As the reception party wound down Twilight moved to see Cadence and her brother off to their honeymoon. She trotted up to the carriage with her older brother and listened as he spoke.

Shining Armor looked at her fondly and said "None of this would have happened without you, love you Twily." he said with a smile.

"Love you BBBFF." she replied somewhat sullenly

"Hey Twily what's the matter?" he asked while placing his hoof under her chin.

She looked up at him "I just wish that Bryan was here too, I know you two don't always get along but he should have been here to celebrate with everypony else." she said

Shining just chuckled "Twily I'm sure he's going to be alright, besides with the crap Blueblood just pulled he might have gotten hurt anyway." he said "So it's alright."

"Yeah you're probably right about that." Twilight replied looking up at him

"Remember to tell him that Cadence says hi." he told her "She really did miss him and wants him to be okay."

Twilight giggled "I'll remember to tell him. Now go on. You shouldn't keep her waiting."

As Shining Armor stepped into the carriage he asked her "Are you ready to go?"

"Oh," Cadence replied suddenly "I almost forgot." she says as she leans out of the window and tosses the bouquet at the mares waiting on the sidewalk.

Upon seeing what was about to happen this moment Rarity spoke up "Oh Megan darling, I believe you should look up."

Megan looked up and caught the bouquet a moment later when Cadence threw it. After catching it Megan blushed as the other mares offered their congratulations while trying to hide their disappointment.

Rarity however just gave a sly wink to Fluttershy who was standing to her right.

Fluttershy just shook her head and glared lightly at her marefriend.

Trixie and Sunset chuckled. Then Trixie called out "Megan, I think the fate writer is telling you something!"

Megan cocked her head in confusion and thought "Fate writer?" thought to herself

Sunset called out "Hey Twilight look who caught the flowers."

Twilight turned and saw that Megan had indeed caught the bouquet and blushed.

Ponyville hospital, Bryan's room.

There was a knock at the door. "It's Charger I'd like to have a word with you L... Mister Luna."

Bryan cocked his head "Mister? You usually call me Lieutenant, but sure Commander what do you need?" he queried. Bryan was perplexed to say the least, this mare was always so formal that she sometimes annoyed both Princess Luna and Celestia with her formality.

Charger walked in not in her armor but her uniform and she took a seat. "I heard about what happened and your choice, though you have not been with unit long and few of us knew you. I wanted to say that well you still were one of us. The troops have a party planed for you. A mix of a goodbye party and bachelor party given they heard about your herd. I also wanted to say this personally that you will be missed by all of us. Ace takes your choice hard and he sees your leaving as his failure in your training. But that's cause he more Neighponiese then he looks. He hides his accent well doesn't he?"

"Whether or not I am leaving has yet to be determined commander, the doctors have not yet had their say in the matter. However Twilight will need guards of her own soon, they'll have to be unobtrusive and can't get under hoof, or keep her from interacting with everypony. I've been considering it, and I know Ace pretty well by now, I know he views this situation as a failure, but tell me commander how he could he have better prepared me for what happened?" he sighed and shook his head.

"The truth is that this is more my fault than his. I didn't tell all of you some important background information that I should have." sighing again he resumed "If I had revealed that info Ace would have understood better than I'm in a bad position when it comes to facing trauma like that. If anypony failed commander it's me."

He smirked "As for him hiding his accent," Bryan shrugged "I have met some of his other siblings and not Shadow nor Hammer had accents either. Ace is only taking this hard because he is Ace, not because he from Neighpon. That's just the way some ponies are."

"His sister Hammer has the habit of mixing Neighponiese with Equestrian. But her accent is thrown of by her tone of voice, the other two younger sisters Chispell and Swordsong are thicker as they almost never leave the islands, hammer lives there but she delivers her orders in person. Most like that. Did you know she has started dating a thestral?" she said

"She asked him to find her a husband and set her up with a private from the Lunar Guard. After he and Shadow spent three weeks vetting him and half the guards in Canterlot. Major breach of power but they got Luna's approval." she shook her head.

"Yeah never in my life did I think I'd meet a Kirin, shows what I know doesn't it? I've never met those two, the only sisters of theirs I know are Hammer because she made my armor and swords, and Dixie I've met in passing because she's an airship captain working for the anti-piracy task force formed by Luna. So Hammer is with a bat pony huh? Well no I did not know that she was dating anypony." he was thoughtful for a moment

"She asked me about who I thought I would date when she took the measurements for my armor, I was a bit shocked that she asked to be honest." he said

"That does sound like Luna though, allowing something like that, she's a lover at heart. Still I for one am glad that they want the best for her, she is a total sweetheart and deserves the best pony she can get." he studied Charger "Is there something else on your mind commander? You seem a bit out of sorts as it were."

She fidgeted, looked around. The door was open but the hall was empty, she sighed. "Oh buck it! I will never get another chance to..." She rushed forward and kissed Bryan deeply before racing off so fast that Rainbow Dash or any Wonderbolt would be shocked a earth pony could move like that.

Bryan was never more stunned, not even when Megan kissed him for the first time. Blinking he tried hard to reboot his crashed mind and finally managed "What was that!?" He could manage no more than that.

Back in her room. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" Charger was testing how many times she had to hit her head with a desk before she could forget what she just did, the desk lost...

A stray member of the thirteenth who was just trotting by heard the noise and knocked on the door "Uh commander are you all right? I heard something break and thought that I would ask how you are doing in there." said the confused stallion.

"Nothing to concern yourself with Lieutenant. Just the desk breaking. I'll pay the hotel bill for it." Charger sounded mad to the guard and as they all knew don't be around her when she is pissed off unless you like paper cuts.

"Yes ma'am." he replied before trotting off to his room.

Back in Canterlot Megan, Twilight, and Pinkie were just returning to their sweet in the palace after the party had finished. Megan sat down on the bed heavily and sighed.

"What's wrong Megan?" Twilight asked

"Yeah," Pinkie chirped "you seem a little worried." Pinkie jumped up onto Megan's back and held onto her shoulders.

Megan sat down on the bed with Pinkie still attached to her back. "I am a little worried I guess." she replied flatly "Bryan is in the hospital and I know how much he doesn't like that, he can take care of himself but he must be feeling a little..." Megan paused thoughtfully "I don't really know how to go about it, I just want to do something nice for him while he's still stuck there is all."

Pinkie nuzzled Megan's cheek "So you wanna do something nice for him huh?" Megan nodded "Well you can stay the night with him after we get back. Oh and maybe you can take him dinner, I'm sure Nurse Redheart and Doctor Candy Stripe will let you do that."

"Do you really think so?" Megan asked

Pinkie giggled "Sure, they both really like him a lot and Nurse Redheart is Bryan's friend. So Yeah there is no way it'll be a big deal." Pinkie squeaked

Twilight smiled at Megan "We'll help you get it set up after we get back to Ponyville. It's not something that's normally allowed, but I'm sure they'll make and exception for this." she giggled "You did help everypony out after all, and Nurse Redheart will like that you're looking out for him."

"Thanks you two." Megan said as she stood up with Pinkie still clinging to her "I want to take a bath before we go to bed."

"Okie dokie loki." Pinkie replied with one last nuzzle to Megan's cheek as she dropped to the bed.

Megan stretched and headed to the bathroom but was stopped when Twilight spoke up.

"Megan?" she said

"Yes Twilight." Megan answered

"Would you mind if I joined you? I would like to talk to you some more." she asked while fidgeting a little

"Sure Twilight." Megan looked to Pinkie "Are you coming too Pinkie?"

Pinkie smiled "Nah, I'm gonna let you be alone for while." she said in a teasing tone while giving a sly wink that caused both mares to blush before entering the bathroom together.

After Megan and Twilight went into the bathroom Pinkie flopped backwards onto the bed and giggled. Looking out the window at the moon Pinkie sighed happily and reached into her mane pulling out a picture that had been taken by Mrs. Cake one day, it was a picture of Bryan laying on his back with Pinkie laying on top of on her back with his chin on the top of her head between her ears. His arms were wrapped around in her in a hug with her forehooves resting on top of his forearms. She giggled again and kissed the picture. "We'll be home soon sweetheart, I Pinkie promise."

With another happy sigh she returned the picture to her mane and decided to get ready for bed.

Pinkie trotted into the bathroom to brush her teeth she saw Megan and Twilight sitting in the bath tub chatting casually.

"Oh hi Pinkie," Twilight said "do you want to to join us before bed?"

"Nah," Pinkie "I'm just gonna brush my teeth and go to bed. I wanna see if I can send Bryan some snuggles in my dreams."

Megan giggled "That's very sweet of you Pinkie, I'm sure that Bryan will appreciate every last one." Pinkie simply smiled.

Pinkie had exited the bathroom leaving Megan and Twilight to their talk. She jumped into bed and snuggled into the blankets and smiled.

In Trixie and Sunset's sweet

Trixie sighs as she looked at the stars. "So Sunny, are your drones keeping our idiot stud where doctors want him?"

"Yeah this some of things he dose with them, I'm making note of to lecture him on later. You and me as humans? How the changelings even manage that is beyond me and even more is that fact I didn't know they can change size or into anything they want. He is having to much fun with them." said Sunset looking to Ponyville.

"We both knew that was going to happen anything we need to smack him in thick skull of his for?" said Trixie

"No but some we will talk with him about. Like the fact he has a book of mares he'd slept with before we started his herd." said Sunset.

"He told us about that, what's the issue with now?" asked Trixie

"Pictures." answered Sunset

"Oh I see, well we can't fault him for reminiscing about his past glories now can we." said Trixie

"Hello pot this is kettle I'm black. Would be close to his response, given our own wild boasts." said Sunset as she climbed into bed.

"Of all the things our herd is, modest is not one. Though we can back it all up." said Trixie as she jumped on and laid her head on Sunset's flank.

"Aww I love when we travel together cause you all ways bring Trixie's favorite pillow."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yes I know you love my plot." She then used her magic to blow out the candles.

The next day was an early one as everypony save Megan and Applejack struggled to meet the train to Ponyville on time. The ride back was largely quite as most ponies went back to sleep during the three hour trip.

Among those still awake after boarding that train were Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle who wanted to go go and visit Bryan at the Hospital after they got back. Rarity was also encouraging Fluttershy to do the same when they got back due to her concerns for him.

Later that day

Megan had gone to the hospital with Twilight to help set up the arrangements for the dinner, while Twilight spoke with Nurse Redheart and Doctor Candy stripe she encouraged Megan to go and see Bryan in his room.

She arrived a few minutes later to see that Fluttershy and the CMC were still visiting him. She opened the door quietly to hear Bryan telling the fillies an story about a crazy little adventure he and Ember wound up on years ago. She smiled as she listened watching the three fillies as they listened in rapt attention.

She entered the room quietly and stood beside Fluttershy and listened as Bryan finished his story. At it's conclusion Sweetie Belle giggled, and Bryan looked at the adorable unicorn.

"Sweetie Belle you just giggled, you know what that means." he said with fake menace.

"What?" Sweetie questioned sweetly

He grabbed her and shouted "Tickle monster!" as he said as he began to tickle her.

Megan then added her own giggles to Sweetie's as he did this before she joined in the tickle attack on the other two crusaders. After a good few moments of tickling and laughter Megan spoke to Bryan. "And to think." she said between laughs "You always doubted your ability to be a father."

This caused him to stop and turn red in the face while Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo looked on confused.

"Bryan," Scoots said "What is she talking about?"

"Yeah." Apple Bloom echoed "I don't get it."

Sweetie Belle just looked at him with great curiosity.

"Megan! I, yes I did have doubts." he looked to the fillies and sighed " I just had doubts about my abilities as a parent for a long time, but that was a long time ago. I don't carry those doubts anymore. Beside I'm more like a big brother to these fillies than a father, they kinda adopted me as one."

Megan smiled "That's nothing new for you Bryan, I'm glad to see you're doing alright, but I wonder why you're still here if all of the major injuries are healed."

He sighed "It's because of the entropy spell used on me by the changeling queen, it left behind some negative energy that the doctors wanted to monitor, that why I'm still here for right now." he said "Anyway I get that you're visiting and all and I am happy to see you Megan but you've got that look in your eyes, that one you get when your up to something."

The fillies and Fluttershy looked at Megan expectantly

"Oh I was talking to Doctor Candy Stripe and Nurse Redheart about staying with you tonight, and doing something very nice for too." she replied

Bryan cocked his head "Oh really? What?"

Megan smiled and said "Having a nice dinner with you, just you and I to catch up and have some time alone with you."

Bryan smiled at that while Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle just gave a collective "Awwww." followed by Sweetie squeaking "That's so sweet!"

Bryan laughed "I told you Megan was like that, I presume that you still need to get some things ready for tonight." he stated

"Yes, Megan replied "so I'll be back later."

That's ok." Bryan said "I need to rest before then anyway. before you three go," he said looking at the crusaders.

"Yes Bryan?" they inquired

"I need you to tell your sisters to come here tomorrow, I meant to explain a bunch to everypony about my life of things. I know all of you have questions and you've waited long enough." he looked to Fluttershy "I need you here too, and Ace, Trixie and Sunset too. I owe all of you this, it will also help if somepony can tell Ditzy and Lily as well."

"Don't worry Bryan." Megan said "Twilight said you would want to clear things up and we're already on it. So there's nothing to worry about."

"He hugged the crusaders and said to them "I promise you'll all know about it then, after school of course."

"Okay Bryan." they said somewhat disappointed at not being able to get out of school the next day.

Megan watched them leave "They really are attached to you Bryan." she bent down and kissed him much to the delight of the fillies who were watching from the doorway quietly. Once the kiss broke Megan said to him " Just get some rest now Bryan and I'll be back later." she kissed him once more and watched him close his eyes and fall asleep.

As she turned to leave she saw them still watching. Megan smiled and said quietly "We need to go now girls, he needs to rest."

The trio of fillies nodded and followed Megan out of the room.

Megan spent the rest of the day getting things ready with Pinkie and Twilight, as she spent time with them she began to feel a bond forming between herself and the two mares. Megan however held no illusions, she had to bond with them over time like Bryan had, he had spent three years bonding with them. She had a ways to go to say the least.

Later that evening Megan returned to Bryan's room at the hospital with a picnic basket filled with the food she had prepared with Pinkie's help. She approached his room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Bryan responded.

Megan entered the room to see Bryan reading an book on herding of all things. "Studying?"

He looked up at her "Getting a refresher actually, I've already read up on it a bit. I just needed to remind myself on some of it is all." Bryan closed the book and put it down on the nightstand next to his bed. He sat up a little more and looked at Megan "I know you have thing to ask me so I've been getting ready to explain what I can to you tonight."

Megan began unpacking the food from the basket and handed some food to Bryan. As she passed him a chicken sandwich and a bottle of water she looked thoughtful.

"So Bryan." she said

"Yes Megan? I presume you want me to tell what I've learned about herding in Equestria, or is something else on your mind?" he replied

"Actually," she said "I want to know more about this training Ace says I need to do."

Bryan leaned back for a moment and sighed "Honestly Megan I can't tell you too much because it's different for everypony that goes through it. What I can tell you is that it will last for three months, and that on the first day or two Ace is going to try to see where you are strongest and weakest." he drank some of the water thinking for a moment. "I really don't know how Ace is gonna handle you really, I didn't have a magical artifact fuse with me before my training started. So he'll have his work cut out for him. I can say that it will be hard, and that he going to try to get you to hate him. He will also try to distract you to test your focus. That's what he did with me, also I can say that you'll be stronger than ever when it's all said and done." he finished with a smile

Megan looked at Bryan confused "Do you mean you... enjoyed it?!" she said with obvious shock

Bryan gave her a satisfied smirk "Oh hell yes I did!" he chirped enthusiastically "I was very satisfied by the challenges I was given, I even got meditate under a waterfall in the Canterlot mountains." he drew in a steadying breath "That is quite an experience, I highly recommend it."

Megan was flummoxed, here was the former timid, nerdy bookworm of a boyfriend she'd promised to love no matter what showing the confidence she had long felt he could have. Her eyes watered and felt her heart swell with a mixture of love and pride. "Bryan," she said "when you're better I am going to make love to you and show how much you mean to me." she smiled as she spoke

Bryan just smiled in response "Let's talk about herding after we eat okay Megan?"

Megan nodded and went about getting the rest of the food out do they could eat. The discussion during dinner was about what they'd done since they last saw each other, for a bit anyway. After that it simply became a quiet and loving affair with both of them reveling in each other's company in silence while they got ready to discuss their herd.

When they finished dinner Megan looked at Bryan. "Bryan I have concerns about this herd, now many of us are there going to be?"

Bryan smiled at her and replied "Well there's no need to worry Megan, herds in Equestria are limited to four members. Centuries ago they were larger, but ponies realized that that was hurting them, so a size limit was established."

Megan was visible relieved by this information. "So how does this work exactly. I mean what's involved with this?"

Bryan was thoughtful for a moment "Well we'll have to got to town hall and do some paperwork declaring our intention to form a herd, and that's it really.I don't really know much about that part of it, we'll have to see when we go to do it."

Megan cocked her head "The book didn't say?"

Bryan laughed "Oh it did alright, it was just so technical that it would take Twilight, Tabitha, Sunset, or Wind Whistler to understand it. It's really hard." he said still laughing.

Megan giggled "I see, when I met her Tabitha did strike me as being very smart."

Bryan noticed that Megan was Blushing when she said this. "Megan, you two didn't do anything..." He paused for a moment trying to find the right words. "Impulsive did you?"

"Well, I did need a place to stay and she insisted that I not stay in a hotel. I understand if that hurts you Bryan." she said.

"Nah." Bryan said "I wasn't dating either of you when that happened, and besides I've been impulsive like that too. With two mares, a unicorn named Amethyst Star and then with my friend Dizty's older sister Daring. So there's no damage here." Bryan yawned and stretched "Damn, I'm about done here, we can pick this up in the morning. Besides that's about it really, oh yeah we can only take on another mare if one leaves the herd. That and we'll need to pick an alpha mare."

"Alpha mare?" Megan questioned.

"Yeah, " Bryan replied "we need an alpha mare to be in charge of our herd. We can deal with it later though." Bryan looked nervous "You know what tonight is Megan."

"I know," Megan said quietly as she started to get into bed with him. She pulled his head to rest against her chest. "Better?" she asked

Bryan nodded "It would help if you sang to me too, this night is always really hard on me."

Megan held him and began to sing to him. She sang this song to him because it brought up some of his most treasured memories from Ponyland, the memories of the fillies that became his little sisters.