The ensuing week was one of the slowest in my life.

Every day seemed to drag out to absurd lengths as I waited for Saturday night. Monday was the worst, as I was greeted at the front gate of Carrot Top’s farm by a gleeful-looking Written eagerly waiting to hear all about how amazing our trip to Cloudsdale had gone.

And of course I had to shatter his dreams. At least the admission that Scoots and I had a date planned seemed to cheer him up a little. After getting a consoling pat to my knee, he let me go to find Carrot Top and see what she wanted me to do for the day. I found her in the small shed behind her house organizing her tools. I had to recount the story again, but at least she let me simply give her the cliffs notes version. An unemotional ‘I told you so’ later and I was out in the fields picking carrots like always.

It was a little bit of a shock, being knee-deep out in the dirt again. It felt like nearly a lifetime ago that I’d been there simply doing my job without any worries about relationships or losing friends. And when it dawned on me it had only been a few days before…

Regardless, the simplicity of it was as fascinating as it was refreshing and I threw myself into the mindless busywork. A lively breeze drifted through the air, cutting through the overbearing sun beating down upon my back. Summer may have been on its way out the door, but that didn’t mean that eight plus hours outside didn’t work up a sweat.

By the time the end of my shift rolled around, my shirt was practically glued to my chest with sweat and a blissful ache filled my every limb. Things were looking up. Things were getting back to normal.

And damn did it feel good to be home.

The next several days after that were much the same; go to work, get exhausted, go home and rest. On Tuesday night I went out to find Haute Cuisine, a very high-scale restaurant for such a small, backwoods town, but it didn’t seem too grandiose. It didn’t look like a suit and tie sort of affair and I figured a nice dress shirt would suffice.

Scoots popped in on Wednesday night to hang out for a while but she spent most of it catching up on homework she hadn’t done over the weekend while I napped. It was a little hard to actually get any sleep while she was constantly muttering about variables and equations, but the warmth of her body against my side and the wing draped across my stomach definitely helped.

But eventually Saturday managed to roll around. I’d spent the better half of the day trying to get myself ready, both physically and mentally. I showered, shaved and even broke out some fancier cologne for the occasion. It was a woody thing with a Prench name I couldn’t begin to pronounce but Rarity had given it to me as a gift once and I’d never had the chance to use it. I found it was actually pretty nice; I’d need to pick up more if I could find it.

I also had to ready myself for what the night was bound to include. I had found that when it was just the two of us, I was more comfortable being with Scoots than I had previously expected, but I couldn’t begin to imagine that everypony in town was going to feel the same. I didn’t know if it would stop at dirty looks or if somepony might actually confront us, but I dearly hoped not. I had a sneaking suspicion Scoots was going to be nervous about everything enough as it was, and I wanted her to have a good time.

Once I’d checked my reflection in the mirror one too many times to count I gave in and headed toward the Carousel Boutique, where I knew Scoots would be waiting. She’d insisted on having Sweetie Belle help her prepare for dinner as she told me she didn’t know the first thing about putting on makeup or styling her mane. I couldn’t begin to imagine what Scoots was going to look like gussied up like an actual girl but I couldn’t deny either that I was looking forward to seeing it.

Even before I reached the Carousel Boutique I was the butt of a few stares. Then again, I normally wore ratty, mud-stained t-shirts and jeans around town and not starched white dress shirts and khaki slacks. Nor had I had any less than at least some stubble on my face since… I moved to Ponyville, I think. That realization suddenly made a few of those stares more understandable.

And I’ll admit it felt pretty good when a shocked look melted to a flirty smile on one rose-maned mare I passed. I didn’t know her name, but at least I felt a little more reassured that I would be looking good for Scoots.

Finally I found myself outside the Carousel Boutique. The entire building looks like one of those French parcels that ludicrously expensive clothes come in. Its gleaming blue façade is accentuated with pastel pink and purple roofing and round gallery windows that show off all of its owner’s recent designs. On the smaller second floor, the signature horse mannequins dance forever in their little circle of poles around the building’s circumference. It is single-handedly the most opulent sight Ponyville has to offer, a surprise to no one who’s spent more than ten minutes in the presence of its owner.

I let myself in the front door, a tinny bell tinkling overhead as I found myself in the Boutique’s large, circular showroom. A row of pony-shaped mannequins lined the walls on each side with a gap for a small stage lined with three tall mirrors. She often used it for taking measurements for custom orders and to allow customers to try on their finished products, using the adjustable mirrors to show off what it looked like from every angle. To the front, right next to the door, was a counter with the register and shelves showing off a number of smaller items such as perfumes and shampoos that Rarity occasionally tried to push as last minute additions. Lastly to the back was a couple of dressing rooms, though what ponies needed them for I couldn’t begin to understand even in spite of Rarity’s frequent attempts to justify.

I mean really, when you walk around naked all day, why do you care if someone watches you put on clothes?

Anyway, I let myself through a door near the dressing rooms that led into the back part of the Boutique. The entire building was divided into the ‘store’ part and the ‘home’ part, seeing as Rarity lived as well as worked there and she understandably wanted some privacy.

The hallway I found myself in led me around to a door to the Boutique’s storeroom and a little further to another that led into the kitchen.

Rarity’s kitchen, much like the rest of her house from what I’d seen, could only be described as decadent. Fine lace doilies on the table, an exquisite glass vase in the middle with exotic flowers lightening up the room. Finely-wrought silver utensils with china plates sat in an antique cabinet to one side of the room. Everything was done up in blues and purples and whites; clean and soothing and pleasant. It was a remarkably relaxing room, and I always felt the tiniest bit calmer as I stepped inside.

Rarity was there, standing before the sink and washing a few dishes with the gentle glow of her cerulean magic. She had her back to me, humming some melody while she worked, her body bouncing slightly with the beat as she tapped her hooves on the floor. I had a split-second to consider sneaking up on her and scaring her, but the sound of the door opening had caught her attention and she turned to face me.

“Good evening, William!” she said brightly, putting away the last plate before trotting over to offer a hoof, which I knew by now to gently shake. I’d once tried to give her a hoofbump like most other ponies would expect.

I never did that again.

She simpered into her hoof after I let go. “My, my, don’t you look rather fetching tonight!”

I grinned at the salaciousness in her tone. “Good evening to you, too, Rarity. And thank you very much; you’re far too kind.”

“Oh, nonsense, darling; you look quite handsome! Enough so for a wonderful first date, I imagine!” she said, raising an eyebrow and grinning mischievously.

I wasn’t surprised she already knew. With Scoots coming over here for help getting ready, there was no way Rarity was going to imagine we were just going out to a friendly dinner. But I couldn’t deny I wasn’t nervous about how she’d react. I took it as a good sign that she was smiling. And had no visible kitchen knives at the ready. That was a plus.

“Well, looking nice was the intention,” I said uncomfortably. “I take it Scoots is already here?”

“Oh, she’s here, alright,” she tittered, fanning the air with a hoof. “Sweetie Belle swept her upstairs over an hour ago, dreadfully upset that she wasn’t going to have the time to do everything she wanted. And I can’t say I blame her; I mean, really, how in Equestria is one hour supposed to be enough to prepare for a first date?”

“Oh, I can’t imagine,” I droned. Rarity couldn’t have missed the sarcasm dripping from my tone, so she must have chosen to ignore it instead as the next thing I knew she was ushering me over to the table where she took a seat across from me.

“So, you simply must give me the details,” she said, propping her chin up daintily on both forehooves and giving me her full attention. She also affixed me with those huge, sparkling blue eyes just begging for every juicy detail that had my willpower quickly crumbling.

But not enough to not have a little fun with her first.

“I guess I could spill the details if you were to do the same. A little… tit for tat, shall we say?” I asked, earning a confused frown. “I might have heard a little secret something you and Applejack are up to.” I gave an exaggerated glance around the room to make sure we were alone. “Something about a bun in the oven?”

Rarity recoiled, blinking in surprise. She turned to stare out a window, humming distractedly. She probably could have come up with something better if I hadn’t caught her so offguard, but as it was she was a terrible liar.

“I haven’t the faintest what you mean, darling. Nor do I care for your insinuations. After all, how would she and I have a ‘bun in the oven’ as you put it, unless you were trying to imply that one of us had been unfaithful?”

Manufactured venom dripped from her voice as she spoke and I smiled disarmingly.

“Quite the contrary; I was trying to imply you were doing something incredibly selfless for a family member,” I countered. “Say, a ‘favorite cousin?’”

Her jaw fell open in an unladylike fashion while her eyes went wide. “How do you…?” she asked in awe.

“Soarin’ told us about it in Cloudsdale,” I said simply.

Over the next few seconds, Rarity shifted through a series of emotions so quickly I barely had time to register them all. She was already at shock, but somehow managed to stuff in fear, panic, irritation and finally settled for amused exasperation. She deflated on herself, moving one forehoof up to rub her forehead as she gave a strained laugh.

“I-ah… I’m quite surprised that he told you. I was under the impression we were keeping it within the family, so to say,” she mused idly. Eventually she settled more calmly back in her chair, returning to her inquisitive pose with her hooves folded beneath her chin. “I supposed if you already know there’s no sense in being coy. Yes, Applejack has agreed to be a surrogate mother for Braeburn and Soarin’s foal. I trust you will keep this information to yourself?”

“Rarity, I’m offended!” I said dramatically. “What do you think I am, some sort of gossip?”

She raised an eyebrow sardonically. “Says the stallion who just offered to reveal the details of his date tonight for secrets about Applejack’s family affairs?”

“Semantics,” I said, waving my hand through the air. “Besides, you’re one to talk. Don’t tell me you aren’t dying to know what Scoots and I are doing tonight.”

She huffed and stuck her nose in the air like she was offended. Her pouting is always so cute. But it didn’t last long before she cracked and fixed me with a haughty glare.

“Fine. I’ll admit that yes, I am rather intrigued by this, erm… ‘friendship’ you have built with Scootaloo. After all, I have known her for several years now and I’ve never considered her as a romantic partner.”

I wasn’t sure whether or not she was trying to be condescending. On the one hand, her words seemed reproachful, but I couldn’t think that she’d have let us have such a relaxed conversation if she were upset. She would have gone straight into chewing me out.

“Maybe you’ve just been too hung up on Applejack to consider it,” I tried to joke.

“Ha. Ha,” she deadpanned. To my relief, she then broke into a smile. “I’ll have you know there was once a time that I couldn’t stand Applejack.”

“You not liking somepony that works outside in the dirt and mud all day? No way!”

“Oh ho! Someone thinks they’re funny tonight, don’t they?” she laughed. “Do you want to know about Applejack or not?”

I acquiesced and gestured for her to continue.

“Thank you, darling,” she said, nodding. “Unfortunately there isn’t much of a story to tell. Braeburn and Soarin’ sent Applejack a letter a couple of months back making their request. She and I took a little trip to Appleloosa soon afterward to discuss things with them.”

“That must have been a hell of a shock,” I said.

“William, language!” she chided gently while I rolled my eyes. “But yes, it certainly was. I was completely taken aback when Applejack wanted to agree, but after we talked about it I realized I shouldn’t have been. She and Braeburn have always been so close, you see; from the way she talks he might as well have been a second brother to her growing up. And you know how Applejack is about family.”

Anyone who had spent even a smidgeon of time with the Apple Clan knew the lengths they would go to for family.

“So are you looking forward to being a momma?” I asked. She spluttered in response.

“Don’t even joke about such things! I wouldn’t have time for a foal right now; I have too much work to do,” she said. “Though I do fear Applejack might want one of her own after all of this is over.” She paused to give a theatric sigh before humming to herself in thought. Eventually a warm smile spread across her features. “Applejack would make a wonderful mother though, wouldn’t she?”

She mused on that for a moment and with the sappy look on her face I couldn’t bring myself to disturb her thoughts. With a sudden, brief shake of her head, however, she refocused on me with a shrewdly neutral face.

“But enough about all that. You simply must tell me how in Equestria you and a filly like Scootaloo have come to be dating!”

It was my turn to sigh as I thought about how to recap everything that had happened. I really didn’t want to say anything about Rainbow or all the stuff happening between us so it wasn’t easy.

“Rainbow and I hang out a lot and several weeks ago she brought Scoots over to watch some movies with us. We started hanging out and one thing led to another. Not the most exciting story, but…”

“Oh no, no, no! There has got to be more to it than that! I mean, William…” she trailed off and leaned towards me, letting her voice fall to barely above a whisper. “she’s a teenaged filly! Whatever made you think this was a good idea?”

I felt myself bristling but didn’t give in to it. However, when I spoke I might have been harsher than I’d intended. “I like being with her. She really cares about me, and it’s nice to be with someone that likes being with you!”

“But William, there are a lot of ponies that care about you…”

“But not like she does,” I cut her off. “She was there for me at a time I really needed someone and she’s the only pony that hasn’t let me down since. And so yes, I’d like to see where things go between us. I know she’s young, but we’ll take things slow.”

She leaned away subtly and held up a placating hoof. “I didn’t mean to imply anything, darling. I just worry about her is all. She’s been such a dear friend to Sweetie for so many years; I’d hate to see her get hurt. But I worry about you, too!”

She paused to reach out her hoof to my hand on the table. “Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s wonderful to see you looking for a special somepony in your life. But William, we’re not exactly teenagers anymore! How much do you think you’d really have in common with her? And what will everypony think? What will her father think? What will Rainbow Dash think?”

“I don’t care much what anypony will think,” I spat, making her recoil.

“But darling,” she started, but was cut off by the sound of hooves coming towards the kitchen door.

At first I was thankful for the distraction as the door opened and two fillies stepped inside but as my eyes fell upon Scoots my mind went blank.

Her mane was straightened for the first time I’d ever seen, pulled over the right side of her face where it hung in flowing waves that didn’t quite reach her chin. A pair of diamond stud earrings glittered in the light and matched a simple golden necklace around her neck. She was wearing a purple saddle with an attached skirt that covered the top half of her butterfly cutie mark and matching slippers on each hoof.

If Scoots in clothes was an unbelievable sight, then the fact she was wearing makeup as well had me thinking I was dreaming. Pale pink lipstick, mascara and eye shadow all masterfully applied, leaving her radiant and myself speechless.

I barely heard Rarity speaking next to me. “My word, Scootaloo… Look at you! You look positively fabulous!”

Scoots hoofed at the floor, smiling bashfully. “Th-thanks, Rarity.”

I had completely forgotten Sweetie Belle was there until she leaned against Scoots and pulled her into a tight hug. “And what do you think, Will?”

Scoots looked like she was about to shove her friend off until she heard her question, at which point she turned her attention to me.

“I, uh… I think you look beautiful, Scoots,” I said. She blushed and her eyes fell to the floor as she mumbled something I assumed was a ‘Thanks’ but it was impossible to tell over Sweetie Belle.

She hopped onto her hindlegs, pumping a hoof in the air as she cheered, “Yes!” She turned to Scoots after she calmed down and bumped their flanks together. “Told you I knew what I was doing!”

“I simply must agree,” Rarity said. “Sweetie, you did a wonderful job! I daresay I couldn’t have done it better myself. Oh, Scootaloo, I do so wish you’d let us style your mane more often; it looks divine like that!”

“No!” Scoots shouted suddenly. “Er, uh… no, thanks! W-we should probably get going, though; right, Will?”

I checked my watch and saw we still had plenty of time to make it to Haute Cuisine, but I knew Scoots was looking for a way out of hanging around the Boutique so I gave a mock gasp.

“You’re right!” I said. “We should head out before we’re late.”

Scoots looked relieved until Sweetie Belle leaned over to whisper what was probably some last minute words of encouragement as I made to stand. I stopped as Rarity’s hoof found my hand again.

“I’m sorry for what I may have implied earlier, darling,” she whispered somberly. “I do hope you have fun. After everything, you deserve it. Just please promise me you’ll treat her as she deserves?”

I gave her hoof atop my hand a reassuring pat. “I will, Rarity. I promise.”

She smiled and gave a small nod before releasing my hand. I barely had time to blink before Scoots grabbed my pants and began dragging me towards the door, much to Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s amusement.

Once we were outside and away from their scrutiny, Scoots gave a long sigh before gently fixing her mane and adjusting her saddle. “Sorry about them. Sweetie’s been really excited for today. Almost more than I am, I think.”

“She seemed pretty excited,” I said. “How bad was it letting her doll you up?”

Scoots tried to give a disturbed shudder, but she couldn’t hide the blush lingering on her face. “It was awful! She kept fussing over every little thing and asking me all these questions like ‘Do you like salmon or fuchsia better?’ or ‘Does Will like fruity or spicy perfumes better?’ As though I know what any of that girly crap is.”

“Aww, and here I thought you were all about that kind of stuff!” I teased, earning a punch to the shin for my trouble. Thankfully her hard hoof was padded somewhat by the slipper she wore or otherwise it might have left a bruise and everypony would know my girlfriend beat me!

My girlfriend…? I laughed at the thought. It was way too early to be calling each other stuff like that.

Regardless, it was all I could seem to think about as we made our way across town, even in spite of Scoots’s constant chatter about the tortures Sweetie put her through.

“…and then she tried to put these curler things in my mane and that was where I had to draw the line!” she said as we arrived.

From the outside it looked little different from any other building in the ‘downtown’ part of Ponyville. It had a fairly modern-looking flat roof and a charming red-brick face that was broken up by large glass windows along the front. A tall hedge speckled with white roses segmented off a private outdoors dining area and faint traces of light dinner music traveled through the air. It was a light thing, the sort that was meant only to provide some background noise and not really to be listened to; a piano accompanied by maybe a violin or some other string instrument I couldn’t decipher.

I approached the door first and pulled it open, giving a flourishing bow and gesturing Scoots inside. She rolled her eyes, gave an exaggerated curtsy and trotted past me, laughing. She stopped, however, once she’d gotten inside. After following her inside, I saw why.

When I had come to Haute Cuisine earlier in the week to set up our reservations, it had been early in the afternoon and only a few ponies had been there. It had also been slow, and several of the lights had been off to allow the sunlight come in through the windows. It had looked like a very nice place, but the room we saw now looked like a completely different place.

A sparkling chandelier hung over every table, little crystals shaped like water droplets hanging down amidst the flickering candles, reflecting their light in faint, shimmering rainbows about the room. The floor was lined with gleaming mother-of-pearl tiling that was so spotless it looked like it was polished daily. The room was divided into three long segments with decorative partitions that had (what I assumed was) plastic ivy climbing up their length. Each table was round and covered in lacy white tablecloths that draped nearly to the floor with cream-colored cushions for seats.

The entire place was radiant and exuded high class, not helped by the fact that the music was even more distinct inside, though I couldn’t see where it was playing from. There wasn’t a band and I couldn’t see any sort of speaker system, but it could have been done with magic or something, I figured.

“Ah-hem,” a voice said, drawing my attention to a young earth pony mare sitting at a podium before us.

She wore nothing but her pale grey coat and a pair of black wire-frame glasses. Her long burgundy mane fell in thick curls about her face as she smiled at us.

“Hello! Welcome to Haute Cuisine’s! Do you have a reservation?” she asked brightly.

“Uh, yes,” I said. “Under William Harkin.”

As she looked down at her list, Scoots chuckled. “Huh. I forgot you had a second name.”

“I have three names,” I said, winking at her. “A lot of humans do, especially where I come from.”

She stared at me in shock. “What in Equestria could you need three names for? And what’s your other name?”

“William Johnathan Harkin. Named after…” I faltered for a moment as I realized what I was about to say. “After my father.”

Strangely, it was easier to say than I expected. There was a pang of sadness but none of that panic that I had felt only a few weeks ago when I thought about my family. Maybe I was starting to cope with things? A bubbly feeling welled up in my chest at the thought.

And so I was in high spirits as the hostess found my name and, after grabbing a couple menus, led us into the dining room. I watched Scoots as we walked; she couldn’t begin to drag her gaze away from the lights and the sparkling finery and the ponies moving here and there unless it was to stare in awe at something else that caught her eye. I don’t think she even noticed we were heading for the outdoor dining area until the cool evening air hit her again.

“Wow…” she whispered.

The delicate tiling inside gave way to a sturdier-looking faux-marble though the white tables were the same. Instead of chandeliers, strands of softly glowing crystals hung above, stretching from the hedge to a pole in the center of the dining area. They provided just enough light to leave each table in an intimate semi-darkness.

By the time we’d been seated at a table in the corner and I saw the golden cutlery, I was thinking I might have misjudged exactly how ritzy the place was. Scoots as well looked a little taken aback as she settled onto a cushion across from me. She cleared her throat after our hostess gave us our menus and left.

“So…” she said quietly as she looked around. “It’s, uh… it’s…”

“Stuffy?” I offered.

She snorted before realizing what she’d done and clapping her hooves over her mouth. When she pulled them away she was smirking as her eyes continued to look around, more calmly now. “No! I was going to say… okay, yeah, it’s a little stuffy. I didn’t realize it was this fancy of place.”

“It’s not so bad, is it?” I asked. “I think it’s nice to go somewhere nice every now and again.”

“No, I didn’t mean it was bad!” she said, a hint of panic in her tone. “It just wasn’t quite what I was picturing. And yeah, it is nice! Once the stars come out, I bet it’s really pretty out here.”

“Yeah, I figured it’d be worth it to ask for an outside table,” I said.

She just smiled in response and then we both picked up our menus and began peering through them. Thankfully they weren’t written in Prench or something. Eventually a waitress, a young unicorn filly that Scoots seemed to know named Dinky, came to take our orders. As she left, she took our menus with her and left us alone.

Scoots seemed content to simply look around at the lights or the flowers on the hedge or anything but me as she awkwardly tapped her forehooves on the table. Following her example, I glanced around as well, but I saw nothing about the décor I hadn’t noticed on the way in.

Instead I looked at the ponies sitting at the tables around us. Most seemed to be here as couples much like we were; an older mare and stallion at one of the tables next to us and a middle-aged pair at the other. Across the room there were a few other ponies that were probably close to my age though Scoots by far was the youngest pony there. It made sense; Haute Cuisine didn’t strike me as the kind of place ponies her age went often.

By accident I managed to catch the older mare’s eye as I was looking around. I tried to give a polite smile but was taken aback when all she gave me in return was a disgusted sneer. She leaned across her table to whisper something to the stallion she was with, after which he turned to look my way as well. He seemed merely uninterested until he noticed Scoots, at which point his face contorted into a scowl as well. I pointedly ignored them and returned my attention to Scoots, who thankfully was facing the other way and couldn’t see their stares.

It wasn’t until our waitress returned with our drinks (tea for me and water for Scoots) that I realized a rather uncomfortable silence had fallen between us. I cast about for something to talk about, settling on the first thing that came to mind.

“So, how’s school been?” I asked.

“Oh!” she said, jumping. “Um… Pretty good, I guess. I have a biology test on Monday I’m not looking forward to.”

“You don’t like biology?”

She shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t like it. Learning about animals and stuff is kind of fun, and the weather chapters were really cool! Though, that might be because it let me understand what Rainbow Dash does every day a little better…”

We both deflated at her name.

“You haven’t…” Scoots started unsurely. “You haven’t heard from her, have you?”

“No, I haven’t,” I said, letting out a sigh. I’d barely so much as seen her rainbow trail in the sky over the last week, let alone talked to her.

Scoots began idly prodding her glass with a listless hoof. “I went to the park yesterday hoping Rainbow would be there, you know, for sister night and all, but she wasn’t. That’s the first time she’s ever just… not showed up.”

“I’m sorry, Scoots–”

“No, don’t be,” she said, shaking her head fervently. “It’s not your fault any more than it is mine. I’m just scared that… You know what?” she suddenly asked, sitting up straighter. She furrowed her eyebrows in determination and gave an arrogant grin. “Forget all that! Tonight’s about us; not her. So, instead I’ll ask, ‘How have you been, Will?’”

The simple bluntness of her question, combined with the sudden change of conversation was so jarring I couldn’t help but laugh. Amused by her earnestness, I humored her.

“I’ve been very good, Scoots,” I said, trying to match her geniality. “Carrot Top and I just about finished up the south field this week, so it’ll be time for the next batch before long. We’ll be starting up on the west field before then, of course.”

“Of course,” Scoots agreed heartily.

“Though with autumn right around the corner, I don’t know if we’ll have time to grow another batch. Carrot says she’ll make it work, though. She seems to think she can grow anything, regardless if it’s in season or not. Though fall does have its own benefits.”

“Oh? And what would those be?”

“So many things! The fresh breezes bringing an end to the blistering heat of summer! The promise of fall-time foods like pumpkins! And of course there’s Thanksgiving to look forward to!”

Her act faltered for a moment to reveal a confused frown. “What’s Thanksgiving?”

“Oh,” I said. I hadn’t even thought about her not knowing what that was, not that it surprised me she didn’t. “It’s a human holiday. About getting together with family and friends and being thankful for all the good things you have. It’s mostly an excuse to gather together and eat a ton of food.”

“Haha! That sounds like something Apple Bloom would love! I’ll have to tell her about it sometime. Which reminds me, actually!” she said, suddenly looking serious. “I feel it is my obligation to warn you. Sweetie Belle has gotten it in her mind that we should go on a double date with her and Spike. I think I’ve talked her out of it, but if she corners you at some point, just play dead. It’ll confuse her and give you time to escape.”

So seriously had she said it all that it took me a minute to realize she was joking. I burst out laughing with her soon following, and together we were lost to a fit of hysterics that lasted until we were interrupted by our waitress bringing out our meals. She smiled warmly as she gave us our plates (a berry-laden summer salad for Scoots and a fettuccini alfredo for me) and as she walked away, even the dirty looks coming from the old couple at the next table couldn’t dampen my mood.

With food in front of us the conversation slowed somewhat, but Scoots still regaled me about everything that was going on in school and among her friends as we ate. I tried to chip in as much as I could, but I’ll admit my news was far less interesting. After all, I doubt many people would care that Carrot and I had to change to a different brand of fertilizer to cut back on expenses. I know I really didn’t. Regardless, the chat was nice and light until she mentioned her latest writing homework, of which the point was to write about their future career choices.

“I know it’s just busy work and doesn’t really matter,” she said with a sigh, “but it still sucks.”

I was kind of taken aback by her melancholy attitude regarding the subject. “Aww, why’s that? I would have thought you’d love an assignment like that!”

“What? Why would you think that?”

“Well, you could write all about how you want to be a professional skater! About the exciting tournaments and stuff you’re going to compete in and all the fame and fortune you’re going to have!”

“That’s… not what I’m going to do after school,” she said hesitantly.

“W-what? Why not? You love that stuff!”

“Yeah, but… I don’t think I want to make a career out of it,” she said quietly. She dropped her fork to her plate and sighed before I could even ask the question on my mind. “Did I ever tell you my dad used to be a professional skateboarder?”

"You mentioned it, yeah," I said, remembering our conversation at her place. Even if I still couldn't picture it.

“He used to tell me stories about it when I was younger. Months of touring, going all around Equestria and even the world a few times, seeing all these places and meeting all kinds of ponies. He would talk for hours about all the exciting tournaments he was in and how close and intense some of them got. He was pretty good, you know. Won a lot of them. He was so good, he was one of the most sought-after professionals for sponsors. He got to name his own terms on their deals! He could ask for whatever he wanted and get it, cuz if one sponsor wouldn’t, another would!”

“That sounds pretty amazing!” I said. I couldn’t even imagine Flip young, let alone this nation-wide star with companies clamoring over his image for their products. “Why’d he stop?”

“I was born,” she said simply. A silence fell over us, the sounds of everypony around us fading away until it was simply the two of us and nothing else. You could have heard a pin drop. “I don’t know much about it; my dad’s never liked to talk about my mom. But I know she was somepony he grew up with here in Ponyville. I guess he wanted to be around for me, because all the competitions, and the traveling, it all stopped at the same time I was born. He had already started Flip’s Boards and Tricks by then, but he really took over the company at that point. He began designing every new board they produced and overseeing the direction the company went. But I wonder… if he’d still be performing if I hadn’t been born.”

“I… don’t know your father very well,” I started slowly, getting her to look up at me. “But I’d be willing to bet there’s not a single part of him that regrets having you.”

She gave a sad smile. “I know. I mean, there was a time a few years ago when I thought… But that’s not important. I just don’t want to live like that, you know? It sounds like so much fun, but I want to be able to come home every night. I want to be able to see my family and friends. I want…” she trailed off as she guarded herself behind a foreleg. She wore an embarrassed smile and her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “I want a family of my own someday. Not anytime soon, of course! But… one day. And I want to be there for them every night like my dad was for me. And shut up!” she suddenly said, pointing an accusing hoof at me. “You’re not allowed to laugh at that!”

I held up a hand placatingly. “I wasn’t going to! I think it’s cute!” My comment earned a growl and I smiled. “I’m just joking! I think it’s great. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a family someday. Hell, I do, too. Uh… someday. But if not scootering, what do you plan to do after school? Isn’t following their special talent what ponies do?”

“Not all the time,” she said. “Do you think Mayor Mare became mayor as soon as she graduated?”

I couldn’t deny she had a point; though the mental image of Mayor Mare as an awkward teenager trying to lead the town was both hilarious and adorable.

“So what are you going to do then?” I asked.

“I’ve already got a job lined up, actually,” she said, returning to her food. She took a bite before talking with her mouth full. “’M gonna work at th’ post office.”

“Oh yeah? When did that happen?” I asked.

“I applied a few weeks ago. Do you know Derpy Hooves?” she asked.

“Grey pegasus, works as a mailmare?”

“Yeah, that’s her. She’s been a good friend of… of Rainbow Dash for a long time and she helped me get a job there. I’m going to be working in the back, cleaning and sorting mostly, until they can get a route for me. I think I’d like that better; being able to get out and move and see ponies around town. I don’t know. It’s not my dream job, but it’ll help me pay the bills for now.”

That was a sentiment I could certainly understand. I’d never imagined that I would one day be working on a farm, let alone find myself enjoying it.

“It’s my turn to ask you something, though,” she continued. “Why work with Carrot Top? How come you never tried to work at Shutterbug’s gallery, since you like taking pictures so much?”

“Well, I did, actually,” I said. “But that was back when I was still really new to Ponyville and a lot of ponies… didn’t trust me. Twilight and I talked to Shutterbug, but she was afraid that, since so many of her customers come in with their foals, that they’d be too afraid to be around me. Eventually Twilight managed to convince Carrot Top to hire me and… I just never tried at Shutterbug’s again. I like working with Carrot Top. There’s something really rewarding about working so hard every day. I get to go home feeling like I’ve accomplished something.”

She leaned forward, propping her chin up on a hoof. “So, you don’t ever want to do anything with photography?”

“Well, maybe someday,” I conceded. I spotted her free hoof lying on the table next to her food. On a whim, I placed my hand on top of it and rubbed her fetlock gently with a thumb. “I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with where I am at the moment.”

She smiled shyly. “Y-yeah. I am, too.”

A comfortable silence fell over us after that. Scoots continued to shoot conspicuous glances my way as we ate, and every so often our eyes would meet and she’d blush and look down at her salad. As she slowly made her way to the bottom, I noticed a large chunk of strawberry that she hadn’t gotten to yet. Reaching across the table, I speared it with my fork, earning a faux-hurt frown. That is, until I offered it to her.

It took her a second to realize what I wanted, and even after her eyes went wide in recognition, she still hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking a small bite from it. I made to pull it back to finish it off but she grabbed my hand to stop me. She carefully took the fork from me and repeated the gesture, holding it out as far as she could reach towards me. Smiling at the gesture, I leaned forward and let her feed me.

I had never tasted so sweet a strawberry.

“Awww!” said a high-pitched voice next to us. My fork clattered to the table from Scoots’s hoof as we both jumped and turned to see our waitress next to the table. Her blonde mane bobbed up and down as she bounced in place, a large, dopey grin on her face. “I’m so sorry to interrupt! I was just going to get your plates if you were done, but I can come back!”

“N-no, it’s okay, Dinky!” Scoots said hurriedly. She placed her fork back into her mostly-finished salad and nudged it forward, where Dinky lifted it onto a tray on her back with the golden glow of her magic. I was finished with mine as well, so I let her take my plate, too. She was still smiling and giggling as she slid the check towards me and trotted away.

Scoots groaned and hid her face behind her hooves as I checked our total. My amusement at her pain was diminished somewhat when I saw that our meal had cost nearly as much as I made in a week, but that was okay. I had enough to cover it, and in the end, Scoots having a good time was worth the cost.

After leaving the bits on the table, plus a decent tip for our waitress, we got up and made our way back outside, where Scoots’s good mood seemed to return.

“So, that was really fun, Will,” she said. She scuffed a slippered hoof across the ground as she seemed to cast around for something else to say.

“Oh, we’re not done quite yet,” I said. I still had one more surprise lined up for us. “Come with me, my dear!”

I made to comically hold my arm out for her to take until I remembered that Sweetie had told her not to fly, at which point I awkwardly pulled back while Scoots laughed at me. Regardless, we fell into step together as I led us towards our next destination.

She leaned against my leg as we walked side by side, and even though it made it slightly harder to walk, I enjoyed her touch. The town had gone to sleep, it seemed, as we ate, as darkness had fallen and the streets were deserted. Flickering street lamps here and there were the only light we had as we made our way to the park.

Scoots suddenly trotted ahead as we passed the entrance gate, frolicking along the main path happily as I struggled to keep up.

“So, the park, huh? What’re we gonna do here?” she turned around to ask me, walking backwards as she did.

“It should be just a little further ahead,” I said.

Right on cue, the opening notes of a song began playing; strings gracefully-plucked filling the air with a beautiful, lilting melody. Scoots rushed ahead and around a hill where a small clearing came into view.

The clearing was surrounded on all sides by rose bushes and flower beds, with every petal practically glowing under the silver light of the moon. The ground underneath our feet was cobblestone, lending a rustic feel to the private little nook of the park we found ourselves in.

To one side of the clearing was a stone bench, upon which sat a mint-green unicorn mare wearing a long white silk dress with golden accentuations. She held a gold lyre in one outstretched foreleg while the other gently brushed across its strings, bringing to life the angelic music that had not only Scoots and I, but a small crowd of ponies humbled by its charm.

Sitting next to the unicorn was an earth pony mare I knew as the titular owner of Bon Bon’s Bon Bons, Ponyville’s own confectionary. Bon Bon was wearing a dress as well; a dark blue thing with pink highlights that matched her curly mane perfectly. In her mane was a lily of some kind, though unlike any I’d ever seen before, it was the color of dancing flames.

They leaned against one another peacefully as the unicorn played her song, seemingly completely ignorant of the presence of the other ponies gathered around listening. Every now and again, Bon Bon would whisper some small thing to her partner that I couldn’t hope to hear from so far away and the unicorn would quietly laugh and whisper something back.

I stayed to the back, not wanting to disturb the sweet scene. There was another bench nearby, so I took a seat there, and only moments later Scoots hopped up next to me. She leaned her head against my shoulder as I wrapped my arm around her.

“How’d you know this was happening tonight?” Scoots whispered.

“I asked her to perform for us tonight.”

“What? No you didn’t!”

I couldn’t hold back a quiet laugh. “No, I didn’t. Bon Bon told me about it last time I went into her shop to buy some candy.”

“You’re a dork,” she chuckled.

“Yeah? Well, you’re cute,” I countered.

We fell silent, listening to the music and the sound of our breathing. Feeling each other’s body. Watching the stars glimmer overhead.

At some point, some of the other ponies watching started dancing. Just rocking back and forth together, but Scoots and I didn’t join them. We didn’t need to. We were happy just being together.

By the time Bon Bon’s marefriend had finished playing and everypony else had gone home, Scoots and I were left alone on our bench. As the night had gone on, she had climbed onto my lap and snuggled against my chest. With the night finally coming to an end, we were left with nothing to do but go home.

After I realized she had no intention of getting up, I took her in my arms and lifted her with me as I stood. Then, with her in my arms, I carried her back along the path towards Ponyville proper. The hour was late as I rounded the corner towards the Carousel Boutique, where Scoots said she was staying that night.

We stopped just outside the back door and stood in the small porch light where neither of us made to move further.

“I had a really great time tonight, Will,” Scoots whispered. Her hoof was fiddling with one of the buttons on my shirt as she stared anywhere but at my face. I used a finger to gently lift her chin until our eyes met.

“I had a really good time, too,” I said. Then I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

Before I could pull away, her hoof grabbed my cheek and, with a surprising show of strength for the small mare, she pulled me closer and guided our lips together.

And so I stood, under the dim little porch light outside the back of the Carousel Boutique, holding close one of the most amazing mares I’d ever had the fortune to meet. And in that moment, there was nowhere in the world I would have rather been.

But eventually I had to set her down and we had to say good night. She disappeared inside, likely to recount the entire night to a bouncing and excited Sweetie Belle while I began the long walk home.

I barely paid any attention to my surroundings, and before I knew it I was in my bedroom, sitting on my bed as I pulled off my nice clothes and tossed them into the hamper to wash later. It was late, and though I was still riding the high from such an amazing night, I was too tired to try and stay up doing anything. Once I was ready for bed, I threw back the covers and slipped inside, only to feel something sharp poke my leg. I fished around amidst the sheets until I found the mystery object and pulled it out into the light.

In my hand was a single blue feather.

I couldn’t believe it. I could have recognized one of Rainbow’s feathers anywhere, and so I knew it was undoubtedly one of hers. But I couldn’t imagine how it got there. The last time she’d stayed the night had been over a week ago, a few days before we left for Cloudsdale. It must have been there all that time and I hadn’t noticed.

I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Pegasus feathers fall out all the time, usually when they preened but sometimes they just get old and come loose, too. It wasn’t anything special, and so it wasn’t like I needed to return it to her. Hell, she usually just tossed her feathers in the trash when she preened. I guessed that I should do the same.

And so I got up and carried it to the trash can in the kitchen. I just had to drop it inside. It was just a worthless blue feather. I had no use or need for it and so it would just be taking up space if I kept it.

And yet…

I couldn’t seem to let go.

Instead, I held it closer, running my fingers across its smooth surface, feeling the downy bits of fluff at the base and up either side to the tip. All I could think about was every time I’d felt those feathers, whether they had been tickling me or draped across my back in a hug. Of the times I’d held her close. Of the times we’d made love.

It was stupid. It was just a worthless, if beautiful, feather. And I knew I should just toss it out.

And yet I didn’t.

Sighing, I carried the tiny thing back to my room where I sat it on my bedside table, next to my alarm. Maybe…

Maybe in the morning I’d know what to do with it.

Author's Note

Another chapter I had to rush out a little as it was getting late and I really wanted to get it posted. The editing on this chapter was even laxer than usual, so please do point out any flubs or errors I missed. Regardless, we're pulling ever closer to the end of TFaR, folks! Where might things end? How will Will and Scoots fare? And whatever will happen to Rainbow Dash?!

Find out next time on Rainbow Feather Z: Rainbow Defeated!