit better about how the day might go, I left the room and followed the unicorn down the stairs and into what I assume is the...dining room, I think? I wasn't really sure, but either way, it had a table and chairs (though they looked more like stools than chairs), with a few plates full of pancakes on them already on the table, Spike eating one of said plates. Twilight gave a small sigh, which got the young dragon's attention, and looking up, he gave a sheepish smile and a small wave, swallowing what was already in his mouth before responding.

"Um...I was hungry..." He replied, slowly placing his fork down as he waited for a response from the purple pony.

"I know, but you could have at least waited for us to join you." Twilight replied, giving a small giggle as she joined him at the table. Following suit, I sat down as well, feeling a little awkward at the seating, but thankfully I was able to make due. The height difference wasn't that different for me when I sat down, though the table did seem a little higher than it should be, coming right up to my chest when I sat on the chair. Twilight noticed this and, giving a sheepish smile of her own, said, "Um...I guess I should get some different chairs too then, huh?"

I gave a quick shake of my head, adjusting myself slightly so it wasn't as awkward to reach the plate and fork that was in front of me. "No, it's ok. I can make due with this." I said, taking the fork that was in front of me. As I did so, I noticed that the fork was also rather small in my hand, making me stare at it for a few moments before sighing. "Although it will take some getting used to."

At this, the unicorn's look went from sheepish to slightly concerned. "But Drakalian, I can get some more things more fitting for your size. I mean, I'm sure I can find something more fitting for a Minotaur that could easily fit you, or even-" Twilight started to say, before being interrupted by Spike.

"Twilight, relax. At this rate you're going to replace everything in the library just to make him feel more comfortable." He said, having already gone back to eating his breakfast.

This got the pony to stop her talking, blushing as she realized that he was right. "W-well...I just want him to be more comfortable while he stays with us. It won't do me to neglect such things, being the hostess and all." She explained, tracing the table with a hoof.

"It's fine, really." I said, getting her attention back to me. "I don't want you to spend everything on me to make me feel more at home...especially since I can't even remember what my 'home' really is." I said, giving a small, light-hearted chuckle. Thankfully, this seemed to get a slight giggle out of Twilight as well.

"Well...I...I mean, if you're sure..." She said, looking back at me to make sure I was being sure. Of course, I once again avoided looking at her eyes, which was simultaneously making me nervous and annoyed. Before I could reply, however, the young dragon (with a rather full mouth) spoke up.

"Of course he's fine, now are you two going to eat your breakfasts?" said Spike, already almost done with his own pancakes. It was at this point that we both realized that we hadn't even touched our food yet, so without bothering to reply to him, we both quickly dug in, Twilight using her magic while I used my...well, hands.

We were all quiet during the first few minutes of eating, simply enjoying the food that the young dragon made for us. I had to say, they were rather good pancakes...then again, I had no idea if I had pancakes or not...wait, how do I know what pancakes are but not everything else? As I started to think about it, I realized that Twilight was talking to me.

"Drakalian, you ok? Hello?" She said, quickly shaking me out of my stupor.

"Oh, sorry Twilight. I was...well, I was just thinking about something." I said, taking another bite of my food.

This seemed to get the unicorn's interest, perking her up slightly. "Really? What about?" She asked, seemingly eager to know what it was.

"Well, I have amnesia, right? So how come I can remember certain things, yet other stuff just completely slips my mind?" I asked, taking another bite of my food.

Twilight paused her eating as she went quiet, seeming to be in deep thought for a few moments before responding. "Well, there're many different types of amnesia, and each one is...different in what they do, so to speak. First we have anterograde amnesia, which is when one can't remember certain events, but that's normally due to brain damage, which also in turn would affect the creating of new memories, yet they keep their long term memories. You don't have to worry about that, since I doubt that's the kind of amnesia you have. What I'm hoping that you have is just retrograde amnesia, which is the more...common amnesia, I guess. At least when it comes to physical memory damage. If it's this then we will have a much easier chance of recovering your memories. However, one of the main ways of recovering somepony's memory in this kind of amnesia is usually with a familiar object or by simply talking about said memory could cause you to remember, but since you didn't seem affected when you saw the necklace...at least, not as far as any pony could tell, then I'm starting to think it may be a more post-tramautic amnesia. Honestly, it could easily be both, part of your mind being repressed due to...um, why are you asleep Spike?"

I blinked when I realized that I had been zoning out a little, and after rubbing my eyes a little, I saw that Twilight was staring at a rather tired dragon with his face on his empty plate. As soon as his name was called, Spike quickly sat up, shaking his head as he gave a sheepish grin. "Oh, nothing, I was...um, just admiring the detail to this, um...this plate, yes! It's so intricate and...um, platy..." He said, his embarrassment only seeming to grow.

The purple unicorn simply looked at her assistant for a few moments before sighing as she looked down at her own empty plate, having finished it during her small speech. "I got...carried away again, didn't I?" She said in a rather matter of fact tone, to which the dragon simply nodded. "Sorry about that Drakalian."

I gave a shrug as I also finished the last of my pancakes. "It's all good. In fact, what you said does make sense."

At this, the unicorn looked up in surprise at me. "Wait, it does?"

"Sure it does. I mean...most of it did. I got the gist of what you were saying, so...I have either this...um, retro-grade amnesia, or this post traumatic amnesia, right? So it seems like all we have to do is figure out which one it is then."

Nodding, Twilight levitated our plates in a small pile before placing them to the side for now. "That's the idea, but first I need to read the book that I found, and that may take a while, just to make sure I have everything right and such. If I make a single mistake, it may...well, it may cause your memory to get even worse, or even make you brain dead. Oh...I really don't want anything like that to happen, what if I misspell something, or cast something at the wrong time, you may just end up becom-"

I quickly stopped her with a wave of my hand. "Twilight, it's fine, really. The fact that you're doing this means everything to me, and I have complete faith in you that you'll be able to find the right spell." I said, doing my best to prevent her from having one of her panic attacks that I have heard so much about...well, more like stress attack I guess.

Taking a deep breath, the pony seemed to calm herself down some before smiling back at me with a look of what I assume was thanks. "Thanks Drakalian. I'm just...I really want this to work. Imagine if it does, then that means we have somepony else who would have almost as much memory as the Princesses themselves, just in a different perspective. It could change the history books and everything we knew about our past before Equestria was even...well, Equestria."

Her enthusiasm seemed to be contagious, as I felt my own excitement get the best of me, sitting up suddenly with a small smile on my face. "Is there anything I could do to help?" I asked, already feeling myself get even more...pumped up, for the possible learning.

However, to my slight confusion, Twilight simply shook her head. "Not right now, there isn't. In fact, it might be best if you didn't try and read the book at all, otherwise it might affect the results, making you think too much on the subject. The less you think about it, the better chance we have of recovering your memory." She said, standing up as she gathered the plates to bring to the kitchen.

I felt all my energy simply vanish upon hearing what she said, simply saying, "Oh..." as I sunk some more in my chair, looking at my hands as I did so. I then felt a slight tug on my chin, which caused me to look up, seeing Twilight nudge my chin up with her magic to get me to look at her smiling.

"Hey, there will be plenty of chances for you to help. In fact, what if you read some of our own history books that we have. It may jog your memory back if we're lucky." She offered, levitating a book towards me before placing it down in front of me. Curious, I read the title of the book, which said The History of Equestria with a picture of what appeared to be Celestia and Luna circling each other.

Feeling a bit better, I took the book in hand and stood up. "Thanks Twilight. At least this will be better than just staring at a ceiling all day." I said, chuckling at one of the few memories that I did have; when I was first here and at the hospital.

"If you want, I have a couch in the main room that you can use to sit as you read. I'm just going to be in my room writing some notes." She said. Giving her a nod, she smiled a bit more, turning around to bring the plates to the kitchen. "Great. Just let me or Spike know if you need anything." She said, and with that, along with her dragon, they both left the room, leaving me all alone.

I was quiet at first, simply staring at the book a bit unsure as to what I should do, despite being told it literally a few moments ago. Soon, I shook my head and picked up the book, leaving the room as well and entering the main room. Looking around, I did indeed find the couch that Twilight mentioned. Sitting down, I was glad to see that at least the couch was big enough for me, and getting comfortable, I opened the book and began to read it.

Ok, let's see, Chapter One, the Pony Tribes...

Chapter 13: First "Normal" Day Part Two: Morning-Noon

...trapping the spirit of chaos in a prison of stone.

Once again, I felt a slight throb in my head as I continued to read, but just like the other times, nothing came out of it, except getting me a little more annoyed. Ever since I started reading the history book Twilight gave me, I would get random spikes of pain, nothing serious, but still noticeable. They would only prick my head slightly for a moment or two before completely disappearing, like it never happened in the first place.

Getting tired of these constant head pains, I started to skim the book, hoping to find something that might give a reason as to why I was getting so many small headaches, yet finding nothing. Giving a tired groan, I was just about to close the book when something suddenly caught my eye. Taking a closer look, I read...

And so, with a heavy heart, Celestia banished her only sister to the moon, never to be seen for a thousand years.

Curious once again, I skimmed back a few pages until I found where the chapter started, the title of the chapter reading, "The Rise of Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon? Why does that sound so...familiar? I thought, before once again gaining yet another headache. This one was similar to the rest, yet it stayed for a good while longer before fading away. Groaning even louder, I was about to simply place the book aside when I heard the front door open.

Looking up, I was curious as to who would be here, only to see Rarity enter the library, a book floating in her magic. She gave a quick look around and, spotting me, gave a slight start before smiling, closing the door and approaching me.

"Why, good morning Drakalian. I forgot that Twilight offered for you to stay here. How are you this fine morning?" She asked, giving a friendly smile.

I gave a small shrug as I rubbed my temple with a hand. "Well...not that bad, though it could be better."

The white unicorn raised an eyebrow at my comment. "Better? Why, whatever do you mean?"

Looking down at my book, I let out a small sigh before closing it and placing it on the table in front of me. "Well, Twilight offered this history book for me to read, hoping that it might jog back some memories or something, yet all I got was minor headache after minor headache, with nothing to show for it." I explained, giving a small sigh. "No matter what I read, or how many headaches I got, I still don't know anything more about my past."

"I'll say. Why would Twilight think that you reading a history book would help you with your memory?" Asked the fashion pony, seeming to be more confused than before.

"Well, since I apparently knew the Princesses before they were Alicorns, Twilight thought that by reading some of the history of Equestria might jog something in my mind, yet like I said, all I got was head pains, which doesn't really...um, why are you looking at me like that?"

It was at this point that I noticed Rarity had her mouth open in shock, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at me. She was quiet for a few moments, making me worried that I might have said something wrong, before she suddenly shook her head and, with a much calmer expression, asked, "Pardon me, dear, but...did you just say that you knew the Princesses before they were...well, princesses?"

I was confused with what she was talking about, then I remembered that she wasn't with us when the Princesses told me about when we knew each other. Realizing that she may not know, I gave a nervous chuckle as I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh...um, y-yea, I kind of...kind of do I guess. I mean, not right now, with the whole amnesia thing, but still...yea..." I then paused as I looked around for a few moments, trying to figure out why she sounded so confused about this, thinking that Twilight told them already. "I thought you guys already knew about it...right?"

The fashion unicorn shook her head. "I'm sorry darling, but I can't say that I did know about it. When did you find out?"

"Well, just yesterday, right when I calmed down after the party and...they told...me about...oh. You weren't there for that." I slowly spoke, having it finally dawn on me that only Twilight and I knew about it, the rest of them having been in the waiting room back at the hospital. "So...well, you know it now at least."

"Yes I do now. So, let me see if I got this right, you apparently know both Celestia and Luna before Equestria was a nation? Then that must mean..." As Rarity continued to speak, her eyes slowly got wider with surprise, the full impact of what I was saying sinking in. "Then that means you must be at least a thousand years old!" She exclaimed, looking up at me in shock and slight awe.

I blushed as I simply looked around, unsure as to what I should do other than to nod. "Well, about two and a half thousand years ago, is what they said."

The unicorn's eyes went even wider, and I was starting to think that maybe it was a bad thing to tell others about this when I heard hoof steps coming down the stairs.

"Rarity, is that you?" Both the white pony and I turned to look up the stairs, seeing Twilight looking back down at us as she descended them. "I thought I heard somepony enter, but what are you doing-"

"Twilight, darling, did you know that Drakalian knew the Princesses over two thousand years ago?!" Exclaimed Rarity, the shock still evident on her face. The purple mare was confused for a few moments before realization sunk in, her eyes going a little bit wide with surprise as she turned to face me then back at her friend.

"Well, yes I did. Celestia told us about it right after he recovered from his panic attack. I was going to tell you girls, but...well, it kind of got a little late. Sorry about that." She explained, her ears flattening against her head as she stared at her hooves.

"Oh, no need to be sorry, I'm just surprised and excited. Just think of what different kinds of clothing they could have worn back then. The different fashion, different styles, ooh, it just sounds so magical." She said, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her comment.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude, Rarity, but...I can't really remember anything from then, let alone any fashion that was popular during that time." I said, hoping I didn't come off as too mean.

The white mare seemed to be a little confused at this for a few moments before realizing why this was the case. "Oh, right. The whole amnesia thing..." She spoke softly, looking down at her own hooves in slight disappointment. Upon seeing how sad she seemed to be, I went to try and comfort her, but before I could she suddenly seemed to perk up. "Well, no matter. I'm sure there will be another time to ask such questions, no need to worry about it now. Just do your best to get your memory back, ok darling?"

I was a little taken aback from the sudden change in moods, but nevertheless, I gave a small smile and a nod of thanks and understanding. "Thank you Rarity, and when I do get my memory back, if anything about fashion pops up, you'll be the first to know."

The mare gave a small giggle of delight, but still shook her head. "Thank you, but I assure you, it's all fine. I don't want you stressing over little old me, ok?"

"Well...ok then, but if it does happen, I'll still be willing to tell you about it."

Rarity smiled at this. "Thanks dear, but honestly, don't worry about it too much. If it does come up, then I will be more than happy to talk about it." She said, giving a small nod. It was at this point that Twilight finally interrupted us.

"Anyways, if you two are done talking about fashion, then care to tell me why you came here with a book Rarity?" the purple librarian asked curiously.

"Oh yes. Sweetie Belle said she borrowed a book from here a few days ago, but apparently she forgot to give it back. I found it among some of her...Crusader notes just now. Normally I would tell her to bring it back to you herself, but since she's at school right now, and I'm currently lacking in inspiration at the moment, I thought it best to just give it to you myself." She explained, floating the book towards Twilight, who took it in her own magical grasp before examining it.

Looking it over, she said, "Huh...'Sewing 101'? You may want to check your sewing supplies just in case, cause I get a feeling I know what they may be trying to do for their next...Crusade."

The white unicorn simply chuckled at this. "Oh, no worries dear, I already checked as soon as I saw what the title was, and nothing is missing from them thankfully. I even made sure to lock up my extra sewing kit just in case, and she knows not to touch my stuff without my permission."

"Oh, well as long as you're sure." Twilight said, placing the book back on the shelf. "Is there anything else you need perhaps? Maybe I can help before I start a few tests on some spells." She offered.

Rarity just shook her head at this. "Oh, no need Twilight, though thanks for the offer. If I may ask, though, what tests are you going to be doing?" She asked, her head cocked to the side in curiosity.

"Oh, nothing major, just some memory spells and recalling spells that may-" She started to say, only for me to suddenly interrupt. I was busy scanning through the history book again as I waited, partially to keep me occupied as I listened, when I suddenly heard Twilight say something about memory spells.

"Wait, did you read the book already?" I asked, a bit surprised that she read it all so quickly, and excited that I may be getting my memory back much sooner.

This caused Twilight to smile, giving a nod before replying, "I sure did. It didn't take that long, since it was only about four hundred pages, but it was rather thorough with how to cast the spells. See, since this is about the mind and memories, the spells...well, they are...um..." At this, the purple pony paused, seeming to be searching for the right word to describe the spells in question.

"Difficult?" Offered Rarity.

Twilight shook her head. "No, not really. More like...complicated I think. You need to cast each part of the spell at the precise moment, and each one has to be done exactly as written, otherwise there is a very likely chance of...messing something up, to put it lightly."

"Messing it up how?" I asked.

"For starters, if I cast the spell on you now, you would either become a complete cabbage or...well...your brain may combust." She stated, smiling sheepishly.

We were all quiet for a good while after hearing that, Rarity looking a little pale paler then normal, while I felt a bit...unsettled. "Well...I guess I can wait then. I kind of like my brain not...exploded." I said, giving a nervous chuckle.

The purple unicorn gave a nervous chuckle at that as well. "Yea, it may be for the best. But don't worry, once I figure it out, then we can give it a try on you. Though only a small try, nothing too big, otherwise it may make things more difficult than they really should be." She said. I gave a nod of understanding at this, but I was still rather...disappointed...that I wouldn't be getting my memories as soon as I thought I would be. Apparently Twilight noticed this and, after a moment of silence, noticed I was still holding the book in my hand. "By any chance, did reading that history book help you with your memories?" She asked.

I let out a small sigh as I held the book in front of me, looking at it in annoyance. "No...at least, not as far as I can tell. All I kept getting were small headaches and such every so often." I replied, placing the book on the table before going to sit down. Twilight cocked her head to the side before taking the history book in her magic as well to get a closer look.

"A few small headaches...hmm. Well, it's not a lot, but it's a start." She said, confusing me.

"What do you mean 'it's not a lot'? If anything, it's nothing at all."

"Perhaps, but those headaches could also mean that those memories are still in your brain, so to speak."

"Explain?"

"Well, from what I read, repressed memories, which is most likely what you have, need to be coaxed out, like a foal first learning to use magic. You shouldn't rush it otherwise it may make things worse." She started, rubbing her chin in thought as she continued. "That doesn't mean that it will be slow, it just means it will take some time. The memories can come on their own if we let them and give the right nudge here and there. Since you seemed to get some sort of reaction from reading the book, then that means that you still remember...well, something, you just need to dig it out. They just need some more coaxing, to get them to resurface, like a major event in your life, or a personal object you might have owned at one time."

I was quiet as I listened to her, though it was rather...difficult to follow along. What I was able to understand made some sense; the headaches meant my mind was trying to recall the information, but it was apparently not enough. I just had to find something that was major during my life, or an object of great importance to me. I then remembered the necklace and, pulling it out of my pocket to look at it, I said, "But...I have my necklace, yet that didn't work back at the hospital."

"Maybe it wasn't enough?" Suggested Rarity, who had been quiet for the most part of Twilight talking. "It could be that something else is connected to the necklace that may cause you to remember something."

"It is curious that the necklace didn't cause you to remember something. The way Luna and Celestia acted, you would think that it was important to you by itself." the purple mare said before falling silent.

"Well, perhaps you need to wear it more than once and for a lot longer." Suggested the fashion pony, taking the necklace in her magic. "If I may Drakalian?"

Giving a small nod, I lowered my head slightly so she could reach it...though in hindsight, that was probably unnecessary. At any rate, once it was on, I waited for a few moments, expecting something to happen, when it was obvious that nothing was going to happen. Letting out a small sigh, I was about to comment on the fact when the fashion pony, upon seeing my reaction said, "I doubt it will happen as soon as you placed it on for the second time. These things take patience...at least from what Twilight said."

Giving a small nod, I replied, "I know, I just...well, wishful thinking I guess..."

"Well, no worries darling, I understand. These things take time, like trying to figure out the next big thing in fashion. You can't rush perfection." She said, taking a few steps closer to comfort me. "If I may, at least it looks-"

She suddenly stopped as her eyes went wide before taking a few hasty steps back, covering her nose in the process. "Ugh! Drakalian...darling...not to be rude, but...when was the last time you washed?"

Confused, I said, "Um...w-well, I didn't get a chance to wash up back at the hospital, so..." I paused and looked down at myself, even pulling at my hoodie to try and smell it, though I didn't smell anything. "Do I...is it really that bad?"

"I'll say. I mean...thankfully it's not as bad from a distance, but still..." She replied, waving the air in front of her to try and get the smell away from her.

Feeling slightly hurt, I turned to face Twilight and asked, "Did you notice Twilight?"

The unicorn was silent for a few moments before, with an embarrassed look as she glanced towards her hooves, she said, "Um...well...I was going to mention it but I...got distracted...with the book...sorry..."

I let out a small sigh of annoyance before looking at myself yet again, still a bit confused as to how I didn't notice that I smelled in the first place. Giving a small shrug, I simply gave up and asked, "Um...could I use your shower then Twilight?"

Giving a relieved smile, the purple mare nodded. "Of course. The bathroom should be up the stairs and to the-" She began to say, before something that sounded like water running started, along with...whistling?

Apparently Twilight knew what it was, and letting out a small sigh, she said, "You may need to wait for Spike though..."

I raised an eyebrow at her sudden mood change and asked, "Ok...how long will that take?"

"Most likely thirty minutes."

This time I too gave out my own sigh before I went to sit down on the couch, only to remember that it might not be a good idea considering that I smelled and such. After a few moments of awkward silence, Rarity was the one to speak up. "So...perhaps you could at least take those clothes off? That could reduce the...stench...as we wait for Spike to finish his shower." She suggested.

I shook my head at this before glancing towards Twilight, seeing her look at me with a slight blush as we both remembered what happened when I WAS naked. "Um...t-that wouldn't be that wise of an idea." I said, bringing my eyes towards the ground as I felt my cheeks heating up a little.

Cocking her head, the white unicorn asked, "Um...pardon? Surely you would feel a lot better with those dirty things off of you. I mean, it must be very uncomfortable wearing such filthy clothing."

I was silent for a few moments as I thought of a way to reply, hopefully in a way that would make her understand better than how I first explained it to Twilight, but the purple pony was faster with the response. "Well, according to Drakalian, humans don't have any...natural protection, like fur or scales and...well, they are kind of...um...exposed when their clothes aren't on." She replied, explaining it a lot better then I did.

Rarity was quiet at first, simply staring at us with confusion. However, that confusion slowly turned into realization, causing her to look at me with a small blush before shaking her head to clear it. "Oh, w-well...I-I believe that's as good of a reason to keep one's clothes on then." She said before falling silent once again. After a few awkward silent seconds, Rarity once again asked, "W-well, what about putting on some other clothing? Those dirty things are certainly not doing you any good at the moment."

I gave a small shake of my head at this. "I would, but...um...I don't...w-well..." I got even more embarrassed at this, as well as disappointed in myself for some reason, knowing that I didn't have any clothes to change into other than what I was wearing now.

Rarity seemed to understand what I was trying to say and, with wide eyes, said, "Wait, you mean to tell me that...that you don't have ANY clothing other than what you are wearing now?"

I gave a nod and spread my arms a little, saying, "What you see is all I have for wearable items."

The white fashion pony was quiet once again, only this time instead of becoming embarrassed, she seemed to get more...serious? I wasn't really sure, and before I could figure what it was, Twilight spoke up, saying, "Well, it's fine. We can simply wait for Spike to-"

"No, no, no. This...this just can't do. I'm sorry darling, but I can't just let you wait in these...these disgusting things for any longer." She stated. I raised an eyebrow and was about to question what she meant when I suddenly felt a rather firm tug on the collar of my hoodie, making me stagger forward, as well as make an, "Ack!" noise of surprise.

Twilight was also surprised with what just happened, her eyes wide with said emotion. "Rarity, what are you-" She started to say, only to be interrupted.

"Not now Twilight dear. I need to help our poor friend here with his obvious clothing problem." Stated the white mare, already having turned around to leave the library. "He can even wash up over there, which will most certainly be a lot quicker then waiting on Spike." As she continued speaking, I was still getting pulled along with the mare, stumbling to keep my balance. Thankfully my legs were one of the few things of me that wasn't damaged in some sort of way.

"You know, you...you don't need to-" I tried to speak up, but was also shushed by Rarity.

"No time to talk, we need to get to my shop and get you refreshed and refurbished with new clothes and cleaner fur...eh, skin in this case." She said, and before Twilight or I could say or do anything else, I was already being tugged out the door before having it closed behind us.

(Twilight Sparkle's POV)

I was silent in shock as I watched Rarity nearly drag the human out of the library, the sound of the closing door snapping me out of my slight shock. Shaking my head to clear it, I quickly ran to the closest window and looked outside, seeing Drakalian do his best to keep up with the white unicorn, who was still dragging him with her. I was worried about him possibly getting injured or even worse, but I quickly reasoned that was just me over worrying. After a few moments of watching them leave, I let out a small sigh as I stepped away and started to head back upstairs to retrieve the memory book.

"He should be fine, after all, it's only Rarity, she knows not to do anything that would strain him...as long as he doesn't mind standing still for a while, then there shouldn't be anything that could cause him to aggravate his injuries." I reasoned with myself, reaching the top floor. It was at this point that I realized that it was rather...quiet. I was confused for a second when suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Spike stepped out, his lower body wrapped in a towel. He was surprised when he saw me nearly outside, and he wasn't the only one either. "Spike, what're you doing? I thought you were taking a shower?" I asked, my head tilted to the side slightly.

The young dragon gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck as he replied, "Um...we ran out of hot water, so...I decided to take a quick one and finish with the list you gave me to do to set up the mind tests." He replied.

We were both quiet for a few minutes, Spike avoiding eye contact as he looked around sheepishly while I just stared at him dumb-foundly for a few moments before he quickly spoke up again. "Well, lots of stuff to do, later Twi!" He exclaimed before quickly rushing past me and down the stairs.

I looked at where he just went for a few more moments before looking back at the bathroom and then letting out a groan of annoyance...before promptly placing a hoof on my face and rubbing my forehead.

Chapter 14: First "Normal" Day Part Three: Noon-Afternoon

(Drakalian's POV)

Thankfully, the way to the boutique was rather uneventful. Sure, there were a few ponies that stared at me, either cause of being a human, being dragged by the mare, or both, but I was too busy trying to keep my balance to pay them much attention. We were soon at Rarity's shop and, once inside with the door closed, the mare finally released her magic on my collar, allowing me to stand up straight as I padded down the front of my hoodie.

"Now, the bathroom is just up the stairs and to to your right, first door. Feel free to use whatever soaps and shampoos you wish, just make sure you clean up after yourself." Stated the white mare, floating what appeared to be some measuring tape and a notebook over. "Before you go up, however, I need you to take your clothing off to let me get your measurements."

I was quiet for a few seconds as I processed what she just said. At first I got a bit anxious, seeing as how we literally just had this talk a few minutes ago, but then reasoning kicked in as I remembered when Fluttershy asked the same thing just to double check my injuries. Giving a nod, I said, "Ok, but I'm not taking everything off cause of...you know..."

The unicorn gave a nod of understanding, "Of course darling, the last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable. Just strip down to whatever amount you are ok with and I can take it from there." She stated, stretching her measuring tape out before looking at me expectantly.

Giving a nod, I started with placing my staff against the wall, then taking my hoodie off, but before I could place it, it was taken out of my grasp and floated away, assuming by the mare in front of me. I went to see what else I could take off, but paused when I looked at the bandages. I just stared at them for a few moments before I started to slowly bringing a hand up to trace them, but stopped when I heard Rarity speak, "You don't need to worry about the bandages, it's most likely a better idea to keep them on anyways."

I looked up at her only to see that she was currently turned around, grabbing a few things on her table, most likely to help with the measuring. "I know I just...um...wouldn't it make it a bit more difficult to get my measurements?" I asked.

"Well, it would indeed darling, but I can easily compensate for such things. All I need you to do is stand as still as possible, maybe move a limb when I need you to, and that's all. You let me handle the measuring." She said, smiling as she turned to face me, items in her magical grasp. Upon looking at me, she gives a small frown as she walks up, looking me over once again. "Though I must admit...how did you get such...well, you know."

I gave a small sigh as I pulled my Sais out next and placed them next to my staff. "Been telling everyone else, so I guess it's only fair that I tell you. When I first woke up, I was in the forest, and..." I started to say, before the white mare shushed me with a small wave of her hoof.

"Oh, you don't have to explain it all, dear, just tell me what happened to get you so banged up, as it were." She spoke, measuring tape already floating around me, almost like it was alive, as it took my measurements. I was a bit nervous when I felt the cold tape against my skin every so often, but seeing how skilled she was, I slowly relaxed a bit as I nodded.

"Ok, well, I woke in the forest and the first pony that I found was Trixie, and than long story short, we were attacked by a basilisk...that bit my shoulder...before I killed..." I explained, sighing as I raised my good arm up for her to check, then my left arm though the left one wasn't as easy to lift. Rarity paused upon hearing this, the tape stopping it's movement as she looked at me with shock. "Yea...sounds kind of ridiculous when I put it like that..."

"A-a basilisk? Dear Celestia, how in Equestria are you still alive? I mean, I'm glad that you are, for both you and Trixie's sake, but...how?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. When it was coiled around me, the only thing I could do was move enough to have it bite my shoulder, hence the bandages, and the scars underneath. Even so, it could have easily bitten through me, but...but it didn't."

Rarity fully paused this time as she pulled the tape away, having just finished measuring around my waist now. "Obviously, so why did it let you go?"

Again, I shake my head. "I have no idea, the only thing that I saw was that some sort of lightening hit its head causing it to let me go." I shudder a bit as I remembered just how torn up I got from it 'letting me go'. "I just wish I knew what it was, though at this rate remembering things seem to be something I won't be getting." I sighed,

We were quite for a good while, neither of us saying much of anything, before suddenly, Rarity spoke up. "Wait, did you say that you first met Trixie right after you woke up?"

I nodded. "Yes, and the first impressions was...interesting, for both of us."

"And you said that you were both attacked, yes?"

Again, I nodded. "Yes, this is true too."

This time, the unicorn smiled as she seemed to have realized something. "I think I may know what happened then." I remained quiet as I simply waited for her to continue, giving a small nod to let her know. "Trixie saved you."

I blinked as I heard this. "Wait, what? She saved me? How? I...I thought I was saving both of us when-" I started to say before getting shushed by her.

"Well, did you see her horn glow, or her hat if she was wearing it when you first met?" She asked. I fell silent as I thought it over before giving a small nod. "And did you happen to notice the color of said light and lightening?" Again, I nodded. "And the basilisk didn't have her head trapped, correct?"

"Rarity, where are you going with this?" I asked, getting a bit impatient now.

"Now, I'm not saying I know what happened, but I'm assuming that dear Trixie, since you were both trapped and your shoulder in the creature's mouth, did the only thing that she could think of at the time and that was to summon a storm cloud to strike the beast." She said, giving a small smile. "Sounds accurate darling?"

I opened my mouth to speak up, but closed it as I thought it over, the more it made sense to me. "So...after I tried to save Trixie...she instead saved me..." I spoke softly, a bit surprised with such a revelation.

"Looks like it darling. While I don't really like that mare, I always thought she was nicer than she let out to be." She said, picking up the tape. "Now, let's finish with the measuring, shall we?"

I was silent as I absorbed what we figured out, letting it sink in for a few moments before hearing what Rarity said. Nodding, I stood up straight again. "Of course, what's left now?"

At this, the pony gave a slightly sheepish look. "So, I did say that you didn't need to take everything off, only taking off what you felt comfortable with, but...um, darling, I'm sorry to say, but I need you to take your shorts off." She said, the last part spoken rather softly.

I blinked upon hearing this. "Uh, what?"

"Now dear, I know you don't feel comfortable with taking it off, but...I simply can't measure the rest of you with it on, they're just too baggy, it will make my measurements become inaccurate and I don't want to make you super baggy pants and shorts, that's just...ew..." She said, shivering slightly upon thinking about it. "However, I'm sure you have some sort of undergarments yes?"

"Um...I do, but...but how do you know?" I asked, wondering how she could even know of such a thing...unless she was spying on me...I really hope she wasn't, being spied on while naked is...embarrassing.

"Oh darling, you aren't that different when it comes to dressing up like us ponies. We have rather similar designs and dressing manners, though I will admit most of us use such clothing like undergarments for more personal things." She said, even blushing lightly at the end, but it quickly faded away before I really noticed it. "Besides, I can measure you with whatever you have under your shorts, I promise. Assuming your undergarments are similar to our own."

I was silent as I thought it over, looking at her and then down at my shorts, then back at her again. After thinking on it for a good minute, to which she was thankfully patient, I sighed and nodded. "Ok, but just...just be careful please?" I asked, not really liking the idea of having measuring tape near my...you know...

"Oh of course dear, it's not the first time I've done this, remember? I am a professional fashion designer after all." She said, giving me a smile of comfort. I simply nodded and grabbed my shorts before, after a few moments of hesitating, I carefully pulled them down, making sure to keep my boxers in place. Once off, I held it close to me for a few moments, looking around to see where to put it, only for Rarity to once again grab my clothing and place it with my hoodie.

"Ok, now let's see what we are working with." She said, causing me to gain a small shiver as I felt the cold tape against my inner leg. "Oh calm down darling, it's just a phrase."

I simply remained silent as I watched, seeing her work the tape over and looking intently at it and at me. I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be staring slightly, which just made me even more nervous. "Do you...d-do you really have to stare so intently?" I asked.

"What was-oh sorry darling, I'm just making sure that I get the right measurements, don't want to get anything wrong, you know?" She said, still rather focused with her work. "Now, please be a dear and spread your legs a little bit for me."

I gave a small gulp as I did just that, my skin gaining goosebumps as I just waited...and waited...and waited. It seemed to be taking forever and just when I was about to ask how much longer, she quickly pulls the tape back and snaps it shut, smiling.

"All done! See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" She said, smiling innocently. I simply glared at her lightly as I went to grab my shorts, only for them to be pulled away from me. "Ah ah darling, we can't have you getting back into these filthy things now. Remember, we're here to get your measurements and wash you up, so...remember where the shower is?"

I sighed as I did my best to recall the location for it. "Up the stairs and to the right, yes?" I asked.

"First door, can't miss it." She said, smiling with a nod. I sighed as I nodded before walking up the stairs to take the shower.

(Rarity POV)

As I watched Drakalian walk up the stairs, I couldn't help but chuckle a little at how shy he was with himself. Granted, he didn't have a body to brag about too much, but it wasn't bad, just needed a bit of work if anything. He almost reminded me of Fluttershy when she first went to the spa with me, so shy and unsure, it was really adorable. Giggling to myself, I turned back to face his clothing, giving a slightly disgusted look as the smell wafted to my sensitive nose.

"Ugh, what a stretch. It's to the wash with you, that's for sure." I said to myself as I picked them up and started walking to the laundry room, making sure to keep them well away from me. However, before I could even take a couple of steps, I heard the door to the boutique open. "I'll be right there darling, just give me a few moments!"

"No need to worry, take your time." I blinked upon hearing the familiar voice and turned around to face my speedy friend.

"Why Rainbow, whatever are you doing here?" I ask her, rather confused.

She quickly flew into the room before landing in front of me. "Um, w-well, I was just flying around when I...uh...I remembered that I needed my shirt to be repaired." She said, giving a rather wide smile before placing...something, right in front of me.

I blinked as I place Drakalian's clothes to the side for the moment to take a closer look at it, then giving Dash a rather deadpanned stare. "It's a rag."

She puffed up and gave a small gasp at this. "What? How dare you call it a rag! Just cause it's not to your-" She began to say, only for me to quickly interrupt her.

"No, I mean it's a literal rag, not a shirt at all." I explained, lifting it up with my magic to better show her the rather dull rag.

She paused and blinked a couple of times, looking at the cloth, before giving a rather sheepish smile. "Oh, so it is...heh..." She rubbed the back of her head.

"Rainbow, why are you really here?" I asked, tossing the rag to the side for the time being. The cyan pony looks to her sides a couple of times before sighing, lowering her head a bit.

"I just...I kind of heard that Drakalian was here with you, so I thought I would stop by and ask him a couple of things." She said.

I stared at her for a few moments to see if she was really telling the truth this time. When it seemed like it, I gave a small nod as I once again picked up the human's clothing. "Yes, he is indeed here, how did you find out?"

"It wasn't exactly a secret. Especially with how you nearly dragged him across Ponyville to get him to your house." She said, chuckling. "Was quite a scene I bet, having Rarity of all ponies dragging the new 'pony' to her house for a 'clothing intervention'." She finished, giving me a wink at the last part. It took me a few seconds for it to click in, but when it did, I could feel my cheeks turning rosy as I tried to sputter out an excuse.

"W-what? B-but that's not...I was just trying to...I mean did you even smell his clothes yesterday? They were just...just so...ugh! Words can't even describe how terrible they smelled." I explained. "Why, just take a whiff, and tell me that you aren't disgusted by how horrendous they smell."

I then brought the clothing right in front of us, pushing it into her face, which caused her to give a small jump in surprise. Placing a hoof on it, Rainbow firmly pushes it away. "Ok, first of all, don't do that. Second, they don't smell that bad. I mean, a little ripe, sure, but besides that-"

"A little ripe? Darling, these things are dreadful, and I won't stand for it any longer! I'm putting them in the wash before their smell gets on everything else!" I said, turning around to bring them to the washing machine. I may had been over exaggerating, but still they really did smell bad.

Rainbow rolled her eyes as she just sat down. "Well, if you say so...wait...those are Drakalian's clothes?" She asked.

I nodded in response, placing them into the washing machine before turning it on. "Yes they are."

"And he came here to get new clothing from you, right?"

"Yes..."

"And those are the only clothes that he has right now, right? He doesn't have any other-"

"Darling, what are you getting at?" I quickly interrupted her, wanting Rainbow to get to the point.

"So that means that, somewhere in here...he's currently naked...in your house..."

"Well, mostly. He still has some boxers on." I said, turning back to face her. "I have yet to see what the-" I started to say, before seeing Rainbow with her signature smirk on. "Rainbow, what are you thinking?" I asked cautiously.

"So you saw him naked...or close enough. Which means you know why he always wears clothes on him." She finally said.

"Well, of course, but that's not cause I saw him nearly naked. He told me before we even started, rather shy about it too. Oh, it was kind of adorable, like with Fluttershy at the spa for the first time." I said, giving a giggle.

"So why does he do it?" She asked, causing me to give a small raised eyebrow.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Strange. Actually, not really considering how shy he is with the subject." I said.

"Well, let's just say when I asked him last time and he didn't want to tell me I tried to take them off myself." She said, giving a small, sheepish smile.

I blinked upon hearing this before giving a gasp. "What? That's...that's horrible, why would you even do such a thing! And right when he got out of the hospital too. Rainbow Dash, you need to have a bit more self control with yourself, otherwise-" I started to say, only to be interrupted.

"I know, I know. What I did was bad and I quickly said sorry to him and he accepted, but I was still left without an answer, and I'm just really dying to know why he keeps them on all the time." She explained.

I stared at her sternly, causing her to flinch lightly before I gave a small sigh. "Ok, I guess if he accepted your apology..."

"So can you tell me?"

I blinked. "Tell you what?"

"Tell me why he always wears clothing."

I gave a small oh look before nodding. "Oh, well I guess so, it isn't that big of a deal...ok, perhaps a bit, but nothing too crazy."

Rainbow gave a small groan. "Come on and tell me already."

"Oh very well. He wears clothing all the time because it's considered...improper to not wear them, especially while in public."

Rainbow was silent for a good few moments before cocking her head to the side. "Wait, improper how?"

"Oh, I'm not really sure, I think it has something to do with not having any natural covering like us ponies. You know, with fur and so on." I said, waving my hoof in the air slightly. Rainbow was silent as she tilted her head to the side, confused with what she was trying to say, only for her eyes to go a bit wide upon realization.

"Wait, so he wears clothing cause he has nothing to hide himself under it all?" She asked.

"I believe that's the case. Satisfied with the answer I hope?" I asked back, hoping that was enough to satisfy her for the time being.

Rainbow was silent for a few moments as she thought it over, before giving a small sigh. "Yea, I guess that would do for now. But I was just kind of hoping that it was something more...interesting." She states, sitting down with a small pout.

"Darling, not everything can be as 'amazing' as you are." I teased, turning around to check on the wash. "Now, if you will excuse me, I-"

"Rarity, I finished the shower, but are my clothes ready?" Came a certain human voice from upstairs.

"It's almost done, just come on down and bring those dirty undergarments with you!" I called up, turning back to face Rainbow before looking up the stairs. "Also, Rainbow is here and she was hoping to ask a few questions!"

There was a small pause as we waited for a reply, then just when I was about to call out his name, I hear, "Um...I...I-I guess you don't want me to wear my boxers until they are washed as well, right?"

"Of course not Drakalian, you just cleaned yourself, and putting those on would make you dirty again! Just...use one of my towels up there if you want to keep yourself comfortable." I replied, smiling at Rainbow. "Well, it looks like he's almost done, so you can ask him whatever other...questions you...why are you looking at me like that?" I asked as soon as I noticed that the cyan pony was giving me a rather strange look.

"Use one of your towels? You do know he is a bit taller than us, right?"

"It shouldn't be that much of a difference, I mean the towels can fit me easily, and I-"

"Yea, ten bits says he barely fits one around him." States Rainbow, ignoring the rest of what I was saying. I give her a small glare, but before I can reply, we hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and turning around, I get ready to see Drakalian all cleaned.

"Now, I hope the shower was nice and comfortable for...you...oh dear..." I started to say, only to fall silent as I realized that Rainbow was right.

Drakalian stood there on the stairs with one of my towels around his waist. While it would normally cover any pony else, somehow, it just barely covered him up. Sure it did wrap around his waist, but he was having to use both hands to keep it from falling off, and the size on him was rather silly, like he was wearing one of those new short skirts that the younger mares had started wearing. His undergarments, which he did bring, were held in his hand, which seemed to be rather difficult to do, holding both the towel and his clothes in such a way, but he was able to do it somehow.

"I...I feel ridiculous." Stated the human, as he looked himself over before looking back up at us two. "Um...h-hi Rainbow."

The speedster simply stared back as she slowly waved a wing at him, mouth open and eyes wide in shock. Before either of us could say anything, she quickly shook her head and looked back at me with her normal smirk. "Told ya, way too small."

"Oh my, I'm sorry Drakalian, I thought that my towels would be enough to cover you." I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed for his own sake.

The human gave a long, drawn out sigh as he looked himself over again, before giving a small shrug, adjusting the towel around him as he did so. "Yea...should have figured that out. Well...it's better than nothing at least." He says, as he starts to come down the stairs. "Even so, I just hope that-" He started to say, before one step down caused him to slip, the human giving a cry of shock as he began to fall face first to the stairs.

Rainbow was quick to react though, and before any of us could do much of anything, she was already flying towards him, catching him in her hooves before he can hit the stairs. "I got you!" She said as she slowly carries him down the stairs before sitting him on the ground. She gives a small grunt as she places him there before taking a couple of steps back. "Geez, you're heavier than you look. Might need to work some of those...pounds...off...wow..." She trails off, staring at him...or more importantly, at his crotch.

I too was wide eyed in surprise as I stared where his towel had been, there was now his genitals. They were much more different from a stallions, that was true, but the major thing was that they were in the open, almost like when a stallion was enjoying himself, though his was a bit smaller than normal.

At first Drakalian was a bit dazed and confused, rubbing his head as he looked at us, unsure with what we were looking at...before he looked down at himself. Once he saw that the towel wasn't covering himself, he quickly gasped before placing his hands over himself in a rather poor attempt to cover himself up.

"Shit I...I'm sorry I just...the towel escaped me I...I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine, dear, mistakes happen, I was just not...expecting that is all...I mean...w-well...it was...um..." I tried to say, but was starting to get at a loss for words.

"Hang on, I got this!" Exclaimed Rainbow, quickly flying off into the store before, coming back with her rag that she brought in from before. Placing it in front of him, she gives a proud smile. "There, all good." She said, though both the human and I just kind of glare at her a little.

He was silent for a moment before looking down at the rag that was now covering him, then letting out a small sigh. "Why do I get the feeling that this is far from being over." He seemed to ask himself.

"Somehow dear, I think you may be right about that." I stated, slowly shaking my head before going back to see if the wash was done. The sooner he was in his clothing, the better he would feel...I hope.

Chapter 15: First "Normal" Day Part Four: Afternoon

(Drakalian's POV)

"Come on, it wasn't that bad." Dash said as she sipped on her water, looking over at me with a rather relaxed look.

"I still feel like I just had a heart attack." I stated bluntly, though it was muffled a bit due to the fact that my head was face first on the table, arms around my head as I tried to hide my embarrassment, my hood covering the rest of my head.

After the...incident...at the boutique, we were rather quiet for the rest of the time we waited on my clothes to finish being washed, Rarity just looking over at the wash every so often before looking back at the measurements that she took from me, while Dash was busy just looking me over, and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was eyeing me up...perhaps she was. Whatever the case, before I was able to gather the nerves to ask why she was looking at me like that, the wash was done, and the white mare quickly gave me my clothes back. I took them and, once both ponies had their backs turned, I put them back on, while keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't turn around.

Once that was all done, Dash, who felt sorry for the whole thing, offered to take us out for lunch, even though it was well past the lunch hour. Neither of us declined, however, and after a few minutes of walking, we were now at a small restaurant, sitting at one of the tables outside as we looked over the menu...or at least tried to.

"Rainbow, while it may have been rather nice of you to help catch him, giving him the rag that you brought over for him to use as a sort of cover was not the best idea." Stated Rarity, her menu in her magic as she looked it through.

"But it wasn't. I mean, sure you showed your junk to us, but it could have been worse." Replied the cyan mare, placing her water to the side before looking at me.

I slowly tilted my head so that my chin was resting on my arms as I looked up at her from under my hood. "And how, pray tell, could it have been worse?"

"Well, for starters, you could have reopened your wounds when you fell, or even broken something else." She said, giving me a rather genuine smile.

I was silent as I thought it over, a bit unsure that it could have really happened. However, the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that she was right, it could have been a lot worse. Sighing, I slowly lifted myself off of the table as I gave a small smile back. "Yea...I guess it could have been. Thanks for catching me then."

Rainbow shrugs as she takes another sip of her drink. "Eh, no biggie, it's just what I do, saving ponies on a daily basis." She said, leaning back as she crossed her hooves behind her head, a small smirk on her face. Rarity rolled her eyes at this, but otherwise she said nothing as she continued to look through the menu.

I raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and seeing the unicorn's reaction, but otherwise I said nothing, thinking it was probably for the best. Picking up my menu, I started looking through the selections of food, which wasn't really a lot. "There doesn't really seem to be that many...choices here." I said, counting only five choices in total.

"Well darling, it is their lunch hours still, and their dinner menu is a bit bigger." Stated Rarity as she placed her menu to the side. "And yes it may not be the most...pleasing restaurants, but it is where us girls come to more often than not, so it is reliable." She then turned and waved the waiter over to us, an orange stallion Earth Pony with a mustache, who bowed as he waited to take our orders. "I'll just have the salad with some extra daisy on the side please." She said, before floating her menu over to him and then looking over at Rainbow for her turn.

The pegasus just waved her hoof at him. "Just give me my usual SP." She said, handing him her menu.

"One Chili Bean Soup for Miss Dash." The waiter said softly as he wrote that down. He then looked up at me, giving a small double take before quickly recovering from his slight blunder. "And what about for the gentle...um, being here?"

I was silent as I continued to look over the choices for a few moments before, seeing one of them catch my eye. "This hayburger seems interesting, but...does it have actual hay in it?" I asked.

"It does sir, and our hayburger's and hay fries are some of the best in town I must add." He said, with a small smile. "If you are interested, I can suggest some good dressing for whatever you may find to your interest."

"Um...n-no thanks. I mean, it sounds nice but...I-I think I'll pass on that." I then looked through the menu quickly again before giving a small sigh. "I think I'll just go with whatever Rarity is getting...minus the flowers."

"Would you like beans or croutons in them?" He asked, causing me to blink.

"Um...croutons?"

"They are small pieces of bread that are cubed, rebaked, and seasoned. Adds a very nice texture to the salad as well."

"Hmm...I'll be willing to try the croutons out then." I said, smiling as I handed him my menu.

The stallion smiled as he took the menus from us. "Excellent. We will bring them out to you momentarily." He said before walking back into the building. With our orders taken care of, we could focus back on our previous topics...though I was very much hoping that they wouldn't want to continue it.

"So...about your...well, your spot down there..." Asked Rarity of all ponies. I simply sighed as I planted my face back to the table again. "Sorry, we don't have to talk about it if you don't wish, I was just curious is all."

I was quiet for a few moments before I waved her on, giving her permission to ask away. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I won't have to worry about it anymore.

"Well...I remember you saying that you don't have any natural covering, which is why you wear clothes all the time, but...does that also include the sheath? From the brief view that I got and I mean brief, I promise I didn't stare, I didn't really see such a thing."

I was silent as I thought it over, before looking up once again at the white mare. "No, we don't have a sheath, and yes, that is one of the main reasons why we don't walk around towns naked, cause if we did, we could...well, we could see everyone's 'junk' all the time." I replied, looking back at Rainbow to see if she was listening.

"I'm still not sure I get it." Rainbow says as she finishes her water. "I mean, us ponies always walk around naked, and sure we sometimes see each others marehood or balls every so often, but-"

"Rainbow! Language." Scolded the white mare, glaring at her friend. This caused Dash to flinched slightly as she realized that they were indeed in a public area, and ponies were already staring at them...though that was mostly cause of me, most likely.

"Ok...our...'bits' then. Anyways, even we ponies get a glimpse of them every so often, but we don't really find it that big of a deal, so...why wear clothes all the time then?" She finished, giving me a curious look.

"Well...you guys have tails." I stated. Both Rainbow and Rarity gave me curious stares, and I continued on explaining. "Ok, so you said that you sometimes still see each others...'bits'...but it's not that often? It's cause like I've been saying before, you guys have natural covering, including your tails. As you walk around, your tail hangs behind you, automatically covering you up."

"I don't know if you noticed, but not a lot of us cover ourselves with our tail that actively." States Rainbow, her own tail flicking a bit behind her to emphasize her statement.

"Even so, you guys are on all fours...most of the time." I added, remembering a couple times where I saw some of the ponies here on their hind legs. "And we humans are on two legs, standing upright." Starting to run out of ideas, I quickly thought up of one last thing to say. "How would it look if I just took my clothes off right now and sat here naked in front of all you ponies?"

This seemed to have gotten both mares to think for a bit, even Rarity was in deep thought as she thought it over. After a few moments of silence, however, the pegasus was the first to reply. "Well...rather nice I think."

I blinked upon hearing this. "Um...what?"

"Well, your body isn't that bad. I mean, sure, it can use some work, and it's no where near my kind of physical liking, but...in all honesty, it just needs some work and I bet you would have mares tripping over their hooves for you." She stated, giving me a small wink which caused me to shiver.

"Ok...n-not...not what I was looking for...um...R-Rarity...some help please?" I asked, hoping Rarity would pitch in and help me.

"Actually...I would have to agree with Dash." She said, causing both Rainbow and I to look at her with surprise.

"What!?" We both said, before staring at each other, Rainbow smiling in success while I just blushed like mad.

She gave a nervous smile as she saw both of our reactions. She was silent as she thought it over, trying to think of a way out of this no doubt. "Well...it's like Rainbow said, you just...oh, the food is here." She said suddenly, looking over to the waiter as he brought in the food, carrying it all on his back. I had to admit, I was impressed, though if it was from him carrying all the food on his back or just the timing of him bringing it to us so Rarity didn't have to explain herself, I wasn't sure.

"Two salads, one with extra daisies on the side, the other with croutons." Said the waiter, placing both Rarity's and my order in front of each other. "And the Chili Bean Soup for Miss Rainbow." He continued, placing the bowl of soup in front of the cyan pony, who smiled and gave a nod of thanks.

"Looks good as always, thanks SP." Rainbow said as she dug in, the orange pony refilling up her water.

"Of course, I hope you three enjoy your meals." He said, smiling as he left.

I was silent as I looked at both ponies as they started to eat their meals, realizing that Rarity still hadn't answered her question. "So...care to explain what you mean by saying that you agree with Rainbow about me being...well...naked?"

The white unicorn paused in mid bite as she heard me before slowly lowering her fork down. "Oh...right. Well, to put it bluntly, you do indeed look fine. Like Rainbow said, it's not the most impressive build, but with just a few adjustments..." She fell silent as she blushed lightly, idly looking down at her hooves.

"I would have the mares jumping all over me?" I quote, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really what I would say exactly, but...you would be quite the catch...looks wise at least. Anyways, that's just what I think darling." She finished, quickly going back to eating her food.

I was silent for a few moments as I thought over what they said, still a bit unsure myself. Looking down, all I saw was a rather...well, I wouldn't say in shape, or even toned. if anything, I just had a bit too much fat on my stomach, while everything above it was somewhat better...if slightly soft. I looked back up at them, only to see both of them looking back at me as they seemed to wait for my response.

I sighed as I gave a small nod. "Well...I don't know about the whole making mares drop in front of me, but...I guess making me loose some pounds would be good." I stated, feeling my stomach with a hand, and feeling the roundness to it.

"I can help with that. If you want, I can give you some tips to exercise and loss some weight." Rainbow suggested, blowing across her soup some more before taking another bite.

I was silent as I thought it over before giving a small nod. "Well, that does sound...wait a minute." I paused upon realizing something. "How did we end up from talking about my clothing habit to walking around naked, then to making a work out plan for me?" I asked, confused?

Both mares were quiet as they realized what I meant, thinking to themselves as they tried to figure it out. When none of us could think of anything, Rarity was the first to speak. "Well...I guess that's just what happens sometimes darling." She said, shrugging.

I was silent as I thought it over some more before I too gave a shrug. "Man, this is rather weird already..." I said, and after a few more moments of silence, we started to laugh over how silly it all was. "Well, might as well dig in now, and worry about things later, I'm rather hungry." I then grabbed my fork and started to dig into the salad, finding it to be rather tasty.

We ate in silence for a few moments, none of us saying much of anything, before Dash lets out a small sigh. "I'm still not sure if I-" She started to say, before I interrupted her.

"Ok, how about if I put it like this. If us humans started to walk around naked, when before we always waked around with clothes on, it would feel weird. Plus, we would see each others...naughty bits...a whole lot more often than when you ponies see others. Makes more sense?" I asked, getting a bit tired with my constant explaining.

Rainbow was silent as she thought it over, before she gives a small nod. "Ok, I guess that would do for now...but...I just find it weird for somepony to wear clothing all the time." She says.

"Darling, you find even wearing a dress too much, and if it weren't for some special occasions, you would always not bother wearing anything other than those sunglasses of yours every so often." Stated the white mare, getting a small glare from the cyan one and a chuckle from me.

"I have to admit, that does sound kind of cool." I said, mixing the salad a bit to get the croutons better before taking another bite, Rainbow smiling triumphantly at us.

"Don't give her too much of a swelled head now dear." Rarity warned, before giggling as she falls silent to enjoy the rest of her meal. Rainbow looks at both of us repeatedly before, with a small sigh, she nods to herself and digs in, seeming to decide that it was better to remain silent this time around than to say anything else.

The rest of the time eating was rather pleasant, sometimes Rainbow or Rarity would mention something and they would start a bit of a talk, but most of the time we were all silent, eating our meals in peace. By the time we were done, I was feeling rather full from just eating the salad, which I found rather strange, thinking that it wouldn't be that filling. Apparently they made really good salads, and it was enough for me...at least for the time being, and after paying the order, we began to walk down the streets, both ponies still talking to each other about some thing or another. I just remained silent and listened, finding it to be a rather...interesting experience.

"I'm telling you, if you love your romance adventure stories, you should totally try out Daring Do. She is so awesome, and sure there may not be that much romance in them, there is a lot of adventure." Suggested Dash, trying to get her friend into reading one of her favorite stories, Daring Do I believe.

"I already told you, I tried one of them out, and sure while the adventure is fine, I just find her methods to be a bit too...brutish, for my liking." Explained the white mare.

"And how is her methods 'brutish', as you put it? Sure, she sometimes throws a pony off a cliff, and maybe every so often she tricks one into falling in a temple trap and they get impaled or squished or...eaten by bugs..." The cyan pony slowly falls silent as she realizes what she was saying was indeed a bit intense, causing her to smile sheepishly. "Ok, perhaps I can see what you mean with her methods being...brutish."

Both Rarity and I chuckled as we listened before the unicorn replied. "Even so, I may be willing to give one of them another shot, but as it stands, I currently have a good book that I'm reading, with drama and romance. Oh, it's so exciting." She says, smiling as she thinks back to her story. Before they could continue, the bell rings, causing all three of us to look at the giant clock tower.

"Wow, five already? I need to head back home and see if Tank is doing ok. Make sure he's fed and such." Stated Rainbow as she started to hover in the air. "Anyways, Later Rarity, later Drakalian." She waved at us before zooming off into the air.

"I too must be heading back. I have some orders that I neglected to take care of, and I need to make sure Sweetie Bell hasn't sent the house on fire." She said, starting to trot off before turning to look at me. "Will you be ok by yourself? You won't get lost will you darling?" She asked.

I was silent as I looked at the clock, finding it rather...strange for some reason, but shook it off as I looked back at her, giving her a small smile. "I should be fine, I'll just head back to Twilight's place from here." I said, looking around to confirm where I was.

Rarity nods as she gives me a wave. "Ok, well have a good evening Drakalian, and I'll let you know when your clothes are ready, which should be by tomorrow." She said, before walking off to her boutique.

I waved back after the retreating pony before continuing to walk off myself. As I relaxed and looked around, I couldn't help but notice that there were starting to be a lot less ponies around, most likely cause with how late it was being. Well, that was fine with me, just meant that there was less ponies staring at me. While I was still bothered by the clock, I simply gave a shrug over it before approaching Twilight's library.

It took me a few minutes, and at first I did think I was lost, but eventually, I found the library. Smiling, I opened the door and entered, closing it behind me. As I walked in, I couldn't help but notice just how...quiet it was. Curious, I started to wander around, looking to find the purple unicorn or the dragon.

"Twlight? Spike? You guys here?" I called out, scratching the back of my head as I did so. "Weird, I thought she said that they were going to be here for most of the day." I was about to give up and go to looking at some of the other books that are here when I suddenly heard a noise. Curious, I followed the sound, only to come across another door. Raising an eyebrow, I opened it and found some stairs leading down, along with more noises coming down from there. Now even more curious, I started walking down the stairs.

Soon, I reached yet another door, but before I could open it, I realized that the noises turned into voices, and being as quiet as possible, I leaned against it and pressed my ear against the wood.

"I'm telling you Twilight, you don't need to practice it anymore now. I mean, how much better does it have to be?" Said the first voice, who I quickly recognized was Spike's.

"As perfect as I can make it. I don't want to make Drakalian a vegetable if I screw this up." Stated the second voice, who was most certainly Twilight's.

"You won't Twi. I mean, you've practiced this almost forty times by now, isn't that enough?"

"No it isn't. I mean, sure I'm getting it right most of the time now, but what if I mess up during it, or something backfires? I could seriously injure him."

"Yea, but with how much you practice it, do you really think that something may get by you?"

There was a small pause before Twilight replied. "Well...no, I don't believe so."

"Then you're good. I know you worry about something going wrong and having Drakalian be...not himself, but I honestly don't see that happening. You practiced it so much that...well, I'm not sure, but that much practice can't be good for any pony."

There was a sigh, most likely from the purple unicorn, before I heard, "Yea...I guess you're right."

"Glad to hear. Now, how about we head upstairs and-"

"Just...a couple more times though. I need to double and triple check it first, just in case I did miss something."

A groan later, "Fine, but after this, I'm going to bed."

I gave a small chuckle, finding their interactions with each other to be rather funny and enjoyable, before deciding that it was time for me to head back upstairs. I would rather wait to see what the spells are like when actually used rather than interrupt them during the practice. Once at the main floor again, I closed the door behind me before sitting down on the couch. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it out, I looked around before seeing the history book that Twilight gave to me this morning. Not really having anything else to do for the time being, I sighed as I decided to just jump right in to trying to read this thing again. Who knows, perhaps this time I will gain some memories back.

Flipping it open, I went to the one chapter that caught my eye the last time I read it, but was interrupted by Rarity before I could read it. Chapter 14: Rise of Nightmare Moon...

Author's Note

So...for those who care, BEHIND THE SCENES! Some parts where I was going to put in, but took away cause they didn't seem right, though for some reason I thought I may as well use them somewhere, so...here they are...if theres more than one scene that is. Could be more.

(When Drak is trying to explain why humans keep clothes on)

I was silent for a few moments as I thought it over a bit. Strangely enough...Rainbow was rather right. With what she said, it did make sense to not really be bothered with clothing. I find it rather strange to think that walking around naked might be ok, and as I thought it over, I started to lazily look around, my eyes wandering over the ponies that were staring at me, though they quickly looked away once they saw me looking at them. As I looked, I couldn't help but notice that their tails seemed to be rather...unique to each of them, much like their manes. Some of them even seemed to stylize them. As I looked at their tails, a thought clicked in, causing me to look back at the cyan pony.

Chapter 16: Embers of the Past

(Luna's POV)

I sighed as I continued to look out at the night sky...my night sky, all the stars twinkling and the moon shinning full. It was yet another work of art, just like every night that I did, one that I took pride in night in and night out. Yet, this night, it just felt...different. I felt more...unsure with myself than I ever did in a long while. It is a strange feeling, and I'm not even sure what this feeling is, or what to do with it. Looking up at the sky for a bit longer, I gave yet another sigh before turning to leave the balcony and walk into my bedroom.

Once inside, I just plopped onto the bed with a small huff, feeling more annoyed with this feeling than anything else. What was I feeling, and why was it so persistent. It seemed like no matter what I do, I was constantly in this strange limbo, my heart racing at random intervals and my thoughts always seemed to just lead to...him.

"Ugh, why am I feeling like this? I mean, this never happened before, and yet here I am, just thinking about him yet again." I said to myself. "I thought I put all of those feelings aside after...after 'it' happened."

"It seems to me that we both have a certain human on our minds." I blinked as I quickly sat up, looking around the room before noticing the door was open and my sister was standing outside, smiling lightly at me.

"Oh, it's only you sister. I thought it was the guard coming over to check on me, or a maid or...or somepony else." I said, sighing as I relaxed a bit. Celestia chuckled as she walked into the room before sitting down on my bed next to me.

"Ah yes, the constant checking of other ponies. It can be a bit...overwhelming after a while." She agrees, looking outside at the night sky before looking back at me. "You know, your night sky seems to be rather beautiful tonight."

I gave a shrug as I looked outside as well. "I guess, I just did what I do every night, flung some stars around and raised the moon." I said rather bored, not really wishing to talk about my night sky at the moment, rather wanting to get some sleep instead.

"Luna." I turned to face my sister, who was now looking at me with a concerned look. "Are you thinking about him again?"

I blinked before I quickly shook my head, glad for my dark coat to cover the light blush that I suddenly gained. "What, me? Think of him? No I'm not! After all, like you said before, we didn't leave on the best of terms..." I then glanced away from Celestia before looking back at her. "I...I-I wasn't!"

"Luna, you know you can't lie to me." Tia said, causing me to grumble a bit, and for her to give a small giggle. "Now, tell me, why are you thinking of him?"

I was silent as I looked away from my sister for a bit, contemplating what I should say. "I...I don't...I don't know Celestia. I just...I feel anxious about him being here, and...and I don't know what this anxious feeling is. All I know is that I'm anxious about...about him, and I don't know why." I waited for my sister to reply, and after a couple of long minutes, I looked over, only to realize that the white Alicorn had started to look at her own hooves, a small frown on her face as she seemed to be in deep thought. Concerned, I slowly moved to tap her shoulder with a hoof, but before I could, she started to speak.

"It's called worry, Luna. And I...I too worry for him." She finally said, her hoof tracing small lines across my bedsheets.

"But...but I'm not worried about him. He knows how to take care of himself." I stated, feeling rather surprised that my sister thought he couldn't defend himself. "I mean, he's defended himself from all sorts of horrors before, and fought so many enemies, and-"

"That's just the thing." Tia interrupted. "He has done that before...way before. He has done so many things during those times...but now? Now he can't even remember who he really is." She sighed, turning to look outside yet again before looking back at me. "And how can he defend himself if he doesn't even know himself, or what he can do...or what he has done."

We both were quiet, thinking back to the past during our times with the Crusaders of Harmony, when we first saw who they were and what they could do...it amazed us and surprised us when we first saw them. Honestly, I was surprised they weren't horrified with what we were when they first saw us, but then again, it wasn't exactly a time of peace.

"S-still, he can take care of himself. Even if he doesn't know who he is and such, he can...he can learn to live where he is now. He is a strong and capable human, who has lived through some of the hardest times that any pony...or anybody, has ever gone through" I said, thinking that Drak was more than capable of living on his own.

"I'm not so sure Luna. He may be able to take care of himself, but what if...what if he does find out what he really is. How will he live with himself afterwards." Celestia stated. "Like you said, he has gone through some very tough times, but...that was all during a war...no, a world of constant disarray." She countered. "I'm worried that...when he regains his memories...will he be able to live in a world of peace when the one that he knows...that he knew, is no longer."

I fell silent as I thought this over, realizing that my sister was right. Drak came from a time when the world was in a constant state of strife and war, almost never a moment of peace. Even when there was peace, it was usually brief and quickly turned back into conflict. "I...I haven't thought of that sister." I said softly. "Perhaps I...I do worry for him..."

We were both quiet for a good few minutes, neither of us saying anything as we let what we said sink in. After a good while, Celestia gave a small clearing of her throat. "Anyways, that's what my thoughts are. Of course, knowing you, it could also be that small filly crush you had on him when you first met him." She says, giving me a small wink.

This time my coat wasn't able to hide my blushing cheeks. "I-I told you I...I don't have a crush on him. It was a long time ago, I'm over him already, and now that I have a second chance, I would very much like to...to be friends." I stated, glaring at my sister, who simply chuckled.

"Oh, if you say so sister." She says, before getting up off of my bed and heading to the door. "Anyways, sweet dreams sister."

"I'll have sweet dreams after I give every pony else nice dreams." I huffed, glaring at her still, which only caused her to giggle some more before lightly closing the door as she left.

I remained silent as I stared at the door my sister just left through, glaring at it as if she was still on the other side. With a small sigh, I finally stopped before looking around the room, my eyes finally coming across a small painting. It wasn't anything special, just something I had an artist commission for my room: a soothing sunset overlooking a small cliff. It was one of the few sun related things in my room, the main reason being what it meant to me. While to others it looked like any other sunset, to me...it was one of the few happy moments I had before I became an Alicorn...before I was Princess Luna...before Equestria. It was a simple evening during our first couple of months with the Crusaders...

(2,500 Years Ago, Luna POV)

I smiled as I sat on the cliff, using my magic to make sure my daggers were all clean and neat. Mentor always told us to never have dirty weapons, for it would lead to sloppy results. Plus, one should always double check their equipment. In any case, I didn't want Mentor to think that I was neglecting my weapons.

Rubbing my cloth over them a few more times, I paused to raise one of my daggers up, looking at it closely as I slowly turned it around, the fading sun catching on the blade. Satisfied, I began to lower it down and put it away, but as I did so, I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly turned around and, using my magic, I pulled three daggers out and aimed them at whoever was at me, each aiming for a vital point. To my surprise, however, it was Drak.

"Whoa, easy there Luna." Spoke the red hooded human behind me, making sure to keep his hands up, bo staff lightly held in one hand while the other one was open and held up, showing he wasn't armed with anything else. "You know, you could one day poke someone's eye out if you're not careful." He smiled lightly before slowly placing his free hand on the dagger that was aimed at his throat and lowering it.

Fully realizing who it was, I quickly lowered my daggers and placed them on top of my pack. "S-sorry Drak, I just...I thought you were an enemy sneaking up on me." I replied, giving a small, sheepish look.

The human shrugs as he walks on over and sits next to me, placing his staff to the side for the time being. "Fair enough, but you do know that the nearest enemy patrol is a good few days away. You and Indicus scouted them out yourselves."

I nod as I turned to face over the cliff. "I know, I just...it's been weeks since we were last attacked, and I...I just don't like it."

"You and Little Light both." Sighed Drak, moving his hood up a bit to better look at me. "You two really need to learn how to relax." He said, chuckling.

"Like you're one to talk. If I had a coin for every time one of your 'issues' rose up, I would be a rich mare." I stated, giving him a slight deadpanned look.

He blushed lightly upon hearing this. "F-fair point, but still, stressing out over what hasn't happened isn't exactly a good thing to do. Now THAT, I do know about." He replied, chuckling lightly.

I was silent for a few moments before letting out a small sigh. "I know, I just...the last time we were attacked-"

"Was cause of me." He quickly said, causing me to look up at him. Instead of his relaxed smile, he had a much more stern look on him. "And for the record, I told you guys that you didn't need to come, but you all insisted."

"Most of us." I grumbled.

"The point is, I had something to do, and you guys came with me, regardless of what I said." He snapped, causing me to flinch. Upon hearing how he spoke, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slowly exhaling, then opened his eyes as he looked over the landscape before us. "I just...the thought about losing more people...like I lost her...it's...it was almost too much for me to bear. I..."

"But you didn't have to bear it for long." I quickly spoke, placing a hoof on his leg as I moved a bit closer to him, causing him to look back at me again, his green eyes seeming to gaze right into my soul. That look that he gave me...I felt a small shiver go down my spine, but I quickly shook it off for the time being. "We all helped you to beat that warlord, and we avenged her in the process. You should be happy that none of us came out of it worse for wear."

He was silent for a moment, eyes slowly looking me over, and even looking me in the eyes, my own eyes never leaving his. After what felt like an eternity, he sighs as he leans forward a bit, placing a hand on my hoof. "I...I guess so. Still, I just...I never did think I would...well, keep that promise."

"It was the least we could do, especially since we are now members of the Crusaders too." I replied, finding it hard to believe how forward I was being. Before hoof I would always blush and look away whenever he was nearby, but now...now I was somehow able to look at him dead on, and even though my heart was racing at a million miles an hour, I just couldn't look away from him.

He gives a small smile as he squeezes my hoof lightly. "I...I guess so. Though you guys will be in for a lot more, judging what we have already been through." He says. "And I doubt that it's all going to be a nice walk through the forest either." He then suddenly turns to face me, placing a hand on my cheek to make me continue looking at him, not that I would look away anyways, I was too locked up in his eyes now. "Just promise me this. At any point you need to talk to someone, somepony...whatever, just know that you can always come talk to me."

I knew that he was one of the few people who liked to make sure we were all doing ok, but even so, this surprised me greatly, just because he was telling it to me of all ponies. Still, somehow I managed to smile as I leaned into his hand, before placing my own hoof against his own cheek. "Only if you promise to do the same for me." I replied, even more surprised with what I just said.

He chuckles as he nods. "Deal." He says, leaning against my hoof a bit as well. We continue to stare into each others eyes for a few moments, and I could have sworn I saw...something, flick past his pupils, but I wasn't sure. Slowly, I start to lean in, my lips starting to part...

"DRAK! We need to go on a patrol! Light's orders!" We both pulled away from each other, my cheeks blushing like mad, while the human just looked around in confusion at the sound. After a few moments, a white unicorn mare with a grey mane approached us, her cutie mark an hourglass.

"Oh there you are. I was looking everywhere for you...um, why are you here with Luna?" She asked, giving a confused look of her own.

"No worries Alexius, I was just checking on her to make sure she was ok." He replied, smiling as he slowly got up and dusted himself. "You know how she can be when it gets quiet for a while."

Alexius nods in response. "Of course. And trust me, I'm not a fan of it either." She states, smiling at me before seeing my daggers. "Oh, nice set. You use them to throw or just normally?"

I blinked as I looked down at my daggers before my mind cleared up a bit and I was able to nod. "For both. Every pony and everyone in my guild was taught how to use daggers, swords...well, everything really." I said. "I would say more, but...um, w-well..."

"You're not allowed, I know." She finishes, smiling back. "I know, your guild is a very secretive bunch. Still, wouldn't mind if you talked with us every so often."

"I would, I just...w-well, I prefer to hone my weapon techniques over socializing." I said, placing my daggers in my pack now, seeing as I was done cleaning them.

"Hey, I know! Why don't we see who can throw daggers better! Drak taught me all about it." The white mare asked, nuzzling against the human, who just chuckled as he stroked her head a bit.

"I may have taught you, but you are way better than me by now." He said, chuckling lightly at how happy she was. "Also, didn't you say we had to go on a patrol?"

She blinked as she looked up at him for a few moments before opening her mouth into a small oh. "Oh yea, right. Little Light would be rather upset if we don't get going now." She replied, leaning into the pets.

"Well, let's go see where the patrol is that she wants us to take, then we can see about that dagger throwing contest, ok?" He said, before looking at me, to which I nodded. Throwing daggers was something I was ok with, and it did sound like it would be fun...especially since the targets wouldn't be fighting back at us for a change. "Then it's settled. Come on Alexius, let's get going." He then picked up his staff and started to walk over to the camp.

"Um, Drak?" Alexius asked, suddenly getting a bit more quiet than before. The human paused as he turned to face the mare, eyebrow raised in his normal questioning look. "I was...w-well, I was kind of hoping for...um...y-you know..."

The human was quiet for a few moments before he realized what she was asking for. "Oh, of course." He smiles as he approaches her, before leaning down a bit. "You know, you don't really need to ask." He smirks, before cupping her chin and lifting it. The mare just blushed as she too leaned up, before lightly opening her mouth and touching it with his, kissing him deeply.

I was silent as I just looked at them both kiss each other, my heart once again feeling like it was breaking into a thousand pieces. However, I was used to this by now, and remained silent and stoic as after a few moments, they parted.

Alexius was smiling lazily as she jumped on her hind legs, hugging the human around his neck and nuzzling his cheek. "I...I know, I'm just nervous still. I...I've never had a coltfriend, let alone a boyfriend before, so...this is still all so new to me." She said softly, nuzzling him close.

Drak just smiled as he nuzzled back. "I know, and I promised that we would take things at your own pace." He said, keeping her close in that hug for a few more moments before parting, the mare getting back on all fours. The human than turned to face me with a warm smile. "We'll see you around, ok Luna?"

I almost missed his question, but was quick to respond once I did notice. "Oh, sure. You better get going though, I'm not sure if Light would want you guys to keep her waiting."

They both nodded and, with one last wave, started walking back towards camp, my eyes never leaving the human's back. Once they were finally out of vision, I sighed as I again turned to face the sunset over the cliff, wondering how that felt, to be held and kissed like that by somepony you care about.

I sighed as I just kept on looking at the changing colors. "Knowing me, I probably will never know." I said to myself, feeling the wind start to slowly pick up a little, blowing over my bare fur.

(Present)

I sighed as I looked at the picture a bit longer before placing it back on my dresser, sighing once again as I laid back on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. "And even now...I still don't know what that feeling is like..." I whispered, simply wishing...hoping, that Drak would be able to find a way to live in a land of peace and not war.

Author's Note

Yea...not gonna lie, I'm rather proud of this chapter. I think it just adds a bit more to the story, while at the same time answering some questions, yet making a ton more. Either way, just gonna sit back and admire this for a bit while I think of my next steps to the story...feels good man...feels good.

Chapter 17: A Hint in the Eyes

(Drakalian's POV)

"Drak, are you sure that you want to-" Began Twilight, only for me to quickly cut in.

"I'm sure Twilight. I won't rest until I get something out of this." I stated, panting from all the constant headaches I have been getting. She was also rather tired, sweat beading down her forehead as she took deep breaths, her mane and tail a bit frazzled from the effort.

It has been three days since my first 'normal' day in Ponyville, and for the most part, it was...rather quiet. After the embarrassing moment with Rarity and Rainbow, I went back to the library and continued to read some more of their history before getting too tired to read anymore, causing me to turn in for the night. The next day, I woke up to a similar sight as the day before, with Spike waking me for breakfast. As I went downstairs, I noticed Twilight was there...along with a book. It was then that she told me she felt ready enough to start trying out the spells in the book to try and regain my memory.

The first try...wasn't that good, for it knocked me out, causing both Twilight and Spike to panic a bit...well, mostly Twilight. I finally woke up an hour later with some water to my face. After that, while Twilight was a bit uncertain about continuing, I was able to convince her otherwise, and after a good thirty minutes of recovering, we went at it again, this time with less passing out and more headaches...but it was a start.

This went on and off for the past few days, with me taking a break every so often to read on one of the history books Twilight has, or to just walk around the area...while making sure I stayed close to the library and avoiding the more crowded places. More often than not, the spells would result in a minor to major headache, sometimes I would even get a bit of a nose bleed, but that would be it. No memories resurfaced, nothing was recalled. Despite this, I continued to ask Twilight to continue, even after she thought it wouldn't do us any good.

"Drak, I know you really want to remember...well, everything, but...I'm not sure this is the best way to go about doing it." She said, sitting down as she floated a glass of water to drink from, before taking a few more deep breaths to relax herself. She had been calling me Drak more often than my full name these past few days as well, after Pinkie came up with it. Of course, her logic was sound, since it was easier to say than Drakalian, so I didn't really argue with them about it, deciding to let it stick.

"Do you have any other ideas?" I suggested, only to get silence from her. "Then let's go at it again."

"Drak, we've been over this fifteen times just today, and it's barely noon. We should really stop and just think things over, reevaluate the situation and-"

"And I told you that I want to keep going." I snapped, causing her to flinch from my tone. Realizing how stern I was being, I took a few more deep breaths of my own before sitting down on the floor. "I...I'm sorry Twi, I just...I just really want to get my memories back and...and this is all I have for hope of even thinking about getting them back." I said, giving her an apologetic look.

"I understand, but constantly going at it like this, it can't be good for anyone, especially you." She said, giving me a look of concern, having quickly recovered from my outburst.

"Doesn't that sound familiar." Spike commented from his place on the couch, where he was busy reading one of his comics. Twilight just gave him a deadpanned look before looking back at me pleadingly.

"Just...let's just take a break for today, and I can reevaluate the spells before going at them again. Maybe I can adjust it in a safe way so that we actually do get a result. That...and I need to rest so I can recharge my magic" She states.

I remain silent as I think over her offer. After calming myself down a bit, I realized that she was right, it doesn't help to just keep on going when nothing is happening, and my head has been hurting more and more with each spell that we did. However, I just got the feeling that this next one would be it, that this time I would get my memories back, and it was this constant thinking that told me to just push on. Looking up and seeing the worry that was easily plastered on her face, I sigh as I finally admit defeat. "Ok, I guess we can pause for now..."

The unicorn smiled and was about to say something when I quickly added, "After one more try. I just...I just have this feeling that it will work this time."

She sighs as she shakes her head, looking around for an answer before looking back at me. "Why can't you just take a break like every pony else." She says softly, a small frown on her muzzle.

"Hypocrite." We both looked at Spike as he said that, seeing the dragon still not looking up from his reading. After a few moments of staring, he finally looks up and blinks as he sees us looking at him. "What, I meant in the book. She was being a hypocrite, saying she saves others by stealing from them." He states, seeming to be serious about it. He then looks at us for a few more moments before adding, "I could read the passage if you-"

"No no, it's fine. We believe you." Twilight replied, sighing as he gives a small shrug before returning to the comic. With that, she returns to look at me with a softer look before replying, "Ok, we can try one more time, but no matter what happens, we stop for the day, deal?"

"Deal." I agree, moving back to the stool as I sat down, sitting up straight and looking right at her. "I know it will work this time, I just...I can feel it."

Smiling slightly, she just nods as she closes her eyes and her horn starts to glow. After a few moments of glowing, the magic slowly starts to stream from the tip and towards my head, my eyes following it until it was right before me. Closing my own eyes, I felt it touch my forehead...before sinking in.

Immediately, my head starts to lightly throb as it feels something invading my mind, the purple sparkles slowly wandering around, and it even seemed as if I could see shadows of those sparks flashing before my eyelids. I slowly focused on where they were moving, like Twilight has told me to do when we started, just following them as they picked through my mind. Soon, it reaches the spot where there was nothing, an empty abyss, and it starts to dig in. This time, the pain starts to increase, but I just clench my hands and focus on something else instead of the pain in my head, waiting...waiting...

Suddenly, a jolt shoots through my spine, causing my back to arch as I give a shout of surprise, my eyes flying open as I look around in slight panic. This...this was new. Twilight also seemed to have noticed this as I heard her call out, "Drak, what happened?! I'm going to cancel the spell!"

I could feel her starting to bring the spell back, but I quickly shouted, "Wait, I...I see something..." This was enough to cause her to pause, the magic in my mind staying still. "I...my eyes are open, but I...I see white. It...it's a bright day."

"What else?" I heard her ask, the worry seeming to have vanished from her voice. I could even hear the chair shift a bit as I assumed Spike was also watching this take place.

"Mountains...lots of them. A...a mountain range perhaps? I'm...deep in them, their peaks surrounding me. Wait..." I slowly turn my sights around, everything still fuzzy, like a dream, but at the same time, it felt so real. I then looked down as I saw something new. "There's...red. Red something...splotches. Paint maybe?"

"Hmmm...maybe you were helping to build something..." Twilight wondered, but otherwise remained silent. "What else?"

"Movement." I stated, starting to see a bit more. "Too...fuzzy to tell, but it's...someone...something? Wait, there's another thing, larger...moving towards it...towards her..." I slowly fall silent as some of the images start to sharpen, the second moving object becoming a bit more clear. "An axe...moving...moving towards it...towards her..."

"Her? Who's her?" Twilight asked quietly. "Drak, can you see them?"

"I...I'm moving closer...closer...too close. I'm...I'm between them both." For some reason, despite being in the way of what I assume to be a large axe, I felt strangely calm about the whole thing. It was just a memory. No harm can come in a memory, like a dream...right? "I feel the axe against me...in me..."

"I don't think that's a good thing." I heard Spike state, worry in his voice.

I look down, more curious than worried, seeing more red on the ground. In my mind, I reach to where the axe was, rubbing it before looking at it curious, almost dreamily at it, finding more of that red paint. Than it clicked.

"It's blood."

As soon as I said that, I gave a sharp, long cry as incredible pain shot through my entire shoulder, almost like someone was trying to cleave my arm off of my body. I shake so much, feeling every fiber in my being cry out in shock, wanting the torture to end as I fall down to the floor, writhing in pain, my entire left side of my body felt like it was on fire, the red blood covering everything. I hear a cry of alarm and soon, everything starts to melt away, the images receding...but the pain remained...the constant, agonizing pain. I struggled to get up through it, but I felt something pushing me down, pinning me to the ground. Growling, I tried to get up again, needing to...no, having to get up, to fight through the pain...only for the force to push me down harder, followed by something pinning me over my body. I tried to remove them with my hands, but that just caused something else to grab my hands and pull them over my head, preventing me from using them to remove whatever was keeping me down.

"Drak, snap out of it! It's just in your head! Please...stop!" I heard yelling, a female voice...and then slowly, the pain started to subside, my struggling getting weaker by the second, before I finally stopped, the force still keeping me pinned down to the ground. I breathed heavily as I just laid there, my head throbbing as it was finally the last of the pain to leave me, my shoulder finally feeling back to normal besides a small ache. Slowly, my breathing relaxed, my senses coming back into focus...and I could hear breathing right above me, from two different beings.

Opening my eyes, I winced at how bright the room was, and after blinking a few times, I saw both Twilight and Spike looking down at me, the unicorn having pinned me to the ground using her body, while the dragon had my hands held in his claws, keeping them away from Twilight. I blinked as I tried to recall what in the world just happened, the confusion must have been obvious on my face, causing them to give even more worried looks.

Before I could even say anything, Twilight was the first to speak. "What's your name?"

I blinked, unsure what she was talking about. "Um...w-what are you-"

"What's your name." She repeated, with a bit more force behind her words.

"Um...D-Drakalian. Twilight, you're scaring me here, what-"

"What's today?"

"Wait, why do I-"

"What's. Today."

"Uh, T-Tuesday. We were doing a mind spell in your home before I...before something happened." I replied, feeling even more worried. Thinking that she was going to ask me another question, I was surprised, but relieved, when she instead let out a relaxed sigh.

"Oh thank Celestia, you're ok." She says, her muscles finally relaxing as she slowly lets out a breath that she must have been holding in without realizing it. "I...I thought I worsened your memories for a second Drak." She admits.

I just remain silent as I looked up at them both, Spike's expression having also softened after my questioning. After a few more moments of silence, I finally asked, "Did...did it work."

Spike was the one to reply this time. "Well...depends. Does falling of your chair and squirming on the ground in pain count as a success?" He asks, removing his claws from my wrists, letting me rub them a bit. For a tiny baby dragon, he sure is surprisingly strong.

"Squirming on the...wait, what happened?" I asked, looking at them both in confusion.

They looked at me, worry on their faces again, but this time not nearly as much as before. "Do you...what was the last thing you remember?" Twilight asked.

I blinked as I furrow my eyebrows in concentration, before they widened in shock. "I...I was sitting on the chair, you were doing the spell, and then an axe...an axe..." I blinked as I fully realized what that meant. "I...I remembered something. It's...it's not much, but...but it's a memory. I...I know it. It worked!" I said, smiling up at her, only to frown when I saw that she didn't return the smile. "W-what...why am I not sitting in the chair?"

"Because, like Spike said, you fell off of it and started to squirm, shouting and crying out for...for somepony." She says, still looking down at me from where she sat. "Everything was going well, and you were telling us what you were seeing...than you suddenly grabbed your shoulder like your wounds had reopened, and began to cry out and yell in pain. We...we had to restrain you before you could really hurt yourself." She explains.

I blink as I finally start to look around, seeing the stool to my side as it was toppled over, most likely from me falling down. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling, I looked up at her with worry as I said, "I...I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Drak, it's not your fault. You didn't have control over yourself, so don't worry about it." She explains, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Well, technically it is, cause he did want to go one more time, but you told him not to, cause it wasn't good for his mind." Spike added, causing us to both stare at him, me with a slightly bemused look and a raised eyebrow, while Twilight had more of a deadpanned look to it. "What? It's true."

After a few moments, she just sighs as she looks down at me. "Well, regardless of what happened, I'm just glad that you're ok." She says, looking back down at me with a smile.

We were all quiet for a good minute, the three of us just trying to wrap our minds around what just happened before, with a small yawn Spike stands up as he gives a stretch.

"Well, that was fun and all, but I think I've had enough excitement for now. If you need anything else, I'll be upstairs taking a nap." He says, and before either of us could say anything else, he gives us a wave and walks up the stairs, soon out of sight. Once he was gone, we just looked back at each other, and this time, I realized just how Twilight pinned me to the ground.

She was straddling me, her hind legs on either side of my waist, while her forelegs where right on my shoulder, one of them pinning my right shoulder down, while the other one was placed on my arm, away from the bad shoulder, but still keeping me in place. She was also sitting right on top of my upper thighs to most likely prevent my legs from kicking around during my struggles, but in this position, and with my mind more clear, it was...rather compromising.

"Um...d-do you pin all your subjects down like this when they are in danger of hurting themselves?" I asked, clearly a bit embarrassed, but otherwise I remained motionless, not wanting to make any sudden movement that could cause me discomfort...or 'comfort.'

Twilight blinks in confusion as she looks down at me, before her eyes go wide as she looks at how she was holding me down. "N-No! I was...I was tired from using all my magic from our testing that I...I couldn't pin you down with it safely, so I just...d-did the next best thing." She states, clearly flustered, her cheeks slowly gaining more color as she looks at anything but me now. I just give a small smile, finding it rather funny with how flushed she was getting, despite me being in a similar state. Not wanting her to feel too uncomfortable, I reached around with my right hand and placed it on her hoof, giving it a small squeeze as I moved my other hand up to get her to turn and look at me again. By doing this, I gently slid her hoof off of my arm, causing her to fall a bit closer to me, making both of us blush even harder as we looked at each other.

"Well...you at least look comfortable." I replied in a partially joking manner, trying to ease the tension between us. She remained silent for a while before finally a small smile appeared on her lips again.

"Well...it's not that bad I guess." She replies, keeping her eyes on me, causing me to blush a bit more, which in turn got her to giggle. Soon, our eyes finally connected, and this time, I didn't look away. I gently rubbed her cheek, and she just nuzzles into my palm, the stress from our previous situation finally lifting away from us. As I slowly started to look at her in the eyes, I felt...relaxed. More calm than anything else, and for some reason...I knew she felt the same way. I then noticed something flicker behind her eyes. I started to lean in a bit closer, wanting to get a better look at it-

"Ok, who's ready to start their daily-!" Started a voice, before it was just as quickly stopped. We both rapidly turned to the source of the sound, which revealed it to be Rainbow Dash, a workout headband on her head. She was frozen with a hoof in the air as she just stared at us in confusion, blinking a few times as if not sure what she was seeing, before finally lowering her hoof down as she just looks at us.

We all remained silent for a good long time, the minutes feeling like they were slowly ticking by, before finally, the rainbow mare breaks the awkward silence.

"You know, it might be more comfortable if you two were on a bed rather than on the floor." She states, a small smirk on her face. This quickly snapped both of us out of our surprise as I quickly and rather clumsily got off of the floor, with Twilight jumping off of me.

"N-no, you got it wrong, w-we were doing a spell when he...he was..and I had to restrain him...or he would..." The purple mare began to say, only for Rainbow to just wave her hoof dismissively at her.

"Sure, that's what happened. Never took you to be the 'restraining' type though." She says, giving her a waggle of her eyebrows. This in turn just caused the purple unicorn to blush even more, which I didn't think was even possible as I looked on at the two of them.

Twilight continued to try and sputter out some sort of explanation as to why she was on top of me, but it didn't seem like the cyan mare was going to be listening to them anytime soon. So clearing my throat to get both of their attentions, I asked, "So...besides barging into people's homes unannounced, what else are you here for?" I asked.

Seeing that she had bothered the bookworm enough, she smiles as she spreads her wings and flies over to me. "First of all, it's a library, not just her home, and second, what do you think? Our workout! I got the whole thing planned out now, and thought that, since I had yet to do my own workout today, why not have us both workout together. Unless, you guys have any more 'tests' that you need to do?" She adds at the end, giving me a wink.

I did my best to keep a straight face, but going by the heat rising in my cheeks, I don't think I did good. I looked over at Twilight, who had mostly recovered from the moment, and despite the small blush still on her cheeks, she was giving me a small smile and a nod, seeming to be agreeing with her friend, so with a sigh, I looked back at the pegasus. "Well, besides walking around town or reading history, I don't really have much else to-"

"Great! Let's get going then!" Exclaims Dash, reaching to grab my hand and start tugging me towards the door. However, I quickly pulled out of her grasp before rubbing my wrist again. When are they gonna stop pulling me everywhere?

"Wait a moment, just...give me a sec, ok? I need to recover from the tests." I said, before shooting her a look warning her to not add on to that.

Thankfully, it seemed that she knew when to stop with the teasing, so she gives a small shrug and a nod of agreement. "Fair enough. I'll be waiting outside for you getting warmed up." She says. With that, she gives a wave to Twilight before flying out the door, thankfully closing it behind her.

We then stood still for a good few minutes, neither of us saying anything, not even bothering to look at each other. The tension was slowly growing the longer the silence drew out, and finally, I was starting to get too uncomfortable and wanting to break the silence, I turned to say something to her, only to realize that she had done the same. We stared at each other for a few more moments before she finally spoke up.

"We don't tell this to any pony else, right?"

"Tell what to any pony else?"

"Exactly."

Chapter 18: Learning Curves

I let out a tired groan as I lay on the ground, panting rather heavily. That pony was insane with her workout. I was surprised I could even keep up...though I'm not sure I could even call it that. As I laid panting on the grass, a certain cyan mare gently floats down next to me before landing on her hooves, a satisfied grin on her muzzle.

"Well, that was a pretty good start, I must say. I'm surprised that you could keep up with me though." She said, looking me over curiously.

"When...you said...workout...I wasn't...expecting...this..." I replied, taking deep breaths between almost every word I said, still feeling rather out of breath.

"Oh, it wasn't that hard. I only made you do a fifth of what I do to start, just to see what you were capable of." She states. "And like I said, it's not that bad. Perhaps if you start moving more and staying in that library less, you may even become as active as me." She replies, a smirk on her face. I just roll my eyes as I finally start to focus on my own breath, slowly getting it back to a more steady pace as I looked around the place we were at. It was a rather open field a small ways away from the town where Rainbow brought me, out of the way where no one else would bother us by mistake. After a few moments of silent...or not so silent panting, I finally was able to speak in a more normal tone.

"You know...I would have thought that you would help me get in shape later...as in, when the snow melts?" I stated, gesturing around us to the snow that surrounded our small clear space.

She snorts at this, shaking her head. "No way, the snow isn't scheduled to melt for another two months, and I wasn't going to wait that long."

"Wait, scheduled?" I asked, curious.

She nods as she walks over to sit next to me her wings still out as if she was ready to fly at any moment, despite how much she used them already. "Yea, the Winter Wrap Up isn't for a while like I said, and we may even have some more snow coming as well before then. I'm not really sure, I'll have to double check to see if that is the case." She says, seeming to have missed what was causing me confusion.

"No, I mean, you schedule your snow and when it melts?" I asked, making my question a bit more clear.

"Oh, of course! Not only that, but we manage the rain, wind...just about all the weather really. I'm actually the one in charge of the weather here in Ponyville." She adds, smiling. "Why, is that strange to you?"

I give a small shrug, wincing as I felt slight pain through my shoulder. "Not really, and if it was, how would I know, I have amnesia, remember?" I said, chuckling at my own joke, Dash following suit.

"Heh, fair enough." She says, before falling silent as we just look around and take in our surroundings. When she first brought me out, I was curious as to what she had planned for me, since I didn't think it would be much with the snow around, but once again I was surprised, as she just quickly cleared a good four meter area of the snow, thus giving us a decent area to work out in. While she didn't make me do any sort of running or such things, what she did have me do was more movement and stationary things, such as things called pushups and crunches, and while the amount she made me do was nothing crazy...the number of times that I had to do them per 'rep' was tiring.

"I still think...that doing twenty of these reps with ten of each was...a bit much for my first time..." I stated, breaking the silence, thankful that the cool air of winter was able to prevent me from really overheating.

"No way, a little snow isn't gonna change anything for my workout rep, so I thought why make it different when helping you out." She states, smiling as she falls onto her back, forelegs behind her head a she looks at the clouds above. With her mentioning about her helping me, I fall silent once again, thinking over exactly why she was helping me. I mean, despite being here for a few days now...nearly ten days in fact, I was still rather new to the whole place, and it made me wonder...

"Drak, hello? Equis to Drak, you there?" I blinked as I realized that I kind of zoned out, and turned to look over at Rainbow who was giving me a worried look.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Yea, what about?" She asked, curious.

I hesitate for a few moments as I think it over, debating if I should tell her what I was thinking, before with a small mental shrug, I just say, "About the workout really. Actually, about why you're helping me with it."

She looks at me with a raised eyebrow now, her head tilted to the side in confusion. "Helping you? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I mean that...why? Why help me, or even offer to help me? We barely knew each other...hell, still barely know each other, and yet you offered to help me get in shape just like that." I said, snapping my fingers to add emphasize. "I just...I don't get it."

"Oh, that's all?" She says, chuckling, this time causing me to be the one to raise an eyebrow. "I offered cause you're a friend. Sure we just met only a few days ago, and yea you may be a completely knew species and entirely dangerous, but you haven't done anything dangerous to us yet. In fact, I do recall a certain human saving a pony from certain death from a basilisk." She says, giving me a wink, which just causes me to blush. "But besides that, my other friends trust you, and if they say you're nice and trustworthy, than why should I doubt them? I'm willing to lend a hoof to a pony...err, human in need if you so need it." She finishes, a smile on her face.

I blink in surprise. "Oh...I didn't think of it like that."

"Plus, you're friends with the Princesses! I mean, that is a double bonus in my book." She adds with a grin, causing me to blink, wondering how she knew about that. Almost as if she was reading my thoughts, she says, "Twilight told us all a few days ago. Actually, she told us a couple of days after the...party incident."

Nodding in understanding now, I remained silent as I thought over what she said, turning my head to face the sky again. It's true, I was a new and potentially dangerous being that just happened into their lives, and it was those things that made me think they would be more cautious of me, yet here is Rainbow, telling me that just cause of what I did doesn't mean she's going to judge me for how I look. After remaining silent for a few minutes, I turn to look at her yet again, a smile on my face. "Rainbow...I'm glad that you're my friend."

She just chuckles as she nods, waving a hoof at me. "Yea, no biggie. Like I said, if my friends trust you, than so will I...at least, until I catch you doing something really bad." She adds, both of us to laugh at this. Once the laughter died down, I blinked as I realized that I was staring Dash in the eyes, and not looking away, and she was doing the same. We both remained silent as I realized what was happening, but before she could say anything, I quickly turned my head, a rather large blush on my cheeks, yet an annoyed look on my face. Once again, I tried to look someone in the eyes, and even after I nearly got something, I just had to look away...

"You ok?" I heard her ask, causing me to look back at her, this time not bothering to try and look into her eyes.

I nod as I give an annoyed exhale. "Yea, just...miffed would be the right world I guess." I said, sitting up as I rubbed my head with my hands.

She too gets up into a sitting position as she looks back at me, slight concern in her voice as she asks, "Is it about the eye contact?" I blink as I look back at her with surprise, before she adds, "It's not really hard to miss, you keep avoiding making eye contact with...everypony really."

I sigh as I nod once again. "Yea, I just...can't seem to make eye contact with anyone, no matter how hard I try. it's like...something keeps pulling me aside from doing so, like I'm...uncomfortable with doing it. I...I'm still not sure exactly why either." I said, eyes closed as I think it over.

"You know, App...I mean, some of us were kind of worried about that as well. We thought you may have been lying about the whole amnesia thing." She admits, causing me to look at her in surprise. "What, you're the one who said you're new here, it's safe to be cautious just in case." Realizing that she was right, I nod as she continues. "Anyways, once Twilight explain the whole thing with the Princesses...well, we kind of threw the whole lying thing out the window. I mean, how else can you explain you not knowing them, yet they do."

I smiled a bit at this as I give a nod of agreement. "Yea, I have a feeling that I would know two ponies such as them if I didn't happen to have this damn amnesia."

We both fell silent once again as I looked out at the town in front of us, and I was starting to think of something else to talk about...when my stomach beat me to it, rumbling rather loudly and causing me to give a sheepish smile. Rainbow easily heard this and gave me a smirk as she stood up, stretching her limbs out. "Well, I think that's our cue to get some lunch. I hope you don't mind some apple fritters, cause I've been having a craving for them for a while now."

I give a nod as I too stand up, stretching my aching limbs, glad that they weren't nearly as sore as a few minutes ago. "Sounds fine with me. I'm assuming Applejack is selling them?" I asked.

She nods. "She sure is. Think you can walk over there on your own hooves?" She playfully taunts.

Laughing, I start to get up before giving a small stumble. Thankfully, I'm able to quickly catch my balance again as I look over at Rainbow, who was already flying right next to me. "I think I can manage." I say with a small smirk.

Dash just chuckles at this before flying off, leaving me to follow her at a small jog, giving a small wince with each step that I took. I'm going to be feeling this the next morning, that's for sure.

(Applejack POV)

I sigh as I lean against my post, feeling a bit tired. It was a slow day selling my fritters, and while most ponies would be lining up to at least buy one, there seemed to be a lack of them at this time, which just gave me time to think of things, such as...Drak.

Normally I would be fit as rain, but I didn't really get a lot of sleep last night cause my mind has been on him constantly, and in the most annoying way. Before it would have been a rather calming time, and I would be thinking about what I would do next at the farm, or even just something to keep me occupied, but the past couple of days my mind has only been on him. I just can't seem to get him, or the words that Granny told me, out of my darn head...

(FLASHBACK: TWO DAYS AGO)

"AJ, you there?"

I gave a small start, nearly dropping the pan in the process as I turn to look at the green pony. "Ah'm sorry, Granny Smith, I was just lost in thought." I tell her, turning to look at her. I was in the middle of making the newest batch of fritters when my grandma came in from outside, most likely making sure all the animals are doing ok.

She gives me a curious look before responding. "Now look here missy, I have raised you for your entire life here, and I know that look. Somethings on ya mind, and has been for the past several days." She says, causing me to look away sheepishly. "Now, spill the beans, what's up?"

I remain silent for a few moments before placing the pan on the table and turning to look at her. "Well...it has to do with the new pony. I mean, he's not really a pony, but-"

"Oh, you mean that hooman fella I've heard about?" She asks, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "Seems a bit strange, but if he saved some pony from a basilisk then he is ok in my books."

I give a small nod. "Yea...that one. Anyways, ah kind of...doubted that he was telling the truth about his current situation, but when the Princesses came over and explained that they know who he is and that Twilight told me his situation in more detail, ah kind of...realized that ah misjudged him."

Granny remains silent for a while, thinking over what I said, moving to the counter to help me with the last of the fritters. "So, ya didn't trust him before, and now you feel guilty about it and don't know what to do? I get that right?" She summarizes.

I nod. "Yea, that about sums it all up."

"Then just go and talk to him." She says with a smile.

"What? Granny, how can ah just walk up to him and say 'Hey there, sorry ah didn't trust you but ah trust you now and ah hope you forgive me?' to him?"

"Just like that." She says simply, causing me to raised an eyebrow at the older mare. "ah know, it sounds easier said than done, but they always do. Besides, we are only ponies, we all make mistakes and misjudge some pony at least once in our life." She pauses as she places the last fritter down into the basket to be taken outside before looking back at me. "Ah know your father would come clean if he made such a mistake."

This caught me by surprise as I look over at her. Granny rarely talked about my parents, so to hear her say that now..."He would?"

She nods slightly. "Sure would. Even showed me that your mum is some pony to be trusted. I...I admit, I didn't like her when we first met." She falls silent for a few minutes now, seeming to be thinking in her own thoughts. Before I could ask what she meant by that, she quickly shook her head and smiled back at me. "Now come on AJ, we need to get these fritters to the market. Plenty of ponies out there looking for something warm to eat, and if we got the means to provide, then ah say provide we shall!" She says, giving a small laugh as she motions me out with the basket.

Nodding, I give her a smile back, knowing that she wasn't going to answer anymore questions regarding my parents now. In fact, I'm just happy she told me that much about them, and it did get me to thinking as I left the house, cart in tow to the market...

"HEY, AJ!"

I blink as I quickly shake my head, looking around to see who was calling my name. To my surprise, it was both Drak and Rainbow, the latter having both fore hooves on my counter and giving me a quizzical look. "Rainbow? What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Duh, here to buy some of your fritters. You are open, right?" She says, tilting her head a bit. It takes me a few moments before I remember just what the hay I was doing, causing me to shake my head to wake myself up as I rub my eyes a bit with my hooves.

"Right, I'm open. Sorry for that Dash. Just been a bit...spaced out is all."

"You aren't trying to over do things again, are you?" She asks with a more serious look this time.

I quickly shake my head at this. "No I promise. I'm not doing anything like that. Just...have things on my mind."

Rainbow looks at me for a few moments, her eyes narrowing for a second before she gives me a smile. "Ok, if you say so. Anyways, two fritters please!" With that, she pulls out some bits and places them on the counter. With a nod, I pull out some paper plates and place a couple of fritters on them, then making sure to count out the bits and seeing that it's the right amount, I push the plates to them, to which Rainbow is quick to take both, giving one of them to Drak. The human nods his thanks as he starts eating the fritter, and it's at this moment that I realize he was breathing rather heavily, like he ran a marathon or something.

"Drak, you seem out of breath? Were you running or something?" I ask.

the human takes a moment to swallow the food and take a few more deep breaths before calming down. "Or something. I was...well...Dash was helping me to...get back in shape after...sitting around for so long." He says.

At this I raised my eyebrows in slight alarm as I look over to my speedy friend. "Land's sake Rainbow! He just got out of the hospital, you better not be giving him the same training that we've done!" I tell her, to which the cyan pony just waves a hoof, munching on her food.

"Relax AJ, I did a very small amount for him, made sure that he could do it. Plus I know what it's like to just get out of the hospital, and today was more to see what he can do than anything, just so I can get a better idea for our future sessions." She says, to which Drak nods in agreement before letting out a small sigh.

"I just hope I can keep up. I still feel sore, and I have a feeling I'm going to be sore for the next couple of days." He says, causing her to laugh a bit.

"Cheer up, the more you do this the better you will be. Plus, you may even be able to keep up with me...maybe." She says, giving his arm a friendly punch, to which he winces and rubs the spot. I glare at Rainbow, who just gives a sheepish grin before continuing on her meal.

They soon fall silent as they keep on eating, and while I would tell them to at least move to the side to make room for other customers, they are the only ones here, so it wouldn't have mattered anyways. Besides, it would give me a good moment to think things over. It's at this point that I was looking at Drak when I realized as he looks around, he still kept on avoiding eye contact. Not just with me, but with Rainbow as well, which again makes me suspicious of him...though not so much after I remember what Granny told me.

Letting out a small sigh, I finally decide to just get it over with, knowing that it wouldn't do any pony good the longer I held back. "Drak, ah...ah need to say something."

The human looks over at me with a curious look, having almost finished his fritter already. "Sure, what's up Applejack?"

I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts before finally speaking. "Ah just...ah want to say sorry."

He gives me a confused look, head tilted to the side. "Wait, sorry? What for?"

"Well, a few days ago when ah first met ya with Rainbow, ah thought you were lying. About the whole having amnesia. Ah even told Rainbow about it a while ago." I start.

Drak falls silent as he looks at me, then he turns to look at the rainbow mare. "Dash...is this true?"

She swallow the last of the fritter before giving a small nod. "AJ did say something about not fully trusting you or something." She says slowly, rubbing the back of her head as she hovers in place.

"Ah told her that I thought you were lying and cause of that ah found myself giving you a bit of a cold shoulder, and for that, ah'm sorry. Ah was just a bit cautious about you, seeing how you are new and all, and didn't want to take any chances." I continue, looking down at my hooves as I rubbed a small circle around on the wood. "ah've had a few hard times when ah was in the city during my filly days. Let's just say that ah...learned that not everypony can be trusted." I then look back up and finish my thought. "Ah do hope you can forgive me."

Drak remains silent for a good while, looking a bit at me but mostly at the stall, and I could tell that he was thinking over what I said. After a few minutes of silence, when I was about to ask if he is ok, he looks up and back at me, smiling. "I think I understand. Being new here and all, I'm a bit surprised that I was welcomed as I was in the first place, so to see that you needed more time to trust me...I don't know how to say this any better, but it...it makes me feel a bit more relaxed." He pauses, letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "Man that makes me sound so strange when I say that I was uncomfortable with people being too comfortable with me."

This causes both Dash and I to chuckle, which in turn gets a confused look from him. "Sorry Drak, but most ponies in Ponyville are actually very strange indeed. Just take a look at Pinkie for example." Rainbow explains.

"DID SOMEPONY SAY MY NAME!" Suddenly, the specific pink party pony comes rushing over, stopping right beside us as she looks at all of us eagerly.

"Nothing too important Pinkie, just...talking." Rainbow quickly says.

"Ok, talking is good. I love talking myself, cause otherwise how can you find out what the day is or who you are talking to or even the time and of course no pony would know what your favorite cake is which mine wait does the batter count cause if it-"

"Aren't ya supposed to be taking care of Sugarcube Corner right now?" I ask, causing her to go wide eyed.

"Oh crap! I totally forgot! Bye for now Rainbow, AJ, Drak! I'll be back around some other chapter!" She says before zooming off just as quickly as she came.

We all remain silent as we stare at the spot that she was just at before Drak finally breaks the silence. "What...what just happened?"

I could hear the confusion in his voice, but before I can say anything, Rainbow jumps in. "Like I said, we are all strange, especially Pinkie."

At this we all laugh, and as we calmed down, I could feel myself feeling very glad that I got all of that off of my chest. Looking back at Drak, he smiles back, but as always he keeps his gaze away from my own. While I know now it just seems to be something that he does, it still makes me ever so curious.

"Can ah ask you something?" I ask. With a nod from the human I continue. "Why do you keep avoiding eye contact? ah mean, ah know now that you aren't trying to hide anything, but it doesn't help to make you look too trusting...at least in my opinion."

At this the human falls silent as he thinks it over, rubbing a hand on his chin. "Honestly...I don't know. Rainbow mentioned that before as well right after the workout." He says, seeming to be deep in thought for a moment before looking back at us. "I'll be honest, it really is bothering me too."

This causes all of us to fall silent now as we think over what he said. As the minutes tick by, Drak gives a small sigh before looking around. "Anyway, is there a trash can to place the plate, or do I-"

"Wait, I have an idea!" Rainbow shouts, causing us to jump a bit. "What if you just forced yourself to look into somepony's eyes? Just stare at them and tell us how you feel?" She suggests.

I give a curious look at her then back at the human. "She's not wrong. If you can figure out just what you feel when looking at some pony else's eyes, it may help with figuring out why you don't do it in the first place."

Drak remains silent for a few moments, slowly placing the plate down on my stand before letting out a small sigh. "I suppose so, but I don't...I don't like it too much."

"It's either that or keep doing what you have been doing with Twilight." Rainbow jumps in. "Besides, while I know the bookworm always figures things out, I can't say I know WHEN she will figure it out."

After another moment of silence, Drak nods. "Ok, I'll do it, but...who will I look at for it? It's not like I want to just find a random pony and stare at their eyes for the next minute just to figure it out." He says, letting out a small sigh of frustration.

"Oh, do me!" The rainbow pony says, bouncing a bit in the air before landing on the ground. "I would be more than happy to volunteer for this."

Drak and I look at each other for a few moments before I give him a shrug. "Ah mean, if she is offering..."

Drak nods as he looks back at Dash. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he slowly leans down a bit to let them meet at eye level, and that is when the human really opens his eyes to look at Dash, and I mean REALLY open them. Dash nearly stumbles back at how intense it is before collecting herself. "Whoa, careful Drak, no need to be so intense." She says, though she does keep her eyes locked on his.

"Sorry, kind of...just went with what felt right." He says before falling silent.

They continue to stare at each other, the minutes slowly ticking by, one gripping their staff a bit tighter while the other one did their best to not move too much other than their wings and tail. It seemed rather intense, and I was actually starting to get a bit worried when Drak finally spoke up.

"Can you calm down a bit Rainbow? It's a bit difficult to focus with you being so nervous, feels like it's making me nervous as well." He says.

Rainbow gives a confused look, eyes still locked onto him. "What, I'm not nervous, you're just seeing things." She says. However, I realize that Drak was speaking the truth. Looking closer at Dash, I can see that she is indeed a bit nervous, but I could only tell cause of how long we've been friends. How Drak figured it out...

I give a glance at them both once again, and this time I see Rainbow faltered a bit. She knew that he was right, and even as she tried to hide it by distracting herself with something, Drak spoke up yet again.

"You...are you blushing?"

Now this I was confused with, for Rainbow was indeed not blushing at all, the cyan pony giving a confused look now. "Wait what? No, I'm not blushing." She says, equally confused as I was.

"Yet you find me...are you attracted to me?" This time She does really blush a bit, but before either of us can say anything, Drak continues. "Wait, not that attraction, it's...it's my eyes. You find my eyes attractive, and you...you feel anxious to get up and move. You don't like standing in one place for long, and are eager to stretch your wings. And now you are confused...no, puzzled, you're thinking that I'm lying as well...wait, it's gone now. You...you are more curious now, and eager to see more of...of..." He starts to falter now, and I see him shaking a bit on his legs, almost like he is starting to get weak.

Dash and I say nothing, but I can tell just by looking at Dash that...Drak is right. At least from what I can see. I wasn't sure about the attraction part, but judging by her blush and nod, it seems that was right as well. It was almost like he was reading her mind in some way.

"Ok, this is getting creepy, but awesome at the same time." Rainbow says, eyes locked still. "It's like you're in my head!"

Drak shakes his head. "No, not in your head, I...I'm just...just looking at you...your e-emotions..." He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales...then finally, he starts to stumble.

That is when we spring into action, both of us on either side of him as he hold him up. "Whoa, careful there Drak! You almost fell over." I said, my hooves holding him up as one pats his shoulder lightly.

Rainbow is on the other side, doing the same thing except looking at him with more confusion than I. "Yea, that would have been a bad tumble in your condition." She says. This entire time, while she did move from her sport and isn't trying to make eye contact, it seems Drak's eyes are just locked onto hers. Rainbow looks back with a worried look, her own eyes showing worry. "Drak, you there?"

He slowly nods as he just reaches a hand up, gently cupping her cheek and causing her to blush a bit. "I...I'm fine. No need to be so...worried. You...'' He pauses as his eyes go a bit wider. "You look like...no...you...y-you're...Aryas..."

Before we can even find out what he was talking about or who this Aryas is, his eyes suddenly shut as his head falls back, his body going limp.

Rainbow and I have a hard time holding him up as he falls into our grasp, both of us giving a look of shock at each other. Before we could say anything, I was already taking him onto my back and galloping off to the hospital, Rainbow placing the closed sign on my stall before heading off with me, keeping a close eye on the human.

Chapter 19: Clues in the Past

(Twilight POV)

I hum lightly as Spike and I continue to organize the books around the library, feeling a lot more relaxed since the incident that happened this morning. Since Drak decided to head out with his workout with Rainbow, I decided that now would be a good time to reorganize the place. As a few of the books floated in the air around them, I look over to see how my assistant is doing. "Everything going ok Spike?" I call out.

The young dragon currently was on a ladder, holding at least half a dozen books in his arms as he does his best to stay balanced. "Yea Twilight, I-whoa-doing ok here. Just-oh boy-trying to stay steady." He says, slowly walking down the ladder and collecting a few more of the tomes.

I sigh and shake my head. "You know that you don't have to keep gathering all the books at once. It's fine to take a few at a time." I remind him yet again. He always seems to do this to himself, making it much more difficult than it really needs to be.

Spike just huffs as he finally gets himself steady on one of the rungs. "I know, but this makes it get done quicker, and the quicker it gets done, the sooner I can go outside and play in the snow." He says, looking around himself and giving a small smile. "Besides, it seems I'm getting the hang of-"

Just then, the door suddenly slams open, causing the vibration to shake Spike on the ladder...and topple over, all the books landing all over and around the poor dragon. Giving a small puff of smoke, he leans against his arm with a grumble. "Nevermind..."

I look over to see who it was that entered the library so suddenly...and to my shock, I see AJ and Rainbow, the former carrying an unconscious Drak on her back. I gasp as I place the books down and quickly rush over to them. "AJ, Rainbow! What happened?"

"I don't know! At one moment we were seeing about his whole not looking into other's eyes thing, then the next moment he is mumbling something about some pony and he just goes out of it." Rainbow says, carefully laying him down on the couch as she and AJ look at the unicorn.

"Ah tried to tell her that we need to bring him to the hospital, but-" AJ starts before being interrupted.

"And I kept saying that he has been there enough already to last a lifetime! A pony shouldn't be there for such a long time!" She states, waving her fore hooves in the air.

"Girls, enough!" I say, getting their attention back to the situation at hoof. "In any case, he's here now, so let's see what is wrong before we decide to bring him to the hospital or not." I say, getting a nod from them both.

We look down at the human and I quickly start inspecting him, seeing if there is anything else amiss about him. After a few moments, I move to his face and use my magic to gently open his eyes. Thankfully, they seem to be normal and not the bloodshot red that it was at the party. "Eyes are normal, so it isn't a panic attack." I say to myself, getting some relief from the others. "What exactly happened?"

It was Dash who spoke up first. "We just finished our training and I thought it would be a good idea to head out and get some food, so I took him to AJ to get some fritters. Anyways, we had a whole thing with how AJ didn't trust him and she said sorry, all that stuff."

"Afterwards ah asked him about why he doesn't look into other pony's eyes, and he had no idea himself, so we thought that looking into some pony's eyes would help him to see, perhaps with what he feels, and then..." AJ continues before pausing, both of them looking at each other.

"And then what?" I ask, confused.

"Well...it kind of got really creepy by then..." Dash says, and they go on to explain how when looking into Rainbow's eyes, he was somehow able to see what she was feeling, like an open book. However, after a few minutes, something seemed to happen that caused him to collapse.

"So we brought him here...well, Rainbow brought him here. Ah still think-"

"AJ he's here let's just deal with the here and now." Dash says with a sigh, the country mare giving a small nod as she finally agrees.

"So he just fell unconscious like that?" I ask, looking him over some more, checking his vitals again to make sure they are normal, which so far they are...at least from his other times I took his vitals.

"Yea, that's pretty much it...although." The cyan pony pauses as she rubs her chin with a hoof. "He did mention that I reminded him of somepony for some reason. I think he said she's called...Aryas?"

Now this got my attention. "Wait, he said you reminded him of some pony? As if you looked familiar to some pony he...knows?" I ask, my eyes going wide as I look at my speedy friend.

"Yea, but I don't see how that...oh..." She starts to say before her eyes go wide as well, AJ quick to follow suit.

"Does that mean staring at Dash here caused his memory to be jogged?" The Earth pony asks.

"It would seem so, but I can't be sure till he wakes up." I say softly, looking back at Drak sleeping on the couch. As the minutes slowly tick by, an idea starts to form in my head. "Unless..."

"Hold on there sugarcube. Ah know that look, and it can't be anything safe." AJ says as she walks closer to me.

"Yea, your ideas tend to be a bit risky, and that's coming from me." Agrees Dash.

"I know, but it may be our only chance to find out something about him." I explain, turning to face them. "There is a chance that looking into your eyes jogged something, and his mind is currently going over such memories. The best chance would be to have him tell us what he sees when he wakes up, but there is a chance that he won't remember it, like a dream if you will. The best chance is for me to...to dive in and see for myself." I say. "I promise, it should be simple for me to do. I just need to adjust the memory spell a bit and then I can just enter his mind...at least, the current thoughts of his mind."

My friends hesitate as they look at one another, and then at the laying human. It takes only a few moments before they sigh and give a nod. "Ok, ah trust you." AJ says.

"And I do as well." Rainbow agrees.

I smile at them both, and give them a hug each as thanks. "Thank you, I promise to be as safe as I can." I say before turning to face Drak. Taking a few deep breaths, I close my eyes and light my horn, my mind already going through the motions of the spell. Soon, I reach forward with my magic, touching his forehead...

(Drak's mind, Twilight POV)

Well, this is interesting. Seems so dark though, almost like it's empty...wait, there's a light. Just...a bit...closer...

The next moment, I open my eyes and find myself in the middle of a forest, surrounded by trees on all sides. It's rather strange, for the place reminds me of the Everfree, and yet...it looks nothing like it. It's brighter, for one, and I can hear birds singing in the distance.

Before I can get a chance to listen to them, however, they just as quickly stop as they had started. I don't even get a chance to find out why when Drak suddenly appears from the underbrush, his staff in hand as he rushes back before turning around, seeming to be in a fighting stance.

I quickly get up on my hooves, not realizing I fell down to a sitting position. "Drak! Thank Celestia I found you. Where is this place, do you-"

"You can't keep this up for much longer Aryas." The human calls out, seeming to ignore my very presence. I give him a strange look as I walk around him to get him to look right at me.

"Drak, can you hear me?" I ask, waving a hoof in front of him. However, he doesn't react at all to me being here. In fact, when I look at his eyes, he doesn't even flinch or try to look away, as if I'm not there at all.

Before I can inspect this further, the shrubs shake as another person...no, a pony rushes out, this one holding a spear in her hooves. Her coat is cyan in color, her mane a rather messy yellow as she took a ready position in front of the human. A quick look at her sides showed that she is indeed a pegasus, even if one of the wings is bandaged to her side. If I didn't know any better I would have assumed it was Rainbow with some hair dye, but her eyes are much different as well...more experienced and focused, as well as a much darker shade of purple. Plus her cutie mark is different; a bright orange spear with wings

"You really think you can run away from me Drak? Even in my injured condition you can't beat me on a bad day...and this is far from a bad day for me." She brags, giving a rather cocky grin.

Drak just rolls his eyes as he waves the tip of his staff at her. "Big words coming from somepony who can't even run faster than a mere human, Aryas. Do you plan on talking me to death or actually fighting me?" He asks, surprisingly cocky for himself.

The mare, Aryas I assume, snorts as she readies her spear, and before I can react, she charges forward, the tip aimed right at the human! And I was still between them!

I gasp as I quickly place a shield around us both, ready for the impact. However, instead of hitting the shield, her spear just goes through it. And not only that, she phases through it as well, like it isn't there. I try to block her with my hooves now, but instead of hitting me, her spear passes through me. I can't help but shiver as I feel not only her weapon but herself just rush through my body as if I was made of air. I shake my head as I look at myself in shock, then I hear the sounds of wood clashing, and turning I see that Drak blocked the strike, and was making his own attack.

Realizing that there is nothing I can do, I lower my shield and resign myself to just watch. I soon figured out, with a few more tests, that nothing I could do could affect what was happening. For all intent, I was just here to watch and observe, unable to change the outcome of what was happening. I was rather worried that I couldn't do anything, and the longer the fight went on, the more I realized that Drak...was losing.

As the fight went on for what felt like hours, the human collapses, giving Aryas an opening. She yells out and charges, knocking the staff from his hand and slamming the butt of her spear into his gut, causing him to fall down on his back. She quickly takes advantage of the situation and, tossing her spear to the side, lunges forward as she pins him to the ground, her face inches from his.

Drak struggles for a few moments before finally falling still, just staring back at her with slight annoyance. The pegasus just smirks...and then headbutts him lightly.

"I win again!" She says with a laugh.

The human grumbles as he moves a hand from under her and rub his head where she hit him. "Do you really have to do that every time you win Aryas?" He asks.

"Hey, until you can beat me, I get to do whatever the fuck I want." She says with a grin, sitting down on his lap as Drak gets up to a sitting position, stretching his limbs. It's at this moment that I am able to take a better look at the human, and I realize that he is shirtless, nothing covering his top, only wearing some pants and shoes. Not only that, but I could see that his skin was much more...softer? At least it was different without the scars there that he got...or the bandages.

"Such a nice way to treat your savior." He comments, reaching over and flicking his finger against her head, causing her to flinch lightly.

"Ah, you whine too much. Need to toughen up if you wish to get to my kind of performance." She says with a grin, poking his chest with a hoof. "I will say, you have gotten much better since we first started."

"Yea, well perhaps you actually are helping me then." He says with a chuckle, getting her to roll her eyes before laughing back.

"Perhaps so. Never thought I could be a good teacher." She replies back. They just laugh for a bit as they enjoy the silence, Aryas slowly leaning against him as she sighs, the human pausing a bit before hugging her back. "Still not used to such interactions, are you?"

"The most physical contact I ever got was getting grabbed by a market owner or slapped across the face by someone." He says.

"Well, we ponies are a lot more physical in the...kinder way, so no worries about me hitting you...much." She teases, causing him to huff and her to chuckle. As they sit together for the time being, taking in the silence of the forest, the mare leans back and looks at him. "Drak, can I ask you something?"

The human looks back with a raised eyebrow. "Aryas, you've been with me for at least two months now, and taking up my supplies, I think you are free to ask whatever you wish...within reason of course." He adds, causing her to to whisper "damnit"

"Really though, I am curious about something." She says. Drak gives a nod and the pegasus continues. "I've noticed that, whenever we do something, be it sparing, talking...hell, just nothing in general, you seem to keep your gaze away from me. I know I'm not the prettiest mare to look at, but-"

Drak is quick to shush her with a finger to the lips. "Hey, you are a very nice looking mare, no need to speak about it otherwise. Still surprised no one asked you out."

"Perhaps, but you don't get much time to date others in the Order Army." She says, giving a small huff, clearly not liking it. "Besides, the only other beings available are all too old for my liking, so pass."

Drak laughs as she laughs back with him. As they fall silent, he sees that she is still waiting on her question, and with a sigh he nods. "Ok, but it may seem a bit silly to you."

"Try me." She challenges.

With a nod, Drak begins. "Very well. Basically...I'm an empath."

"An empath?" She asks, head cocked to the side in curiosity. "That some sort of mage or something based on emotions?"

"Not quite, it's more like...how do I say this..." He pauses to think it over before speaking again. "Basically, you know how people and ponies and all other beings can tell what a person feels with body actions, and how we can feel sorry for someone in certain situations, basic things like that?"

"So feeling empathy for somepony cause they are down on their luck?"

"Exactly. For me, it's...more intense. I can actually feel what someone is feeling, how they are, if they are sad or happy or worried, that kind of stuff. Not only that, but their emotions also fuel me, in a way. For example, how do you feel right now?"

"Right now?" Aryas pauses as she thinks it over before responding. "I have to say content."

"And that is what I would have guessed as well, for I feel the same way. I can feel what you are feeling just by being so close to you, but for me, looking into your eyes makes the feeling more intense. And the more intense the feeling, the more I feel it myself." He sighs as he lets out a small frown. "Sadly, it isn't all useful, and more of a hinderance than anything."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if someone is happy, then I'm happy, simple enough?" She nods. "And if I'm sad, then I'm sad, which can help me to make someone happy again."

"That sounds more useful than anything else."

"Here's the thing. I can't control it that well, or at all at times. When someone is happy, that's great. However, the more intense feelings can cause me to...really feel unbalanced, as it were. Say someone is feeling nervous with something, and they look into my eyes, then I start to feel nervous. The more nervous they feel, the more I feel as well, and that means the more nervous that I get as well."

"Well, that does sound rather bad..." She says, frowning a bit.

"It gets worse. Cause of me being an empath...at least with my experience, I find myself able to influence others with my own emotions, so to speak." He continues. "it's not straight up mind control or anything, so don't start thinking to use me to control others."

"Rats was going to ask you to help me with my world domination plans." She jokes, causing them to laugh as he strokes her mane lightly.

"Perhaps another day. Anyways, for whatever reason I emit my emotions out in some sort of wave. Again, more intense emotions makes it stronger. So when I'm happy, others around me tend to be happy, when I'm sad, they become sad. Angry...well, you get the idea."

There is a small pause as Aryas lets it soak in before looking back up at him. "That...that sounds rough. It has good perks, but there are just...so many drawbacks, from how you describe it."

"That's how it feels for me too. And like I said, looking into someone's eyes causes me to really feel their emotions, and...well, for me it's a bit...intimate, from what I've learned." He pauses before taking a deep breath and exhaling. "I only look at other's in the eyes when I trust them enough, or if they are a very close friend."

"And what am I too you?" She asks, curiously, causing him to pause.

He looks at her slowly, his eyes roaming over her face, at first avoiding her eyes, then glancing at them. He holds his gaze with her, but only for a moment, then quickly looks away. "I admire you as a very strong and kind friend. I would say one of the closest friends I have...though I doubt you care too much about it." He says, giving her a small grin to show that he is joking.

"Clearly, the closest friends with a hermit, that is one for the bucket list." She jokes back, punching his shoulder lightly. They both laugh as the tension in the air leaves them before she continues. "Honestly, I really do appreciate it. We don't get too many friends during this war, so...to make even one is...something special." She says, looking up with a smile.

They both fall silent as they just enjoy each others time together for a while, Drak even sometimes looking into her eyes every so often to feel her happiness, even if he can feel it without needing to do that right now.

Soon, Aryas lets out a small sigh as she gets off of his lap, shaking her head a bit. "Let's get going, I'm hungry and it's your turn to cook." She says, walking over to grab her spear.

Drak laughs as he gets up and grabs his own weapon. "It's always my turn. How about you cook for a change?"

"Cause I like eating edible food, which you can make. I can't even make a simple stew." She explains, the human laughing at this.

"Perhaps one day I can help you learn to cook...properly." He says, walking up to her.

"Perhaps...though I would like to know how you make that stew. Even if I can't cook it, I can tell the camp cook and he can make it when I return. It will be a blast when I return." She says, smiling back up at him.

Drak smiles back as they start walking through the forest and out from where they had fought. "If you insist. It isn't that complicated though. Just need some warm water and then you chop up the veggies and put it in. It's just the..." He continues on, his voice slowly getting softer before finally vanishing.

I blink as I realized I had been sitting here the entire time, almost motionless as I listened to the entire thing. Slowly I got up from where I was sitting, which was next to them, and shake my head. "Wow...that...that was amazing. Drak's an empath and that is why...that is why he doesn't look at others in the eyes. Incredible..." I say softly to myself.

Before I can say anything else, I find myself slowly yawning, then I open my eyes wide to keep myself awake. "W-wait, how am...am I getting...tired..." I say as I feel myself starting to fall deeper into slumber. The forest starts to fade from my eyes without even closing them, and the longer I keep them open, the tougher it is. The sounds slowly vanishing as I shut my eyes for a moment...

"Twilight, wake up!"

I open my eyes with a start as I gasp, my head jerking up and awake. Blinking rapidly, I look around to see where I was. Thankfully, it seems I'm still in my library as I also realize...I'm on the couch now?

Confused, I start to get into a sitting position, only to be pushed down by a pair of hooves. Looking up I see that AJ and Dash are looking down at me, the latter pushing her hooves to keep me on the couch. "Easy there Twilight, you feeling ok?" She asks, concern heard on her voice.

I take a few deep breaths before nodding, rubbing my head a bit to soothe the small ache there. "I'm...fine. What happened?"

"Ya tried to enter Drak's mind when he was asleep, and then the moment your magic touched him, you just...collapsed." AJ explains. "You sure you're ok sugarcube? You took quite a dozy of a fall."

"I-I'm fine." I assure her, getting up off the couch and onto the floor. I shake a bit before steadying myself as I continue looking around. "But...but where's Drak? I thought he was resting on the couch, not me."

"He woke up about ten minutes ago, and he was about as worried as the rest of us." Rainbow says. "I think he said he went to the kitchen to get some food with Spike." Sure enough, just as she said that, we hear footsteps behind us, and turning around we see both Drak and Spike walk out from the kitchen, both of them holding some water and a sandwich.

As soon as Spike saw me, he place the items on the table and rushed over. "Twilight, you ok? I heard what happened, but I didn't know what to do, and I-" He started to say before I shushed him.

"It's ok now Spike, just a bit of a backlash. I'm fine now though." I tell him with a smile. Seeing me awake and ok seems to put him at ease as he smiles back.

"I'm just glad that you're awake now. We were worried for you." He says. "We made some sandwiches while you slept, thought you might be hungry since we did kind of miss lunch."

At that, my stomach growls, along with Spikes, causing us both to give small smiles before laughing, the rest of the girls laughing as well as Drak. "Seems that was a good call Spike. Let's go eat!"

With that we all went to sit down at the table, Spike and I eating our food, while the other three just had some water to drink. As we fell into silence, I couldn't help but to look at the human, seeing what kind of reaction he might give after that ordeal. He sees me staring at him and, with a sigh, looks back at me. "I'm guessing you saw me with...Aryas?" He asks.

"How did you-"

"AJ and Dash told me when I woke up. Explained what you did and that they had no idea what to do. I just guessed that you would wake up on your own, like I did, but if I was wrong..." He pauses as he frowns at the thought, though AJ is quick to comfort him with a hoof to his arm.

"You did the right thing Drak. No need to be a worrywart about it now." She says, causing the human to smile softly.

"Yea, though you still need to tell us more about this Aryas pony, and how you knew her." Rainbow asks, clearly still interested with what we found in his head.

We fall silent as we all look over at him, the human just staring at his water. "It's...it's a bit fuzzy. I can remember it, bits a pieces of that moment, but...but it's taking its time. It's rather slow, if that makes any sense." He explains.

"If you don't mind..." I interrupt, causing them to look at me. "I could explain what I saw, if that's ok with you?" Drak barely pauses to give me a nod, and with that I start telling them what I saw in the memory.

"So, you're an empath, and looking into eyes increases the feelings that you can see in other ponies?" Dash clarifies, getting a nod from both me and Drak.

"Something like that. The way he explained it to Aryas is a bit different to what I read, but I do know that everypony is different when it comes to such things. Like magic, no pony has the same kind of magic, maybe similar, but not the same." I say, getting a nod from my friends.

"Well it is interesting. Ah know a couple of my family members that are these empaths, but not to the same degree as how you feel." AJ says, looking at the human with new curiosity. "If ah remember right, ah think granny might have told me that ah might be some sort of empath myself...maybe..." She pauses. "Though it's most likely just my element that helps me with it."

"Empathy comes in different forms, so it is possibly that you being the Element of Honesty amplifies your empathy to others." I explain, AJ drinking her water as she thinks it over. "In any case, it's a bit to take in. We just got so much information about Drak's past, and what he may have been through. It's rather exciting now that the worry is over." I say, clapping my hooves together in joy.

"And here you are without your notebook." Spikes kids, getting a laugh from us all.

"Perhaps, but I can write it down when I get to my room." I say, before a small yawn escapes Drak. "Feeling tired Drak? I know it's not that late, but you did have a rather lengthy workout with Rainbow, and I doubt that was a walk in the park."

"Hey, I keep telling you ponies that I went easy on him." Dash states, forelegs crossed in front of her.

"Easy for you is above average for most of us here." Says AJ, getting a chuckle from the human.

"You do the same amount of work that I do Applejack."

"I said most of us."

"Anyways, don't you two have things to do?" I ask, getting a pause from them.

"Oh horse apples! Ah forgot mah stall!" AJ exclaims, getting up from the seat. "Ah need to head back to make sure all is fine there. Talk to y'all later!" With that, she gives a wave before heading out.

"And I do have a few things that need taken care of at home before I finish the rest of my workout...the flying part at least." Dash explains, getting up and taking to the air. "See you tomorrow for another workout Drak?"

The human sighs as he leans back against his seat. "My legs and arms are still so raw, do I have to do it so soon?"

"If you want to get back into shape then you are going to need to do it every day." She explains, getting another sigh from him.

"If I must." He relents, getting a small "Yes!" From the rainbow pony. With that, she waves bye to the rest of them before heading out.

Drak then turns his attention to Spike and asks, "You got any plans or no?"

He stretches as he gets up from his seat, taking his plate to the sink. "I do, but...it's helping out the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I doubt that is going to be anything good." He says, getting me to giggle.

"Spike, you promised Sweetie Belle." I remind him. The dragon lets out a rather large sigh before nodding, and once his place was cleaned he heads out to get ready to go outside. With the dragon gone, that just leaves me and the human.

We remain silent as we both nurse our drinks, me having finished my food a while ago. I could feel the silence slowly building in the air before I decide to finally speak up. "So...Aryas..."

Drak blinks as he looks up at me in confusion before realizing what I was asking. "Oh yea. Her. I think I...I found her somewhere when she was injured and helped her recover from them. She couldn't make it back to her regiment as she got lost from them, so I offered to take care of her...at least for a while."

"Do you know what happened to cause her injuries?"

He shakes his head. "Can't say I do, though that is nothing new." He pauses as he looks at his drink again. "I do know that she is amazing with a spear, and she is the one who taught me most of my staff lessons."

"And the Order Army?" I ask, getting him to look up. "Do you know what that is, or who they are?"

He shakes his head sadly. "Can't say I do. All I know is that she is a part of it when I met her. I wish I knew more..."

"You two seemed rather close." I mention, trying to act casual about it. "I mean, you looked into her eyes when you mentioned the whole thing about doing it with only those that are close to you, so..."

Drak pauses as she gives me a curious look. "Twilight, are you...jealous?"

My eyes go wide as I quickly shake my head. "What, me? No, why would I be...I mean that just makes no...I have no reason to be-" He waves me off with his hand for me to fall silence which I do so.

Once he has my attention he starts. "I don't know, Twilight, but my guess is that yes, we were close, I just...I don't know how close. I know now that she is one of my first, if not THE first friend I ever made." He says. This information, while I already knew it to be the case, causes a small pang of my heart as I look down, ears flat on my head.

"Oh, w-well...I mean good for her..." I say as I take another drink, eyes closed to try and compose myself. When I open them, I nearly give a jump as I find Drak kneeling right next to me.

"Twilight, you don't have to be jealous, really." He says, and before I can comment he hushes me again. "Yes you are jealous. Empath remember?"

"Oh...right..." I sigh as I give myself a face hoof. "Sorry, I just...I liked being the first pony ever to friend a human, and now it's..."

"It doesn't matter, cause what happened in the past is the past." He says, reaching over and grasping my hoof in his hand. "Aryas may be my first friend ever that I had, and from what I can see being friends is a big deal here, but that doesn't change the fact that we are all friends as well. And yes I do consider you as a friend."

"You...you do?"

He nods as he gives me a comforting smile. "I do. And if it makes you feel any better, you are my first friend that I made here. And that won't be taken away from you." He says. Smiling at him, I quickly reach over and wrap my hooves around him, hugging him close. He hesitates like in the memory before returning the hug in kind. We remain silent for a few moments, with me nuzzling him a bit as I let out a small sigh.

"You know, you really aren't used to so much physical contact if you still hesitate from getting a hug." I say, getting him to laugh softly.

"Well, I'm guessing that I will the longer I stay here." He says, causing me to giggle and nod as I pull back.

"Now that I think of it, it feels rather silly for me to get jealous on whoever your first friend is." I say, realizing the error of my ways. "All that should matter is that we are friends, and I promise to help you no matter what."

"Likewise...friend." He agrees. With that, we untangle from the hug as I get off of my seat. "Here, let me take care of the dishes for you."

"Are you sure?" I ask, to which he nods.

"Of course. Besides, I need to get some clean air after that moment with the memory." He explains.

"You're gonna have plenty of time to get clean air with Dash tomorrow." I giggle, causing him to groan.

"Don't remind me." He sighs, getting us both to laugh. "Anyways, let me take care of this then if you need me I'll be out on the porch. I have learned that the night sky is very nice here, at least for me."

"Perhaps we can go stargazing sometime!" I say, getting a nod from him.

"Perhaps so. For now, time for me to clean." He says, taking the plates and heading to the kitchen.

"You know where to find me if you need anything!" I call out to him, in which he nods. With that taken care of, I head on upstairs to my room first to get my notebook and write down what I learned today. As I walked upstairs, I couldn't help but to think about what happened a few minutes ago, with the hug, and each of us promising to help the other. Taking a deep breath, I put on a new determined look as I enter my room, closing the door behind me. Looking around, I find the memory book and open it once again.

"We can do this, Sparkle. Our friend is counting on us."

Chapter 20: How to "Save" a Pony

Author's Note

You know, for a story that is supposed to have Trixie as a main, there sure is a surprising lack of her. Let's fix that, shall we?

Chapter 20: How to "Save" a Pony

(Trixie POV)

I give a huff as I trod down the path through the market, doing my best to ignore the stares that would be going by my way. It is always so annoying trying to go about my own life with these other neigh sayers grumping over me and just making it that much more difficult for me.

I give myself a mental shake of the head to clear out those nasty thoughts, holding my head up high and proud. Happy thoughts Trixie, don't let them see you down in the dumps, otherwise they will take advantage. I think to myself. Looking at my list, I see that I have only a couple of things left to get, some carrots and an apple pie.

A quick look around the market shows me just where the carrots are, and walking to the stand, the yellow orange mare standing behind it is finishing up with her last customer.

"Five bits please." She says to the rather large white pegasus, who gives the coin over to her. He then takes the carrots and gives it a quick look before flexing his muscles and shouting, "YEA!" then heading off, his tiny wings flittering ever so slightly.

I just raise an eyebrow as he walks by, still not used to the ponies that are living here, even if it has been a couple of weeks now since I moved in here...temporarily. I walk up to the mare and look at the carrots she has before saying, "I'll take two bundles of carrots please."

The mare at the time was pretending to be busy behind the stand before she looks up at me...and frowns. "If you insist...though I was getting ready to close." She says before grabbing the carrots I asked for and placing them on the table. "Ten bits please."

I narrow my eyes as I hear this. "Ten bits?! You just gave the same amount to the other pony for five bits! It even says two for five on your board!" I state, pointing at said board with my hoof.

She looks at it before back at me. "And your point is?"

"This is extortion! How dare you try and rip off the Great and Power-" I start to say before she slams her hoof on the stall, getting me to pause.

"And you listen here. Not every pony is still happy with you being here, especially after you made all of us your slaves. You may have gotten some to apologizes, but I still remember what happened like it was yesterday, and I don't forgive so easily, so either ten bits or take a hike!" She says simply, giving me a very deep glare.

I just stare at her with wide eyes, mouth agape. I know what I did was rather bad, and that some of the ponies still haven't forgiven me for it, but to go to this extent? I've had a few that tried to raise prices on me, but once I caught them they always brought it back down, yet here this mare is not backing down an inch. With a glare, I just raise my nose and turn away, trotting away from the stall.

"Good riddance, damn mare is too stuck up for this place." I hear her say as she gets to work closing her store. I keep walking a bit farther before I start to slow down and lower my head, letting out a small sigh.

"Damnit Trixie, don't let those ponies get to you." I start talking to myself in a small tone. "That's the third time today that you almost blew up in front of some pony, and you know that if you get into any more trouble here that the landlord will kick you out of the place." I sigh, remembering that the only reason I was staying there was cause of a favor that the stallion had for me...even if it was kind of broken with the whole slaving the town incident.

I take a deep breath and let out a small sigh before digging into my bags and pulling out all the bits I had. Counting them all up gave me a total of seven. Just as I thought, I wouldn't have enough to pay that mare even if I wanted to. I was starting to run out of my reserves, and I knew I had to find a job and quick, but...what pony would hire me here? It's not like I can just walk up and let my reputation do the work. In fact, it's my reputation that caused me to get into this mess to begin with. And there is no way I was going back to that damn rock farm again. I don't even think I could make it there now even if I wanted to.

Focus Trixie! Enough wallowing. Let's just get by today before worrying over tomorrow. I think to myself again, and with a determined nod, I start to head down the road, already seeing the next stop...and wincing.

Of course, if somepony were in need of an apple or apple product, they would have to go to the only mare here. Seeing her orange coat and remembering what happened did get me a pause, wondering if I should even try. The last time we met I hog tied her during my show with her own rope. Taking a deep breath and letting it out once again, I walk on over to the apple stall and do my best to look like myself at the blonde mare.

"Trixie? What are you doing here?" Applejack asks, a confused look on her face.

"Isn't it obvious? Trixie is here to shop for food, and while apples are beneath her, she has decided that she may as well give it a try." I tell her, not even bothering to look at her as I talked.

The farm pony just raises an eyebrow. "Uh huh, and that's why you've been going from stall to stall and NOT buying anything, right?" She asks, my eyes going wide for a moment before I recovered.

"Pff, they don't have anything that is worthy for the Great and Powerful Trixie!" I exclaim. "Now, she demands to have one of your finest pies."

She rolls her eyes as she just turns around and searches through the items for a few moments before bringing out a rather large pie. I can't help but to take a large sniff from it and sigh a bit dreamily. Apple pies from the Apples are certainly one of the best things that I had in my life...not that I would ever mention it to her. Speaking of which, seeing her smirking at my reaction causes me to shake my head and return my expression to normal.

"I suppose that will do, thanks." I say, pulling my bits out. "How much for it?"

"Ten bits." She replies.

I pause as I hear her say that, once again knowing that I wouldn't be able to pay for that much. However I may be able to haggle with her this time. "That is too much for Trixie. She will only pay for five bits and no-"

"Trixie, sorry to burst your bubble but in case you haven't noticed, read the sign." She says, getting me to look to where she is pointing. To my shock, the sign not only said the prices of the products, which I had missed, but it also says, in bold words, *NO HAGGLING*

I give her a surprise look. "What, but...but you Apples love to haggle I thought."

"We do, and most of us still do, ah just...you see, my sister kind of took over for a bit one time and when ah came back, most of the apples were gone...and we didn't make a single bit." She explains, rubbing the back of her head. "So ah kind of have to limit the amount of haggling that we do, at least when selling the apples in the market."

I think over for a bit as I try to think up of something, anything to get her to lower the price. "I, I wasn't...I mean, Trixie wouldn't dare to say that just cause it's a lower price means that it still isn't worth it, she just...she just..." I try to say something, but nothing comes to mind to say. Letting out a small sigh, I thump my forehead on the stall.

I don't hear anything from Applejack for a few moments before she gently taps my shoulder. "Uh, Trixie? You ok?"

I don't bother saying anything, just taking a few breaths to calm myself down before looking back up with a slightly strained smile. "Yes, I...Trixie is fine, it won't be the first time that she had to...had to decline." I say, looking away for a moment as I realize my eyes are tearing up. "Trixie...Trixie has to go, sorry for taking your time..." I say, wiping the tears away. Before I can take a step away, however, my stomach gives a rather large growl, making me pause and blush.

"Let me guess, you haven't eaten anything all day?" The farm pony says.

I curse at my empty belly for showing this sign of weakness as I try to play it off. "What, nonsense! Trixie has been eating plenty of things, like...uh..." I pause as I try to think of what I have eaten recently, but only one thing comes to mind. "Rocks! Yes, plenty of those...hard chewing...things..." I give her a small smile, but I know that the look came out sheepish.

"Uh huh." She simply replies. After a few moments she lets out a small sigh as she says, "Look, if you really are that badly off, then I can at least let you have a couple of apples for free. I know it's not much, but it should-"

I give her a small glare at this. "Trixie does not want your pity gift." I state, turning my nose up and away from her. I may be in a dire situation, but even then I just can't accept such things. If I did it would hurt my pride, and that is one of the few things that I have left.

Once again, there is silence, neither of us saying anything to each other. I question why I was even staying here, and shaking my head, I say. "Trixie...has to go. Many ponies to adore her and such." As I take another step she calls back to me.

"Trixie, wait." I look at her with a more annoyed look on now, but allow her to continue. "How about this. Instead of a whole pie, you can have half for half price. It would still be the same amount if you bought it whole, just buying less." I go to open my mouth to tell her again that I don't want her pity, to which she stops me with a wave of her hoof. "Listen here, it isn't a pity gift. It's actually something I've been meaning to do, just...never got around to doing it. So, whaddya say?"

I think it over for a bit, rubbing my chin slightly. It does make more sense to buy half the pie then a full pie, and if it's half, that would make it five bits, which I can most certainly afford. My stomach once again rumbles softly, reminding me that this may be my only chance to get some food for a good while. Looking back at the mare and then around us for a moment, I sigh and give a small nod. "Ok, Trixie accepts."

Applejack smiles as she grabs a cutter and cuts the pie in half while I dig the bits out and place them on the counter. Once she is finished, she takes half the pie and places it somewhere to keep it fresh while handing me the other one. "Here you go Trixie, half a pie for only five bits."

I push the bits to her as she takes them and, after a quick count, places them in her bit bag, me taking the pie in my magic as I look it over, nearly breaking out in a small smile, but I contain myself...for now. "Trixie thanks you and wishes you a good day." I tell her, remaining calm as I turn around, though the inner me couldn't help but dance and sing happy joy as I looked at the pie. It seems I get to eat for one more day at least.

(Applejack POV)

I can't help but chuckle as I watch the show mare head out, shaking my head. "She may be brash and uppity, but she isn't all that bad, just needs a push in the right direction ah think." I say to myself as I do a quick count of all the products I have left.

"Afternoon AJ, sales going well?" I blink as I look up, seeing a familiar human walking towards me, the large wooden stick in his hand. I smile as I wave a hoof at him as he comes over.

"Howdy there Drak, pleasant day isn't it?" I say, resting against the stall a bit. "Not too slow, but still having a stream of customers, makes it right relaxing don't you think?"

Drak nods in understanding. "Sounds like it."

I take a closer look at his staff curiously. "So, why you out walking with your stick thing?"

He tilts his head before looking at said stick. "My staff? Since regaining some of my memories, at least the ones with Aryas and I during my training, I thought I would give it a try and see if I could practice any of it." He rubs his back as he gives a sheepish smile. "It's...a bit harder than it looks."

I sigh and shake my head. "Now, don't go hurting yourself just for some practice. Even Rainbow knows not to overdue it too much if she is hurting too much most of the time. Plus, didn't we just get your bandages off a week ago?"

He nods as he removes the left shoulder of his hoodie, revealing the bare skin underneath. Indeed there are no bandages, just some heavy scars left from his encounter with the large serpent. "A bit sore, but besides that I'm fine, and besides the workout with Dash, I've started getting a bit more...bored I guess? There isn't much for me to do around here but read some of the books or chat, and I know you girls are busy."

I give him a closer look, and was about to let him off the hook when I noticed a darker patch on his side. "Hold on, what's that?" I say as he starts to close his hoodie.

He pauses as he looks down at what I saw before giving a sigh. "Like I said, it's a bit difficult, and doesn't come without some...bruises..."

I give a groan as I shake my head. "Celestia's sake, Drak! And ah thought Rainbow was bad at keeping herself uninjured."

"Didn't you just say that she knows better?"

"Ah also said that she knows better most of the time."

Drak chuckles at this as I can't help but to laugh a bit myself. "Ok, but I do know my limits, and I promise there are nothing more than bruises. Spike helps to keep me in line thanks to Twilight, so I can't really overdue it even if I wanted to." He explains.

I think it over for a few minutes before letting out a small nod. "Ok, if you insist. Still, be careful." I say, the human nodding again. "Now, what brings you to my stall, here to buy an apple?" I smile as I pull out a rather large one. "I would say fresh from the tree, but...can't really be fresh since it's still winter, so...fresh from storage."

Drak chuckles at this as he shakes his head. "Thanks AJ, but not what I'm here for."

"Oh?"

"I actually saw Trixie at your stall just as she was leaving, and notice that she only left with half a pie." He explains. "I thought you were going to start doing that in a couple of days when you made more of the pies to sell?"

I pause, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. "Ah was, but she was so down in the dumps with barely any bits that ah...ah kind of just decided to start with it today, just for her." I fall silent for a moment before speaking up again. "Ah tried selling her apples for a lower price, but she wasn't having it. That damn mare's pride is going to get her in trouble one day."

Drak nods as he rubs his chin for a few moments. After a while he speaks up. "Well, you know where she went? I was kind of hoping to talk to her, and...got distracted with us talking." He admits.

I chuckle as I give a nod. "Of course, she went, let's see..." I pause as I look around before spying where she went, seeing a small group of other ponies wearing some thicker coats going in the same direction. "Right that way, in fact, where those others are." Drak looks over and freezes up, his eyes seeming to be locked on the group of ponies as they entered the street. "Drak, you ok?"

He remains silent for a few moments before speaking up. "It's nothing, I just...got a bad shiver down my spine is all. Something about them..." He falls silent again as they walk away from us.

Curious, I took a closer look at them as well, though I don't see anything strange or out of the ordinary. Sure their coats are thicker, and a few of them have some rather strange manestyles...I think it would be punk like, from what Rarity told me about them. Three earth and a pegasus, by the looks of it as well. I turn my attention to the human again and shrug. "Again, they don't look like anything bad. Maybe off, but that's just cause ah'm not a huge fan of that style."

He stays silent still as he watches them disappear from our sight, and then starts to walk after them. "Drak, where you goin?"

He pauses as he looks back, almost as if he was in a daze as he gives me a friendly smile. "Oh, just going to say hi to Trixie, that's all. It's been a while since we've seen each other, and I want to see how she is doing." He explains as he heads off.

I look at the human suspiciously as he walks on, following the group and vanishing around the corner. I can't help but get the feeling that he wasn't telling me something, but again, he has been rather hard to read with him always avoiding eye contact. While I respect it now and understand why, it doesn't make it any easier for me. Still, he wasn't lying, and with a sigh, I began working on my sign, writing the new half pie sale that is now in process.

(Trixie POV)

I can't help but to hum a small tune as I nearly prance down the road. Normally I would be holding back, but this is a deserted way back to my room, and I felt I deserve to have something to show my happiness. For once I won't have to eat damn rocks! I could already taste the pie as I held it closer to me, taking another sniff and sighing in satisfaction.

"Mmm, Trixie is going to be enjoying you very much." I say softly, almost able to taste the pie now. I allow myself to give a small giggle of delight as I pass by an alley...

...and then get yanked by my cloak into it, gasping as I nearly drop my pie.

Coughing from the pull, I adjust my cloak as I look around. "Who dares to drag the Great and-"

"Oh shut up already, you stupid bitch!" A voice shouted back, causing me to fall silent, more stunned than afraid. Before I can even adjust myself properly, a hoof comes sailing across and smacks me on my face, making me gasp. Rubbing my cheek at the hit, I glare at who did that, only to get another smack on the back of my head, nearly knocking me out.

Thankfully it wasn't that hard, but it still brought me to my knees, my pie falling down to the snow, though still in one piece. Plus the attack caused my neck to pinch as well, sending a small shock down my spine. At this point I finally look up and took a look at my assailants, wanting to see just who would dare to attack me. Upon seeing them, my eyes widen as I realize just who they are.

It was four of them in total, three Earth and a pegasus. Two of them were average builds, one male with a blue coat and yellow mane, another female with different shades of brown for her coat and mane, some black stripes dyed in her mane and tail as well. The pegasus, a mare as well, had a much smaller look then the rest, her coat pink and her mane pink with green stripes. She was also wearing one of those bikers jackets I've seen in Manehatten.

The third Earth pony and final pony in total was a much larger then the rest, just shy of that large red farm pony that I've seen with AJ. He was white with a sleek black mane and tail, a couple of earrings on his left ear as he stands before me, the rest hanging behind him. However, they soon started to spread out and surround me.

"Look who we found boys. The Stupid and Insulting Whorse." The large male said, a grin on his face, the rest of his group chuckling with him.

"It's Trixie, not Whorse, White Dagger." I tell him, glaring back.

He just shrugs, not giving a damn as he looks me over. "Doesn't matter to me, you're still the same bitch that came over to Trottingham all those years ago and nearly caused us to loose the town hall cause of your stupid bragging."

"Yea, and not only that, but then you stole from the vendors there, so not cool!" Stated the earth mare, Sally Salt.

"And then trying to fake it off and pretend it was my brother that did all the stealing!" Said the other male, Yellow Jacket.

The final one, Star Rock, gives a snort as she hovers close by. "And then you slept with my sister, the fucking nerve of you it just...RRRRR! Just grinds my gears so damn much!"

"I thought you don't have a sister?" Salt asked, clearly confused.

"Shut up Sally, let a pony be mad at this dumb mare for her own reasons!" She retorts, the earth mare rolling her eyes.

"Settle down mares, one thing at a time." Dagger scolds, getting them both to shush. With them quite, he turns his attention back to me. "In any case, we've had enough of your shit, with you always prancing about and bragging about how 'Great' and 'Amazingly Powerful' you are."

I raise an eyebrow, finding this to be rather amusing. "Oh no, Trixie's shaking in her boots she's so scared." I pretend to cry before letting out a laugh.

"But...you aren't wearing any boots." Sally says, clearly confused...again.

"Damnit Sally, just...just stay quiet!" Star says, glaring at her.

Dagger just rolls his eyes as he continues. "In any case, we had followed you for quite some time, and now that you are finally alone and weak, we jumped you, and now you have no where to run." He says, snorting out the last words before spitting at my hooves.

I roll my eyes as I just look at the four of them. "Please, no matter what happened to you guys in the past, it's not worth trying to take it out on Trixie. She is way stronger than any of you. Observe!" I say, focusing my magic into my horn to simply levitate the three earth ponies and throw them against the wall.

However, just as I felt the magic start to tingle in my head, a sharp spike of pain shot through my spine at the base of my neck, causing me to cry out and collapse.

As I slowly get up on my shaky hooves, I see the four of them all laughing at my plight.

"What's the matter, oh 'Great and Powerful'? Having trouble with your magic?" Dagger smirks.

I glare at him and focus on just zapping him with lightening, but again I get the same shock, knocking me down once again face first into the snow. For the second time I get up, and sitting there this time, I just try to light my horn, a very simple spell any unicorn can do...but once again, a shock of pain sends me gasping as I stop any kind of casting.

I pant, my eyes wide with shock as I try to comprehend what just happened. "My...my magic...w-what..." I slowly look up, my body still shaking in the aftereffects, seeing them all laughing loudly, Sally even rolling in the snow. "W-what did...you do!"

"You think we wouldn't come prepared to take you down a notch?" Jacket said, being the first one to collect himself from the laughing group, the rest slowly recovering as well. He then looks up at Star. "Why don't you go ahead and tell her."

"I had to pull in a lot of favors to get one, but I think it worked out in the end" She says, reaching into her jacket and pulling out an empty packet, tossing it over to me. As it landed, I looked close at the name.

"M-Magic...Inhibiter?" I say confused. On the front it had a picture of some sort of metallic square with claws on the corner, and in the center was as small needle. "But...but when-"

"Did you really think me hitting you from behind was just for me to calm my nerves?" The pegasus says, and that is when it hits me. Reaching back, I feel around my neck and sure enough, there it was, the cool steel against my hoof, and the claws digging into my skin. Any sort of firm tug or pull on it just causes me to get another shock, and I was still recovering from the other ones as well.

Finally I stop, panting and gasping for air, my eyes still wide as I look at the four once more, only this time, instead of them laughing, they were all staring at me, their smiles ever so creepy and intense. It was then I knew I was finally powerless to do anything to stop them, so that left me with only one option...

Turning tail and running.

Sadly, I didn't get very far, for as soon as I took a few steps, Star was already in front of me, tripping me on my hooves as I fall face first into the snow. I groan as I try to get up, only to get kicked in the side, making me gasp in pain, coughing. I rolled over to try and sit up, but this time another blow ends up hitting me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me. I gag and cough even more, trying to breath, one of them picking me by the cloak and pulling me up, making it even harder to get any air.

Looking up weakly, I see Dagger before me, his smirk still there as he holds the pie that I dropped. "Is the poor whorse feeling tired and hungry now?" He teases, waving the pie before me. I instinctively try to grab it with my magic, but once again the shock makes me stop, laying limp in my captors grasp. I pant, my head starting to fall limp only to feel a tug on my cloak to make me look back up at the white stallion.

Grinning, he holds the pie before me, making me smell its tasty aroma, before finally pulling it away and smashing it against the wall, smearing it all over the brick and mortar. I can feel my stomach rumble once again as I see my one good meal in almost a week slowly get destroyed.

After a while he finally finishes, the broken bits sliding down the wall and into the snow, a dirty mess. "That will teach you not to go around telling lies to everypony that you meet." He states. I can feel my eyes watering now as he leans in, grinning. "Aw, gonna cry now? In that case, let me give you something to really cry about."

He then reels his hoof back and, with huge thrust of force, punches me right in the eye, making me gasp. Once I feel the pain, I finally scream.

The one that was holding me up drops me into the snow, and I just roll onto my back, holding my injured face as I moan and cry, their laughter echoing above me. Even then, that wasn't the end of it as they started to taunt me more, every so often kicking me in the side or stomach, or even the flank, the marks slowly starting to show through my coat.

I tried to defend myself, putting my hooves up to block the shots, but with only one eye, it was nearly impossible, unable to see when one was coming till it made contact with me. I don't know how long they kept on beating me, but it felt like an eternity, their hooves landing blow after blow, their voices ripping a hole in my mind and heart. After a while I didn't know if I was crying from the words or the pain...or both.

After a few more hits, Jacket and Sally hold me up by my forelegs, making me look at their leader once again, my left eye swollen from his first hit. "Man, that was some good stress relief. Now, time to really push the message in." He says. He digs around in one of his pockets for a few seconds before pulling out...a knife.

It isn't that big of a knife, most likely a pocket dagger, barely a couple of inches, but the size wasn't what had me worried. The fact that he has a weapon at all, and that he plans on using it on me...that is what scared me. My one good eye goes even wider than I thought possible, and I hear Sally talking in a hushed tone behind me. "Wait, we're going to kill her? But...but the guards will have us for sure!"

"Yea, I don't know that's such a good idea Dagger." Jacket agrees. "I mean, she is a real bitch, but...but killing her? That's just way too extreme!"

"Please, it's the least she deserves. Oh, make it as painful as possible for her to endure!" Squeals Star, clearly getting into it.

"Relax guys, I'm not going to kill her." Dagger assures, getting a few confused words from behind me. "I'm just leaving a message, like I said." he slowly slides his knife against my coat, the point making me shiver as I can feel him nearly pressing it against my skin. "I think maybe...here." He decides, stopping the dagger at my chest. "Yea...four large letters, spelling out liar. I like it, what do you think dear?"

I can barely say anything, my mind in a twirl, the panic almost setting in me. However, in a last ditch effort, one last thing comes to mind, so that I can at least feel I didn't go down without a fight.

Gathering what energy I can, I take a deep breath and spit right in his face.

He just chuckles, wiping the spit off as he twirls the dagger. "I'll take that as a yes." He says. Slowly, he starts to press, my one good eye looking down, unable to look away, even though everything told me that I should...

"HEY, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" Dagger pauses as he turns to look behind him...only to get slapped across the face by a large staff.

He gets sent flying off, hitting a wall as he lands there in a daze. As he gets his senses back, the staff swings around, landing a blow at the pony on my left, getting what sounds like Salt, making her cry out as she falls into view, holding her shoulder. Before it can aim right, the pony left holding me, Jacket I'm guessing, drops me, making me land with a groan in the snow.

Free at last, I struggle to my hooves and start to backpedal away till my flank hits the other wall. Rubbing my good eye, I soon look at my savior, my eye blinking the tears away.

Before me, his staff already aimed at the last two standing ponies, was the human. The two ponies, Star and Jacket, stared at him as if they have seen a monster, eyes wide with shock.

"W-what...what the FUCK are you!?!" Yells Star, slowly hovering backwards to make some distance.

The human, Drakalian I think he told me, just stared right back, his eyes narrow and fierce. When I tried to look, I could feel his rage lighting up, making myself scared of him. "Doesn't matter who or what I am. What matters is the four of you trying to kill this mare for no reason, and I won't allow that." He says, his voice low now as he takes a step closer, both of them backing up.

At this point I notice Dagger getting back up on his hooves, snarling as he stares at the human from behind. He starts to charge, dagger out as he aims to stab him.

"Drakalian, behind you!" I call out, before gasping as I fall a bit in the snow, the pain from the beating still very raw. He glances at me for a moment, and I can see the worry spread on his face before he turns around, just as Dagger leaps at him. Instead of getting the stab off, the human swings his staff across, hitting his forehoof and knocking the weapon out.

With a cry of shock the earth pony lands on the ground, shaking his hoof from the hit. Looking at the other two who are still up, he shouts, "Don't just stand there, get him!"

Jacket is quick to follow his order, rushing forward to topple him over. The flying mare, however, hesitates before she slowly flies forward.

Drakalian narrows his eyes as he looks at the incoming attack, and I see him take a deep breath. This guy is crazy, he's going to get us both killed! Why doesn't he just run! I thought to myself. However, as he exhales, he starts to swing his staff.

Twirling it before him, he begins with a strike to his right, getting Jacket in the chest before he swings up, uppercutting the pony and sending him to the snow in one fell swoop. The next swing he does goes down, landing in front of Dagger, who was charging in, only to get tripped over by the staff. With him falling over, the human twirls his staff some more before hitting him in his flank, sending him forward and into Jacket with an oomph.

The two ponies start to get up once again as they glared at him, though the bruises shown on their coats told me that they were starting to get worn out. Yelling, Jacket dashes forward, circling the human as Dagger does the same on the other side. They both start to dart in and out, trying to land a hit on the human, but he either dodges the blows or deflects them, landing another hit for each four that they missed.

Even with all the dodging and blocking, he was still facing against two ponies, and it was clear that he was still new as they start to land more than a few hits on his arms and chest, Dagger even managing to get a few slashes across his right arm. However, even as they smile from the blows, the human, barely phased by them, jabs the staff forward, landing a hit on his chest, the wind getting knocked out as he doubles over. That is when Drakalian takes his advantage, staff twirling once again and landing two shift blows on top of his head, knocking him out cold.

Jacket, for his part, takes this to his advantage as he jumps at him, landing on his back and wrapping his hooves around his neck. Gagging, Drakalian stumbles back before slamming Jacket into the wall, making the yellow pony shout from the hit. He still manages to hold on, however, and slowly starts to choke him out. Gasping for air, the human takes a step forward before slamming back against the wall, then doing it again, and again. With each hit, the pony's hold gets weaker and weaker, till finally with a groan, he slides off, unconscious as well as he lands in the snow.

Star, much less inclined to fight, stays out of reach as the human just takes out her two buddies one after the other, her eyes wide as she slowly lands before her friends. Drakalian, breathing heavily as he recovers from the last attack, moves closer, his staff swinging up high to be brought down on her before she holds a hoof up. "Wait, please don't hurt me!" She begs.

This gets the human to pause, his staff just a few feet from hitting her in the head. "Why? If I remember right, you're the one who wanted to really kill her." He states, making me shiver at the thought.

"Yea, but that's cause she's a total bitch and a cunt! She hasn't done anything for any of us without causing pain, so why should we allow her to continue living with us, or at all for that matter!" She states, Drakalian's eyes narrowing as he readies for a swing again. "Wait I-" She doesn't get enough time as he swings his staff down, hitting her head and knocking her out right with the others.

With three of them out, that just leaves Sally, who had gotten up in a sitting position nearby, still rubbing her shoulder where she got hit. The human looks over at her and walks over, the mare whimpering as she takes a few steps back. "M-M-Monster..."

The human pauses as he hears this, seeming to hesitate as he looks back at her. He takes a few more steps before kneeling down, eyes locked on her. "What's your name?"

"S-Sally...Sally Salt." She replies, clearly shaken after seeing him take out her friends.

The human stares at her for a good while, the intensity of it all making her shiver even more before she just stops. Slowly, he stands back up, staff raised and pointed at her. She doesn't move an inch as he slowly brings it closer, getting it to touch her head...and gives a gentle push, lightly tapping her.

"Go on, get out." He simply says, getting confused looks on both of us. He starts to stand up as the mare sputters out some words.

"But...b-but I hurt her too. I hate her as well, she's just so damn mean and ignorant of everypony else. W-why...why spare me?" She says.

"Do you want to kill her?"

She pauses at this before slowly saying, "N-no. No pony has the right to take another life."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, he nods as he says, "Then go, and tell someone of importance about this, now.." With a nod, she gets up and slowly limps away.

With that settled, he looks at me and quickly rushes forward, falling to the snow to better look at me. "Trixie! Are you ok?" He asks, causing me to cough a bit more as I stare at him with my one good eye.

"Trixie's battered, beaten, bruised...and *cough* now with one less pie, hungry. What do you...*cough cough* think?" I tell him, showing him how upset I am.

"You need-" he starts to say, but I stop him before can finish it.

"Trixie is fine! She can...get herself...h-home..." I try to tell him, slowly getting up on my legs. However, the pain from getting hit so many times washes over me, and I fall back down, exhausted. Before I can hit the snow, Drakalian is already catching me with his arms, lifting me up onto my hooves as I have yet another coughing fit.

"Trixie, let me help you." He asks, and as I start to open my mouth to protest, he continues. "I don't give a damn what you think, you need my help. Now tell me where you are living, and I'll bring you there."

I stay silent as I stand against the human, leaning a bit, one hoof still covering my injured eye. Finally, I sight. "Trixie...Trixie will allowing you to help me. But just this once!" I say, getting a small smile from him. "Now just...just let Trixie lean against you..." I say, panting lightly.

Drakalian just nods as I take a step, then another, the human walking with me the entire time. Soon, we get into the street, and once out there, I point in the direction from my home, motioning him to stay close as I use him as support. Soon, we start walking down the road once again, this time with me one pie shorter...and one human more.

Chapter 21: A New Mare?

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 23: Fashion Advice Part 2

Now that the door to the steam room is closed, I could feel the full effect of the room, the heated air rising around me as I shiver, the temperature a big contrast to what it felt like outside. Taking a deep breath, I let out a soft exhale, letting the heated steam fill my lungs and then empty out...before coughing a bit as the heat burnt my lungs slightly. Giving myself a few moments to recover, I take the time to take a quick look around the room. It was a rather nice steam room, a row of seats against the walls, the center having what seemed to be rather hot rocks in a bowl. The walls were lined with some sort of calming scenery with trees and a few birds, all done in many different shades of purple. Above said bowl was a shower head sort of fixture, most likely used to spray a bit of water onto the rocks to create the steam.

Just across on the other side of the room sat Rarity and Fluttershy, the former having a towel around her body and her mane, while the latter just had one towel around her torso. They seemed to both be in conversation before I entered, and seeing me walk in, they stop talking and give me a smile as the white mare waves me over. "Come Drak! Join us! Isn't the steam lovely?" She says, leaning back with a sigh.

I can't help but to nod in agreement as I made my way over to them. "It does feel rather nice, especially on a cold day like today." I say, moving to sit down next to the pegasus, who was the closer of the two. As I went to sit down, however, I realized that the seats would be a bit too small for me, so instead I went and sat on the floor. Leaning back, I found out that I could use the seats as some sort of armrest at least, spreading out a bit as I let out a sigh. "I think you're right Rarity, coming here is certainly going to help."

"I told you Darling! The spa is one of the best ways to relax and let all that stress wash away." She says, smiling back at me. I lean back and just enjoy the heat for a few moments before she starts talking again. "So Fluttershy and I were just talking about this lovely book that we were reading, the new Shadow's Spade Mystery that just came out."

The shy mare gives a tiny nod. "Oh yes, it is rather nice. I especially love the new chinchilla sidekick she has." She adds.

"Oh I know! Detective Tuffs is just so adorable!" Rarity agrees, giving a small squee as she claps her hooves together. "He and Spade go so WELL together! The perfect mystery solving duo!"

As they continue to talk to each other on the book, I start to doze off, leaning my head back as I sigh once again, a small smile on my face. At this moment, Rarity noticed that I wasn't being a part of the conversation.

"Oh where are my manners Drak. Have you by chance read anything good lately?" I blink as I turn and look at Rarity as she asks the question.

I ponder over it, drumming my fingers into the wood before responding. "None that I can think of. Like I said, the last book I read was about three weeks ago, and it was about the History of Equestria." I say.

"Oh...right. You told me that already." She says, giving a sheepish smile as she looks at Fluttershy for some help. The yellow mare is quiet for a while before she turns to talk to me.

"Well...how about...the weather? It's rather nice out." She says softly, causing me to raise an eyebrow at this. "I mean, I think it's nice out, unless it isn't, which I guess it could be better, but only if you-" She starts to say only for me to wave a hand out at her to get her to stop.

"Guys it's fine, really. You don't need to try and get me to talk to make me feel included." I say, causing them both to blush lightly.

"Is it that obvious?" Rarity asks, pawing the seat she was on.

I nod. "Just a bit." And that's coming from me

"We just wish for you to feel included. After all, this is for you as well." She explains.

I give a small shrug. "I know, I just don't feel the need to talk." Seeing the confused looks on their faces, I explain. "I kind of found out that when it comes to small talk...I'm not the best. Whenever some pony tried to talk to me about something or other, I just nod and listen. I never could figure out what to say, no matter what."

"Dear, that's normal. I mean, you're still rather new here, even after being here for almost a month. And with your anxieties that you have with being in large groups, I can only imagine that would slow things down so much, but certainly not that much. Even Twilight has gotten her bearings with talking to us after a while."

"She was the one who told me about it in the first place." I say with a deadpanned look.

This causes the white mare to pause. "Oh dear...that bad?" She asks after a moment of pause.

I just nod as she falls silent as well, the room filling with the awkward moment before Fluttershy spoke up. "I-I think you're doing a great job so far." She says with a small smile.

Looking back at her, I'm hit once again with that damn calming aura of hers, causing me to quickly look away before I got lost in her gaze. "I-I'm not sure about that." I reply, cursing my stutter. Being right next to the shy mare was causing me to really feel her calming emotions surrounding her, and slowly starting to surround me. I shouldn't have sat next to her with how overwhelming this was starting to make me feel...though not in a bad way, just new and sudden.

"It is true, you aren't nearly as bad as you think." Rarity agrees, causing me to glance over at her, eyebrow raised. "I mean you are talking to us right now, and that is all we really ask for."

I open my mouth to counter argue, but close it as I realize that she is right. I was talking now about how I couldn't talk, and the thought of that irony makes me chuckle lightly. "You know, you're right. The fact that I'm talking about how I'm not good at talking is rather silly, don't you think?" I ask them.

They both giggle and nod in agreement. "If you want, you can just listen to us as you enjoy the steam." The pegasus offers.

I nod in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea." I say. Leaning back and closing my eyes, I add, "If you do want to ask me something, though, I'll be willing to try and answer...assuming I don't fall asleep."

I hear some more giggling as Rarity responds. "Of course Dear, no need to worry." She says as she continues talking about the story they were reading.

I slowly start to really relax, feeling my muscles start to loosen after what felt like forever. Rarity was right about another thing: The steam room is amazing to relax the muscles. I idly listen to them in the background, unable to hide the occasional small smile when I found something amusing that they say, either a joke or just something random that I found funny.

The minutes slowly tick by, the steam soaking into my skin as I start to slowly spread myself out a bit more. Of course, as I do this, my hand brushes against Fluttershy's flank, causing her to give a start and a small eep.

Opening my eyes, I jerk my hand back as I give an apologetic look at the shy mare. "Sorry Fluttershy, didn't mean to stretch that far."

She simply shakes her head and smiles softly back. "I-It's ok Drak." She whispers rather softly, almost too soft for me to hear it.

"I'm surprised that caught you off guard Fluttershy. You've been staring at him almost non stop this entire time." Rarity says, causing the shy mare to blush rather deeply.

Now this caught my attention as I glance back at her curiously. The yellow mare was blushing beet red as she looks down, her mane falling over her face as she tries to hide behind it. "You were staring at me?" I ask.

She remains silent, not willing to respond, or too nervous, leaving it to Rarity to reply. "Oh she was, though not too terribly much." She says before looking at her friend. "There's nothing wrong with a bit of looking, as I always say. Besides, he is rather attractive, so all the more reason why she should look I say." She tries to comfort her, but the pegasus just hides a bit more under her mane.

I could feel my own cheeks heating up just a tad, and I don't think it was from the steam. I look back at Fluttershy as she remains hidden before she finally speaks up, if just barely in a whisper. Unable to catch it, I lean in closer. "What was that?"

"I was just...curious about your scars healing up." She whispers again, though this time I can just about hear her.

Raising an eyebrow, I look down at my shoulder and then back at her. "If you wanted to look, you could have just asked. Judging from what I have seen so far, you ponies don't seem to scar at all."

"Oh we do Darling, it's just much easier to hide it when it's under a coat of fur. At least the smaller ones are." Rarity chimes in. "Plus ponies with any sort of large scars like that tend to be very rare, since we haven't been in any sort of conflict in over one thousand years. Luckily for me, I have nary a scar to show, big or small." At this she extends a foreleg and lightly examines it before smiling to herself. Looking back at me as I give her a rather incredulous look, she frowns. "What, a lady has a right to preen over her own beauty every once in a while."

I just chuckle as I look back at Fluttershy. "Anyways Flutters, if you want you can look at my scars, I really don't mind." I comfort her yet again.

She remains silent for a few moments, and just when I thought she was going to stay like that, she slowly turns to look at me, her eyes peeping from under her mane. Seeing her eyes once again makes me nearly swoon from the calming tone she holds around her, but I manage to keep myself under control as I look away, my eyes locking to her mane instead. "If...if it's ok, I...actually want to...um...." She pauses, and I motion for her to continue calmly. "To...touch them...if that's ok with you?"

I blink at this, not really expecting her to ask such a thing. "Uh...sure I guess?" I say.

Thankfully, since she was already on my left side, all I had to do was stretch my arm a bit more and she would be able to get a much better view and feeling of my shoulder. She pauses as I move, and once I stopped, she slowly comes out from behind her mane. Shuffling her hooves to face me, she reaches over, pausing for a moment, and then gently touches my shoulder. Her hoof is soft to the touch as she gently slides it across the shoulder blades, feeling the most likely tense muscles underneath. I watch as she starts tracing the marks on my skin, the fresh pink lines easy enough to follow. As her hoof moves down my arm and a bit to my chest, I can't help but to see the pressure against my skin slowly pale, before the pressure is released as her hoof moves onwards, the movement of her hoof easy to follow with the path she was making against my body.

This goes on for what feels like hours, but it was most likely just a couple of minutes. As she starts sliding her hoof a bit lower, to the end of the marks on my chest, she goes back up, tracing along the top of my shoulder to my back...till her hoof was stopped by the seat I was leaning against. At this she blinks and quickly retracts, causing myself to get brought back to reality as well.

I look up at her as I see that she is once again hiding behind her mane. "So, I take it my injury was up to your standards?" I say, giving a small chuckle to try and lighten the mood and ease the tense that was growing.

She gives a meek nod, and while she doesn't come out of her mane again, I can see her cheeks slowly cooling down a bit. Smiling, and before I could stop myself, I reach over to gently pull her mane to the side. As my fingers brush against her hair, she flinches, causing me to stop. I take a quick glance at her eyes to see if she was ok with me continuing, and when she remained still and didn't object, I pressed on, slowly pushing her mane back to reveal her face. Once her mane was tucked behind her head, I placed my hand on her cheeks, gently cupping her face against my palm. At this moment our eyes locked once again, and I could feel the calming aura slowly getting stronger, washing me over as I too started to calm down. It seemed that Fluttershy sensed this as well as she ever so slowly turns to face me, giving a small, nervous smile back...

"Oh look at you two, so adorable!" We are brought out of our stupor from a squeal by the white mare, causing me to remove my hand from the shy mare, and she quickly pulls away as she looks at the bowl in the center of the room, cheeks flaring up once again. She wasn't the only one, as I could feel myself getting a bit warmed up in the face.

"Really Rarity?" I say, glancing up at her before I too went to looking at the bowl of rocks.

"Oh sorry Dears, I just couldn't help myself. You two are just so CUTE together like that. Like two long lost lovers gazing into each others eyes!" She stats, giving another squee and a small giggling fit.

Of course that just makes it that much harder for me and the pegasus to recover from being so embarrassed. Luckily we didn't have to do much else as the door to the steam room opened, Aloe stepping in.

"Ok fillies. And stallion." She says, adding the last part with a small smile at me. "The room is ready for the three of you!"

"Oh wonderful, I can't wait to have all these sore muscles relaxed once again!" Rarity states, jumping down from her seat and following the pink mare out of the steam.

It takes us a few moments to react, but when we do, I glance over at Fluttershy, who looks back at me. We barely look at each other for a moment before she looks away again, but this time, taking a deep breath, she says, "I-I guess we should go, right?"

I nod in agreement. "I think so too. Besides, I am looking forward to getting that massage." I tell her. Getting up, I pause before extending my hand over to her. "Shall we?"

As she looks back at me, I do my best to give her a comforting if slightly silly smile, hoping to loosen the tension once again from the unicorn's comment earlier. It seems to work, cause she smiles back and gently places her hoof into my hand. I help her up from her seat as she gets on all fours before letting her hoof go, and together we head out of the steam room.

Once outside and the door closed, we quickly follow Aloe and Rarity, catching up to the two mares already chatting about something. From what I could tell it seemed to be just general gossip. It doesn't take much time for the spa pony to lead us to our massage rooms, which was just a few doors ahead of where I went to change.

Walking inside as the curtains close behind us, I look around and see at least five different tables, cushions placed around them as well as a towel over each one. Along with the tables and the basic spa equipment, there were two other ponies as well. The first one is a stallion with an aqua coat and darker aqua mane, and a unicorn as well, while the second pony, to my surprise, is the same as Aloe, but her color scheme was reversed. Instead of a pink coat and blue mane, she has a blue coat and a pink mane. Aloe motions for us to each take a table, and as we do, I noticed one major problem: they were all too small.

Seeing this, the spa mare motions me over to one of them and makes me wait before she gets to work adjusting the size. Turns out the tables are adjustable, a few additions pulled out from under them and adjusted to fit my normal size. "Normally we don't get others besides ponies, but it never hurts to be safe in case of others, such as a minotaur or such." She states, making me nod in understanding.

"Makes sense. In any case, I'm just glad I get to lay on something that fits me." I state. As she finishes, I notice that she gives me a coy smile before turning around and gathering some supplies. It takes me a few moments to realize that what I said could have meant...a few things, causing me to blush a bit more and facepalm myself lightly.

Before I could respond, however, she was already talking to the other two spa ponies that are here. "Soothing, you can take Rarity, Lotus I believe Drak will be needing your talent, he has very sore muscles and you know best on how to deal with such things. I'll be taking Fluttershy. You ponies ok with that?" She tells them before looking at my friends to see if that is ok. Once they all nod, the spa ponies head with their clients, the two unicorns not wasting any time as Rarity sighs out, already laying on the table as the aqua pony starts massaging her back. Fluttershy slowly gets on the table and lays down, Aloe seeming to gently apply her hooves on her haunches as she lets out a content sigh, the pegasus seeming to be more at ease as she smiles.

Leaving just me and the blue mare, I look at her as she smiles at me. "Please lay down so we can start, if you don't mind Mister Drakalian." She says, her smile never wavering. I also couldn't help but notice her voice had a similar if not the same accent as Aloe. I just nod as I carefully lean against the table, and seeing that yes it can indeed support me, I lay down on it, face down as I pull my arms out and under my chin, so I could look up without much effort. I give a nod to let her know I'm ready, and after a few moments I feel two soft hooves placed on my back and slowly press down.

As she starts, I can't help but to marvel at how soft yet firm she was being, and I even let out a small gasp as she gets a really tough spot around my right side against my ribs. The sound causes her to pause as I hear, "Are you alright? That wasn't too hard was it?"

I quickly shake my head as I glance over at her, seeing her worried face. "No, it's just feels amazing." I say, and the slightly dopey look on my face must have been seen, for I see her start to giggle lightly.

As she continues, I hear her speak up again. "So, how are you liking our little town Mister Drakalian?"

"Please, just call me Drak. Much less of a mouthful." I tell her. "As for how the place is...I'm rather enjoying it here. Granted I haven't been to any of these other places that others keep telling me about, like Canterlot or Manehattan and such, so I can't really judge how well this place is compared to the others, but this place is nice."

"Oh jes, the ponies here are so understanding, at least to most of us. There was the whole Zecora incident, but after that they learned to be much more open with others." She replies.

I pause as I let it sink in before continuing. "I've heard a lot about this Zecora. Why was she so feared?" I ask, curious.

As the blue mare moves up to my right shoulder, I hear Rarity speak up, seeming to be listening in on us. "She's a Zebra Darling and sadly most of us at the time were dreadfully scared of her just cause she is different. We even thought she cursed us when we ran into some Poison Joke when we had no idea what it was." I wince slightly as I remember what Twilight said about the plant. "Thankfully after a bit of talking thanks to Applebloom; Applejack's younger sister, we found out who the real culprit was, and she even helped us with a cure that she made to get rid of the jokes it placed on us."

"Not only that, but the treatment, a simple bubble bath, was so amazing and comforting, that we had to ask her to allow us to use it for our spa bath, and she was more than happy to allow us." Continues Aloe. "After that the rest of Ponyville realized that she isn't as bad as we thought, and soon grew to like her company, even if she doesn't always come out of that forest all the time."

I ponder over those words for a few moments before giving a small nod. "Interesting." I simply say, leaning a bit more against my arms as I sigh, another muscle already getting loose under the blue mare's ministrations. Turning around a bit, I see her working diligently at my body, and I notice the small smile she was giving me at the sounds I was making. Of course this causes me to blush, but she just giggles at the reaction.

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself Drak." She says happily, to which I simply nod. I continue to watch her work for a bit more before I remember what I was going to ask.

"So...Lotus, right?" I ask. She nods in confirmation and I continue. "Can I ask a question?"

"You just did sir." She kids, finishing my right side and walking around to my left, my head following her. "In fact you asked me two questions."

I sigh as I hear the room fill with light laughter from everypony. "Funny." I say, which just gets her to giggle more, he tail flicking against my nose playfully as she passes by my head. Thankfully, as she continues her work on my left side now, she looks at me, waiting for me to continue. "I was wondering if you and Aloe-"

"Jes we are sisters." She replies before I can finish. Seeing my raised eyebrow she explains. "Sorry, we just get asked that question so many times that it's become automatic response."

"And jes we are twin sisters at that." Replies Aloe, already working on Fluttershy's foreleg, the yellow mare sighing, her eyes closed. If I didn't know any better, I would assume she was sleeping.

"And jes, we aren't from Ponyville originally either." Continues the blue mare, eyes narrowing as she focuses on a rather tough spot on my back. Pushing a bit more of her hooves into it, I feel myself tense up, but after some soothing runs with her hooves I slowly start to relax again. Damn she is good!

After a moment of my mind lost in the relaxing feeling, I quickly recall what she just said. "So wait, then where are you from?"

"We are from out of Equestria." She simply says, and after seeing my still curious expression, the blue earth pony just smirks lightly. "As for exactly where, that can be a story for another time."

"We like to keep a few things from others, keeps that air of being...exotic, don't you think?" Finishes Aloe, and when I look at her, I notice that this time she does wink at me, causing me to blush a bit more before turning and covering my face with my arms as I just focused on the massage.

"Sister, you really shouldn't tease the customers so." Lotus says to her sister in a slightly scolding tone, but with more humor behind it than anything else.

"But it's so much fun Lotus." The pink mare giggles. "He just is too easy to get a reaction out of. Plus it helps that he is rather attractive." At this I hear both of them giggle, my cheeks flaring up even more.

Lotus's hooves slowly move up my back on my left side, diligent in their task to relax every muscle they find. As she starts to reach my shoulders, I feel her hooves against my scars, and I also feel her pause for a moment. "Mister-I mean, Drak, I am curious about these scars of yours. How did you get them? They look rather recent."

Blinking my eyes as I look up from my arms, I turn around and can barely see Lotus from the corner of my eye, her blue coat rather close to my head. However judging by where her hooves are, it was obvious what scars she was talking about...since they were the only ones I had anyways. "Those things? Just something I got when I first woke up here. I guess you can say it was their way to greet me." Looking across, I can see Aloe giving me a look of concern, and even the aqua stallion, Soothing I believe, was looking up with a hint of curiosity.

"They don't seem like any sort of mark a pony could cause." The blue mare mutters softly, feeling the lines against my back and slowly tracing them. Realizing she was still working, she quickly goes back to massaging my shoulder, though she was being a bit more gentle on that side now after seeing my scars. "I'm guessing you found one of the inhabitants of the forest, jes?"

I give a small nod. "I did, and you don't have to worry about pushing too hard. I'm already healed up from the encounter. It was...wow, about a month already? Didn't think I was here for so long." I say, my mind wandering at how long it has already been. Before I can focus on that, however, seeing the looks on the other two spa ponies and feeling the last one's hooves still tracing my scars every so often, I went on with explaining briefly how I woke up here along with my meeting with Trixie, before finally telling about the basilisk encounter and how we both survived the attack.

As the minutes tick by, I can see that the spa ponies were very much interested with the story. Aloe was diligent as ever with her task to massage Fluttershy, but I could see that she paused to look at me every so often, her eyes wide the entire time. Even though I couldn't see her sister behind me with how close she is to my head now, I could feel her hooves pause for a moment or two before continuing, letting me know that she is just as caught up in my tale as the pink mare was. Looking at Rarity and Fluttershy, they were both listening carefully as well, but looked to be much more relaxed, probably cause they already heard it.

Finally, I finished with me waking up in the hospital and wrapping it up, just in time for Lotus to finish up my left shoulder. "There, can you flip over please so I can start working on your front?" She asks, and I slowly get up to comply. Even with just my back finished, I felt so much more relaxed than I ever had since I got it.

"Wow Drak, that sounded so dreadful, but at the same time so...heroic." Soothe says softly, looking at me with respect. As he spoke I noticed that he too has a similar accent to the sisters, though not quite the same. "To fight against such odds when you are injured yourself, and to come out on top...I'm very impressed." I smile and give a nod of thanks to him as I look over at Aloe. She has the same look of awe on her face, but when she notices me looking at her, I can't help but see her slowly lid her eyes at me. Looking at Lotus, she too was giving a similar expression, though her cheeks had a tinge of red to them that her sister didn't have.

I raise an eyebrow at this, to which they just giggle as I lay back, my head now looking up at the ceiling, my arms resting on my side. Once in place, Lotus begins pressing against my stomach first, lightly easing the muscles around there as she starts to hum an unknown tune.

After a couple of minutes of her humming, she finally speaks up again. "I must say, I too am impressed. It always gladdens me to see ponies helping others in need. I mean, you're not a pony, but the meaning is still the same." I just give a slight nod of understanding as she continues.

"It almost reminds me of this one story with the princess and the gargoyle. Ahh, such a romantic tale, about this majestic unicorn who..." She starts to say, and begins telling the story. I smile as I listen, finding it to be rather interesting, and indeed romantic as she gets to the part when she meets the stallion that appears from nowhere.

As the minutes slowly tick by, with her telling the story, I can't help but to slowly relax a bit more, my eyes closing as I fall into a meditative state, feeling nearly at peace with myself. However, after a while I begin to feel that something is rather off. It takes me a moment but I realize that Lotus wasn't massaging my stomach anymore, her hooves paused on me. Opening my eyes, I look over at her questioningly, but to my surprise she isn't looking at me...or rather my face.

Following her gaze, I slowly see that she is looking at my lower body...most specifically, at my crotch that was now exposed cause of the towel falling to the side a bit.

My eyes go wide as I just freeze up, not sure what to do. Of course my relaxed mood is quickly replaced with nervous tension as I feel myself tense, my body locked up with being stuck as it is or to cover myself. Lotus was quicker than me, however, and she reaches over to my groin. However, instead of her going for the obvious, she goes for my towel and pulls it over me adjusting it a bit more so that it wouldn't happen again.

She looks over at me with a smile, but frowns as she sees my flushed face. Realizing what was happening, she leans closer to my head and whispers into my ear. "It's fine Drak, no need to be worried or nervous."

"But I-" I try to say, only for her to stop me and continue. This time her eyes catch my own and I can feel a calming aura once again as she just smiles at me, her eyes telling me that it is indeed all fine and to not worry.

"Like I said, it's fine. I've had my plenty share of such incidences before, and while it is embarrassing at first, it's just what happens." She says softly, her voice giving a sense of comfort. "Besides, I've also had way worse. You should hear the ones that get really relaxed and their minds wander to much more...naughty things." She giggles at the last part as I blush a bit more, but her words ring true for me. My eyes at this point flick away, unable to hold eye contact for much longer as the calming feeling was getting overwhelming.

Taking a couple of shaky breathes and thanks to her words and the emotions I was feeling from her, I finally calm myself down enough to give her a small smile. Seeing her caring smile looking back at me, I reach my hand over and grab one of her hooves resting on my chest giving it a small squeeze. "Thanks Lotus." I simply said, unable to really come up with anything else.

She just smiles lightly as she hears this. "Of course. I don't wish my clients to be stressed out. This is a spa, you are meant to relax, not feel stress." She says, and then she pulls her hoof from my grasp and gently pokes my forehead with it. "Now start relaxing silly and let me finish your massage." She giggles.

I can't help but to chuckle back, the tension in the air already lifting as I lean back. Taking a quick glance around the room, I'm even more happy to see that the others didn't really notice what went on between the two of us. "Of course, and you are doing an amazing job." I close my eyes and sigh, feeling her resume her work along my chest and stomach.

She giggles before slowly continuing her song, humming the tune as she massages me, and I let myself just fully enjoy the moment.

"So Drak, how have you enjoyed your first spa trip?" Rarity asks, a curious look on her face as we soak in the tub.

After we had finished our massages, which took a good while, we were brought to a large room with what seemed to be a hot tub in the middle. After a few adjustments were made I was sitting in the tub along with Rarity, both of us relaxing as we soaked in the hot water. Fluttershy was laying on one of the cushions that were against the wall of the room, Aloe gently preening her wings, the pegasus blushing a bit but still smiling as she relaxes. Soothing was busy filing Rarity's horn, his magic floating the tool as he slides it back and forth across it, the white mare smiling as she gently leans back, hooves against the edge of the tub.

As for me, Lotus offered to continue the full body massage with a shoulder and neck massage, saying that the position would make it much easier to do if I was upright. Considering how well she did my body already, it was hard to say otherwise, so now she was pressing her hooves against the sides of my neck and the top of my shoulders, giving small presses and even squeezes, the chords of my neck relaxing as well.

Glancing at the white mare, I respond to her question with a simple smile. "Surprisingly great. I'll be honest, I was nervous first coming here, but once here it was just...amazing." I tell her, sighing as once again another knot is removed from my body. "I feel so relaxed and at peace right now I just...almost speechless."

The ponies around me chuckle at this as Lotus lightly turns my head, stretching my neck out a bit before she resumes the shoulders. "I'm glad you are enjoying yourself here Drak." She says, a giggle escaping from her muzzle. "It's always a pleasure to meet new ponies-er creatures. Especially ones with a different body than ours. With only ponies living here we don't get much else in clients."

I give a very slight nod at this, not wanting to interrupt her massaging me. "Of course." I simply say, once again falling into a more meditative trance, eyes closed as my breathing steadies.

There is silence for a while as we just enjoy ourselves before I hear the fashion pony speak up. "So Drak. Would you be willing to join us for next week as well?" She asks.

I keep my eyes closed as I think it over. On one hand, I didn't want to bother them so much and intrude their personal time. Along with that, I wasn't sure if I could go here every week, it seemed to be a bit much for me. On the other hand, it is very relaxing and has helped me amazingly with my sore muscles and such. Plus...I didn't have much else to do during my time here, besides training of course.

"If it's not a problem with either of you, then I'm ok with coming back again." I tell her, to which I hear a small squee...from two sources to my surprise.

"Fantastic! I'm already excited for our next trip!" She exclaims, making me sigh and then chuckle.

We all fall silent once again, and this time my mind focuses on the feeling of Lotus's hooves on my shoulders, or whenever she gently presses against my neck or turns my head. Once again I marvel how strong and firm she is, yet soft and gentle, each move with a mark of carefulness to it while still being tough and certain with her moves. My arms, which mirrored Rarity's forelegs on the edge of the tub, stretch back a bit more, and I feel my fingers graze over something a bit fuzzy.

Thinking it was Lotus, I quickly pull my hand back before anything awkward happened, but to my surprise I find it back against my hands. Opening a single eye and glancing to my side, I see that it was indeed Lotus's tail, gently resting against my fingers. I try to take a glance at her face to see if she noticed, but she stops me and turns my head yet again. Hearing her hum and her tail twitch whenever I move a finger, I just guess that she does know, so I don't put much thought into it, closing my eyes once again and smiling lightly to myself.

I start to gently brush over her tail hairs a bit, feeling the soft fur as I sigh, content with myself and just overall relaxed. After a good few minutes, I finally feel her pause on my shoulder, and her hoof gently tracing something on my left side, where all the scars are.

Giving a small smirk, I say, "Still hadn't had enough of my scars Lotus?"

She doesn't say anything, but I do feel her pause for a moment before she speaks up. "N-no, I just...are these the only scars you have?" She asks.

Curious, I open my eyes and look over at her, noticing that she was staring at my left shoulder still. "Yes, unless I have others that I don't know of. But from what I can tell that's all I had." I say.

She narrows her eyes and leans in a bit closer, seeming to be staring at something on my shoulder...something other than the scars. "Then what...what is this?" She asks.

I try to look down at where she was pointing, but it was hard to turn my head enough to see that. Noticing that I couldn't see, the blue mare motions for me to wait as she heads over to a counter, opening a drawer and looking through it. After a few seconds she comes back with a mirror and, holding it in her mouth, turns it so I can see it easier.

I look at the mirror at my shoulder, still unsure what I was looking at. All I could see were the jagged lines and holes from the fight with the serpent. "I just see the scars I had with the creature, but I don't-"

"Right there." She says, voice muffled by the handle of the mirror. She points with her hoof and I look a bit closer, eyes narrowing. At this point Rarity and the aqua stallion were even looking at me curiously.

I still can't see much else, only jagged lines and cuts from the large bite I got. However, the longer I stared, the more I realized there was more than just that. Between a few of the cuts were other marks, these ones much straighter than the ones from the Basilisk...straighter and more faded as if they were there much longer than the fight I just got.

My eyes slowly widen as I look at them more, my mind trying to figure out how I got these other marks. "But...but I don't remember those..." I say softly.

Lotus keeps tracing a few of them, trying to see how many there are. After six she stops counting and just looks back at me, just as confused as I was. "You don't know how you got these scars?"

I shake my head. "No idea."

"You do have amnesia, so it could be from some other time.." Rarity says, getting us to glance at the two unicorns, Soothing seeming to have just finished filing her horn. She ponders over it for a few moments as she looks at my shoulder as well, before she suddenly looks back at the spa stallion. "Soothing dear, do you think that wrinkles spell you know could trace the marks on him?"

He ponders this as he looks at my shoulder. "It's only used to spy the worst of the wrinkles to better apply the cream, but I could give it a try." He says as he walks over to me, his horn lighting up. Giving me a look to see if I would let him, I nod and his horn shines a bit brighter.

Soon my shoulder starts to glow a bit, a gentle green color covering the left side of my shoulder. Glancing at the mirror, I see parts of it start to slowly change color, and soon there seemed to be a map of colors on my shoulder.

"Now, the red should be the most recent of the wrinkles, or in this case scars, and the closer they get the green, the older they are." He explains, to which I nod. Seeing the marks, it was easy to see that the Basilisk marks were all bright red, almost out shining everything else. Seeing how bright they were, Soothing tones down the red ones, leaving behind something I was not expecting to see at all.

On my shoulder, where I assumed it would be green with perhaps a few small marks, was a plethora of lines and crosses, all of them of different shades ranging from pink and blue to light green and aqua. I could feel the ponies eyes on me as they stared with as much surprise as me, my eyes tracing all the marks the that I could see. Most of them, thankfully seemed to be rather small, as if they were from just falling wrong on something, leaving a normal cut. Those were the one's that I could barely see. Others, however, while not as red or pink as the one I already have, were still bright. Not only bright...but long.

Reaching over, I start to trace one rather large one across my shoulder. It was a thick line that was going straight, moving from the top of my shoulder to both front and back of my body. My fingers slide along the front, slowly following it. Soon it dips into the part that's in the water, and I stand up to keep following it. Down my fingers go, sliding across my chest and reaching my stomach, where it finally stops.

I just stare at the mark, baffled with what could have caused it, when I feel hooves on my back slowly tracing marks as well. "There is more here." Lotus states, her hoof sliding and tracing almost another dozen or so lines. She then moves up to the top of my shoulder where I was tracing the large scar and starts moving her hoof down, following it.

I was expecting for it to go down an inch or two, but once again I am surprised to find that she keeps on sliding down, the mark getting lower and lower till it was a good six inches down my back when she finally stops.

We were all silent as we stared at my glowing shoulder, the spell fading as it returns to normal. Soothing sits there, his head tilted to the side as he just looks baffled, Lotus giving a similar look, though her mouth was slightly open with surprise. Rarity wasn't much better as she just gaps at me, even getting up to better look at the marks that she could see. "Drakalian...what...how did you..,how?"

"That one mark...I don't know what could have caused it...or how you lived with that damage on your body." Lotus agrees, a hoof to her mouth as she tries to hide her shock.

I just stare down at my shoulder a bit longer, my mind a bit lost with what I just saw. However, there is one thing that I did know. Looking back up at the white mare, she looks back at me and gives a small nod, not even needing me to say anything to know what I was thinking.

It's time I made a call with Celestia and Luna once again.

Author's Note

Just something I thought I may put in, this is what I think Detective Tuffs would look like

...

Shut up, I think he's adorable! :twilightblush:

Chapter 24: Reading the Lines

"Are you sure that we have to go to them this time around?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"Yes we do. They are very busy and they can't just take the time out of their schedule to just go wherever they please." Twilight says, looking up at me from the book she was reading. I just groan as I lean back against the seat of the train, my hood covering my head a bit as I avoid looking at the other ponies in the car with us.

It was the next day after the amazing trip to the spa, and just as Rarity had said, it was every bit worth the time spent there. Not only did I feel relaxed and rejuvenated, but I was also happy to have met other ponies that aren't from around here, even if they are ponies like the rest.

After we found the other marks on my body, I was able to get them and me to continue our relaxing time there. It took a bit, but we were all soon talking and relaxing once again, the worry of the new scars gone from our minds...ok, from their minds. I still kept it in mine to tell Twilight to send a letter when I was done. When I left I felt like a new man, and I could have sworn that Rarity was giggling to herself at how happy I was acting. When I returned to the library to tell Twilight what happened, she sent a letter to the Princess about it. We quickly got a return letter telling us to come and meet her in Canterlot, which to me was exciting and nervous all at once.

Once the day was set for tomorrow, instead of going back to trying to recover my memory for the day, she brought a few board games and we just played them for the rest of the day along with Spike. It was a rather relaxing time overall, and despite wanting to find as much as I can about my past, I was glad to have just relaxed with them for a change.

Now however, we are on a train heading to Canterlot, Spike having been left to take care of the library while we were gone. I was still skeptical about meeting them there in the large city with all the many...many ponies, but the purple unicorn kept saying otherwise.

"I know you aren't looking forward to being there too much, but they are very busy, and the fact that they were able to come over that one time unannounced surprised even me." She explains. I just remain still as I look at the ceiling, arms crossed on my chest.

"Still, I would like for something to just...I don't know..." I huff, realizing that I have no counter to what she was saying. It made sense to me, I was just being stubborn about it.

With my eyes looking up, I fail to see Twilight reaching over and placing a hoof on my knee till I felt her hoof touch me. "I promise it won't be bad at all. The train is rather close to the castle, so we won't even be anywhere near the large crowds, I promise."

Looking down, I can see the sincerity behind her smile, and relaxing a bit, I reach a hand down and grip her hoof, giving it a comfort squeeze. "I know Twi, I just...really want this to get over with quick, yet at the same time I want to know more about my past if possible." I pause as I try to get my thoughts in order before leaning forward, gripping her hoof with both of my hands now. "It just seems so sudden. My whole time here is so sudden really. It feels like only a few days have passed, yet it has been almost a month already. And then you have this Spring Clean-Up coming along as well, whatever it is." I sigh.

"Winter Wrap-Up, and you don't have to worry about it. Heck you didn't even have to offer to do much of anything, I would have let you take the time to just sit back somewhere and relax. Or do some more of your training you seem to be enjoying." She says with a small, playful smile.

I just grin back and tap her hoof lightly with a finger. "The training is fun yes, but I don't wish to just be a burden and do nothing. You girls gave my life a new meaning. Hell, just meaning in general, and I still need a way to repay for everything you all have done for me." I tell her. She just keeps smiling before getting up and moving to sit down next to me, her hoof always staying on my lap.

"Drak, you're our friend now. There is no way in Tartarus that we won't help you." She reminds me, getting me to smile back. Already seeing what was going to happen, I was ready this time for when she leans in and nuzzles me, wrapping her hoof around my chest as I return the hug. I can't seem to get over how soft her fur is, or how warm she just makes me feel.

As we held each other close, I notice that the scene outside was starting to slowly change to a more mountainous landscape, indicating that we were getting close to our destination. However, I didn't want to stop our hugging and just hold her tighter. She hums happily, seeming to be content where she is as we just hold each other.

I guess I'm starting to get more used to living here than I thought.

"Now arriving in Canterlot Stop!"

I blink my eyes as I realized I must have dozed off, Twilight doing the same thing as we shake the slight sleepiness from our eyes. During our brief nap we seemed to have tangled ourselves a bit closer, my arms wrapped around her back and rubbing her mane a bit. Seeing how close we were now causes me to blush as I pull back, the mare doing the same thing. We don't say anything for a few moments before the train has stopped, and once pulled into the station completely, she was on her hooves, taking her saddle pack with her and putting it on.

"We're here, you ready Drak?" She asks me.

I take a few deep breaths and then exhale slowly, looking outside to see the rather large number of ponies mingling about. Shuddering, I can feel myself hesitate, but once again a purple hoof finds its way to rest in my hand. Looking down, I smile and give her hoof a squeeze before nodding, pulling my hood down a good bit to cover my eyes.

"Lead the way."

Taking the lead, Twilight makes sure to keep close to me, our sides brushing against each other every so often as we exit the car. Taking a quick glance around, I see many different ponies leaving and entering the car, a good number of them staring at me in shock and surprise as we head out and off the train stop. Shivering I tug my hood a bit more, but Twilight brushes against my side and gently nuzzles me a bit, getting me to follow her.

As we leave the train station, we are soon surrounded by a large number of ponies, most of them staring at me as we go by them. Along with that there seemed to be a number of them wearing all sorts of fancy clothing and rushing to somewhere important.

The longer we kept going, the closer I felt them get to me, the looks, the stares...my heart rate slowly going up. The eyes were judging me, mocking me for who I was, all of them! I can hear them laughing now, their voices ringing in my head! My eyes starting to go wide as I feel myself try to look through the closing tunnel...

I blink as I feel a tingle on my hand, which suddenly raises as it is placed over the purple mare's back. Looking next to me, I notice her horn was alight, and she was looking at me with a small smile. I risk taking a glance at her eyes...and almost immediately I'm hit with a relaxing aura, my body slowly easing on the tension I was starting to feel. I could still feel the eyes of them around me, but it seemed to be more distant, and the space around us was now much more bearable. Giving her a very small smile of thanks, I hold her eyes for a moment longer before looking ahead. We walk like that the rest of the way, the unicorn giving my hand a small squeeze with her magic every so often to remind me that she was still there.

Soon, much sooner than I would have thought, we were at the front gates of the castle, a couple of guards standing there with spears in hoof. They stop us as we are about to pass, but after a few words from Twilight, the allowed us through.

As we walk through the hallways of the castle, I start to feel myself slowly recover from being outside. It takes a good few minutes, but after a while I let out a small breath I didn't realize I was holding and slump down a bit against her. Thankfully Twilight seemed to be ready and steadies me. "It's ok, we're here. We're in the castle, away from all the crowds." She comforts me.

I take a few more deep breaths as I nod. "I...I can see now, thanks." I simply said, and she just smiles and nuzzles my side once again. "Twilight...I'm sorry for-"

"No, there is no need to be sorry for something you cannot control." She states, giving me a serious look. "There is no shame in getting help from others and no shame in feeling scared. My friends always come to my aid when I need them, and I do the same with them. This is no different." She looks at me for a few more moments, my eyes locking with hers and seeing the seriousness behind them, her emotions heating up a bit and showing a bit of pride. "If you ever need one of us for such a thing, never, and I mean NEVER, be afraid to ask us, ok Drak?"

I am a bit taken aback with the solid wall of determination behind her eyes, the feeling washing over me. Closing my own eyes, I take one last deep breath before letting it out, and looking back I give her a more sincere smile. "I promise Twilight."

Seeing that was all settled, she smiles and gives me one last hug before leading me through the halls. "I can't wait to see what those other marks are. Judging by what you told me, they seem to be more scars, and if I remember correctly you were from a time when there was no peace at all! It just boggles my mind that there was never a time of peace before. I mean, we had the whole time with the three tribes, but still this-"

I chuckle as I give her a small squeeze with my arm still around her. "I get it Twilight, and I promise you can stay to take as many notes as you want."

She gives a small squee as she pulls out a notebook once again and a quill. "I even brought a spare notebook and quill just in case!" She states, getting me to nearly facepalm.

Soon we arrive at a large golden door the two guards standing by as they look at us, giving a nod of greeting to Twilight. "Greeting's Twilight, here to see Princess Celestia?" One of them asks.

She shakes her head. "Not me this time. My friend Drak is here to talk with her about something rather important." She explains, motioning to me. I give them a wave with my free hand as they look at me with slight suspicion.

The other guard nods. "I see. They did mention a human, but I wasn't sure if that was true or not." He says. After a few moments of silence, the left one, who was brown, motions to the white one to go inside before turning to look at us. "Just give us a moment to see if she is free."

Twilight nods as she settles next to me, the three of us just waiting. Thankfully it doesn't take too long for the first guard to walk back out. "The Princess is ready to see you Drakalian."

With a nod, I start to head inside along with Twilight, the doors opening and then closing behind us. Once inside, I take a quick look around and see that the room is...freaking massive. I'm rather surprised with how large the place is. Why would one pony need this much space in a single room? On the other end of the mind boggling huge room, the floor laden with a red carpet, sat what I guess was the throne, though there were two seats on the pedestal standing there only one of them was occupied. On either side of the throne was two more guards, both of them as stoic as the rest.

The pony sitting on said throne smiles as we enter. "Ah Drakalian. I'm so happy you could make it. Please, come over." She says, motioning us over. As we walk to the throne, I notice that she was looking at me with a curious look, and I could swear there was a smirk on her muzzle. Of course that just made me confused more than anything. Why would she-

My eyes go wide as I realized I was still basically wrapped around Twilight, and quickly I pull back from the mare, who takes a step to the side, seeming to realize what we were doing at the same moment.

The Alicorn chuckles at this as she gets up from her throne and walks on down. "Please, don't stop on my account. I'm so glad that Twilight has some pony to warm up with on such cold days, even with Winter Wrap-up being only a month away." She says, causing my cheeks to flair. A quick glance at my side shows that Twilight too was blushing rather heavily.

Twilight sputters a bit as she tries to come up with something to say, but words seem to be failing her at the moment. I myself wasn't doing much better, just blushing heavily as I look anywhere but at the white Alicorn. I glanced over at the guards to see that they were still as stoic as ever, though one of them does give a small cough, almost like he was trying to cover up something.

Finally the purple mare seems to get her voice back as she speaks to her mentor. "P-Princess! Me and Drak are not doing any such things, it was just a comfort thing to help him through the large crowds to get to the castle." She explains.

Celestia just chuckles, waving a hoof at us to calm down. "I understand, just having a bit of fun Twilight." She explains, getting us to slowly relax a bit. "So, how have your studies been going?"

"Going well as always. As you know we are still trying to find a way to get his memories back, and while we have had little success, there were a few times that he does remember something." The unicorn gives a small smile as she explains herself. "Sadly I have yet to file it into a proper report to send it to you, so-"

"Twilight, you don't need to file it all into a simple report. Just tell me what you have found." Celestia reminds her, giving a motherly smile.

The purple mare just gives a sheepish smile. "I know, but it makes it easier for me to tell you in a report, otherwise I'm not sure how else I could explain it."

Giving a nod, the princess replies, "If that does make it easier for you, then I won't judge about it. You are free to tell me in whatever way makes you feel the most comfortable." At this she turns to face me. I notice that as soon as she is looking at me, her smile fades a bit, giving me a more curious and concerned look. "Now, onto the real matter at hoof..."

She waits for me to speak up, and seeing Twilight looking at me expectantly as well, I exhale softly before nodding. "I was at the Ponyville Day Spa when it was noticed. I have to say that place is very much relaxing and I really owe Rarity and Fluttershy for bringing me with them." She smiles at this as I continue. "Anyways, during a massage is when one of the mares noticed other marks on my shoulder. Marks that I didn't get from the basilisk." As I say this, I notice a look of worry flicker over her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with her neutral expression once again.

She remains silent for a few moments before responding. "Drakalian, do you remember what I told you, at the hospital?" She asks.

I nod. "Yes, something about me being from well beyond in the past, during a time of war." I say.

"Then you must understand that the times then and now are very much different from each other. Before the ponies were simply separated as three tribes, before there was even Equestria, it was a time of disharmony...and chaos." She lets out a rather large sigh, and then turns to look over at the two guards. "Guards, if you would please leave us. And tell some pony to bring us some cushions. We may be here for a while."

They pause for a moment before, with a bow, they both head out of the room. After a while the door closes behind them as she focuses back on us. "What I'm about to say, while isn't confidential or considered a secret, is very much unknown to most others, especially the rest of the ponies. What the other nations tell about it I'm not sure, but what I do know is that we ponies have tried to keep certain moments in history safe, but during the conflicts of the three tribes, it was...difficult. Much of it was lost, and only a few artifacts remain of that time. While both Luna and I could retell the story and keep it in the archives, what we went through...what we experienced...is something we wish for no pony else to go through. Nay, for no CREATURE to go through. At the time, we thought it best to just keep those memories hidden, especially when it felt so raw to remember them." I took a quick glance at her eyes at this, and had to just as quickly look away. Not only was it my normal nervousness from keeping myself looking at them, but that one quick glance showed me so much history behind it.

History, and pain.

At this moment, the door opens as a mare walks in with a few cushions, placing them before us. We give her our thanks as she bows and heads out, closing the door yet again. With something to sit on, I start to get myself settled, when I noticed Twilight slowly pulling out her notebook and quill.

Celestia noticed this as well, and instead of what I was guessing her to tell the unicorn to put it away, she just gives a small smile. "Always the little historian, aren't you Twilight." She kids lightly.

Twilight blushes a bit as she looks at the notebook before looking back at her. "I mean, you said it isn't a secret, just not well known, so I thought I would write it down. If that's ok?"

She gives a nod. "It's more than ok. In fact I kind of wish we did this sooner." She pauses as a look of regret flickers past her eyes before smiling again. "Please, write what you want my dear student."

Said student smiles as she gets ready to write, Celestia continuing her tale. "It was a long time ago, and the conflict was going much longer than any pony else knew. In fact I'm not sure when it first started, or even the main reason, all we did know was the ones involved."

She closes her eyes and her horn lights up. Slowly an orb forms in the middle of our triangle, growing larger and larger till it was larger than the princess herself. As the orb fades a bit, inside pictures start to form. As we watched the pictures, Celestia went on explaining what we were seeing, her voice loud and clear through the entire room.

During this time, a war broke out, all across the world. The two sides wanted nothing more or less than total control of the world to do as they wished. First we had the Faction of Chaos. They were strong and numerous, the leaders of the group wanting nothing more than to do whatever they want whenever they wanted. To them, life is just a game to play, and no creature had the right to tell them how to play it besides themselves.

The orb flickers as it shows not just ponies, but dragons, griffins, and creatures I have yet to see emerge, laughing and running around without a care, while smoke filled the air from the fires around them. I could feel not only the madness, but the desire to do whatever they pleased through them, even if it was just a picture in a magic orb.

On the other side was the Faction of Order. Unlike Chaos, they believed that everything had a place to be, that all was supposed to be a fine line of organization. They followed rules to the best of their abilities, kept the strictest codes and followed them all to a T. To them one is supposed to follow these rules till death, and no excuses were made for those that didn't.

Next picture flickered, and ponies as well as a number of other creatures marched across the orb, all of them with stoic looks, calm and proud. However, at the same time I felt a certain rigidness from them that just couldn't be healthy.

While they both existed, neither side was fully happy with the other. While they were able to keep away from each other for a time, eventually something caused them to break. Again, we don't know if it was Chaos wanting to expand, or Order getting tired of their chaotic nature. In either case, they finally clashed, and the largest, longest war ever started.

The two sides start to form on either side of the orb, slowly reaching closer to each other. Soon, they both charged, and as they reached the center, a huge clash emerged. Ponies fighting each other. Dragons roaring across the sky. So many beasts, both big and small, slashed, smashed, and bit at each other.

I wish I could say that after a while there was peace, that both sides would come to an agreement, but sadly that isn't the case. Instead, the fighting spread all across the land...and brought many creatures down.

I can hear Twilight gasp as the next picture, for in it showed not only ponies, but many different beings, humans included, falling down or just laying on the ground, while others just continue fighting above them. One thing I did notice, during this, was the large lack of blood. Sure there were a few cuts and slashes, but nothing too extreme. A part of me was wondering if she was trying to tone it down for her student.

During this time of bloodshed, there were a few beings that began to question the reasons and methods being used. Some of each faction, the ones who's beliefs weren't as extreme as the rest, slowly starting to realize not only what they were fighting for was forgotten, but that they just wanted nothing more than peace. They were few and far between, however, and while they were unable to really change the tide, they did what they could to help those that were in need.

The orb flickers, and shows several creatures helping others, gently lifting them from the ground, giving them shelter, food, and warmth.

After a time, a small group of these creatures grew tired of this war, and decides to finally put a stop to it, once and for all. They called themselves the Crusaders of Harmony. While small at first they slowly began a revolution that would not only slow down the fighting on both sides, but become a force to reckon with on their own. At the head of this group stood the four founding members.

The orb clears, and slowly several shadows start to form. Some short, some tall, but after a moment it was clear that these were the four founders.

First there was Little Light, the first founding member of the group and the one to help with leading them all. She was a great warrior of her own right, as well as an incredible light magician. She started the Crusaders in the hopes to show others that there is still good in the world, be it order or chaos.

The first shadow clears, and out stepped a unicorn mare. Her coat was of a light purple color, while her mane and tail were just a few shades darker. If I didn't know any better, I would have mistaken her to be Twilight, even her cutie mark was similar, being a six point white star. However, her eyes gave away much more than a young mare. I could see the years behind those eyes, and the battles that she must have went through.

Next we have Indicus, a human just like Drak here. His life was a much darker path, one who was raised from birth by assassins, and trained to be just like them. However, unlike the others, he had grown tired of the constant death and destruction, and he too wished for a way to find peace.

The second shadow fades, but only slight. For some reason, the human that steps forth was still covered in a dark aura, the hood and cowl covering up his head much like mine did. His face showed a lot of age behind it, his chin covered with small stubble, unable to hide the hidden pain behind it.

Then we have Alexius, a mare who was raised in a difficult life, doing her best to get by just like the rest. As with most in this time, her life is full of tragedy and sadness, but unlike others, she decided to do something about it, and joined them in the hopes to put a stop in the destruction of the world.

The third shadow steps forward, and for some reason I feel a bit of a headache at seeing her. Looking at the white unicorn's eyes, her grey mane blowing a bit in front of her and seeing the determination in them, yet with a hint of pain, brings ups...something. For some reason, as my head pain fades, I feels another one in my chest, close to my heart.

There is a bit of a pause as Celestia looks at us, and I'm curious as to why. However, before either of us could ask who the fourth one is, she speaks.

Finally...we have you, Drakalian. The fourth and final founding member of the Crusaders of Harmony.

My eyes go wide as the shadows of the final one fade, revealing no one else but me, my hood up and over my head, but enough to see the look of determination in my eyes, similar to Alexius. My staff in hand as I stood there, ready to face anything that came in my way.

You're reasons to joining them is confusing, but like the rest you wished for the war to end. You didn't talk much about your past, but what you did say let us know that you are a being to be trusted.

She pauses as the information sinks in. I look at the orb with the Crusaders of Harmony facing me, including myself, in near utter disbelief. Glancing at Twilight, I noticed that her eyes were locked on the scene before her with an intensity I haven't seen in her before. Even as she stares, her mouth slightly open in shock, her quill was writing it all down at a furious pace.

It was you four that helped to find others with a similar mind, to have the war end, to stop the endless and unknown conflict. To let all rest and just live in peace. It was a long battle, and not without it's losses, but eventually you found the beings to not only shut down the factions of Order and Chaos, but to also unite all of the creatures of the world, and put an end to the conflict once and for all.

The orb slowly gets brighter and stronger, and soon I have to shield my eyes from the shine. Just as quickly as it starts, it dims, and soon the orb starts to fade. I blink my eyes as I look around us, realizing that we are still in the throne room, Twilight finishing up with the first half of the notebook she had. Looking back at the princess, I saw the small frown as she sighs, seeming to be remembering all those memories from times long ago. When she spoke again, it was in her normal, kind voice, without the echo behind it.

"Sadly, the peace as always, didn't last, and soon all the creatures started to part, leaning closer to their own kind. The same thing happened with the ponies, the unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies forming their tribes as they tried to keep to themselves. From there, I believe you know the rest." She finishes, looking at Twilight.

The purple mare just stares, her eyes still wide with shock as he mouth stays open. I reach over and gently close her mouth, holding it there for a moment to make sure it stays close before pulling back. After a few minutes the silence breaks and she shakes her head to clear her mind.

"That...to think there was so much bloodshed, so much conflict. I...I don't know what to say. And you...you went through all of that." She pauses as she looks at me, and suddenly she leaps over and pulls me into a very deep hug.

"Woah hey!" I say, only to pause as I feel a bit of wetness against my cheek. Falling silent I can hear her sobbing gently into my shoulder, causing my mind to become very confused.

"I'm so sorry Drak. I...I'm so sorry you had to go through so...so much pain." She says, her hooves digging into me a bit more.

I fall silent at this, just looking at the crying mare in surprise. As the minutes ticked by, I started to feel my own heart ache, and I realized that I too was starting to cry. It wasn't for myself though, but for making this mare...for making my closest friend cry and worry for me. Slowly I wrap my arms around her, tugging her in and holding her just as tightly. As I let the tears flow, I remain mostly silent, just letting the water works go as I sob softly against her mane.

A glance at Celestia showed that instead of what I thought would be an impish smile planning another joke, it was just a small, sad smile as she looks at us with a comforting look. Shuffling a bit closer, she reaches with a wing and pulls us a bit in, leaning down and nuzzling the top of my head.

Seeing the look on her face allows me to relax a bit more, and I just close my eyes as I take slow, deep breaths, just calming myself down as I hold Twilight close and she does the same with me.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I'm not sure how long we stay like that, but we eventually start to calm down. Our breathing evens out, and I feel our eyes start to dry out as well before we pull back. Looking into her eyes, seeing the slightly swollen red orbs staring back, I just give a small smile and stroke her cheek. "Hey, I'm here now, and whatever happened in the past is in the past."

She smiles back softly and nods, leaning into my hand. "Y-yea, you're right. I just...I can't imagine what it was like back then, with so much pain and d-death." She stutters a bit.

"From how you were in that time, you shouldered a lot of pain even before you joined the Crusaders." The sun princess speaks up, keeping her wing wrapped around us. "The only thing that kept you going sometimes, at least from what I could tell, was the rest of the founders. Your friends."

I nod in understanding. "That's why I want to keep trying to get my memories. To remember them."

She blinks and pulls back in shock. "What?! Even after all of that you still...still want to find them? But what about all those possible times of war and strife. Do you really want to remember all that pain again?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, exhaling slowly as my mind starts to wander. It goes back to the few times when I did get some sort of memory, and the happy moments I had during it. One such memory was the smile on Aryas' face, the smile...

...it made my heart ache, wanting to know more.

"Not all of it was bad, I know it. I had many good times as bad." I open my eyes and look at Twilight. "I may get a bad memory, maybe I may snap, but to remember those good times...my old friends...that is something I wish to never forget."

She looks at me with a somber look, listening to my every word. After a minute she nods. "O-Ok. If that is...if that is what you want, then I will keep helping you. I did promise to after all." She pauses before giving a small smile. "And I guess when you do get those memories back we can have more things to talk about for putting into the archives."

I smile as I ruffle her mane. "There's the Twilight that I know, always ready to learn more about anything she can find."

She giggles as she nuzzles me one last time before parting, the three of us standing up to stretch. Celestia smiles at us both as she stretches her wings before folding them against her.

"If you are really adamant on finding memories, I can offer to help you with it as well. I will have some of my best unicorns with mind magic come over and take a look at you."

This causes us to blink in surprise. "Wait, you have unicorns that know mind magic?" I asked.

She nods. "I do. I could have brought it sooner, but there were many different variables that were unknown. The main thing of it was your well being." I raised an eyebrow, confused but remaining silent, letting her continue. "Knowing what went on for a good portion of your life, and some of the things you did share with us of your past before the Crusaders, it was...difficult to decide if you should remember that dark time. Both of us, Luna and I, couldn't sleep for several decades after the war, and while we did come to terms eventually, sometimes a memory pops up and catches us...off guard." She falls silent as she looks at us before turning to look away. "I'm sorry to have kept this from you, and will understand if-"

I stop her with a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at me with surprise. Instead of a frown, I give her a small smile and a knowing nod. "I can understand. You didn't want me to become hurt with the possibility of a painful memory. I'm guessing others have cracked under such things?"

She nods. "More than one mare and stallion ended their life after that war, and the repercussions ring today with us still, if ever so faintly."

I look at her again, seeing the pain flicker across her eyes before speaking up. "I understand, and while I know that the risks are high, I still wish to find my memories, to know who I really am. If you really are offering to help me..." I pause, letting the words hang in the air.

"I do Drak. In fact, Luna was the one to convince me that we should do our best to help you regain your memories." She explains.

I feel my curiosity spike from hearing this. "Really? I will have to thank her when the time comes."

She smiles at this as we pull away. "It will take several days to get the unicorns here. In the mean time I would like for you to stay at the castle with us." She offers.

I smile. "I think that would be fine with me, as long as Twilight is ok with it." I look down at the purple unicorn curiously.

She rubs her chin as she speaks up. "I will have to head back to Ponyville, need to keep the library running and all. Are you sure you will be fine by yourself?"

I nod. "I'm sure. Besides, I won't really be alone. I do have the two greatest princesses in Equestria." I say, motioning to Celestia, who just chuckles at this.

Twilight can't help but to giggle a bit as well. "Fair enough. I'll send a letter if anything changes with my research, ok?" I nod and we give each other another hug.

"Then I believe it is settled." Celestia says as she stomps her hoof, the sound echoing through the room. The door to the throne room opens and a guard looks in with a questioning look.

"Brick, please get Silver over to take Drak to one of the guest rooms. He is to be staying with us for the next few days." She explains, the guard nodding and closing the door behind him. Looking back at us, she continues. "It was a pleasure to talk with you again Drak, and of course you as well Twilight."

We smile and Twilight gives a small bow as I just nod my head. "Thank you for clearing up a few things, though at the moment it feels I have more questions than answers." I say.

She laughs. "I know that feeling all too well my little human. I pray that you do find the answers to your questions sooner rather than later. Now go on, the maid should be here to show you your room, best to not keep her waiting."

With a chuckle I look down at the unicorn with me, and with a nod from both of us we give our final goodbyes to the princess as we head on out and through the throne room.

(Celestia POV)

I watch as they leave the throne room, the large door closing behind them with a thump. With a small sigh I walk back to my throne and sit back down, feeling a bit weary after all of that. I look out at the door where Drak just left, a small smile gracing my lips.

"It seems Lulu was right, my dear Drakalian. You are indeed adapting very well. I hope you continue to grow as you live here in this world of peace."

Chapter 25: The Nights of Canterlot

(Drakalian POV)

I give a small grumble as I toss and turn in my bed, finding it difficult for me to fall asleep. I keep trying to get myself lost in the dreamscape, but with a grumble I just end up more frustrated than anything. After a good hour or more, I just give up and with a grunt, kick the blankets off as I stand up from the bed, giving myself a small stretch.

After our talk with Celestia, Twilight and I met the maid who brought me over to my room, where me and the purple unicorn talked for a few minutes before she had to say goodbye. With the mare gone, I was left alone in the room, and seeing how late it was, I just rang up room service before sitting down to meditate. Once the food was here, I ate, meditated again, then went to sleep.

Well...tried to.

Seeing how sleep was going to evade me for the time, I just stretch again and look around the room to see if there was anything to help me get to sleep easier. It's a rather large room, almost making me wish for the smaller room back in Ponyville in the library, but I still managed. The bed itself was very large, most likely the largest possible, though in the castle why wouldn't they have large beds. Besides the bed was a desk, chair, closet, and even a vanity mirror. Besides that and a few decorations, there wasn't much else. Rather surprising considering this is a guest room of the castle.

Of course all of that matters not to me since I was trying to get to sleep, and none of those things really help me at the moment. I was about to try and meditate once again when I heard something from outside.

Curious, I slowly approach the balcony, wondering what the noise could be. My mind quickly went to something sinister, but this being the castle I doubt anything would have gotten past the guards so easily. They looked capable enough to stop just about anyone around here. Plus I didn't happen to bring my weapons from Ponyville with me either, so I was without staff or sais.

Deciding to just go ahead and make do, I walk to the double doors and push them open, looking around as I step outside for the source of the sound. Once outside, it became much clearer to me, and started to take on the form of words, almost like someone was muttering to themselves.

I start to look around, but like the room there isn't much on the balcony in the first place, just a plant next to the door. Even more curious, I look out over the railings at the setting sun, seeing it just vanish past the horizon as the moon slowly starts to rise. It's at this point that I see the stars start to twinkle in, one by one, rapidly filling the blank space above.

I couldn't help but to pause and marvel at the rather lovely night sky above me, finding it breathtaking as I just stood there and stared. Slowly I walked forward and leaned against the railing, my eyes watching the spectacle above me.

"Wow. That looks...amazing." I whisper to myself, my eyes locked at the newly forming night sky. At this point, I start to hear the voice again, this time realizing just who it was. Blinking, I quickly start to look around, my eyes finally locking onto the back of a certain Alicorn princess who was hovering a few feet away from my balcony, her dark, starry mane flowing in the empty breeze as her horn glows a light blue, lighting up the sky with many more stars. How I missed her at first was difficult to know, but I was distracted with the sky. It was at this point that I realized she was the one lighting the sky up and raising the moon, something that, even if I knew about it or not still left me with an open mouth in surprise.

It seems she was talking to herself, muttering random and not so random words about what she was doing, what she needed to do, what went where, and so on. I found it rather amusing, but at the moment I was more curious than anything else, and leaning over a bit, looking at her, I find myself calling her name to get her attention.

"Luna?"

(Luna POV)

"No, it should be over there, by that constellation, and then that star needs to be a bit dimmer...that one needs to be much brighter...where in the world did this one go? I think I may need to find another cluster to form there..." I slowly mutter to myself, eyes focused and horn glowing as I raise the moon and speckle the sky with my stars.

It had been a rather long day, even if I had yet to do much of anything. I've just been feeling so tense as of late with doing anything these past few weeks. Of course it doesn't help that my mind keeps on wandering to a certain human and the words that Celestia told me when we first talked about him, but it wasn't like I was still in love with him or anything...

...right?

I shake my head, getting rid of such silly thoughts as I focus on the sky once again. Come on Luna, you went out to fly for a reason, and that was besides to raise the night sky and watch the ponies sleep. Now focus on your job and not some silly filly crush. It was at this moment that I realize that there was another star missing from a group. "Damn it all, why do you keep on leaving that spot. It's so frustrating to just-"

"Luna?"

I give a rather loud "EEP!" as my wings lock, my mind already recognizing the voice, even if I had no idea they were behind me. As I start to plummet to the ground, I quickly unlock my wings and flap hard, slowing and stopping my decent. Looking up, a good dozen feet above me was indeed Drakalian, the human giving me a very surprised look as he looks down at me from the balcony he was standing on.

Giving a small huff, I fly up higher till I was in front of him, my forelegs resting on the railing next to him. "Drak!? What are you doing here? And why did you sneak up on us? You know we hate it when ponies do that!"

He just blinks and gives me a very confused look. "Um...I do?"

I was about to berate him a bit more when it clicked that of course he doesn't remember. Sighing, I shake my head. "Never mind, we...I, forgot about the whole...you know." He nods. "You still have yet to explain what you are doing here in the first place."

The human raises an eyebrow at this. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would try and find a way. Granted coming outside and getting some fresh air might help, but I heard someone talking and thought I would look to see who it was. Turns out it was you."

It takes me a second to realize what he was saying, and when I do, I can feel my cheeks heating up even more. "Oh, you heard me talking to myself?" I say softly, looking away to try and hide my reddening fur.

He nods. "It seems like that."

I stay there for a few minutes, not saying anything, and Drak seems content to just remain silent as he looks up at the sky. I slowly turn to look back at him as he looks at my night sky, a small glimmer in his eyes.

"You know, I didn't think you made the night sky. Or raise the moon for that matter. Guess that's just another thing I forgot." He says, glancing back at me.

I give a small smile as I fly up a bit and land on the balcony with him, wings folded and sitting down next to him. "Yes, we do, though we doubt it would be something that you forgot. The change was rather recent. At least, recent for us." Seeing the confused look on his face, I continued. "After the war, we had to adapt to certain things, especially when the three tribes were united. One of the major things was that our sun and moon, cause of what happened, became unstable and unable to raise and lower on their own. Because of that, powerful unicorns had to raise and lower them by themselves, and more often than not, they would be left drained, sometimes permanently as well."

I see him frown as he hears this. "That's awful."

"Indeed, but thankfully not long afterwards, my sister and I discovered that we could raise and lower the sun with a much easier time than any pony else, and soon after that, we became the Princesses of Equestria. It has been like that ever since, except for that one time when I-" I start to finish, but stop myself as I realize what I was about to say. Not wanting to bring up bad memories, I turned to look out at the sky, but instead of silence, I get a confused question.

"Wait, except for what?" I turn to look at him, and what I see surprises me. Genuine confusion was on his face, head tilted to the side as he waits for my response.

"Wait, you...you don't..." I pause as I remain silent. How could he not know? It is basic history knowledge at this point, taught by all foals. He just shakes his head however, still having no idea what I was talking about. "I would have assumed Twilight would have had you read at least most, if not all of our history by now."

He nods. "She has, but I don't know what that has to do with..." He stops, and I can see his mind slowly ticking. The speed at which he was starting to realize makes me laugh in my head, realizing he still is as slow as when we first met him. That isn't a bad thing, and he is by no means dumb, just that sometimes things slip by him or go over his head. It can be amusing when it happens. As he finally figures it out, he speaks to himself, which causes my heart to sink yet again at the words. "Celestia banished her only sister..." He looks back at me with wide eyes and it is clear that he knows now.

I sigh as I look away, feeling ashamed to look at my old friend. "Yes, I turned into Nightmare Moon and tried to turn the world into a time of endless night." I say softly. "Cause of my actions, Tia had no choice but to...t-to banish me."

The silence falls once again, this time with a large tension in the air, so tense that a knife could cut through it. After a few minutes he speaks up. "But why? I mean it says you were jealous, but was it...was it really that?"

I nod, not bothering to look at him. "Indeed. I grew upset with how all the ponies adored my sister and yet did nothing for me. I grew so upset that it changed me, infected me, and turned me into that...thing." I say, spitting at the floor at the end of it. Silence again, then once again I speak up. "I only just escaped the moon a few years ago, and it was thanks to Twilight and her friends that I was able to change back into myself."

Silence again, heavier than the last. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the stare he was giving me. I dared not look at him, knowing that all I would see was hate in his eyes, a hate for-

I blink in surprise as I feel an arm wrap around my neck and pull me in close. The next thing I know, my head was nuzzled into his chest. Blushing a bit, I look up and see not just a face with no hate, but one of comfort, a small smile on his face as he hugs me.

"Luna. What happened was...horrible. It is something that should never happen to any pony...to anyone. I wish I could have been there to help you during that trying time, but if what you and Celestia say is true, I was already gone well before you two became princesses." I nod slightly and he continues. "Now, whatever happened in the past is just that; the past. There isn't a point to dwell on it anymore. You have grown so much from that time, even I can tell with my busted mind."

I can't help but chuckle at that, his smile growing as I did that. "I guess so. If somepony with amnesia thinks I grew up well, then there is no point for me to worry about anything." I half joke, even if it was a poor attempt to make myself feel better.

"I remember hearing ponies talk about you at Ponyville. They seem to like you there, saying you are really an amazing pony and princess." He pauses as a thoughtful look comes across his face. "In fact, I think one of the small kids there said something about you being his favorite princess. Small kid even for his age, white with a brown spot or two on him."

I smile as I know just who that is. "That be little Pipsqueak. He is a very kind colt, and so sweet. I always try to make a bit of time for him during Nightmare Night."

"I don't know what this Nightmare Night is, but I'm guessing it must be fun if he likes you that much." He says, chuckling. We remain silent as I lean against his chest, both of us looking outside at the night sky and surroundings under it. The silence keeps going on, but this time it's a much calmer silence, both of us at ease as we just relax. I don't remember the last time I just stared up at the sky with some pony like this, I think it was with my sister last time, over a thousand years ago. It felt...nice.

"You know, I'm sure that Celestia missed you very much over those years." He says softly.

I nod. "She did. Some days after I returned, she came into my room and told me so many times that I lost count. I kept telling her that I was fine." I say, remembering those days when she would come in and apologize many, many times to me. "I think she is still upset with what happened and what she had to do, but I...I don't know what to do."

He looks down at me. "Just be there for her, as a good sister should." I nod in agreement as I look at the sky once again. After another few minutes, I finally speak up with a question of my own. The same one really, but he has yet to give me a proper answer to it.

"You know, you still have yet to really tell me what you are doing here."

He blinks. "I already told you, I just couldn't sleep, so I-"

I shake my head. "No, not that. I mean here in Canterlot."

I hear him pause and freeze up, causing me to look up at him. Seeing the look on his face I pull back from the hug and look at him a bit closer with some worry. "Is it...did something bad happen in Ponyville?"

He quickly shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. I just...I found a bit more about me."

I raise an eyebrow at this. "You did? Isn't that a good thing?"

He nods again. "It is, and I'm glad I'm starting to get some more things of my past back, even if it's just some marks on my body."

Now this got my curiosity. "Marks? You mean the scars from the basilisk?"

He pauses before shaking his head. "No, I mean different marks. Different scars I've had from when I was...with the Crusaders of Harmony."

I fall silent as I hear this, my heart dropping a bit. It takes a few moments but I manage to recompose myself enough to ask, "Did...did Tia tell you?" He nods. "Drak, if you don't wish to-"

"No, it's fine Luna." He tells me, giving that damn smile of his once again, making my cheeks flush ever so slightly. "I don't mind talking about it, especially to you, since you have been there as well."

I fall silent as we look at each other, his eyes of course avoiding my own, and I just remain staring at his own green orbs, even if he doesn't reply in kind. After a while I reach over to touch his arm with my hoof, getting his attention. "In that case, I wish to see them."

He doesn't say anything, just looking at me, his eyes even glancing at my own. This time I don't shy away, and remain stoic as ever as I look at the human, waiting for him to either say yes or no. After a good solid minute, he just nods. "But not here. Can we do it inside? It's rather cold out here." He shivers at this as he looks out at the snow covered landscape.

Looking out, it reminds me that I have yet to finish my sky, my eyes going wide. "Shit, I didn't finish! One moment please." I say before lighting my horn up and putting the last finishing touches. Once that was done, which only took a few minutes, I sigh, my magic turning off as my horn lets it go and turn to look at the human. "Sorry Drak, I just realized that-" I start to say only to see his rather surprised expression which causes me to tilt my head to the side with confusion. "What?"

Drakalian hesitates before shaking his head and raising an eyebrow at me, a small smirk on his muzzle. "Didn't know being a princess of a country allows you to get away with such a...colorful language."

I blush as I realized what I just said, my eyes going wide as I look away. "W-We mean no disrespect, it just sort of slipped from our muzzle and-" I started to apologize, but of course he stops me with that smile of his and a pat to my shoulder.

"It's fine, really." he says. "Besides, I bet Celestia has said a lot worse before. Now, how about we head on in, before I freeze myself solid."

Nodding, I walk with him back inside his room, using my magic to close the door behind us. Drak goes around and starts lighting a few of the lights. I just watching him move around the room, my eyes locked on his form before I realize I was staring and quickly look away.

"Ok Luna, so before I start, can I ask why you wish to see them?" I hear him ask, turning to face him and seeing he was now sitting on the bed.

I walk up closer and sit down in front of him. "Tia and I have been with you for nearly the entire time of the Crusades, so we can most certainly tell you which marks are what." I tell him, getting a nod. He then starts to take his hoodie off, and as his shirt comes off, I can't help but to wander my eyes over his form. He was starting to look very much like his old self from before, the extra weight he had when we saw him at the hospital almost all gone now. I look over his lean stomach, his strong shoulders easily showing the well made muscles underneath-

I quickly shake my head as I realize I'm staring again. "I-If you don't mind, can you sit on the floor please."

Looking at his face, he gives me a curious look, but nods regardless, getting up and sitting on the floor, giving me a good couple of feet over him now as his head was now at my chest. I nod in thanks and clearing my throat, I look at his shoulder with the most recent injuries.

I frown as I see the scars he bore from the nasty serpent, my hoof automatically going up and resting on it. I feel him tense a bit before relaxing, and I start feeling the scars, the ragged lines and deep puncture wounds, nothing really new to me. I could feel my heart beating for him, my frown deepening as I keep sliding my hoof down a bit more, till I reached another mark on his stomach, a stab wound by the looks of it, about the same age as the basilisk marks.

"By the Spirits..." I start to say, when I feel a hand on my shoulder. Looking up again I see his eyes are still as kind and understanding as ever, and with a nod I focus on his left shoulder again. I lean in a bit as I focus more past this new scars, and start seeing the older ones.

The first one that I see, a cross of two slashes on his chest, my hoof resting and tracing lightly on those lines. "This one is from a training session with Tumult. You tripped when he went for a strike, and sadly he wasn't able to pull back fast enough. Thankfully it was a shallow cut, but still left a mark." I say out loud.

He says nothing and I just continue, my hoof soon reaching the next part of the marks, several long slices with jagged cuts right below his left pecs. "This one is doing a climb in the mountains. We got ambushed and one of them, a griffin I think, came from the sky and almost got Alexius, but you jumped in the way and his talons got you instead." I see him blink as I mention that name, giving me a curious look, but again he says nothing.

After that I moved around so I was behind him, and place my hoof on another puncture wound, this one having a deeper look as it rests on his shoulder blade. "This one is from an arrow, when we got ambushed again in a town. A little one was standing there, a young human girl I think. She was about to get shot when you covered her and took the hit instead."

The next mark is on his right shoulder, going down his forearm, a long puncture wound. "You were pushing against a barricade, holding it back to stop the enemy from overtaking a building. One of them got a sword or dagger through, stabbing you here. Couldn't use that arm for a week, but we managed to keep everycreature in the building alive. And your arm intact."

I continued on with this, my voice slowly getting a bit softer till it felt like I was just talking to myself. My hoof moves from one scar to the other, seeing the new skin and old as easy as day and night. Each one brought back a memory from the past, going through each of them one by one.

This one from a griffin's strike again, slicing at him as he blocked it with his forearm.

This one a sword slash finding his chest dead center, a warning blow from a unicorn.

Another stab wound, on the back of his hand as he was pushing the weapon away from another innocent.

The marks kept going, my words almost mumbles at this point, but Drak seemed to be following. Not once did he say anything, his eyes following me whenever he could. I could feel the intensity behind his gaze, but I didn't blush or stumble like I thought I would. I just kept on going, showing him each mark and explaining how he got it.

It takes a few minutes, almost ten, when I finally sigh, sitting down before him. I glance at his eyes and can already tell he has a question for me. However even while I knew the answer, I wasn't sure if I should give it to him.

I remain quiet as I look at the last mark, the largest one of them all. The one that seems to have nearly cleaved his left arm off. Slowly, I reach over and place my hoof on it, sliding it down to his stomach where it stopped. I remain quiet for a bit before, with a sigh, I speak up.

"Large battle axe. Minotaur made and used. The first blow that would have killed you. It happened before we met you, and before you joined the Crusaders of Harmony."

This causes him to blink as he wordlessly repeats what I just said before looking back at me. "Wait, but if this was before, then how-"

"During our first stop, you told us about it. It was a miracle that you lived at all during that, your arm would be nearly hanging from your body with such a blow." I simply replied.

The room fell into silence by then, and I did my best to not even look back at him, not wanting to finish this memory. When he told us, there was so much heartache, so much pain...I didn't want to bring that back to him.

At first I hear nothing, and I was worried I may have offended him in some way for not telling him, or that he did remember and is now grieving, but when I looked down at him, he just gives a sad smile as he nods. "It's fine, you've told me more than enough for now." He simply says, to which I let out a small sigh of relief.

"It was...it is something I wish to not put you through ever again." I tell him, at which he nods as he slowly stands up. Once up, he walks back to the bed and sits down, looking down at his body and all the marks I have shown him. He gently rubs his hand a bit before I stop him with a hoof, feeling his hand against it as I smile at him. "It doesn't matter how you ended with those marks though. In the end it was what you did that earned the trust you got from others."

He gives me a dubious look at that. "I'm not sure, if I got so many marks and battle scars, how did I do so good as to earn other's trust?" He asks.

I climb onto the bed and sit down with him, my wing wrapping around his shoulder as I get him to look at me. I can see the small blush on his cheeks, and it causes me to blush as well, however I don't pull away, not this time.

"Think, Drakalian. What is the one thing most of those marks have in common?" I ask him.

He pauses before responding with a chuckle. "That I suck at blocking or dodging?"

I give him a small swat on his shoulder, which just makes him laugh more. "No you idiot." I try to chastise him, though it was hard to do when I was giggling as well. "You could block and dodge all of those attacks with ease, and most of them were avoidable." He looks at me with confusion, and I finally say, "At the time of those marks, you were defending some pony from harm."

His eyes go a little wide as he looks down at them, and he remains silent and falls still. I look at him, head tilted as he remains like that for a minute, then two. After five minutes of nothing, I start to worry as I shake him a bit with my wing. "Drak? Drak."

He blinks as he shakes his head, looking up at me. "Sorry, I just...I just recalled something." I could feel myself holding my breath as I nod, waiting for him to continue. "That one mark with the arrow...the kid, she was in a pink dress, orange shoes. The town was being seized and was starting to fall apart, but we...we were holding. The archer was aimed at her head when he fired. I...I remember hearing you call my name." He pauses again, looking at my eyes.

I smile as I know where this is going. "Go on. What happened next."

"There was movement, and I...I don't know how, but I was somehow pushing her down, getting her out of the way. The arrow hit and I remember the pain behind it. Stung like a bitch." He chuckles as he says that before falling silent. "But when I looked at her, I saw...happiness. So much of it. Just glad to see someone to have saved her. To help her."

He falls silent as he looks down, eyes closed now as he tries to recall anything else. "I think we pushed them back, stopped the rest of them from invading and got the town folks to safety." He blinks as he looks up at me. "They said we were heroes."

Still smiling, I can't help but to nod. "Yes, that little girl was the town leader's daughter. The place was getting overrun with both Chaos and Order factions, and we went in and stopped them. We saved a-all of them." I tell him. I was hoping he doesn't get the crack in my voice, cause in reality we saved most, not all.

Even our brightest moments had a silver lining to them, but I didn't want to bring that up with Drak. Not yet, not now.

He smiles as he nods. "Yes...we did." He says, and I can see a tear slowly leaving his eye. Reaching over with a hoof, I gently rub the tear away, causing him to blush as he turns around. "S-sorry, I didn't...I don't-"

"Shh, it's fine Drak." I tell him. We remain quiet, my wing around his back as my hoof rests on his chest, rubbing small, soothing circles to help him stay relaxed. It takes a while, but soon he starts to lean in to my embrace which, while does make me blush, I still am able to keep my composure.

We stay like that for a few more minutes as he rests from his recent new memory, and I start to slowly hum a tune. It wasn't much, but it is my favorite, the same one Celestia would sing to me whenever we were little, and even after the war when I kept getting those nightmares. I kept him close as we held each other, and soon I heard the telltale sounds of light breathing, indicating that he has fallen asleep.

I sigh, satisfied as I gently uncurl off of him, lightly placing him on the bed before pulling the blankets over him. Once he was settled and tucked in, I smile down at him, looking at his resting form. Slowly I lean in and nuzzle his cheek. "Sleep well Drakalian." I say, then give him a gentle peck on the check.

My eyes go wide as I pull back sharply, realizing what I just did, but when I look at him again, he is still asleep, his eyes locked closed, and a small smile on his face. Even so, the blush on my cheeks was intense as I slowly take a few steps back before walking to the door.

Once just outside, I look back in to make sure he is still sleeping, and seeing that he is, I turn the lights off before closing the door behind me. Sighing, I start to walk down the hallway to my own rooms, feeling more relaxed than I ever did in the past month.

Perhaps I do have that crush still, but at the moment it doesn't matter, cause I know that as long as he is here, I can still be there to help him in this new life.

Chapter 26: Studies of the Mind

(Drakalian POV)

It has been a few days since I came into Canterlot, and besides a few incidents, it was a rather nice and enjoyable time.

Some of my time was spent in the castle, walking around and just exploring the place as I took in the sights. I would cause a small start with a guard or maid, but they were quick to cover it up as the latter smiles and greets me, while the former just gives a nod before walking along.

Of course the rest of the time was spent with Luna, mostly just talking and hanging out with her. She seemed to be very happy whenever I saw her walking down the halls, and was more than eager to stop and chat. Celestia was happy to chat as well at times, but she was so busy during the days that she rarely had time to stay for long. In any case the dark Alicorn kept me a bit busy with her time, talking and telling tales of the past. It was a very delightful experience, and one that I was glad to be a part of. Most days I would either be talking with her as we walk down the hallways, or when we are in her room as she tells me things she did after their time in the war when they were both princesses.

In fact, it was during one of those moments when I was summoned to the throne room by Celestia.

I do my best to recover from my laughing fit. "Y-You did what?!" I said, chuckling.

Luna wasn't in a much better state herself. "W-We thought she was...heh...was starting to be too uptight with the n-nobles, so we...*snort*...we placed a whoopee cushion on her throne during a rather important meeting." She laughs out, holding her stomach with her hooves. This just makes me laugh even harder as I roll onto the floor, the mare quick to follow suit.

We stay there on the ground, laughing for what seems like forever as we try to calm ourselves down, with little success. Finally, the laughter eases up as he let out a few giggles and chuckles before sighing. looking at her, I can see her mane sprawled around her head, giving her a rather lazy look, though not unattractive. Seeing her glance at me, I quickly look away with a sheepish look on my face.

"I doubt she was happy after that." I say, hoping to shake my stupid anxiety away.

"Oh verily. It was at this point she retaliated by replacing all the bananas in the castle with those fake pop out worms in a jar." She says, causing us to laugh some more before wincing in slight pain.

She sighs as she continues. "That's how our small prank war started, lasting for nearly four moons."

"How did it stop?"

She shrugs. "Honestly, we just called a truce after a rather...heavy prank involving hot glue and pie that got some of the staff involved...more than we care to admit." She says, blushing at the memory. Before I could ask she just continues. "Still, perhaps one day I will place that whoopee cushion back on her throne, just to see if she will remember it."

I nod. "Perhaps, though as long as you don't involve me." I add. "I would rather not be involved in such an ordeal, even if it is rather hilarious."

"Party pooper." She kids, sticking her tongue out at me. I just smile and reach over to ruffle her mane, to which she retaliates with lightly hitting my chest with a hoof. Grinning, I start to tickle her neck, causing her to laugh before she does the same in kind with her magic.

We end up tickling each other so much that we start to wrestle each one to the ground, trying to pin the other. Sadly, or perhaps not as sad, she won, pinning me to the ground as my laughter died down, making me pant as we look at each other.

It was at this point that I realize the position we were in, with her straddling my hips as her hooves held my hands to my sides. Judging by the small blush on her cheeks, it seems she noticed it as well. We just stand there, motionless as we stare at each other, unsure what to do. As I go to open my mouth to speak, that is when we hear some pony knock on the door.

Before either of us can reply, it opens and a unicorn guard walks in. "Princess Luna, have you seen-" She starts to ask before stopping, her eyes wide at the sight before her.

None of us say anything, the silence so thick you could cut it with a knife. Finally, Luna was the first to react, jumping clear off of me and standing on her hooves as I move a second later, standing up straight as we both turn to face the guard.

"G-Goldmane! W-What does thy need with us?!" Luna stutters, her cheeks even brighter red than before.

Goldmane takes a few moments as she stares at us before slowly replying. "J-Just if you have seen the human anywhere...but it seems I don't need to ask." She replies. Silence falls for another few seconds before she adds, "If now's a bad time, I can come back some-"

"No!" We both shout, only to stop and stare at each other. Almost at once we turn and face the guard pony, speaking at the same time.

"I was just having a talk with the princess as she told me her stories of her time here. We just had a rather funny moment and then she kind of fell on top of me, but it was by accident!"

"We wast explaining to him about some of the things yond we doth h're and then the situation wenteth out of hoof and we may has't gotten carried hence a did bite but not in yond s'rt of way!"

The unicorn mare just stares at us for a few moments, seeming to be unable to respond at all to what she heard. After what felt like an eternity, she clears her throat. "Ahem, in any case, Celestia has requested for Drakalian to meet her in the library."

We stand still as Luna and I glance at each other before looking at the guard. "She asked me? Why?" I asked.

"She said that the mind mage is ready to try and delve your memories."

At this both of us give a small start, the embarrassment vanishing at that moment. I looked over at Luna and she looked back at me with a much more serious expression. It seems the time has come now, rather quick to my surprise. After a few more moments of silence, I turn back to the guard and give her a nod. "Oh, um thanks then." I tell her.

She nods and then moves to the side to let me pass. Turning to face Luna, she gives me a nod as she looks back at me. "Go, I will be here when you return. I have a few things that need attending to anyways." She tells me.

I give a nod and, with one last parting words to each other, I left her chambers, Golden closing the door behind us before she starts leading us through the halls.

We were both quiet during our walk there, which wasn't much of a surprise to me, seeing how the guards are normally a stoic bunch. However what surprised me was when Golden turned to glance at my direction before speaking up. "So, you're the human that everypony has been talking about?" She asks.

I can't help but to raise an eyebrow at this comment. "Unless you know of any other humans here." I say.

Realizing her blunder, she quickly catches herself. "Sorry I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that I've never seen a human before, only read about them in our mythology classes." She explains. I give a small nod at this, still not totally used to the fact that most ponies thought of me as more of a myth than reality. "So why ask for the mind mage? Nopony really asks for him unless it's something serious."

"It's to help with my amnesia. I want to see if I can somehow find a way to return my lost memories." I explain.

She nods as she turns to face ahead again. "Ah, so it is true that you used to be friends with the Princesses. Explains why you seemed so friendly with Luna just now." She adds.

This causes me to blush a bit harder as I try to think of something to come up, but again all I could do was say what I already said before so instead I just fell silent, the mare giving a single glance back my way, a small smirk on her muzzle before turning to face forward. "Don't worry, I'm not one to spread rumors."

I give a small sigh of relief as I hear this before we both fall quiet. We continued to walk in silence, my embarrassment for what happened before fading away to be replaced with curiosity and a bit of anxiety for what will happen next. Sure I was worried about what might happen during the testing, but at the same time I just had to know. What did I do during my time in the past? Was I a different person than I am now? Celestia said it was a time of conflict, was I a warrior who got into trouble? Or perhaps a prisoner who was tried for something...unthinkable. These and more questions continued to run around my head for a good few minutes before I was mentally shaken away when Golden stopped walking. "Here we are."

I look around us for a moment and noticed we are indeed here. Having been here only a couple of times, I was still unsure what to expect, but looking back at the guard, she gives a simple shrug as if reading my mind. I give her a nod of thanks before opening the door. As soon as I stepped inside, the door nearly slammed shut behind me, leaving me seemingly alone in the room as I looked around the large shelves of books upon books.

After a bit of looking around I finally called out. "Celestia? You're here?"

"Drak!" I hear her voice echo through the room. "Come to the back please!" With a nod I head towards the back of the room, and soon I reached the spot, a few chairs pulled up along with a couch and table. I've been to this same spot before when I was at the library, it was a very nice spot that helped me to relax as I enjoyed the few books I did give a try here, most of them about their world of course. I still want to learn as much as I can about this place.

In one of the seats was the Princess herself, her radiant smile gleaming at me as she motions me over to the couch, the other chair holding a rather old looking unicorn, his black coat contrasting greatly to his yellow blue mane and tail colors, which were all in a clean cut style, giving him a rather military look even with his circle shaped glasses.

Looking at them both and seeing no reaction from the other pony, I just nod as I take a seat on the couch. As soon as I was sitting down the pony glances up from his book he was reading, placing to the side, shutting it close silently. "Good day Mr Drakalian. Celestia has told me much about you." He says, adjusting his glasses as he looks me over with a critical look.

I just give a small shrug as I lean back slightly, the intensity of his stare rather strong. "I wish I can say the same about you but she hasn't even told me your name."

At this the stallion pauses his inspection as he looks over at the princess who just gives her normal smile. "I assumed it would be better if you both introduced yourself when you meet." She explains.

The mind mage gives a small shake of his head. "If you say so, but I believe we will need to talk about manners again." He says before turning to face me again, the princess just giving a silent giggle at his comments. It seems these two know each other well, from what I can tell at least. "My name is Cerebral Magnus, but please call me Mag."

I tilt my head to the side. "Wouldn't it be better to call you Cere-"

"No!" He says before catching himself, clearing his through as he continues at a calmer tone. "I mean no please. That's the name of a young mare who spends her time 'hunting' monsters, not a brilliant mage of the mind." He tells me.

"He gets a bit annoyed when ponies bring that up how much of their names are so alike." The Princess adds, getting a huff from the older stallion.

I just look at them both, very much confused as to what they were talking about before giving a small nod. "Um, ok then. So...Mag. How does this whole thing work?" I ask.

He again adjusts his glasses as he leans back, looking at me with a rather serious look, at least more serious than before. "I'm simply extracting a part of my magic and pushing it into your temporal lobe or more exact your Hippocampus and using that as an anchor to-" He starts to say before a glance from Celestia causes him to clear his throat. "In a simple way, I'm diving into your memory banks by using my magic as a sort of drill. Think of memories as a museum. It holds all of our time spent in this life and we can walk through and look at each moment that has happened in our life. Sometimes the paintings or statues go into disarray, and perhaps even fall apart or get lost, resulting in memory reduction and memory lose. I can go into the mind and fix the statues, put the paintings back together, or even recover lost art. Doing such things can cause you to recall certain memories, or even remember details of a memory that you have previously forgotten." He explains.

I nod slowly, able to keep up. "Ok, Twilight said she couldn't find anything inside of my mind, even after a few breakthroughs, she kept hitting what she called a wall. Even Luna said she was unable to see my dreams besides an inky darkness." I say, remembering when Luna told me about how she first found me in Equestria.

This causes Mag to give a small chuckle. "Ah yes, Twilight is a grand student of magic, but mind magic is another thing altogether. It takes years, sometimes decades of study to even do the simplest things with the mind without damaging it. While I'm sure she could easily figure it out in a few years, I sincerely doubt that she could have done anything more than what she has already done, no offense to her abilities of course." He says. "And the same goes for Luna, though her abilities lean more towards dreams than actual memories, and that is a whole different topic altogether. And if what you said is correct, with Twilight hitting this wall, then it would require some pony with a much stronger set of skills in this than just someone who just started." He says. At this he uses his magic to lift another book as he glances through it, still looking at me every so often. "So, as you said, this wall is just that, a wall that is not only blocking you from recalling certain memories, but also preventing others to find them. Such magic isn't impossible, and we even do block certain memories from ponies with a rather bad experience, but to do it on such a grand scale where everything about a pony is forgotten besides the essentials, such as name, gender, basic living skills and so on...THAT requires a lot more control. It's easy to just cause someone to have complete amnesia, but to give them selective amnesia, and at such a high state of it too means that whoever put this one you..." He pauses as he places the book down, a somber look on his face.

I blink as I look at him. "It means what Doctor?" I ask, feeling a bit worried now.

This time it was Celestia who finished. "It means someone who knows you personally did this to you. Someone who doesn't want you to remember anything about what happened."

I fall silent as I take in this information, looking down at my hands that were on my lap. Knowing that someone, possibly someone that I knew, locked my memory up inside of me, making me forget everything that is about me...it was rather frightening. Thankfully, before I could delve any deeper into such thinking, Mag clears his throat to get my attention. "No matter, if it can be blocked, then it can be unblocked. All I need is time and I can unlock everything, though the harder the enchantment the longer the time I'll need." He says. Standing up, he takes a few steps towards me as his horn starts to light up. "So, if there are no more questions, do you wish to begin?"

I fall silent as I think this over, unsure as to what I should say next. However, a quick glance at the princess and her comforting smile slowly relaxes me, and looking back at Mag, I give him a small, curt nod. "Ok, I'm ready."

"Great, now please lay down on your back and close your eyes." He says. Nodding, I do as he asks me, laying on the couch, my feet dangling over the side from the size of it. Once on my back, I take one last look at the two ponies before me before I close my eyes. "Now, you may feel a small pinch..."

Immediately, I feel a light poke right at the center of my head, but as soon as I noticed it, the feeling was gone, replaced with a soothing sensation, almost like numbing as I assumed his magic entered my mind. A few seconds go by before I hear Mag speak up again. "Oh, that is interesting."

"What is it?" Celestia asks, the curiosity in her voice obvious.

"You said that it was some kind of wall, most likely from a single large enchantment, and yet I can feel two different magic in your mind." I nearly open my eyes at this comment, but just as my body tenses, he continues. "Nothing wrong, just unusual. Normally it would mean many different enchantments to cover the entire thing, but it does seem to be one massive enchantment, or spell shield. The other one is...is barely noticeable, I can't even be certain if it is a spell to block the mind or not." He says. Silence once again falls over the room for a minute before he speaks up once more. "Ah, Twilight certainly is a gifted unicorn. I can see where she managed to break through the barrier. Impressive how she used a Onipo style instead of the traditional Triom, but very sloppy at covering it. The way she tried to patch it up it could have caused a brain aneurysm or worse."

"Um...that's a bad thing, yes?" I asked, though I could already tell just from the small giggles from Celestia that it couldn't have been that bad...right?

It seems I wasn't the only one to hear her laughter as Mag responses, "Oh yes, very funny your prized student almost turned him into a veritable vegetable, so funny indeed." The words that came out sounded a bit sarcastic, but at the same time the underlining warning was there, causing her to quiet down rather quickly. "Anyways, it seems she got lucky and managed to keep your mind in one piece, so I won't talk about it too much...for now."

We all fall silent at this, and I swear I can hear a pen or pencil, or some other writing utensil being used, but by who I couldn't say. The minutes slowly start to tick by, and just when I was about to ask what was happening, Mag speaks up again. "Ok, I stabilized the hole that she made, so no more worry for becoming brain dead, but it does mean my limit to your mind is...well, limited for the time being. I can enter through the same spot that she found and explore through there, but it may feel a bit disorienting, cause it may jump from place to place. From what I can see, it seems these memories that she found are all related to a certain mare...a pegasus by the looks of it...Aris?"

"Aryas, and you can see who it is?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course. Cause of the amateur patch up she did, one of your memories did seem to slip on through with no protection." There is a pause. "Tell me, did he lose consciousness anytime in the past week or two?"

"I believe my student did say something about him and a few friends testing something about his eyes when it sounded like something triggered for him to get knocked out." Celestia acknowledges.

"Ah, then that is what happened. Cause of the patchwork, it allowed some of the memories to slip out thanks to outer interference, some may call it environmental stimuli, and cause it wasn't guarded or set properly, it caused you to have a lapse in consciousness, making you recall the memory as if in a dream." I give a slow nod, mostly cause I was too nervous to speak now, and cause I was also too nervous to move much in case it disturbs his concentration. "Now I can fix that later, but for now let us see if we can get to the closest part of those memories. I shall do this as best I can to keep it in order, but I make no promises. Are you ready?"

I hesitate as I hear this, finally opening my eyes slowly as I look over at the two. Mag was standing over me, his head lowered over mine as his horn glows a bright blue, slowly shining from his horn to my head in a small, smooth wave. Celestia looked about the same as before, but just a quick glance at her eyes showed that she is equal parts curious and nervous. Taking a deep breath, I just look up at the mind mage and give one last nod before closing my eyes.

"Very well, then in...we...go."

Suddenly, I feel the darkness more than I see it, and before I can say anything, I was falling, down...down...down...

Author's Note

So...hi! Yes I know this is a damn long time coming. I will say that my interest in writing this did wane a bit...a whole lot bit. Things happened. I moved out from my old place back to my older place (meaning I moved in with mom). I got a new job and even had a gf for a bit before splitting up. And then the more recent things was losing a couple of our dogs to cancer. So yea, lots of life shit going on. I guess the latest news made me realize that I need to get to doing some of the old stuff that I used to do. In any case, this is my attempt at getting back into the game of writing. Hopefully there are people out there who are still with me. But enough pity! Just give me the input of what you think, and if a ya or na, I shall most certainly continue! I mean...I was gonna continue anyways, but I'll do it fast...faster...ish...not as slow! Also, I was gonna make this and the next chapter a full chapter, but gonna split it cause I thought why not. Also cause I don't want to make it too damn long as some of you know I tend to drag things on, such as this author's note. ANYWAYS! Stay safe, stay indoors, and hug ponies.

Chapter 27: Old Love

I blinked as I woke up from what appeared to be a very long nap, even giving a yawn as I stood up. Blinking, I realized I was never laying down in the first place and...and why can't I see myself? Why does my own thoughts sound like an echo? Why-

"Welcome to your mind." I blink as I turn to face the source of the sound, which happens to be Cerebrial Magnus. He was just floating there in what seemed to be a void. In fact I couldn't even call it darkness, it was just...nothing. A whole lot of it. The unicorn glances around a bit before looking back at me. "Indeed, it does seem rather empty here, though I doubt it's cause of your lack of intelligence." He says. Wait, how is he reading my mind? "We are in your mind, so anything you are currently thinking I can hear it, along with your other thoughts and memories. It is why we are here in the first place." He sighs as he shakes his head before rubbing his chin with a hoof. "Perhaps it may be a little bit of a dimming problem..."

I feel myself raise an eyebrow at this, but he just shakes his head. "Anyways, I have brought us right into your mind, or more accurately, the frontal cortex, where we can view these memories. It will feel a bit strange, a bit like an outer body experience, but just know that it is all in your head, rather literally, so nothing here can hurt you. Physically wise that is."

What does he mean by that? I mean it does make sense but- "Now, if you are ready, let us see what we have here first." Before I can even 'say' anything else, his horn lights up and a giant hole suddenly appears right above us. Slowly it glows a bright white, almost like a lightbulb was shining through, or even the sun. It starts to expand, or are we getting closer...

Blinking my eyes, we are suddenly in the middle of a field, a large forest behind us. I look around and realize I can see my body again, but it is right in front of me. In fact, it was moving on its own, almost as if someone else was controlling it. Not only that, but walking right next to me was a pegasus...no, it was Aryas, her wings in a much better shape then the last time I saw her in the other memory.

"Are you sure they will be ok with this?" I blink as I hear my own voice and yet I said nothing myself. It was the me in front of me that said it to the unicorn.

She nods in response as she glances over at me. "Yes, for the umpteenth time! Geez Drak, you really need to relax." She said, giving me a chuckle and a light hip bump.

Me, or rather my other me, just chuckles as he, or I rub the back of his or my head. "I know, but...you know I don't have much of a choice now, especially with the fact that my own house is now gone thanks to the chaos troopers who found us."

She sighs at me/him before looking up at him/me. "I know, and I said I'm sorry about it and that I promised to find you a new place. You may have to do a bit of work, but I swear that my troop will be more than willing for you to stay with them for a time being, especially since you saved my life." She said to-

I can't help but to shake my head, or at least feel like I shook it since I can't see myself and only my memory self. Mag was right, this was very disorienting. Slowly, I started to focus more on myself before me as I just allowed me to float along, following the scene as it unfolded. If I can just focus on them...

I sighed as I grip my staff a bit more, looking down at her. "Still, the whole thing of losing my house, after all the work I put into it..."

"What do I have to do to make you forget about that silly place? I mean what is there even to be sad about, it was really a rather bleh house to be all honest. Not sure I would have called it a house." She replied back.

"Hey, it may have been a bit of a shack, but it was still my home."

Aryas shook her head at this. "Perhaps, but you really shouldn't get too attached to things. The only thing you should get close to are living beings...and your weapons." She said, motioning to her spear she was carrying on her back. "And even with living beings, you need to be careful with who you trust."

Silence falls upon us for a bit before I let out a small sigh. "Yea, I know. It's just that...it's all so sudden to me, after all I've already been through, I was just hoping for some peace and quiet. But now..."

"But now you were found, and once found there will always be people and ponies who will always be able to find you." She finished. She takes a few quick steps forward before turning to face me, looking up at me with a serious expression. "I know it must be hard, but if you tried to go on your own now, those chaos troops will just find you and do Array's knows what and I..." She fell silent, unable to finish her words but her eyes said it all.

I frown as I looked at her, and slowly I kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know, and honestly, I guessed that would have happened sooner or later. I'm just glad that you were the first one to find me." I smiled at her and she smiled back, leaning up and giving my cheek a small nuzzle.

"Of course you are, a lonely human male all alone finding a pretty mare like me." She said, batting her eyelashes rather obviously. This caused me to laugh as she returned the chuckle, giving me one last nuzzle before we continued on our way. "Now, you tell any pony about how mushy I was with you, I will-"

"A bit late on that soldier." We froze as we heard that voice suddenly come from ahead of us. Looking forward, we stop in our tracks as, somehow, several soldiers, both human and pony alike appeared before us.

They were all in some sort of white uniform, with yellow-gold trimmings on one of them, the pony who spoke up also having a few badges on his chest. They were all equipped with long short swords, all of them the same from the other, the leader, or who I assumed to be the one in charge, having a handle that is made of bright gold. He stares at us for a good while as the other troops remain silent, but soon he breaks into a rather large smile. "So, the Lightning does have a soft spot for humans."

Aryas groans as she nearly glared at what I assumed to be the one in charge. "Quiet there Dux, or I may give you another black eye." She warned him.

The earth pony captain, who I assumed is Dux, just shook his head. "You know, if I was any other captain in Arrays' army, I would have you court martial a long time ago." He tells her. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, but after only a minute of silence they both break it with laughter, coming towards each other and giving a hug of greeting.

"It's great to see you Captain." She said as she pulled back.

Dux just gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I got promoted since you last saw me. Remember Trax?"

She nodded. "You mean the lieutenant?"

"Not anymore. He got promoted to commander and was brought back to the main city. You are looking at the new lieutenant now in charge of this unit!" He said rather proudly. This caused Aryas to smile in response as she gave him another hug.

"Congratulations!" She said. He was about to open his mouth to continue talking when she stopped him. "Actually, this kind of works for me, since I was going to ask him for a favor, but now I can ask you."

He raised an eyebrow, and this time he finally acknowledges me as he looks at me. "Does it involve the human hermit here?" He asked.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that." I groan, getting a chuckle from a few of the other humans there.

Dux smirks. "No offense, but you don't exactly look all that clean. I bet even the humans here can smell you."

One of said humans nods. "You really do smell bad, like ripe toes."

This caused another wave of small laughter from the group, Aryas can't help but to chuckle a little as well, but she soon shushes them with a wave of her hoof. "Well, he is a hermit no longer. He has come to join us." She said.

This caused me to give a surprise start. "What? But I didn't agree-" She quickly shushed me as we looked back at Dux, who was looking at me with a more interested look.

He slowly walked up to me, looking me over, examining me as he started walking around me. I remained still, a bit unsure as to what he was trying to find. After what felt like forever, he stops in front of me before suddenly rearing on his hind legs as he throws a kick at my face!

Instinctually, I parry the blow with my staff, deflecting it to the side before swinging my weapon upwards to get the bottom part of the staff to slam into his exposed belly, but the pony just dodges to the side as he aims another kick at my head, to which I also deflect. I'm about to swing my staff around to aim for his head, but that is when he goes back on all fours and swings his rear legs around, catching my legs and sweeping me off of my feet. I land on my back with a grunt and try to get back up, only to find a sword suddenly aimed at my neck. I look up the blade and right at Dux as he stares coldly in my eyes, my own eyes shocked to see such a bare expression. Not only that but the emotions coming from him...it was nearly none existing, just cold, hard logic.

Before I can say anything, he pulled his sword back and sheathed is, giving me a small smile as his cold expression vanished. "Not bad, but you really need to focus on your lower portion, otherwise you have a good defense. Most likely not used to dealing with a pony, or at the very least not with a pony who know's how to fight on two legs, so that will need to be fixed." He offered his hoof to me, to which I take after some hesitation, getting back on my feet as I stretch my back.

"Ok, ouch. And second, I've been practicing with Aryas, so-" I started to explain to him before he stopped me.

"She may be a good fighter, even a great one, but she also hasn't learned everything yet. There is plenty that she doesn't know about and even I don't know. But if you want to fight with us, then you will have to learn how to deal with all kinds of enemies, including ponies who do know how to fight humans and other bipedal beings." I fall silent as he said this, and as I looked over at Aryas, I could see the small glare she was giving to Dux, but quickly returned to look at me with a comforting smile and an encouraging nod. Dux tapped my shoulder to get me to look back at him as he continued. "Listen, you are good, even better than most recruits that I have seen, but we all have more that we need to learn. I can see great potential in you, and I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve if your weapons of choice are those. If you don't wish to join, I'll give you some money and such and send you to the closest friendly town to try and get your life back together. However, if you do join us, you will have to forget about whatever hermit ways you were trying to do." Again I open my mouth and again he shushed me. "We are at war, there is no room for mercy and hesitation. I don't know what rules you live by, but I do know that if someone wishes to live by themselves as a hermit, they most likely have a hard time not only living with others, but also taking a life, so I'm going to tell you this. If in the heat of the fight, when you are being counted on to protect your fellow soldier or an innocent and the only option is to stop the enemy dead, you will need to kill. If you can do it just by knocking them out, then fine, but if it comes down to it, better them dead than you cause they won't show you the same mercy." Once again I noticed the cold returning to his eyes, but this time with determination, a show that, no matter what it takes, he was going to finish whatever he has promised to set out to do.

I look back at the group, seeing all the humans that were there as well as the ponies. They all seemed calm with what was just said, none of them having moved a single muscle, but at the same time I could see a bit of hope from them, waiting for my answer. Perhaps they are just as eager for me to join as Aryas, and some of them even smiled at me a bit, the hope in their eyes telling me that they indeed would like me to join them.

Not seeing a single bit of dislike or even a hint of disdain for being offered to join them so easily from the other troops, I look back at Dux and gave a small nod. "Ok, but if I fight, I fight my way, with as minimum killing as possible."

Dux shrugged at this. "So long as you don't hinder or cause an issue with anyone here, then that shall be fine. Remember, the right way isn't always the direct way, so long as you protect those who need it, then you will do well." He fell silent for a few moments before he broke into a huge grin. "Besides, the more you capture alive means the more prisoners we get to learn about their secrets."

Aryas groans as she finally butted in, wing wrapped around my back as she nudges Dux aside. "Ok, enough with whatever you call humor, let's go back to camp and celebrate! I desperately need a drink!" She stated.

The earth pony looked at her with surprise. "A drink? You mean..."

She nodded. "I know, out of all the hermits I found, I find the one who hates alcohol."

He just looks stunned, a few of the other troops behind him laughing, while one of them, a dark human, shook his head and facepalmed. "I didn't think that was possible to find a hermit who hates drinking." He said to himself, though loud enough for everyone else to hear it.

"Then that does it! Once we get back, we are throwing a party to welcome our newest recruit!" Dux said, getting a cheer from everyone around us. I remained silent, giving my hood a small tug to keep it a bit lower and to keep me a bit calmer.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna regret this?" I asked myself.

Sadly, Aryas heard me as she just grinned. "Cause you are gonna get so wasted and it is going to be hilarious." She answered. I groan as I let her lead me with the rest of the troop, following them down the road and to their encampment.

Suddenly it shifts and I blink my eyes as I'm now staring at a ruined town, small fires lighting the night sky around me. Not only that but I was floating above it, like I was flying. Wasn't I just in an open area, and I don't remember seeing any houses nearby, let alone a ruined town. And how am I flying and why-

"I told you this will be a bit disorienting for a while." I turn and look at Mag, seeing him once again floating nearby. He is looking down at the sight as well, his eyes on two figures who seem to be looking around the debris of broken houses and homes. It takes me a second to see that it's once again me and Aryas, rummaging around some broken buildings looking for something, but as to what I had no idea.

"Where...where are we now?" I asked the mind mage, looking back over at him.

He stays silent for a few moments before responding. "From what I can see, this is well after the meeting with Dux, perhaps a few months later judging by the distance of this memory from the last one." I had no idea how he can tell that just from looking at this memory. "It's not hard, I just measured the Tuon string and...right, don't want to hurt your head. I'll just say I made an estimate thanks to the space in your mind between this memory to the last one."

I feel myself rubbing my head to soothe the pain that was indeed nearly forming from trying to listen to him, but soon I hear myself...my PAST self, talking once again. I lean in closer, slowly focusing...

"Are you sure there are any survivors around here? This place seems to be a complete wreck." I told the mare, lifting up a stone slab and tossing it to the side as I continued looking the place for any possible survivors.

She nodded her head. "Of course! Chaos minions may not be predictable in most senses, but one thing that we can predict of them is how unpredictable they are and as such they will always leave somepony alive." She said. She then glanced at my confused face as she waved it off. "Don't think about it too much"

I just remained silent as I shrug in return, going back to searching for survivors. Again we fall silent, focused on picking through the remains of the building we were in. After another few minutes of searching I was about to speak up when we heard a voice.

We both perked up quickly at the sound, which sounded like a low moan of pain. Aryas was quicker to react to it, quickly looking around as she called out, "Hello?! Can you hear us?!"

There was silence for a few seconds and I was about to think it was our imagination when we heard it again, along with some words. I turn to face her at this. "I think it said help." I told her.

She doesn't mention anything to me and instead quickly takes off, already going towards the source of the voice. As I quickly moved to catch up, I end up stumbling and falling onto the ground, thankfully catching myself before I did fall on my face. However, during that time the pegasus was already out of sight behind some ruined walls. Just as I get up and reach the broken mortar, I hear her scream.

Eyes wide, I turn the corner and come face to face with a rather skinny griffin, wearing rather ragged clothing, most likely some sort of chaos trooper, though she must have been here for a while. Her claws extended out as they slash at Aryas. The hit lands as she falls back, hoof on her face where it hit her. My eyes wide in shock as I stood there, just a few feet away as the chaos trooper quickly lands on top of her, already getting ready to land the second blow, this time aiming for her throat-

The next thing I knew, there was a "THUNK" as something heavy lands into her upper side, making the griffin fall over and crumple to the ground. I waste no time in rushing over to Aryas and kneeling down on her, grabbing her head to better look at her wound. "What's the damage? Where did he get you? Does it hurt too much? Should I-"

"Drak stop!" She shouts, causing me to fall silent. She is panting as she gently pulls herself out of my grasp, but otherwise doesn't move away. She inspects herself for a few moments before she adds, "I...I-I'm fine. She just caught me by surprise is all." She looks over at the trooper and gives a small spit towards her direction. "Must have been a straggler from the fight, probably hoping to find some stragglers of her own or even Order soldiers like us to catch off guard." She then turns to face me with a some awe in her eyes. "I didn't know you could throw those."

I blink as I look up at her in confusion. "Throw what?"

"Those trident things. Sais I think?" Seeing the blank expression on my face she adds, "You threw your sai right at her. The point slid right into her side. Think you nicked her heart with it."

My eyes go wide as I realize this, and quickly dash to the trooper. Kneeling before her, I see that my sai is indeed in her chest, all three points inside of her. Blood was bubbling from her beak as she gives a small twitch. I gently reach down and hold her head, trying to find a way to save her.

Slowly her eyes glaze over as they look at me, and then before I can do anything else, they are blank, her chest not moving, not a single muscle reacting to my touch.

I just...I just killed someone.

My heart pounds in my chest as I shakily drop the dead body back to the ground, slowly getting up as I stagger back, my mouth open in shock. I...I never...but I...

"Drak?" I turn and see Aryas, worry in her eyes now. It seems she realized what was just happening, slowly she approaches me as I stand there, shaking. "Drak, it had to be done, I know this must be tough right now but-"

"Get away!" I shouted. At that moment, I could feel something snap inside of me, and before I could even think about doing anything else, I turned and ran. Long and hard I ran, the ruins of buildings blowing past me. I could hear Aryas following behind me, no doubt easily keeping up with me as I ran. However slowly she became more distant, more quiet before her voice vanished all together.

As my past self kept on running, I had to take a moment to pause, shaking my head as I took all those sudden waves of new emotions. Trama, anxiety, sadness, despair...and hate. So much hate to myself. As I slowly relaxed myself, I realized that the memory had seemed to stop, everything frozen in time. What just-

"The memory paused cause you needed a moment." I hear Mag say,. I turn to face him as he continues. "Nothing unusual, not to worry. It's like any other memory. You can pause it like a movie and have it play again later. I'm guessing that the emotions of what just happened must have overwhelmed you, yes?" How did he- "I'm in your mind remember, I can hear your thoughts, and that includes everything you are feeling at the moment. The feelings that went on when you killed that griffin...I'm assuming, along with the way you reacted, this was your first kill."

I shake my head as I force myself to speak over just thinking it, to make the conversation feel a bit more normal. "What do you mean? You've seen this before?"

He nods. "Indeed. We may be in a peaceful time, but there are still a few who have their own issues. Majority of them end up regretting what they do, and I go into their minds to either help them live with the memory of it, or to remove it altogether. And while rare, it does sometimes involve the memories of some pony...killing another being." He falls silent for a few moments before he continues. "I'm guessing that, cause of this, your mind from what I can tell went into shock, unable to handle the fact that you ended somepony's life so easily. Understandable, since it is a very hard thing to handle."

Again silence falls over us, my mind still unsure what to make of all of this. Did I just go insane after that? Maybe I- "You won't know what happens till you let the memory finish itself." I blink as I look back at myself, and at this point, my past slowly goes back...I sink in...

I'm panting as I finally come to a stop, landing on my knees as I gasp for air. I have no idea how long I was running, or how hard I was running for, but now I felt exhausted and just empty, both emotionally and physically.

Silence is all I hear, along with the crackle of some flames nearby or the chirping of crickets. I assumed I was going to be left like that forever when I hear a familiar voice once again, softly saying my name behind me. I don't bother looking up as Aryas walks closer and sits next to me. Gently I feel a wing get placed around me as she pulls me in, my body not bothering to resist her. I sigh as I lay my head against her shoulder, and slowly I start to tear up. I stay silent during this now, letting her just hold me as I wrap my arms around her in return, hugging her close.

The minutes slowly tick by, feeling like hours were washing over us as I just sat there, holding her close. After what felt like forever once more, the pegasus finally speaks up. "You did what you had to do."

I give a small sniffle before finally responding. "It...it doesn't feel right though. I...I could have-"

She squeezes me a bit with her wing making me stop. "You did nothing wrong! This is war, and she was the enemy. Yes it really sucks having to end a life like that, but if you didn't do what you did, I would have been the one dead." I look up sharply at her in slight anger, but I pause as I lock eyes with her, seeing the cold, determined look behind her eyes. However, much more prominent was the look of care and worry for me. "It's never easy, taking another life. I remember when I made my first kill I couldn't sleep for a week. And it never gets easy as well, no matter how many times. The only thing that changes is how we deal with it." She gently places both hooves on my shoulders to keep me looking at her. "Even though this happened, it didn't change who you are. You are still a good person and someone who cares for everyone he loves. That won't change just cause you took a life."

Again silence falls on us, allowing me to absorb her information. Slowly I feel myself relaxing, calming down from the horrible moment that happened. After a while I finally find myself leaning in closer and resting my head against her shoulder, just hugging her close as she returns it happily. She nuzzles my cheek for comfort as I slowly let the tears fall silently, the water sliding down my cheeks and staining her shoulder a bit.

Once again we remain like that for a few minutes, neither of us moving an inch. After a while I finally calm down enough to pull back a bit, looking at her with thanks. "How...how do you know what to say?" I ask.

She gives a small, sad smile at this. "Just repeating the same words my own mentor told me really." She admits. "Also, in case you haven't noticed, all of us have been through the same thing. Some of us are more ready to accept this, but we all react in some way or another. It's never easy, but the alternative is much worse."

I nod, understanding what she means as I gently pull myself off of her. Slowly we both get up on our feet/hooves, my legs still feeling a bit wobbly. She notices this as she gently leans against me, allowing me to rest against her as she helps me walk. During this she reaches under her wing and pulls out my sai, holding it out in her mouth. Slowly, I take the weapon and look it over, finding it to be rather clean. "You...you cleaned it?"

She nods. "Figured you weren't in the right mind to take care of yourself or your weapons, so I did it for you this once. Of course you are gonna need to clean it yourself, this is just a one time thing!" She states. I give her a weak smile and nod, sheathing it back in my belt.

Slowly we walk back down the ruined roads, and during this I can feel things getting fuzzy. It's at this point that the memory slowly starts to fade, leaving us back into the void. Mag appears as he shakes his head. "Hmm, interesting." What is? "It seems the next memory is locked a bit less than the others, almost like..." Before he can finish, the light returns as it slowly fills the void, and once again I'm falling...

I yawn once again as I lean on the table that Arya and I were at, still very much bored with life. The pegasus herself is just sitting there, happily munching on some hay as she looks back at me. "You really need to relax more Drak. we are very much safe here." She teases me.

I roll my eyes as I look at her. "Funny Aryas. I just wish I was back at camp practicing my stances." I tell her. She giggles as she continues eating her food, my food having been done a while ago. "Care to tell me why we are here in the biggest city of the Order?" I ask for the fifteenth time.

She returns my look with an amused look of her own. "Because we have been out in the field for the better part of two years, and you have been with us for the last year. We aren't machines and we do need our rest, so that is why we are on leave here, relaxing and just recharging." She explains...for the fifteenth time.

Again I sigh and again I just lean back on the table, clearly not feeling relaxed at all. "Still, maybe I should have joined Dux-"

"All he is doing is most likely getting laid, getting wasted, and then if he gets unlucky, getting his ass kicked by the mare he just fucked." She says. "Sometimes all at once. Besides, if you were with him, then you wouldn't be able to join me~"

I can't help but to chuckle as I hear this, looking up at her rather beautiful eyes. Once again I feel my cheeks turning a bit red as I turn to look away from her. I couldn't help myself. For the last few months I had been slowly falling head over heels for the pegasus. Sure we saved each other's life over and over again, and we even got nicknamed the Thunder and Lightening, but that had nothing to do with how we had grown closer these past few months.

I have no idea how it happened, or when it even started. All I know is that somewhere along the line, as we continued to work together and fight battle after battle, I slowly started seeing Aryas more than just a friend and someone who I could be together with. These feelings were very much new to me as I had never felt such a thing before, so of course I was confused. It took me almost a month, as well as a lot of questioning from a few trusted others to figure out that I was falling for her, and ever since then I've been keeping it quiet. Now, I finally got tired of being on the sidelines and decided to ask her out.

I've been trying to muster up the courage to do that, and I had figured that our time in the capital might be as good a chance as any. Of course I'm so unused to relaxing that I felt rather out of it, like it wasn't even normal to relax so readily. During our time so far I made multiple attempts to ask her, but so far they either failed before I could even speak, or I just missed my chance cause of a random event that happened...like a stupid sundial salesman who nearly "flashed" us when we were walking by.

Now it was about a week into our leave and I still haven't been able to ask her properly. It was getting to the point where I was about to give up, but I kept on shaking that and steeling my resolve...I just wish it would always stay with me before it chickened out right at the finish line.

So deep was I in thought that I didn't even notice when she finished her meal, her hoof prodding at my shoulder. Looking up I see Aryas staring back at me with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, you ok Drak? You seemed less focused than usual." She asks.

I blink and quickly pull back, doing my best to not blush as I shook my head, clearing my thoughts as I nod my head. "Yea I'm fine, I'm fine. Just thinking about...something..."

She gives me a rather curious look before giving a small shrug. "Ok, if you say so." She says as she finishes her meal, leaning back and patting her stomach. "Mmm, that was a good meal, don't you agree?" Before I can respond she is already asking another question. "So, I heard that this show was going to start rather soon in the theater, and I really wanted to go see it. Perhaps-"

"Oh no." I quickly shake my head at that. "You know how much I hate crowded places and what it does to me."

"Come on, it won't be that bad. I've been wanting to watch this for ages. Please Drak~" She leans in and does her best big, puppy eyes, looking at me so deeply that it nearly made my heart drop. Thankfully this isn't the first time she had done it and I was starting to adjust to it, if with some difficulty.

"I said no, ok? I...I just..." I try to tell her that I couldn't go, that me and crowds just don't mix and all, but sadly the eyes slowly started to get to me, making me slowly give in.

It was at this point that Aryas adds, "The room will be dark. Plus, we can sit in the back where it will be less crowded." She says.

"And what about the prices? I remember they cost an arm and a leg to get in and-" I tried to counter, only to be countered right back.

"It's a free show cause of how popular it is, plus it's being done by some locals, so no money needed."

At this I finally give in, letting out a small sigh. "Ok, fine!" I say, getting a small smile and a yes of joy from the mare. With that, she leaves the payment on the table and gets out of her seat with me following suit. As we start heading out, she extends her wing and wraps it around my back, pulling me a bit closer to her.

As usual I just give a curious look before letting it slide. She was always a rather cuddly type, then again most of the ponies in the squad are, even the guys to an extent, much more so than I was ever used to. But for some reason Aryas seemed to be more so with me, at least within the past couple of months. Of course I just assumed that it was just cause of how long we've been friends so she was just getting more friendly with me.

In any case we started up a small chat about random things, such as weapon usage and the like, typical soldier stuff before we reached the theater room. It was a rather fancy building, and I remember some of the higher ups would go inside for a show or two. As I looked at the prices of the shows it reminded me that our budget would never allow us to even step inside of the theater, but like she said, the show for this was free, and after going to the clerk griffon in front we walked inside and found our seats, going to the back row like she promised before sitting down.

I take a slow scan of the room, mostly to find the closest exits as well as just how many people are really here. As expected, it was a mix of species, mostly ponies and humans, but a few others as well, such as some griffons, a few changelings and even a minotaur. However like Aryas said there weren't that many beings to begin with and most of them seemed to be sticking closer to the stage.

As we took our seats, Aryas's wing gently pulls back so that I wouldn't accidentally crush it as we settle down, patiently waiting for the show to start. During this I could see her glance my way every so often, most likely checking to see if I'm going to panic or not. Thankfully I was managing to do just fine, keeping myself calm enough as the lights started to dim down.

The mare gives a small yay as the curtains pull back, showing off the stage of the play, a wilderness like setting with some ponies walking onto stage. It seemed they were on a quest to recover a lost treasure of their kingdom, the main character in charge of their group being a strapping young Pegasus.

It seemed rather normal, just a group of soldiers traveling as they make a joke here and there before the next scene pops up, having them run into some chaos troopers who had hostages, one of them a human maiden. There was a clash as the fight scene happened and of course the chaos troopers were driven back as the Order soldiers saved the hostages.

It was at this point that I felt a small brush against my hand, and looking down I noticed Aryas was resting her hoof against my hand as she was watching the show. She seemed to have noticed as well as she glances over at me, our eyes meeting for just a moment. Before I could pull back she quickly pushes forward, placing her hoof on my hand in a form of hand holding, giving me a smile as she returns to watching the show. I just sit there staring at our hand/hoof holding each other before returning my attention to the show.

The show was, in all honesty, pretty good. Some of it was a bit cliche, but there was just enough unique moments that made it rather interesting. Overall, the troopers went on a long trip to find this treasure, the maiden joining them once she was saved. As the story went on, the leader and maiden slowly started to grow closer together, bonding with each other before they reached their destination.

During this Aryas would slowly slide closer to me and while I didn't really mind or noticed, about forty minutes in I realized that she was resting against my side. I could feel my cheeks burning at how close we are, and it didn't help that the show was reaching a more romantic part of the scene, with the maiden confessing her love to the leader. Of course he declined her love, despite how he truly feels, saying that he has to stick with honor and duty, but the scene was still very moving, and I could hear the mare next to me sniffle as she nuzzles against my arm.

Almost out of instinct, I pull my arm out of her grasp and wrap it around her, pulling her close to try and make her feel better. Now it was her turn to blink in surprise as she looks at me, making me give a small smile as I was able to catch her off guard this time...that is until she did something I was never going to expect from her.

Smiling, she leans in and kisses my cheek, nuzzling it before returning to the show.

This got me to freeze up completely. eyes wide with shock as the scene ended and it went on an intermission. We were both silent for a good while as she just stared at the stage and I stared at her, though it was her who broke the silence first. "Drak...I...I-"

"Did you...really kiss me?" I asked, interrupting her. She may be rather touchy and cuddly as well, even more so than the others to me, but she never once kissed me anywhere. As I waited for a response, I finally pulled myself to look down at her, and what I saw made my breath stop in my chest.

She was looking up at me with reddened cheeks, her hooves around my arm as she stares back into my eyes. It was at this moment that I felt everything; how she noticed I was falling for her, how much she has been wanting for me to make a move, how she remained ever so patient during our trip, and how frustrated she is with how long it has been. I could see the nerves that she was feeling, especially after that kiss, and finally it all hit me like a charging minotaur.

She knew.

I open my mouth to ask but she beats me to it. "Drak, I've been waiting ever since our last fight, when you saved me from the manticore attack. That's when I noticed that you were feeling different for me. I...I was feeling the same too, for a good while, but seeing that you did care made me so happy. I know your kind normally have the males ask the females out, but damn it you were taking forever, so I had to set this up just so I could finally ask you on a date myself while making it seem like it was your idea."

I just stare at her in shock, still trying to get over the fact that she knew about my crush and that my feelings were being returned. This has never happened to me before, and I had no idea what to expect either, nor how to react. Just from looking at her, I could see that she was a bit confused as well, though her next words said otherwise. "I waited so damn long, but I just...I couldn't wait any longer. I'm sorry for ruining it..." She falls silent as she looks away, slowly starting to pull herself off of my arm.

It takes me a second to realize that she thought she ruined the whole "date" just by saying she initiated it, and quickly I grab her hooves with my free hand and hold it, letting her stay against my arm. She looks up at me in surprise and once I got her attention, I smile. "Aryas, I...I'm so happy that you feel the same way. Really I am. And I really...really am enjoying this date, if you wish to call it that."

She blinks in surprise, the few tears that nearly appeared vanishing as she does that. "Really? B-But I thought-"

I shake my head. "No need to worry. From what I know, there are some females that start asking the men out as well for us humans. Also." I added a chuckle before I continued. "Do you really think I'm one to follow the normal ways of things?"

She giggles and shakes her head. "No, I guess not." She falls silent as she looks up at me, our eyes staying locked together the entire time. Finally, after what feels like forever, she seemed to reach a decision and asked, "Drak? Can I...Can I be your marefriend please?"

I stay silent for a few moments longer before replying. "I never had a marefriend before you know? I don't even know the first thing about being in a relationship." I admitted.

She smiled. "Good, cause I never had a human coltfriend...or wait, I remember some others say it's called a boyfriend, yes?" I nodded. "Then yes, I never had a boyfriend before, so we can learn together."

I looked down at her as she continued to look up at me, and while I didn't say out loud that I accept, we both knew it didn't need to be said at all. Slowly, our heads lean in close, drifting closer as if being pulled by an inner force...

The next thing I knew, our lips brush against each other, and she pushes the rest of the way, locking our lips in our first ever proper kiss. I stare at her in shock, her eyes staring back for a few seconds before slowly closing. My eyes follow soon afterwards as we kiss each other, holding ourselves to one another, my arms wrapped around her and her hooves holding my body as close as possible to her.

Slowly, after what feels like forever but is way too soon, we part, panting lightly as we open our eyes, staring at each other in awe at our actions and in a deep seated love for each other. Smiling, Aryas kisses me again on the lips before nuzzling closely against my side, making sure I was holding onto one hoof as she shifts my other arm around her back, basically laying against my side now.

"Thank you Drak. I hope to be a great marefriend." She says.

"And I hope to be a great boyfriend." I add.

Just then the lights start to dim again as the show begins to pick up, and this time we just stay silent as we watch the show, holding each other in our arms/hooves and just enjoying our presence with each other. Despite what the future may hold, as of right now all we cared for was each other...and to watch the rest of the play.

Chapter 28: The Final Curtain

I blink my eyes as we walked under the hot sun, staff in hand as I lean against it, my calves burning as I walk up the rocky road, barely a road at all, but better than the rest of the mountain. I look over next to me and see Aryas fairing no better than I was, her coat slick with sweat as we continued with our scouting mission...

The real me blinks as I realize that the scene changed rather suddenly, and curious I look around for Mag as my past self and his/my new/old marefriend walk up the mountain pass, a good dozen meters away from what seemed to be the main body of troops from our group. However, there is no sign of the mind magician, and seeing us stopping for a moment, I focus back on my past self...

"...forever now, and we still haven't made it to this encampment yet." I said, pausing to lean against a rock, stretching my back and getting a few cracks from my spine for my effort. "Are you sure we are going the right way?"

Aryas sighs as she sits down for a moment, leaning against her spear. "Drak, I already said that this is indeed the right way. My informant that told me about this heard it straight from the chaos commanders. They will be hiding in these mountains, close to the end of the first valley." She tells him.

The human sighs as he leans against his staff, looking back and seeing the rest of the troops doing the same thing, relaxing and resting as water was passed around. It seems Dux had the same idea of taking a moment to rest and recover before marching on. "Still, it's been three weeks since we first entered this damn valley, and the only thing that I have gotten is nearly sunburned."

My hood was up and covering the majority of my face, to prevent the sun from lashing against my face too much. Overall the temperature wasn't that hot, but the sun's intensity somehow made it feel as though it was nearly ninety degrees. Thankfully the cool breeze helped us from overheating, as well as lift the bird songs from over the ridges to us, though I was worried about Aryas in her light armor. It may not all be metal, but even the thin fake leather that she wore must have made it super sweaty. As I looked, I could see her fur was indeed matted with sweat, slicking her body as it sticks to her. The drops slowly sliding down her curves and-

"Drak, if you stare at me any harder, I may just burst into flames." She spoke, causing me to snap out of the sight before me. Realizing I was staring, I quickly shake my head to clear it to try and hide my slight perving, but the blush on my cheeks made it clear that I was indeed staring at my marefriend.

"I wasn't staring at you I was staring at...at the necklace, yea." I quickly said, trying to recover from my blunder. Thankfully it seemed to work as she looked down at said necklace and smiled. The jewelry itself wasn't too impressive, but a simple-

The real me pauses as I realize that it's the same necklace that I was wearing! The one with the heart and wings! So surprised I was by this that I nearly missed the pegasus talking to me again.

"I still can't believe you bought this for me." She said, smiling as she held it against her hoof.

I just smiled back. "I said I wanted to buy you something to cement our relationship, so...yea. I thought it was fitting on you." I said, getting her to smile more.

Getting up, she walks towards me and leans up a bit to kiss me on the cheek, nuzzling me as well. "Still, I wish I thought of something to get you as well." She said.

This caused me to blush even harder as I remembered that day clearly. "I-I think...t-t-that...I think you already did give me something that night..." I add softly, tugging on my hood a bit.

She grins as she kissed me again, this time as a quick peck on the lips. "Oh I know, but that was more for both of us than just a reward for being a good boyfriend." She adds.

I smile slightly, my cheeks still red as I wonder how the hell I was getting even hotter in this weather. "P-perhaps, but...then there was the next night...and the night after that. And the-"

This time I was able to get her to blush finally, causing her to quickly silence me with a hoof as she gives me a playful glare. "Hey! We only had two more weeks left of our leave. I wasn't going to waste that time, especially seeing as I was your first." She said.

Smiling, I wrap my free arm around her and pull her in closer, making her lean her chest against me as I look into her eyes. Slowly we start to lean in some more, our lips nearly touching each other...

"Hey lovebirds! Dux needs to know how much further to go!" We pulled away instantly at the voice as we turned to see who it was. One of the humans and a unicorn walked up to us, both of them with their standard armor and weapons, the human waving to get our attention.

We quickly untangled ourselves and stood still as stone as they approached, the human who called out to us smirking as the unicorn just shook his head. "Really guys? Can't it wait for when we at least set camp for the night?" He says.

Aryas shook her head as she glared at him. "Oh really? And how about you keep your nose out of our business Humdrum." She demands of him in a rather stern tone, to which he doesn't even flinch at it.

"I mean can you blame him for it? It's only fair since you two seem to always be locked around each other for the last several months." Said the human, grinning as she tightens the belt around her waist, double checking that the sword was still within reach for her to grab when needed.

"And we keep telling you that we don't need any of you guys to be butting into our relation Stella." I added a bit softly. Stella just grins harder as I seem to feel myself sink back farther. "Anyways, it's hard to have privacy in this unit." I add, hoping to drop it at that.

Sadly, she wasn't done with us in a long shot. "That is true. With the noise that you two make nearly every night I bet even the chaos troopers back in their forts can hear you two. Especially Aryas here." She adds, giving a wink to the mare, who snorts and makes a rather rude gesture back.

Before the pegasus was able to retort, Humdrum intervened and stopped them from saying anything else. "Drop it Stella, we got enough to take care of without you starting a fight with Aryas every time you try and tease Drak." He adds.

The red head sighed as she shrugged. "Don't blame me, blame Drak for making it easy to tease him." She adds.

These two were rather recent additions to the squadron, both of them joining us during our leave in the city. They were very promising when they left the academy, and their trainers said they made a very excellent pair, if still rusty along the edges. Our squad, being made of only ponies and humans, and also being one of the stepping stones in helping the new recruits of the Order's army, took the job of battle training the new ones and seeing just how they fair. Sometimes it ended very well, other times...

Shaking his head, the purple unicorn turned to face us again. "Anyways, like Stella said, Dux wants to know the ETA."

Aryas stares at Stella for a few moments longer, making sure that she wasn't going to make any more comments before responding to the unicorn. "Should be soon, within the week I would say. The valley is long but our maps say it ends at a small lake. That is where they will be, seeing as there isn't another water source for miles around."

He nods as he adjusts his cloak. Unlike the others, he was centered to using his magic instead of fighting close quarters, using his spells to support us, so he didn't normally wear armor. "Ok, we'll let him know about-" He starts to say when Stella suddenly silences us.

We look at her, Aryas about to make a witty retort before even she falls silent. We can see the intensity of her eyes as she is scanning the horizon, seeming to be looking for something. The rest of us look in confusion, wondering why she was so quiet so suddenly. Stella is one of the few trackers of the unit, and while she is witty and taunting, she always fell quiet when she is following the tracks of someone or if she hears or senses something's amiss.

It's at that moment that we all realized what it was: the birds had stopped singing. Not only the birds but any sort of wildlife was suddenly silent around them, as if someone flipped an off switch on the sound.

It takes a moment before Humdrum says what's on all of our minds. "We aren't alone any-"

Sudden, there is a low hissing, followed by a heavy thunk as the stallion is jerked back, eyes wide as he looks down at the dark wooden shaft of an arrow as it suddenly appears in his chest. He just stares at the shaft in shock before he slowly crumples to the ground, wheezing heavily.

"Humdrum!" Stella shouts, but before she can rush over to the fallen pony, Aryas is charging her, tackling her to the ground just as another arrow flies right over them mere seconds later, right where the human's chest would have been.

They land with a grunt on the ground as I quickly follow suit, helping to pull them down as well as I look up, eyes darting across the ridges to see just were those arrows came from. It doesn't take long to find a few lone archers up on the cliffs, their bows aimed at us as they start to fire again. Not only that, but nearly half a dozen more archers appeared around the other ridges, taking aim and firing off into the sitting troops. The first few shots landed, causing people and ponies to fall down before any sort of alert was sounded. Soon the rest of the troops were hiding behind either a metal or spell shield of some sort, a few of them already returning fire with either magic or arrow.

"Where the hell did they come from?!" I shout as I try to keep my head down low.

Aryas just shook her head. "No idea, we were still a couple of days away from them at least, a week at most. They shouldn't even be here unless-"

Before she could finish, a loud roar was sounded from behind them, and as they turned they could see dozens...no, hundreds of Chaos Troopers hurdling through the canyon and straight to the main forces. The Order Soldiers were quick to react though, their training paying off as they turn to face the new threat, placing their defenses behind them just in time as the tidal wave of enemies smashed into them.

Still, they outnumbered us two to one, maybe even three to one, the troopers just coming through the valley non stop, ponies, humans and all other sorts of creatures charging and barging against shields and swords, clashing as the push and shove from the initial wave becomes a straight up brawl.

Realizing that we were just staring at the whole thing, and seeing that the archers who were shooting at us before had now turned away, I snapped out of my stupor as I looked back at Aryas. "Aryas, we need to go and help!"

She nods, but as she makes her way to join me, Stella, who was looking at Humdrum's body the entire time we talked, once again tries to get up and rush to it, only for the mare to pull her back down. "What the hell, do you want to get shot?!" The pegasus shouts.

"Humdrum! I...I need to-" She tries to speak before getting silenced with a shake from Aryas.

"Listen, he's dead! I know you care and want to try and save him, but it's too late. He's gone. Now the rest of us are fighting for our lives, and unless you wish to join him, get your ass back and help us push them out!" She demands, giving a glare to the girl.

This seems to snap some sense into her as the red head slowly calms down and then gives a nod. With one last, sad look at the dead unicorn, she unsheathes her sword and rushes forward to the main group, making sure to stay low as to avoid the arrows.

Content that she would hopefully survive, Aryas looks back at me as she nods. "Ok, let's get these guys packing and make them regret trying to ambush an Order Legion." She says to me. I just smile and give a nod, staff in hand as I quickly follow suit to help...

At this point my vision starts to blur, and I feel myself slowly falling back. I see shapes and images wave around me, and it takes me a moment to realize that it wasn't just me, but the memory. For some reason all of this seemed like some sort of blur, as if what I was going through was not only physically tiring, but mentally as well. I shake my head and do my best to focus, slowly falling back...slowly...

I grunt as a human falls over from a smack of my staff, twirling the staff in hand before flipping around behind me and thrusting into the chest of a pony, knocking the wind out of them. Before they could recover Aryas is slashing with her spear, causing them to fall back but not before getting a slice across the face. They cry out in pain before I simply kick them to the side, letting them sputter on the ground as we turn to the next batch of enemies, knowing that he won't be getting up for a while. This isn't our first fight against the Chaos Troopers, and I have found one thing during our battles and the time I spent with Aryas; the Chaos Troopers always seemed to have at least one person in charge of the whole thing, and if they are taken care of, then their fighting spirit would start to shrink and cause less of them to want to fight before they would simply rout.

I take a quick glance at my marefriend, who looks back at me at the same time as she gives a nod. We both knew exactly what the other was thinking at that moment, and I watch her scan the surroundings for a few moments before she points over to a ridge, then having to kick her legs behind her to knock out a pony that was trying to sneak up behind her, only to get a bloody nose before she turned her spear and impaled him on it.

I look to where she was pointing and indeed right on the ridge standing there seemed to be a small group of troopers waiting in the back. While normally this would be normal, what wasn't normal was the fact that one of them was a very large minotaur, and minotaurs weren't normally ones to hold in the back when a fight broke out.

Realizing that was most likely the one who planned the whole ambush, I look around to try and find someone, anyone to alert them of our plan. Thankfully finding Dux was easy enough, having already piled a decent body pile around him of ponies and humans alike. Right now he was finishing the last guy by kicking the human in the head, causing their neck to snap back with a sickening crunch as their body just drops.

Rushing over to him, I call out, "Dux! Over there. I think we found the one in charge of the ambush!" I shout loudly so as to be heard over the clanging of swords and spells.

He glances in my direction before looking to where I was pointing. Seeing the minotaur, he nods before lunging forward, his armored front hooves lashing at the griffon that was just about to slice its claws into his side, only to fall to the ground, its lower beak hanging at a very wide angle. "Well then, get to it Drak! We can hold them off here!" He says before turning to face another two griffons, smashing his armored front hoof gauntlets to the ground, taunting and cursing at them to attack.

I quickly make sure that he is fine on his own before rushing back to aid Aryas, who was starting to get surrounded by a few ponies and human Chaos Troopers. Glaring at the enemy, I yell loudly to get their attention before quickly sweeping my staff in large arcs, causing the quicker ones to back out, while two of them who were too slow got knocked on the head or legs, making them stumble back.

"Took you long enough!" Aryas shouts, making me raise an eyebrow as I focus on the enemies around us.

"Dux says-"

"He says we need to go get the big guy? I kind of guessed as much!" She interrupts me. I just mentally shake my head as I thrust my staff forward, stunning one of the troopers before the mare simply stabs them in the chest. "Well then let's get to it!"

I nod as I start to spin my staff around me, the speed getting faster and faster. While there wasn't a lot of force behind it, it was just meant to distract them for a few seconds, just enough for Aryas to lung forward, slashing and stabbing with accurate hits, creating a hole in the swell of enemies. As soon as the hole was made, we lunge through, blocking and retaliating any attack that came our way.

The way through the horde was slow and painful, but we managed to make it through with minimum damage to ourselves. Once we break free of the latest group, Aryas pulls me to the side behind a couple of boulders, letting the rest of them rush past us, unaware of where we went.

We take a moment to catch our breath, panting lightly as I hold my staff against me, but ready to bring it to arm should it be needed. Aryas peaks out of the top and takes a quick look before quickly ducking back down. "Ok, we're close. Just about a hundred meters or so." She tells me. I nod as I grip my staff tight, taking a quick stock of our situation myself.

Thankfully I was able to avoid most of the lethal blows that came my way, but a few hits did find their marks, my body bruised and scratched up a bit, my hoodie sliced in many spots. It was going to be a long night fixing it. I take a quick look at Aryas and feel my heart stop as I see her bleeding rather heavily on her side. "Aryas! You're hit!"

She blinks as she looks at her side in surprise, seeing it as if this is the first time she noticed it. Probably is with how focused we were in the fight, the adrenaline keeping us alert and unaware of any wounds before now. She reaches up and lightly touches it, giving a loud hiss as she suddenly falters on her hooves. I'm quick to reach over and hold her steady, giving her a moment to adjust herself.

She looks over herself carefully before shaking her head. "Damn it, got too careless with my thrusting again. One of those guys must have gotten me with a sword." She mutters. It takes a few moments before she lets out a small sigh of relief. "Doesn't seem to be too bad, mostly superficial...though..." She winces as she takes a deep breath. "It may have hit a rib."

"If it did, then that's the only reason you're still alive." I tell her. She nods in agreement as I reach into my health kit and pull out a bandage, quickly wrapping it around her. She holds still, even giving a soft coo as she nuzzles into my stomach, making me smile. Even in such a situation that our lives are in danger, she still takes any chance she can to give me such love and affection.

After about a minute I was finished with the makeshift bandage, leaning back to take a look at the work. "Well, it's not pretty, but it will do." I say.

"Kind of like a few of my exes." She says with a grin, causing me to roll my eyes with a groan.

"Geez, can you not crack bad jokes during a battle?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

She just grins as she looks over the boulder again, her smile quickly turning into a frown. "Uh oh. We need to hurry and get the chaos command." She says. I take a moment to look over the top as well, my heart sinking as I see just what was happening.

The squadron was holding its own very well, but the numbers of the Chaos Troopers were taking their toll. Already, from what I could see about half of our squad was either dead or too injured to fight, having to take the more wounded of the troops to the center of the squad and away from the fighting, leaving the healthier soldiers to keep the enemy at bay. While the enemy did indeed take a massive death count as well, their numbers just kept getting larger, a seemingly endless horde of insanity just lunging at us in waves.

I knew at that point that we only had minutes to stop this before Dux and the rest of the squad was overrun...and slaughtered.

I sink back down, gathering myself as Aryas does the same, and with a glance between each other and a nod, we quickly start rushing up to the chaos command area.

It takes a bit as we both rush and pause to avoid being seen by any stray troopers, but thankfully we manage to make it in time, the squad still holding the tide of the chaos. Now behind a few lone rocks again, this time only meters away from the minotaur and some of his more elite soldiers, we analyze the situation as Aryas starts coming up with a strategy.

"Ok, I'm only counting a couple of humans and a pegasus. Seems they have better gear though, makes sense if these are their elite." She says as she looks them over. I give a nod, seeing that the human and pegasus both had long, dark swords that glint in the light while the second human had a large mace and a shield. "I'm gonna try and take the pegasus out before they notice, and then distract the other two while you go take care of the minotaur."

My eyes are wide at such a suggestion. "Aryas! It will be two against one! You know that you can't-"

"Drak right now our friends are down there dying, we don't have a choice. Now go!" She says, shouting the last one just as she launches into the air, her wings pushing her forward quick enough to get the jump on the other pegasus. In surprise, he barely manages to get his sword out before she skewers him, making him choke on his own blood as she lands on top of him. Pulling her spear out, she is already ignoring the dying pony as she rushes to the other two humans, who already have their weapons out, ready to engage.

The minotaur sees this as well, his hands already holding his huge battle axe. He lets out a snort as he glares at the mare, prepared to lunge forward before I rush in, staff in hand and once again sweeping to take his legs out, hoping to end this quick so I could go and help Aryas.

Sadly the commander was much quicker than I expected, easily jumping over it before changing his lunge to an overhead slice, causing me to use my staff to deflect the incoming attack. He grunts as the force of it makes the axe land in the ground with a thud and a puff of dust, yanking it out with ease. During that time I manage to get a few good strikes in with my staff, hitting his side and legs before having to back off.

He barely even flinches from the hits, and while I can tell that it did hurt him, he doesn't seem to be even slightly phased from the blows. He just grins as he holds his axe in both hands, slowly circling me. "And here I thought the Thunder would have more force behind his blows." He taunts me.

I raise an eyebrow, not expecting to get any sort of words from them. Normally they would yell some sort of demand of surrender or something, but it seems this minotaur was more than just muscle...something that certainly didn't bode well. "Hard to hit something that is all body and no brain." I replied.

He just laughs. "Perhaps, but I can do many things with such a body, such as cleaving you in half!" He roars, lunging forward as he gives a side swipe with the axe. I barely manage to dodge it in time as the blade just tears my hoodie up even more while missing my skin, but it was enough for him to shoulder check me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me as I fall onto my ass.

I grunt in pain and try to get up, only to get a hoof kicked in the same spot, making me grunt and wheeze even more from the lack of air in my lungs. I could feel myself starting to panic, knowing that I needed to get back on even footing before he gets any sort of edge. Seeing him taking a step to stomp on me, I quickly spin on the ground as I land a kick on his shins, making him howl from the impact as he jumps back just enough for me to get on my knees.

He is quick however, and is swiftly rushing back, this time lunging with his axe head to my head. I manage to duck it just in time as I take the offense, lunging forward and slamming my staff right into his stomach, making him double over. As I get up, I swing my staff up, hitting his chin a couple of times as I spin the staff in a circle, then giving it a twirl as it slams into the side of his head.

However, even as the blow causes him to finally stagger back more, my staff did hit his horn, causing the vibrations to make my limbs shake and my teeth chatter. I manage to get a hold of it just before he is lunging at me again, his eyes red with rage and bloodlust.

We continue this back and forth for a good while, neither of us manage to get a decisive hit on the other. While he would get close enough to tear my clothes or even land a blunt blow on me, I was able to get back up quick enough to avoid him getting the upper hand. Likewise all of my hits either were deflected with his axe shaft, or simply tanked as he seemed to just absorb the blows like they are nothing.

As the fight went on, I finally began to see my window, seeing him stagger as he takes a step forward. It seems the constant hits and impacts of my staff were finally starting to slow him down, and I quickly take this moment to lunge forward, slamming the end of my staff right into his snout.

He roars in pain, finally pulling back as he covers his face with a hand...giving me just enough time to spin my staff and slam it down on his head, right between his horns. He grunts as he falls onto his knees, axe still in hand as he glares at me through teary eyes.

I keep my stance at the ready, staff aimed right at his face. "It's over. Call off your troops now before more of them die." I tell him.

I already expected him to just ignore such a request and continue the fight, like all the other times I did it facing one of the Chaos Troopers, but instead he just grins, making me feel a bit uneasy. "I don't think so Thunder. I was sent to squash your squad no matter the cost and if that means all of my soldiers must die for it, then so be it." He growls. "And even if you kill me, they will keep fighting. They won't stop till you are all dead."

I just give a small shrug, not letting my guard down. "Then we will just keep fighting on as well." I respond. I know that the most likely case if he were to die would be the Chaos Troopers losing moral and quickly running off but sometimes a few of them would go insane and just lunge at whatever was in front of them. While I doubt that he was telling the truth, I also knew that if he was telling the truth than our squad...with all the damage we already took...

I risked a quick glance over at the soldiers only to feel my heart sink a bit. The tide of Chaos troopers was finally slowing down, but our own men were all over the place, spread out thin and now fighting their own fights. Most of the injured were either on the ground moaning unable to fight back, or just dying from their wounds. Either way, I knew that It wasn't going to end well unless me and Aryas finished this now.

"However I have my own mission myself and I refuse to die till it is done." I turn and face the minotaur as he spoke again eyebrow raised at his words.

"Oh? And what is that?" I asked.

He gives a rather surprisingly large grin at this. "I plan on personally ending the threat of the Thunder and the Lightning once and for all." He says, his eyes staring intensely at me. "And I don't need to kill you both...I just need one of you..." He pauses as he keeps glaring at me, my heart sinking even more. Sure I've heard those threats before and all of them were easily taken care of, but the way he said it, the way he worded it...something just felt cold.

And that cold response of his caused me to falter.

The moment I hesitated, I knew I screwed myself. The minotaur lunges forward with his free hand, knocking my staff to the side as he reaches and grabs my throat. I gurgle as I feel him squeeze my neck tight, cutting off my air for a few moments before he simply lifts me up and tosses me to the side.

I land with an oomph on my side, feeling my ribs yell in protest at the treatment they were getting today, but I push through it, quick to stand back up and get ready to go on the defense...only to see that he had turned away from me and was charging away from me...

And to Aryas.

My eyes are wide as I see the danger approaching her, the mare still in combat with one of the other two humans, the other one having been knocked out a while ago. Before I can even think of what I was doing, I'm quickly on my feet and sprinting after the Chaos Commander, staff in one hand as I call out to my marefriend.

She manages to finish the last human off with a slice to their neck, making them choke on their blood as they fall to the ground. She turns to face me, a smile on her face, only to have it quickly turn to one of shock as she sees the minotaur just feet away from her, axe held to his side as he swings it forward with surprising speed.

Aryas manages to lift her spear just in time to block the blade of the axe, but the iron blade easily shears through the ash wood shaft of the spear, cutting it clean in two, the force knocking her to the side. She tries to get up only for her to cry out in pain as a hoof lands hard on her injured side. The hoof holding her down, she can't do anything as the minotaur grins wickedly, axe raising up as it quickly speeds back down, ready to cleave her in two.

"ARYAS!!!" I scream, running closer with each step, knowing that I wouldn't make it in time. But I had to, I...I MUST make it. Time started to slow down it seemed, each step a century as I got closer, my arm outstretched to try and save her. Her terrified expression as she is looking up at her incoming death, seeing her eyes bright with horror, seeing the flash of life flashing from them myself...

Suddenly, somehow, I managed to make it over to her...just as the axe comes down and makes contact, not with her, but with me.

I scream in agony as the axe bites into my left shoulder, easily slicing through both muscle and bone. It continues going down for a good few inches, slicing into the edges of my ribs on the side as well before it finally stops at the last rib, cracking it. I lose all feeling in my left arm as it suddenly loses all life, hanging limply as all I can feel is fire from where my arm used to be. I can see Aryas below me, looking up at me in horror as she watches, my blood spilling freely as it splatters against her coat and armor.

The minotaur grunts as he gives the axe a tug, sending more waves of pain down my side and after a third tug he manages to pull the axe out of me, the blood spurting out even more heavily as it paints the ground red. Once out I fall limply onto my marefriend, who was shaking me with her hooves. "DRAK! No, why did you...why did you...you..." She starts to tear up as she sees me nearly cleaved in two above her, my lungs aching to breath as I cough up blood, splattering it across her snout.

As soon as the blood lands on her face it wakes her up from her stupor as she quickly rolls me over onto my good side, her logic taking over as she quickly scans me. "Drak, just stay still, don't move! I...I-I'll fix this somehow. I'll keep it closed long enough for the medics to come, just stay with me!" She shouts.

I could still feel myself breathing heavily as I just smile up at her, glad to have at least saved her from such a blow. "It's fine I...I would do it again in a heart beat." I tell her.

She can't help but to give a small, very sad smile as she starts to look for the medical supplies on me. I just lay back, letting myself slowly relax, my mind feeling rather fuzzy, something nagging in the back of my mind...only to look up wide eyed as I see a shadow above us.

In her panic and my injured stupor, we both forgot about the minotaur. He snarls getting Aryas attention as she looks behind her...only to gasp in shock as the axe that was just in me, was now deep in her back.

My eyes go wide in shock and horror now, seeing her gasp in pain, frozen on top of me as the axe remains lodge against her and between her wings, most likely hitting her spine. The Chaos Commander grunts as he pulls back and before we could respond, swings down again, this time searing her side and a wing off.

She screams bloody murder as the blow lands, causing her to fall flat next to me, her eyes wide with shock as she looks at me in realization.

We were both going to die.

I watch as she stays laying still, eyes locked on my own as the minotaur, content with his blows, leans down and grabs the necklace on her neck, yanking it off as he looks it over. "This shall be a fine trophy for my victory over the Thunder and the Lightning!" He crows, idly admiring the trinket.

As he takes a moment to admire his winnings, I grunt, slowly pushing myself past the pain to roll and face over her, using my only good arm to hold me up. I look down at her as I feel my breath come in even more ragged. The mare, the very mare that I met in the woods all those years ago, that I took in and then who took me in...the very mare who admitted her love to me just a few months ago...was dying.

And I couldn't do a thing to stop it.

As I just looked at her and she looked back, a cold, tight grip slowly started to fill me chest, slowly taking over and enveloping me completely. I felt my breathing, while still ragged, much more bearable, my pain numbing a bit as I kept hearing the sounds of victory from the minotaur. The cold grip slowly started to heat up, my very heart soon began to burn as I realized just what it was.

It was rage, and a need for vengeance. A need to kill the minotaur.

Somehow, against all odds, I slowly push myself up, grunting as I fought through the pain, my body yelling at me to just lay down and fade away, but my heart telling me to keep going. Soon I was on my feet, my limp arm and a good portion of my side hanging by just the skin and a few muscles against me. I slowly turn to face the minotaur, reaching down with my hand and grabbing a Sai.

With a yell that chilled even me to my own core, I charged forward, hand held back, Sai pointed at the minotaur as I lunge, thrusting my hand forward as I aim for his heart.

However, the commander was quick to react, thanks to my shout. Seeing me charge him, his eyes go wide with shock, seeing such a weak human with an arm that isn't even on properly and just hanging on him by some threads and a prayer, he still manages to use his axe and slap my Sai to the side.

However, still running on my rage, I just use the momentum to turn around, spinning as my limp arm slapped against him, leaving a blood trail against his chest before I lunged again, my weapon finding its mark in his own shoulder. He howls in pain as it sinks in, and just as quickly I pull back blood spurting out and splashing against my face.

With another roar I lunge again, this time aiming higher, hitting just above his shoulder blade as I pierce his skin again, making him grunt as he starts to get his bearings. He drops his axe as he pushes my head with his massive hand, squeezing my head a bit as he tries to push me off.

However, I refuse to budge, and even with his massive strength, I manage to stay on long enough to pull back and get another burst of blood on me before lunging one last time, this time aiming for his face...and hitting his right eye.

He howls to the sky, the sound shaking the air around us. I however don't notice it at all, my rage finally succumbing to my own wounds as he manages to push me back, making me fall back to the ground as I grunt. I still try to rise, but my adrenalin rush was over, my body a complete wreck as I just laid there. My SaI still in his eye, he reaches up and grabs it, giving another roar as he yanks it out and tosses it against me, making me grunt as it hits me in the stomach before landing on the ground.

He holds his head with one hand, his other hand reaching down as he grabs his axe. Weapon in hand, he takes a step towards me and then stops, glancing over behind him. I can't really see too well now, but something he saw clearly made him shocked and he paused to look at me and then behind himself before giving a low growl.

"Blast it, there are still..." He whispers before letting out a snort. I can barely hear him as he speaks aloud, looking at me again. "I'm not done with you yet Thunder! I will be back, and if you somehow survive this I won't stop till you are dead...or I am." He glares at me before turning around and motioning to something behind him. As he quickly runs off, I see a few more shapes follow him, most likely other Chaos Troopers, a lot of them injured from the amount of red that I could see. None of them bother to even glance at me as they quickly run away.

I just look up at the sky now, seeing the blood red clouds as the sun slowly starts to sink, my mind slowly clouding up. I can feel my energy slowly slipping away, the darkness taking over..

...Drak...

I can barely hear it, my mind so deep in the abyss now as I try to shut it away. I just want to sleep now. Maybe Aryas can deal with-

Aryas!

My eyes shoot open as I realized just who that was. Groaning, I start to struggle onto my good hand, tugging myself onto all three limbs as I look over to where my marefriend lay. Grimacing, I start to slowly crawl over to her, my arm dragging a long blood line across the dusty ground.

Each tug of my hand against the soil made it feel like an eternity, her bright form seeming to not get any closer. But I persisted, managing to get myself closer and closer, resisting the urge to just fall back to the ground and let the darkness take me.

Eventually I managed to get back next to Aryas and sitting down next to her, I use my good hand to lift her head onto my lap, looking down at her. I see her eyes flicker open again as she looks up at me, a weak smile on her lips.

We just stare at each other forever, not bothering to speak for a while. However, she soon parts her lips to try and say something, but all that comes is a cough and a wheeze. She tries again and is a bit more successful, her voice gritty and rough. "Did..did w-w-we..w-w...w-win..." She asks.

I managed to smile, having no idea what the state of our squad is, nor knowing why the Chaos Troopers left, but in my mind, I just couldn't say no to her, especially now. I just give a weak nod in response. "Y-yea...w-we...we won..." I say, my voice just as raw and raspy as hers.

She smiles back, her eyes looking up at me, but at this point I can see the lack of focus in her pupils, realizing she couldn't see me. Her next words confirmed this as she said, "Drak...I...it's so dark...you...you still..."

I gently raised her head closer to mine, letting our noses touch as I look into her eyes, feeling my eyes start to water. "I-I'm here love..."

She smiles still, her breathing slowly getting more and more shallow. She stares unblinking up at me as she speaks one last time. "Drak...I...I lo..."

"Shh...d-don't...don't speak...I...I'll save you...s-somehow..." I say, trying to encourage her to stay awake to stay fighting, knowing it was a hopeless cause.

She just keeps smiling that amazing smile of hers. "Drak...please...p-promise me...promise to...to keep fighting...to...to move...m-move on..."

I feel my tears coming even quicker as she says this. I still remember the talk that we had about this when we first admitted our feelings, and even then I was still unsure about it all. But now, all I can do is to just agree with her every word. "I...I promise...but I...I'll always...a-always..."

She gives a slow, soft shush of her lips, making me fall silent. "No more...w-words, just...j-just...k-k-kiss...kiss m-me..."

Eyes watered, blood and dust all over us and the smell of death in the air, I close my eyes and lean down, kissing her one last time. I gently hold our heads together, lips locked in what feels like one final, loving embrace. I feel her gently shift her mouth against mine as she tries to reciprocate the feelings, slowly the motions dying down to a stand still.

I hold our lips for a few more moments before I finally part, opening my eyes to look at her again...but her light is already gone.

Aryas is dead.

I feel my heart break as I sob, letting everything go as I just hold my mare close to my body, feeling the tears streak down against her as I feel my own strength leaving me. "I...I love you Aryas...a-always have...a-always...will..." I say softly.

I hear voices behind me, but I'm too tired to stand up, to move, to even do anything but to hold my marefriend close to me. Slowly I close my eyes, just letting myself cry long and softly as I lacked the energy for anything else. Slowly, the sounds got closer, yet at the same time softer, almost fading away, my pain starting to ebb away as well.

As I felt my hearing go, my fingers started to feel less of her soft fur against me, then as everything went numb, I felt myself fall back...

Then it all went black.

I gasp in horror as I lunge forward, reaching for my belt to grab a sai...only to realize I was naked and in nothing but my boxers. I can feel my heart beating at a mile a minute as I try and gather my bearings, looking around to see just where I am and how the hell I got here.

It takes a moment to realize I was in a large tent, a dozen cots next to me as I looked around. Realizing I was on one of them, I tried to get up, but am quickly forced back down from immense pain on my left side. I try to move my left arm, but I feel nothing. It's all so confusing to me, why couldn't I feel anything, why was I in a tent and...and...

Suddenly it all came back, everything from the sudden ambush of the Chaos Troopers, to the fight against the minotaur commander, and all the way to me holding Aryas in my arm, feeling her life fade away. I grunt as I recalled it all, my mind at a loss as I realized it all again.

Aryas is dead.

I slowly look myself over, remembering my own wounds and wondering how I'm still alive myself now, and seeing the bandages around my left side and my entire left arm showed me the answer. I feel my left arm with my right hand, slowly putting some pressure on spots and just seeing what I could feel and not feel. Surprisingly, I could feel just barely on my left arm, but my left side was still very numb, even pinching against it I felt no pain.

"Morning sleeping beauty." I turn to the sound of the voice and see Dux smiling back at me, his own form all bandaged up and his rear leg seeming to be in a splint. He walks over limply, moving next to my cot before sitting down.

I look at him with surprise and we both just stand there for a few minutes, simply staring at each other as I try to process everything that has happened. Finally, I say the first thing that just pops into my mind.

"You look like shit."

This gets a laugh from the Order Lieutenant. "Speak for yourself." He simply says, giving a small wince as the laughter seems to hurt him a bit. Motioning to my bandaged side, he continues. "We had to use every single bit of our healing bandages on you just to keep that arm on. I'm still surprised that it worked at all to be honest."

I look at him with confusion as he continues. "We found you with barely anything connecting your arm to the rest of you. I thought for sure we would have to cut it off so you could heal, but thankfully Jonas was able to fix you up somehow. I swear that human knows some sort of magic that he isn't saying." He says, giving a grin.

I smile at the somewhat familiar name. "Jonas huh? I'll have to thank him, but..." I pause for a moment, Dux waiting patiently for me to continue. "Why did he use it all on me? Surely there are others that need it more than I did?"

This caused the stallion to raise an eyebrow. "Really? Drak, your arm was nearly cut off of you. I said it before, it was hanging by nothing but a miracle."

I nod. "Yes, but the others-"

He waves a hoof to get me to fall silent. "Besides, we...we don't have anyone else more injured than you...or even seriously injured."

This gets me to give him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

He motions around me at the other cots. "Think about it, you're in the medic tent now and you are the only one here." He states. It takes a few moments as I look around, processing the whole thing before reality hits me like a truck.

Looking back with a grime feeling, I ask the dreaded question. "How many?"

He sighs, leaning back a bit, wincing as he stays off of his injured leg. "I think you mean how many left, Honestly, I never seen a chaos force as strong as that, or as readily armed and trained. It took us all by surprise that's for sure." He pauses as he thinks it over again before finally answering my question. "We lost just about everypony and everyone Drak. Besides me and you, we only have two dozen soldiers left."

My eyes go wide with shock as I let this sink in. "We had...we left with two hundred troops strong, and we have...only two dozen left?"

He nods. "Like I said, this force was nothing I had seen before. The only reason they didn't outright kill us all was cause we managed to block ourselves against a wall and form a shield wall against them before pushing back and charging their commander. That and their commander called in a retreat as well." He says. He shakes his head and smiles. "That's another I'll be owing you and Aryas."

At her name, my heart left into my throat. Perhaps...if I managed to live. "Dux, is...is Aryas...is she..."

As I fell silent, Dux looks at me, the smile gone from his face as he exhales slowly. "Drak...when we got there...she was..." He pauses, not daring to say the words himself. "I...I'm sorry."

I look at him in dead silence, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel the life draining from me again, as if that axe had cleaved my heart from my chest. I felt even more pain that couldn't be numbed by the magical bandages. I was alive, but my mare...my mare was gone.

At that moment I slowly broke down, my cheek slowly getting wet with tears as I curled up on myself. Crying softly, I feel the pain and lose build up more and more till, with a large inhale, I just reel back and let out a long, pained cry.

Aryas was dead.

As the cry echos in my head, I'm suddenly jolted awake as I blink, gasping into the waking world, my mind shocked and muddled. I pant hard, breathing rapidly as I look around for anymore possible enemies, to see where Aryas was, hoping to hope that she is still alive...

I pause, realizing that I was back in the library in Canterlot, Celestia and Magnus both standing by me, worried looks on their faces.

I just look at them silently for a good couple of minutes, neither of them making a move to me during that time. Finally, it was Mag who reacts, stepping closer as his horn lights up. "Please hold still Drak, I need to scan your mind real quick."

I stay still, not saying anything as a beam of light shines from his horn. to my head, slowly sliding up and down as he scans my mind. After a few seconds it stops as he lets out a small sigh of relief. "No mental trauma markings, so the memory didn't damage anything permanently, or at least any more than it already had when you first had it. The magic barrier that seemed to be blocking your memories is finally weakened to the point where it can't sustain itself, so that's more good news of itself. Means your memories will start to slowly come back to you."

I blink as I try to figure out what he was saying. "Wait, magic...magic barrier?" I asked.

He nods. "Yes, a mental magical barrier, to be more precise. When you were going through your latest memory I managed to find the location and weaken its structure just enough so that it collapsed on itself. Your mind should heal within the next few months." He explains.

It takes me a few moments to realize just what he was talking about, causing me to slowly give a nod as it comes back to me. "O...ok then..." I simply said. I just sat there, my new memories already circling in my head...especially the last one.

"I suggest that you take the next week off to rest and take it easy, don't mentally strain yourself too much during it, just in case something did get affected. I doubt I did anything wrong, but one can't ever be too safe." He adds. I nod in response as he continues. "Anyways, I think I can conclude this appointment now. You are free to head out at any time, just take it easy like I said." He gives a nod before giving a nod to the Princess. "Pleasure to help you as always Celestia." He says before he gets up and walks out of the library, leaving me and the white Alicorn by ourselves.

Celestia takes this moment to walk over to me, giving me a motherly smile, if a bit worried. "Drak, how do you feel?" She asks.

I just blink as I shake my head slowly. "Like I just went through a different life." I said, feeling as if everything was just so alien to me.

She gives a small giggle. "I've been told that's how it normally feels. It's like they aren't your own memories, yet at the same time they can't be anypony else's." She explains, causing me to nod in agreement. "Drak...are you really ok though?"

I give her a confused look. "What do you mean?" I asked.

She pauses for a moment before she continues. "At the end of the session, you were screaming and shouting bloody murder. I had to put a deafening spell around us just so you didn't scare any of the guards or maids." She explains. "And your arm. It just...fell limp."

I take in her information as I slowly roll it through my head, realizing just what she was talking about. "I...I'm not sure I can...can talk about it..." I admit, looking down at my hands.

She gently places a wing around me, causing me to glance up at her. "Drak, listen. I've heard, seen, and done so many things during my life. You were there during the most important parts of it, so anything that you say I promise it won't change what I think about you, nor will it surprise me in any way." She says.

I slowly turn my gaze higher up as I look into her eyes, and just for the moment that I managed to hold our gaze, I could tell that she was speaking the truth. I give a nod as I close my eyes and, looking away, I began to tell her everything that I went through, from how I met with Dux's regiment all the way to Arya's death.

At the end of it all, she stays silent, her wing still around me, even having tightened around me a bit as she holds me close. We stay quiet for a good while before she finally speaks up. "Drak...what happened with Aryas was...was very horrible. I still remember when you first told that story to us in the tavern."

I blink, looking up at her. "I...I told you that already?"

She nods. "Yes, back when we just met you. Little Light was trying to get you to open up for one of our daily group talks, but as always you kept to yourself. We managed to get you to tell us about it and about her, but only after a lot of prodding." I pause as I think over her words, another thought passing my mind that causes me to recollect my thoughts. She sighs as she lowers her head a bit. "I'll admit...it...it's still not easy to listen to the second time around."

I nod in agreement as I sigh. "It's not easy reliving it a second time around." I counter.

She can't help but to giggle a little at that. "Very true." She agrees. We both fall silent as we just take in each other's presence. I can't help but to feel a bit more at ease around Celestia now, even slowly leaning against her. She glances down at me when I do, but doesn't remove her wing, just holding me close as I gently relax against her.

Finally, after what felt like hours of silence, but was most likely only thirty minutes, I speak up with a single word. "Where?"

She tilts her head as she looks at me, confused. "Where?"

"Where is she buried? I mean...she is buried, yes? I...I couldn't...I wouldn't...just...leave her there...right?" I asked. The thought of leaving someone so special to me just out in the open, not giving her a proper burial...

Thankfully I feel a bit more at ease as I see her give a nod of understanding. "She's buried, yes. In fact she's close by Canterlot, if by a couple of miles away."

I blink in surprise, standing up suddenly. "Wait, really?! Then let's go!" I said. Something about her being so close, about seeing her one last time even in a grave...it just made my heart jump a bit, but from what I wasn't sure. It felt like excitement, but at the same time I wasn't really happy to see her grave, just...nervous, while knowing that I had to see it.

Before she can respond the bell tolls, ringing out that it was rather late, almost six PM. She sighs as she shakes her head. "I'm afraid I can't show you today. It's time for me to bring the sun down." She says.

I frown, my energy slowly vanishing as I look down, nodding in understanding. "Oh...right. Princess duties and all of that. I...I forgot." I said, letting out a small sigh.

She frowns as she sees this, and after a few moments of thinking she adds, "Drak, if you really wish to see it again, go ask my sister. I'm sure she will be more than willing to show you once she is finished with the night sky."

I blink and look up, feeling that same energy welling back up in me. "Really? You sure?"

She smiles and nods. "I'm very sure." She gets back on her hooves, stretching her wings as she starts to leave the library, to which I am quick to follow her. "She should be waiting in her room right now if you wish to go and see her."

I nod as I walk out of the library with her, both of us walking down the halls. We remain silent now, neither of us wanting to say anything. I know I certainly didn't know what to say other than to stay silent. Thankfully it wasn't an awkward silent, just a...strange silence.

Soon I was before Celestia's room as she pauses before it. Leaning down, she gives my head a small nuzzle with her own, and for once I'm not surprised, even responding in kind, something that surprised me. "Anyways, I need to set the sun and go get some sleep. I do hope you find the answers that you seek." She says. I give a nod before she opens her doors with her magic, walking in and closing them softly behind her.

I stand there, looking at the doors for a few moments before I quickly turn and jog down the hallway. For once I had something in mind, something other than finding my lost memories.

I needed to go to Luna and see my late marefriend's grave, one last time.

Chapter 29: Moving Onwards

POV: Luna

I smiled to myself as I hummed a small tune, one from ages ago, back when we were with the Crusaders. It had been a rather pleasant day today, my mind finally cleared up from the clouded confusion that plagued it for the last couple of weeks. I had finally come up with an answer to my problems.

I was going to tell Drak just how I felt about him.

I knew it wasn't a sure fire way to fix everything, and I don't even know if he would be willing to accept my own feelings, let alone return them back to me. However, after thinking about it more after he left for his session with the mind mage, I finally decided that overall it would be worth the risk.

Once I had made that choice, all my other worries seemed to just slip away, as if nothing else mattered but to just tell him how I felt. I even managed to help out with a few of the things Celestia wasn't able to do with ease, seeing how she is busy helping out with Drak.

I look back in my magical grip at the bundle of night lilies that I had, smiling as I give them a small sniff. I know that Drak wouldn't be eating these lilies, despite how tasty they are, but they are also some of the most beautiful night flowers I have ever found during my travels, and I just hoped that he would find them to be lovely as well.

Looking into the bundle carefully I make sure that the note that I wrote for him was still rolled up in there, only lightly hidden among the flowers. Inside I wrote not only a small poem that I made during our Crusader times, but also a confession letter of sorts, telling him about how I have felt all these centuries, and all the feelings I have been going through, along with the conflict of telling him. I pause again in mid step as I debate if I should rewrite it all but then shook my head, continuing to walk down the halls to my room.

I had to get a few more things ready before I felt ready to give it to him, such as getting my room ready for when he returns, but I was feeling confident about the whole thing. The plan is a simple one; just talk to him to get him to relax, then present the lilies to him. As he looks at the flowers I would carefully slide the note up from the center of the stems till he sees it, then let him read it. After that...well, after that it was all up to him.

It was strange really, all the times I felt nervous when I was around him, and yet now, when I was about to admit my own feelings to the pony...er, human that I have fallen for, I finally feel at ease. Perhaps it's what Candence says about those last few minutes that a pony gets relaxed and calm, knowing that all will be well, just cause they say so to themselves. All I had to do now was set some candles in the room like the books say and set up some of that romantic music.

I take the next turn to my room...and stop dead in my tracks, the human in my mind suddenly walking around the other corner. I quickly move the bundle of flowers to my side and tuck it under my wing, doing my best to hid it, not ready to give it to him just yet. As soon as he saw me, he quickened his pace, walking up to me, thankfully it seemed he didn't see the gift I have for him.

I gave him a smile, glad to see him again even with the poor timing, but it soon turns to a frown as I see his expression, the look of hurt on his face, the pain in his eyes. Something was wrong.

I take a few steps and stop in front of him, looking up at his face with worry. "Drak, what is wrong with thou?" I asked him. However, he remains silent, not willing to say a word. "Drakalian, was thy mind mage not able to help thou?"

He remains silent still, once again looking away from making eye contact with me, but I could already tell that he was not happy from the brief look we had. I was about to ask again when he finally spoke up. "Hey Luna. The...the mind mage...he did help." He says softly.

I give a smile upon hearing this. "That's great news then! What was he able to do? Did he manage to figure out why you had amnesia in the first place? Was he able to fully fix it, or did he-" I started to ask before he silences me with a finger to my mouth. My eyes go cross looking at the finger for a moment before looking back at him, even more confused when his expression didn't change.

He removes his finger as he lets out a small sigh, closing his eyes as he seems to focus. "He managed to fix it. My memories should be coming back to me within the next month or two." He tells me.

"Great! Then we should celebrate this momentous occasion!" I tell him. I start to walk to my room, but stop after a few steps, looking back when I realize he wasn't following me.

Looking at him, I could see him looking back at me, but this time, his eyes locked with mine for just a moment. It was very brief, but it was enough to know that he was hurting...and it soon dawns on me just what it was that could be hurting him.

I slowly turn around to face him again. "These memories, they...they were about the war, yes?" I ask, to which he nods. "They weren't pleasant ones were they?" He looks down at the floor now, and I could see his eyes getting a bit more misty, making my heart beat harder with worry. "Please Drak, what's wrong? You can tell me."

He slowly looks up at me for a few more seconds before slowly, softly, he speaks up. I can barely hear it, but it is quiet enough around us that I can manage to make out the words.

"Aryas...Aryas is dead..."

I feel my eyes go wide, hearing the words of his first marefriend and knowing just why he would say those words. If he was talking about her, and that she is dead, then that could only mean the memory that he found, at least one of them, was of her death.

Quickly I lean against him and wrap my forelegs around him, the human quick to return the gesture in kind. I hold him close as I press my head against his own, lightly nuzzling him. I hear him start to slowly tear up, the events of what he went through seeming to be finally hitting him as he starts to tear up. I feel his fingers tighten against my back, and I just squeeze him tighter as I keep him close, letting him express his sadness at his own pace.

Slowly, Drak starts to shake a bit more, but he still doesn't fully cry, just letting his eyes water as he sniffles. He always has a hard time with fully crying, that I remember of him, and it seems that has still yet to change, but I know that deep down, he is very distraught about what he has learned. I decide to remain silent for the moment, not saying a single word as we just stood there, limbs wrapped around each other in a comforting embrace as I hold him close.

After what felt like a few minutes, I feel him slowly calming down enough to stop his shaking, slowly he starts to pull back, and I let him go as I just rest my forelegs around him lightly, leaning back to look at his face. I could see that this time, his eyes were starting to redden, seeing that he was holding his tears back despite himself. I just give him a comforting smile, despite feeling the sadness from him telling me that this was nothing to smile about.

After a few moments of staring at each other, he finally speaks up, but the words catch in his throat as he takes a moment to try again while I wait patiently for him to speak. After a few moments he manages to get it on the second try. "C-Ce...Celestia, said...she said you know...know where he...her grave is..." He says.

I give a small nod, my mind already going to that location of it. "Yes we do. You showed us the place after the...during our travels." I tell him. He looks at me again with the unanswered question, and I just nod. "It's not that far, just a fifteen minute walk from the city's edge."

He nods as we slowly untangle ourselves from the comfort hug. "Ok..." He says softly. Seeing that he was as ready as ever, I start to lead him back down the hall and out of the castle.

It takes a good while, but soon we find ourselves walking along the unused rocky pathway, going up one of the cliffs that overlooked the city itself. Looking over the view before us, I would have loved to stand there with him, the two of us just taking in the scenery and enjoying the whole place. In fact this would have been a much better place for my plan than my simple room.

However, that wasn't why we were here.

"Not much farther Drak." I tell him, glancing back to see if he was still following. As before he was looking down, head lowered as he just followed me, shoulder slumped, his whole body screaming of pain now. I give him a comforting smile as I turn facing forward again, looking around for the sign of Aryas' grave. After just a minute of searching, I find it. "Here we are!"

Before I can even motion where it is, the human rushes past me and towards the grave, stumbling a bit as he makes his way forward. I quickly rush to follow, worried that he may hurt himself in his distressed state. Thankfully he manages to make it without tripping and soon we are both standing before the grave.

It's a simple grave, at least in design. There wasn't much in the ways of marking it as any other grave, knowing what he had to go through when he told us about how he buried her here. It was a large stone slab just jutting out only a foot from the soft ground, one of the few spots of soft ground around in this mountainous area, the buried bump of dirt having been grown by a few bits of grass and some flowers as well. On the stone itself was a short inscription carved into the rock of the dead pony that was buried here. While the dates were hard to read with how faded it was, the rest was still legible:

Aryas Light
Wonderful Daughter, Passionate Crusader, Tender Lover
Semper Fidelis

Drak just stands there for the moment, staring at the stone and the lump of dirt before him before slowly sinking to his knees. I watch him as he reads the stone over and over again, not knowing what was going through his head, but knowing that whatever it was, he was in need of a friendly wing.

I start to raise my wing to wrap it around him, to comfort him, when I notice the bundle of flowers slip from under it, just barely catching the flowers before they hit the ground. Pausing, I look at the flowers, holding them in front of me for a few moments as I stand a bit behind the human, so he couldn't see them. I was at a loss now, I had this grand plan to tell him everything about me, about how I felt, and now...

I looked back at the human, seeing him still staring at the grave, not a single muscle moving, yet I can sense just how tense he feels from all of this. I look back at the flowers, and with a silent sigh I place them back under my wing, then step closer to him and use my other wing to wrap it around him.

He doesn't even react to me as I move and sit next to him, wing holding him gently as I look at the grave too. We stayed like that for a good long while, the minutes slowly ticking by, neither of us wanting or willing to say anything. Finally, it was I who broke the icy silence.

"We were all here when you showed us the first time." I told him. Getting no response, I continued. "It was during our travels that the minotaur you fought before tried to challenge you again, and you went to fight him. We managed to convince you to let us come, and it was a chaotic fight when we found him. You...you beat him in the end and avenged her." I told her. I glance over to see if I got anything from that, but again there is nothing but silence. "Afterwards you showed us this. It was just her name on the stone, then Little Light wrote the rest of it there. She was sad too cause-"

"Aryas was Little Light's daughter. I...I remember." I blink as I look back at him, surprised that he remembers this. He stays silent for a bit longer before adding, "I...I can remember...a bit more now. I...it's like picking out things from a very thick and murky pond, I can't see them but...but I can feel them."

I nod in understanding. "Yes, we found out a while before coming here that Little Light and Aryas were related. She was happy to know that her daughter found somepony like you to care for before..." I sigh, looking at the grave as I continued to stare.

We just fall silent for a good long while once again, this time neither of us bothering to move, my wing staying around him for comfort. Drak remained silent for the duration of the time, not willing to say a word, as much as I was unwilling to break the silence for him. As I held him, thoughts of the battle slowly washed back to me, the yelling and screaming of Little Light as she got us to move before we were surrounded by the chaos troopers, the slashes and whistling of weapons as my sister and I, along with our Mentor and Master Indicus swept through the tide of enemies, blades drawn and thrown as we cut them down one by one. The blood washing against our fur, the burnt flesh singeing the air around us, it was truly something out of a nightmare. I shiver, remembering it to be our first true battle with the Crusaders, seeing just what they could do and both my sister and I were so impressed that we decided to join them on the spot.

I gave a small smile at that part of the memory. If I only knew where we would end up just from simply joining them, it still boggles my mind that we used to be something so dark and foreboding, and now we are the two most powerful beings in Equestria...well, almost.

I take a glance at Drak to see if he had changed at all, and as before he was still staring at the stone slab. I just looked at him with worry for a few minutes, thinking if I should speak up before he slowly, shakily brought a hand over and place it on the stone. He stayed silent for a few moments longer before I finally heard him talk. It was soft however, and I barely could hear it, only hearing a few words like "Aryas" and "confused" from it. Not wanting to be disrespectful, I allow him the privacy as I just wait, closing my eyes and resting my head on top of his to better help him.

He doesn't pause his talking as I touch his head, almost like he doesn't notice. He keeps going for a few minutes before falling silent once more, and slowly he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a deep hug, his face pressing against my chest as I feel his tears start to soak against my fur a bit.

I sigh softly, my own eyes feeling a bit wet as I gently rub his back with a hoof, my wing still wrapped around him. It was at this point that he finally speaks louder, this time towards me.

"Luna. Thank you." He says, his voice muffled by my chest.

I give a small blink of confusion from this. "For what? I just did what is right." I told him.

He stays silent for a few moments before he continues. "Still, no one else...no pony else has helped me with my past as much as you. Even Twilight who tried her best, bless her, couldn't help me as much as you. But you...it just feels like we've known each other for years." At this he gives a sad, forced chuckle. "I guess we have, but at the same time it's like I'm relearning you all over again. You're such a wonderful, kind, and beautiful mare, I...I forgot about all of it until I came here."

I could feel my heart slowly beating a bit harder in my chest, making me wonder if he could feel it. The fact that he was admitting these feelings to me was making me start to blush as well, my hope rising as I wondered if this was it. Perhaps he was falling for me too as I was for him. Maybe I could still salvage this and give him some happiness for today. However, that is all shattered when he says the next words.

"I...I'm happy to have such a great friend as you Luna, and I...I wouldn't want it any other way." He says.

As kind as his words are, they caused my heart to skip a bit, my hope crashing down like a ton of bricks. I felt my heart heavy in my chest as I frowned, yet he couldn't see my reaction thankfully with our current position. I close my eyes and slowly exhale, relaxing myself as much as I was trying to relax him. I just smile then as I keep rubbing his back, giving the top of his head a nuzzle. "Of course Drak. You are a dear friend of ours, and we won't ever want you to lose us."

Slowly, without alerting him, I pulled the small bouquet of flowers from under my wing and hold it in front of me, taking one more look at it, my head swarming with questions. I could tell him just how I feel, that I wish to not only hold him, but to comfort him on all of his days, to have him in my wings, hooves and heart, to embrace him as only lovers could. I wanted him not just as a friend...but as real love.

But I knew, despite all that talk I had to myself before, despite everything my mind was saying to do it now, that I couldn't do it anymore, especially now. Seeing him in such a wreck, so much pain on his face and in his soul, I could tell that he was too vulnerable for such advances. Not only would it most likely worsen his current emotional state, but it may even drive a wedge between us, and that is the last thing that I wanted.

Slowly, with a sad frown, I lower the flowers and hid them back under my wing, keeping them there for the rest of our time as I gently part to look at the human. I could see his eyes were red and swollen a bit, even if he had been silent the entire time, he was still crying in his own way, and it showed in his green eyes. "Drak...perhaps we should head inside. It's getting cold and I...I need to raise the moon as well." I tell him.

Sniffling, he gives a small nod and slowly we stand up, my wing staying around him as I let him rest against me. "Ok Luna." He simply says as we start walking down back towards the city, him giving one last look back at the grave.

As we walked down in silence, I started to try and think of ways to try and make him feel better, and then after a few minutes of pondering a small idea pops into my head. "Drak. I...I don't normally like to talk about it, but I...I could tell you about our...our first battle with you." He stays silent and I just continue. "It is about that minotaur like I said, and...and how you did hold your promise to Aryas."

This caused him to look up at me in surprise. "My promise? B-but...but how do-"

"Again, you told us, the same day you told us about what happened to her." I reminded him, causing him to fall silent. "She wanted you to move on, and yet you had such trouble with it. In fact, I think Little Light said that the reason you joined was cause of that inability to move on from that event."

I give him a few moments to absorb that information before I continue. "Anyways, I...I don't normally like to bring it up cause of all the...bad memories that happened during and around that time. It was the first time we saw you all fight, and while at the time it was nothing, by todays standards..." I close my eyes and suppress a shiver that was about to go up my spine. "Today it would have seem like a slaughter."

He nods slowly in understanding as we walk down the pathway, feeling him stumble a bit as I help him stay steady. "If...if you really want to tell me about it, I...I would like to hear it." I give him a sad, but understanding look as he continues. "I know it must have been painful, knowing just what happened in such a painful time, and having to bring it up must be even worse, but...but I still want to know. I...I have to know. I need to know what happened next, how...how did I live through that...what did I do after that just to survive."

I nod in understanding as I help him reach the bottom of the path, slowly leading us to a more normal road leading to the main streets of Canterlot. "Of course Drak. I'll do anything to help, I promise you." I say. This time I get a genuine smile from him. It was small, and still covered with sadness, but it was a smile nevertheless.

As we walk back onto the streets of Canterlot, I let him rest against me, knowing and already feeling quite a few stares from the others around us as we walked by, but I couldn't give a care for what they were thinking at that time. I was here to help a friend in need, and while I have no idea if we will ever move past friendship, right now it doesn't matter.

Right now, all I want to do is make him smile.

Chapter 30: A Winter Inferno

(Drakalian POV)

It has been about a couple of weeks since I was last in Canterlot, and it was a rather...restless couple of weeks as well.

First of all, there was the memories of my time with the Order Legion. They were slowly coming back to me ever since my time with Magnus helped to crack that mind barrier I had. Every so often, about once every couple of days, a new memory would appear as if out of thin air, either a long memory that went on for several of my in mind days, or something that was literally just seconds long. In either case, they were still something to think about, to make me realize just what I was in the past. While most of the time I had been able to deal with myself when a new memory showed up, other times, such as when it was a longer memory, I would sometimes freeze up what I was doing, even in the middle of the most simple or complex things, like whenever I was in the shower, or at one time it happened when I was doing my workout with Dash.

That one scared me the most since all I could remember was that I was doing some light jogging, and then the next thing I knew I was on the ground with Rainbow looking down at me in confusion. It was at this point that I decided to just stick with some light staff training, not wanting to chance myself with anymore workouts...even if there is a chance of whacking myself in the head.

Besides the memories, everything else has been rather simple. I would spend it either reading on some of the history books and other random story books and then practice my staff before just walking around town to try and get used to the other ponies there. So far it seemed that the ponies there had gotten more used to me before I did of them, at least of the larger crowds. They were very friendly, thankfully, all of them giving a polite nod and a few even waving back in greeting.

It was during these times that I would run into one of the other girls. We would talk about casual things such as how the day is going along with them always asking about my wellbeing, something that started to slowly get a little bit annoying after a while, but I managed to put up with it. I also started to listen around a bit more as I walked around town to get more of a feel of the place and that's when I started hearing more about this Winter Wrap Up. I was curious as to hearing about this holiday of theirs, and seeing just how close it was to it, I decided to learn a bit more about what one does during that day. After asking a few questions I ended up talking to Applejack on how it all works. Out of all the girls she was one of the few who opened up to me rather quickly after she apologized to me, seeming to be making up for past grievances, even if I didn't really notice it at first, though they all were rather open in their own way.

In fact the only one that wasn't as open as the others was Fluttershy, but that was more cause of how shy she is than just from anything outright mean. I'm pretty sure she didn't have a single mean bone in her body, that mare is basically kindness incarnate. Even with that said, she still was willing to talk as I started to join them every other week during their spa sessions, enjoying the massages way too much to stop myself even if I wanted to. I could see why Rarity loved them so much, they really are refreshing.

During this time, the one who I really spent the most time with was Trixie. I always found myself walking by her apartment and then coming to her room to either chat or have lunch with her, sometimes even dinner. In turn she would tell me all sorts of stories during her times wandering Equestria, telling me about all the magical shows she put on as well as a few of the things she has done during those times. Whenever I tried to ask her how she first came here to Ponyville, though, she would always clamp up or change the subject, obviously trying to avoid it. Yet as much as I wished to know why she kept avoiding it, the pain that shown in her eyes whenever it was brought up...it just made me not want to push her any further.

Right now I was talking with the unicorn mare, both of us walking through the snow as we just had some idle chatter...ok, it was more like she was talking about herself while I just listened, and while it would be annoying that I didn't know what to say, since my first time at the spa with Fluttershy and Rarity, I didn't let it effect me as much.

"So then, I threw the red apple in the air, hoof only, no magic, and as it was in the middle of the air, I switched it to a green apple!" She said. "Of course when it landed every pony was amazed by Trixie's magnificence." She finished, giving a grin as she brushed her mane to the side with a hoof.

I just nodded my head, hands in my hoodie pockets to keep them warm as we walked. "So you just magically teleported the apples to each other?" I asked. Some of her magic seemed to go over my head for some reason. While the tricks that she did explain are cool and I overall really do enjoy listening to her talk about her many tricks, I couldn't really tell if it was real magic or not...or how it would be amazing considering some of the things that Twilight or even other unicorns could do. The first time I brought this up Trixie quickly got into a defensive mode as she went on about how her craft is so much more different and more difficult than any other magical craft out there, something that went on for almost an hour.

It didn't help that she would always refuse to explain how the trick was done. She gives a coy smile up at me as she shakes her head. "Nice try Drak, but a magician never reveals her secrets." She said, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Fine fine, but surely there are magic tricks that everyone knows about, they can't all be-" I start to say only to fall silent as I realize she was looking around curiously. "What's up?"

She looks at me with confusion, her nose slightly wrinkled as she takes another few sniffs of the air. "Do you...do you smell something burning?"

It was at this point that we heard screaming, both of us jerking our heads up towards the sounds of the voices. Without any hesitation, I quickly started sprinting over to the source of the sounds, the crunching of snow behind me telling me that Trixie was doing her best to keep up as well.

It was only a minute later when we came across the scene. Before us, a raging storm of fire was crackling and burning inside of a building, ponies already around the place trying to put it out, a few forming a water bridge as some of them melted some of the snow, while others just tossed snow onto the fire itself. A quick look at what remains of the building showed that it was a public building of some sort, and the many letters fluttering above and around the flames helped to figure out the rest of it.

As I stopped and looked around the scene, I notice Trixie quickly nudge me forward. "Come one! We need to help them!" She says, causing me to shake the shock out of my system.. Nodding, I quickly rush over to the burning building as I start picking up snow and tossing it on whatever fire I could reach, the azure unicorn doing the same with both magic and hooves.

As I continued helping, I was able to look around the building and see a few other ponies who were sitting out away from the fire, some of them with black soot on their fur, and a couple with singed and burnt spots on their fur. I could also see what seemed to be some medic ponies milling around the hurt ones, treating them for their injuries as another group of ponies started to show up, these ones carrying more buckets of water as well as dragging hoses across the ground. Soon they were in position as the ponies pointed the hoses at the burning building and started spraying water over the flames.

As I look in confusion at the hoses and how they were spraying water, Trixie nudged me back into focus. "What is it Drak?" She asked, still tossing snow on the fire.

I shook my head as I went back to helping put out the flames. "Sorry just seeing the hoses I was wondering." I replied. Seeing the questioning look and knowing I would need to explain myself better, I continued. "How are they getting the water? And why aren't any of the pegasai getting a cloud to put the fire out?"

She takes a moment to toss the rest of the snow she was holding onto the fire before she responds. "The water they are shooting from is coming from a local lake reserve, which is pipped underground all over the town. Most towns have that system of a large body of water to provide most if not all the water needs of the town. They just hooked up to one of the pipes and they are good to go. As for the pegasus..." She motions above them, to where I look. "Do you see any clouds or pegasai around? It's scheduled to be a clear day, and not only that but the closest rain clouds are miles away. It's gonna take hours for one to be pushed over into position."

I nod in understanding and we once again resume trying to put the fire out. The minutes go by as we keep shoving snow on any flicker of flame that we could when we heard another cry.

I look up from my work and notice a commotion coming from what used to be the entrance of the building. Before the building there were a couple of ponies holding back a grey mare, who was crying as she struggled at what seemed to be trying to get back into the fire. Curious, I started jogging over to the group, leaving Trixie to continue helping with the fire as I tried to listen in on what was going on. As I got closer, I was able to get a better view of the ponies involved. One of them was one of the spa ponies, who was it...Lotus? Yea, Lotus! She along with a rather tall looking earth pony, red coat and blondish mane with what looked like some sort of farming implement around his neck, both of them holding the grey mare back. A quick glance of said mare showed that she had a blonde mane and tail, and the mark on her flank was one of bubbles. Her eyes were watering and the distress must have really been at her, for her eyes seemed very out of focus, not even looking at the same spot.

Soon I was in ear shot of their voices as they seemed to be trying to calm down the grey mare. "Ditzy, you can't go in! It's too dangerous!" Shouted Lotus, worry in her eyes. The red pony nodded in agreement as he kept holding the mare back.

However, she was having none of it, shoving forward and trying to break away from them to get back into the building. "B-But Dinky! She's still in there!" She cried, doubling her efforts to get past them.

"Enope, too dangerous miss." The red pony added. "Them flames are way too strong now. The fire ponies will be here soon and they can help-"

As he was talking, a large crash was heard from inside of the fire, causing them and myself to pause as they looked over at it. From inside I could see the flames getting brighter, the shadows flickering around...

I blinked, focusing more on the shadows. Something didn't seem right, they weren't moving like normal shadows. Slowly they started to shift, and for a brief moment, I could have sworn I saw the shape of a small pony in them.

It seems I wasn't the only one as the grey mare doubles her efforts to escape again, screaming at the fire. "Dinky!" She cries as Lotus and the red pony once again try to restrain her.

As soon as the shadow starts to fade, my mind is already going through patterns and shapes in the fire, best looking for an entrance and an exit. However, it seemed that the best entrance was straight ahead, through the front door, and by the looks of it, the doorframe wasn't going to last for much longer.

So focused I was on the fire that I didn't even notice Trixie was next to me again. "Drak, what are you-"

I quickly pull my hoodie off of me and toss it to the side, which happened to be right in front of Trixie. Before she could finish I was running to the fire, arms pumping as I sprint to the entrance of the burning building.

"Drak!" I hear Trixie call me, but it is soon flushed out from the roar of the flames. Before I even realize it, I was beyond the door and in the building.

I wince as I feel the heat all around me, raising my arms up as a rather large flame surges forward to me for a moment before receding back. I start making my way forward, looking around for the little filly that I saw just seconds ago. I start calling for the filly, remembering the name that the grey mare called out, my lungs starting to ache as smoke slowly filled them, causing me to cough as I tried to breath in clear air, a futile effort in this fire.

I blunder through the burning rooms, my mind doing its best to make a map for a return trip. Thankfully it's a one story building, so there wasn't that much to search before I come across the back room. Judging by the large number of burning packages and letters, I was assuming this was the sorting room, or even storage room. Seeing how this is the biggest room and most likely spot for the filly to be, I start calling out again.

"Dinky! Dinky! Anyone here?!" I call out. As nothing but the crackling flames responds, I start to worry that I might be too late, but to my relief, I hear coughing coming from one of the tables.

I stumble my way over and soon I'm standing right behind the table, looking down and seeing a small unicorn filly clutching something close to her chest. She looks up at me from where she is sitting, terrified, her pink fur covered in soot, her sides having a few burn marks as her blonde mane and tail were singe and burnt as well. A quick look in her eyes told me everything that I needed to know: she was terrified.

I don't blame her for being scared, seeing a large creature that they only know from myth suddenly appear from the fires would scare me half to death too. However, the last thing I needed was for her to panic, so I quickly lowered myself down to her level, keeping my eyes calm and relaxed despite the situation around us. "It's ok, I'm here to help!" I say over the flames. I start to reach over to help her up, but she flinches and backs away a bit.

I frown as I try to figure out a way to get her to trust me, knowing that we are on limited time. Finally an idea pops into my head. "Your mom is worried sick Dinky." I tell her. Her eyes remain on me and I could still see the slight uncertainty behind them so I continued. "Grey mare, pegasus. She has a beautiful blonde mane like yours, and has bubbles as a-"

"C-cutie mark bubbles?" I hear her sniffle out, causing me to smile and nod. As soon as I confirm this, I can see the doubt wash from her eyes and quickly be replaced with worry. "I...I-I didn't mean to pull away from mommy! I w-wanted to save her photo! It's the only one she has left of him!" She says, slowly opening up her forelegs to show what she was holding.

A quick glance showed that it was indeed some sort of picture frame holding a photo, but the picture was way too covered up in soot and ash to really make out what it is, besides what seems to be a couple of pony faces. I just smiled as I slowly reach over again, cautious to make sure she doesn't flinch. This time she doesn't and I'm able to gently touch her head and comfort her with a few small pets.

"You are a very brave filly for getting that for your mom, but right now we need to get you out of here." I tell her. She gives a small nod as she starts to get up, coughing some more as she does so. I take a quick look over her and thankfully I don't see any other serious injuries besides the burns, and seeing she has no trouble walking I quickly start to lead us out of the room.

It takes us a while as a few of the hallways and doorways started to close off, but thankfully there was either enough room to squeeze by or another way around the blockage. Soon we were at the entrance of the building once again, able to see outside to all the waiting ponies, including the grey mare.

Seeing her, Dinky gives a cry of joy as she rushes forward. "Mommy!" She calls out, quickly rushing forward to meet her. The grey pony is just as easily happy as her daughter as she rushes forward to meet her as well. As I quickly jog to get out of the building too, I notice a few more creaks and groans before the whole places started to shudder. Looking forward I realized just what was going to happen...and Dinky was in the middle of it.

"Dinky get back!" I call out, reaching over and grabbing her with both hands around her waist. I yank her back just as the wooden supports of the doorframe and the building itself land right where she was going to be, causing the fire to explode out towards us. The unicorn filly cries in pain as a few flames tickle her fur, to which I quickly turn us around and shield her from the worst of it. Once the sudden burst dies down a bit, I turn and feel my heart sink.

Our last exit was blocked, covered by a layer of burning rubble.

I can feel Dinky giving a small whimper as I hold her against me, and she scoots closer to me as I hold her. I gently stroke her back as I do my best to calm her down. "It's ok Dinky, we'll get out of this." I tell her. She just remains silent as I scan the room, looking for any other way out. "Hey, you still got that photo?" I ask, hoping that her knowing she had that would help to keep her calm.

She looks down at her hooves and nods, still holding the picture tight in her grasp. "Y-yea." She says, getting me to smile.

After a few moments I finally see that the only way forward is through the entrance still, everything else either too hot to get close or too solid to go through. While the blockade of burning wood was indeed a problem, I could still see that it was weak enough for enough force to make it through. The only problem, besides the fire, was the weak support. If it was knocked over, more of the building could easily slam down on us, and then we would be really done for.

I take another look around to look for another option, but time wasn't on our side. I can hear the building creak, the wood slowly starting to cave in, and I knew that I had to take the chance.

I look down at Dinky before picking her up, causing her to give a small squeak of surprise. "Ok, listen close Dinky. I need you to put your head against my chest and breath through my shirt, to keep the ash out of your mouth." She nods as she starts to do that, being careful as to where she places her horn so it wasn't poking me in the face, her breath hot against my chest as she starts breathing against the fabric. "Now hold on tight and close your eyes."

I give her a moment to do just that and before she can get a chance to ask what I was going to do, I lunge myself forward, running as fast as I can at the collapsed entrance. It only takes a few seconds to reach my full speed, and another second to reach the blockage.

Just as I'm about to hit the door, I close my eyes, aim with my shoulder and brace for impact.

(Trixie's POV)

That crazy, stupid, irresponsible...GAW! I can't believe he just ran into the fire like that! Sure a filly is in danger, and no pony in their right mind would leave some pony in a fire like that, including me...but still! To just run blindly into the flames without a care of any pony else? The nerve!

And to make matters worse he nearly dumped his stupid clothes on me. Ok it was in front of me but still! I held his hoodie in my hooves as I just sighed, looking back up at the flames as they continued to soar higher.

During this I noticed that the grey mare had stopped struggling against her friends, the spa pony and that large farm pony who were holding her back, instead she was just watching with abated breath. Suddenly it seems she noticed me holding the human's clothing and she carefully walks over to me.

Once close enough she sits down as she looks out at the fire, barely glancing at me and the hoodie I was holding. It was obvious she was wanting to ask me a question, and with a sigh I shake my head. "Out with it, what do you want with Trixie?"

She blinks as if realizing I was there before giving a sheepish smile, her eyes still looking out at the fire. I mean...one of them was, the other one just lazily looked to the side of it. "S-Sorry, I just...who was that? I've never seen any pony like that anywhere." She asks.

"An idiot, that's what. And some pony who doesn't know self preservation." I said, rolling my eyes. The mare gives me a confused look before looking back at the building.

"Well, he is a very brave idiot." She says worry and hope in her voice. I just sigh as I get ready to correct her, only to be stopped by her sudden shocked expression.

Looking over I see both the human and the filly quickly running to get out of the building, the little unicorn shouting for her mom. However I notice the human quickly reach over and pull her back, just in time to avoid the falling debris as it lands right at the entrance, blocking their way out.

The grey pony gasps and tries to make a break to the fire again, but this time I use my magic to stop her, tugging on her tail as I hold her in place, if with a bit of difficulty. "No! Don't you go rushing in there as well! You want to die?"

"B-But my Muffin! I need to save her!" She cries, her eyes watering up once again.

I curse under my breath as I try to do my best to console the obviously anxious mother, something I was never good at in the first place. As I tried to think of something, I hear more groaning from the building, getting both of us, and the rest of the ponies around us, to fall silent.

A few seconds go by and just when I thought the human wasn't gonna make it, the rubble at the entrance suddenly exploded forward! My eyes go wide as I see the human, holding the filly close to his chest, charging through the burning wreckage, tossing burning wood and debris away from him.

However, just as soon as he broke through, the last of the supports gave way, causing the rest of the front end of the building to collapse. I can feel my eyes widen with shock as the wood starts falling around him, and just when I thought he was gonna make it...he tripped.

I would have facehooved if it wasn't for the fact that they were in mortal danger. As he falls into the snow, a large wooden beam falls over, quickly landing across the human's legs, causing him to cry out in pain, followed by some grunts as a few stone blocks from the building tumble down and land on his back and head, pinning him down and knocking him out. I could see the fire from the beam already dancing across his legs, clearly starting to burn through his pants.

This time I don't bother stopping the grey mare from rushing forward, running over myself as I stop just before the trapped human and filly. I start to help with levitating the stones off of Drak while the mother joined in, soon pulling her daughter out from the human's unconscious grasp. Once she was free, the pink filly was quick to hug her mother, both of them sobbing with delight as they nuzzled one another.

"Why did you stray Dinky? I told you to stay by my side when we were evacuating!" The grey mare asked her daughter.

"I-I'm sorry mommy! I'm so sorry!" The filly replied, crying. "I just wanted to save your photo of daddy."

After that I didn't bother to pay much attention, focused as I was to try and free Drak from the rest of the burning beam. Concentrating hard, I focused my magic on the beam, coating it with my magic. Slowly it starts to lift up, the weight from it causing me to sweat. I grit my teeth as I focus, lifting it up inch after inch as I soon get it clear over the human. With a mighty heave, I toss it to the side just a couple of feet away, but thankfully it was enough as I rushed to him, looking over his damages.

It's at this moment that the human started to stir, his eyes blinking back open as he looks around numbly. "W-What...did I...did we make it?" He asks to what seems like himself before his eyes finally focus on me.

I just sigh as I lean down and look right at him. "You are so damn stupid. What were you thinking, rushing blindly in there and risking your life?" I questioned.

He slowly shakes the unconsciousness from his eyes as he focus more on me. "I...I saw someone in danger and I...I went to save them." He takes a few moments to catch his breath before adding, "What would you have done?"

I open my mouth to respond but then slowly close it. As I thought it over, I realized that my answer would have been to do the same as him, if not as crazy as how he did it. Letting out a more relaxed sigh, I just lean in and give his cheek a small nuzzle. "Just rest Drak, let the medics check your legs out. And...well done." I said. This gets him to blush lightly, but the smile still appears on his face. I just smile lightly back as I get up and motion to the medic ponies to come over, making a mental note to tell him that if he said anything about me showing affection to him to any pony else, I would hang him by his ankles for a week.

(Drakalian POV)

I wince as I feel the medic pony apply some more antiseptic on my leg, the burnt flesh looking rather dark and blackened, but the pain of it slowly starting to fade. I was sitting up in one of the wagons that the medic ponies brought to help carry the wounded, but as it turns out most if not all of the ponies who ended up injured were able to walk on their own, the worst that they got were some burnt fur. I on the other hand was currently waiting for the pain to fade from my legs, something that was taking a good, long while to do.

I look over at Trixie, who had went over to talk to the two ponies who were with the grey mare when we first saw her. Speaking of which, I could see her and Dinky both talking and clinging to each other the entire time. After a while I noticed the medic that was with me finishing up cleaning my legs up, and was starting to apply bandages to them.

"I'm not sure what you were thinking, but that was very brave if not crazy of you to dive in to save that filly." He says, looking up at me with a small smile. I just smiled back at this, a quick glance at the brown pegasus pony before looking at my legs as he worked.

"I know, but I didn't really think it over. I just...I heard about it and just acted." I say. I give a small shrug at this. "I'm not really sure how else to explain it, but I just went with what felt right."

He nods in understanding. "It's your gut feeling, just means you have a good heart." He says. He then finishes wrapping my legs up before motioning me to stand, to which I do. I take a few testing steps , only wincing slightly as I feel only a little bit of pain with each step, but otherwise it was much better than before. "Now, this should be good enough for the moment, but I recommend going to see a doctor for a full examination." He says.

I give a mental sigh at this but nod to him. Satisfied, he allows me to walk off as I walk down to meet with Trixie again. Looking myself over I give a mental groan at the damage to my new pants, knowing that Rarity would not be happy with what I did to them. Still, I wouldn't have done anything different in that situation, and I didn't regret a single thing. As I was thinking about how to get them repaired, I feel a sudden pressure on my leg, making me wince and nearly flinch, but I stop myself as I look at the source. I can't help but to give a small smile as I see Dinky hugging me around my leg, to which I gently leaned down to get closer to her level.

"Hello there Dinky, the medics give you the full clear?" I asked her.

She smiles as she releases me and twirls around a bit, showing the few bandages she has wrapped around her, including one around her mane close to her horn. "I look like a mummy!" She says with glee. I can't help but to smile at this, finding her to be way too cute and just glad that she was acting a lot more cheery despite the situation she was in only minutes ago.

"Dinky! Don't go bothering the poor stallion!" I look up to see the grey pony quickly flying towards us, landing before her filly as she pulls her into a hug.

I give a small chuckle as I shake my head. "It's fine, I don't mind at all. Besides it makes me feel good to see her in such high spirits." Especially with what happened. I can't help but to admire the filly's bravery and the fact that she is acting like she didn't just survive a large fire.

The larger pony just smiles as she pets her child's back. "She isn't the only one who is happy." She says. Looking up, she then offers a hoof to me. "I'm Ditzy by the way, and...thanks for saving my daughter."

I take the hoof and give it a small shake before letting it go. "Drakalian, but please call me Drak." I introduce myself. Looking over at the now smoldering ruin of a building, I ask, "So...what happened to cause all of this?"

She frowns at this, not bothering to answer for a few minutes as she just holds her daughter close. After a good while she gently motions to the group Trixie is with and says, "Go and play with Auntie Lotus Dinky. I'm sure she will love to see your new mummy look." Smiling, the little unicorn does just that, quickly bounding to the blue mare as we watch her go. Ditzy sighs happily as she watches before looking back at me with a small frown. "I'll be honest...I'm not sure. One moment I was helping to organize the mail, my daughter watching on to learn, and then the next..." She falls silent as she recalls what happened and suddenly she is against my chest in a tight hug.

I blink, nearly stumbling back from the force of the hug, but thankfully I manage to recover as I soon find myself holding the mare close to me. I remain silent, unsure as to what I should do as the mare just kept holding me, but thankfully she realizes what she was doing as she parts, giving small sniffles as her eyes water.

"S-sorry, I just...I just don't know what I would do if I...I lost her." She admits. "I just...I lost her father before she was even born, so she...she's all I have."

I give a nod of understanding. "It's hard to lose someone you love, especially after already losing someone." I say. As I say this, memories of Aryas flash back in my mind, both recent and not so recent, yet all of them feeling so very fresh, like they only happened weeks ago.

Ditzy nods as she reaches back under her wing and pulls out a picture frame. It takes a moment to realize that it is the same picture that Dinky was holding when I found her in the fire. It seems Ditzy cleaned it up a bit so now I could see that it was indeed two ponies, one of them her, the other a black earth pony stallion, white mane and tail, but I couldn't see his cutie mark from the position they were at.

It takes me a moment to realize just what I was looking at. "Wait, Dinky said that it's the only one you have of him..." I fall silent. At the moment I didn't know who she was talking about, but now hearing it from Ditzy it all makes sense, why Dinky would risk her life to save that photo, and how much it meant to Ditzy. I look over at the filly, who was now playing with Lotus as Trixie looked onwards, the red pony seeming to have left a while ago. "She really is a brave girl huh?"

"She is indeed. She got that from her papa." Ditzy said, wiping her eyes a bit before putting the photo away and looking back up at me. "So...thank you again." She pauses for a few moments to collect herself before smiling up at me. "If you ever need help with anything, or mail to be delivered, I promise to be there for you!"

I smile as I shake my head. "That's nice but you don't need to-"

"Oh yes I do!" She said, causing me to stop. "You saved my Muffin, something that I can't ever repay you for, the least I can do is be a good mail pony and an even better friend."

I raised an eyebrow at this, surprised that she would already consider me her friend, even though we just met. I guess what Twilight said is true, that ponies are much more ready to be friends with someone else. However, one thing did pop into my mind. "Wait, mail pony? So you deliver the mail?"

She nods, puffing her chest out proudly. "That's right! I'm the local mail pony and always ready to deliver the mail to anypony anywhere!" She says with pride...till she looks back at the burnt building. "At least I was. I don't know what I'll be doing while they get it built back up."

I nod as I look at the building, standing back up as I did so. During my talk with Ditzy I couldn't help but to notice that it was starting to get a bit late, a glance at the clock tower showed that it was almost five pm. "Well, if you need any help with anything, I'm more than happy to offer my services with whatever help you will need."

She smiles as she gets up herself, giving a nod of thanks to this. "Thank you Drak, I'm sure to keep that in mind." She says with a grin.

I smile in return as we give one last wave before we part, with me heading over to Trixie as Ditzy went to collect her daughter from the blue mare. As I reached the magician, I can't help but notice the small frown on her face, along with my hoodie floating in her magic. "What's wrong?" I asked her, confused and concerned.

She seems to start from my sudden approach, almost like she finally saw me, giving a small shake of her head. "Hm? Oh nothing. Don't worry about it, just thinking of...things." She says. We stay silent for a few awkward moments before She floats the hoodie over to me. "I believe you dropped this."

I smile as I take the hoodie back, putting it on as I feel myself relax more, especially once the hood is over my head. For some reason whenever I was out in public I just always felt more relaxed when the hood was up, perhaps something to do with that fear of crowds that we discovered on my botched welcome party. "Thanks Trixie. So, what do you-" I start to ask before she waves a hoof to silence me.

"I think we should both turn in. I have a few things that I need to prepare in order to find a way to remake my wagon and find the bits to do it, and you are certainly going to need to rest your legs after what just happened." She tells me.

I frown at this. "I think I'm fine, thank-" I start to say again, only this time to be silenced as she taps my leg, making me stammer and nearly fall over.

As I recover, I see her looking at me with a small smirk. "No, Trixie thinks you need to lay down and rest and to not run into anymore fires."

I try to think of some way to counter this, but the logical side of me knows that she is right. I sigh and give a nod. "Yea, I should head back I guess. I am getting hungry anyways." I say. As I look around, a thought pops up to me as I look back at the azure mare. "Wait, you still want to go to that magic museum?" I asked.

I remember during my walks in Ponyville that I found this place that had a history on not just magic, but apparently stage magic as well and when I told Trixie about it she was super ecstatic to go. At least as ecstatic as she would let herself be. It was quick to decide that we would both go later in the weekend, when she had more things set up for her rebuilding her wagon. She has been so focused on it ever since she got her new temporary job, very excited about finally able to get bits once again and pay for her own food.

She nods eagerly as she hears this. "Of course! Trixie won't miss this for the world! Though...perhaps we can delay it by a day? The pink one asked me to come to her on that day and said I absolutely, positively, yada yada had to come over to the library that day." She says.

I raise an eyebrow at this. "Pinkie said that? Well...ok, that's fine, though I'm curious why she said to come to the library and not Sugarcube Corner."

She shrugs. "Trixie has given up on trying to understand that one, especially after hearing what happened to Twilight."

I wince, remembering the anvil that the purple mare said fell on her during her observation of Pinkie. "Yea, probably for the best." I agree. "Well, then see you in a few days Trixie!"

She nods and gives a wave back as we split up and head back to our respected living quarters. As I walked through the snow, I thought over what Trixie said about Pinkie, for some reason the thought of that mare having plans at the library making me very nervous.

And perhaps a little bit afraid.

Capter 31: Sleepover!

It has been a week since the fire, Trixie and I still spending some time with each other, though our time together went on pause as I healed from the burns. Thankfully said burns didn't last for long, for the doctor I went to, who happened to be the same one as before, was able to heal them much easier than my other injuries, leaving them just pink and sore after a full night's sleep. I was glad it was healed so easily, cause I was getting tired being constantly injured and wounded during my time here.

During this time it seemed my memories had stopped coming, which made me relived and worried at the same time. I was glad cause I didn't have to worry about a memory popping in during an unexpected time, but at the same time I was still worried cause it could still happen at any moment. It also made me think that the memory fix might not have fixed it all, for it still felt like a lot of void was missing in my mind. Still, that worry grew less and less as time went on, and soon I just realized that worrying about when it would happen would not be healthy for me, so I just relaxed as best as I could and went with my life.

Speaking of which, I was seeing a lot of ponies scrambling around today as I helped Rarity and Pinkie with their groceries, carrying them in my hands as I walked with them. Surprisingly it was Rarity who needed to buy more out of the two, Pinkie saying that she only needed some key ingredients...like fish sauce.

I didn't question it.

As we walked along the snow covered road, idly listening to the two ponies talking to each other, I noticed that there were a lot of ponies rushing around, clearing up spots around their houses of snow and plenty of them closing the doors and windows even tighter than normal. I raised an eyebrow as I see the third pegasus in as many minutes pushing a cloud across the sky, the dark fluff rumbling as it floated along.

I wasn't the only one who noticed this as I hear the white unicorn mention it. "Darling, did either of you hear anything about a storm being scheduled?" She asked us.

I gave a small shrug. "Not really. Then again I don't pay much attention to the weather schedules."

"Oh, I did! I think it was something about them needing to end the winter off with a bang unlike last time." The pink mare states. She rubs her chin and then gives a shrug of her own. "Though it could also be some sort of plot convenience to try and make the story work."

We just looked confused at the party mare for a few moments before Rarity spoke up again. "Actually, I think I remember! Wasn't there something about a miscalculation in the water that they got last time, so they are needing to dump a load of snow and we offered to let them dump the extra snow here?"

Pinkie nodded rapidly. "Yea, that makes totally more sense! Though I like my plot idea better." She quickly agrees. I just shake my head as I look around, seeing the pegasai gathering the clouds up above us, the rumble slowly starting to increase. I look back at the others as I realize they too are looking up at the sky, worry on their faces.

"I'm not sure we are gonna make it back to your homes guys." I tell them, to which they give a nod.

"Indeed, perhaps its best we seek shelter till the storm goes by." Rarity suggests.

"What about Twilight's?" Pinkie asked, pointing over at the tree house that was just a block away from us.

I blink, forgetting just how close we were to it as I give a nod in agreement. "Sounds like a plan, Rarity?"

She nods in return. "I think it's for the best. Would rather be with somepony that we know rather than somepony that we don't know." She adds.

"But I already know everypony here!" Stated the pink mare, to which Rarity and I just gave her a deadpanned look.

I nod and we quickly make our way to the library, the snow already starting to fall slowly. Worried I start to pick up the pace, trying to make it to the building quicker, the two ponies following suit just as quickly. Thankfully we make it just as the wind starts to pick up, with me quickly opening the door for the two mares as they rush inside, closing it just as quickly once we are all inside. Once in, I look around for a few moments before seeing Twilight sitting on the couch and reading a book, looking at us with surprise.

I give a small wave with my heavy holding hand. "Hey Twi, sorry about barging in." I told her.

She just shakes her head as she gets up from the couch, placing the book to the side as she walks to us. "It's no problem. Besides, you do live here too. I am curious as to why you are carrying bags of food...and why Pinkie and Rarity are here." She asks, giving them both a smile as well as a hug in return.

They both return her hug, each of them adding their own nuzzle as well. "Well darling, we were on our way back from grocery shopping when we noticed that nasty storm was about to hit, so we quickly ran to the closest shelter." She says.

"In this case, it was your library house!" Finished Pinkie.

I give a nod as I held the bags up. "Yea, and judging from the weather outside..." I pause as I look out a window, seeing the snow dropping even heavier as the wind picked up. "...I think we may be stuck in here for a while. Do you mind if I..." I fall silent as I look down at the bags before looking up at her.

Thankfully she is quick to get the message. "Oh! You can put that in the kitchen for now and the cold items in the fridge, if that's ok with you two?" She asks the other two, who just nod in agreement.

Smiling, I walk over to the kitchen and quickly place the bags on the table, putting the frozen items in the fridge and freezer. As I set the things down, I hear the door bang open once more before slamming shut, causing me to return to the main room quickly, seeing a snow covered Dash and Applejack dusting themselves off.

"Um...what happened to you two?" I asked eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Rainbow flaps her wings a few times to warm them up before responding. "I was just wrapping up on my end of the sky, adding to the clouds when somepony thought it would be funny to start the storm a bit early." She huffs, looking back out the window before shaking her head. I hear her mumble something else but it's so soft that I barely catch it, though I did catch a few words, namely "revenge" and "Thunderlane" whoever that is.

Before I can ask what she meant by that, Applejack was speaking up, shaking her hat clean of snow. "And I was in the middle of cleaning some of the messier snow banks, to try and make some room, when that there storm started picking up. Thankfully Rainbow helped me get out from the snow that fell on me after the wind started to pick up." She says, double checking that her hat is clear of snow before placing it back on her head.

"Yea, you would have been stuck there for a good while if not for me." Dash adds, giving a cheeky grin.

The farm pony just playfully glares at her. "I would have gotten out on my own, thank you very much. You just helped me to get out faster is all." She counters.

Before they can continue with their banter, Twilight speaks up. "So I'm guessing you two are stuck here for a few hours as well, till the storm is finished?" She asks.

They both nod. "Though it may be a bit longer than just a few hours Sugarcube." Says Applejack.

"Yea, the storm is scheduled to go through the entire night and even most of tomorrow, so we are all stuck here till then." Agreed Rainbow.

"Unless any of us wish to try and go through it, I guess we just have to wait it out." The librarian added, to which the two athletes nodded.

Pinkie is suddenly behind the three mares, hooves in the air as she waves them around. "That means we get to have a slumber party!" She exclaims, giving a gleeful "EEE" as she hops around them. I automatically wince at the word 'party' but reassure myself that it won't be like the first party that I was at. It was just then that the mare added, "If only Fluttershy was here, than it would be even better!"

Almost as if on cue, the door started to knock rapidly, as if someone was very eager to get inside. I quickly walk over before anyone else and open the door finding to my surprise not only Fluttershy...but Trixie?!

"Wait, what are you doing here Trixie?" I asked surprise written on my face.

The azure mare just shakes her head as she quickly walks inside, followed swiftly by the shy mare. "Trixie was walking around, minding her own business when this storm suddenly started! I swear, you ponies need to work on your schedules better, this would never happen in Canterlot or Manehatten." She states before continuing. "Anyways, Trixie noticed Fluttershy here was having trouble getting through the snow, so she helped her along to seek shelter for her."

"It was very kind of you to help me Trixie, thank you." The yellow mare said kindly, giving her a small smile.

The unicorn just gives a snort. "Had she known that it would be here she would have just risked going back into the storm." She says.

"Well if you really want to, you are free to go." Twilight says, causing the rest of us to look at her in surprise.

"What?! You dare refuse Trixie a place to stay and kick her out in the-" Trixie started to say before the purple unicorn cut in.

"I'm not refusing you to stay, in fact I want you to stay. But if you really want to go out there..." She falls silent as she looks out the window. The rest of us look outside as well, just in time to see a huge wave of snow fall from one of the branches and land onto the ground, the wind still blowing like mad.

Trixie stares outside for a few moments before swiftly shaking her head as she looks away at the rest of us. "Fine, but only cause she has no choice!" She states, to which the rest of us just smile.

Seeing that all of us were stuck here, I started to go and get us some food, but as I turned to do that, I blink in surprise, seeing that the place was already set up with sleeping bags and refreshments, along with plenty of sweats. "What the-"

"Silly Draky! I always have some spare party set ups here, just in case I need to bust out a quick surprise party of any kind!" Pinkie says as she bounces from behind me, quickly getting to her sleeping bag, which of course was pink.

I look at the others for some clarification, but they just seem to not notice it. Either that or they are way more used to it than I am. In fact I'm pretty sure it was that. As they got to their sleeping bags and got there things set up, I walked over to Twilight, sitting down next to her. "Ok, so...what does one do during a sleeping party?" I ask the book mare.

Finishing up, she looks at me and smiles. "It's a slumber party, and it's simple! We play games and tell scary stories and then we all sleep in one of these sleeping bags." She says.

I look around at the sleeping bags and notice that there seems to be one missing. "Yea, I don't think there's one for me though." I mention.

Pinkie is quickly next to me, having finished her placement rather quickly. "Yea, sorry about that Drak. I didn't really have any extras for you, or any that would even fit you." She says, giving a sad look.

I nod in understanding. "No worries, I can just use my bed, if that's ok." I say, which causes her to smile brightly once more. I glance at the purple mare just to make sure it was ok, to which she nods. "Ok, so with the sleeping arrangements made...now what?"

Rainbow is the first one to speak up. "Oh! Let's tell some ghost stories first! I got a few good ones that will surely give you all nightmares!" She says, giving an evil grin.

Fluttershy eeps at this, shivering softly before she says, "Um, we could just talk about our day and-"

"I doubt your story is that scary. Trixie has plenty of scary stories that you have never heard, sure to keep you awake for days, nay weeks!" Trixie interrupts.

"I mean we don't have to do-" The butter mare tries again, only to get interrupted once again.

"Oh, let's make s'mores! I love s'mores!" Pinkie said, bouncing in place eagerly.

"That does sound like-"

"I think we should do something relaxing, maybe some yoga. I've always wanted to give yoga a try." Rarity adds, rubbing her chin in thought.

"I wouldn't mind doing-"

"Now hold on there Rarity, we need to do something that we all agree on, not just one of your silly things like yoga." Applejack says, looking over at the white mare.

"Darling trust me! Yoga is amazing, it's made to stretch your body and to get you to relax, you will love it, especially after a hard day of work." She counters, causing AJ to think about it for a few moments.

As they all kept talking over each other, I just sighed and shook my head, leaning back as I looked over at Twilight, seeing her just staring at her friends in slight annoyance. I decide to try and say something in order to help her stay calm. "So...lots of choices for us I see." I say, motioning to the other mares talking to each other.

This gets her to blink as she looks at me, then at her friends, giving a giggle and a nod. "True, but we still need to figure out what order to do them first." She says. After a few more moments of talking, the purple mare lights her horn and floats a bell in, giving it a ring and quickly getting everyone's attention as they all stop talking to each other and looked at her. She glances at me and says, "Got it the last time we had a sleepover, helps so that I don't have to raise my voice." She then looks back at her friends. "Ok girls! I know we have plenty of things that we want to do, but let's try to narrow them down to a few things that we can all agree on doing. So, from what I could hear for suggestions is that we have scary stories, yoga, and s'mores. Pinkie, as much as I would love to do s'mores, you already did get us plenty of snacks." She says, motioning to the full snack table there.

The party mare gives a sheepish look as she realizes this. "Oh, right...um, then I say some party games! Perhaps truth or dare?" She asks.

Rainbow and AJ quickly perk up upon hearing that suggestion. "Oh, that would be fun! We haven't done that in a long time." Dash says, giving a grin.

Twilight nods as she hears this. "Ok, so we have scary stories, yoga, and then truth or dare. Is any pony else ok with that, or shall we change the order of it?" She asks them. They all talk amongst themselves for a few moments before looking back at the hostess, shaking their heads to show that they are all fine with it. "Ok! So first thing up is scary stories! Who wants to go first?"

"Oh, I'll go first, I'll go!" Exclaimed the Rainbow mare and before anyone could stop her, she is already standing up as she starts to tell her story. "Ok, so once there was this mare who had only one horseshoe-"

"Dash, you've already done that one." AJ stated, giving a small shake of her head.

"Plus everypony knows about that mare with the one horseshoe." Added Trixie.

The rainbow mare gave a rather sullen look. "Aaww, but it's my favorite story." She said sadly before adding, "Plus Drak hasn't heard it yet."

Trixie just scoffed at that. "Please, that is hardly scary. Maybe if you are three, but that would hardly scare the Great and Powerful Trixie! Now step aside and let Trixie show you how it is properly done." She says, not so gently pushing Dash back on her rump before taking the front stage, so to speak.

She clears her throat and then lights her horn, the room suddenly getting a bit dimmer. I look around to see if the candles and lights are still on, but to my surprise they are, yet the room looks and even feels a lot darker, almost murkier even.

Trixie clears her throat as she begins her story. "Once, long ago, there lived a pair of friends who lived with each other, a pegasus and a unicorn, both mares. They would go to work, go on dates, do everything together."

"Oh, would they even use the toilet together? Or how about-"

Trixie glared at the pink mare who interrupted her. "No talking during the show!" She exclaimed, which gets Pinkie to quickly shut up. "Now, as I was saying, these friends would do all sorts of things together. One day, the pegasus went out to get some groceries, but when she came back, her friend wasn't there. Curious, she started searching for her everywhere, but no matter where she looked, she was nowhere to be found."

As she spoke, I could have sworn that I felt some shadows lurking around, motions just out the corner of my eyes, but whenever I went to look at them directly, they vanished as if they were never there to begin with.

"She started searching around the town, asking every pony if they had recently seen her, but none of them knew where she could be. Days went by with no signs of the unicorn, then suddenly, one day when she was once again coming back from groceries, the unicorn was back, sitting on the couch, happy and healthy as can be as if nothing had happened. The pegasus was surprised, and of course worried, asking about how she felt, where she went to, all sorts of questions. However her friend just couldn't remember any of it. All she could say was that she was in a cold and lonely place, filled with nothing."

"The days turned to weeks, weeks to months. The friends soon started to go out with each other, dating one another as their feelings bloomed, then they even got married."

"One day, a couple of weeks after their honeymoon, as they laid in bed after a heavy bout of love making, they told each other just how much they loved one another before falling asleep in each other's embrace. Then, the pegasus woke up, the night pitch black, Luna's moon dark as the night itself. Looking to her side showed that her new wife had vanished, her bed cold and empty. Slowly she got out of bed to look for her, the memory of the first time she vanished flowing back to her mind."

Once again I feel a sense of dread starting to loom over me, and I can see a few of the other mares shiver a little as if a cold breeze washed over them. They looked at one another before returning their focus to the stage mare, all of them clearly engulfed in her tale, myself included.

"As the mare went exploring their house, she would soon find that the closet door was slight ajar. Slowly she approached the the door, seeing a small light coming from inside, hearing the sounds of something crunching and chewing."

"Please don't open the door, please don't open the door, please don't-" I could hear Fluttershy muttering to herself, begging for the pony to not open that door.

Trixie seemed to have heard her too, for she gives a grin as she continues. "Slowly, the mare reaches for the door and opens it." She continues, getting a small eep from the shy mare. "Once it is open, she can see the light shining on her wife, but it wasn't the same mare she had grown up to love. There, laying on a bed of flowers, was the rotting corpse of her friend, months dead and decayed, maggots eating her flesh and flies biting at what remained of her dry skin."

As she mentioned the corpse, the rest of us shiver even harder, and this time I swear I can hear some whispering right next to me, but I was too locked up with the story, just staring at Trixie, though I do see Rainbow and Applejack glance behind them a couple of times before they continue watching the azure mare.

"As she looked on in horror, she felt a creak of wood behind her, the presence of something dark. Slowly she turned, and behind her..."

As she paused, I could feel as if there was indeed a large shadow figure behind me, causing me to slowly start to turn as well. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the rest of the girls seeming to do the same for themselves.

As I looked behind me, I finally was able to see something, but it was so hard to see through all the smoke or fog that seemed to be all around us. Finally, I was able to get a good look at it and what I saw made my eyes go wide. It was large, vaguely pony shaped, but lanky. It seemed like it was a rotting corpse of a unicorn mare, her eyes bloodshot red with no pupils, fur missing along her body, even some bones sticking out from her spine. I could feel my heart freeze up as soon as I see it, my breath getting caught in my lungs.

Evidently I wasn't the only one, for the entire room was stock still, not a single sound coming from anyone. Suddenly, a loud scream rips through the air, starting a chain reaction as it gets us all awake and into gear.

Whoever screamed first to get us moving I don't know, but what I do know is that I was quickly in the center of a massive pony pile, my arms wrapped around as many of them as possible as we all shivered and shook against each other. The only pony who wasn't with us was Trixie, who was laughing her ass off as the apparitions faded, along with the smoky, dark and depressing atmosphere.

As the room returned to normal, Trixie finished her story. "Some say they can still hear her screams in the night, moaning and crying for her loved one...but then again, those are just rumors." She says, letting out a rather evil giggle afterwards.

As I calm myself down, I can feel the pile stir as first Pinkie and Twilight poke their heads out, followed by Dash and Applejack with Rarity soon following suit. The only one who stayed against me was Fluttershy, her hooves tight around my waist, almost painfully so.

"That...was...amazing!!" Pinkie exclaimed, quick to jump out of the pile as she bounced in place. "That was one of the bestest scary stories I've ever heard! And the way you made the room all dark and super creepy. And those ghosts illusions! So cool!" She says.

Trixie just smiles as she gives a small bow. "Please, it's just my natural abilities in magic. That was nothing for the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She states.

"I have to admit, that was rather impressive with how you worked the room to make it a much more scary atmosphere." Twilight agreed, getting a nod from Rarity.

Rainbow just gave a small grunt as she shrugged. "Eh, it was ok I guess." She says, though it is clear that it did get to her too, causing Trixie to just smirk even harder.

As they continued talking about Trixie's story and her way with story telling, I turned my attention to the butter mare, who was the only one left hugging me tight. I gently start to stroke her head, which slowly gets her shivering to stop as she gently looks up at me. As we look at each other, I can see the fear in her eyes, and I just smile as I try to keep her calm by rubbing her back and letting her look into my eyes. As I did this, I could feel my own calmness slowly start to flow into her, and I could see Fluttershy start to relax as well, giving me a small smile as she blushed.

She looked down to see that she was still wrapped around me, and before she could move, I reach down with my free hand and grab her hoof, giving it a small squeeze. I give her a nod of understanding which gets her to relax some more before giving my side a small nuzzle as she slowly parts away.

Sadly this did not go unnoticed by the other girls, one of which who is quick to point it out. "Aw, was the story a bit too much for you Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked, getting an "Eep!" From the butter colored mare, who quickly pulled away from my grasp as she jumps back onto her bedroll, shivering under her mane and tail. "Hey, it's ok to snuggle with somepony during scary stories! Besides, it looked like you were comfortable."

Before I can try and quiet the party mare, the rest of them were starting to relax as they all went back to their spots. "Pinkie, no need to bother the poor girl." Rarity says, looking over at Fluttershy with an understanding smile. "Besides, they look so cute together, just let them have their moment." She added with a giggle, which caused my cheeks to heat up a bit. A quick glance at the shy mare showed that she too was blushing heavily, still hiding behind her long, pink mane.

"Cute?" Rainbow questions, glancing over at us as she raises an eyebrow. She stares at me for a few moments before giving a small shrug. "Eh, whatever you say Rarity. Now, let me get a chance to tell my story! I still got a few that you girl's have yet to hear!" She nearly demands.

The rest of the ponies look at each other before Twilight speaks up. "Um, no offense Rainbow, but I think that one story was enough for us." She says, getting a nod from the rest.

The rainbow mare looks at them with disappointment. "Really? So not cool." She sighs before leaning back on her bedroll, crossing her forelegs over her chest. "Ok fine, so now what next?"

"Oh, let's do truth and dare now!" Pinkie quickly shouts.

"No Pinkie, we already said that Rarity was going to show us some yoga next." The purple mare says, getting a small "Aaww!" From the pink mare.

They all look over at the white unicorn as she smiles. "Wonderful darlings! Now, first let's flatten out these sleeping bags a bit more and then every pony just follow my lead." She says as she flattens hers out, the rest of us following suit...besides me, I just sat on the ground where I was, not having a sleeping bag to begin with. "Ok, now first we all need to settle down, deep breaths. Stay sitting and close your eyes. Clear your mind of all current thoughts and breath. That's right, just breath in and out...Pinkie, put that rubber chicken away! Ahem, anyways, just breath in and out, now raise your left foreleg and..."

(One Hour Later)

"...and slowly exhale." The fashion pony finishes. We all let our breath out slowly as he exhale, relaxing our bodies for the final time. "And now we are done!" She says happily, getting on all four as she stretches herself out a bit. "So girls, how do you all feel?"

We all stretch our bodies a little as we test our new limber limbs, the girls and I all rather calm and relaxed after such a peaceful yoga session. Even Pinkie was calmer than normal, an almost zen look on her muzzle as she sighs happily and contently. "Wowie Rares! That was...so relaxing." She says with a relaxed grin.

The rest of us nod in agreement, even Rainbow looking a lot more relaxed. I take a glance to see how Fluttershy was doing after that and was happy to see her looking much more happy and relaxed, the thoughts of that scary story having long left her now. As she glances to look at me, our eyes meet and lock on for a few moments before I quickly turn away, though a glance at the mare shows that she did the same too, her cheeks tinted pink.

Before I could say anything, the yellow mare speaks up. "Um...w-was that...was that fun Drak?" She asks me.

I smile lightly and nod. "It was indeed. In fact I should probably do it more often." I admit. It really did feel great, making my limbs and muscles feel so much more relaxed. If I did this every other day after my staff training then I would certainly be feeling a lot better overall.

She smiles and nods in approval, but before she can speak the white unicorn seemed to have overheard us. "Oh that's wonderful darling! I'll be more than happy to help you with your yoga sessions as well if you wish!" She says. "Oh, perhaps we can even make it a weekly thing, doing yoga before or after our spa trip!" She gives a bigger smile at this as he looks over to her shy friend. "What do you say Fluttershy?"

The pegasus nods, still smiling at her fashion friend. "I think that is a really good idea Rarity." She agrees.

As they talked I looked around the room and found Trixie just sitting somewhat by herself, or really laying on her sleeping bag as the rest of the ponies talk, her eyes closed as she just relaxes. Wanting to ask her a few questions, and just wanting to keep her company, I scoot over to her and settle down next to her. "So...you enjoy the yoga?" I asked.

She opens her eyes and glances up at me before turning away, shutting her eyes once more. "It was...ok. Trixie could do it a bit more often...probably."

I just chuckle as I lean back a bit. "Well, if you ever do wish to do it, let me know so I can join." I tell her, to which, after a few moments pause, she nods. "So...can I ask a question?"

"You just did." She says, to which I just roll my eyes, seeing her giving a small smirk.

"Haha, very funny." I say with a slightly deadpanned look. As I fall silent, I see her looking back at me, giving me her attention as a sign for me to continue with said question. "I just wish to know how you did that illusion with the monster pony. It looked so..."

"Real? Lifelike? Scary?" She asks, grinning at herself.

"Familiar." I said. This got her to pause as she narrows her eyes a bit. Like the other mares, she knows about my memory fix from Magnum, so she knew that if something was familiar to me it may be related to said memories.

"Really? What about?" She asked.

"I..." I pause as I try to think, but try as I might nothing comes from it. Instead I just shake my head and sigh. "I can't remember."

Trixie sighs too as she shakes her head. "Of course not." She says, causing me to frown a bit. She then glances around at the other ponies to see if they are still busy talking to each other. Seeing that they are, she leans in closer and whispers to me, "Ok, but just this one. Trixie just used an old photo of a Nightmare Night costume she wore, added some affects and used some of my illusion magic to cast it on the mist behind all of you."

I raise an eyebrow at this. "Nightmare Night?"

"it's a holiday were we all dress up and do lots of scary things." She says, giving me what feels like a basic description of this holiday. "Anyways, it's just a simple redirecting spell, nothing too fancy. Twilight could do it easily if she figures it out...which is why I DON'T want you telling her." She adds.

I chuckle and give a nod. "My lips are sealed." I say.

At this point we all hear the bell ring, causing us to look up and see said purple mare holding her bell in her magic. "Ok every pony! It's time for the games!"

"Oh yay! This is gonna be SO much fun!" Pinkie exclaims, grinning as she hops up and down from her sleeping bag. She then reaches into her mane and, after what seems like a bit of searching, pulls out a bottle, placing it on the floor in the middle of all of us. "So, for those that don't know how to play..." She says, giving me a wink, to which Rainbow chuckles, "...we take turns spinning this bottle. When it lands on somepony they must choose truth or dare to which they will either do the dare the spinner tells them to do, or answer a truth to any question the spinner wishes to ask."

I give a nod. It seems simple enough. "Ok...but what if we can't do the dare or don't want to answer the question?" I ask.

"Hmmm...good question..." The pink mare thinks it over for a few moments before she grins. "Oh I know!" She rushes over to the snacks table and then comes back holding a bottle of hot sauce and a rather small spoon. "If you don't want to answer the question or perform the dare then you must take one spoon full of hot sauce!" She says, grinning.

I raise an eyebrow at this. "That doesn't seem too bad." I say with a small shrug.

This gets a giggle from the mare who quickly pours a small bit of it on the spoon. "If you think it isn't so bad, go ahead and give it a try~" She says, holding it over to me.

I feel myself hesitate at this, thinking that something is going on that I'm missing. Looking around I can see the rest of the mares already watching me eagerly, Rainbow seeming to already be giggling softly to herself. Unsure what was going on, I take a glance at the bottle and quickly read it over, reading: Celestial Fire. (Made with a hint of rainbow extract.)

I raise my eyebrow at this before looking at the small drop of sauce on the spoon. "Made with...rainbow extract? Wouldn't that make it sweet?" I say mostly to myself. I can see Fluttershy start to speak up, but she is quickly silenced by both Rainbow and Trixie. Looking at them, all I see is both of them giving rather large smiles, though I could sense that none so innocent feelings behind them. Clearly something was up.

Not gonna get any answers from sitting there, I just shrug as I take the spoon and, after looking it over, place it in my mouth, licking up the single drop before taking it out.

As soon as my tongue touched the sauce, I felt a rather cooling sensation, as well as a mild heat to it. I waited for a bit longer and slowly it started to build up. I could feel my eyes water a bit, but otherwise it didn't seem that bad. I looked at the others curiously, seeing a few of them start to give looks of surprise and shock. "It seems ok. Not too hot though."

"What the...how are you not-" Rainbow started, only to be shushed by the azure mare.

"Wait a moment." She simply says, both of them falling silent as they go back to watching me.

I raise an eyebrow as I look at them. "Ok, what's all this-" I start to ask...and then it finally hits me.

Out of nowhere, the heat in my mouth seemed to double, then double again...then tripled in heat. It went from a small warmth to a scorching desert...and suddenly it felt as if I just ate the sun whole and was holding it in my mouth. My eyes go wide in shock, tears flowing freely as I clamp my mouth shut, not willing to move an inch in case it makes it worse. The other ponies in the room, once they see my full reaction to the sauce, start to giggle, Rainbow and Trixie laughing the loudest of them all. Even Fluttershy was giving a small giggle, even while still looking worried at me the whole time.

As they laughed, Pinkie was the first one to catch her breath and recover. "Hehehe! That was amazing! I'm surprised it took you so long to react to it Draky." She says.

"You should see some of the other food he eats. For some reason whenever he eats hot or spicy food, he never seems to react to it." Trixie explains.

Rainbow, having recovered, takes a few deep breaths before she speaks up. "Oh...that's why it took so long for him to react." She realizes.

"I did notice this as well. In fact I think it started after his trip to Canterlot that you seem to eat a bit more spicy food. Maybe it had something to do with his memories." Twilight says, having finished her giggling fit a while ago. She then levitates a glass of milk to me, to which I quickly grab and down, feeling the intense heat in my mouth cool down to a shallow shimmer.

As I breathed heavily, I could feel a hoof against my arm, and looking down I see the worried expression of Fluttershy staring back at me. I give her a comforting smile to let her know I'm all good, my eyes still a bit wet, but otherwise I'm fine. Seeing the smile makes her smile in return, patting my arm before pulling back.

"Ok, enough of that girls! Let's get to the main game!" Pinkie says, getting an assortment of agreement from the rest of the ponies in the room.

As we got back to our positions, Pinkie decided to take the bottle and spin it, seeing how she was the one who suggested this game. The bottle spun for a good while, seemingly silent for some reason before it slowed down and then stopped right at Rarity. "Oh yay! Ok Rares, truth or dare?"

"Hmmm...I shall go with truth, keeps things somewhat under control for the time being." She says.

This doesn't seem to even deter the pink mare as she quickly asks, "When was the last time you went on a date?"

This gets a moment of silence from the mare as she thinks it over before, with a small sigh she says, "I'll be honest, ever since that Blueblood incident, I haven't really been too focused on dating. Sure there are a few nice stallions here and there, but none of them really match my wants." She admits.

"Oh, then that must mean-" Rainbow starts before getting shushed by the white mare.

"Rainbow I don't believe it's your turn, darling." The white mare quickly counters, getting her to fall silent. She then takes the bottle in her magic and spins it, getting it to turn a good while before it slowly lands on me.

I give a shrug as I look over at the mare. "Well, you went for truth, I may as well be the first to go for dare." I say. How bad could one of her dares be anyways?

The unicorn looks around for a bit before, with an ahah moment, she quickly trots out of the room. A few minutes later, she comes back holding a rather fancy dress in her magic. "I dare you to wear this for the rest of the game."

"Hey, isn't that the one you made me wear that one night?" Applejack asked.

"Indeed! It took a while, but I managed to adjust it so it should fit his form now." She says as she floats the dress to me.

I blink as I look at the dress as it lands on my lap. Looking around, I can see all the mixed reactions from the mares, a good amount of them already grinning at this dare. I sigh as I curse my stupid choice as I got up, holding the dress before me. "Ok, give me a few minutes." I say as I leave the main room and enter one of the side rooms for some privacy.

(Several minutes later...)

I come walking back out, a bit of a challenge as I feel the dress cling to my skin nearly everywhere. I still can't believe she managed to adjust a dress to fit me so quickly. I grumble a bit as I sit down, shuffling as the panties get a bit caught up between my rear cheeks.

I look over at the white mare, giving her a glare. "There, happy now?" I ask, giving a small huff.

"Oh very much so. It looks so pretty on you dear." Rarity says, getting a giggle from the rest of them. Even Dash who isn't one for fashion was giggling at my misfortune.

I just roll my eyes and try not to think too much of it as I spin the bottle. As it spins, I adjust myself again so it doesn't feel so tight. "Why the hell does this even have panties? I thought you ponies don't even wear underclothes." I say to myself. Of course it was loud enough for the others to hear, to which more than one face suddenly went a bit more pink.

"We do, just not normally with our normal clothes and...it's not really for public." Twilight says.

I raise an eyebrow at this, but before I can ask more on the topic, the bottle stops spinning, landing on the purple mare herself. "Oh, um...truth I guess." She says, caught a bit off guard from the sudden landing of the bottle.

I nod as I think it over. There are plenty of things that I could ask, but a few of them seemed to be too personal to ask. Unsure how they will go with certain questions or dares, I decide to just play it safe for now and wait for when they decide to do more extreme dares or questions. "Ok, in that case...what else is it that underwear is used for?" I asked.

Apparently this was still rather awkward, for the bookish unicorn was quick to blush even harder. "Oh um..." She says, starting to think it over, but is interrupted by Rainbow.

"Really? That's the best you can come up with?" She asks me, to which I just shrug. "Come on, you could have asked for way more dirtier questions."

"I believe this is my question to answer Rainbow." Twilight responds before she looks back at me. "Well...to put it simply Drak, we ponies don't normally wear clothing unless it's for special events, like I've told you before. But, sometimes we wear certain clothing like...um, panties and such in the...bedroom..." She answers.

It takes a moment for it to sink in before I realize what she means, my eyes going wide as I feel my own cheeks heating up a bit. "Oh...that makes sense." I said. The thought of seeing one of these mares wearing such clothing was suddenly a bit lewd in my mind, a thought I quickly shake out of my head. I'm not sure why, but ever since I had been getting my memories back, the thought of being closer to a mare was becoming more and more likable to me, especially after the memories of my nights with Aryas came back. The things that mare did with me was...well...crazy.

The purple unicorn nods as she takes the bottle in her magic and spins it, quickly getting it to land on Pinkie. "Oh, dare me Twilight! Dare me!"

Twilight nods as she thinks it over for a few moments, clearing having some trouble figuring out a proper dare for her to do. As she was thinking, Pinkie went over and grabbed a couple of cupcakes, picking one up and starting to toss it in her mouth when the purple mare suddenly says, "I dare you to not eat any more sweets for the rest of the game!"

This caused the party mare to freeze, cupcake somehow in mid air as she looks at her book loving friend, eyes wide with shock. "What!? B-But...but Twilight! That's one of the best things to do during a party, to try out all the tasty treats!"

"It's a dare Pinkie, that means you have to do it." Dash says.

The pink mare sighs as she looks back up at the gravity defying cupcake before casually plucking it from the air and walking back to the group, placing the treats in the middle as she sighs. "Ok, then the next pony for this to land on will get cupcakes!" She states, her shock from the dare already gone. Once again she spins the bottle, and once again it lands on a pony...or in this case, a person.

I roll my eyes. "Really? Already?" I say, getting a few shrugs from the other ponies. I sigh and as I see Pinkie getting ready to ask me truth or dare, I quickly say, "Ok, truth. Need a moment after that...dare..." I say, giving a small tug to the dress to try and make it feel more comfortable on me.

Once again she doesn't even hesitate, almost like she has a question or dare planned for everyone here no matter what they pick. "What's your favorite flavor?" She asks, holding up the cupcakes to me.

I take the cupcakes and place one to the side, looking over the other one. "I'm assuming you mean for treats like cake and cupcakes." I ask, to which she gives a nod. "In that case, from what I can tell from my time here, I think I'll go with chocolate. It just seems the best, though that red one is very good too...what is it called?" I ask, munching on the cupcake as I thought over the unknown flavor.

"Oh, do you mean the red velvet?" Rarity asks, to which I nod. "I have to agree, that one is certainly my favorite as well." She adds.

I nod as I munch on the cupcake for a bit more, reaching over and spinning the bottle. "To be honest, I haven't eaten many treats or other sweets back in the day, at least none that I can remember." I add. "Nothing like cupcakes and cake I mean, I'm sure I had a cookie or something though." I quickly add as I see Pinkie's mouth going wide with shock.

She calms down and nods, giving a smile of understanding as the bottle slows down and lands on someone different. The azure mare sighs as she straightens her cloak. "Trixie shall pick dare. Any dare you can come up with, I can easily do!" She says with a smirk.

I nod as I think it over. Clearly she is willing to do just about any dare I give her, or that anyone here will give her, so I will have to come up with something rather difficult or at least something to make her pause. After a few minutes of silence, in which I finished the first cupcake, an idea pops into my head, Giving a small grin, I ask, "Ok, then I dare you to tell me just what happened here in Ponyville that caused you to get ostracized."

This causes the mare to freeze up, the other girls in the room looking at each other awkwardly. Clearly they knew what happened as well, making me the one left out of the loop. In hindsight, it was a bit of an unfair dare, seeing how it was a dare to tell the truth, but none of them seemed to bring it up, so I just remained silent on that matter. Before I could say anything else, Trixie says, "I...I..." She stumbles over her words, almost as if she is trying to say something, but eventually just shakes her head and says, "I'm taking the hot sauce."

I sigh as I watch her levitate the spoon and bottle, pouring some of the hot sauce in it before placing the bottle down. "Trixie, it may help if you told him about-" Twilight tries to say, only to get a rather dark glare from the show mare, causing the unicorn to shut up. Trixie quickly downs the spoon's contents, wincing as the heat and spice from the sauce hit her, her eyes watering like mad as she does her best to not make it worse.

Placing the spoon down as she swallows the sauce, she waits for a few moments before looking around for something to cool her mouth, finding the milk that was there from before, she quickly finishes the rest of it, letting out a huge sigh of relief. "Trixie will say it when she is ready, not before." She simply says, to which I just give a nod. Seeing how there would be no more talk about it, she quickly spins the bottle, the force behind it making it spin for nearly a solid minute before it finally slows down and lands on Rainbow.

"Finally! Let's kick this into high gear now! Give me the worst dare possible!" She says, grinning at the unicorn mare.

Trixie takes a moment as she breaths a bit out of her mouth to cool the leftover heat, thinking her choices over before letting out a grin. Looking over at me, she says, "Hey Drak, take those panties off and give them to me please."

My eyes go wide as I automatically cover my groin up. "Wait what no! I'll be naked if I-" I tried to respond, only for her to cut me off.

"Please, we're all naked here, so I doubt it will be that much of a problem." She says with a rather sly grin. "Plus, that dress should still cover you up enough, so give it here." I sigh as I look at the other mares for some help, to which I sadly get nothing but shy looks and a few red cheeks. At this point everyone here already knew about my clothing situation, and the only one who wasn't embarrassed by this was Trixie and Dash, the latter clearly interested in her own way.

I grumble as I adjust myself and start taking the panties off, glad that the dress is just long enough to cover myself down to my knees. After about thirty seconds of struggling which felt like an hour, I finally manage to take them off without giving much away to the girls, handing them over to Trixie as I feel the cool air against my groin and ass. "Here." I say, letting her magic take them from me.

Trixie grins as she floats the panties over to Dash, who was a bit distracted at the small show that I gave them, but as she sees them floating towards her, she quickly goes red in the face as she shakes her head. "Wait, no! No way! I'm not putting those on!" She states.

I can't help but to raise an eyebrow at this, finding it amusing that the mare would rather be naked than wear even simple clothing. Then again, from what Twilight said...

"You have to do it Dash, them's the rules. Unless you wanna drink some hot sauce" Applejack says, getting a grumble from the rainbow mare. Even then Rainbow was still thinking it over, even glancing over at the hot sauce, seeming to think that she should just take the loss and down the spicy condiment. However, Trixie noticed this and quickly added a bit of her own words to get the mare to do the dare.

"No worries Applejack, I'll understand if she is too scared to do such a task. Clearly it's over her head to put on even simple panties." Trixie taunts, getting a sharp glare from the rainbow mare.

Before anyone could say anything, Dash is already reaching over and swiping the panties from their magical grasp. "Ok, fine!" She says.

She gets up and starts to put it on, but Trixie quickly adds, "No no no, not like that! Turn around and do it."

Rainbow goes wide eyed as she freezes up, staring at the show pony. "What! You mean...?" Trixie nods, getting another grumble from the speed pony as she slowly turns around so that her flank is facing the rest of us. As she starts putting those panties on, I can't help but to watch as her rear jiggles a bit as she shimmies into them, tugging them up and under her tail. She grunts as she keeps sliding them upwards, the panties clearly not fitting too well on her since Rarity did fix them to fit on me.

It doesn't seem to be a problem for the rest of the ponies as they watch on, eyes glued to the scene before them. I could see a few red cheeks and flustered facing among them, especially Fluttershy and Twilight, who both seemed to be shuffling on their sleeping bags as they watched the impromptu show. Dash continues to struggle with the panties, grunting as the slim cloth slides between her rear cheeks, outlining them rather nicely despite not fully fitting her. As she gives it a few more tugs, we can see that her tail is partially in the way, so it hangs just a bit lower than normal, causing her tail to raise up and giving us a rather good view of the goods between her legs, which are easily outlined by the white clothing. We can see her lower lips tense under them, already making the panties a bit damp as she shimmies a bit more, trying to adjust the feeling of those panties on her...

I blink as I feel myself getting way more aroused than I realized, my hands quickly reaching down and covering the area of the dress that was starting to raise higher than the rest. A quick look around shows that they are all still entranced with the small show Dash was putting on...everyone except for Trixie, who was looking at me with a knowing smirk. I just give a sheepish, embarrassed smile as I look away and back at the show, not wanting to stare at that knowing face.

Finally, the cyan mare is somewhat satisfied with how they feel on her, and quickly she spins around and sits down, the panties still easily seen on her as she does so. "Ok, there you go, done. Happy now?" She says to the azure unicorn, who just smiles innocently and nods. With a grumble, Dash spins the bottle hard, causing it to wobble as it spins. After a while it starts slowing down once more and lands on Applejack, who like the rest of the ponies has recovered enough from the small show.

The farm mare smiles as she sees it's her turn. "Ok, go ahead and dare me sugercube." She says, her eyes filled with determination for whatever dare the speed pony has in store for her.

Dash taps her hoof on the ground as she thinks it over, looking around at us before an idea pops into her mind. She quickly gets a rather sinister smile as she says, "Oh I got one. I dare you to get a makeover."

AJ blinks in surprised as she looks at her speedy friend, mouth open in shock before Pinkie leans in and closes it for her. Once her mouth was closed it seemed to snap her out of her surprise as she shakes her head and says, "What?! A makeover?! No way sugarcube!"

"You gotta do it AJ, them's the rules!" Pinkie stated as she reaches over and grabs the hot sauce bottle. "Or you can take the ultimatum instead." She offers.

The orange mare stares at the bottle for just about two seconds before she shakes her head and sighs. "Ok, fine. I'll do the darn makeover."

As soon as she agreed, there was a huge EEEE of delight as Rarity is quickly by her side. "Oh this is going to be great darling! You are going to be looking so fabulous! Come, come! Let's get to work. I already have SO many ideas on what we can do."

As the unicorn starts dragging her over to another room, I couldn't help but to think more on how quick she was to go with the makeover. Knowing her that is something she would never have done, and I know that the others know that too.

Turning to Rainbow, I ask, "So, why did she go with the makeover instead of the hot sauce?"

Dash smirks, "Simple, she hates spicy food. I mean really, really hates it." She explains. I nod in understanding now as we just sit in silence. Well, almost silence, some of the girls were starting to talk to each other as we waited, Fluttershy was even trying to get Trixie to open up a bit more, with little success.

It goes on for a good while, about ten minutes I would say before we hear the unicorn walking the farm mare back in the room. As we all stopped and stared at her, I know my mouth fell open as soon as I saw her, and I could hear a couple of surprised gasps from the others too.

There was Rarity, standing so very proud as she showed off her newest masterpiece, Applejack all powdered up, black lining along her eyes, full blush on her cheeks, the whole works. I had to admit that while I thought Rarity was going to overdue it with the makeup, she did do an excellent job, adding just enough blush and powder to her face and muzzle that it didn't deter from the whole thing.

We watched as AJ walked back to her spot, Rarity quick to go to her spot too, all of us looking at her in a mix of surprise and awe.

Of course, Pinkie was the first one to break the silence. "Wowie! You look so pretty Applejack!" She says with a bit of a bounce.

"Rarity really did a great job." Twilight added admiring her friend and her friend's work.

"Oh please girls, it was nothing." She says, waving a hoof lightly as she giggles. "I just brought out Applejack's inner beauty and placed it on the outside. It was nothing."

As the girls kept chatting to each other about how well the makeup was, I took this time to lean over to AJ and say, "So...you going to keep this look now or?"

She glares at me as I chuckle, her hoof giving a small twitch. However, she quickly smiles back as she adds, "Only if you do the same with your new look."

That quickly got me to shut up as I grumbled, tugging on the skirt that I nearly forgot I was wearing which just causes AJ to chuckle. Wanting to change the subject, I quickly ask, "So, not one for hot sauce huh?"

She shakes her head. "Enope. It just could never sit right with me. Same with my sister, for whatever reason any kind of spicy food just goes through us." She says. She then makes a move to rub her face, groaning, "Why is this darn thing so itchy?"

"AJ, don't smudge the makeup!" Rarity quickly calls out, having noticed the movement during her talk with the other girls. "You'll ruin the hard work I did for you."

This gets a sigh from the farm pony, but before she could reply to her fashion forward friend, Rainbow speaks up with a groan. "Can we get back to the game please? It's Applejack's turn now so let's get it going!" She says. She gives a grumble as she lays on her sleeping bag, already tapping her front hoof as she waits for the game to continue. In fact, during that whole time she was one of the only ones who wasn't talking...well, her and Trixie, who seemed to be keeping herself busy with some playing cards that she was now putting away.

Applejack nods as she quickly takes the bottle and spins it. Of course the bottle spins with much more force than needed, seeming to barely be on the ground as it turns. I could even see Pinkie getting dizzy trying to follow the bottle before Twilight stops her gently with her magic.

It takes much longer for it to slow down, almost a full two minutes before it finally slows down to a stop, with the end pointing at a familiar white mare.

Rarity blinks in surprise as she looks up at AJ, who was already giving a rather large smirk of her own. The fashion mare rubbed her hooves together as she tries to think of something to say. "N-now Applejack, dear...l-let's not get too hasty with the choices. I mean, I did-"

"Rarity." Applejack says, making the white mare quickly shut her mouth tight. "Truth or dare."

The white mare hesitates for a few moments, thinking over her options before with a sigh she simply says, "Truth please."

If she was hoping that the farm mare would go easy cause she went with truth and not dare, she was sorely mistaken. AJ smiled as she quickly said, "So, if I remember correctly, Rainbow was wondering about something when you were asked about dating." She reminds us, getting said rainbow mare to grin widely. "So...I'm just gonna take a guess as to what it is and ask...if your dating life is on hold, then how is your sex life?"

This gets everyone in the room silent, the only sound coming from Rarity's heavy breathing as she swallows her fear, looking around at her friends for some help in getting out of this situation. However, from what I can tell, none of them were going to step in to save her. Even Fluttershy who just remained at my side, blushing heavily at the question, her mane covering most of her face.

It remains silent for a few minutes, all of us waiting for her response before she finally says, "Um...w-well..."

"She probably doesn't have one." We all turned to face the one who spoke up, looking at the azure unicorn with confusion. "I mean seriously. She's all prim and proper, aren't you?" She continues, looking at Rarity. "Most likely still a virgin with no experience at all. I bet you haven't even seen a-"

Before she could finish Rarity narrowed her eyes as she quickly replied, "For your information Trixie, I am NOT a virgin and have plenty of sexual experience. I just so happen to be in a bit of a dry spell as of late, but that doesn't mean I can't get any, as you would say, action. I know plenty of stallions who would be more than willing to please me."

As she finishes, the full effect of what she just said hits her, causing her to go wide eyed as she covers her muzzle with both hooves. I stared at her with a rather surprised look, eyebrow raised as I glanced at the rest of the girls. The rest of them were just as surprised with the white pony's outburst, varying from embarrassed shock to surprised glee. As she remains silent, a few voices finally break out, namely Applejack, Rainbow and Trixie as they laugh loudly.

As the rather silent moment of the room vanishes, the rest of the girls relax a bit as Twilight steps closer to her fashion friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder to comfort her. "Hey, it's ok Rarity, just cause you aren't getting any sexual release doesn't mean anything less of you." She says.

"Yea, I mean I sometimes don't have sex for weeks on end! There's no shame in not being in the mood for sex!" Pinkie adds, bouncing over to them and giving her a quick hug.

Rarity slowly relaxes into the hug, gently nuzzling Pinkie back before being released. "Yea, you're right girls, I just...it's been so long since I've had any release that I've been finding myself getting more...distracted as of late." She admits.

At this point the other girls had managed to calm their laughter down enough to come and speak their own minds. "Aw shucks Rarity, it don't matter if you can't find any pony to play with, really." She says, giving her a friendly smile. "Besides, I know more than others that our work can keep us rather busy right?" She adds.

Seeing the escape, Rarity quickly nods. "Quite, yes indeed. I've just been so busy with work as of late that I rarely get any time to myself!" She sighs as she leans back on her haunches before saying, "You know, perhaps I should take a small vacation to take care of myself and my own needs. It has been a while after all..."

"If you need help, I can always offer my assistance." Rainbow adds as she flies over and gently nudges the white mare, giving her a rather suggestive wink.

The unicorn blushes as she gently pushes her speedy friend off of her. "Thanks Rainbow, but I think I'll pass. The last time you helped me we ended up waking up in Big Mac's bed, and you still won't tell me what happened!"

"I thought you would have asked him by now about it." Dash says, tilting her head a bit at her friend.

"Oh I've tried, but you know him, very tight lipped. All he says is that nothing crazy happened, but he won't say exactly what."

Before the cyan pegasus could add on it, Applejack gives a small stomp of her hoof, shaking the floor a bit as she huffs in anger. "Hold on, Big Mac did what now?" She asks, glaring at Rainbow.

Rainbow just shrugs off her angry look as she adds, "Oh don't act so surprised, you know he's a major stud for the mares around here. Besides, like he said, nothing crazy happened then, and I didn't sleep with him...that night at least." She says, adding the last part with a wink and a stuck out tongue.

I could see the steam nearly pouring out of the farm mare's ears as she opened her mouth to retort, but I decided that now was the best time to intervene before it actually came to blows...if it did that is. While from what I could tell most ponies seem more inclined to talk or argue their problems than really fight over them, I still didn't want to take that chance. "Hey, how about we move on and get back to the game?" I asks.

However, to my despair, Trixie just shakes her head. "Nah, I'm getting a bit tired of that game now. Besides, with this talk I'm rather curious about something." She brings up. I glance at her with a near pleading expression, not wanting to get the other mares to arguing, but she just waves it away as she continues, looking at Rarity as she asks her question. "Seeing how you are on a bit of a dead zone with sex, when was the last time you actually got any?"

This got the mare to turn bright red once again, but this time Dash gives her a small nudge and a nod. "No harm in saying it Rarity. You went this far so might as well go all the way."

The white mare remains silent for a few moments before, with a small sigh, she nods as she says, "Well, let's see, the last time I had sex...I would say a few weeks after that horrible date with Blueblood...so about a year ago I think. Perhaps a year and a few months."

Rainbow's eyes go wide with surprise as she hears this. "What?! A year? No wonder you are so damn stressed out all the time! You need to get out there and find some studs, get back in the sheets and-"

"Rainbow!" Twilight interrupts her, getting the rainbow mare to shut it quickly. She then turns to face her white unicorn friend and adds, "It's nothing to be ashamed of like I said before, besides I'm sure she has been able to take care of her...needs at her own time." She says, giving a look that says she hopes she is correct.

Rarity nods a bit heavily at this. "Oh yes! I did...um, relax myself a couple of weeks ago...though again I've been so busy that I can barely find time to myself." She says.

"Perhaps you should have a break from work? Too much working can be bad after all." Applejack adds, to which she gets a couple of confused looks from her friends.

"Says the mare who tried to harvest the entire farm by herself." Pinkie says.

I give a confused look at the farm mare, who, seeing my look, just shrugs and says, "Long story, I'll tell it later." She tells me before returning to Pinkie. "It's still true. Not all of us can have fun during work like you."

"Hey! Just cause it's an adult party doesn't mean it's all fun! Besides, those happen so rarely these days, and I usually save those for bachelor parties." She says. She smiles as she looks up, almost as if reminiscing. "I remember the last one like it was yesterday..."

I had to speak up at this, feeling a bit left out and just a little curious at this point. "Wait, when was the last adult party you threw?" I asked.

"Oh, it was yesterday! So much fun, I almost ran out of toothpaste during it!" She says, causing the rest of us to either roll our eyes or chuckle.

"Of course Pinkie, of course." Rainbow says, laughing at her pink friend.

"Trixie is curious, seeing how we are talking about our sex life now, when was the last time you had sex?" Trixie asks the speedy pony.

Dash falls silent as she actually ponders over the question before giving a small nod to herself. "I would say...last week I think? Yea, Lyra and Bon-Bon invited me over to hang out, one thing led to another and...let's just say no pony got any sleep that night." She says, chuckling. She then quickly turns the question back on Trixie, asking, "How about you? Any luck since you last tried to-"

"Trixie has been busy planning and replanning her plans on becoming the best magician in Equestrian, she has no time to lay with some pony no matter how much she might need it!" She quickly states, getting a raised eyebrow from me.

"Trixie, you might as well tell us when the last time you had sex was, seeing how we are all telling it." I say, getting her to look at me.

She remains silent for a few moments and I start to think she might just refuse before she finally speaks. "Ok. Trixie...I...I haven't had any sex since I first came to Ponyville."

This causes a small murmur from the others, as well as a confused look from me. "What, so a month ago? I mean, you got here when I got here, so..."

She shakes her head at this and, in a bit of a smaller voice, says, "No, I mean...the first, first time. When I first came to Ponyville for the...you know...first time." She says, trying to clear her answer some more.

Apparently this makes sense to the others as they look at her wide eyed with surprise, Rainbow once again being the first to break the silence. "Wait, so you've been on a dry spell for over two years?! That's...that's crazy! How can some pony go without sex for so long!" She says more than asks.

Before anyone could try and help her, I'm the first one to speak up this time. "I'm sure she has her reasons for it, after all it's busy being the most important magician in Equestria, right Trixie?" I say, looking over at her meaningly.

She quickly nods and puffs her chest out. "Of course! Besides, I have at least had sex, unlike a certain other unicorn here." She says, giving a rather obvious look to the purple unicorn.

This gets Twilight to blush heavily as she quickly looks away. "I-I...just cause I haven't had sex...I mean I know what it is! I...know what one does during sexual intercourse, and I've even practice a bit during my off time to-"

"Reading books about sex doesn't count egghead, even if it's those magazines you hide under your bed." Rainbow interrupts, causing Twilight to snap her head towards her.

"Wha...how do you know about those?" She asks shocked.

Rainbow just shrugs. "Not that good of a hiding spot, plus I sometimes borrow them myself. It is some good rubbing material." She adds with a smirk.

The purple mare just stares bugged eyed at her friend. "So you were the one taking them? I thought that Spike somehow found them once." She says, letting out a small sigh of relief, only to tense up again as she realizes what Dash just said. "Wait, what do you-"

"In any case I don't think it matters too much if you are a virgin Twilight." AJ butts in, not wanting them to start arguing either, to which I was more than happy with. "Besides, it's not like all of us have a crazy sex life. Why, I've only had sex a hoofful of times. I think the last time was...hmm." She falls silent as she thinks it over before she continues. "I believe it was five years ago, just before you came to Ponyville in fact." She chuckles at the memory of it, the rest of us only imagining what she is thinking about.

"Wait a minute, what about that night a couple of months ago?" Rainbow asked, getting a confused look from the farm mare. "Me and you went to-"

"You and I, Rainbow." Twilight intervenes.

The cyan mare just snorts. "Fine, you and I went to that one bar after our workout and after a bit of drinking we went to your place."

Applejack just blinks as she looks at Rainbow with confusion. "Wait, we did it then?" Dash just nods as the earth pony rubs her head. "Huh, I can't really remember that one too well."

Dash just smiles. "Honestly I don't blame you, you were really drunk. I mean totally smashed, like spinning on your hind legs and-"

"Ok Dash ok, I get it, I get it." the orange mare says, quickly shushing her speedy friend.

We all fell silent for a while, no one saying a thing as we collected ourselves, the air around us a bit more relaxed now. I guess that's what happens when you share deep secrets with others, it does lighten the mood a bit, showing that there is nothing to really hide. Of course it's quickly broken by Trixie as she speaks up.

"Anyways, I do believe that there is another pony...or human that has to tell us about his last time." The azure unicorn says, looking over at me, the rest doing the same thing. Before I could speak, she continues, saying, "I mean, if he even had any action since being here, which I really doubt."

I narrow my eyes at her as I hear this. "Hold on, I'm not a virgin Trixie, I've had sex before."

Trixie just smirks as she simply says, "Pinkie?"

The pink mare is quick to shake her head. "From what I can tell, Draky here hasn't had any sex with any pony yet. I would know if they did."

I try to speak up but I'm again stopped by the magician. "Of course, we all would know if some pony had sex with such an exotic being as Drak. They would be talking non stop about it." She says, which to my surprise gets a small nod from most of the mares.

"Ok, hold on now." I say, trying to get some control of this conversation. "Just cause I've hadn't had sex with any one...or any pony in town here doesn't mean I'm a virgin."

Trixie is quick to counter though as she asks rather playfully, "So, when was the last time you had sex?"

I open my mouth to speak before falling silent, realizing just where this might be going. Looking at the mare I could see that she noticed my reaction too, smiling triumphantly as she waits for my reply. A few minutes go by before I finally speak up. "Um...I would say the last time that I remember was with Aryas...so..."

She doesn't give me a moment to continue as she continues herself "And if Trixie remembers correctly, Aryas was with him during those years before he met with the Princesses, if that's right Twilight?" She asks me, to which the purple mare slowly nods. "And if Trixie still remembers right, that was over twenty five hundred years ago, yes?" This time I nod. "So, with all said and done, Trixie says that, if you last had sex a LIFETIME ago, then it was a different life, and therefore, you are a virgin." She finishes with a cheeky grin.

I blink at this before giving a small chuckle, shaking my head as I do so. "Trixie, that is the most ridiculous thing I have heard since being here. There is no way that-"

"Actually." Rainbow says, tapping her chin. "When she puts it like that, seeing how it was such a long time that it was another life, you are a virgin in this life." She says.

I narrow my eyes, not laughing this time as I just shake my head. "But I've still had sex, therefore, I'm not a virgin. I can even REMEMBER it. Maybe it wasn't the first time, maybe it was, maybe it was the last time, but it was still sex. I could have had a bag on my head and it still would be sex."

"Did you have a bag on your head?" Pinkie asks.

I quickly shake my head. "No! That's not the...Twilight, help me out here." I say, looking somewhat desperately at the book mare.

However, to my shock, she was actually thinking it over carefully as she looks between Trixie and I. "It does...in a strange sense...make sense. I mean, yes you did have sex, so you aren't a full virgin, but..." She pauses as she thinks it over a bit more before continuing. "But this is essentially a new life for you, one which you have yet to experience everything that we do, including sex, and therefore, making you a virgin in this life."

I just stare dumbly at Twilight, the corner of my eyes showing that Trixie was having a somewhat similar reaction, perhaps surprised that her rival was agreeing with her. Trying one last time to take control, I quickly say, "But I didn't die! I was alive for the entire time, as far as we know, so-"

"But you don't remember what happened during then and now, yes?" Trixie quickly counters once she recovered from her shock. Not waiting for me to respond, she adds, "And so we don't know if you really did die or was knocked out, or even resurrected. As far as we know, you died and then came back, meaning new life, and new life with no sex means..." She falls silent as she gives a victorious smile.

I could feel my cheeks redden more out of frustration than embarrassment, breathing a bit heavily as I look around for any help, any help at all from the other mares. However, to my despair, none of them were seeming to be willing to take my side. Finally my eyes landed on the one mare who was even more quiet than me; Fluttershy.

I didn't want to pull her into this, I really didn't want to, but I was desperate for some sort of assistance, and I know that the shy mare would most certainly take my side. I gently reached over and pulled the mare close to me, getting an EEP of surprised from the butter colored pegasus. "Shy, you don't think I'm a virgin, right?"

She remains silent, stone silent in fact, eyes locked up at me from behind her mane. Her wings had spiked up a bit, fluffing out as she looks at me, clearly trying to think of something to say. I start to gain hope as I noticed the kind eyes on her...that is until she starts to speak. "W-well...I-if you are reborn...then it does...you know..."

I groan as I realize that she was agreeing with the rest of them as well. "You too Fluttershy?" I say a bit sadly.

Perhaps I put a bit too much emotion behind that, for I soon felt her hooves wrapped around my waist and pull me into a deep hug, nuzzling against my chest. "Oh no, I-it doesn't matter if you are a virgin, besides, I'm sure the other girls are just teasing you a bit, right?" She says, looking out at the others with large eyes. They all nod at us, Trixie and Rainbow still keeping their teasing grins as the others just give me apologetic smiles for their own teasing.

I take this moment to calm myself down too, thankfully Fluttershy's calming aura helped as I was soon in a more clear mindset, realizing that she is right. I smile, hugging the mare back, who smiles up at me as I say, "Yea, I guess it doesn't really matter huh? I mean, you're a virgin too, right? We're just waiting for that right one."

At this I feel her hooves tighten a bit more as she freezes a bit, her eyes widening a bit more as a blush appears on her cheeks. "Oh...u-um..." She soon falls silent, her words causing pause in my own hope.

I raise an eyebrow as I look down at the kind mare. "Fluttershy, you are a virgin...right?" I asked, feeling something heavy start to sink on my shoulders.

She remains silent as she avoids my gaze, looking away and at the ground. After a good minute of silence she slowly speaks up softly, almost too soft to hear but thankfully I can catch it. "I...I mean...I h-haven't with..with a...a-a s-s-stallion..."

I blink as I hear this, looking down at her as she falls silent again, forcing me to speak up once more. "N-Not with a stallion, so...so with who?"

She remains silent again, but doesn't take as long to respond this time. "Um...once...w-with...with R-Rainbow..."

I blink several times in surprise as I quickly look up at said mare, who to my surprise...just shrugged. I could have sworn that she was giving a smug grin as well, but at that point I was a bit too deep in my own thinking.

It was at that point that I felt something...strange. Something deep down slowly starting to build up, bubbling in my very deepest parts. It was a dark feeling, almost intense fire as it started to boil over. The fact that Fluttershy, the kindest of mares, who is shy of everything, would even dare be with-

I quickly gave myself a mental shake as my common sense kicked in, making me blink in confusion as to what the hell just happened. Why was I getting mad over something silly and not even any part of my business? It's not like we are going out or even then that I own her. Hell, why was I getting angry in the first place? This confusion clearly made the others confused too, and a small squeeze around my waist from the shy mare is soon enough to snap me out of it.

Glancing at their confused faces, I could see that they were seeing whatever was going on with me, though I couldn't really explain it either. In any case I just smiled and shook my head, looking down at Fluttershy as I hug her for thanks. "Sorry, just...stupid thoughts being stupid. But yea, you're right. Virgin or not, it doesn't really matter does it?" I say, to which she quickly nods.

At this Rainbow flies over and lands next to me, smiling as she gives my shoulder a small hoof bump. "for the record, she was my first time too. It was during flight school and we were both in a curious moment of our lives so...you know." She shrugs again, to which I just nod. "But yea, I guess it really doesn't matter if you are a virgin or not. Besides, I bet you will give any lucky mare a good time once you find one." She adds, to which she gives a teasing wink, which again causes me to groan.

For my response I just reach out and pull her in for a hug. "Ok I get it thanks now cut the teasing." I tell her, feeling her struggle in the hug for a few moments before calming down.

"Hey, no hugging! I didn't say-"

"YAY, group hug time!" Suddenly I was dove on by a pink blur, a certain party pony now on my lap as she was hugging all of us tight. This got the rest of the mares, minus Trixie, to walk over and join in on the hug, all of them giving me nods of understanding as we all pretty much group hugged.

I looked at Trixie, who just looked away with a huff before slowly looking back. Giving her a small nod, I motion her to join us, to which, slowly, stubbornly, she does just that, walking over and hugging my head a bit, as it was the only thing left to really hug, her cheek resting against my own. She moves so her muzzles is against my ear as she says, "Just say nothing Drak." to which I chuckle softly and give a small nod that only she notices, too which she soon nuzzles back.

We just sit like that, all relaxed and comfortable, all of us feeling a bit closer after that...

"Hey Draky? Is that a pickle in your skirt, or you just really liking this group hug?"

Oh...shit.

Author's Note

So...yea this has been a long time coming. Not only was doing the truth and dares so damn hard for some stupid reason, I have had plenty of other shit in my life that has happened. As to what has happened...I'll put it into a blog. For now, enjoy this and happy holidays!

Chapter 32: A Date?

"You sure about this, Drak?" Dux asked, concern in his eyes.

It has been a couple of months since that major fight in the mountains, already the troops (or what was left of them) were calling that place 'In Valle Mortis' or the Valley of Death due to the massacre that happened with our own soldiers. Since then, our respect took a hit, the higher ups blaming Dux on any number of reasons from lax in attention to just straight up disobedience. Of course it was all made up and just a way for them to cover themselves from this humiliation to the public, but the main thing was that Dux lost his rank, title, everything. Not only that, but the entire legion had only one year to disband and move to other legions of the Order. Most of the soldiers did that, while others decided to quit outright and either abandon the Order or look for work elsewhere. As it stands, it was just Dux and I left, having been spending the last few days on the outskirts of the main city.

For me, it was painful. Everywhere I went, no matter where it was, reminded me of Aryas. It was painful every time I walked around, seeing her face on nearly every pony and just everywhere in general. I couldn't take the sight of it for much longer, so that morning I made my choice.

I was leaving the Order.

Dux was still against it as he had family who lived in the main city. In fact it was the only reason he was really with the Order, cause his mother was a higher up with lots of respect. While they didn't get along very well, he still loves hers and helps her whenever he can due to her old age making things difficult for her.

I shook my head as I looked firmly back at my former commanding officer. "I'm sure Dux. I just can't sit still in this city any longer." I take a deep breath as I look over at the city in the distance, letting out a small sigh as I lower my head. "I just...I can't get her out of my mind. I've tried everything, from more training to even drinking. Nothing works." I then wince as I recall the first attempt with said drinking. "Especially the drinking."

Dux remains silent as he looks at me, staying like this for a few minutes before he decides to speak up. "Listen, there was always a chance of this happening, and while I am very sorry that it did happen, you do need to move on." I jerk my head over and start to glare at him. "Relax Drak, I'm not saying that it doesn't suck, cause it does. I've been where you are several times. It's the price we pay for being in an army. Hell it's just the price we pay living in this world. People and ponies die every day, and not all of them are from old age." He sighs as he looks away from the city and over the road that leads away from it. "Somedays I just wonder if this war is really even worth it."

I look across the road as well as I feel myself relax a bit more, knowing that he doesn't mean anything harmful with his words. "Still, I can't...I can't stay here." I say a bit shakily, slowly taking a deep breath and then exhaling before I continue. "I need to go out and just wander for a bit, see where my feet take me. I'm sure I can find plenty of things to do to keep my mind busy. And maybe...maybe find someone else, but even then I won't ever stop loving Aryas."

The stallion turns to face me with a sad smile. "That's the thing with real love, you never stop loving them, no matter what. You can fall in love with many different beings, but that doesn't mean you love the others any less." He says. I give a small nod of understanding as he stands up and steps a bit closer, reaching a hoof out to me. "Well, if you are ever around, at least stop by and say hi to me."

I give a small smile and nod, taking his hoof and giving it a firm shake. "I promise Dux."

I held his hoof for a good few moments before letting it go and with a small nod, I double check to make sure I have all my bags of supplies and my weapons, staff in hand and Sais in my belt, I take my first steps down the road.

As I walk, I feel a bit heavier and heavier, my legs suddenly getting more weighted, as if something was holding me back. I grunt as I try to push onwards, but all I get is more force back at me, shaking me. I start to hear Aryas's voice, shouting, calling my name. I push on harder...

"Drak, wake the buck up!"

I gasp as I sit upright suddenly, blinking the sleep from my eyes as I sat up, wide awake. Quickly looking around, I see Trixie standing over me from the small sleeping spot that we made in her small room.

"Drak, what in Tarturus was going on? You were shaking and stirring so much that I thought you were having a seizure." She asks with narrowed eyes. I stare blankly at her, trying to figure out just what I was doing in her room before my dream suddenly came back.

It's been a couple of days since the sleep over at the library, as well as that silly incident via the group hug and I was wanting to spend some time out of the treehouse. That is when Trixie offered for me to stay with her for a night or two, most likely to show off her new apartment. Ever since she started fixing her wagon, Twilight and I, along with the rest of the girls, were spreading the word about how the New and Improved Trixie was wanting to dazzle and entertain every pony with her magic, promising a fun night for all ages. I was a bit skeptical that it would work, but the girls seemed to think that it would, and to my surprise they were spot on with it, once we convinced Trixie to put on another show. Sure there were one or two who seemed to not care and just ignore our small show by the town hall, but overall Trixie was able to get a good amount of the towns ponies to watch the show.

Thanks to this and the future shows, she was starting to amass a fair amount of bits, more so than I expected. It was during her down times now that she was using said bits to either fix her wagon or to improve her own living conditions. Right now she had moved into a new apartment, one with a working bathroom and even a small kitchen. It even had an actual bed. Of course it was a one pony room so I ended up sleeping on the floor, which was fine with me since the bed, let alone the couch, was too small for me.

I groan a bit as I sit upright, rubbing my eyes as I look at her, her form a bit blurry through my tired gaze. "What are you talking about?"

She gives a small huff at this. "I mean you just weren't responding to me at all, no matter how hard I tried to wake you. Then you suddenly started shaking and twitching like crazy. I thought you might break something with how much you were jerking around." She says. I frown as I look myself over, but of course I don't see anything different. "Drak...what were you dreaming?"

I glance up at her as she says this, unsure if I should mention what I saw in my dream. However, the longer I thought it over, the more silly it sounded. Trixie, as well as the others, have only helped me and did what they could to make my current life so much better, so to keep my problems, at least these issues away from them would just be more harmful than good.

Sighing, I slump over a bit as I rub my eyes to try and clear them a bit better. "It was...it was another memory." I say, looking back up at her. I expect her to respond with some sort of witty remark like usual, but instead she remains silent as she lets me continue, so I keep talking, telling her how I was having a last talk with Dux and how I was leaving the Order.

It only takes a few minutes as the memory wasn't that long or complicated and once I finished, she is quick to speak up. "It seems that you are getting more and more memories coming back to you, if at a slower rate." She says. "I'm not a mind mage, but perhaps when they fixed your memories, it let out the first few memories of that time period, nearly in one go with how you said he did it. I think the rest of the memories are still coming out, just slower."

I give her a thoughtful look as I rub my chin. "I mean...that does make sense." I say slowly, to which she nods. "But I just...I wish it wouldn't take so damn long."

She just shrugs at this. "Again, from what you said, there isn't much we can do about it, unless you want to go and talk to that mind mage again, and I doubt he will be able to do much more to help you at the moment." She says, to which I give a small, sad nod. She then gives my arm a light punch with her hoof as she smiles. "Besides, we don't got time to be all morose about the past, we have our trip to the museum today." She says.

I can't help but to smile at this, giving a nod of understanding. "True, and I did say I would get a gift for you at the end as well." I say.

She just laughs as I say this. "With what money?" She asks, to which I fall silent. It is true, I do have no bits to my name at all. In fact what little amount I do have is as a generous gift from Twilight herself, just to help me out with basic needs. The thought that I've been just taking money from my hostess without any payment in return makes my stomach turn a bit, frowning as I let that feeling roll over me. It reminded me that I really needed to find some other way to make some bits.

Realizing that I was starting to feel bad again, Trixie quickly grabs my attention with a wave of her hoof. "Regardless, I doubt they will have anything I really want, so you don't need to worry about it." She says.

I smile at this, seeing just what she is trying to do as I give a small nod. "If you say so." I say. Seeing how we are now awake, I stand up and give a stretch of my limbs, getting a few cracks of my neck and back as well for my efforts. As I stretch, I notice that she was somewhat staring at me, almost strangely so. Before I could bring it up to her attention though, she is quickly looking away and walking to the small kitchen area.

As she goes to most likely get some breakfast, I just go ahead and grab my spare shirt that I brought with me. I've found that recently, whenever I try to go to sleep, I find it rather difficult to get said sleep. Strange enough it was made easier whenever I took my clothes off, so more often than not I started to sleep naked. Of course I wasn't naked in Trixie's apartment, that wasn't going to happen! But I did sleep shirtless and that at least helped me out a bit.

As I pulled my shirt on, I walked over to Trixie as I looked over and saw that she was hovering a couple bowls of cereal, placing them both on the table as she raises a spoon over to me. "Hope you don't mind some simple cereal." She says as she sits at the table, looking at it with a forlorn sigh.

I just smile as I sit down with her. "It's more than fine." I tell her, to which she just raises an eyebrow. I know she has been missing on eating more than just simple foods like cereal and apples, but with how she is budgeting her bits it is difficult for her to eat much of anything fancy besides cheap foods. She also knows that it's useless to argue over it so she just dives in as well.

We both remain silent as we eat the cereal, a rather comforting silence as we munched. Nothing much else happened as we ate and, before we knew it, we were almost done. I was just getting up and about to offer to take her bowl to the sink when...to both of our surprise...we hear a knock on the door.

I blink as we glance over at the door before looking at each other in confusion. "Were you expecting anyone?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "No, unless it's those two colts again..." She sighs, giving a groan at the thought of it.

I just give a confused look, not knowing what she meant by that, but with a shrug I take the bowls and bring them to the sink to wash them as she goes to open the door. As I start washing, I hear a rather small gasp before Trixie's voice calls out a familiar name.

"P-Princess Luna?!"

I stop my washing as I quickly place the dishes down, glancing up as I see that it is indeed Luna, looking over Trixie and in her room, having not seen me yet. "Indeed, we have heard that Drakalian might be here, and-" She starts to say only to quickly fall silent as her eyes fall upon me.

I just look at her for a few moments before I managed to finally snap out of my surprise and give her a small smile and a nod of greeting. "Hey Luna, I wasn't expecting to see you here today." I say, walking over to the door to properly greet her.

The Alicorn nods to the comment, her cheeks seeming to be a bit more rosy than normal. "Indeed. We were just around the neighborhood when we recalled that you were here, so we...um...we came by to...visit..."

I raised an eyebrow at such a weak fib, both Trixie and I glancing at one another before looking back at the night princess. "Really? Just in town all the way from Canterlot?" I question, to which I see her cheeks darken even more.

"And how did you know that he was staying with me? It wasn't like I told anyone else about it." Trixie adds, giving a surprisingly stern look. It made me nearly do a double take with how stern it was, not expecting such firmness sent to Luna of all ponies. Twilight sure, but not Luna.

Said pony takes a few moments to clear her head before she says, "W-Well...we went to Twilight's first, but she mentioned that he would be with you for a couple of nights." She says, which causes the unicorn mare to turn and glare at me.

I just shrug in defense. "What? I had to tell her where I was going." I say.

She just sighs as she shakes her head, and it's at this point that she realizes that the princess is still standing outside of the door, to which she steps aside and motions her to come in. As the taller pony steps in, Trixie closes the door behind her and walks a few steps away before sitting down on the floor.

Luna stops in front of me...a bit too close in front of me in fact. I nearly take a step back to make some more space, but a quick look at said princess causes me to freeze in place. For some reason, she seems a bit more aware of how close she is to me, and the way she was gently pawing at the ground showed that she is very much nervous, a fact that concerned me greatly. As the silence ticks on, I finally decide to speak up, waving a hand in front of her as it seemed that she zoned out a moment. "Luna? You ok?"

She blinks before looking back up at me, giving a curt nod and a smile full of anxiety. "Oh, yes we...we're fine." She says. Slowly, she takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down, though it seems to not really work for the most part.

Taking a deep breath myself, I slowly exhale and then extend my hand, reaching over and gently placing it on her shoulder, getting her to look back at me. As she looks up, my eyes connect with hers, and instead of feeling my own insecurities of keeping eye contact, I felt...relaxed. I just stare at her, feeling myself looking deeper into her own blue orbs, feeling the anxiety that is deep in her. Slowly, somehow, I started to push that anxiety out, seeming to absorb it into myself as I pushed my own relaxation into her.

Slowly, I felt that anxiety building up in me, but thanks to my own deep breathing, I was able to properly dissipate it, leaving us both relaxed after a couple of minutes of staring. Once I sensed no more nervous energy coming from her, I gently release her shoulder, causing her to blink in confusion before realization dawns on her eyes.

She smiles a bit as she realized what happened, giving a small nod of thanks as well. "I see you manage to figure out how to work your empathic abilities again." She states.

I can't help but to give a sheepish smile and a shrug. "Something like that. Just a lot of talking with Twilight and thinking things over myself made me quickly catch back to how it works...or at least how I think it works." I pause for a few moments before I continue. "Honestly, I still think I have yet to really be able to use it other than how I did when I first learned about it, and for some reason no memory comes to me on practicing it at all."

"Perhaps it's cause it's just natural for you." She suggests, to which I just shrug. Once again silence overcomes us, and this time we just keep looking into each others eyes, her trying to catch my gaze and me just trying to hold on, but always glancing away before I could properly lock onto her eyes.

At this point Trixie clears her throat, getting both of us to look at her. "Don't mind me, but Trixie would still like to know why the Princess is in her room."

This gets Luna to snap out of her slight stupor as we look back at each other, her cheeks gaining more color once again. "Oh yes! W-we mean without doubt, we...certainly do have a reason...to come with thee! To thy home!" She says, her nervous energy once again seemingly returning nearly in full force. I just nod, motioning her to continue, knowing that trying to calm her again will just take too long, plus it wouldn't really be worth it if she just got nervous so easily. She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales before, after taking a few moments to calm herself yet again, she looks up and says, "Drakalian, we was...we was pondering if...perhaps...um..."

Again she falls silent to which I remain quiet as I patiently wait for her to continue, which she does a few moments later. "We...um...we was mulling...perhaps myself and thou...or thou and we? We mean...we both merry could...uh..." Again she pauses as she tries to find her words, which I take this moment to glance over at Trixie. For some reason her eyes are wide in surprise, her mouth partially open as if she knows what is happening, yet to me I just can't figure it out. It seems like she wishes to ask a favor of me, but other than that I don't really know.

Once again she continues. "What we mean to say is...um...t-there...there's a museum visited on the town...that we've longed to attend since we first returned as...Nightmare Moon. We were...we were wondering if...thou were unfettered...and ONLY if there is truly no bother...that thou might...be so kind as...to accompany us."

I blink as I hear just what she was asking for, a bit more confused than anything else. After a waiting a few moments to see if she had finished her question, and seeing that she did indeed, I finally give a small nod. "Well, I would love to, but...I already had plans to take Trixie to that same museum actually...so..." I say a bit awkwardly. The fact that she wants to go to the same place is a bit of a coincidence, but still I already made plans, and I wasn't going to ditch Trixie just on the eve of our trip, even for Luna, as much as it pained me and, from the looks of it, her.

She frowns, her ears folding back as she lowers her head sadly. For some reason I feel more than just sadness coming from her, but also...disappointment? Before I could ask, she is speaking up again, "O-oh, of course, right. W-we...I'm sorry Drakalian, for bothering you." She says. The force of her words, despite them being soft spoken, hit me like a wall of bricks, causing me to fall silent as I just stare at her in both confusion and sadness. I really wish I could join her, to spend some more time with her, for I really did enjoy the time we spent during my time in Canterlot. But like I said, I had already made plans with Trixie, and it would be unfair to just drop that and go hang out with Luna.

As the silence went on for what feels like forever, we both hear a small cough as we turn and face Trixie, who was clearing her throat. Once she had our attention, she finally speaks up. "Drak, if...if Luna wishes, she could...you know...accompany us." She offers.

I almost do a double take from hearing this, not expecting to hear Trixie offer for another to join us, even if it is Luna. The fact that she did makes me realize just how much more open she has gotten around others, something that put a small smile on my face. Seeing how she is ok with it, I quickly turn to the Alicorn and ask, "Well, how about it? We can make it a group outing if that works?"

I think I heard Trixie snort at my words, but it was so soft and quick that I couldn't even tell.

Luna just looks not at me, but at the azure mare in shock, her mouth hanging open as she looks at her. "Are...are you sure Trixie? We...I'm allowed to join?" She asks.

For some reason the sight of PRINCESS Luna asking one of her subjects to join us makes me want to chuckle, but I hold it in, not wanting to interrupt this somewhat intimate moment. As I look between them both, I could see them looking at each other, Luna with a huge amount of hope in her eyes, and Trixie with an almost...judging look? I can't really tell, unable to get a clear view of her eyes, but after a few moments of staring each other down, the unicorn finally gives a small nod and a sigh.

This shocks Luna out of her surprise as she grins. "Oh, joyous day! Thank you so much!" She says rushing over to the unicorn and wrapping her forelegs around her in a big hug, one that catches the other mare by surprise.

"Ach! H-Hey, no hugs! T-To...too much..." She says, getting a bit choked from the very tight hug.

Realizing she was holding her too tight, Luna quickly releases her and gives a small, sheepish giggle. "Oh, my apologies, I'm just...I'm so excited! Thank you so much again!" She tells her. At this the taller mare trots over to me and, to my surprise, gives me a nuzzle on the cheek...a much more affectionate nuzzle then normal.

I blink as I wrap an arm around her and hug her in return, smiling a bit as I am glad to see she is so happy. "Well, I'm glad you are so happy. I've never been to this place, obviously, so I do hope that it's as good as I've heard." I say.

Luna nods and is about to say something when Trixie suddenly bumps between us, splitting us up a bit as she says, "Well then let's hurry up! The longer we stay here the less time we got exploring the museum." She states, to which she quickly walks past us and out the door, looking back at us to see if we were following. For some reason, I got a sense of intensity behind her gaze, and it felt like it was almost directed at...Luna?

Curious, I glance back at Luna, but I only see an eager mare as she nods and quickly follows after her, and with a sharp tug from her magic, I'm soon following suit as well.

Why does it feel like I'm missing something here?

(POV: Trixie)

Of all the nerve wrecking, poorly timed...just why in Equestria does it have to happen to me!

Ok fine, perhaps I didn't really plan on this to be an actual date with Drak, or even think that it would ever end up going to be something between us, but the fact that Luna of all ponies suddenly walks in and nearly demands to take Drak for herself to go on not only a date, but the very same one to the very same place that we were going?! I just can't...

I take a deep breath mentally as I lead us down the road, most certainly getting a few glances and shocked expression from others at my amazingness. Certainly not cause there is a princess walking with us talking animatedly with the human, no not at all cause of that.

Focus Trixie, focus! Just cause she is also interested doesn't mean she wishes to interfere with my own date with him. It's just poor timing, that's all. I think to myself in a more logical manner. As I slowly calm myself down, I begin to think back to how this whole damn thing even began. How the hell did I end up realizing my feelings for this stupid human? If they are still accurate.

I think...I think it was right after the mail house went up in flames and I saw him dive in to save another's life. It reminded me of when he saved me from the basilisk. Sure I jumped on him first and even ended up distracting the snake long enough for him to stab it, but still. As much as I wish I could, I could never subdue such a large creature, let alone...kill it...

It was by then that I realized that I might be liking him a bit more than normal. I mean, he isn't that great! Sure he is a bit funny and silly acting, and sure he has some amazing skill with that staff of his when I have watched him practice it. And maybe he is one of the few kind hearted beings I have ever met before, besides that yellow mare near the forest. And yea he is also very...very well toned and exotic...and...has a very...supple...

I once again shake my head as I realized I was getting distracted, giving a small snort as I quickly turn to see if I was noticed by the others, but they were distracted by each other thankfully. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, I continue focusing on leading us to the museum as I went back into my thoughts.

I guess...I just was tired of being alone with more than just friends. And yes I have managed to make a few more friends among others here, including a few of Twilight's friends. Well, sort of. But Drak was always the one I felt the closest too, let alone one of the very first to fully trust me ever since the...incidents. And he's just very nice and kind. Tarturus, he gave me a chance when almost no pony else would give me one! True he still doesn't know about my first visit here...or my second, but still! He's been able to put up with me for the entire time he hangs out with me, that has to count for something!

I nod to myself as I feel my resolve strengthen. I had, right after the sleepover at the library, decide to have this be a sort of test, a makeshift date as it were, to see if my feelings really stay strong with him or if it's just a one time thing.

Perhaps I should have told him of what I was thinking about, changing the idea behind this to be a bit more romantic, but I didn't want to tell him in case something went wrong. Besides, it's still just an outing between friends...just with a bit of a possible romantic twist behind it. Plus, with Winter Wrap up being so close, I didn't know if it was really my emotions being true, or some more natural base instinct, seeing how my...

I shake my head again, not wanting to think about that just yet. Feeling more confident, I nod to myself as I glance back over at them. I know that Luna and Drak used to be friends way back when...way, WAY back when, but I never thought that Luna would be having similar feelings for him as well! As much as I hate to admit it, it could still be worse.

It could be Twilight instead of Luna.

I shiver before shaking that thought out of my head. I promised Luna that she could join us, and make this "date" become a possible "double date" of sorts, so now I was having to share my time with Drak with another mare, and while she may be a princess, I intend on letting her know who the top mare here is, if it ever does get that far.

As I finally settle my thoughts down, I look up and notice that we have arrived at the building, smiling as I feel myself get excited for what we would soon be seeing in there, letting the stress of having another mare with us fade to the background for now. "Ok, we're here." I tell the others, causing Luna to (finally) stop talking and look over at the museum with the same amount of excitement as I felt.

The museum itself isn't that special looking from the rest of the buildings. Of course it's bigger than most of the others and has a sign and everything, along with a bit of an elaborate double door entrance, but other than that it still had a similar style to the rest of the building around it. In any case, Luna smiled as she sees that we have arrived.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun Drak!" She exclaims, getting the human to just smile back. I just rolled my eyes unseen to them both as we walked over to the ticket booth to buy our tickets.

The clerk pony there, a white unicorn mare, seemed to be reading a magazine, not noticing us until we were right in front of her. Realizing she had company, she quickly places the magazine to the side as she clears her throat. "Oh, sorry about that, just not a lot of visitors these days, what with Winter Wrap up being so-" She starts to say, only to freeze and nearly gawk at the fact that I was standing before her, and certainly not cause we had Princess Luna with us. "Oh my, Princess Luna! It's an honor to have you here at our museum!"

Ok, maybe it was cause of the Alicorn, but still!

Said princess just smiled lightly and a bit nervously as she gives a nod to the clerk pony. "Oh yes, it's a pleasure to finally be here thyself. We've heard about this place and we...I have been very eager to come and see just how well our teachings of magic have gone through the centuries." She says.

The white mare just nods in delight at this. "Of course! I'm proud to say that our museum is one of, if not the largest one on magic, spells, tomes, and other magical trinkets on this side of Equestria!" She states, flourishing her hooves around for effect. I just nearly roll my eyes again at that, knowing that there were most certainly other museums that would most certainly have not only more but better things in them. Then again those places normally cost a hoof and a tail to get in, such as the one in Canterlot or the one in Manehattan. Still, I know that it's just the general speech that they are all told to give to the visitors.

I glance over at Drak and, to my surprise, I see him pulling out his small bag of bits, to which I quickly stop with a spurt of magic. "Drak, what are you doing?" I asked sternly.

He looks surprised as he looks back down at me. "I just thought I was paying for our fee in, so-"

Luna, having heard this, just looks onwards with a gasp of equal shock to what I was feeling. "Pay for us? Drak, you don't need to pay for our fee, I'm sure Trixie has already planned on paying for you two, yes?" She says glancing at me, but not even giving me a moment to respond before she continues. "And I'm more than willing to pay for my own ticket too, after all you two invited me for this."

Drak is about to respond but this time I shush him with a wave of my hoof. "She's right Drak." I tell him, pushing his bag of bits back into his pocket with my magic. "You already agreed to join me-US, so it's only fair that I at least pay for your ticket."

The human blinks at us, glancing between us two as he gives a slow nod and allows for his bag of bits to be placed back into his pocket. Smiling, I bring out my own bag and, walking to the counter, I count out a few of the coins before placing them down. "Here, two tickets please."

The white mare looks over the coins quickly, to make sure it was the right amount, and with a nod, she takes the coins and pulls out a couple of tickets, hoofing them over to me. As I take the tickets, she speaks up, saying, "Here you go! I hope you three have a lovely time on your date here!"

This causes me to freeze up, my cheeks warming up a bit as I refuse to look back. I could hear Luna's slightly flustered sounds as well, but from Drak I only heard confusion. "Wait, date? I mean I guess it is kind of a date but..." He says to himself, though I have the feeling he was thinking about a friendly date and not the romantic kind, like we were thinking.

I wave a hoof to shush the counter mare. "Shhh! It's not really that kind of...date." I tell her, not wanting to let it spill that I was indeed wishing it was that kind of date.

She blinks in confusion. "Wait, but then why..." She starts to say, looking at our small group for a few moments before the realization dawns on her face. "Oooh..." She gives a small giggle as she shakes her head. "You young mares and dating. You should really just go out with how you feel and not do all this silly sneaky stuff." She says. I'm about to retort when she waves her hoof to silence me. "Nono, it's fine. I'm assuming this is your first time doing this 'date' together?" I remain silent, not wanting to say anything, but seeing how she had seemingly already figured it out, I just give a weak nod. "Well, I know it's not my place, but I suggest you at least show him that you are interested in some way."

I remain silent as I just give her a deadpanned look that says more than what really needs to be said, to which she thankfully caught on. "Oh, it's a spur of the moment thing?" Again I gave a small nod. "I see. Well, best of luck and I do hope the date goes well." She smiles as she glances back at my two "dates". "And I really do hope it does go well, to be with not only a princess, but with some pony so exotic..." She sighs as she looks at them both dreamily a bit. "If only I was a decade younger."

I raise my eyebrows at this. She can't be much older then Drak and I by the looks of it. Then again, with what they can do with magical surgery these days, I won't be surprised if she was several decades older than us. Clearing my throat to get her attention back, she snaps out of her dreamy stare as she looks back at me. "Oh, silly me, there I go again." She says, giggling. "Anyways, I do hope you enjoy your time at our museum." She says with a sincere smile.

I just give a small nod as I take the tickets and walk over to Drak as Luna goes to buy her own ticket. It was then that I realized that my annoyance made me forget that, even if she did join at the last moment, proper manners dictate that I should buy her ticket too, since I'm the one who set this up in the first place. At the same time, I'm not going to push myself to buy a third ticket for her. She's a princess, she can manage to buy her own ticket at least this one time.

Maybe not the nicest thing to think of, but hey I'm still miffed!

I give Drak his ticket as he takes it and looks it over. "Ok, so what do we do with this?" He asks.

I can't help but to smile at his cluelessness at a simple ticket. Surely they had tickets back then thousands of years ago? Regardless I point over to the small crystal next to the door. "Just show it to that gem scanner and then make sure to keep the ticket on you for the duration of our time here." I tell him.

He looks at the gem and after a few moment nods in understanding. At this point Luna comes back to us, her own ticket floating next to her as she smiles. "Oh I'm so excited! You two ready?" We both nod. "Then let's go!" She says, quickly rushing up the steps to the door.

I just roll my eyes again as I follow her to the entrance, Drak right behind me. Once at the gem scanner, we hold our tickets to it one at a time, at which it carefully scans each ticket one by one, giving a small green glow when it finished one. Once the last one was scanned and accepted, we finally went through the large doors and into the museum itself.

Once inside I couldn't help but to look in awe at the place. Sure it might not be the best or biggest magical museum around, but it was certainly a good looking one. The main room was large, larger than what seemed to be possible in fact. I had a feeling that I knew what it was though, and glancing over at Luna it seemed that she did as well. Drak of course, noticed too, but had no idea why it was like that, so naturally he spoke up.

"Guys, why does this seem a bit off?" He asked.

Luna looked at him curiously. "Off? What do you mean?"

"I mean the whole inside of this place. It seems almost like it can't even fit in the museum in the first place, and yet..." He trails off, looking around the place, clearly confused.

I smile as I respond this time, eager to see his reaction. "Well, this museum is in fact the first of its kind to use spatial widening magic." I tell him.

Even Luna seems surprised as she looks around in awe. "Really? I assumed it was just an illusion. But to use spatial magic of any kind is a tricky endeavor. How did they-"

"It was from Canterlot I think. They got one of the magicians there skilled in it and paid for him to place a few of those spells to help give them more room for their space, seeing how they didn't have a lot of space to begin with." I explain, to which I get a nod from both of them. I also couldn't help but to feel a bit of smugness from the fact that I knew something that Luna didn't. With that done, I walk over to the large standing map near the front of the room and start looking it over. "So, where do you guys want to check out first? Personally I want to see the Grand Illusions of Today, they said they have some of the same tools that Hoofdini used in his shows!" I couldn't help but to grin at the thought of seeing the very same items that my star hero used. I started to let out an "Eee-!" when I remembered I wasn't alone, and quickly cut it off with a bit of a coughing fit. "But yea, that's just my opinion." I said casually, hoping they didn't notice my slight blunder.

I watched as they glanced at each other, both of them thinking it over. Drak looks over the map a bit as Luna says, "Well, I did wish to see the Relics of the Past, I was told they had artifacts that were before our time as princesses." She says. I take a quick glance at the map and, to my annoyance, it was on the opposite side of the museum from where I wanted to go.

Drak then speaks up. "What about here? Gems of Divine Implements." He said, pointing at the spot that was just a few paces over, past a couple of other exhibits. Thankfully this one wasn't as far as Luna's, but at the same time it was also nearly the same distance from Luna's as it was from mine, making it smack dab between our choices.

I think over the options before deciding to just go with what I wanted to do, looking over at them as I said, "I think we should go for the Grand Illusions first, then we can walk over checking the rest of the exhibits before reaching Luna's Relics of the Past." I stated.

Ok, perhaps I was a bit harsh with how I said it, but so what!

To my surprise, the Alicorn nodded her consent to this. "That sounds fair. I only wish for us to see it during our tour here." She says, to which Drak nods in understanding.

Having been expecting to argue about it, I nearly stumble over my words as I recover as best as I can. "Oh, well...good." I simply said. With that out of the way I quickly lead them to the first exhibit, just glancing over once to make sure that Drak was following.

(POV Luna)

This is the most fun I've had in years! No, centuries! The most fun I've had ever since I came back to Equis! Walking around and looking at all the ancient yet familiar artifacts that were used back in the day was so much fun, made even more fun cause I was with Drak! I thought I was going to be nervous and on edge the entire time, but thankfully after a few minutes it just all melted away. it was like any other time I spent with him, just us two enjoying each other's presence. It was all around perfect!

Well...almost perfect.

I could almost always feel Trixie's intense stare at me whenever I seemed to get the human to laugh at something I said, or whenever I reached with a wing and brushed his side lightly. I know I was pushing my limit a bit with how forward I was being, especially with how I was technically the second mare in this date. But it was just so hard to resist. I want to just nuzzle up to Drak and feel his warm skin against my fur, to feel his fingers sliding along my-

Ahem. Anyways, I knew that despite what the unicorn was saying before, she was very much not happy that I was here. it was clear that she was expecting this to be a simple one-on-one date with Drak before I showed up. Honestly it made me feel a bit bad for joining them. I just wished to tell Drak how I feel and for a chance to be with him closer than as a friend, not to interrupt him when he was going on another date. Still, what happened, happened, and I made sure to make the most out of it. And I was certainly enjoying our time here in the museum.

The Hall of Grand Illusions was very much interesting, even if it wasn't my favorite exhibit I could see that Trixie very much enjoyed every bit of it. Seeing all the different tricks and trinkets that were used in so many tricks was amazing, and they did indeed have a few of the tools that Hoofdini used himself. Trixie nearly went into fan mood from just seeing them, not even having to read the small signs placed by the items in order to tell us what they did and what grand tricks he used them for.

While I tried to look interested, it was a bit hard for me to follow along, mostly cause some of the tricks seemed a bit different than what I was used to, from both here and before my banishment. Drak seemed to be following along well enough, and after about ten more minutes of looking, we finally left that exhibit, glancing at the other ones as we passed by, sometimes stopping for a minute to examine a cool trinket here or a magical example there. We both laughed when we saw the human's face when he first saw the examples of levitation in the ages, which consisted of three objects that had three different levitation spells, all of them from different ages. He just looked between all of them with a look of confusion, reading and rereading the sign cards explaining how they are different. Finally he just gave up with a sigh and a shrug before looking at us for help, to which we both explained how the different methods had different magical energy usages, the more current ones being the ones with the least amount of magic used.

"But then, why can't all unicorns just us it then?" He asks after we explained it to him.

"It's not as simple as waving a horn and letting somepony fly." Trixie says. "You could cast it on somepony else easy enough, but to cast it on yourself is a lot harder."

"But-"

"We need something or some pony to focus our spell on, and only stronger or specialized unicorns can cast it on themselves, like Twilight for example." I add, causing the azure mare to give me another one of her glares. "If I recall correctly, she made the connection that our normal, every day magic is in fact related to a variation of the levitation spell, allowing all unicorns able to grab and lift things without the need of their mouths or hooves."

This caused him to blink in surprise. "Really?"

I nod. "Yes she did. You could say that it's the best levitation spell off them all, the only downside is that it requires more magical power the larger and heavier the object is, as well as constant concentration in order to keep it floating."

"Of course, for amazing magicians such as I, we can concentrate on many different objects at once. " Trixie says, before adding with a grin, "Observe!"

As her horn lit up so to did Drak's hood, which was currently over his head, as well as his shoes. Before the human could react, the hood was pulled further down over his face, while his shoes were raised up, lifting him in the air by a few inches. As she wasn't lifting his whole body, Drak started to fall over, his arms pinwheeling for a moment before the magic was released, causing him to fall on his back in a heap.

Trixie, realizing her mistake, looked wide eyed in shock at what she did. "Um...oops..." She says silently, though loud enough for me to hear. Before I could rush over to help him, Drak was already sitting up, rubbing the back of his head as he readjusted his hood.

"Ow..." He groans, wincing at the pain. "Did you have to use me as an example?"

During his recovery, Trixie managed to recover herself as she smiles smugly. "Of course! You wanted an example so I gave it to you."

"But I didn't ask for an example!"

Deciding to interrupt things, I say, "I didn't know you could lift him up Trixie. Even just by his shoes that's rather impressive."

This causes the unicorn mare to pause, her cheeks even tinging red just a bit. "Well...I have been practicing ever since the basilisk incident, at least in strengthen my magic, just in case something like that happens." She explains. I can't help but to feel impressed by hearing this, and by the looks of things it seems Drak was impressed too. Of course it was then nearly ruined when she adds, "I will say, I thought you were heavier then that, it was much harder to lift you before with all you-"

"Anyways!" Drak suddenly says, getting up and dusting his backside and legs. "How about we move on to the next exhibit?" He asks, and before either of us could say anything, he quickly turns and starts heading there himself, leaving us to just giggle lightly as we follow him.

(POV Drakalian)

I had to admit, this was indeed a fun time, spending it with both Trixie and Luna. Even with the small teasing from the azure mare thanks to her silly trick, I was having the most fun I've had since I've first woke up. It did help that I had two magical experts to explain everything that I didn't understand, which sadly was a lot of it.

In any case, we soon reached the Gems of Divine Implements, which they said is just a fancy name and not really indicative that they were divine gems of any sort. As we walked by the cases, I couldn't help but to look in some awe at the many different gems, jewels, and jewelry. They even had jeweled items such as staffs and wands, and even simple rocks of quartz and limestone that were no different from any other building material. Some of them we were even allowed to touch, feeling regular rocks before having to pull back as the heat magic from it nearly scorches us, and then shivering at the cold touch of other stones.

As we walked through them, I couldn't help but to think over how a lot of these items seemed to be so similar to my necklace. A few of them were nearly like mine even, if a lot more fancy than mine. As I was thinking this, we pass by another necklace, this one causing me to pause as I took a closer look at it.

It was a near similar size, perhaps a bit smaller for a pony, that much was clear. What really got my attention though was the design. It was silver, the same as mine, but the pendent itself was the shape of an hourglass, the top and bottom pieces that would be of sand were instead made of amber.

I stared at it closer, something in the back of my mind stirring. I..I've seem this before. But where? Where did I-

"Drak? You ok?" I blinked and looked up from the case, seeing both Luna and Trixie staring at me with worry in their eyes. It was at this point that I realized I had been staring at the necklace for a good few minutes without moving a muscle.

I shake my head and give them a half hearted smile. "Yea I'm fine, sorry just a bit...distracted." I say.

Sadly this didn't get by Trixie, who stomped her hoof in frustration. "Distracted my hoof! You were recalling something, weren't you!?" She nearly demands.

"No, I..." I start to say, only to have her raise an eyebrow and make me pause. I quickly realized that it would just be better to say what it is then to just try and hide it. "Well, not exactly."

This caused the unicorn to look at me with confusion, the Alicorn not looking any better herself. "I just...I can't shake the feeling that I've seen that necklace before." I said, pointing at the hourglass necklace.

As I said this, Luna stepped closer to take a look at it, her eyes narrowing as I see she was getting the same feeling as me. "Yes, there is something oddly familiar about this one." She agrees.

At this point Trixie just rolls her eyes as she pushes between us, causing us to look at her with slight confusion, but she ignores this as she reads the small sign card that was tapped to the case.

"Found in an ancient tomb, this necklace is thought to hold incredible power, yet what it actual does is a current mystery. What we do know is that not only does it hold a large amount of magical energy, but it seems to also be designed to contain a similar kind of power inside of it." She reads.

For some reason hearing her say that causes a shiver down my spine, making me look at her with worry. Trixie notices this as she glances back at me, Luna looks at us both with the same worry. "For some reason, I have a feeling that this might be connected to me in some way." I finally say, after what felt like an eternity of silence.

Trixie gives a shake of her head at this. "Really Drak? Just cause it's as old as you doesn't mean-"

"I have a feeling that he might be right." We both look at Luna with surprise as she spoke, which only grew as she adds, "Though I think this might be closer to both of us than to just him. I shall call one of the guards here and-"

Before we could wonder what she was going to do, one of the guards was already next to us, clearing his throat as we all looked at him. He is a tall earth pony, one might even say lanky, but the confident stance in his brown that he took showed that he is a guard through and through. "I'm sorry to be interrupting, but I'm gonna have to ask for you to give back that necklace." He says to me.

I blink in confusion, wondering what he was talking about, only to realize that my necklace, which I normally kept under my hoodie and shirt, had slipped out and was now hanging in the open air. I quickly pulled myself upright and looked back at the guard. "I believe you are mistaken sir. This necklace is mine." I simply say. Perhaps not the most diplomatic approach, but I wasn't going to hand my necklace over to him.

The guard narrows his eyes as he raises a walkie talkie to his face and says, "I've got a code 7 here at the Gems of Divine Implements, will need backup, I re-" He starts to say before Luna finally steps in.

"He speaks the truth." She says, which causes the guard to stop in mid speech, mouth open in surprise as if this is the first time he noticed she was here with me.

He remains silent for a good while, during this the other side of his walkie was speaking back to him, saying, "Julius? Is backup needed? You there, over?"

Shaking his head, he realizes that the guard over the walkie was still waiting for his response, and quickly says, "False alarm Gourd, seems to be a misunderstanding, over." He says, and then he puts the walkie back to his holster next to his pouch he was also wearing. Giving a small bow to Luna, he says, "I'm sorry for that, Your Majesty, but I do need to at least check it just to make sure it isn't part of our collection here, just in case." He looks back at me as he adds, "I'm just trying to do my job, again I'm sorry."

Luna nods in understanding and motions me to hand my necklace over to him. I hesitate, still unsure about giving him such a precious thing to someone who thought it was there's moments ago, but a nudge from Trixie gets me to sigh and nod in return. I take off the necklace and hand it over to Julius, who takes it from me.

To my surprise, he just sits down as he digs in his pouch before pulling out what seemed to be a small card. He then moves it over the necklace and after a few moments a low tone beep sounds from the card, to which the guard just looks at it with slight surprise. With a small nod to himself, he places the card back and hands my necklace back to me.

"Looks like it isn't part of the collection. Again, very sorry for bothering you during your date." He says nodding to the two mares, both who gave a nod of thanks in return.

I narrowed my eyes when he said date, but before I could correct him, Luna is speaking up, "I would think that the guards here wouldn't be so stern with seeing someone else have a jewel necklace, especially when it clearly belongs to them." She says with a bit of heat.

The guard shrinks lightly from her tone, but he doesn't back down. "Apologies Your Highness, but we have been on a higher alert ever since the thefts happened." He adds, to which causes us to look in shock.

"Thefts? Who in Tartarus would try and steal from here?" I asked, to which I get a surprised look from both Luna and Trixie, to which I just shrug. "What?, I kind of like saying Tartarus more than hell, ok? It sounds a bit more fancy." I admit.

Trixie just shakes her head before answering me. "Regardless, do you realize how many magical items are here, and that a lot of them have not only strong, but dangerous effects? Not only that, but ponies can sell them for a lot on the black market."

I narrow my eyes at this. "I thought there wasn't much if any crime in the country?" I asked.

"There isn't, but even we can't snuff out every bad thing." Luna admits with a sigh. "And as small as that black market is, it is still there and somehow profiting." She then turns to the guard and asks, "But I have yet to hear anything related to thievery here."

Julius nods. "That is true, they were more like attempted thefts, and it has only been one pony, as far as we can tell." He admits. "Still, we have been told to keep a lookout for any pony, or any creature that may have similar items as the ones we have." He looks at me and gives me an apologetic nod. "Again, I'm sorry for the aggression."

I just wave his apology away. "I know, just doing your job like you already said." I say, to which he at least has the humility to give a sheepish smile as he realizes just how often he was apologizing for.

"Even so, just remember for next time to ask nicer, if you could." Luna asks, to which Julius nods.

"Of course, Your Majesty, sorry again sir." He says, back to me, to which I nearly roll my eyes at yet another apology. He gives a nod to all of us before he heads on out, most likely back to his patrol duty around the exhibit.

I give a small sigh as I place my necklace back and, after looking it over in my hand, tuck it back under my hoodie. "Well...I think that confirms it for me that the necklace is indeed related to me in some way...or at least to my past." I say.

"Really? Cause I think it's just more of a coincidence than anything." Trixie adds.

"Maybe, but I would like to take it with me if possible."

Luna shakes her head. "Coincidence or not, I can't simply ask the museum to just give us one of their not only expensive, but potentially dangerous item just cause you have a hunch." She says, her voice heavy with sadness. I look up and open my mouth to protest, but she waves a hoof to silence me. "Drak, I know that as Princess I could just order them to give it to us, or even to you, but that would be an unfair use of our power. Not only are they guarding it with their own power and able to protect it, but in all accounts it is theirs by rights. I can't just ask for them to hand it over just cause we both have a feeling that it is important to our past. It needs to be something more substantial."

I look at her, annoyed and frustrated before sighing and nodding in agreement. "Yea...you're right." I finally admit. We all remain silent for a good while, a bit of an awkward silence really, with me just looking at the necklace, before I feel Luna place her wing around me, causing me to look over at her.

She smiles as she says, "Listen, I know it's important, and if you, or me, can remember what it is important for, and if it is important enough, then I will ask to at least buy it off of them." She says.

I smile as I lean over and rest my head against her shoulder, to which it gets her to blush a bit and make me chuckle. "Thanks Luna, I know you will do what you can. I'm sure I'll remember it sooner or later. After all, I'm getting better at remembering things of my past now." I add, to which gets a giggle from her.

As we stood together, I couldn't help but to glance at Trixie and notice that she wasn't looking at us, in fact she was making an obvious effort to not look at us as she stared at the hourglass necklace. Realizing that she might be feeling left out, and before I could really think on it, I reach over and pull the unicorn over, which gets a small "Eep!" from the mare.

"Come on Trixie, you're part of this too." I tell her...to which I get a firm elbow in my belly, making me grunt.

"Don't go grabbing Trixie like that in public you idiot!" She says firmly. However, she does stay in the hug for a couple seconds longer before she pulls back, shaking herself off of me. Suddenly, she turns to Luna and says, "Anyways, shall we head to the last exhibit? Or can we pause and get some food? I am getting rather hungry."

At this Luna looks up in alarm, glancing at the clock as she quickly pulls off of me. "Oh no! I forgot I have a lunch meeting with Mr. Rich in less than ten minutes!" She exclaims. "I didn't realize how much time we spent here already!" She turns to look at us with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry but I need to go now, I do hope we can do something like this again soon." She says.

Then she does something that I was not expecting at all.

After a moment of hesitation, looking into her eyes I noticed that something seemed to click in her mind as she leaned in and...kissed me. Right on the left cheek. Her lips were soft and smooth, the sensation sending a small shiver up my spine. Giving a blush and a nod once again, she quickly turns and trots on out of the exhibit and of the museum.

I just stare at her, partially open mouthed as I place a hand on the spot that she just kissed. I...I have no idea how to react to that. I mean sure we are friends and all, but do friends do...do that?

I finally get snapped out of it by Trixie clearing her throat, making me shake my head as I give her a sheepish smile. "Oh right, sorry for that. So, you want to go and get something to eat then or-"

"Trixie thinks that she will be eating by herself at the moment." She says, making me blink in surprise at the sudden coldness of her voice.

"Wait, you sure that-"

"TRIXIE SAYS-" She starts to say, before she pauses to take a few deep breaths. I just stare at her, very much confused as to why she suddenly got so angry at me. Was it cause of the kiss? It couldn't be, could it? Finally she speaks up again. "I'm sorry Drak, Trixie just...I need a bit of space right now, ok? Perhaps we can have lunch together some other time, but right now I..." She falls silent at that, shaking her head as if to clear it. Without another word, she turns and starts to head for the exit herself.

"Trixie wait!" I call out, and thankfully she stops walking as I quickly catch up. "Would like to at least leave with you if that's ok."

She looks up at me for a moment and then seems to relax a bit before nodding. "Ok." She simply says and soon we are both walking out of the exhibit.

As we reach the front entrance, I spy the gift shop just next to the doors, and recall my promise that I made to her. "Just give me a moment please." I tell her, to which she looks at me curiously, but thankfully doesn't argue about it.

Soon I'm inside the gift shop, looking around for something to get for her. I knew I had only the bits that Twilight gave me, and technically this would be bought with her money, but still, I said I was going to get her a gift, and I still plan on sticking with that promise, especially after whatever it was that seemed to have darkened her mood.

Looking through the items, I saw a lot of simple necklaces like the ones at the exhibit, though these ones had very simple spells and enchantments on them. Likewise, there were plenty of spell books and other such tomes, none of which really pulled me in as a proper gift for her. After a few moments I finally came across something that caught my interest: a snow globe. Inside of said globe was a grayscale pony in a straight jacket, surrounded by a crowd and looking as if he was trying to escape. On the bottom of it said that "The Great Hoofdini!" In bold, fancy lettering. Recalling how much she loved Hoofdini, I picked that one up, debating on shaking it, and then deciding to let Trixie do the honor for it. As I took it along with me, I did end up pausing at one of the tomes that said, "Enchantments for the Higher Mind". Deciding to get Twilight something as a thank you too, I picked that one up as well before heading to the counter.

"I'll be buying these two things please." I say to the pony cashier, who is a tall brownish pegasus mare with black and blue highlights in her mane.

She takes a quick glance over it all before nodding, "Ok, that will be fifty bits total sir." She says. I reach in and grab my bit bag as I count out the coins, to which she suddenly asks, "So, is one of those for the mare out there?"

I blink as I look up at her, to which she was motioning over to the entrance, where Trixie was waiting, looking idly around and thankfully not at me at the moment. I nod my head. "Yea, I promised I would get her something after our trip here, so-"

At this the mare gives a small squee of delight. "OOHH, so romantic! I wish I had a coltfriend like you, willing to get gifts for his marefriend." She says, to which I stare at her in confusion. It takes her a second to realize she was still working, and giving a sheepish smile she says, "Oh sorry, my bad." before taking the bits and placing them in the register. She then also takes the tome and snow globe and says, "Would you like a bag sir?"

I think it over for a moment and then nod. "Might as well." I say, to which she nods and grabs a bag from under the counter. She quickly bags the items and hands it to me, to which I take and head out of the gift shop. As I leave, I could have sworn I heard, "Wish I had a stallion like that." from behind me, to which I just shake my head. Something told me it was best to just leave that one be for now.

As I reached back to Trixie, she looks curiously at the bag and ask, "What did you end up getting?"

I motion for the door as I reach her. "Let's go outside, then I can show you." I tell her. She shrugs and we are soon outside, giving a wave to the clerk pony that was still there from when we first entered.

Once out, we walked a few paces away before she stops in front of me. "Ok, so what did you get? Trixie demands it!"

Seeing that she wouldn't take no for an answer, and happy to see that whatever black mood she was in seems to be gone, I reach into the bag and pull out the snow globe, holding it out for her. "I seem to recall that a certain pony really liked the Hoofdini section so..." I fall silent as I let her examine the globe.

At first her expression was blank, tinged with confusion as she stared at the globe. Then her eyes slowly widen as she realizes what it is. "Wait...this is his first performance. I mean THE first performance that he made." She says, staring in awe at the snow globe.

I do my best not to shrug. "Well, I thought it was a pretty snow globe, and I recalled how much of a great pony he was, so I thought why not get it." I say, feeling stupid with how I phrased it.

However it didn't seem like the mare noticed, just nodding in agreement as she continues to stare at it. "It's a very good gift Drak, you should make sure to take care of it." She says.

Seeing how she didn't realize it's a gift for her, I say, "Oh it's not for me, it's for you."

This causes her to look up and away from the globe and at me, eyes wide with shock once again. "For me?! But...but-"

"I told you, before we got here, that I was going to get a gift for you afterwards. I made that promise and I'm keeping it. Plus..." I hesitate for a moment before I continued. "I also hoped that it would make you feel better, after whatever it was that made you suddenly upset."

This seems to cause a reaction, as she almost balks at my words, staring back at me. I look back and this time I lock eyes with her. What I see was a mixture of confusion, some shame, and...something more? Before I could figure out what it was, she suddenly rushes me, wrapping her hooves around my back as she pulls me in for a tight hug. I nearly stumble from the sudden hug, making sure the globe isn't crushed between us as I hesitate, then gently pull her in and hug her back.

"Nopony has...ever gotten me a gift before." She says softly. I just continue to hold her close, just doing my best to keep her close as we stood there, a bit awkwardly on my part. During this I couldn't help but to notice that the clerk pony was watching us, a knowing smile on her face as she leans on her hooves and leans over her counter.

Finally the unicorn mare pulls away, and once I hold it out for her again, she takes the globe from my hands, floating it to her face first as she looks it over in detail. Smiling, she holds it to the side for the moment as she looks up at me. "Drak, I-"

I just wave a hand to silence her. "None of that, it's what friends do for each other." I simply say with a smile, glad to see she was feeling better.

She falls silent from that, looking deep at the globe as if thinking something. "Yea..." She simple says, almost as if that dark mood was about to come back. However, she suddenly gains a determined look and, looking up at me, she smiles. "Drak, I do need a bit of time, but perhaps in a few days, we can have lunch together, or...or dinner?" She asks me.

I nod. "Dinner sounds fine with me, or lunch, either is good." I say.

That seems to do it for her and, her smile widening just a bit, I suddenly get my second surprise of the day. Leaning up, she gives my cheek a nuzzle and then, suddenly, I feel her warm lips against my right cheek, the opposite of where Luna kissed me. She holds it there for a second before pulling back, her cheeks very dark and warm looking.

"I'll...I'll let you know when I'm free, ok?" She asks, to which all I could do is nod. Smiling, she gives me one more nuzzle before turning and walking off, giving a quick glance back as she waves her tail at me, to which I wave back.

I just stand there, very much confused with all of this. I wasn't sure what had happened, first Luna kissed me, then Trixie. I did feel for both of them, I cared for them a lot, but was it possible that...that they want...

I shook my head as I finally snapped out of it. I have no idea how I felt about this whole thing, nor was I sure I felt ready for it. Sure I did like them, perhaps more so then as friends, but I wasn't sure I felt ready to go to such a level of asking them out...unless...

I suddenly had an inkling that, everything we just did today might have been some sort of dating ritual for these ponies, or that we did indeed go on some sort of date. But I quickly shook my head from that. There was no way it was something like that, I swear I would have noticed if they were doing something as asking me on a date.

In any case, there was one thing that was on my mind above all else. I need to head back to the library and give Twilight her gift before grabbing some lunch. As I started walking, I thought through all the things that happened today and all the strange things that I saw, and I could really only come up with one conclusion.

"Ponies are fucking weird." I whispered to myself, my feet crunching through the snow.

Author's Note

Welp, this was a long time coming...again. Yea, lots of things happening, ups and downs and life being life. It would have come out sooner if I was better in the right state of mind. Also...for the life of me I forgot that different sections of a museum are called exhibits...so that made it take at least twice as long. Anyways...

I was able to get some help from some close friends on how to better write Luna's Royal Speech (without the yelling) and I think it turned out rather good. Last time I used this site on Shakespearean Speech to get her speech somewhat right. So...as a bonus, here's what it would have been using that instead.

This gets Luna to snap out of her slight stupor as we look back at each other, her cheeks gaining more color once again. ""oh aye! W-we cullionly of course, we...we has't a reasoneth to cometh...ov'r! to cometh ov'r we cullionly!" She says. I just nod, motioning her to continue. She takes a deep breath and slowly exhales before, after taking a few moments to calm herself yet again, she looks up and says, "Drakalian, we wast...we wast wond'ring if 't be true...p'rhaps...um"

Again she falls silent to which I remain quiet as I patiently wait for her to continue, which she does a few moments later. "We...um...we wast wond'ring if 't be true...p'rhaps me and thee...'r thee and we? We cullionly...us two couldst...uh" Again she pauses as she tries to find her words, which I take this moment to glance over at Trixie. For some reason her eyes are wide in surprise, her mouth partially open as if she knows what is happening, yet to me I just can't figure it out. It seems like she wishes to ask a favor of me, but other than that I don't really know.

Once again she continues, "What we cullionly to sayeth is...um...t-th're...th're's a museum in town yond...yond we've been wanting to wend f'r some timeth since i first cameth backeth as...Nightmare moon...I wast...I wast wond'ring if 't be true...thou art free...and ONLY if 't be true thou art free...yond thee might...beest willing to...accompany me"

So yea...that's a thing that happened. Also, life is a big pain, but thankfully I'm managing...even if it takes me almost a year to post a damn chapter, I'm not gonna give up on this!

Chapter 33: Soul/Job Searching

I was soon walking up the steps of the library, stomping my feet onto the flooring in order to get all the snow off my shoes before walking in. As I walked in, to my surprise, I found not only Twilight and Spike, but also Rainbow Dash, all three of them talking over some sandwiches.

The unicorn smiles as she sees me enter. "Hello Drak. Was your trip to the museum with Trixie fun?" She asked.

I smile and nodded. "Indeed it was. Would have been longer, but Luna said she had a meeting with-" I started to say before being interrupted.

"Wait a second? Luna? You mean Princess Luna?" Dash asked, a rather confused look on her face. "When did she come in town? And I thought you were with Trixie at that museum place."

I nod. "We were, and then Luna decided to come and join us." I said.

"She was also here cause she has a meeting with Filthy Rich about some stock exchange over one of his products." Twilight adds, taking a quick bite of her food as she does so.

Rainbow shakes her head before something else pops into her head and asking, "And Trixie just...allowed it!?"

I just nod in response. "She was a bit on the fence, I'll admit, but she did end up saying she could join us."

The pegasus mare just stares incredulously at me for a few moments before shaking her head in slight amazement. "Damn, player got the moves." She chuckles before going back to her sandwich.

Twilight glares at her speedy friend, and while I was very much confused by what she meant by that, I was also too hungry to really ask as I sat down on a spare stool. "Anyways, I hope you guys have some extra sandwiches, I'm rather hungry."

This time it's Spike who nods. "Yea, I did make a few extra just in case for myself, but you can have a couple of them." He says, to which I smile to the kind baby dragon.

As he gets up and goes to grab them, I remember the bag in my hand, and quickly pull out the tome that was inside, holding it over for Twilight. "Oh I almost forgot, I did buy a couple of gifts at the gift shop, one for Trixie and then I saw this tome and thought you might like it." I tell her.

At this we both hear a small, quick coughing fit that sounded very much like 'egghead' coming from the rainbow mare, to which we both ignored. Twilight smiled as she took the tome in her magic and quickly looked it over, her eyes widening a bit as she sees the cover. "An advanced Enchantment tome? I've been looking for one of these! How did I not see this at the museum during my own trips there?" She questioned herself, to which I could only shrug.

She opens the book and skims the first few pages before a frown creases her muzzle. "Oh, it seems to be about the more historical parts of old, advanced enchantments, more for studying than for learning new, practical ones." She says, to which I too frown. Seeing my sadness, she quickly adds, "Not that it's bad or anything, really! I very much enjoy the gift, and I'll be sure to give it a good, thorough read!"

I raise an eyebrow at her words. "Sure you're not just saying that?" I ask, though I already knew she was being true to her word.

"Trust me, she will have finished that book by tomorrow." Says Spike, having just returned from the kitchen with a couple of sandwiches, placing them both before me. "Here you go Drak, two Sandwich La Spike." He says, giving a fancy flourish as he places them down.

I chuckle at this as I grab one of them. "No flowers, yes?" I ask, wanting to make sure it is something I could eat.

He quickly nods. "None at all! I made sure to remove them for you, just a normal lettuce cheese sandwich." He says proudly.

I smile and nod my thanks as I quickly take a bite out of it, my teeth sinking into the tasty food...and then hitting something hard with a loud "CRACK!"

I freeze, mouth on the sandwich as the two ponies and dragon stared at me in shock. Finally it was Spike who speaks up. "Oh...might have forgotten about the rubies..."

Slowly, I pull the sandwich out of my mouth, and placing it on the plate again, I open it, revealing the bright, not even scratched ruby that I had just bitten into.

"Ok...ow..." I said softly, reaching up and rubbing my very much in pain jaw. I forgot that dragons were able to eat gems, which gave their scales that shine. How the hell he is able to crunch through them like candy is beyond me.

During this Rainbow was laughing her ass off, rolling in her seat and nearly falling over in her mirth. Thankfully, Twilight was much more kind hearted, quickly jumping off of her seat and standing next to me, reaching to pull my jaw closer to her. "Drak! You ok?" She asks, examining my jaw.

I give a small nod, a bit restricted with how she was holding it in her hooves. "Yea, i'fine, jus a bi'o damage." I said a bit muffled from her hoof handling. I try to pull away from her grasp, but she just ends up replacing her hooves with her magic, moving them around as she examines me. Suddenly she forces my mouth open, to which I once again struggle, but she is very determined, looking in my mouth and at my teeth.

Now I was a bit extra worried about this, cause of my canines and what they mean, though thankfully all the ponies already knew that humans were omnivores. Safe to say that part of the myth about humans still lived, so there wasn't any panic when that was first pointed out. I thought it would have caused more issues among the herbivore ponies, but it seems they had plenty of dealings with other creatures of a similar nature, such as gryphons and minotaurs. I myself hadn't really had a chance to have any sort of meat to eat, supplementing my own need with nuts and other protein heavy food, so overall most others tend to forget that I had those pointed teeth. But it still made me a bit awkward whenever my teeth were on display in such a way, knowing my canines would make for a more menacing look to the normally herbivorous ponies.

Still, that didn't deter her in the slightest as she gives a small nod, slowly closing my mouth and placing her hooves on my shoulders. "Ok, looks like there aren't any cracks or chips, so you got lucky this time." She says with a smile. I give a pained smile back, and this time as our eyes locked, I notice first a bit of confusion from her, then alarm as she realizes just how close she is to me, to which she quickly pulls back and looks away. "Oh s-sorry." She says.

I just wave it off and smile. "You were worried, no harm done. Besides what was done to my teeth." I say with a chuckle, which thankfully gets a giggle back from her. "I am still hungry though."

Suddenly the sandwiches were slide back into view, causing me to look up at the young dragon. "Here you go, I took the gems out this time, so it should be safer for you." He says, waving one of said gems in his claws before tossing it into his mouth and crunching on it, the sound making me wince at just how damn sharp his teeth must be. Yet another reason why they don't care about my teeth if everyone is already used to Spike's razor sharp rows of dental work. He then also slides a glass of water towards me as well. "And some water, to soothe your jaw from biting the gem."

I eye the sandwiches closely for a few moments, slowly picking up the one I already bit into. "You didn't replace the ruby with flowers, did you?" I asked in a slightly joking manner, raising an eyebrow and giving a small smirk to let him know I was just kidding around.

Thankfully he took the hint, smiling back. "I'll admit, I did think about doing that." He teases back, which gets a laugh from all of us. At this I finally start to chow down, thankfully to a more human safe meal, the other two going back to their own food as well.

It stays rather quiet for a few minutes, just the pleasant sounds of munching and chewing going around in the room, all of us content to just focus on eating. Soon, we start to finish, and as Dash eats the last of her sandwich, she speaks up to Twilight.

"So, any chance you could help?" She asks her, most likely to a previously asked question from before I got here.

She frowns as she shakes her head, taking a sip of her water. "I wish I could Rainbow, but I already have plans to do some studying, plus I need to reorganize the library as well."

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Wait, didn't you reorganize it a month ago?" I ask her.

Spike sighs. "Yea, she did." He simply says.

Twilight gives a sheepish smile at this. "Still, I found a new way to organize the books and make it much easier to find certain topics when searching for them." She says before returning her gaze back to her pegasus friend. "I'm sorry, really I am."

The cyan mare groans as she lays her head on the table. "It's fine, just that I promised her I would find someone to look after her daughter while she went to Canterlot in search of a temporary job, and yet no pony is willing to help, either too busy or just not interested." She says.

Twilight frowns at hearing this. "Wait, no pony is interested in babysitting her? Surely that isn't so? I mean she is so adorable and bubbly like her mother. And she is hardly a difficult filly to take care of too." She states.

Dash nods. "Yea, but that also makes them worried cause they think she also inherited her clumsiness too, and you know how clumsy Ditzy can be." She sighs.

Twilight nods. "Yea, I-"

"Hold on, did you say Ditzy? Gray pegasus with bubbles for a cutie mark? And she needs someone to babysit Dinky for her?" I asked, having caught the name and recalling the familiar gray mare and her daughter from the fire.

Rainbow looks up in surprise at me, giving a slow nod. "Yea, how do you know her?" She asks, then gains a worried look. "Oh no, did she hit you with a lightning bolt by mistake, or crash into you too? Look I know she can be clumsy and bit addle minded, but-"

I quickly shake my hands to stope her. "Whoa, hold on now! She didn't do anything like that! We met during the fire, when I saved her daughter from the burning mail building." I quickly explain.

This gets her to quickly shut up, the information taking a few moments to get absorbed before she sighs and nods. "Oh, yea...that fire..." She sighs, lightly tapping her empty glass.

I frown at this, wondering why she suddenly got so upset, but thankfully Twilight manages to explain to me. "Sorry Drak, but she's a bit upset she wasn't here to help during the fire. She was out of town when it happened, so she had no idea till it was already over."

I give a small oh expression and a nod before turning to face Dash again. "Hey, it's not your fault Dash, and no one got hurt badly." I tell her, then give a chuckle. "In fact, I think I was the one who came out the worst after crashing through that burning debris." I add.

Thankfully this gets a chuckle from the rainbow mare. "Yea, Trixie went on and on with how dumb and stupid you were for diving in without a plan." She says before giving a shrug. "To be fair, I totally would have done it too, just you know...not as badly as you." She adds with a cheeky grin.

I just roll my eyes before getting back to the topic at hand. "So, Ditzy is needing to find someone to babysit Dinky? I don't see why that should be an issue? Dinky's such a lovely filly last I met her, very adorable and cute. Plus determined and brave." I add, remembering how quickly she adjusted after escaping the fire.

Rainbow once again sighs and gains a slightly forlorn look. "Yea, I guess you don't really know, but Ditzy is kind of the town clown." She explains. I just remain silent as I let the mare continue. "I don't mean she goes around telling jokes or anything, but she always ends up crashing or dropping things, sometimes at the worst of times. She means well, she really does, but her condition makes it hard for her to focus on anything in front of her, plus she is a bit of an airhead at times." She sighs as she leans on the table again, looking at the empty glass. "Others tend to avoid her on the account that they are afraid she may end up bumping into them or even zapping them with lightning whenever she is bouncing on one of the storm clouds that she so loves."

I stop her there for a moment. "Hold on, she jumps on storm clouds? As in the dark, thick ones filled with lightning?" I ask, to which she nods. "How has she not-"

"Us pegasus are very resilient to the weather, including their elements, such as the cold and even lightning." She explains, then adds, "Though it doesn't mean we are immune. Ditzy has sent a few pegasus and even herself to the hospital with her bouncing, thankfully with nothing more than just small burns."

I nod in understanding, frowning a bit as I hear this. "And from what you said, the others think Dinky got some of her mother's traits besides all the positive ones?" I ask, to which she nods.

"Yea, hence the lack of ponies offering to babysit her." She finishes. We all fall silent after that, most of us looking at our glasses, taking a sip here and there to try and remove the awkward silence that broke.

After a solid minute of nothing, Dash stands up abruptly. "Anyway, I need to go tell Ditzy the bad news, unless by some miracle some pony comes and offers to help."

"I can do it." I quickly say, to which gets both of them to turn to me in shock.

"Wait, you?" Dash asks after a few moments of pause. "You want to babysit Dinky? Have you ever babysat some pony before?"

I shake my head. "Not that I know of. Maybe in the past?" I add as I think it over before shaking my head. "Anyways it can't be that hard right? I mean it's just babysitting, it isn't spell science or anything."

"First of all, spell science is a very poor way of describing something to be an advance topic. Spells and science are two different, if somewhat similar topics, and saying spell science is like saying tomato couch. A better term would be-" Twilight starts to correct before Dash jumps in.

"Yea, it isn't like spell science in any way, but still, you sure you are up for it? I don't want to send you in and then get cold feet halfway through and just ditch her." She warns, eyes narrowing at the additional unspoken warning.

I nod. "I'm sure it will be fine. Besides, like you said, Dinky is adorable and very easy to take care of, I doubt it will be difficult." I say.

Dash stares at me intently for a good few moments, and I just look back with equal determination. "Besides, I saw them both after the fire, I know they are good ponies and if she is going through a hard time, I can't just sit back and watch. Plus..." I hesitate at this, unsure what they might think, but am quickly motioned to continue by Twilight, a knowing look on her face as well as a hopeful smile. "Plus...I need something else to do with my life. I'm tired of just sitting around barely doing anything while living here. I want to be of some help, to just do something to help someone, sitting here is just..." I give a sudden groan as I rub my face with my hands for a moment, perhaps a bit too rough as when I pull them back, I can feel my face a bit more red than normal. "It's just driving me crazy!" I say with exasperation.

This seems to hit the speed pony hard, and quickly her mind is made up as she swoops over and sits in front of me. "Hey, I know what it's like, standing around waiting and unable to do anything. I was stuck in the hospital for several days while my wing healed, and it was the worst time of my life." She then raises her hoof and spits on it before holding it out to me, looking me in the eyes as she asks, "You promise to do you damn best to take care of that filly?"

I've seen Dash and AJ do this several times before, usually when they were making a bet, and while I was unsure why they did it like that, the meaning behind it was still the same as I can see the determined look behind her gaze. I look down at her hoof and then back at her eyes and, without hesitating, quickly spit in my own hand and take her hoof, shaking it firmly, my own eyes filled with determination. "Like she was my own." I tell her.

With that all done, we pull our hand/hoof away...and suddenly she jumps me, hooves wrapped around my back as she hugs me close, nearly knocking me out of my seat as well as knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh thank buck for that! I was so worried I wasn't gonna be able to find some pony to help, but now that you can I don't have to do it myself!" She exclaims, to which I blink in confusion.

"Wait, do it yourself?" I asks, looking down.

She breaks the hug as she looks up at me. "Yea, I would have helped her if I could, but I bought tickets to the Wonderbolts newest show. Front row seats, and they cost me so much bits!" She says with a smile before it slacks a bit as she adds, "I told her about it and she was understanding, but I also told myself that if I couldn't find some pony to babysit, then I would do it myself. She is a friend after all, as clumsy as she is, and I do care for her and her daughter, but..." She sighs before shaking her head, her smile returning, "But now I don't have to worry about that cause you said you can do it! Thank you so much again, I'll be sure to tell Ditzy about this. In fact I'm gonna go tell her now!" She quickly flaps her wings and raises into the air with barely any effort as she waves bye to Spike and Twilight. "Later Twilight, later Spike!" She says before zooming out the door, leaving it nearly crashing closed behind her.

I just remained speechless as I looked at where she left, glancing over at Twilight only to see her shaking her head lightly. "Honestly, she needs to close doors a lot more calmly." She sighs before standing up, glasses and the new tome in her magical grasp. She then looks at me and asks, "You want more water?"

I can't help but to chuckle and nod, standing up myself. "Yea, if you don't mind." I say, giving a small stretch then a grunt of satisfaction as I feel my spine pop lightly. "I think I'll read more on this Winter Wrap-Up to get a better idea of what to do during it in the meantime." I then turn to Spike and add, "You care to help me out? Would be nice to have the greatest dragon around to help me with understanding it."

Said dragon smiles at this, but then gives a small yawn. "Perhaps next time. Right now, this greatest dragon is in need of a nap. Night you two!" He says. With a wave of night to Twilight and I, he heads upstairs and to the room he shares with the unicorn.

Seeing how it was just gonna be me reading, I give a shrug as I head on to the couch, managing to find a book that talked in detail about Winter Wrap-Up, sitting down as I started reading through it, the unicorn having already left to refill our waters. She comes back about a minute later as she hands me my now filled glass, to which I smile and nod my thanks, taking it and sipping on it a bit before placing it on the table next to the couch.

"So, how are you doing with the reading? You having any trouble understanding it?" She asks, sitting down next to me.

I shake my head as I glance over at her, noticing how close she is sitting yet again, but once again that isn't anything new. "Nope, so far it seems pretty clear cut to me. Everything it says makes sense, though..." I pause as I look down at the book, and with a prompting nudge from the mare, I continue. "I don't fully understand one thing. How long does this normally take? From the sounds of it, this seems like it should take weeks, maybe even months to do."

Twilight smiles, glad to offer some help. "Oh it doesn't take that long at all! In fact the longest it normally would take would be a week, though we have had it happen for as long as ten days, but that is cause of an unfortunate occurrence or some other poor timing. Thankfully that has yet to happen again since I got here." She says.

I nod, remembering that she said she is in charge of all the organization, which makes sense considering just how organized she is in the library. "So how long can I expect it to last then?"

"About a day, maybe two." She answers, which causes me to look up in surprise.

"A day!?" I repeat in shock before quickly recovering. "I mean, this seems like so much effort, surely it can't all be done in just a single day?"

She smiles and nods. "Yup, it's all done in a day. It's rather simple really, since every pony helps in some way or another, so we all get it done fairly quickly now." She says.

I nod as I think it over. That does make sense, with everyone in town pitching in, and with how organized she is, I can see just how it can get down so quickly and efficiently. I then recalled when she said I didn't have to do this, causing me to grin lightly. "Everyone pitches in huh? And here you wanted me to take it easy that day." I tease.

Sadly it seems she didn't get my teasing, frowning with worry and quickly shaking her head. "I didn't mean like that, I just didn't want you to get in over your head, plus with everything that had happened to you, I just-" She starts to say, before I silence her with a finger to her muzzle.

"Twilight, relax." I told her, which causes her to do just that. I remove my finger from her lips as I continue. "I know you only meant well. And like I said, I just wish to help the town that allowed such a stranger to stay with them and be so kind to me."

She smiles at this. "We've gotten a lot better at dealing with strangers, true." She adds.

I smile, recalling the story with Zecora. "You know, I have yet to still meet this zebra."

"Oh, you most likely will meet her during Winter Wrap-Up. I am assigning you to Applejacks team during it, seeing how the more physical labor stuff should be easier for you now, after all those work outs with Rainbow."

I nod before glancing at the book and asking, "What about the stuff with the cloud clearing and snow gathering?" I asked.

This time she giggles. "Unless you figured out how to fly during your time here, I'm not sure those will be easy for you to do." She says.

I chuckle and nod. "Fair point. So, care to help me read over the rest of this book with me? Would like to have a reading buddy for this." I offer, to which she smiles and leans in more.

"Of course! Though I may just skim it, seeing how I already read it." She admits, to which I nod in understanding. Leaning against each other, we both start reading through the book, getting nice and comfy against one another during the cold last days of winter.

A few minutes go by with this, both of us mostly silent with just the occasional question from me about something from the book, along with a responding answer from the mare, when something hits me. I look up in worry at the mare, who looks back at me, seeing the worry on my face as she frowns. "Drak, what's wrong? Did you get another memory again?" She asks, already she was reaching for her notebook and quill before I shook my head.

"No, nothing like that. I just...I just realized something about Ditzy." I say.

This causes her to tilt her head in confusion. "What about her?"

"I have no idea where she lives to go and babysit Dinky."

Author's Note

BOOM! Another chapter, so quick after the last one! I know I'm on a roll. And yes the ending is supposed to be a silly cliffhanger sort of thing, cause why not.

Chapter 34: Fillysitting

Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about looking for Ditzy's house on my own, as Dash was quick to return later that night and let me know that I would be needed to come over tomorrow by ten, and she would be leading me there. This was just after Twilight and I finished going over the book about Winter Wrap-Up, and with a thanks to the speedy mare, the two of us went to bed for an early night.

The next day, true to her word, Rainbow came back once we finished breakfast. With an hour left, I questioned her why she came to get me so early, only to tell me that the Wonderbolt's show she got tickets for was due in ten minutes. Understanding her need to hurry, I gave a quick goodbye to Spike and Twilight before following the rainbow mare.

Thankfully it only took five minutes for us to reach Ditzy's place, which of course was a house that looked almost like the others around it. Well, if it works then no need to change it too much I guess. In any case once we were there Rainbow, who was eager to get to the Wonderbolt's show, gives me a quick bye before zooming off in a streak of rainbows. Shaking my head at the sudden departure, I walk up to the front door and knock on it.

It doesn't take too long to get a response from inside. "Coming! One moment!" I hear, most likely Ditzy by the sounds of it. As I wait, I start to lean against a foot before taking a jump back as I hear a crash followed by a loud thud. I pause, unsure if I should barge in and help, but before I can make up my mind, the door opens and a rather rattled up Ditzy opens the door, her mane in disarray.

It takes her a moment to collect her senses, her eyes soon somewhat focused on me...well, one eye at any rate. "Drak? You're here early."

"Yea, Rainbow came and showed me where you live early cause her Wonderbolt's show was gonna start soon." I explain.

"Still, I don't need to leave for another fifty minutes!" She says, before quickly adding, "I mean, not that it's bad that you are early, I just wasn't expecting it and-"

I give a soft chuckle and wave my hand to calm her. "Ditzy it's ok. If you want I can come back later. I know where you live now so-"

"No!" Her sudden response causes me to pause in surprise, the shout seeming to surprise even her as she blushes lightly. "I mean, no it's fine, really. Please, come in." She adds in a calmer tone, opening the door wider and stepping to the side. I hesitate, still feeling as if I was pressuring the gray mare into making her take me early, but she quickly adds, with a bit more of her normal cheery tone, "Don't make me pull you in here mister."

I can't help but to laugh at that, giving a shake of my head. "Ok ok, I'm coming." I say as I enter the room, letting the pegasus close it behind us. I take a quick look around, finding the room to be the main room, and once again not very different from most other houses that I've seen around here. At least, it looks as normal as I would expect one to be on the inside, this being the first time I was in another pony's house. Of course there were pictures of her and Ditzy along the walls, among other simple nik naks that obviously had some value to them. One thing that stood out was a small bookshelf that seemed to have been knocked over, the books all tossed around. Obviously Ditzy ran into it when she was rushing for the door to get me.

She sees me looking at the mess as she frowns. "Yea, sorry for the mess, I kind of...ran into it trying to get to you."

I shrug. "No worries, we all make mistakes at times." I reply, getting a slightly relieved smile from her.

Ditzy quickly trots to the front of the stairs that lead to the second room and calls out, "Dinky! Drak's her!"

"Coming!" I hear the filly call back, and after a few seconds she is on the top of the stairs, a huge smile on her face as she sees me. "Drak!" She calls out, nearly flying down the stairs and jumping onto me, forcing me to catch her in my arms and steady myself otherwise risking falling over.

"Woah!" I cry in surprise, holding her close as she hugs me. Even with the sudden surprise hug, I can't help but to smile as I hug her back, feeling her cheeks smile as she pushes her face against my chest. For some reason my normal hesitation with hugging others doesn't seem to come up when it comes with Dinky, perhaps with just how adorable she is. "I see somepony's happy to see me."

She giggles as I gently lower her back on the floor, her mom quickly walking over to her with a frown on her face. "Dinky! I've told you no jumping on the guests!" She scolds her.

Dinky just smiles back at her. "But mom, he's big enough to catch me. Plus he was able to easily carry me out of the fire."

The grey mare looks at her daughter for a few moments, the younger pony giving a very happy and joy filled smile, before Ditzy looks back at me, to which I shrug. "I don't really mind. A bit of warning would have been nice, but it's no problem for me."

Seeing that I was ok with it, the mare softens her look as she smiles a bit at Dinky. "Ok, you get a pass with Drak...but only for now!" She adds, which gets a cute yay from the filly, causing us to laugh a bit. Looking back at me, she says, "As for you, I may as well show you around the place and where everything is..." She pauses and looks at Dinky for a moment before adding, "...as well as give you the rules for Dinky to follow." to which said filly just sticks her tongue out.

I chuckle, giving the silly filly a small pat on her head, avoiding her horn as I nodded to Ditzy. "Of course, lead the way."

(49 Minutes Later)

"And that should be the last thing! Just make sure to put her to bed at eight at the latest and I'll be back at around nine thirty." She finishes as we come back down the stairs.

I nod, putting the last of that information in my head. "Bed at eight, got it." I repeat, getting a smile from the mare.

During the walk around the house, Ditzy showed me where everything was, the food, their rooms, as well as cleaning supplies in case of spills. She also gave me a list of dos and don'ts that Dinky needs to follow, just in case she tried to pull a fast one on me, as well as to, no matter what, give in to her "adorable puppy eyes". About half way through the house, Dinky went back into her room to continue on whatever she was doing before I got here, leaving just Ditzy and I.

Seeing that I got it all, Ditzy glances at the clock on the wall, gasping as she realizes the time. "Oh no! I need to go before I miss the train!" She says. She flies up a bit and gives me a hug, which of course causes me a bit of surprise as I hesitate before responding in kind. "I need to go, tell Dinky I love her and to behave. I'll see you around nine thirty."

I nod as she parts and, grabbing her saddlebags and her hat, she swiftly flies out the door, closing it behind her. I turn and the first thing I see is the toppled bookshelf and books.

"Must have forgotten about it during our time." I say to myself, to which I shrug. I make a mental note to clean and even organize it up before she comes back as I walk back up the stairs to Dinky's room.

Her door already open, I just stand outside as I watch the mare work on what seems to be some sort of arts and crafts project, a large poster with lots of colored paper and glitter on it, seeming to depict two ponies and then a third...being, holding one of the ponies. It takes me a minute but I soon realize that she is making a scene of when I ran out with her from the fire. Realizing that the two ponies are herself and her mother, and the taller one holding her was me, I couldn't help but to smile. As I noted before, even with what happened, it seems that the incident didn't affect her in the slightest. Certainly for the best, since the one who was injured the worst was me.

"Gluing paper to make that scene of the fire I see." I comment, getting the filly to glance up and smile at me, nodding.

"Yup! Miss Cheerilee said that we have to make something explaining the brave actions of the other ponies during the fire!" She says with glee before motioning to the poster she is making. "I decided to make the scene of you saving me from the fire, cause I think it was the most bravest thing!" She adds.

Hearing just how sincere she is from that, as well as the total joy in her voice made it hard for me to say anything negative about her idea, if there was any to begin with. I just smile at this as I walk over and kneel down besides her. "Need any help, or is this something you have to do by yourself?" I ask.

"Nope! Miss Cheerilee said that we can ask our family and friends to help if we want! Though we can't help with any pony else in our class." She explains.

I nod in understanding. "Great, so what can I do?" I ask.

She quickly hands me a bottle of red glitter. "Here, you can put some of the red and orange glitter onto the fire I as I make it." She says, to which I nod, scooting a bit closer to get ready with the new task.

The minutes tick by as we work on the project, both of us quickly getting deep into the work of making the art come to life. As Dinky glued the paper onto the poster into the correct positions, I focused on adding the correct glitter to the right spots. It doesn't take too long, about thirty minutes before we finish it up, a nice paper poster art scene of me saving Dinky from the fire, her mother waiting with open hooves.

I smile at the rather cute picture, despite the darker undertones that are there. As the thought pops up, I can't help but to say, "You really are a brave filly."

This gets her to look at me with a confused look. "Brave? Me?" She asks.

I nod. "Yea, you were in that fire just under a week ago, and yet here you are, happy as before and not scared at all about the fire that you were just in."

She shakes her head, her eyes getting a bit of a worried look. "But I was scared! I was terrified when I was in there, all alone. Besides, you were the brave one. You ran into the fire and pulled me out from it."

"I don't mean that." I add. "I mean right now. Most others would still be worried and scared about what you went through, maybe even changed, but you came out of it giggling only minutes after you left the fire, like nothing happened."

She falls silent at this, and I start to worry that perhaps I said too much for her to understand. However, to my surprise, she says, "Mommy says that we can only make the best out of the situation that we are in, and control what we can with the tools we have. I know I was stuck in the fire and scared out of my wits...I'm still scared of what happened...but..." She falls silent as she looks down at the poster for a few moments, then back at me, her smile back on her face. "But what happened, happened. We can't change the past and no pony got hurt bad, so it all turned out better. All that was broken was the mail building where Mommy works, and that is easier to fix than other ponies." She says.

I look at the young filly once again with newfound respect before giving her a smile and a nod. "Your mom is a very cleaver pony, that's for sure." I say, reaching down and ruffling her head lightly.

This gets a giggle from the unicorn, nuzzling into my hand for a moment before walking over and sitting down on her bed. "I just wish every pony else thought that was true as well." She says softly.

Sensing a need to talk, I walk over and sit on her bed next to her, a bit worried once again. However, I remain silent for a minute as I tried to figure out the proper words to say, knowing that this is most likely a sensitive subject for her. "I'm guessing not a lot of others think the same?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "No, they think she's just clumsy and silly, and not in the good way either." She says. Reaching over, I gently rub her back, which seems to make her feel a bit better as she leans against me before she continues. "It always hurts me when other ponies see my mommy and only think of her as some goof and don't take her serious at all. I mean, I know being funny is good and can be fun, but all the time?" She falls silent after that, the frustration obvious on her face.

I nod in understanding, rubbing her back still to keep her calm. "Yea, I can see what you mean. It isn't the best to be poked fun at in such a way huh?" I say.

She nods. "Sometimes, I see her with a sad look after some pony insults her in some way whenever we go out together, and then there is the whispering too..." She frowns more, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

I remain silent as I think over a bit more of my words before speaking up again. "Well, I can see one good thing in her life at least."

This gets her to look up with confusion. "Really? What's that?"

"She has you. I can't think of a better filly to make her life that much brighter, and I know I may have only known you for a short while, but I can tell you are a very happy filled filly with lots of love for her mom, and I know she loves you lots in return." I say, smiling.

This gets her to fall silent as I see her mind slowly work those words over. Slowly, she smiles and looks up, nodding her head. "That's true, I do love her a whole lot."

I smile in return. "And I think that you help her a lot as well during those darker times, yes?"

She nods more eagerly this time. "Oh yes! I always try to make my mommy happy however I can, such as with games or even practicing my magic." She says. With this she starts lighting up her horn, and soon the glitter bottle is glowing as it slowly, shakily raises up about an inch before falling back down, the little filly panting lightly. "It's...still very hard to do though."

I give her head a gentle rub of encouragement. "Still, that must be very impressive, especially for one so young." I tell her.

She smiles in return at this, clearly happy with her accomplishment. "Thanks Drak!"

As we both smile, I suddenly get an idea of what we can do next, seeing how it's still early yet. "So, what games do you usually play with her?"

This gets a very positive response as she smiles wider. "Oh! We play all sorts of games, like hide and seek, tag, catch. When there's snow we sometimes build some snow forts and snow ponies." She says before adding, "Though we haven't gotten a chance to build anything this season, with her being so busy as of late."

I nod in though as I stood up. "Well then, I think I know what we are gonna do now."

She gasps in surprise. "Really? Oh that's great! With your help we can make the biggest snow fort ever!" She says as she hops off the bed and onto the floor, bouncing in place lightly. In doing so one of her hooves causes to knock over the glitter bottle, causing it to tip over, though thankfully it didn't spill as the cover was on tight. "Oh...oops."

I chuckle and shake my head lightly. "I think we need to clean up first, then we can go and make some snow forts." I say.

She nods sheepishly as she starts to clean up the area. Leaning down, I start to help her too as a thought hit me. "Oh, I almost forgot, did you get anything for lunch today?"

She nods. "Yea, mommy and I had a late breakfast before you got here, cause she said she wouldn't have enough time for a proper lunch during her trip to Canterlot."

I give a small nod at this. "Ok, then let's clean up and we can make those snow forts." I say, getting another yay from her as we focus on cleaning up the mess we made from making her poster.

(Several hours later)

As the day went on, I grew to very much enjoy my time spent with Dinky, and I could see that she was very much loving our time together as well. It didn't take much to excite the cute filly, and she was always more than happy to help whenever it came to doing some chores and such.

We had plenty of fun playing in the snow, making a very large fort in the shape of a castle. I even managed to make a couple of small guard ponies to plant on the entrance of the fort, which really made Dinky happy, having never been able to do that herself. Of course my hands were freezing after that, so after a couple of hours playing in the snow with her being a mighty princess fighting against a fierce snow monster (which I played as, of course), we went back inside to warm ourselves up.

At this point we sat by the fire for a bit, warming up our hooves and fingers as we drank hot coco that I made for us before we turned on the tv to watch some of her favorite shows. I watched a couple of episodes with her before going to make us dinner, deciding on a simple grilled daisy cheese sandwich for her while I just had a grilled cheese. Once food was finished we watched a few more episodes together before I noticed her yawning, which made me realize it was close to her bedtime. Despite telling her this, she begged to stay up for a bit longer, wanting to see mommy when she returns, but I was adamant about her going to bed, even as she gave me those puppy eyes. She was stubborn though, so after a bit I agreed to let her stay up for thirty more minutes (and not cause her puppy eyes were super adorable). Once the time was up I got her upstairs and ready for bed before helping to tuck her in.

I smile as I watch her get nice and comfy under the blankets, making sure she is nice and warm. "So, does the princess want a story?" I ask, getting a small giggle from her.

"Yes please!" She says, snuggling even deeper under the blankets.

I smile, sitting down next to her as I think over a story to tell before an idea popped up in my head, slightly inspired by another storyteller.

"Well, in a far distant land, there is a mighty dragon warrior, champion of a thousand duels, who was on a quest to save a lovely unicorn princess. Now, this warrior had to travel across dangerous lands and face many terrifying enemies in order to find her, of which he was more than ready to take on."

"During his travels he meets a kind and wise wizard, one who lost his powers ages ago. The wizard has a relic that can help protect any pony from the elements, which he needs in order to pass the towering Mountain of Storms. The wizard promises to give him this relic in exchange for the warrior to protect her during his trip to battle some rogue bandits."

As I continue the story, I couldn't help but to smile a bit as I start to get lost in my own story telling. Dinky smiles lightly at the story, giving a small yawn as she slowly gets more and more tired. I can't help but to smile as I watch her start to sink into sleep, her eyes slowly closing as the minutes tick by. Soon they are fully closed as she gently breaths in her slumber, just as I finish how the warrior and wizard both manage to make it to the top of the mountain.

I smile and gently stroke her head, deciding to pause the story there for now as I watch her sleep for a few more moments, happy with how today went. I thought about today and realized that this is exactly what I needed myself; to do something that not only helps others, but makes me feel useful. For some reason, it feels just...natural to me. Perhaps it's just part of who I am?

Regardless, I soon lean down and give her a small kiss on the forehead, smiling as I get up and leave her room, closing her door softly behind her. Once back downstairs, I look around for a moment before seeing the bookshelf still strewn across the floor with all of its books. Nodding to myself, and seeing that I still have forty minutes before Ditzy is supposed to return, I kneel down and lift the shelf back up before getting to work picking up and even organizing the books.

"Well, one good thing with living in a library is that you learn plenty of ways to organize books." I say to myself, placing the books back on the shelf, deciding to go with an easy alphabetical style via author names.

I was placing the last book on the shelf when the front door opens, a very tired Ditzy walking in and closing the door behind her, mane a bit disheveled and her eyes more crossed than normal. She gives a small start when she sees me before realizing what I was doing. "Drak? What are you doing?"

I smile as I stand back up, dusting my knees. "Hey, welcome home Ditzy. I realized you didn't get around to picking up the bookshelf and books when you left, not that I blame you, so I thought I would pick it back up for you." I say. She walks over and looks at the books as I add, "I even organized them for you, though that's mostly thanks to Twilight and her own organization stuff rubbing on me."

She looks at the books carefully, her eyes a bit misty as she turns back to face me, smiling. "Thanks Drak, that's...I just..."

I just wave my hand lightly. "No worries, it's what friends do, and besides I wasn't gonna let you come back to a messy house."

Those words seem to have click something in her as she looks around more carefully before realizing what it was that looked so different. "You...you cleaned up the place?"

I shrug. "Well, Dinky and I did. I did most of the heavy lifting while she told me what normally gets cleaned and such." I say. "She's a very adorable filly by the way, and very helpful."

She nods, giving a soft smile. "That she is. She's my soft muffin in this word." She says. I watch her curiously, wondering why she seemed to be getting so emotional about all of this as she starts to slowly tear up.

Worried, I lean down and gently rub her back, just like I did with Dinky after we finished the project. "Hey, what's up?"

She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before she recovers a bit and smiles, "Nothing, I just..." She pauses as she gives a bit of a hiccup before adding, "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess, I just had a rough time trying to find a job, and no pony was willing to take me, and then I come to this, a clean house, some pony else cleaning up one of my messes..." She falls silent as she looks at the bookshelf before looking back at me. "Nopony else has done something like this for me ever since my husband passed."

I frown, having a feeling of understanding dawn on me. "Oh...not even the others around here helped?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She shakes her head. "No they think that I'm...I'm a-" She starts to say, but I quickly silence her gently.

"Shh, no need. I already know." I tell her.

Her eyes go wide with surprise. "You do? Drak I know I can be clumsy and a bit air headed bu-"

"Again, no need for that, it's fine. I'm just happy to help. And for the record, I think they are all wrong about you." I pause, making sure to get her attention. "I really think you are a kind hearted and great mare, and an even better mother. Dinky says nothing but positive things about you."

She can't help but to giggle at this, her expression softening up. "Yea, she always does her best to cheer me up when I'm in a sad mood, that's for sure." She agrees. We stay silent for a few more minutes, me letting her gather herself as I just rub her back lightly. After a bit she finally speaks up, "Drak? Can I..." She pauses, to which I gently nudge her to continue. "Can I...hug you? I know last time was a bit sudden, so I thought me asking first would be-"

I don't bother letting her finish as I gently lean in and hug her, knowing how much she needs it. She is quick to respond in kind, much quicker than me that's for sure, both of us hugging one another tight as I held her close. I gently rub her back, being careful to avoid her wings, remembering what Dash said about pegasus wings being sensitive, and stroking her head with my other hand. She gives a soft coo at this as she nuzzles closer into the pets, her sad energy slowly fading away. I didn't even need to look into her eyes to know that she is very much a hard working pony who gets very little for her efforts, the negative emotions just radiating off of her.

We hold each other for some time, feeling her nuzzle deep against my shoulder as she slowly relaxes. After a good few minutes, she finally feels well enough to part, smiling as she settles back on all four hooves. I smile as I stay kneeling before her, so we are a bit more at eye level. "Feel better?" I ask her.

She nods, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "Yea, thanks Drak." She says.

I just smile as I stand back up and look out the window, seeing the sky getting almost to full night. "Well, I better get back before Twilight asks why I took so long." I say, getting a small chuckle from the mare.

As I'm about to head out, Ditzy stops me. "Wait Drak!" She says, causing me to look at her curiously. It takes her a few moments before she manages to continue. "I didn't get a job so...so I'm gonna keep looking tomorrow, and I'll need you to help with Dinky tomorrow...if you are willing." She asks.

I just smile and nod. "Of course. Want me at the same time or a bit later?" I ask a bit cheekily.

She giggles at the small joke. "I think the original time is fine. Gives me enough time to be ready for when you get here."

I laugh and nod in agreement. "Sounds good to me." I say.

She smiles and nods as well before her smiles fades to a frown. "I...I don't really have that many bits to pay you with though. I can pay for today, and tomorrow, but after that..." She falls silent as she looks away in shame.

For a second, a part of me pings with slight annoyance at the fact that I wouldn't be getting as many bits as I should, and that all my work would be for naught, that I would have to go looking for another job again. But that unworthy feeling is quickly pushed away as I remind myself that this is way more important than just finding a job to get me money. Besides, it is also a lot more meaningful than any monetary value. I smile and give a shrug. "That's fine, I didn't really do it for the bits in the first place anyways." I say, to which I realize that it's the truth.

She smiles a bit as she hears this. "You sure? I mean, if you want to wait for when I am able to get some proper bits again, I won't blame you if-"

I quickly wave her off, my mind made up. "No really, it's fine. Bits or not, I'm willing to help babysit Dinky for as long as it takes, and longer still. She's very fun to play with and very sweet like her mother." I add, smiling.

This causes her to blush lightly, pawing the ground a couple of times as she hears this. "Oh, um...t-thank you, Drak. Really." She says.

I smile and give a nod before heading out once more, calling over my back, "Same time tomorrow, yes?"

She smiles and nods her blush fading. "Yup! And don't be early!" She adds, causing us both to laugh.

With that I close the door and walk off the path and onto the street, turning to head back to the library. I couldn't help but to look up at the sky as I did so, the crips air causing my breath to fog lightly as I admired the stars and moon. I smile as I think about how Luna would be working on the sky back in Canterlot now, then smiled some more as I wondered just what I would be doing with Dinky tomorrow. Either way, it was sure to be interesting and fun.

Author's Note

HAPPY NEW YEARS!! Hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful time!

Also, new chapter for the new year, yes I did.

Chapter 35: Schooling

As promised, I arrived at Ditzy's house once again in the morning, though this time a bit later so as to give her some time. It seemed that I arrived right on time, for when I got there she was in a rush packing a few things and making sure Dinky was all set, the filly herself seeming nonplussed about the whole thing. It took me a few minutes to realize that she had to head to school, so with directions on where it was, I was soon walking her to said school, the cute filly nearly bouncing along with me.

"I can't wait to show Miss Cheerilee the poster that we made." She says excitedly, said poster rolled up and tucked to the side of her school bag, the young filly skipping along next to me.

I just smile and nod in agreement as I continue walking along with her, mostly staying silent for the moment as I usually do, letting the filly talk as much as she wishes as I listened. Thankfully it seems she doesn't mind that she is doing most if not all of the talking, to which I'm grateful about. It only takes a few minutes and soon we are at the school, a large red looking building with a yard and sign showing that it is the Ponyville Elementary School, a large bell hanging right on top of the building. Already there are plenty of other younger ponies walking around and talking to each other, though the talking is quickly stopped when we arrive, all of them looking over at me and staring in surprise and of course childish curiosity.

I had a feeling that none of them really saw me much around the place (then again I didn't really go out much in the first place unless it was with one of the girls) so they are just as shocked to see me. I could already see their young minds were quickly thinking over a hundred different questions to ask me.

I feel a tug on my pants leg and look down to see Dinky giving me a worried look. "Drak, if you wanna...you know...you can come pick me up afterwards." She says.

I shake my head, giving her a small smile. "No worries, I think I can manage this." I tell her. I remember telling her yesterday during our house cleaning about my anxiety issues with large crowds, but for some reason that same anxiety wasn't really hitting me as much as it normally would. Most likely cause it's just a bunch of kids with curious minds and not adults who would be possibly judging and thinking who knows what about me.

At this the filly smiles and nods, before her name gets called out. As we turn to the source of the sound, three other fillies come rushing over. They are quickly by us in just a couple of seconds and soon they were swarming her with questions.

"Hey Dinky! How are you doing?" Asks the yellow filly, her pink bow bobbing along her red mane.

"Did your mom find another job yet at Canterlot?" Asks the other unicorn filly, a white one with a rather curly purplish-pink mane.

"And who is that?" Asks the final one, an orange pegasus filly with a wild purple mane.

Dinky smiles and nods at them all. "Doing good, no mommy hasn't found a job yet, and this is Drakalian, he's my fillysitter." She responds, answering each of them easily enough.

At this they all look up at me with once again with that same look of curiosity that only a child could have. I just give a small smile and wave at them. "Hey there."

I barely have enough time to say hi before it is my turn to be hit by an onslaught of questions by the three fillies. "Are you the human that every pony is talking about? The one that saved Trixie from the basilisk?"

"Why are you so tall? You must be very strong!"

"How did you get here in the first place? Are there more like you?"

The questions and comments just kept on coming, making it very hard for me to focus on what they were saying after the first few of them. I just blink as I look at them all, a bit unsure what to say or do. Thankfully, it seems someone else saw what was going on and quickly intervened. "Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom!" Came a much louder voice, causing all three of them to fall silent. We looked over and saw a magenta mare trotting over to us, the three girls bowing their heads a bit in shame. "Can't you see your overwhelming him?"

"Sorry Miss Cheerilee." They all say.

The mare just shakes her head and smiles, looking up at me before offering a hoof. "Sorry for them, they can be rather excitable with newcomers. My name is Cheerilee, I'm one of the teachers of this school." She says.

I smile back and gently shake her hoof. "Drakalian, residential human I guess." I introduce myself.

Cheerilee looks a bit confused as I grab and shake her hoof, but otherwise she says nothing as I release it afterwards. I'm aware that most ponies tend to do hoof bumps as a greeting and not hoof shakes, but to me shaking is just much more natural, so I stuck with it. "I'm assuming from what I heard, you are currently filly sitting for Ditzy as she looks for a job, yes?" She asks. I blink in surprise, not expecting for that to be known so soon after just one day. Guess word really does get around in this town.

Dinky, who was quiet this entire time, finally speaks up. "Yes he is Miss Cheerilee! Drak is so much fun to play with, he even helped me with the poster project!" She says, pulling out the poster with her mouth and holding it up to her.

The teacher smiles at this. "Oh that's great to hear Dinky, but no need to show it now, wait for when we get inside." She then looks around just as the bell on top of the schoolhouse rings. "Speaking of which, it's time for classes every pony! Let's go inside for the first lesson." She calls out so the rest of the fillies and colts could hear.

Slowly they stopped staring at us as they walked into the building, the three fillies and Dinky following after them. Cheerilee stays back for a moment as she looks up at me and once again says, "Sorry for them again."

I just shake my head and wave it aside. "No biggie, they are only kids after all." I say, which gets a smile from her.

"They are indeed, and while I love seeing their curiosity help them learn new things, it can get a bit too much for others...even myself at times." She sighs, shaking her head before adding, "So, will you be picking her up later when school ends?"

I shake my head at this. "I thought I was just gonna wait here for her to finish, it doesn't take long yes?" I ask her.

She gives a bit of a sheepish look at this. "Well...we normally go for a few hours, about four or five at the most." She explains.

I blink in surprise at this. "Oh, well that's fine, I don't really have much planned for today anyways besides taking care of Dinky." I explain to her. I look around and then find a bench that is mostly cleared of snow. "I'll just wait there for now if that's ok?" I ask, moving to sit down, only to get stopped by Cheerilee.

"Wait outside? In this weather?" She asks.

I shrug. "It's not that cold out, I'm sure I'll be-." I start to say before getting interrupted by her.

"Nonsense! It is way too cold out to wait here for several hours!" She states. She then motions me to follow her. "Come, join us in the classroom, it's much warmer inside. At the very least stay inside the building if you are going to wait."

I pause as I think this over. I don't really have any problems waiting in the cold, but the look on her face tells me that she wasn't going to take no for an answer, so with a shrug I start walking with her. "Well, I suppose waiting inside in a warm building is better than waiting outside in the cold." I say.

She smiles and nods at this. "Agreed." She says as we both enter the building.

As we walk through the building, I can't help but to look around, seeing all the different rooms and hallways of the place, Cheerilee telling me a bit about each room and the different teachers here. Soon we were at her classroom, to which she opens the door, causing the chatter that was going on inside to quickly fall silent as we both walk in, once again all of them staring at me as soon as I entered the room.

"Ok class, today we have a special guest who will be staying with us for the day. Please remember to treat him with respect." She says, to which they all nod before going right back to staring at me. Cheerilee notices this as she glances over at me. "Perhaps this was a bad idea, I don't want them too distracted after all." She whispers to me.

I give a small shrug. "I'm sure it'll be fine." I say, though as they kept on staring, I cautiously added, "...hopefully."

The teacher gives a small smile at this before taking her spot at the desk that is at the front of the classroom. I decided to take a seat at the front corner of the room, thinking that it would at least keep the kids somewhat focused on their teacher if I was also in their line of sight. However, I soon realized that none of the seats there would fit me, even the one for the teacher, so I just end up standing there instead.

Once she had all of their attention, Cheerilee started class. "Ok fillies and colts. Seeing how we have a guest here, I think today we shall start learning about the different species and races of Equestria." She says. She quickly takes the chalk in her mouth as she starts drawing a few pictures and graphs on the board, managing to talk even while it is in her mouth. "So, you all know about the different races of ponies, that being the Earth ponies, the Pegasi, and the Unicorns. But of course there are many more races out there, and not all of them ponies." She continues. Soon she has the three main ponies drawn on the board, leaving plenty of space for more when it was needed. Placing the chalk down she looks over at the class. "Can any pony tell me about any of the other races?"

There is silence for a few moments before a few hooves are raised, to which Cheerilee is quick to pick one, pointing at the gray earth pony with a braid and glasses. "Um, there are the ponies from Saddle Arabia." She says, a bit unsure with her answer.

However it seemed to be right as the teacher nodded. "That is correct Silver Spoon! Yes the Saddle Arabians are another race that sit just outside of the boarders of Equastria." She says, picking the chalk up and drawing another picture. "However, most ponies think that they are just an extended family of the Earth ponies, so there isn't a definite answer to them being their own race or not." She adds. Once she finishes drawing them, I can see that these Saddle Arabians were indeed a lot like the Earth ponies, but a lot slimmer and with finer lines. And if she was drawing them to scale of each other, then perhaps even taller, though I wasn't too sure about that.

She then points to another student, this time the orange pegasus, Scootaloo. "The Griffins?" She asks.

Once again the magenta pony nods as she starts drawing them again. "Yes, the Griffins are another race that usually live outside of Equstrian borders, most of them living in the Griffin Kingdom." She explains. Soon she finishes drawing them and again points to another student as they give their answer.

It goes on like this for some time, each of the fillies and colts raising a hoof and suggesting some of the different races that live either in or around Equestria. After a while there were plenty of different pictures of species on the board, from the minotaurs to a strange race called the changelings. When they were brought up, there was a bit of a hush that fell on the class, even Cheerilee was a bit more quiet when discussing them, and she kept it rather brief too. Before I could ask about it myself, they had finished the topic and were moving onto how each species interacts with each other and how the different kingdoms get along. One thing that I noticed is that most of them seem to have a lack of friendliness that the others in Equestria have...though this is only coming from what I heard, so I decided to reserve my judgement till then.

After a good couple of hours, Dinky raises a hoof rather eagerly, quickly saying, "What about humans?"

"Humans sadly aren't known that well due to their more mythological background as they are deemed to be beings of fiction." The magenta mare seemed to automatically say. At this I cleared my throat gently, causing the mare to look at me awkwardly before adding, "At least, they were considered fiction."

I just smile, indicating no harm was done, though the class wasn't done just yet. "But what is their society like?" Asked a rather small colt. I think that is Pipsqueak who is a big fan of Luna. Upon his question, all the young ponies turned to look at me once again, as if expecting me to have every answer for them already.

Awkwardly I rubbed the back of my head. "So...I don't really know much about human society myself, as I haven't been around many humans myself. So sadly I can't really help with saying just what our society is like" I apologize to them. Truth be told, even after I got a good part of my memories back, I realized that most of my time was spent with other species or on the road, not a lot of human interactions that I could safely say are unique to humans. One thing that I was still worried about is the fact that anything before my time with Alexus in the forest of my old home I have no memories of still, so all of my childhood is still a mystery.

Thankfully at that point the bell rang and Cheerilee stomped her hooves to get everyone's attention. "That will be the lunch bell kids! Go on and grab your lunches and when we come back, we will be seeing all of the posters that you fillies and colts made." She says. Slowly, but with increasing speed, they start to grab their lunches, some from bags, others from small boxes, and taking out their food as they started to munch on them. I could see Ditzy already enjoying her daisy and cheese sandwich that I decided to make for her lunch, to which seeing me look at her, she waves her thanks. I just smile and wave back as the teacher walks up to me with a soft smile at the interaction.

"She's a good girl that one." She said, to which I nodded in agreement. She then changed the subject as she said "I'm sorry for putting the spotlight on you so suddenly like that."

I just shrug at the matter. "No harm done. I'm sorry that I can't answer all the questions that they most likely have for me." I say, to which she smiles in understanding.

"If there is anything you don't wish to tell them, let me know." She adds. "I know that some of the races have some more...mature rules that can't really be explained in a school setting, so-"

"Actually there is one rule." I said as the thought hits me. Cheerilee looks up curiously at this, to which I lean down and whisper it into her ear. After a few minutes I lean back, seeing her blushing as she looks back at me, then at my pants and then back up at me.

"I-I'll...I'll be sure to distract them from that if they do ask that question." She says, to which I smile.

"I think it would certainly be the best, thank you."

The lunch finished shortly after and as the students returned to their seats, Cheerilee got them all to start showing their projects about the good deeds that other ponies did during the fire. I couldn't help but smile as Dinky showed everyone the poster of me saving her from the fire, the others looking over at me in some awe. Perhaps it's a bit childish to feel joy from being praised, but I couldn't help myself. In the end Cheerilee gave her an A, which made the unicorn filly very happy, and myself included.

It seems that my actions during the fire weren't unnoticed and there were a number of other students who also made things depicting that scene. Seeing just how excited and animated they were explaining what they think happened made my heart light up a bit, and a few times I had to hide myself from wiping a tear away. One of the fillies, a pink one wearing some sort of small crown, showed how her father helped by offering to pay for all the damages done to the post office in the form of a gem statue. Another one, Scootaloo I think, showed how Rainbow Dash swept in and washed the whole place down with a few bounces on a rainstorm cloud, though Cheerilee was quick to remind her that Rainbow was not present during the fire at that time, so she ended up getting a C+

The rest of the students got a bunch of mixed grades too, but they seemed to be somewhat grouped up around A- and B-, with a few outliers as an exception. Soon the bell rang again as all the students, who were starting to look tired from sitting around for so long, gave a cheer as they got up and began to prepare to leave the school.

"Now kids, remember that the homework for tonight Is on the desk before you leave, make sure you all take it before you go." She calls out. They all nod absentmindedly as they did what she said, taking a sheet of paper as they passed by, some of them putting it in their saddle bags.

Dinky was one of the last to leave, quickly walking over to me once she got her paper. I smiled as I stood up from the ground, having sat on the floor after it got too tiring to stand, stretching my legs a bit. "So, ready to head home?"

She gives a small frown as she looks away from me, pawing the ground with a hoof. "Um...actually I was kind of hoping...if I could go hang out with the Crusaders?" She asks.

I blink at the name. "Crusaders?" I ask. I couldn't help but feel a dreaded sense of deja vu from hearing that word, remembering my own Crusaders that Celestia told me about. However, my fears are assured when Dinky continues talking.

She nods. "It's the group that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo made. They are trying to get their cutie marks and I was hoping to join them so I could learn a thing or two about how to get my cutie marks." She says.

I tilt my head as I think this over, rubbing my chin in thought. Ditzy said that Dinky only had school today, and then afterwards there were no other obligations for her, so with that I nod and smile down at her. "Well, if they allow it, then sure." I say, to which she cheers happily. I quickly cut off her cheering as I add, "However I'm coming along as well. I did promise your mom that I was gonna keep an eye on you."

She quickly nods at this. "That's fine, I'm sure they won't have any problems with you joining us." She says, and with that we head on over to the three fillies who are already having an animated discussion about something.

Chapter 36: A New Type of Crusading

Thankfully she was correct as the trio of fillies were more than happy to have a couple of new faces join them. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like a lot longer as I was besieged by question after question, though thanks to Dinky they were able to keep them somewhat manageable. I answered as many of their questions as I could, while also able to ask a few of my own about their Crusader group. It seems that they made their group after some sort of party, I think Applebloom said it was a Cute-ceanera party...I think? Anyways, they all met each other during it and realized that none of them have their cutie marks yet, making them all determined to figure out just what their cutie marks are.

Of course, this was a couple of years ago, and they have yet to figure out any of their cutie marks yet since then. Even with such a long time searching, they haven't stopped trying to find their special talent that would give them their cutie marks. Honestly it is rather admirable to hear how determined they are, even with the few stories of mistakes that they had.

Ok...more than a few stories.

In any case, I smiled and listened to them all chat to each other, their talk soon going from me to what they are gonna be doing today to find their cutie marks. Thankfully this made it easier for me to follow along, as I didn't need to really think about answering any of their questions. It takes a good while but soon we were at what I could only assume is Sweet Apple Acres, going across the rather empty apple fields and into a treehouse. At first they tried to get me inside, but after a few tries I realized that it was gonna be very difficult for me to fit. Plus if I did manage to get in, we would all be crowding for space. Instead I just stayed on the balcony of the tree house, poking my head inside as I listened in, and thankful for my warm clothes that Rarity made for me.

Applebloom paced around the front of the room by the podium, looking at the other three fillies who were all sitting down on soft cushions. "Ok, so let's go over the list for today." She says, to which she reaches behind her and unrolls a scroll hanging on the wall, which goes all the way down to the floor...and across the floor and around a few cushions before stopping by the other side of the wall.

I blinked in surprise at the sight of the large list, rather quickly starting to rethink my choice of coming when Sweetie Belle, who noticed my worried expression, says, "Don't worry, that's just our general list. We pick a few things to try a day and just do those ones we picked."

"Yea, even we can't do everything at once. Trust me, we tried" Scootaloo adds. I take a closer look and soon realize that quite a few of them were already crossed out and that there were a lot of rather out there jobs or things that one can do, ranging from statue sculpting to...alligator rodeo riding?

Shaking my head, I could feel myself relax a bit as I nod my understanding. "Thank Celestia for that, I was starting to think I bit off more than I could chew." I say, getting a giggle from all of them.

"Ok, let's focus now girls!" Applebloom says, clapping her hooves on the floor and getting the rest of our attention back to her. "We usually pick out five things to try out each day, but seeing how we have two newcomers." She adds, motioning to Dinky and I. "I suggest that we just do two things for now."

The two other fillies remain silent as they look at each other for a few moments, almost like a mental debate was going on between them. Suddenly they look back and nod vigorously, getting a smile from the yellow filly. "Great! And I will also suggest that we let the two newcomers suggest what we do today."

"Aaawww, I was hoping that we could do the shark tamer one." Scootaloo complains, giving a small pout.

I blink, but before I can say anything, Dinky is already speaking up, "Oh, can we do three things then? That way we can do the shark tamer as well as what me and Drak want." She says.

Applebloom shakes her head at this. "I thought about it, but I figured that it would be easier to just do two, seeing how Drak here most likely can't get a cutie mark, so it will just be mostly focused on us four." She says.

"Wait, can humans get cutie marks?" Sweetie Belle asks.

As one, they all turned to face me, their large eyes filled with that one question. I just gave a small shrug and said, "As far as I know, no human can or has ever gotten a cutie mark."

"That's if we can even trust his memory." The orange filly suddenly says, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, if Applejack says that his memory is mostly back, then I think we should trust him in that case." The yellow pony adds. The two fillies start to butt heads with each other for a few moments before their unicorn friend forcefully pushes them apart.

"Either way I think it's fine if we just stick with the original plan, just doing two things today for us four." Sweetie says.

The other two look at each other before nodding in agreement, Applebloom walking over and lifting the list over so that Dinky and I could read it. "So with that decided, go ahead and pick whichever one you wish to do."

We both start looking over the list silently for a few minutes, both of us reading the list and searching for something that caught our interest. It was no surprise when Dinky finally said, "How about being mail mares?"

Scootaloo shook her head at this. "We can't, the mail house is destroyed, so all mail is currently being sent through Canterlot before being sent here." She says.

"Yea, in fact all of the mail mares from Ponyville even got temporary jobs there till the new building is built." Applebloom added before realizing what she said, giving a sheepish look to the grayish pink unicorn filly. "Oh...I mean..."

Dinky just shakes her head. "it's ok Applebloom, I know you didn't mean it like that." She says.

I can't help but to narrow my eyes upon hear this. From what it seems, all but Ditzy were allowed to join the Canterlot mail group, which made it even more curious as to why she wasn't allowed to join. Before I could dwell on it too much, Dinky is already pointing out at another on the list. "How about this one?" She says.

We all look at the one she is pointing to. "Painters? But didn't we already do something like that for the school project?" Scootaloo says.

"Not all of us did paintings for it you know." Sweetie quickly tells her. "Some of us did posters like Dinky. By the way." She adds, turning to face the pinkish filly. "I really loved your poster that you made of Drak saving you from the fire. It was very well made!"

Dinky smiles at this. "Oh, thanks Sweetie! I really liked yours as well about Rarity helping the others put out the fire." She replies.

As they continued to talk and discuss their ideas, I was still looking over the choices that I could make. While a lot of them seem rather out there, there was one that seemed to take me by surprise as I said it out loud.

"Wait, martial arts? There's a martial arts place here?" I asked, looking up at them.

The four fillies blinked in confusion before looking at the list in hand. "No there isn't, but Rainbow does know martial arts and even taught me when I was first trying to get a cutie mark before we made the Crusaders." Applebloom says, before adding sheepishly, "Although I wasn't too good at it when I started."

I gave her a curious look, putting that bit of information to the side to ask Rainbow about later before speaking again. "Well, did the other's try it out?"

I looked at the other three as they responded with their own answers. "I have from Rainbow as well, but as of late we haven't been doing it as much. I'm only what would be considered a yellow belt, while she's a full on black belt." Scootaloo says.

Sweetie and Dinky both shake their heads. "I haven't had a chance to try it out, never really thought about it really, but I'm down to give it a try if possible." The white unicorn filly says.

"Same here! Though I never got a chance to try it either." Dinky adds.

I think it over for a few moments, rubbing my chin in thought as I finally come to a decision. "Well then, I think I'll choose that one then." I say.

They all look at each other for a few moments, nodding to one another. It seems that we have at least one selected at the very least, but then Scootaloo sighs as she says, "Wait, we can't ask Rainbow to help though, she's busy helping overtime at the weather factory right now to make sure Winter Wrap Up gets done."

They all sigh as they realize she is right, and look back at the list a bit saddened by this. I just look back at them curiously as I say, "We don't need to ask Rainbow to teach you girls."

They look at me in confusion, all four fillies with raised eyebrows and scrunched muzzles of bewilderment. "You? Do you know any martial arts?" Asks Scootaloo.

I can't help but to give a small smile at this as I answer, "As a matter of fact, I do." It is true that while I don't have all of my memory still, what feels like a good portion of it has come back thanks to my time with the Mind Mage, mostly involving my time with the Dux and the Order army, though it then got a bit fuzzy before and after that. But during that time I did remember about my training with Dux and the other troops there, along with my time with Aryas and our training together, so I felt confident enough that I could at least show these fillies the basics. I remember when I first learned from them, I was surprised that despite the difference in body structure, the forms that were taught were almost all basically the same, though with soldiers like Dux and Aryas they used mostly kicks instead of punches. Of course there is also the fact that since it was well over several centuries ago, the skills and moves that I learned might be outdated.

Again I made a mental note to talk to Rainbow about this before bringing my attention back to the girls. "Thanks to the Mind Mage back at Canterlot, I was able to get a good deal of my memories back, and part of those memories was training in the army, as well as other combat learning, so I'm fairly certain I can teach you girls at least the basics." I tell them.

Before I could even finish, they are already shouting with glee and nodding their heads rapidly. "Yes! Let's do it then!" Applebloom shouts, the other girls nodding as well.

Suddenly the three main Crusader fillies got together and placed their hooves in the middle, one over the other, as they shouted "CUTE MARK CRUSADER MARTIAL ARTS MASTERS YAY!" Causing my ears to ring from the shout. As I recovered from the ringing ears, I noticed they didn't leave the huddle and were looking over at Dinky, who was just staring at them with a bit of nervous tension.

It seems the others noticed as Sweetie says, "Dinky, you gonna join us?"

The blonde unicorn filly blinks in surprise as she points a hoof at herself. "Wait, you mean..." She starts to ask, only getting several nods from the others in return. Grinning, she quickly moves in with them and places her hoof on top of the pile as she also shouts, "Cutie Mark Crusader Martial Arts Masters!"

With another massive "YAY" from them all, they raised their hooves in the air and broke the huddle, rushing over to me where I was poking through the window. "So, what do we need to do first?" Scootaloo asks, all of them eagerly looking up at me.

I rubbed my ears as I tried to get the ringing down. "Well first, I need to get my hearing back. Then I'll get you girls set up out here after we clear some snow."

A few minutes later, we are all right outside of the tree house, all four fillies before me as they looked up eagerly at me, having cleared a good space of snow to do so. I stood before them, rubbing my chin as I thought over how to begin. It was at this point that I wish I brought my staff with me, but I left that and my sais at the library.

"Ok, so first let's start out with some simple stances." I say. I spread my legs apart till they were shoulder length apart and bent my knees to lower myself to the ground a bit. "Start with this one first. Stand on your rear legs at shoulder length apart and squat down a tad, so your knees are bent."

I watched as they all got to their back legs, rather quickly as I was pleasantly surprised, and soon they were all in the stance that I showed them, albeit in varying ways. I walked between them all, giving a gentle nudge here and lightly helping them adjust their stance there as I made sure that they were all correctly in the stance.

"Now, this stance won't be used for anything other than training, but it's a good way to learn how to get a strong, center of gravity and a firm balance." I tell them, grabbing Scootaloo's shoulders and gently pulling her back just a tad.

"Drak, what is this stance called? Does it have a name?" Dinky asks, looking over at me curiously.

I pause as I hear this, unsure how to answer that. The stance does have a name, that much I know, but what I don't know is if I could say it without it sounding like some sort of possible word that they should NOT learn from me. I remember hearing from Twilight that, while there are horses in the world, the world itself over the centuries has also been denoted as a bit of a slur for a certain pony of nightly activities, least in her words.

Thankfully Scootaloo saved me from needing to say it. "I think Rainbow called this the pony stance." She says.

Seeing a lifeline, I quickly nod and take it. "Yes, this is the pony stance, named for the strong stance that you ponies naturally have." I say, making sure I gave them the right info while not using the name that I know it to be called. "So now, I'm gonna go around and try to push you over, I want you to try to resist me and keep on your hooves, ok?"

"Ok Drak!" They all shout, getting a small smile at this. For some reason, them shouting that just cause something to stir in my mind, but I quickly shook that away as I walked over to them, checking each one with first a slow push of increasing strength behind it, then with sudden shoves and quick pushes. They did very well, and as I made sure not to push too hard to really hurt them, not a single one of them was knocked over.

I nodded in approval as I walked back to the front of the group. "Great! You are all doing amazing so far. Now, let's go with some exercises to make sure your balance stays strong." I tell them. Getting back into that stance, I throw a simple front punch with my left hand, then with my right. "Through your front hooves forward like this, as if you are kicking with them. Pull your front leg up, then extend it out before pulling it back in and placing it back on the ground."

They nod and start to do as I showed them, slowly at first, then with increasing speed. As they started focusing more on how fast they could punch, I quickly say, "Don't go too fast, just focus on your form. We can always work on your speed later. Right now we have to make sure you are at least doing it correctly. No point in doing it fast if it isn't correct." I tell them.

They nod again and soon slow down back to a steady pace, though I could see Scootaloo and even Applebloom every so often speeding up just a tad before slowing down when they realized they are going too fast. I couldn't help but smile as I see how diligent they are to practice properly, and continued giving them some notes on improving their stances and punches (or in this case front kicks)

As time went on, I continued to show them simple moves, from front punches to kicks, as well as a simple turn around and doing a sort of double kick, though it seems that Apple Bloom had that one down pat already, as she used that to work on the farm. While most of the styles and forms that I did show is easier to teach to another bipedal, I was still able to adjust them so that quadrupedal can still use them, all thanks to my training with Aryas and Dux.

This went on for a good couple of hours before, seeing as they were starting to get tired, I called out, "Ok, break!" With that the four of them nearly collapsed onto the ground, panting and exhausted, but a clear air of satisfaction coming from all of them.

After a few minutes of catching their breath, Sweetie Belle is the first to speak up. "So, did we get them?"

As one they all look behind themselves at their rears, but they just groan in disappointment as they see nothing there but a bare flank. "Still nothing." Scootaloo sighed.

I just give a raised eyebrow as I see their reactions, and unable to help myself, I asked, "So, why are you so eager to get your cutie marks? Is it really that big of a deal?"

As one they all looked at me in shock, the silence speaking for itself for a couple of seconds before the yellow filly spoke up. "A big deal? Of course it's a big deal! A cutie mark shows us what we are good at, what we our talent in life is. A cutie mark shows who we are as a pony!" She says, getting a nod from the other two. Dinky herself is nodding in agreement, but a bit less enthusiastically. "Not only that, but we are some of the ponies our age who don't even have a cutie mark yet! And we don't want to wait for it to just happen at some random time."

"Besides, all we are doing is speeding the process up." the white unicorn filly adds. "We're trying as many things as possible as quickly as possible, and surely one of them will spark something to cause us to get our cutie marks."

I nod as I think over what they said before asking, "Ok, but how will you know what you did is the right thing for you?"

They all look at me like I grew an extra head as Scootaloo says, "Cause...our cutie marks will show once we do it?"

Realizing that was a rather stupid question, I give a small face palm before continue. "Ok fair enough. But what if it's something that you don't like or want?"

This got them to pause as a worried look was shared between the three, but Dinky soon pipped in and says, "But I'm pretty sure that you can't get a cutie mark that you don't like, that whatever the cutie mark is it will be something that we like." This got the others to nod in agreement and relief as they look back at me, as if waiting to challenge them again with another question.

I sigh and shake my head, not wanting to turn this into a challenge of some sort as I say, "I'm not saying that you shouldn't be looking for your cutie mark, I just...I don't know..." I fall silent as I find myself a bit unsure on what to say, realizing that I might have turned the mood a bit sour now as I tried to think of some way to fix it.

Thankfully, the four fillies realize that I was just being curious as they smile and Sweetie says, "It's fine Drak, we're just really eager to get our cutie marks."

"Yea, and we just want to show that we can get our cutie marks." Adds Scootaloo.

I smile at this, nodding in understanding, "That's fair." I simply say. Then suddenly a thought pops in as I quickly add, "But maybe you are trying too hard?" They look at me confused as I continue. "I mean, it's all well and good to try all these things, such as martial arts, mail mares, rodeo...gator..." I pause before shaking my head. "Anyways, maybe the best way to find your cutie mark is to not try and find it, but have it find you?"

"But we've been waiting forever to try and find it, and it hasn't happened to us yet!" Apple Bloom says, giving an annoyed stomp on her hoof. "What else can we do but keep trying to search?"

"Well right now, you can come on back to the house and help do the rest of the chores." Called a familiar southern voice, getting us all to look over as Applejack walks to us.

This gets a surprised blink from the yellow mare. "Wait, I thought I did my chores for the day." She says, though the tone in her voice shows that she is worried she might have forgotten about one of them.

The orange mare shakes her head. "Nope, still got lots of other things to do, such as your homework and cleaning the dishes for starts." She says.

"Oh..." Is all the younger pony could say before looking at her friends as she says, "Sorry guys, seems we have to call this early for today."

The others just smile and shake their heads. "That's ok Apple Bloom, we should get back home as well. I know Rarity is going to want me to help her with something soon." Sweetie says, while Scootaloo just nods.

I look up at the sky as I realize just how late it is getting, and add, "And we should head home as well Dinky, before your mom gets back and wonders where you went off to." Dinky for her part nods and with Applejack's help we lead the girls back to the main house, which I saw on the way onto the acre.

On the way, Applejack falls back to walk next to me, leaving the girls to chatter with each other as she says, "Don't feel too bad by the way sugar, they are all a rather stubborn group when it comes to finding their cutie marks."

I for my part give her a confused look. "Wait, feel bad about what? I don't-" I start to say.

She cuts me off with small shake of her head and says, "About trying to help them find their cutie marks. They are all set on what they are doing now, trying as many things as possible and seeing what sticks. Me and the others have tried many times before to tell them that rushing these things only brings trouble, but they just never listen."

I fall silent as I look at the fillies talking in front of us and realizing that Applejack is right. I did feel a bit bad about not being able to really help them. Letting out a small sigh, I say, "I guess you're right...but still, they can't keep on doing this forever, right?"

She shrugs as she says, "I agree with you, but what Granny told me, we all have our moments when looking for what is important to us. Perhaps they will find them, or maybe it will be another few years. Either way, we just got to do our best and support them." She falls silent as she too looks at the fillies, namely at her sister, and I soon realize that she is just as worried about her sister getting hurt with all of these silly adventures that they keep having.

Nodding in understanding, I look back at them too, namely at Dinky, wondering if perhaps she will end up trying too hard to find her cutie mark, and the thought...actually makes me worried.

After a bit more walking we soon arrive back at the house, to where Apple Bloom says bye to the rest of us, and then I take the other girls off of the acre and back into town, to which they soon go their separate ways, leaving me with Dinky on our trek back to her house.

Along the way, I watch as she bounces up and down into random snow piles, sometimes trying to scoop some of it with her magic before giving up as she jumps into them again, acting very much carefree and silly, the sight putting a smile on my face. As we walked, I can't help but to ask, "So Dinky, what do you think about all of that?"

She looks at me with a confused look, partially in a snow pile. "About all of what Drak?"

"You know, about the whole cutie mark thing. Do you want to try and find your cutie mark as well?"

She smiles and nods. "Of course I do! I don't want to be waiting for mine forever!" She says eager. I give a small smile and a nod, but it feels a bit forced, that worry coming back to me as we continue walking. We stay silent for a few minutes before she suddenly speaks up again, saying, "Though...I won't be upset if none of them do work in helping me find it."

I blink and look down at her. "Oh? What do you mean by that?"

She stays silent, thinking over her words before she speaks again. "Well, I don't want to wait forever, and trying a lot of things at once is a fun and quick way to try and find my cutie mark...but I also know that getting a cutie mark is a special thing. It only ever happens once after all. And mommy said that special things like that need proper time before they can happen, and that even if I do end up waiting longer than others, I'll still get mine eventually. So...I don't really mind waiting for the right moment, especially if it means that special moment gets to happen with mommy." She then looks up and smiles as she adds, "Plus, I just enjoy playing with the Crusaders, cutie marks or not."

As she spoke, I could feel a big weight get lifted off of my shoulders, and with a smile, I reach down and gently pet her head. "Have I ever said how clever your mom is?" I say.

She giggles and just nuzzles into the pets before, to my surprise, adding, "Besides, I don't want to make you or mommy upset by being so focused on getting my cutie mark." before she suddenly dashes on ahead, giggling like the silly filly she is.

I can only blink in surprise before shaking my head and chasing after her. It seems Ditzy passed some of the cleverness down to her daughter as well.

Author's Note

Yea, been having a lot of RL things going down, so...trying to get myself back into writing. Let's see how it goes!

And I'm gonna be focusing more on the romance side of things in future chapters, as I feel that we need to get that ball rolling as well. After all, I can only tease you folks so much.

Chapter 1: The Beginning...Cliche, I Know

I woke up with the feeling of snow surrounding me. The chill went straight through me and into my bones. As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew that something was way off.

By the looks of things, I was apparently in a forest. The forest was covered in lots of snow; about six inches give or take, with large trees all around. For some reason, the forest gave off an intimidating vibe, like there was this evil presence just watching your every move.

I groaned as I tried to sit myself up. As I did, though, a sharp pain suddenly ignited from my lower abdomen. I moaned in pain as I felt the pain travel from my stomach all the way to my head, making me fall back on my back again. I tried to sit up again, but slower this time, to avoid any unnecessary pain. I looked down upon myself to see what could cause me such agony.

As soon as I looked, I could feel my face pale with shock. Right on the lower left of my stomach, about three inches long, was a deep and ragged cut. Said cut had blood all over it.

Lots of blood.

Panicking slightly, I began to look around for something to help bandage it up. As I was looking, I noticed that there were some leaves nearby that looked promising. Not caring if they were safe to touch at the moment, I immediately tore a few of them off and place them on top of the wound. As soon as they made contact with my wound, a new bout of pain spread across me, making me take a sudden gasp from the shock of it. Quickly covering the wound, I went to work cleaning up the blood around the gaping gash. Thankfully, and surprisingly, the wound had ceased to bleed so much, so I was able to clean it off with ease. Once that was done, I began to take stock of anything that I had on me at the time.

I was wearing a fuzzy red hoodie with a hood that was deep enough for cover my face, at least from what I could tell at the moment. For some reason, I didn’t have anything under it, and my hoodie’s zipper was open. Not only open, but broken, so I couldn’t zip up my hoodie. I was also wearing, for some odd reason, some tan cargo shorts.

‘Why am I wearing shorts in this kind of weather’ I thought to myself. I shook my head, deciding that it was a moot point right now, just happy that at least I was wearing something in this cold weather. Still, the lack of proper clothing was starting to get to me, and I knew that if I didn’t get to proper shelter in time, I would most likely die of hypothermia. As I looked around for a makeshift housing area, I noticed that there were some unusual items near me.

I slowly got up and walked to the items, all the while clutching the wound, making sure that the leaves stayed on it. Once I got to the items, I realized what they were. They were a couple of weapons, which consisted of a large straight stick and a pair of what looked like to be a pair of large trident heads which had short handles instead of long ones. Curious, I bent down a little, wincing at the pain as I did so, and picked them up.

Once in my hand, I began to examine the two objects. The two trident like objects were about one and a half feet in length, and had a slight weight to them, with the middle spike being the longest, and the two side spikes going only a quarter of the length before curving slightly to the sides. At the end of the handle was a solid ball that I assumed could be used for knocking someone out.

Once that was done, I looked for a place to put them, and to my luck, I noticed that I was wearing a belt around my shorts. Giving a silent thank you, I was able to slide the middle spike right under the belt on my right side, allowing the two smaller ones to be placed over the belt, acting a little like a holder. Satisfied, I then placed the other trident-like weapon on my left side before I carefully leaned down and picked up the large stick. It seemed that it was a few inches taller then me, and as I looked at myself, I guessed that I was at least five and a half feet, so I guessed that the wooden weapon was at least five feet and eight, maybe ten inches.

As I finished examining the wooden weapon, I realized an important detail that I missed, one that I thought was more terrifying then the gaping wound, or the fact that I’m in some random forest.

I had no memory about, well…anything.

Now, to be fair, I did know some of the basic things, like my species, gender and things like that. But I didn’t know any of the specifics, such as how I got here, where I am, or what these weapons are called. Hell, I couldn’t even remember where I came from. The thought that I lost all memory from my past to my very identity made me start to panic, but I quickly tried to calm myself down for the sake of my own survival and sanity.

Once I felt calm enough, I gave a quick look around. Not really knowing where to go, I just decided to pick a random direction and to just start walking. Hopefully after a while I would be able to find someplace to stay, maybe find civilization if I’m lucky.

Then again, if I was lucky, I wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.

I have been walking for about thirty minutes now and the forest still doesn’t seem to be letting up right now, making me even more worried. The wound had started to clot a while ago, thankfully, and it didn’t hurt as much as before. The longer I walked, the more certain I felt about that presence watching me. After a few more minutes of mild terror, I finally heard something that caused me to freeze in shock and surprise.

A scream…

The scream was something out of a horror scene. At first, I thought that it was some sort of wild animal, but then I heard a voice. The voice was loud and high pitched, and for some reason, the scream…sounded familiar to me.

Throwing caution to the wind, I ran as fast as I could without reopening my wound, wanting to find the source of the sound. A few seconds later, however, I felt something run into me, causing me to let out a large *OMPH* as I hit the snowy ground. As I tried to regain my senses, I heard someone giving a small groan of pain.

“Ow, my head. That’s going to hurt in-” Said a voice before suddenly stopping. I assumed that it was female by the sound of it, and it seemed to be annoyed more then anything else.

I groaned as I got up, holding my chest and wound a bit. Thankfully the impact didn’t reopen my wound, to which I was grateful. “Geez that hurt.” I opened my eyes, and what I saw was…well…I was surprised, that much I was sure of.

Sitting right in front of me, a hoof holding its head, was an azure horse. Well, maybe horse isn’t the best description of it, since it was a good deal smaller then me, most likely it went up to my chest if it stood up. The…equine, had a silver mane and tail, and it was even wearing a magician’s hat and cape, complete with stars and moons. Out of all of that, however, were the eyes. For some reason, the eyes just stood out more then everything else. It might have to do with the fact that the violet eyes were much bigger then a normal equine, but even so, when I looked into them; I saw intelligence and emotions similar to a human’s.

We stood there for what felt like hours, just staring at each other in complete silence. Once I was able to collect my thoughts, I calmed myself down a bit and began to talk to myself. For some reason, talking to myself was a bit helpful for me

“Ok…so I wake up, find a wound on my stomach, no memory of who I am, and now I come across this…equine with strange coloring and clothing. Well, at least I got a mode of transportation now.” With that, I looked at the equine, and noticed that it was still frozen in the same spot it was when it crashed into me. I gave a small shrug, thinking that it was just still startled, and carefully walked towards it to climb on the equine. However, once I placed a hand on its back to get on, the equine suddenly raised a hoof and swatted my hand away.

“Just what the hay are you doing, trying to touch the Great and Powerful Trixie like that?!” It said, its eyes narrowing in a glare at me. Now I was frozen once again, just staring at it. I thought that it had some intelligence, but I didn’t expect it to be actually sapient.

“Y-you can talk?” I asked a bit embarrassed by my stuttering voice.

“Well, of course Trixie can talk, she has learned to do so ever since she was a filly. Trixie’s more surprised with that fact that she’s never seen anything like you before.” It said, still glaring at me. “And Trixie wants to know what in Equestria you were thinking about doing with her, hmm?”

“Um…w-well, I was going to…uh, ride you, but-”

At this, the creature that I assumed was Trixie stared at me for a few seconds, her eyes now wide open, before she glared at me even more. As she glared, I could have sworn that her cheeks had a slight tinge of red to them. “You WHAT?! How dare you think that the Great and Powerful Trixie would allow a sloppy, disgusting creature to even touch her plot with your horrid appendages!”

Now it was my turn to blush a bit as I now glared at her, a bit upset that she would think I would do something like that. “What? Listen here, ’Trixie’. First of all, I meant ride you on your back, not…that. And second, even if I meant that, why would I ever even think about doing something like that with a…a horse! I mean, it’s…it just doesn’t seem right, even if you are sentient.”

“Wha…how dare you, you…you…hairless freak! Trixie’s not some horse. She’s an unicorn pony, and one of the strongest unicorns in Equestria, and you will treat Trixie as such!”

“Well, sorry, Miss. unicorn, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly from around here! I just woke up face up in some snow in the middle of this random forest, not knowing where I am, or even who I am, and now I’m getting a lecture from a random equine? Yea, I so apologize for me not being on my best behavior. And for the record, I’m a human, not a hairless freak…though I guess that could still be accurate.”

Trixie scoffed at this. “A human? Please, don’t make Trixie laugh! There are no such things as humans. They’re a myth, a bed time story told to little fillies and colts, not real beings.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but for some reason, nothing came out. I simply stood there, mouth open, staring at the pony, my anger and frustration just slowly fading away only to be replaced with…emptiness. I could feel my shoulders sag as my strength just left me and closing my mouth, I slowly lowered myself onto the ground, sitting cross legged, still staring at Trixie, no longer glaring at her, but just staring at her in disbelief. For some reason, the thought of me being in a place that has never had humans before…where they were the myth instead of unicorns…it just shocked me so much. “So…y-you’ve never seen a human before? Not a single one?”

Trixie shook her head, seemingly oblivious to what was happening to me. “No, and like Trixie said, they aren’t real, and you are most certainly not one of them.”

I stared at her for a few more minutes, and then I looked down to the snowy ground and at my hands, which were now just resting on my knees in front of me. I remained silent for a while, not saying anything, just trying to absorb the fact that I was in a place where humans don’t exist.

After what felt like hours of sitting, I heard a small shuffle, and looking up, I saw that Trixie had moved a bit closer, her glare completely gone and replaced with a confused look. “Um…are you ok?”

I look at her for a few seconds before I looked back down again. “I…I just…” I then fell silent, too stunned to say anything.

We sat there for a while, neither of us saying anything. I could feel Trixie still staring at me as I kept my gaze to the ground, not caring about anything at the moment. I then heard a small cough, and looking up, I was surprised to see that the pony had a look of concern on her face.

We stared at each other for a while, and then Trixie cleared her throat. “Um…Tri…I mean…I…I think we just got off on the wrong hoof here. If you want, we could…we could start over?”

I was a bit surprised with her sudden change in attitude, but I wasn’t going to complain. “Um…s-sure. I guess…I guess you can go first then.”

She gives a nod, and then she strikes a pose lifting her head up high as she tried to make herself look all grand and such. “Well, I am the GREAT AND POWER…um…” She then fell silent, and her pose changed to a more normal one, just staring at the ground in front of me a little sheepishly. “Trixie. Just…just Trixie. So, may Tri…I mean, may I ask your name?”

I gave a small nod as well. “Well, first off, I am a human, and second, my name is…is…um…it’s…” I then fell silent, placing my fingers to the bridge of my nose as I tried to think, but nothing came to mind. For the life of me, I couldn’t come up with any name at all

Trixie noticed this and tilted her head to the side in slight confusion. “Um…your name is…what?”

I continued to think for a few more moments, and then with a sigh, I just gave up, the only thing that I even got from it was a small headache. “I…I can’t remember. I…I just know that I’m a human, and that the only things that I got are the clothes on my back…” I waved my hands over the clothing that I was wearing. “…And these weapons that I found near me.” I then motioned to the tridents and large stick that I had.

Trixie eyed the things that I had for a few seconds, and then she looked back at me with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk on her face. “Those…are weapons? It looks more like a giant stick and a couple of utensils, not weapons.”

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at her. “Well, they are, and in the right hands they can be very deadly, and thankfully I…” I then paused as I remembered that I had no idea if I could use them. “Um…I actually don’t know if I can even use them.”

Trixie gave a small chuckle. “Well, like I said, they look more like tools then weapons, especially those oversized forks.”

Now that got me a little peeved. I pulled one of the ‘forks’ out as I began to give a little talk about the weapon. “For the record, these are…um…they’re called…well…” I paused for a moment, trying to think of what it was called, and then, to my surprise, the names of both of my weapons came to me. “Sais...yea, that’s it. They’re called Sais, and they are a weapon that was made, to…um, to…” I fell silent for a few seconds trying to collect what I had of my memories, and I was once again able to remember something about them. “To block and disable sword strikes, yea. It’s meant to be a mostly defensive weapon, the prongs on the sides allowing the user to trap an incoming blade, and then with a twist of the wrist they would either break the blade or disarm the attacker. Once the sword was taken care of, the user was able to lean in and…um, you still listening?”

It was at this time that I noticed Trixie wasn’t listening to me anymore, and at first I thought I might have bored her with all of my talking, but I quickly ruled that out when I noticed her eyes were still open, and even wide with some sort of far away look to them, like she was looking behind-

“LOOK OUT!” She shouted before charging into me and knocking me to the ground. I landed on my back with a large *OMPH!* and I felt the azure pony land right on top of me. Before I could even react, the weight was suddenly gone, allowing me to breathe properly again.

I gave a rather loud groan as I got up from the snow for the third time in that day. “The hell, Trixie, why in the world did you do that-” I was saying, before I opened my eyes and the rest of the sentence just died on my lips. What I saw right then made me truly question my sanity…or at least what was left of it.

Just a few feet in front of me, coiled tightly around Trixie, was a very large snake. The serpent seemed to be at least thirty feet long, and it was at least as wide as my torso and then some, with a large head that could probable swallow Trixie whole without even dislocating its jaw. Its head was adorned with random spikes, making it look like it was wearing a crown. Its large, slit yellow eyes seemed to glow even in the falling light (At this point I just realized that it was starting to get dark) the eyes seeming to be staring into my soul.

The giant reptile was looking at me with a bit of confusion, as if it thought I would be the one in there instead of the pony, but then its focus shifted to Trixie who was caught in his coils, a glimmer appearing in his eyes as he stared at the pony. It let out a large hiss, and then its body, which was wrapped around Trixie a few times, started to tighten, causing her to scream. The screaming turned into a sudden pained gasp as a loud snap was heard, indicating that at least one rib was broken.

Hearing her scream and then the snap of bone finally shocked me back to reality. Grabbing the large stick that I placed down when I was sitting, I quickly ran to the beast, worry about reopening my wound forgotten to save Trixie. I yelled at the snake, causing it to turn its head around. As soon as it looked at me, I drew the stick back and then swung it, hitting the side of its head with a resounding crack.

It gave a screeching hiss in pain, but before I could follow up with my attack, the snake uncoiled itself a little from Trixie before lunging at me, knocking my weapon out of my hands. I was so surprised from its move that I didn’t even notice it starting to circle me a little, its eyes still staring at me.

I quickly reached down with my left hand to grab the Sais that where still in my belt, but before I could withdraw it, the reptile brought the rest of itself around my stomach, trapping my hand to my side. I gave a small wince as it began to tighten its hold, its scales rubbing against my wound, the sharp edges ripping the leaves that were there and causing it to reopen. With only one hand free, I began to repeatedly hit the beast with my fist as hard as I could, though to my disappointment, I just ended up hurting myself more then the creature.

The large snake made what seemed like an amused look before it quickly lunged its head at me, its mouth wide open and its teeth glinting in the dim light. I knew that if I didn’t act fast, my head would be in its mouth and most likely the teeth would pierce my neck, before with a tug he would just rip my entire head off. Wanting to keep my head a little longer, I quickly began to struggle, and to my relief, I was able to move just enough so that the strike ended up just grazing my head. However, instead of biting my head off, it sunk its teeth in my left shoulder, the entire thing in his mouth. I saw as well as felt the blood starting to pour in its mouth, quite a bit of it was even escaping the gapping maw and pooling to the ground, melting the snow as soon as it made contact with it.

I let out my own pained scream as I felt the fangs sink in, ripping through my skin and muscles. I began to hit it again with my free hand, this time on its head, which was a worse idea, since it was covered in even sharper scales and spikes. After a few pained hits I noticed my hands where starting to bleed from the repeated hits, and after a few more tries, I just gave up on hitting it and started to try and pry the thing off of me, which was even harder to do, since every time he moved, more pain lanced through me, causing me to gasp every time I felt it.

I was about to try hitting it again when suddenly, with a large flash, what appeared to be a lightening bolt struck the serpent right between the eyes, causing it to reel its head back with a pained cry. However, as it did that, it dragged its teeth in me, ripping skin and muscle as it did so, making me give an even louder cry of pain. Once the pain was a bit more diminished, I glanced over to see how bad the damage was.

To my horror, but not my surprise, it was really bad. It looked like someone took a couple of knives and just shoved them in my shoulder before dragging the blade up a few dozen times. There was a ton of blood pouring out of the lacerations and it was quickly forming a large red pool of liquid underneath me. To my increasing shock, one of its fangs was stuck in my shoulder, a nine-inch blade just jutting from my flesh. As I looked at it, I could have sworn that there was some sort of liquid on its tooth that didn’t look like blood at all.

While I was examining my wound, I felt the snake start to squeeze, and before I could react, I felt something snap inside me, making me wince and squeeze the air out of me. I tried to take a breath to get the air in my lungs, which I immediately regretted, as a sharp pain was shot through my spine.

‘Yea, I think it broke one of my ribs…great’ I then heard a small whimper next to me, and as I turned my head, I noticed that the snake was now staring at Trixie, something inside her hat was glowing a little before it vanished. The whimper was from the beast starting to crush her, causing her to tear up as she stared at her fate.

My mind went into overdrive as I tried to think of something, but what could I do? I only had one arm free, and my other arm was stuck next to me and the shoulder was mangled up, a single fang sticking put of my shoulder…

Wait a sec…

The realization of what I could do came to me just as the snake started to coil up, its sights still on the azure pony. Just as it lunged, I yanked the fang from my shoulder, causing me to wince a little, and then, flipping the fang around to hold it backhanded, I swung it with all my force, hoping that I was quick enough to stop the beast.

(Trixie’s POV)

The Basilisk was staring at me, its cold yellow eyes staring into my very soul, and I knew that the strange creature and I were done for. Not wanting to see it happen, I closed my eyes as it began to coil up for the killing blow, and waited for my life to end.

One second: I was cringing to myself, thinking about all of the things that I did, both good and bad…sadly, the more recent ones were bad.

Two seconds: I thought about the ponies in Ponyville, wondering if they would even care if I died or not. I assumed the latter.

Three seconds: I was thinking over the past few years, and how I was always alone in my cart, wishing for somepony to just be with. It didn’t have to be a stallion, or a lover, I just wished for somepony to talk to.

Four seconds: I was wondering if I was already dead, but when I took a breath, I still felt the sharp pain indicating my broken rib. Wondering how I was still alive, I slowly opened my eyes, and I was met with a sight that surprised me even more then when I saw the Ursa Minor.

The bipedal creature somehow yanked the fang that was stuck in him and shoved it straight to the temple of the Basilisk. By the look of it, it seemed that he was able to strike right into his brain. As I looked back at the beast, I couldn’t see anything in his eyes indicating that it was still alive. Apparently he was able to move fast enough that it killed the snake just before it could kill me.

With the Basilisk dead, its muscles loosened up enough to free us from the snake’s still warm corpse, and once I was free, I tried to take a step, but I collapsed, a searing pain shooting through my right foreleg. I think the Basilisk broke my foreleg as well. I just lay there with my eyes closed, too much pain coursing through my body to do much except whimper every now and then.

I felt something warm carefully picking me up and opening my eyes; I saw that the hairless creature was slowly picking me up with his one good arm, his other one hanging by his side weakly. After a few moments I realized that he was trying to talk to me.

“Trixie damn it, listen. I can’t have you fading on me yet. I need to know where the nearest town is. We need to get ourselves to the hospital, now.

I looked at him weakly, and as I did so, I noticed his eyes. They were full of all sorts of emotions, like there was a storm going on inside of him…an uncontrollable storm of feelings and such with no sense of direction and purpose. When his words registered, I gave a small weak cough.

“It’s…i-it’s that way.” I said, pointing my good hoof towards the nearest town, which happened to be Ponyville. The thing nodded and then began to walk there, picking up his weapons as he did so.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. After a while of silent thinking, I looked up at the being, and placed my good hoof on his chest to get his attention.

“Hey…y-you were right…I guess.”

The being looked at me while at the same time he made sure to keep his eyes on the way ahead of him. “Right about what?”

“You are…you are most likely a human, for only a human would be…that reckless.” With that, I closed my eyes and refused to say anything else, finding the human’s beating heart to be somewhat calming in all of this chaos.

Chapter 5: Clothing For a Po-Human

(Drakalian’s POV)

As we walked into town, the first thing that I noticed was that it was very colorful. I’m not sure why it struck me as odd, but for some reason, I was expecting something…different. However, it was still a nice looking town and the people…well, ponies of the place seemed to be nice enough as well. Of course, the majority of them would stare at me as we walked by, some of them even stopping in mid speech just to gape at me before starting to whisper between each other. I began to feel a bit nervous from all the attention that I was getting, feeling myself starting to close in slightly to try and make myself seem smaller.

Twilight seemed to notice this and looked up at me with slight confusion. “Hey Drakalian, you ok?”

I glanced down at her before I returned my gaze in front of me, giving a slight shrug. “I…I guess. It’s just that…well, the constant staring is getting…a bit unnerving.”

The purple unicorn gave me a curious look before she looked around, seeing the large amount of ponies that where either staring at me or glancing in our general direction. After a few moments, she gave a small sigh and turned to face me again. “You know they don’t mean any harm, right? They are most likely curious if anything.”

I gave a nod of understanding. “Yea, I would be doing the same thing in their place, but it’s still…well, you know, uncomfortable.” I then gave a sudden shiver before I wrapped my arms around myself, causing Spike to give me a curious look.

“Hey, is the staring really affecting you that much?” He asked.

I gave a quick shake of my head. “I just remembered that it’s…r-really c-c-cold.” I said, my teeth chattering a little at the end. During our walk it finally dawned on me that it was rather cold outside…the snow being a rather big give away.

Twilight’s eyes widened in slight surprise before she lit her horn and opened her bag. “I’m sorry, I forgot about that part. I brought this back from the library to see if Rarity could fix it.” She said, before my hoodie was pulled from her bag and levitated to me. I quickly took it and opened it up, but before I could put it on, I was able to catch the entire damage that was done to it.

The entire left shoulder was in rags, a big gaping hole that would do nothing to keep me warm. As an added bonus, the hood was hanging by a thread, threatening to fall off entirely. I gave a small sigh as I simply held the ruined hoodie close to my chest, knowing that it was no different if I put it on at the moment. “Thanks Twilight, though I am going to have to find a way to fix this soon, otherwise I might risk freezing up.”

Twilight gave a nod of understanding. “Well, I was going to go to Rarity’s later today, but I guess we can go now to see if she could fix it for you.”

“We’re going to Rarity’s place now instead of later? Yes!” Said Spike, giving a small fist pump in the air. He then went silent as he realized that he said it out loud, causing him to clear his throat and adopt a more casual posture. “I mean…yea, that sounds fine.”

I raised an eyebrow in slight confusion before looking back at Twilight for an answer, only getting a small giggle as she led us to our destination. Soon, we reached what I assumed to be this Rarity’s place. It was a large carousal like building, white walls and purple roof, the windows adjourned with pony mannequins that had all sorts of fancy dresses on them. I was a bit curious if this Rarity was as good as Twilight said, and upon seeing those dresses, I had to agree that the quality of them was quite high class. Once we approached the front, Twilight knocked on it with a hoof, before getting a reply from inside.

“Just a moment dear.” The voice was rather…different from the others, at least with their accent. I wasn’t able to place what it reminded me of, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say somewhere along the lines of the higher class. After a few seconds, the door opened and revealed the owner of the voice, her eyes were closed for a second and a small smile was on her face.

“Welcome to Carousal Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and magnifique.” She said before opening her eyes and seeing the purple unicorn standing in front of her door. The pony, whom I assume is Rarity, was a white unicorn with a stylized purple mane and tail. Another thing that I noticed was that she was also wearing some sort of…shading under her eyes and upon her eyelids. Upon seeing Twilight, she grew a smile and hugged the other unicorn. “Oh Twilight, how wonderful to see you again darling! I just got finished with my newest design line, and I was just about to come and search for one of you girls, but this makes it a whole lot easier.” She then looked down and saw that Spike was with her as well. “And you even brought Spikey-Wikey. How’s my favorite dragon helper doing?”

The dragon in question blushed as he gave a small wave of his claw at the white pony. “Oh, nothing much, Rarity, just helping Twilight as usual.” He replied, giving a sheepish smile.

“I’m glad that everything is going well so far Rarity, but we actually came here for some help.” Said Twilight.

Rarity cocked her head slightly to the side. “Why, what do you-” She started to say before she saw me out of the corner of her eyes. Once she finally looked up at me, she froze in her place in what I assume was fear. Well, I was half naked from the waist up with only some bandages covering my chest up while I was wearing my shorts and holding my torn up hoodie close to me like a blanket in a vain attempt to keep me warm.

I gave a shy smile and a small wave to the surprised unicorn. “Uh…hi?”

As soon as I said hi, the unicorn placed a hoof to her forehead, wavered around a bit and then promptly fainted.

I blinked in surprise as the pony just fell to the ground, kind of expecting something like this to happen, though not this extreme. Twilight however was already helping Rarity back up, lifting the fainted unicorn with her magic and carrying her into the store. With nothing else to do, Spike and I followed behind her, closing the door behind us. Well…Spike mostly ran into the building, leaving me behind to close the door.

Once inside, I started to give a quick look around the place, wanting to get a lay of the building as it were. The main room was rather large, with a round stage in the center of it. There were pony mannequins around the place as well, a few of them had some rather amazing dresses…at least, they seemed amazing to me.

I looked back at Twilight who was gently placing Rarity onto a nearby couch, putting a pillow under her head before turning to face me.

“So…is she going to be fine?” I asked.

The purple unicorn nodded. “Yes, I think she should be. You’d be surprised with how many times she does faint. Anyways, it should just take a few moments before she is awake.”

I gave a small nod and right as I did so, the white unicorn seemed to already be slowly waking up. “Ugh…that was an…interesting dream.” She said, slowly raising her head up, rubbing her forehead with a hoof.

“Um, Rarity? Are you ok?” Asked Spike, who was standing right next to the couch, making sure to not leave her side anytime soon.

“Spike? Why, what are you doing here? Is Twilight here too?” She asked, a bit confused.

“Hey Rarity, over here.” Said the librarian, waving a hoof to get the white mare’s attention.

Once Rarity noticed her, she got up and quickly walked to the unicorn, her eyes wide with surprise as she grabbed the pony’s shoulders with her hooves. “Twilight, darling. I just had the most horrendous dream about some bipedal creature walking to my front door and-” Before she could continue, she noticed me standing behind Twilight, causing her mouth to hang open as she released the purple unicorn and slowly trotted up to me.

I was a bit nervous, not sure if she was going to faint again, or do something else like it, so I just held onto my hoodie while she just stared at me. “Um, hi Rarity, my name is Drakalian…at least, I think it is…anyways, I came here to-”

"That clothing! It's... it's simply hideous! Why, the wear, the tear, my stars! What have you done to this poor thing?!" she shouted and before I could do anything, she yanked my hoodie out of my hand with her magic as she started to examine it in closer detail. I simply blinked in surprise, not sure how to react to what she did.

“Don’t worry you poor, poor thing, mama’s here to help. Everything will be all better.” She said, hugging my hoodie like it was her child. I simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Twilight, who had a small smile on her face and seemed to be trying to hold back a giggle, with limited success.

“Um, is she always like this?” I asked.

Twilight nodded. “When it comes to clothing, yes, but this exact reaction is a bit new, though not quite unlike her.” We then turned our attention back to the white pony, who had at this point opened the hoodie up to better examine the damage.

“Hmm, this is going to be a rather difficult one, especially since I never fixed clothing for a bipedal, let alone made clothing for one. However, it seems that it only requires a little stitching and some patchwork and then it will be good as new!” With an excited grin on her face, she turned to face us, her eyes sparkling with the challenge ahead of her. “Don’t worry dear, I promise to have this done within the next hour.”

I raised an eyebrow at the rather short time it might take. “An hour? I think it might take a bit more then an hour to-”

Rarity silenced me with a wave of her hoof. “Oh, nonsense…Drakalian, was it? I’m an expert when it comes to fashion designing and fashion repair, so have no fear. Now, if Spike would like to help me out, then I’m sure I could cut the time rather quickly…” She said, looking at the young dragon and leaving the sentence unfinished.

Spike’s eyes went wide and he zoomed up right next to the unicorn, his hands clasped in front of him as he nodded vigorously. “Why I would love to, Rarity!”

Rarity giggled at the reaction from the purple drake before she started to walk into one of the separate rooms, my hoodie floating behind her. “Well then, come along now, Spike, let us see what I can do to fix this poor thing.” With that, both Spike and the Unicorn left the main room, Spike following close behind her.

During their talk, a small part of my mind was wondering about Spike’s attraction to Rarity, which was rather obvious that he liked her. However, my mind was rather confused as to why one species would find another one attractive. As that part of my brain was thinking this, my eyes wandered across her body, seeing if maybe I could see what Spike was seeing. As I came across her flank (NO) I noticed that there were three blue diamonds there.

“Hmm…three diamonds…” I muttered to myself, wondering what they meant. Twilight, however, heard my muttering despite how quiet I thought I was being.

“Hmm? You say something Drakalian?” She asked, looking up at me.

I blinked a few times to clear my head before I looked back down at the purple unicorn. “Oh, sorry, I was just wondering what the three diamonds on Rarity’s flank meant.”

“Oh, well that’s her Cutie Mark.”

I raised an eyebrow at the name of the markings. “A…Cutie Mark?”

Twilight nodded. “Yup, all ponies gain a Cutie Mark when they figure out what their special talent in life is. For example, mine’s about how I’m good with magic.” With that, she turned around a little until I could see the side of her flank better. True to her words, there was indeed a Cutie Mark upon her flank, though hers was in the shape of five small white stars surrounding a larger red star.

“Oh…interesting.” I said as she turned back around to face me. Of course, I made sure to avoid her eyes when she did so, still not comfortable for some reason to look her in the eyes.

“You know, since we have some time, why don’t you ask me a few questions about Equestria?” She asked, sitting down on one of the cushions and motioning for me to join her.

I give a small smile and a nod, sitting down next to her. “Ok, well how about we start with…”

We talked there for what felt like hours, discussing about how the country works and some of the things that has happened in its history, ranging from the banishing of a certain pony to the moon to the present, when she and her friends helped to save a place called the Crystal Empire, though she did say that Spike was the one who saved them in the end.

During this time, I felt a small nagging sensation in the back of my mind, though I only notice it when we started to talk about the rulers of the land, a couple of ponies called Celestia and Luna. When she mentioned their names, I gave a small wince and rubbed the back of my head as if someone slapped me there.

“Hey, you ok?” She asked, giving me a slightly concerned look.

I give the back of my head a few more rubs and then the pain subsided, allowing me to grin back and answer her question. “Yea, it just started to ache a bit when you mentioned those names, but it’s gone now.”

Twilight became deep in thought, placing a hoof under her chin as she thought over what I said. “Hmm…interesting. Maybe they have something to do with your amnesia, though I have no idea why they would cause such a thing to somepony like you.”

I was about to reply to her pondering, saying that it was most likely not their doing or something along those lines when the doors to the side room opened and Rarity walked back out, along with Spike who was holding the folded hoodie in his arms, all repaired of tears and wears.

“Here you go, darling, completely fixed.” She said, levitating the hoodie out of the dragon’s grasp and floating it in front of me.

I smiled as I grasped the hoodie and opened it up, taking in the repairs of my only top part of clothing that I had. To my joy, it was amazingly fixed; I couldn’t even tell if there was a rip in it before it was repaired that good. I smiled as I put my hoodie back on me, pulling the hood over my head once I did so. When my head was covered, I started for some reason to feel a lot better and a lot calmer. Before I could say anything, Rarity spoke.

“I must say, darling, but I think I did a rather decent job at fixing your clothing, even though I don’t find the particular style to my taste.” She said, giving me a once over with my hoodie on.

I give a small chuckle and a nod in her direction. “Well, in any case, thank you for doing this and I will make sure to pay you back when I get the chance.”

The white unicorn shook her head. “Oh nonsense. I did this because I wanted to. This is on the house as it were.” I blinked in surprise at the sudden generosity of the mare before giving her another nod of my head.

“Thank you very much then, Rarity. However, if you do need anything, then please don’t hesitate to ask.” The unicorn nodded in understanding.

“Well, now that your clothing is fixed, how about we go to the library now?” Offered Twilight. “Spike, you can stay here and help Rarity if you want to.”

“I can? Yes!” Spike exclaimed before taking a deep breath and saying, “I mean, yes, I would like to help Rarity.” In a more calming tone, causing the rest of us to either chuckle or giggle at the young dragon’s reaction.

With the clothing taken care of, as well as the rest of Spike now staying with the fashionista planned out, Twilight and I both opened the door and left the building, making our way towards the library and what I assume will be my new home for a long time to come.

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter, but I don't know how long I can make the meeting of each of the mane six long, plus I'm kind of running low on the old inspiration, so it is going to be a while until I can get back into the swing of things. Until then, the chapters are going to be a bit short until I get into the real nitty gritty stuff that I like. For now, enjoy.

Chapter 22: Fashion Advice Part 1

(Drak POV)

It has been about five days since I helped Trixie from the fight with the gang. Thankfully, she has been recovering nicely, and we have both started hanging out with each other a bit more often. More often than not, I would just come over to her place and hang out, listening to her talk about random things of the day, or let her show me a trick or two. She said she couldn't show the more grand tricks, since she lacked the required supplies, but she was able to show me a few things, such as some nice card tricks that made me wonder if she was really using magic or not, cause not once did I see her light her horn up. In any case, we always had fun, and I ended up finding her rather interesting to be with. It's like what Applejack said, she is a nice pony, just needs someone to steer her in the right direction.

Of course, that isn't all I have been doing during that time. Everyday I was always up rather early, thanks to a certain speedy pony, making me get up and at them as she pulls me out of bed, sometimes literally, and starts to get me really involved with the work outs. True to her words, she rather quickly ramps up my exercise once I was fully healed, and she was not gentle about it. Thankfully, I was quick to adjust and follow her lead, and while I still can't do what she claims is her full workout, I am keeping up in my own way.

Other than that, I would also help out around the library some, nothing too much, just with a bit of cleaning and even some cooking...with Spike's help, of course. Turns out he's a rather good chief, able to make all sorts of different dishes and treats.

Ever since I got my memory back of my training, I've also been practicing my staff once again, going out behind the tree to swing it, since I didn't want to knock any books down. Twilight was worried at first, seeing me using the weapon again, but when I promised her that I just wanted to do it to get myself back in shape without Rainbow's help, she agreed to let me continue, as long as Spike was there to watch me. The young dragon didn't mind at all as he found it to be rather cool, watching me swing my stick around and pretending to hit random enemies...or myself, which happened every so often, though I was learning (or relearning) rather quickly.

On this particular day, I had already finished with my staff training and was taking a walk around the town, to get myself more used to the place. The ponies were starting to warm up to me rather quickly, a few of them even giving me a wave, to which I replied in kind, if a bit slow. It was during this walk that I had today when I was greeted by Rarity, the white pony having need of some help with one of her outfits.

And so that is where I am, patiently standing on her stand as she admires the work of the suit I was wearing, if it is a bit large on me.

"My goodness Darling, you are just the perfect model for this suit. I may have to make one for you later of this similar design." Rarity says, adjusting her glasses a bit as she carefully sews some additional materials on the clothes I was wearing.

"I still don't see how I'm needed for this...not that I'm complaining, just curious." I ask. "Don't you have your own mannequins that you can use?" I ask, doing my best to not twitch a single muscle...which is much harder than it looks.

"Oh of course I do, but they are all for ponies, none for a bipedal being, and this one that I'm doing is for a minotaur client, and they are way too big for Spikey to help, so I need somepony much larger...or in this case, some human." She says, looking up at me with a playful smile.

I chuckle and give a very small shrug, trying to not move too much...again. "If you say so Rarity, though can we pause for a moment? My legs are starting to get stiff."

She takes a quick look at the clothing for a few moments before letting out a small sigh. "Well I suppose so." She agrees, lighting her horn a bit more as she lifts the stuff off of me.

I feel myself get freed of all the clothing and let out a small sigh myself, stretching and shaking out the stiffness from my limbs. I can certainly see why Dash doesn't like doing this. "Still not sure why I'm a better model than Spike. I mean, sure he is shorter than me, but-"

"But that's it darling. Minotaurs are huge! Not to mention they aren't always the most cool headed being out there." She says. "I mean, I still remember when one called Iron Will came to Ponyville with his being assertive class. Turned our poor Fluttershy into a very mean and rude pony." She says, placing the clothes on a hanger and hanging it up.

I can't help but to raise an eyebrow at this. "Wait, really? Her into a mean and rude pony?" I still remember meeting her before when I went over to her house with Rainbow, and sometimes we run into each other in the market when she was shopping. From what I could tell she is one of the most shy beings I have ever met...which isn't saying much, considering my amnesia.

"Oh yes. Thankfully Pinkie and I were able to convince her to return back to her more normal self. At least most of it." She pauses as she rubs her hoof to her chin. "Come to think of it, she did end up learning a couple of things from it after all."

"Huh, interesting." I say, taking a seat on one of the chairs nearby. "Perhaps I should go talk to her again sometime. After all, I still owe her for taking a look at me after Rainbow bulldozed me over." I say mostly to myself as I place my hands into my hoodie's pockets.

The white unicorn walks on over to me and takes a seat across from me, floating over a small box of mints, holding it up for me, to which I politely refused. Taking one for herself, she takes a closer look at me before asking, "Have you even changed out of that hoodie of yours? I don't mean to be rude, but it's just all that you wear."

I blink as I looked down at myself, spreading the hoodie out a bit. It's true, it is all that I wear, and while I now had over a dozen T-shirts to wear and more heavier clothing (thanks to the pony who I'm talking to) I always find myself just wearing my hoodie and an undershirt, this time the shirt being white. "Actually...now that I think about it..." I say.

I see her give a small sniff as she looks away. "So it is true. You don't like any of the clothing I made at all? It's ok to tell me dear." She says, even if her face tells me different.

I quickly try to patch things up. "N-No that's not what I meant! I just like wearing my hoodie since it's one of the few things I woke up with." I explain, to which she turns to look at me. "You're clothes are amazing, really. And I do end up wearing a few of the other shirts and such that you made, I just feel more comfortable wearing this." I give a small tug on my hood as I get it to fall down and over my face. "Plus, the hood kind of keeps me more calm when I go out and into more...public places."

She gives me a curious look, her sad face slowly vanishing. "So...you don't hate my clothes?"

"How could I? I kind of need clothing to live, especially in the current weather, and not only is yours very high quality, but it's super comfortable." I admit as I raise the hood back off of my head. Looking around I lean in and add, "Plus, it does make me feel rather stylish as well."

"Oh good! I'm so glad to hear that darling!" She says, smiling, all traces of her previous sadness vanishing. The sudden emotional switch causes me to almost do a double take, but thankfully I was able to cover it up.

I give a small sigh of relief as I lean back, only to wince as my left leg cramps a bit. As I move down and rub it, the unicorn speaks up. "Are you ok Drak? I've seen you rubbing your leg much more often as of late."

I keep rubbing my leg as I glance up at her. "I'm fine Rarity, just a bit sore from all the workouts and such. Not only that but my leg keeps on cramping every so often now."

At this she gives me a curious look. "Workouts? With Dash I'm assuming?"

"Yea, she has really amped up the difficulty factor now, but I think I'm still managing it. Of course, along with my own personal staff training, it's starting to get-"

"Wait, since when did you...oh, once you got the memories back from your trainer/friend?"

I blink and pause my rubbing. "How did you know?"

She just waves a hoof at this. "Please, as soon as it happened Twilight told the rest of us. I'll be surprised if she didn't send a note to Princess Celestia as well." She tells me.

I just nod as it makes sense to me and continue rubbing. "Yea, since then. I just wanted to do something to pass the time, but surprisingly it's rather easy for me to pick up. I mean, sure I had a few...mistakes, but besides that, it's going rather well. Twilight was concerned, but after I assured her I would be fine she was ok with just having Spike keep an eye on me, just in case."

"Oh, that will explain why I saw him twirling one of my batons around earlier." She says, giggling.

I chuckle in return. "Yea, I think he's finding it rather enjoyable himself." I add, before giving a small hiss as another cramp hits me, causing me to rub my leg even harder.

"Dear, I'm rather concerned about your cramps and workouts." She admits to me with a slight frown. "Judging by how intense Rainbow takes her workouts, I wouldn't be surprised if you got a few bruises, and then with your staff training...heavens knows that comes with it's own injuries as well."

"Yea, Rainbow is tough, but all I get is tired and satisfied, so that isn't a problem. Plus, the doctor said I'm fully recovered now, so why shouldn't I take care of myself? Besides, it helps me from becoming bored, and the staff training is...is all I got from my past for now." I admit, my mind going back to that one memory with Aryas.

"Even so, it's important to take care of your body in more ways than just exercise." She says. "I know that Rainbow would agree with me as well. Even Twilight knows that she needs to work out every so often instead of staying indoors with her books."

I pause at this. "Twilight...works out?"

She nods. "Of course, how else did she get fifth place in the Running of the Leaves?"

I blink at this. "She got fifth?!" Now I'm even more confused than ever. I remember Rainbow telling me about it during one of our workouts, and how she and Applejack always participate in it. Apparently it's a race through the Whitetail Forest, knocking all the leaves off of the trees during the fall season. Ok, not really a race, but the way she explains it makes it feel like it is.

"Indeed, and it was her first one to boot." She says with a smile. "Now if she can go out and do a bit of a jog, that should tell you that you can do the same thing and just go indoors and read or relax your body in some other way. When was the last time you relaxed?" She asks.

I am about to answer her when I stop and actually have to think it over. "Um...does sleeping count?" I ask with a sheepish grin.

She gives me a deadpanned look at this. "No, it doesn't."

"In that case I think it was...almost three weeks ago. Actually, it was when I started working out with Rainbow that I slowly stopped reading, relaxing or doing...anything else really." I finally admit, realizing it fully myself. "Wow, that's not good, is it?"

She shakes her head. "Not at all. Even athletes like Rainbow and AJ take some time out of their day to relax for a bit." She tells me. She starts to think over something for a few moments, both of us falling silent before an idea seems to spark in her head. "Oh, I know! You can come with Fluttershy and I to the spa!"

I tilt my head at this. "The spa? I'm not sure that's a good idea..." I say to myself.

"Darling, trust me. Everypony can use a relaxing day at the spa. It will do wonders for your complexion and make you more relaxed than you've ever been." She explains, sighing as she leans back a bit with a smile on her muzzle. As I silently think about it, she adds rather coyly, "It will also help with those sore muscles and cramps~"

I look at her with a raised eyebrow, and she just smiles back at me. After a few more minutes I let out a small sigh and lean back as well. "Very well, I may as well give it a shot."

"Perfect!" She exclaims, suddenly getting up from her seat. "In that case let's get going." She starts to head upstairs to gather some things, leaving me a bit baffled and surprised.

"Wait, now?"

She looks back and nods. "Of course. Today is Tuesday, and we always go on Tuesday. In fact it's in a few minutes, so we might be a little late unless we get going now." She adds as she disappears up the stairs.

I look up at where she vanished for a few moments before letting out a groan and falling back, my head bumping against the wall. I really should learn when these things happen before agreeing to them.

As we walk through the snow, I felt my legs giving another shake as I wince, the cramps once again building up a bit, but I push on, looking ahead at Rarity. "We almost there?" I asked.

She turns around, wearing a rather large winter hat and coat. "Yes Darling, not even a minute more of walking!" She replies before turning back to face forward.

Sighing, I continue on walking with the white mare, and just as she said, barely thirty seconds later we arrive at a rather large, fancy looking building. Like most of the buildings here, it is colorful, but what made it stand out was the large sign of a pony with wavy hair swinging above the door.

Rarity, not bothering to wait another moment, opens the door and walks in, though she is kind enough to hold the door for me as I walk in. I give a nod of thanks as she closes it and take a quick look around. The waiting room is rather inviting and comforting, soft cushions to sit as we wait with a door leading to the other side blocked off by a purple curtain. A pony wearing a mane band sits behind the desk, smiling at us as we enter. A few ponies were waiting around, either for an appointment or maybe for a friend. One of them is rather familiar, her pink flowing mane giving her away, even as she hides behind it a bit.

Smiling, the white mare walks up to Fluttershy, giving her a greeting nuzzle. "Hello Fluttershy, darling! Are you ready for our weekly spa treatment?" She says, to which the pegasus mare nods.

"Oh yes, I'm very eager to begin." She replies softly, a small smile on her face.

"I hope you don't mind, but I invited another to join us, as long as you are ok with it."

The yellow mare gives a curious look to her friend. "Really? Who is-" She starts to say before she sees me approaching them. I give a small smile and a wave in return, to which she shyly nods back. Seems she is starting to get a bit more comfortable around me, so that's good! Before she barely could look at me before blushing and looking away.

Though of course the same could be said for me, since for some reason whenever I am around the shy mare I seem to get the same feelings. Now that I know about my empathy abilities, it made more sense to me why, but it still didn't make things any easier. She just emits a constant aura of calmness that I have yet to feel from any pony or anyone else.

"Hey Fluttershy. I hope you don't mind me joining? Rarity kind of persuaded me to join." I reply, rubbing the back of my neck lightly as I, once again, do my best to avoid eye contact. With the shy pony, it was rather hard to do.

"The poor dear hasn't had a proper relaxation day in over three weeks!" The fashion pony states. "He is constantly doing those workouts with Rainbow or practicing with that staff of his outside, yet doesn't spare a moment for himself to just breath! As soon as I noticed his sore muscles, I insisted he join us to get rid of that pain."

Fluttershy blinks as she looks back at me with more worried, and her aura quickly swells even more, making me nearly wobble on my legs. "Oh my, that's terrible!" She says, still in her soft voice if a bit louder from the shock.

"Y-yea, but I'll understand if you...you know, don't want me to join you or anything." I say, already planning on leaving, but of course she shakes her head and smiles back, if ever so small.

"It's no problem for me if you wish to join. Besides, Lotus has a wonderful technique for working on sore muscles that works miracles." She says. Seeing how I was going to be joining them, I just nod and smile back, unable to really stay sad when around her.

"So, are they ready for us?" Rarity asks. Before the pegasus can reply, the curtain leading out of the waiting room parts as a pink mare with a light blue mane walks in, looking around before seeing us.

"Oh Rarity, Fluttershy! My favorite customers!" She calls out, trotting to greet the mares. Her voice is rather different, the words she saying having hard emphasizes on certain spots, showing that she isn't from around here, at least not raised here. It made me curious, but now wasn't a time to ask questions.

Rarity smiles as she greets the mare, both of them giving a kiss on each other's cheek, while Fluttershy just returned the hug, if a bit timidly. "Greetings Aloe! Are our usuals ready?" The white mare asks.

"As always! We even have a new scented candle we wish to try for you, straight from our homelands." The pink mare, who I'm guessing is Aloe states, clearly eager if her words were anything to pick up on.

"Oh marvelous! I'm sure Fluttershy and I would very much love that." She says, squeeing in delight, the shy mare just nodding as her agreement. Before they headed out, the white mare stops the spa pony. "If you don't mind, we do have one more pony to join us."

Aloe stops and looks at her curiously. "Oh? One of your friends?"

"Yes, though I don't think it's one that you know." She replies, and I take this as my cue to walk up and introduce myself. As soon as I take a step, the pink mare looks over at me and her eyes go wide with surprise.

"Hey, I was told that...um...t-that you can help with sore muscles as well?" I replied, clearly feeling out of my element here.

She doesn't say anything for a few moments, just staring at me, her eyes looking all over my body. If I didn't know any better I would think she was trying to undress me. Before it could get really uncomfortable, she shakes her head and smiles, walking up and extending a hoof to me. "You must be Drakalian, the human, jes?" She asks. "Rarity and Fluttershy have told us so much about you!"

I pause as I'm rather surprised she knows my name, but hearing that the others told her about me, I just smile nervously and shake her hoof. "It seems my reputation precedes me." I say, giving a chuckle to try and calm my nervous.

She just giggles, covering her mouth with her hoof. "Oh please, it's hard to not hear about the human that suddenly appeared in our quiet little town." She explains. "All everypony talks about is what the new being is doing here and how exotic he is!" At this she bats her eyes at me, causing me to give a small swallow.

I tug on my hood again as I went over what she said. "I'm...exotic?"

"Oh jes, jes! Very much so. One of the few times when ponies were so excited to see a new creature around here, ever since Zecora showed up, though that was after they got used to her." She says, giggling a bit.

I raise an eyebrow at this. "Wait, who's Zecora and why were ponies scared of her."

"I can explain in the steam room if you don't mind darling. Right now, I'm hoping for us to get there first, if you ponies don't mind..." Rarity says before looking at Aloe. "And yes he will be the one to join us today."

"Oh so sorry Rarity, almost forgot that I'm still working." She says, giggling again. "Of course, come, come!" She says, motioning us forward, and with a flick of her tail she leads us through the curtain.

Rarity and Fluttershy smile as they are quick to follow, leaving me behind for a moment. After realizing I was almost being left behind, I speed up to catch up with them.

She leads us down the halls for a few moments before bringing us to a large door that seemed to be the steam room. "Here is the steam room, we will let you know when your rooms are ready." Aloe says, the two mares smiling as they start to head in. I'm about to follow when the Earth pony stops me. "Now hold on, we can't have you going in with all that clothing on, it will get ruined."

Realizing that she was right, I give a small nod. "Of course, makes sense. Care to show me where the changing rooms are?"

At this she gives me a puzzled look. "Changing rooms? I'm sorry, but we don't have those."

Now it is my turn to look confused. "But...but isn't this a spa? I assumed that you guys have places to put your...clothing...oh." I start to say, only to slow down as I realized the major problem there...why would ponies who rarely wear clothes need a changing room?

The pink mare looks at me questioningly. "What's the problem? If you need, you can always place your clothing in one of our lockers. I can even take it to them if you wish, I just-" She is soon interrupted by Rarity, the mare motioning her over for a moment. Still confused, Aloe walks over and the unicorn mare starts whispering into her ear. As the seconds ticked by, her cheeks slowly start to turn a slight red as her eyes go wide When they were finished, she turns back to face me, doing her best to remain calm, yet at the same time her cheeks retained the red to them. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize that about...humans." She tries to apologies. "Sadly like I said, we don't have a changing room, but I can bring you to a massage room where you can change in private if that helps."

I give a small smile and a nod. "That would be fine, thanks." I reply, to which she smiles and motions me to follow.

"We'll be in the steam room Drak, just join us once you are ready!" Rarity calls out, Fluttershy nodding as well. I smile and nod in return before following the spa pony to the massage room. Thankfully it was rather close, Just around the corner in fact, the room itself was rather empty, just having a single table where I'm assuming you lay down to get your massage.

"Just give me a call when you are ready." She says before pulling the curtain aside and leaving me all by myself.

I'm glad to have a moment to myself, and while I'm still a bit nervous, I don't see that there will be too much of a problem. Aloe works here, so she should be professional, and she has been so far...at least from what I can tell. Besides that, Rarity and Fluttershy have already seen me topless...and the former even seen me naked, if briefly...and as a mistake, but still!

Shaking such thoughts from my head, I start to strip, and in just a few moments I was in my birthday suit. Looking around, I'm thankful to find some towels still around, and taking the largest one I could find, I wrap it around my waist. To my surprise, it actually fits, if only a little bit tight, but I could tie it to my waist and there wouldn't be a way for me to be revealed...at least not on accident. Satisfied, I walk to the curtain and knock on the wall next to it. "Aloe? I'm ready."

The curtain parts to reveal the pink spa pony, and as she looks me over, I can't help but to get a small shiver going down my back. For some reason it feels as if she was examining me, as if I was on display. She takes a few more scans of me before giving me a pleasant smile. "Well Mister Drakalian, you look much more pleasant without all that clothing on you." She says rather softly.

I can't help but to blush at her tone, rubbing the back of my head. "R-Really? I mean, I have started working out, so I guess I did lose a bit of weight but I don't think-" I start to say only for her to shush me with a wave of her hoof.

"Nonsense darling! You look positively dashing!" She says, motioning me to follow her. As I walk with her, she continues. "I'm surprised you don't just walk around like this more often, the mares would swoon over you." She adds, her eyes fluttering at me a bit.

Stopping myself from swallowing nervously, I simply replied. "Perhaps...but I also like staying warm, and I can't do that with no clothes."

She ponders on this before giving a shrug. "Fair point Mister Drakalian, fair point." She concedes, giggling a bit. "Even so, your body has plenty of stories that can be told just by looking at it."

I give a confused look at this before she explains. "The scars for example. They look to be very recent. Seem to be the work of a large beast."

Realizing what she was talking about, I feel the scars with my right hand, rubbing them a bit. "Yea, that would be a basilisk."

Her eyes go wide as we stop right in front of the steam room. "A basilisk! Oh mer, that is horrifying! And you managed to survive it?" I give a nod and she continues. "Well I know you will have to tell me more about this story, perhaps during your massage? I'm sure my sister would love to hear as well, but for now the steam room awaits you." She says, motioning me to head to the steam room.

I smile and give a nod of thanks as I reach for the door, but she somehow manages to beat me to it. "Please, allow me." She says, her eyes giving that same flutter again. I just smile as I give a nod and head on in. "Now if you need anything please let us know darlings!" She calls before closing the door. As she closes it, I could have sworn, just for the briefest of moments...

...she gave me a wink.

Once the door closes, I just sigh and shake my head. Perhaps it's best to not think about it.