Bryan looked at his marefriend nervously. "Twilight, this is my first love Megan Williams. Megan this is Twilight Sparkle my marefriend."

Twilight squeed. "This is Megan? Bryan she is so beautiful!" Twilight trotted up to them and looked Megan over. "Wow so this is a human mare. I can't wait to study you!" Twilight said excitedly.

Megan's eyes widened and her jaw dropped while Bryan and Spike simultaneously facepalmed/clawed.

Spike rolled his eyes "Yeah that's not creepy at all Twi." he deadpanned.

Bryan just grabbed Twilight in his arms and carried her into another room, where he put her down and closed the door. "Twilight what in Tartarus was that?" he paced somewhat frantically around the room "You don't just say that to a human remember? What am I going to do with you?"

Twilight looked at him with horror on her face as the realization of what she had just done. "Bryan I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that." she sniffled a little

He walked over to her and bent down to look at her. "I know that Twilight, but you've just made a bad impression." he sighed "It's ok, Megan will be able to get over it. But you've got to be more careful than that. Megan is used to odd things and it'll be ok." he sighed again "I didn't mean to snap at you Twily, I'm very sorry about that." Bryan kissed Twilight

She pulled back after a while. "Bryan I need to ask you something." she asked

"Ok what is it?" he replied.

"Bryan Thunderlane said that Megan kissed you, is that true?"

Bryan looked her in the eyes and said "Yes Megan kissed me, twice in fact. And the second time was with tongue, I won't lie to you about it. In all honesty I'm really torn at the moment, I still love her too."

Twilight looked embarrassed for a moment "Di-did you kiss her back?"

"Yes" he replied.

Twilight caressed him with her hoof "Oh don't worry Bryan I've got an idea that will keep things from going badly." she giggled "We really should get back out there." she trotted towards the door and stopped casting a sideways look over her shoulders "Well come on, we don't want to let Spike's mind wander."

Spike was pacing again "Uh Megan do you think we should go check on those two? I mean they've been gone for a while now, and I don't want to find out they have been fighting." he said worried

Megan smiled and crouched down to look him in the eyes "Spike I've known Bryan for a long time. He won't fight with her, if there's anything to worry about it's that I may have gotten him into trouble with her."

For his part Spike stared blankly "How would have gotten Bryan in trouble with Twilight Megan?"

She replied "It's not smart to kiss someone else's boyfriend Spike, and I did that, twice."

The young dragon was shocked "Why, why would you do that?"

"It was stupid of me Spike, I know that. I know that I shouldn't have done that too, but it's hard. I haven't seen him in ten years." Megan paused choosing her next words carefully. "I know that's no excuse to intrude like that, and I'm sorry I did it. I'll level with Twilight and we'll go from there. Spike the best thing you can do in these kinds of relationship situations is own your mistakes and be honest about them, lying only makes things worse."

Spike stood there processing what Megan had just said. Then it all clicked in his head "That makes sense. I don't wanna mess up, but I'm gonna responsible when I do. I owe Sweetie Belle that much." he said with a smile

Megan smiled "That's good Spike, when you're with someone you need to think about them and not yourself."

"Well it's good to see you two are getting along." Bryan said warmly

"So your not fighting?" Spike said

Twilight giggled "No Spike we're not fighting, but I am little disappointed in Bryan at the moment."

Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"You see Spike," Megan said "it's not wise to assume the worst."

"Uh Twilight?" Spike asked

"What is Spike?" she replied

"Well I wanted to know how Sweetie Belle is doing. I'm kinda worried about her."

"Last I saw her it wasn't really bad Spike, did you want to go and check on her?" Spike nodded "All right Spike, Bryan really can't give us that explanation right now anyway. So go ahead and check on Sweetie Belle."

Spike ran over to her and hugged her "Thanks a lot Twi." he said before running from the library like he'd been shot out of a cannon.

"Speaking of needing to go and check on somepony," Bryan said "I'd better go and check on Pinkie Pie. She's gonna be really worried about little Pumpkin and I don't want to leave her like that."

"Go on and do that Bryan, I want to talk to Megan anyway. And it'll be better if we can talk alone for a while." She reared up on her hind legs and kissed Bryan deeply.

After breaking from the kiss Bryan said "Alright Twily, thanks for being so understanding about everything. And I'm sorry for messing up like that."

Twilight smiled "It's alright Bryan, everypony makes mistakes. Besides you were honest with me about it, so I can't get to mad at you."

Bryan smiled appreciatively as he headed for the door "I'll be back later Twily, I might be hauling Pinkie along too, I'm not so sure about leaving her by herself right now."

Twilight called after him "I'll have things ready just in case Bryan."

Twilight turned to Megan "Well I'm going to make some tea, would you like some Megan?"

"Yeah that would be great, thanks Twilight." her stomach growled "And maybe something to eat too." Megan said blushing

Twilight giggled "I've got some salad in the fridge, I'll get it ready." Twilight trotted into the kitchen and removed the salad from the refrigerator and filled up the tea kettle before placing it on the stove and turning on the heat.

Megan was thoughtful while waiting on the tea and salad. She sat down at the kitchen table watching Twilight expectantly.

Twilight finished readying the salad and placed it on the table along with two smaller bowls. She put the salad in both bowls and spoke to Megan as she waited for the water to boil. "Ok Megan, you and I have something serious to discuss about Bryan."

Megan stuck a fork in the salad and asked Twilight What do we need to talk about Twilight?"

A long silence followed and was broken as the tea kettle whistled. Twilight levitated it off of the burner while bringing out some teacups and saucers. As she poured the water into the teacups and placed the tea bags in the water to steep.

"I'll be honest with you Megan, we both love Bryan very much, and we want to see him happy. In fact we love him enough to want to see him happy even if it's with another mare. That said we could still put him in the awkward and terrible position of having to choose. I know we don't want that."

Megan looked at her somewhat stunned "Twilight where are you going with this?" she asked

"I'm getting to that." she replied while pulling the tea bag from her tea cup and adding some sugar to her tea. Twilight sipped her tea for long moment considering her words while Megan readied her own tea.

If Megan was feeling anything in that moment, it was nervousness. Twilight's earlier display and words had actually rattled the normally dauntless young woman. Granted Bryan had spoken highly of her, and he undeniably loved her. But still the words "I can't wait to study you." were getting to Megan a little. She knew that she was sitting across form a very powerful pony, and although she had dealt with many "god like beings" as humans would call them. Well it simply made her all the more cautious in these situations. Megan drank from her tea cup trying to soothe her fraying nerves. And to try to escape the oppressive silence that had once again descended on them.

"Ok," Twilight finally spoke up " There is an old practice in Equestria that is still used sometimes. And it's one that will keep us from forcing him to choose between us. I know that what I am about to propose may seem a little odd, but please hear me out." Megan nodded in accent. "Good, I propose that we form a herd with Bryan as our stallion so he will never be faced with having to make that choice. We can both be here for him, and have him be with us with no additional headaches."

"A herd?" Megan questioned "I don't know if he'll go for that Twilight. Bryan has some rather strict standards when it come to dating, and marriage he's got even more strict in his standards. I just don't see that working." Megan speared some of her salad with her fork and chewed thoughtfully. She did see the sense in what Twilight was saying though, it was a good idea.

Twilight just smiled "Oh I'm aware of that Megan, it's safe to say that I know him almost as well as you do. But there is more information for you to hear first. When you were at the survey site you met a red colored pegasus pony named Ace Crimson Moon didn't you?" Megan nodded. "Well Ace has a herd, and Bryan knows that. What's more Bryan knows both of Ace's herd mates personally, in fact he is friends with all three of them." Twilight stopped and started taking in Megan's reaction, it struck her as a little odd that Megan was so quiet about it.

Megan finally spoke "I get what you're saying Twilight, and it does make sense. But I'm worried about what Bryan will think about all of this. I know he's smart, but he's also really stubborn sometimes and he's usually right when he is." She said with a smile "I know we're going to talk to him about it, but it won't be easy for us. I think this is the best idea though, I don't want to make him choose. I love him as much as you do."

"So? You're saying that you're in?" Twilight asked beaming.

"Yes," Megan replied "I want to be with him, and I don't want to take him from you to get that. But we'll really have to work for this, he's got to have the right information to go along with it. And I want to make sure he gets it."

Twilight squealed with delight "Oh thank you Megan! He will get that information, after all Ace is on our side. And that will help a lot because they respect each other so much." Twilight struck a triumphant pose as she spoke eliciting a very feminine giggle from Megan.

Twilight looked at Megan "Is there some reason you're giggling at me Megan?"

Megan responded still smiling "Well there are two actually, first that was really cute Twilight, second is that is far from the weirdest idea to come from a pony." Megan struggled to stifle more giggles, but she and Twilight both dissolved into a fit of laughter."She's like Twilight and Wind Whistler in the same mare." Megan thought to herself.

When Twilight finally got her laughter under control she asked Megan a question "Megan, did Ace hit on you?"

Megan still smiling herself said "Yes, and he's terrible at it. How does he have two mares again?" the two resumed laughing.

Bryan's body was tense as walked towards Pinkie's house. He was not looking forward to this at all. Pinkie would be devastated right now, Pumpkin Cake was like a niece to her, and to see her in a state of spell shock at such a young age. Well that would be hard on anypony, but Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were easily the two most sensitive ponies in Ponyville. "Oh man Flutters is gonna be heartbroken over Rarity right now. I really hope she can keep it together, hang in there Fluttershy she's gonna be fine." Looking up he realized that he'd arrived. Taking in a breath he knocked on the door, at first nothing. Then there was the scrambling of hooves on the floor before the door opened and he was whisked inside by the house's occupant.

It was Pinkie and she looked bad. Her usually poofy mane and tail were flat her coat was duller than normal, and her big bright blue eyes were watering. She looked up at him sadly and grabbed him while bursting into tears. Bryan held the pink pony as she wailed in despair.

"Oh Bry Bry I'm so worried about Pumpkin, she's so small and young. I just can't bear it!" she wailed loudly

"Shh, she'll be ok Pinkie, I sent a letter to the princesses asking them for help. They are getting everything ready right now I just know it." he squeezed her reassuringly "We'll have help for everypony soon, so just dry your eyes and calm down." he said soothingly.

Pinkie's crying gradually slowed. She looked up at him and sniffled "Oh Bry Bry are you sure?" he nodded She hugged him fiercely still sobbing for a few moments more.

"Pinkie," he said "I don't want to leave you here by yourself, not while this is going on." he nuzzled her forehead softly "What I need you to do is go and get some things you need to bring with you. Your tooth brush, nightcap, Gummy, and the things that he needs. I'm gonna take you to the library to stay with Twilight and me for a few days while this is taken care of." he hugged her tight "I also want to introduce you to somepony new too."

She sniffled some more "Ok Bry Bry, I'll get everything I need and be down here in a few minutes." she said as they released each other and she trotted upstairs sadly.

Bryan turned his head trying to contain the tears that were forming in his eyes. With a frustrated huff he stalked into Pinkie's kitchen and got some water. "Damn it." he snarled quietly "I knew it going to bad, but this is worse than I was ready for, shit!" he rinsed out the glass and put in the sink. Pinkie's hoofsteps announced that she was ready. Bryan turned to see his devastated friend. "Ok Pinkie let's go, and I promise I'll take care of you while your with us." Pinkie nodded sadly as they left the house locking it before heading to the library.

Across Ponyville Spike was still charging towards the hospital, he had never run so fast or far before in his life. But then again in all his crazy misadventures with her Sweetie Bell had never really been hurt. All of the other times they had just been some nutty thing that went wrong and pow, tree sap and pine needles. That or some crazy series of happenings that ended with Sweetie saying I'm ok. Spike smiled at those memories knowing that they would always look back on on them and laugh. This was very different though, Sweetie Belle had never had spell shock before and that made this really bad. As he burst through the doors he heard the sound of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo talking to nurse Redheart.

"Ahh come on Nurse Redheart, you've gotta let us in to see Sweetie Belle." Scoots said while buzzing her wings.

The mare gave a patient smile "I will only when the others nurses have finished their examination of her Scootaloo, you just have to wait a few more minutes. That's all." She saw Spike skidding to a stop "Hello there Spike, I assume you're here to see Sweetie Belle too?" he nodded Nurse Redheart looked over her shoulder and turned back to them with a smile "Well it looks like you're right on time Spike." she said as the nurses conducting Sweetie's exam came out of the back area. "Ok you three go and see your friend." she said as she started to look over the results.

As Spike, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom walked/trotted to Sweetie's room they said not a word to each other choosing instead only silence as they entered her room. Sweetie was laying in bed hooked up to a heart monitor that was beeping regularly, an I.V. in her right foreleg, and a ventilator tube up her nose. It was a very disconcerting sight to say the least.

Spike was the first one to approach her bedside. "Sweetie Belle, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but Bryan and I sent a letter to the princesses and they gonna get someponies down here to help. So you'll be ok Sweetie Belle, I just know it." Spike clutched her left hoof in his claws struggling no to cry. "Please let Sweetie be ok, I want everypony to be ok. Just please princesses send help." his thoughts were swelling with emotions.

Spike stood there holding Sweetie's hoof barely restraining his tears when he felt it. Spike quickly stepped back and belched up a scroll. He caught it and looked at the royal seal to confirm what he thought. "Yes!" he pumped his arm and turned to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo holding the scroll in his claws.

"Spike what's going on?" Apple Bloom asked.

"It's the response from Canterlot!" he said cheerfully he then looked at Scootaloo "Hey Scoots, you're really fast..."

Scootaloo quickly picked on what Spike was getting at "I'll get that scroll to the library in a jiffy Spike!" she said with determination. He handed her the scroll and she quickly left the room.

Spike turned to Sweetie Belle "Do you here that Sweetie Belle, help is already on the way." he said happily. As tears finally started to make their way down his cheeks. Apple Bloom put her hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him.

Scootaloo trotted through the hospital until she reach the doors and passed them to the outside. She secured the scroll in her mouth and crouched low, flared her wings and took off as quickly as she could without dropping the scroll. She flew across town in just a few minutes landing at the library with a slight thud. Scoots shook off the slightly rough landing and knocked on the door. when it opened she looked up to see Bryan standing there. "Oh hi Bryan." she said dropping the scroll as she spoke.

Bryan snickered and decided to tease her a little "Hey there Scoots, I see you're that you're dropping things as usual."

Scootaloo laughed nervously and picked up the scroll. She hoofed it over to him "Spike coughed this up at the hospital, it's really important isn't it Bryan?"

"Yeah," he said "it's the reply from Canterlot, thanks a lot Scoots." he reached down patted her on the head. "You should get back to the hospital and be there for Sweetie when she wakes up."

"Right!" she said and turned to leave but stopped. "Bryan I'll tell you when she wakes up, and Dinky too."

Bryan nodded "Thanks Scootaloo, that is appreciated." he said as she took off to return to the hospital.

Bryan close the door and broke the seal on the letter and began to read it.

Lieutenant Luna

He smiled somewhat at other official title and continued to read.

We are grateful for the timely nature of your letter concerning the situation in Ponyville. This delayed response is due to the fact that as soon as I read your letter we immediately began organizing a response. Aid for Ponyville will begin arriving by sometime tomorrow. In addition we will need the enchanted gem survey site to be closed off for the time being. You and Captain Crimson Moon are to secure the site. We will be working on sending the two of you some other guards to aid you in your duties in Ponyville. Also please inform Rock Crusher that he and his team will be compensated accordingly for the lost labor until the operation is properly secured and work can resume.

Additionally we understand the need for this new human to be clothed, so I am sending the royal seamstress as Generosity's guardian Ms. Rarity is no doubt unable to assist at this time. She will arrive tomorrow along withe first wave of royal doctors.

Sincerely Princess Luna

"Well," Twilight said "who was it Bryan?"

"That was Scoots at the door, the reply finally came in and Spike must have asked her to bring it to us." he replied as he walked back into the kitchen. He looked at Pinkie "Hey Pinkie," she looked up "Princess Luna is sending help for everypony starting tomorrow. So Pumpkin will be fine."

Pinkie's mane and tail suddenly re-inflated and her color returned to it's usual pink. "Oh Bry Bry," she exclaimed as she jumped into his arms. "Pumpkin's really gonna be ok?" she hugged him and sniffled.

"Oh definitely," Bryan said returning the hug "I know that the doctors will definitely start with the youngest ponies. So Pumpkin will be feeling better sometime tomorrow." he let out a breath of relief "I'm really glad that they'll be alright." he said.

Twilight looked over to Bryan "So will you and Ace get backup finally?" she queried.

Bryan nodded as he sat back down at the table "Yeah, though Luna didn't say when they were coming exactly." he picked up his fork and used it to cut off a piece of his enchilada. "I'm betting that it'll be soon though, it's probably a logistical nightmare up in Canterlot right now. There's a lot of crap that just got thrown at the diarchs right now so it'll take some extra time to sort it out." he ate some of his dinner and savored the taste of the food enhanced by the taco sauce. He finished chewing and swallowed "Ok," he spoke up " so what did you and Megan want to talk about anyway Twily?"

Twilight and Megan exchanged a mutual nod. Twilight was the first to speak "Well we talked earlier about this situation, and we decided that we didn't want to put you in the position of having to choose between us."

Megan picked up for Twilight "And we think that we came up with a sound idea."

"Which is?" Bryan questioned looking the two of them over.

They answered in unison "We want to form a herd with you Bryan."

Pinkie cheered while Bryan looked at them dumbstruck "Woohoooo," Pinkie cried excitedly "herd party." Twilight, Megan, and even Bryan burst into smiles and laughter for a few moments.

When Bryan calmed down he looked at Twilight and Megan. They are doubtless the most important mares in his life and this was a sensible path. He was however uncertain. "I appreciate that you two are willing to make such a compromise." he paused trying to word this carefully "But I'm not sure about it, I need some time to consider everything carefully. I won't just rush into this kind of thing."

All three of them nodded in accent. Not one of them wanted Bryan rushing into this. Not even Ace was likely to to tell him to just go for it, without thinking about it, he does after all have some serious moments of his own too.

"So for tonight Bryan," Twilight said "I want to you stay with Megan in the guest bed." he looked at her, she smiled up at him. "I'm not kicking you out Bryan, I just want to take care of Pinkie tonight. I also want Megan to be the one to take care of you, that's all."

"Alright Twily, I want Pinkie to be ok. And I can agree that I'm not the best choice to help her out right now." he said.

After dinner Twilight took Pinkie upstairs to help her with a bath and leave Bryan to have some time alone with Megan. He found her upstairs in the bedroom looking out the widow while leaning on the windowsill. "Ten bits says I know what you're thinking Megan." he said suddenly startling her slightly.

She turned to face him with a sour look on her face. It quickly turned sad though and she threw herself into his arms. Holding him tightly she cried "Oh Bryan I just don't know what to do. I am glad that these ponies can look after themselves, but I don't know what to do." she sniffled "And I have no idea what to do with this power I now have, I-I feel like I'm lost Bryan, what do I do?"

Bryan smiled "Megan you're not feeling any different then I was when I first came here." But he lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "You are Megan Williams, Megan Williams will always find her way no matter how adverse things are." he continued to smile at her "You carried us through every trial we faced in Ponyland. You brought down Tirek, you led us through the worst things that any human has ever faced. You'll play your part Megan, you always do. I don't yet know what that part will be, but I know that now that you're here it'll all come together."

They watched as Twilight and Pinkie came out of the bathroom "Are you two all set for bed?" Twilight asked with a smile at having seen Bryan holding Megan. More than anything she wanted him to be happy, and forming this herd while not a given was the best course.

"We will be in an few minutes Twily, just let us get ready." Bryan headed for the bathroom and stopped for a moment. "You know," he said looking at Megan "It's a good thing I picked up an extra toothbrush by mistake when I was in Canterlot." he laughed "It's yours now so that's out of the way." he walked in to the bathroom and Megan followed.

After they got ready Bryan and Megan lied down together for the first time in ten years. They were quick to fall asleep, but they were unaware of the problems brewing just to the east of Ponyville at the survey site.

Author's Note

Well now, what is going on? Once again I want to thank Gundamdragon for helping with ideas for the story. Moreover I want to thank all of who read, enjoy, and favorite this story. This is meaningless without all of you.