“What the hay are you doing here?” Missing Nail growled.

“I could ask you the same question,” Moonstone replied, not even trying to mask his hostility. “Don't tell me you're working on the anniversary project.”

“As a matter of fact, I am. YOU'RE the sculptor on this?”

Having noticed the argument, the Corporal came over to check on them. “What's going on here? What's with the shouting?”

“I'm not working with HIM!” Missing proclaimed, whirling around and pointing at Moonstone.

“Ditto,” Moonstone added, his mouth drawn into a thin line.

The office clerk looked at the both of them, seizing them up one at a time. “Is this a personal problem?”

“Well, quite frankly, yes,” the earth pony said.

The military pony looked on with unruffled calm. “Solve it,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Pardon?” Moonstone seemed just as taken aback as his former best friend.

“You heard me. Both of you have agreed to take on this assignment. The CO already signed off on the initial designs you sent in beforehand. It's too late to find replacements now. I suggest you settle whatever gripes you have and get ready to present your ideas to the Major.” Not giving them a chance to reply, he turned around on his heel, sat back down at his desk and got started on some paperwork.

Seething, Missing Nail sat down, handing Moonstone a stack of papers. “Here, my research on E.U.P. Guard uniforms,” he said, without looking him in the eye. “Let's just get this over with.”

The unicorn took the papers and handed him a sketchbook in return. “Here's my preliminary sketches. See if there's anything out of place.”

Missing Nail looked at the artwork that was gonna be turned into statues later, noting the resemblance to a certain pegasus mare whenever it depicted a female member of the Wonderbolts. “You draw these from memory?”

“Yeah, even though it's been years since I've seen her.” He skimmed the research. “I'm gonna have to make some changes. Where'd you get these?”

“Canterlot Archives,” Missing Nail replied. “Wasn't easy. Had to get special permission from Princess Twilight to see the military records. … You have any idea who this guy we're working for is?”

The unicorn hesitated. “Haven't gotten a full name yet. But I've heard the name Major Star being thrown around.”

Missing Nail gave him a look, suddenly the picture of somepony he hated almost as much as him flashing through his mind. “It couldn't be HIM, could it?”

“I hope not. I don't want to have to work with both the stallions responsible for ruining Shooting Star's life.”

Missing Nail sneered. “Yeah, right. As if you had nothing to do with it.”

* * *

3 years earlier...

“So, what do you guys think?” Shooting Star asked cheerfully as the three of them entered the officer's mess at the Canterlot Base. “Am I awesome or what? Who's your favorite childhood friend?”

Missing Nail chuckled. “You are, Star. Not many can claim to have gotten V.I.P. tickets to the Wonderbolts Derby from a Wonderbolt herself.”

“You were great,” Moonstone told her. “Too bad you only got third place in the single race.”

She waved that off with a wink. “Ah, don't worry about it. This is the first time I was allowed to compete. I'll beat Spitfire and Fleetfoot next year.” She smiled at them. “Isn't this nice? The three us being out together as friends? Feels just like old times, doesn't it?”

They nodded uncomfortably at that.

Shooting Star glanced at the bar, seeing that the line, that had formed after the Derby itself was over, was starting to thin out. “Wait here. I think I can make a charge and get us some drinks.”

The two stallions were left standing off to the side of the room, both being quiet and trying not to make eye contact. “Woah. Hey, looks like even Fancy Pants is here,” Missing Nail commented, pointing, more to break the awkward silence than out of any real sense of surprise.

“Look, Missing Nail. Star has admitted that she was wrong, and I've accepted her apology. But I haven't exactly forgiven you for what happened yet.”

The earth pony raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh? That really pains me, Moon,” he said sarcastically. “At least it would if I knew why I would need your forgiveness.”

“You know exactly why. Be that as it may. Since Star and I broke up, she's been trying hard to repair our friendship. I think the two of us can get along for one afternoon.”

“You mean since she finally dumped you for real,” Missing Nail replied, ignoring the second part of that statement completely.

“It was a mutual decision,” Moonstone corrected while glaring at his former friend and rival. “And whose fault is that anyway? You know the agreement we made before graduation. Whichever one of us manages to win her over, the other will respect her decision and not interfere.”

“I remember,” Missing Nail said with a grunt. “And for the record, I didn't interfere. You managed to drive her away yourself.”

Moonstone clicked his tongue. “Yeah, right. I was trying to maintain a relationship.”

“By suffocating her. You call that a relationship? For your information, I didn't ask her to come to me whenever you turned some minor thing into a giant argument. She made that decision herself, and that's what respecting her choice means.”

“And what do you know about relationships? I haven't seen you ask her out yet.”

“Well, I don't need to,” Missing Nail said, both stallions putting on a fake smile when they saw Shooting Star approach with drinks in hand. Then he added under his breath: “But I really should thank you for being such a stick in the mud. Thanks to the two of you constantly fighting, I probably got to fuck her more often than you did while you were together.”

Shooting Star had no idea why it happened at that exact moment, since she hadn't heard their discussion. But even years later, she would be able to recall that moment in perfect clarity. The moment when Moonstone turned and punched Missing Nail right in the face. “Guys! What are you...?”

Missing Nail reeled from the blow. But once he'd wiped the blood from his lip, he actually smiled. “You wanna make something of this? Then come at me!”

“Missing Nail! Stop!” Shooting Star cried, but it was too late. Her two oldest friends were already locked in a scuffle, right here at the Wonderbolts Derby, and everypony in the room turned to look at them.

Neither one was what you'd call fit, after all these were a sculptor and a historian fighting. At the moment, though, they seemed more like wrestlers, exchanging badly aimed kicks and blows even after they'd tumbled to the floor.

“Stop it, you guys!” Shooting Star didn't know what to do. Her words didn't even seem to reach them, as years of competing for her affection and silent rivalry came bubbling to the surface, unloading itself in a flurry of blows and cursewords.

Crash!

The drinks she'd brought dropped to the floor as Shooting Star moved in, grabbing the unicorn stallion under his armpits and pulling him off his opponent. “Moonstone! Cut it out.”

This could have been the end of it, had it not been for Missing Nail taking the opportunity to kick his rival in the shin from his position on the ground.

“Motherbucking son of a …!” Through sheer strength of will, Moonstone managed to shake off the more physically fit Wonderbolt and resumed the fight.

Not even realizing it, he'd sent Shooting Star crashing into the wall. “Argh!” Her mind went numb for a moment as a sharp pain shot through her back. Looking over her shoulder, she could see her wing had bent at an unnatural angle. The pain and her inability to stop the fight starting to get to her, Shooting Star pushed herself away from the wall. “MOONSTONE!”

For the first time since the fight began, the surprised stallion turned around when she yelled his name. Big mistake. Her fist connected with the side of his head with a crunch, sending him sprawling to the floor. The unicorn was out for the count, not being able to stand back up with his head ringing, though it wasn't for the lack of trying.

“Nice shot, Star,” Missing Nail said with a wheezing chuckle. “Ugh!” His chuckling didn't last for long, as Shooting Star whirled around and punched him right in the gut, sending him back to his knees as well.

The Wonderbolt was panting heavily, not so much out of exertion, but because her mind couldn't compute what had just happened. Today was supposed to make everything better, to return things to the way they used to be. At least she'd stopped the fight.

“LIEUTENANT SHOOTING STAR!”

Shooting Star swallowed hard after hearing that booming voice. She turned around slowly to confirm her fears, then stood at attention. “Major Starfire, sir.”

The hulking pegasus with the white coat and buzz cut looked at her like a snake staring down its meal. He was, quite frankly, intimidating, towering at least two heads above everypony else in the room. His rippling muscles were visible even underneath the dress uniform. He looked across the room. A broken table and several broken glasses. Missing Nail had lost a tooth it seemed, and Moonstone was nursing a black eye. Then there was Star's broken wing. It certainly didn't look pretty. “What were you thinking?”

“I...” Words escaped her as her squadron commander looked on disapprovingly. “I'm sorry, sir.”

“Sorry?” he thundered. “Sorry isn't good enough. This is no way for a member of my squadron to behave, getting into a bar brawl, behaving like a minotaur in a china shop!”

“Now, wait a minute. This isn't Star's fault,” Missing Nail tried to interject.

“And I started it,” Moonstone was quick to add.

The Major gave them a look that silenced them both immediately. “It doesn't matter who started it.” He looked back at Shooting Star, his jaws flexing the whole time. “You hit a civilian, two in fact. Do you deny this, Lieutenant?”

Her hands were trembling at her sides, but she remained at attention. “No, sir.”

“And you're responsible for bringing these two onto the base in the first place. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

His eyes narrowed even more. Impossible as it may have seemed, he started to look even more menacing. “Poor judgment. Assault, in front of guests no less. Conduct unbecoming an officer. I'm ashamed to be your commanding officer, Lieutenant. If it were up to me alone, I'd kick you out of the Wonderbolts right now! But I'll leave that to the court martial.”

“Court martial?” Missing Nail was taken aback.

Moonstone managed to pull himself up. “Now wait just a minute!”

Once again, they were silenced by a single glare from the military pony. “Guards. Escort these two off the base. As for you, Lieutenant Shooting Star. Effective immediately, you're suspended from all flight operations. You're confined to quarters, pending the charges. But whatever consequences those may have, I can tell you one thing. You're never gonna fly with the 1st Squadron again.” He turned toward his executive officer. “Captain Spitfire, she's a member of your flight. Take care of this.”

Dutifully, she obeyed the command of her superior. “Yes, sir.” She turned to face Shooting Star, a strange mixture of regret, sorrow and disappointment playing across her face. She'd been a mentor to Star ever since the Changeling invasion. But none of that was reflected in her simple words. “Come with me, Lieutenant. First we should have that wing looked at by the medic. Then we'll take it from there.”

Her whole body was now trembling, as Shooting Star came to grips with just how serious this situation had become. But she didn't resist. “Yes, ma'am.”

It would be the last either of the two stallions would see of Shooting Star for years to come as she was lead away by the XO of the 1st Squadron.

* * *

Present day...

Missing Nail stared pensively at the door to the office they were waiting to enter. “If it hadn't been for him, this could be her office now.”

“If it hadn't been for us, you mean,” Moonstone added in a low voice.

“… Yeah, either one, I guess. Can't blame her for not speaking to us since. Wonder where she is right now.”

Moonstone gave him a look. “You don't know?”

He shook his head. “What about you? Didn't she try to reach out to both of us after that? What about when she sent us that letter, asking us to meet up at that cafe we used to visit as students?”

The unicorn stallion sighed. “I didn't go. After we screwed up her career like that, I just couldn't look her in the eye. I was convinced that she probably only wanted to tell me what an ass I'd made of myself and to go buck myself. Considering that she never contacted me again after that, I'd say that's a safe bet.”

“Hm, might have had something to do with the fact that we both stood her up, too.”

Moonstone glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “You didn't go either?”

Nail shook his head. “I went there, but I chickened out just before I actually entered the cafe. I'd gone through every possible way this conversation could have taken in my head, and none of them seemed to be any good. So I just left.”

“No, Spitfire, we can't.” The stallions' ears perked up. They looked at each other, confirming that the voice that had just come from outside the room seemed awfully familiar.

Looking towards the entrance, they could see the silhouettes of two mares through the frosted glass windows that looked out into the hallway.

“But why not?” the voice that could only belong to Spitfire asked. “It sounds so cool.”

“Because we're military, Spitfire,” the first voice explained patiently, “and we abbreviate everything. CO, ETA, ASAP. Have you ever considered what the acronym for First Aerial Response Team would be?”

“Well, that would FAR... Ohhh.” Spitfire stopped herself before adding that final letter. “I see what you're getting at.”

“Yeah, unless you wanted a transfer to that unit to be a cruel and unusual punishment, I suggest leaving it at Quick Response Team.”

Spitfire began to chuckle. “That would have been embarrassing if I'd brought it up at the next meeting of the General Staff.”

“Well, that's why you run these things by me first.” The mare reached for the doorknob that led to the waiting area. “See you at lunch tomorrow, Major?”

“Officers' mess, 1300 hours, Major. I'm buying.”

After Spitfire had left, a mare in service dress uniform entered. Her fiery red coat and golden mane making the hearts of the stallions stop for a moment, their mouths hanging open in astonishment. Here she was, despite everything that had transpired, speaking to the famous Spitfire like an equal.

Wondering whether this was some kind of halucination or maybe just a mare who looked a lot like her, that notion failed when the clerk got up to stand in front of the mare, saluting her. “Major Shooting Star.”

“As you were, Corporal,” she replied with a salute of her own. “Report.”

Picking up a clipboard from his desk, he handed it to her. “We received the last shipment of supplies for the Derby and surrounding celebration today.”

Shooting Star leafed through the papers, frowning after a while. “Three hundred refreshment packages for the participants?”

“Yes, ma'am. Enough for the main force and the reserves marching in the parade. Just like we discussed at the meeting.”

“Hm, that decision was made before the E.U.P. Reenactment Society and that detachment of Crystal Guards asked to join in. Call the caterer, see if they can deliver another hundred in time. Tell them we'll pay extra if need be.”

He made a note of that. “Yes, Major. Captain Swift and Lieutenant Dawn from the cheering squad were here earlier. They've worked out the routine, wondering whether you wanted to sign off on it personally.”

“When is their next practice session?”

“Friday, 0900 hours. Gym 4.”

“Tell them I'll be there to observe, but to go ahead and brief the rest of the squad on the new routine. I'm sure whatever our XO came up with is excellent as always. Anything else?”

The Corporal pointed towards the two stallions, who hadn't said a word the whole time. “The two civilian contractors you requested are here.”

“So I see.” The sidelong glance and concealed smirk were the first signs she'd made to acknowledge their presence until now. “Still that startling similarity to deer in the headlights, those two. Oh, that reminds me. Did you get somepony to fix the hole in the perimeter fence? I don't want another incident with a fan running onto the runway during night maneuvers.”

“It's been taken care of, Major.”

“Good. Then I want you to take the rest of the afternoon off, Corporal.”

He raised his eyebrow at that. “Ma'am?”

She gave him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. “This meeting is gonna take me a while, and you've put in a lot of extra hours in preparation for the anniversary over the past week. Spend some time with your family, Taxi Way. I don't want to get another call from your wife, asking if you'd gone MIA.”

Standing at attention, he saluted her once more. “Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. See you in the morning.”

“Dismissed, Corporal.”

After he'd left, Shooting Star beckoned Missing Nail and Moonstone to follow her as she headed into her office. “Come along, boys.”

They followed her wordlessly, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events. Here she was, the gold rank insignia seemingly glittering on the shoulders of her uniform, handling her subordinates like a seasoned veteran.

She motioned for them to sit down across from her desk while she locked the door behind them before moving around to sit in her office chair. The gilded plaque on the desk was proof of her new station.

Commanding Officer S.P.R.S. – Major Shooting Star

She looked at them. They looked at her, an uncomfortable silence slowly growing. Then she broke out into a huge grin. “What do you think of my office? Pretty cool, huh?”

There she was, that excitable filly they'd known from their childhood, and the two stallions visibly relaxed. “I don't understand,” Missing Nail confessed. “You requested us for this assignment?”

“Yup,” Star replied. “I've been racking my brain to come up with a way to get the two of you into the same room together, since you both blew me off last time. You might have smelled something fishy if I'd asked you to come here myself, so I had to get sneaky. That's why I enlisted your sister's help.”

“Diamond Dust,” Moonstone sighed. Of course. It all made sense now. Nail's sister was the only pony that still had regular contact with all three of them since the incident. “I still don't get it, though. After what happened, we both assumed you quit the Wonderbolts.”

Shooting Star propped up her elbows on the desk, resting her chin on her hands. “The thought crossed my mind, truth be told. Didn't look like I was ever gonna fly again. But I stuck it out, even though I was flying under the radar for a long time.”

“And now you're in charge of this … S.P.R.S? What is it?” Missing Nail asked.

“The Support & Public Relations Squadron. I've got Event Management, Supplies, Base Maintenance, Flight Operations and the Cheering Squad under me. Basically it's like this: Everything that happens in the air, that's Spitfire's domain with the 1st Aerial Acrobatics Squadron. Everything that happens on the ground, I'm in charge. We don't get as much glory, but our work is just as important.” She smiled. “Maybe even more. Without us, the 1st Squadron probably wouldn't even get off the ground.”

“So you're basically on the same level as Spitfire?”

Shooting Star shrugged, like it was nothing all that remarkable to be compared to a mare that had served twice as long as she had and was a national celebrity. “I suppose so, although she technically still outranks me as far as seniority goes. But we both answer to the same ponies.”

“But how did you go from possible court martial to an office like this?” Moonstone wanted to know.

“Well,” she replied with a smile, “wasn't easy. I'll tell you that much.”

* * *

1 year earlier...

Shooting Star checked her uniform one last time, making sure it was in order. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what was to come. The very nameplate on the door in front of her was filling her with trepidation.

Base Commander Canterlot Strategic Operations Center – Lt. Col. Starfire

It had taken her two years to claw her way back up from the bottom, and now the very same pony who had talked down to her that day held her fate in his hands. No point in drawing this out any further, she told herself and knocked.

“Enter!”

After entering the room and closing the door behind her, she stood in front of the large desk, standing at attention and saluting. “Captain Shooting Star, reporting as ordered, sir!” she said, glad that her voice hadn't cracked due to nerves.

“Mm-hm,” he grumbled back, only taking notice of her from the corners of his eyes, yet keeping her in view all the same. Without another word, he continued reading the file that was in front of him, leaning back in his chair.

Shooting Star frowned, still standing at attention. She would be unable to move until he returned the salute or gave any indication for her to stand at ease.

The minutes passed by, without him giving any sort of akcnowledgement to even her presence in the room, instead continuing to read the file that, no doubt, he'd already been through. The only noises were the ticking clock on the wall and the occasional rustle of paper.

If he was trying to unnerve her, it wasn't working. If anything, it helped calm her nerves as she settled into a new mood, namely annoyed. But there was no way she'd let him know that.

Finally he sat up straight. “At ease, Captain,” he said, though still refusing to return her salute.

Shooting Star clasped her hands behind her back and settled into a more comfortable position, looking at her superior.

“You're aware that Major Deadlock of the S.P.R.S is about to retire?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, I'm in the middle of planning his retirement party at the moment. I have been his XO for over a year now, after all.”

Starfire grunted. “Make sure it doesn't affect squadron performance.”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir.”

“Are you also aware that he nominated you as his successor for the position of Commanding Officer?”

“It came up.”

“And, for reasons Celestia only knows, Spitfire is backing that proposition as well. Which puts me in a bit of a difficult position.”

“How's that, sir?”

Interleaving his fingers on his desk, he leaned forward slightly. “You might not be aware of this, Captain. While deciding squadron commanders is my responsibility since I've been promoted to base commander, there is also an unwritten law we've always adhered to. If any two squadron leaders agree on a candidate, that choice is to be respected.”

“Is that so, sir?” Of course she'd known that.

“It is. But I'm still the one making that decision. And quite frankly, I don't even think you deserve to wear that uniform, never mind having the right to command anypony. I haven't forgotten the incident from two years ago, Captain. The only reason you even made it this far, is because Deadlock somehow saw fit to make you his second-in-command. I don't know what you did to impress him, but the same thing isn't gonna work on me.”

Well, he certainly wasn't pulling any punches today. But Shooting Star knew that her return to grace was an ongoing war, and today was gonna be a decisive battle. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“By all means.”

“Who do you think has been running S.P.R.S. for the last two years?” she asked. “Major Deadlock? He gets cranky when he doesn't get his afternoon nap. But it's not his fault. The Dead End Squadron, that's what they used to call 2nd Support, isn't it? With the exception of the cheering squad, it was a dump for officers at the end of their career, too old to fly, too young to retire just yet. You couldn't just kick me out over the charges despite the blemish on my record, and I wouldn't quit on my own. That's why you put me there, lock the embarrassment away with the old-timers. Sooner or later she'll quit out of boredom, is what you probably thought. But I stuck it out. I busted my ass off for two years, and the squadron has been operating at peak performance since I become their XO.”

“I'm not questioning your achievements. I'm deliberating whether or not somepony with your history is fit to command.”

Shooting Star took a step forward, leaning onto the desk now, invading her enemy's space. “Yes, you are questioning my achievements. Two years ago, I made a mistake, but I took responsibility for it. I paid for it. But that's as far as you choose to look, not at the hard work or my spotless record since then.”

Starfire actually drew back a little at that. Though that might have been due to embarrassment, because Shooting Star was sticking out her chest in his direction. “I see you still haven't learned your lesson about mouthing off to your superiors, Captain.”

“Oh, I learned that lessen during the first week of basic training. This is something different. It's called 'standing up for yourself.' It's something I learned over the last two years. Now here's the question you really should be asking: Do you want an officer who rolls over and quits when the going gets tough, or do you want one who'll rise to the occasion despite all odds being against them?”

“...”

“Even if you decide not to give me my own command today, I can wait. Another two years. Another three years. Doesn't matter. But I won't go quietly into the night. I'll keep working hard, until you no longer have any choice but to acknowledge what I've done.” Having said her piece, she stood up straight and saluted again. “I'll give Major Deadlock your regards. Good day, Colonel.” Then she turned around on her heel and made her way towards the door.

“Hold it right there, Captain,” Starfire yelled. “I have not dismissed you yet. Turn around!”

She did that. Seeing something sailing towards her face, she quickly snatched it out of the air. Turning it over in her hand, it turned out to be a set of two golden shoulder pieces in the form of a leaf. She looked back at Starfire who'd thrown them at her.

The Colonel had stood up. “Effective immediately, you're in command of Canterlot's 2nd Support Squadron.” And then he actually saluted her. “Congratulations, Major.”

Now with a smile, she returned the gesture. “Thank you, sir. I won't disappoint you.”

He sat back down. “I didn't do it for you. At least now I won't have to deal with you anymore until you mess something up.” He gave her a penetrating look. “With any luck, that won't happen for a very long time.”

Shooting Star thought about that, licking her lips. “Question, sir. Would having sex in my office count as 'messing up?'”

The Colonel looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “With whom exactly were you planning on having sex in your office?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. It's more of a hypothetical question, I suppose.”

He sighed while rubbing his temples. Perhaps he was already regretting his decision. “Then my hypothetical answer is 'no,' as long as you remember to keep the door locked.”

She grinned at him. “I'll remember that, sir.”

“See that you do. Now, DISMISSED!”

* * *

Present day...

“So that's what happened,” Missing Nail muttered to himself.

Moonstone's expression was a little complicated. “You … weren't coming on to him with that question, were you?”

Shooting Star gave him a withering look. “No. And for the record, I haven't had sex in this office … yet.”

“Sorry, dumb question,” the sculptor admitted. “It isn't any of my business.”

“Then this has all been to get us here?” Missing Nail asked.

She nodded. “Pretty much. My last attempt to get the two of you to bury the hatchet was a pretty epic failure I'd say. But I've had almost three years to reflect on who is at fault here.”

“Don't bother,” Moonstone said with a sigh. “I threw that first punch. Obviously it was my fault.”

“Well,” Missing Nail said a little guiltily. “If it hadn't been for me egging you on with that comment...”

“It's my fault.” The two stallions looked at her when she stated it like a fact. “And I didn't realize it until Diamond Dust informed me of your stupid, little agreement.”

“You mean our pact?” Moonstone asked.

Missing Nail grumbled, mentally making a note of having a talk with his sister later. “It was supposed to remain secret, so it wouldn't affect your choice.”

“But it did. Not knowing has kept me from making a choice. I wanted to hold on to what we had as kids. I've never fully committed to either of you, because I didn't know how serious you were. We were all kids once, then we were teenagers, and young adults, with all the dumb choices that entails. My inability to choose between the two of you was the biggest factor in where we ended up. But we're adults now, and I need to make a decision right now. I'd like us, all of us, to be friends again. But before that, I need to know one thing: Do either of you still have romantic feelings for me?”

“What are you asking, Star?” Moonstone looked at her, not sure what she was expecting to hear.

“I'm asking, if I were to put the offer on the table right now, would you want us to be a couple again?”

Moonstone swallowed hard. “Let me ask you one thing first.”

“Fair enough.”

“Would you cheat on me again?”

Shooting Star sighed. She knew that it was what had hurt him the most. Everything else had been trivial in his mind. Even though she had considered them broken up those times when she'd been with Missing Nail, obviously he hadn't. And he had a right to be angry about that. “No,” she replied with absolute sincerity.

His answer followed immediately. “Then yes. Absolutely I'd want us to give it another try. We had our problems, sure, but there were also the good parts. I love what we had. And I still love you. Why wouldn't I? You're bright, determined, kind.”

“And you fill out a uniform like nopony's business,” Missing Nail added with a grin.

She turned her attention to the earth pony. “And what about you? Would you actually commit to a real relationship? One that's more than just physical?”

He scratched his head. “Look, I'll be the first to admit that I can't express myself very well in real life.” He then became serious. “But I love you the same way Moon does. I just show it in a different way, preferably by rubbing a thick load of my baby batter on your face with my dick.”

Shooting Star dead-panned at that. “Well, that was almost cute. It started badly, and then it kinda trailed off in the middle, and the less said about the end the better. But otherwise very heartfelt.”

“Then that leaves us exactly where we were at the beginning,” Moonstone pointed out. “We'll all just repeat the same mistakes, … unless you make a choice, Star.”

The mare closed her eyes, thinking about her next words carefully. “And I'm ready to make it now. I don't want to be the reason for the two of you fighting anymore. You'll both accept my choice?”

They nodded.

She took a deep breath. “Alright, here goes. I choose...”

They gulped.

“... both of you.”

They blinked in confusion. ““Huh!?””

“But you said that you were ready to make your choice,” Missing Nail protested.

“And I did,” she said simply. “I can't choose between the two of you, so I'm going with option three. Haven't I made that abundantly clear thirteen years ago when we were dangling over that cliff?”

They looked at each other, only now realizing that there even was a third option. “You mean, the three of us? Would that even work?” Missing Nail commented dubiously.

She shrugged. “Why not? It wouldn't be any different than what we did before, minus all the jealousy.”

Moonstone frowned. “Does that mean … we'll also … you know … together?”

“That's the plan.” Star looked at him sheepishly. “If you'll indulge my selfishness. After all I get two for the price of one. And if we make it official, then it isn't technically cheating.”

“She's got you there,” Missing Nail pointed out. “Plus, I'm happy to leave all the proper coltfriend stuff to you. I'll stick with the sex.”

“Oh no, you don't. If you're in this, you're gonna put work into this relationship, just like Moonstone and I do.”

“Fine,” Missing Nail grumbled. “But only if he lightens up a little.”

“Hey, I consider myself to be pretty open by even giving this a second thought,” Moonstone said. “I think I need some time to really think about this.”

“Yeah, me too.” Missing Nail began to chuckle. “Been a long time since we agreed on something, hasn't it, Moon?”

Shooting Star sighed. “I guess that's fair.” She stood up from her desk and walked over to the window to draw the shades closed. Then she slowly began to open the buttons of her blue blazer one by one.

“Star? What are you doing?” Moonstone asked in confusion.

“Giving you time to think,” she answered with a perfectly straight face while slipping out of the blazer. “You've got until I'm down to my panties to make up your minds.” Next to go was the white shirt underneath the jacket. She stood there for a moment, looking at them with a raised eyebrow while her upper body was only covered by the white, lacy bra she was wearing.

“I don't think I can make a decision like that,” Missing Nail gulped. “My blood has kinda left my brain for other regions of my body.”

Neither of them could tear their eyes away as she continued to strip. Opening the zipper on the side ever so slowly, her skirt was the next thing to go. She turned around, bending down to remove it from around her ankles while her tail waved playfully in the air. Standing up straight again, still with her back turned, she unhooked her bra, holding it away from her before nonchalantly letting it drop. Shooting Star turned around. Covering her large breasts with one arm, she simply stood there, only clad in her white panties, black thigh-high stockings and matching heels, looking at them. “Well?” she asked. “I'm not gonna stop you from leaving right now if that's what you want.”

So she said. But really, how could any stallion walk away from that?

“Moon? Had enough time to think?”

“Eyup,” the unicorn replied. “What about you?” The question didn't need a verbal response. When he turned his head, he could see that Nail had already taken off his pants.

Chuckling to himself, Moonstone also began to undress, and it felt like this might actually work. Because it was exactly like when they were foals. Star would decide on a course of action, it was unorthodox, and she'd pull the two along whether they wanted to or not. And neither of them seemed to mind it that much.

Moonstone walked up to the now smiling Shooting Star, doing something he never thought he'd get to do again, which was grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into a deep kiss.

Meanwhile Missing Nail had drawn up to the side, necking her while working his hand underneath hers to grab one boob, moving it around slowly in his palm to reacquaint himself with that wonderful feeling.

Shooting Star moaned into Moonstone's mouth when Missing Nail suddenly pinched her nipple. “I take it, my final argument was the clincher?” she asked teasingly, grabbing hold of their shafts with one hand each.

“What can we say?” Moonstone asked slyly. “No wonder they made you a major. You certainly know how to make a stallion stand at attention.”

“Hey, that's a good one,” Missing commented. “I might have to steal that line. Now, admit it, Star. Mine is bigger, right?”

“It's not about size,” Moon scoffed. “It's about how you use it.”

“Boys, no more fighting, remember?” she told them. Truth be told, she couldn't have said which one was bigger even if she wanted to, and she wasn't about to break out the measuring tape to make it official. Kneeling down, she brought the two large cocks closer to her face while rubbing the shafts with her hands. “They're both perfectly lovely, and they're mine now.” As if laying her claim to them, she gave their tips a quick kiss.

The two stallions shuddered at the feeling. Seemingly wanting to make up for lost time, she began to alternate between them, taking them into her mouth and bobbing her head back and forth. They had their hands on her head, communicating their desires towards her through touch alone.

But even that was unnecessary. Knowing perfectly well how to please each of them, she took Missing Nail's cock deep with every stroke to the point of almost gagging while using her tongue to circle around Moonstone's glans.

“Hang on,” the unicorn suddenly said. “If you keep this up, this is gonna be over way too early.” Picking her up, he sat her down on the large desk. Giving her another kiss, he positioned himself between her willing thighs, grabbing hold of her panties and pulling them off. Then he moved his head closer, running his tongue along the outer lips.

Not to be outdone, Nail moved behind her, reaching around to grab her breasts and resume his nipple play from earlier. At the same time he moved in closer with his head, using his mouth to stimulate the sensitive base of her wings.

“Ahhn!” Shooting Star's moans became more and more frequent. “See how much more fun this is when we all play on the same team?”

“It certainly is. Speaking of playing.” Moonstone lightly brushed his thumb across her clit. Seeing her whole body shudder and her leg muscles tense in response, he stuck out his tongue to push it through her wet folds.

Shooting Star seemed to be enjoying herself as her two lovers developed their own form of divide and conquer, still competing with each other in a way, but only to see which one could give her more pleasure.

“Enough with the foreplay,” she said with a pleading look. “I want one of you inside me.”

They looked at each other. This was gonna be the true test. “You go ahead,” Missing Nail offered.

“You sure?”

He nodded. “Yeah, and I'm sure Star will take care of me like she always does. Right, Star?”

She grinned at him. “Always the same with you. But at least you learned to share.” Climbing off the desk, she positioned herself on the floor on all fours, lifting her tail up invitingly. “Looks like my pussy is all yours for the time being, Moonstone.”

He knelt down behind her, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of his tip rubbing against her entrance. “Oh, Star. I've missed you.” Grabbing her tail with one hand, he pushed himself deeply into her with one thrust.

“Ah! And I've missed your cock.”

“Don't forget about me,” Missing Nail said, slightly waving his stallionhood in front of her face like a treat.

“How could I? You're the source of my favorite snack, after all.” Wrapping her lips around his pride, she began to suck on it noisily.

“Good girl,” Nail praised her while slightly pulling on her ear to make her take him deeper. “Take it all the way.”

Moonstone couldn't help but stare. It was strange to watch her suck another stallion's cock. There was still a hint of jealousy, yet the sight was strangely hot as well. It was only when she slightly wiggled her hips that he remembered about his own position. “Sorry, Star. Didn't mean to keep you waiting.” Grabbing hold of her firm buttocks, he began to thrust in and out, slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed as her hungry insides seemed to draw him in deeper.

Seeing her get fucked from behind while sucking him off, Missing Nail couldn't help but start moving his own hips, matching the pace that Moonstone set. Every now and then, he would shudder as she moaned while taking it from behind, the vibration transmitting from her mouth to his pride. “Damn, Star. Your blowjobs are even better like this. You want me to fuck your face like Moon is doing your pussy?”

She looked up at him. Their eyes met, and the answer in them was clear.

Inching closer on his knees, he grabbed both sides of her head before really starting to thrust in and out of her mouth.

Moonstone also began to grunt in response to that, her insides tightening and squeezing his cock every time Nail hit the back of her throat. “We should have done this years ago.”

If their individual love sessions had been a duet, this was a symphony, and they all knew what parts they were playing, resonating in an ever increasing crescendo.

Moonstone began to lean in further, putting more weight into his thrusts. Reaching his hand forward, he grabbed her mane. Unexpectedly, he didn't just pull her head back, but pushed her forward as well. “That's it. Keep sucking him off, Star.”

“Fuck her harder,” Missing Nail added. “Really rail that pussy.”

Shooting Star didn't add much to the conversation for obvious reasons, opting to let her actions speak for themselves, as she used one hand to fondle Missing Nail's balls while letting her tail swish across Moonstone's chest, sometimes using it like a whip.

“I'm getting close here,” Moonstone announced.

“Guh. Me too,” Nail confirmed, removing his cock from Shooting Star's mouth for a moment that seemed entirely too long. “What about you, Star?”

She smiled up at him while panting heavily. “I already came twice.”

“Naughty girl. How long have you been fantasizing about getting fucked by both of us at the same time?”

“I don't know. But it's been a long time,” she admitted. “Ahhh!!!”

Shooting Star arched her back as Moonstone sped up for the final push, their lovemaking echoing throughout the room with slapping noises. Holding her plot steady, the unicorn stallion unloaded his seed into her with several large spurt.

Seeing her drawn out moan as she presumably came for the third time, Missing Nail began to stroke his stallionhood, taking aim. “That's the ecstatic face I like to see. Say 'Ah', Star.”

Sticking out her tongue, she tried to catch as much of the sticky white fluid as possible while he came all over her face.

The two stallions were simply trying to catch their breath while Shooting Star began to lick up the cum that was still clinging to the cock in front of her. She also moved her plot slowly in a circle, enjoying the warmth spreading inside of her.

“Now, recruits,” the Major said teasingly. “I want you ready for action for the second round within five minutes. Otherwise you're doing a hundred push-ups each. Is that understood?”

Moonstone and Missing Nail grinned at that. ““Yes, ma'am!””

Author's Note

And there we have it, the final chapter of the trilogy. Happy Birthday, Nightmare_Shinigami!